Midoriya's mouth goes dry, but he forgets to sip his tea. He just cups it in his hands to ease the stiff aches. It twists his heart to think of how it might be if his and Paul's positions were reversed the day the Leviathan landed. It's not the first time for either of them.

"My old boss died from his wounds in a raid," he offers lowly in sympathy. Unconsciously, Midoriya's hand hovers down over his stomach where this Hero was impaled. He can still smell the flowers at the funeral, and the Beastblood when Paul--

"I'm sorry. I meant to cheer you up by coming over. I just... Smiling and pretending everything's all right won't work. I should be more honest with you."

Now it's Midoriya's turn to look down. He's lied by omission before. He's lied simply, gently, to the people closest to him. He's lied to himself. He's going to do it all over again to a hurting friend. He's not great at telling lies, but he came here clothed in softness carrying several.

"I also came here to ask you a favor. Two. But it can wait a little. If you'd rather talk about something else first, that's all right."