His chest trembles with shallow breaths under Paul's hand. Paul's eyes go to his throat, looking at vitals--or something else. Paul is--on edge, ready, catching it off him and feeding it back. Midoriya knows that can happen even without boundaries of self muddled by spice.
Calm down, Midoriya tells himself, trying to break the spell his instincts put him under. Move. There is no danger. Nevertheless, he wants to rise, curl up, and hide his exposed mortal points from the world--head, neck, heart and lung, arterial lifelines, he's studied well--to tell his body that he is safe.
Paul, mistrustful, full of unsaid things, could be ensnared in something he shouldn't. Midoriya is an honest person. There's always the chance that one day he might have to be completely honest... but he wants to protect Paul more. This gives him purpose, other than the one for which his power was passed down. This frees him.
"Yes," he breathes, barely audible. "Very quietly." He lifts a hand, slow but not shaking now, and attempts to complete a different circuit of emotion, one that is made of a gentle but secure curl of his fingers over Paul's.
no subject
Calm down, Midoriya tells himself, trying to break the spell his instincts put him under. Move. There is no danger. Nevertheless, he wants to rise, curl up, and hide his exposed mortal points from the world--head, neck, heart and lung, arterial lifelines, he's studied well--to tell his body that he is safe.
Paul, mistrustful, full of unsaid things, could be ensnared in something he shouldn't. Midoriya is an honest person. There's always the chance that one day he might have to be completely honest... but he wants to protect Paul more. This gives him purpose, other than the one for which his power was passed down. This frees him.
"Yes," he breathes, barely audible. "Very quietly." He lifts a hand, slow but not shaking now, and attempts to complete a different circuit of emotion, one that is made of a gentle but secure curl of his fingers over Paul's.