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🍀“STRETCH THAT LAME QUIRK UNTIL IT RIPS APART!!!!!!!!!” Tiger, from the wild Pussy Cats hollered in the greenettes face. It was the second day of training camp for the future heroes. Everyone was beyond exhausted. The exercises they were assigned to enhance their quirks proved to be quite tiring. That didn’t stop Izuku Midoriya from giving his all. He needed to be able to control One For All to the best of his abilities if he wanted to become anywhere near as good as the number one hero, All Might. He attempted another punch at Tiger, with a 5 percent Detroit Smash, only for the man to bend his body over Izuku's arm in some inhuman way and counter his punch, knocking Izuku off of his feet. “NOT QUITE SHARP ENOUGH YET!!” The man boomed with more enthusiasm than necessary. This was going to be a long day. After what felt like an eternity of throwing punches at the cat man, only for them to be blocked and countered, the announcement for dinner finally came. He was beyond relieved. Izuku dragged himself back towards the main building where he found Ochako looking just as exhausted, maybe more with the sickly look on her face. She was slouched over a bucket, holding her head in her hands. He almost forgot that the girl's quirk made her stomach feel like mush after pushing past its limits. “How you holdin’ up?” He asked as he sat down next to the girl. Ochako lifted her head up sluggishly, her usual bright expression replaced with a more dead looking one. Her eyes looked puffy and red and her face looked more pale than usual. “Never… better.” Izuku chuckled and patted her back, feeling bad for her. “Come on, dinner’s ready. That should make you feel better.”The mention of dinner got the girl to shoot up from the stump she was sitting on, only to tip over a bit and clutch her stomach, her face quickly lowering to the bucket and hurling once more. Izuku winced and began his walk to the tables. He was confused once he got there and found no prepared meal, only ingredients. “If you want food, you gotta make it yourself!” Ragdoll, another member of the Pussy Cats, exclaimed. “We told you the pampering would end today!”Izuku sighed. After his hard day of exercising, he really wasn’t in the mood for cooking. He wasn’t even good at it either. Sadly, his stomach was definitely in the mood for eating. He sighed and trudged over to the table, grabbing random ingredients he hoped could form his favorite meal, Katsudon. After inevitably failing his attempt to cook an edible meal, Izuku decides to look around to see what his other friends are doing. Thankfully, he’s not the only one struggling. At least everyone is working together, though. “How are you idiots so unconditionally bad at everything ?!” Izuku hears a familiar explosive voice shout. “God, you’d all be dead without me.” Izuku can just picture Katsuki pinching the bridge of his nose, eyes rolling in the back of his head. “That’s right, Bakubro! We’re practically hopeless without you!!” Mina replied dramatically, the back of her hand resting on her forehead as she leaned on the blonde's arm.He shrugged her off with a “ tch ” and walked over to grab a pot big enough to cook a meal for the whole class. It was gestures like this that allowed Izuku to believe Katsuki wasn’t a heartless monster. He cared enough about his classmates and friends to cook them a decent meal, even if it meant he was just trying to prove he was better than them. Izuku smiled to himself as he looked down to his sad attempt at Katsudon. “The fucks got you so smile-y?” Katsuki snarled at him as he placed the pot on the stove a few feet away from where Izuku was. Izuku flushed, embarrassed. “O-Oh. It’s n-nothing, Kacchan!” He looked up at the blonde, smiling. “Didn’t ask. Don’t care.” Katsuki replied sharply, not looking up from where he was adjusting the temperature on the stove. Izuku frowned. He did in fact ask but Izuku decided not to comment on that. This is how their normal conversations went. Izuku was sure there had to have been something he did to make the blonde hate him so much but whenver he tried to ask, he was met with a cold “fuck off ”, or just simply ignored. He really would like to know why Katsuki hated him so much. They had such a nice childhood. Well, before Katsuki gained his quirk and Izuku didn’t. They hung out all the time. Had sleepovers almost every other day, wore matching All Might onesies, shared figurines with each other. It was what any childhood should be, before all of the bullying started. One day it was as if something sparked inside Katsuki that made him realize he didn’t want to hang around with Izuku anymore. That Izuku just wasn’t worth his time, whatever that meant. Izuku would never know. He wished they could go back, though. To having normal conversations. To staying up all night, laughing and giggling at a sleepover as Katsuki’s parents stormed in, shouting for them to go to bed. Learning their favorite All Might poses while in All Might onesies. He’s always wishing, even though he knows Katsuki doesn’t feel the same way. It never hurt anyone to hope. After about 30 minutes, Katsuki announced dinner was ready. Everyone was beyond excited. Even the few from Class B that decided to stay and hang with them sounded like they knew Katsuki’s cooking was the best of the best. It was crazy, really. How Katsuki always claimed to be the best, claimed he could do anything without hesitation. Usually, people would hate someone like that, and Izuku was sure that people did, but the thing about Katsuki was, when he said those things, no one could really get mad at him. He really was the best and could do anything. Good cook, good student (grade wise), great at managing his quirk, good looking . The boy seemed to have it all. Sucks that he couldn't be a better friend…Katsuki set the boiling pan in the center of the table that was big enough to hold both of the classes combined. Everyone practically jumped out of their seats to get their food first. Although it wasn’t the Katsudon Izuku had tried to make for himself earlier, the noodles smelled amazing and his stomach told himself he was about ready to start gnawing on the table. With a very loud, very exaggerated groan, Kirishima said, “Oh my godd Bakubro… This… This is amazing . Gosh I don’t know how you do it. I don’t understand how you don’t have a girlfriend yet. I just know girls come crawling your way…” Kirishima finished his sentence by stuffing more steaming noodles into his mouth, his eyes rolling in the back of his head with pleasure.Izuku could’ve sworn Katsuki looked in his direction as soon as Kirishima mentioned a significant other to him. But, just as quick as his gaze was on Izuku, it was gone. He’d probably imagined it. Izuku used his chopsticks to pull some noodles out of the liquid in his bowl, blowing on them before he took a bite. As he did, he completely understood Kirishima’s reaction now. It wasn’t an exaggeration. These noodles were amazing . Surprisingly, knowing the blonde, he’d expected them to have a certain explosive kick to them. He could definitely tell there was more spice than needed, but Izuku found it was just the right amount. The noodles were boiled to just the right texture, allowing them to be slurped perfectly, smacking against his lips. The juice was sour and sweet and just gosh. He’d never get over how good Katsuki’s cooking was. If only he could go over and ask him how he does it. “Did you see the way Bakugo was eyeing you as Kirishima was talking??” Ochako suddenly whispered in his ear. He choked on the noodles, some liquid shooting out of his nose. “ What?! ” Izuku whisper-shouted back at the brunette, whipping his head to stare at her, a noodle sticking out of his mouth. She chuckled, “Seriously.” She began, picking up some more noodles. “When Kirishima was like ‘I just know girls come crawling your way ’ Bakugo totally was staring at you. Like he was hoping you’d come crawling to him, not some girl. It was so obvious. I think Kirishima noticed, that’s why he mentioned it.” Izuku was speechless as he stared down into his noodles. What was this girl on? Was she being serious? Who in the world would believe that Bakugo Katsuki would want Izuku to come crawling to him? No one in their right mind, that's for sure. “Aww, you’re blushing, ‘Zuku. Bakugo make you nervous?” He whipped his head back to her again, his eyes narrowing. She just giggled once more. “You’re insane, Ochako.” After a few minutes of constant lips smacking and groans of joy, everyone began to chatter around the table. Mainly about how tiring training was, and the fact they’d have to do it all over again tomorrow. And the day after that. And the day after that for the next week. They were looking forward to dinner tomorrow already. “Man, today was rough dude. I don’t think I can handle a whole week of this.” Kirishima stated to their group of friends who gradually shifted closer together at the table. “I’m sure we’ll all get used to it soon, don’t doubt yourself Kirishima!” Izuku piped up, trying to encourage his classmate. “I understand what you mean, though. I almost didn’t make it to the table, my arms and legs were so sore.” Izuku chuckled.“The nerds right.” Katsuki spoke up, somehow agreeing(?) with Izuku. “How do you extras expect to be anywhere near my level if you can’t handle a little bit of hard work?” He scoffed. In a way, if you looked at it really closely, maybe removed the tone, ignored the fact that it was Katsuki saying the statement, rephrased the words a little, then it would make Izuku happy that the blonde had agreed to something he’d said. “You don’t have to put it like that, Kacchan…” “Shut the hell up, nerd.” Katsuki snapped back. Izuku sighed. The conversation sort of died down after that, everyone silently enjoying the company and food without trying to spark up any conflict between the two boys. Aizawa came out right as everyone was finishing their food to announce the two staying behind to clean up. “Bakugo, Midoriya, you’re responsible for the cleanup. Please put things back the way you found and don’t leave any extra mess for the Pussy Cats to clean up.” He stated this, simple and dry, then walked back inside. Everyone was relieved they weren’t the ones who had to stay behind. Everyone but Izuku and Katsuki. “Great. Why am I always stuck hanging around with your useless ass.” Katsuki mumbled and rolled his eyes as he gathered bowls and utensils. “I can hear you Kacchan, and I’m not useless.” Izuku sighed, beginning to pick things up as well. “And I’m not too fond of spending time with you either so don’t feel too bad.”“Oh, so you’re getting smart with me now?”This was actually happening, wasn’t it? Izuku’s simple presence was pissing the blonde off, once more. What a surprise! Was there seriously anything he could do to change that? Izuku planned on cleaning and putting things away in silence with the blonde. That way, he’d avoid any and all conflict possible. It was like Katsuki wanted to argue with him all the time. Whenever Izuku tried to avoid it, somehow an argument still started. “Kacchan can we please not do this right now?” Izuku stopped cleaning to look at Katsuki, who was using the sink right next to him. “Do what nerd? You’re the one pissing me off. How am I supposed to just ‘not do this’ when it's your fault?”“How is it ‘my fault’!!? Why does my presence piss you off so much?! Kacchan what have I done so bad towards you, that my simple presence is enough to put you in a bad mood? I would really like to know because this isn’t working for either of us.” “Tch. What are you gonna do Deku ? Use your worthless quirk on me? Go cry to All Might? You’re all bark and no bite. That's why you piss me off.”“This is exactly what I’m talking about! You’re not giving me any reasonable explanations. My quirk annoys you? That’s it? Because I didn't have a quirk in middle school, so I guess I’ll need a separate explanation for that. You’re jealous that I’m closer to All Might than you? If so, just tell me because none of this makes sense.” Izuku was frustrated. He really needed to get to the bottom of why Katsuki hated him so much. He couldn’t just keep adoring the boy who wishes nothing more than to have him go away. It was tiring. “Honestly, Kacchan. How do you ever expect to become a hero if you can’t have a simple conversation with me ? The boy you’ve known your whole life. Who’s done nothing more than worship you and praise you for how absolutely amazing you’ve always been!”Izuku knew he was going too far. Katsuki was more than capable of becoming a hero, with or without interacting with Izuku. He was just frustrated. And tired. And angry. And annoyed . Years and years of taking these things from Katsuki, he’d had enough. He wasn’t going to accept these childish actions from the blonde anymore. Even if it was going to be hard for Izuku, he knew he could do it. Katsuki only brought him pain. What other choice did Izuku have other than to just completely avoid the blonde all together? Clearly trying to talk things out and find a balance between them wasn’t working out.“Yeah. Yeah maybe you're right.” Katsuki replied, a sarcastic laugh leaving his mouth as he scrubbed the bowl he was washing aggressively. “Maybe I’m not cut out to be a hero after all.” That was not what Izuku had been expecting. After all the times people had said he was more like a villain than a hero, Katsuki never said anything about it. He knew what he wanted to become and he didn’t let the opinions of others interfere with that. Where was this coming from? Just because Izuku had said something? Because Katsuki was angrier than usual? To admit he shouldn’t become a hero wasn’t something like Katsuki. And, yes, Izuku was the one to say it, but he didn’t mean it. Surely Katsuki knew that. “Kacchan… That's not-” Izuku tried, placing his bowl down to face the blonde.“No no. You’re right!” Katsuki glared at him. “You don’t think I can become a hero? Then maybe I won’t. Seeing as that’s how you look at me.”“Kacchan, you know that's not how I-”Katsuki cut him off once more. “Just leave me the hell alone, nerd. You can finish cleaning this shit up. I’m going to bed.” And just like that, he was gone. Katsuki stormed off into the house, leaving Ochako looking confused as she walked out of the sliding glass doors. Izuku sighed and continued to scrub. There was no point in going after the blonde. Katsuki needed some time to cool off. He’d never say such things if he wasn’t angrier than usual for some reason. “Hey, you okay?” Ochako asked as she walked up to the green haired boy. She rubbed his back and picked up a sponge, beginning to clean what Katsuki had left behind. “You don’t have to do that…” Izuku said, looking at the bowl in her hands, ignoring the question. She gave him a comforting smile and continued to scrub, “I don’t mind.” Izuku was always thankful for the girl. She has always been by his side since the first day at UA. At first, he was beyond nervous to talk to her. A girl . Of all people. The first person to talk to him had been a girl. After years of talking to almost no one other than Katsuki and his parents, he was unsure of how to interact with someone of the opposite gender. It honestly shouldn’t be very difficult. A girl is just another human being, the same as Izuku. Another friend. So why do people always get so nervous when talking to the opposite gender? It was these thoughts that allowed him to overcome the awkward state they were in and become what they were today. People always asked if they were dating, or if they weren’t, that they’d look good together. Of course Izuku had thought about it before. It wasn’t that Ochako wasn’t his type, he just found that the two were better off how they were. Best friends. She seemed to be the only one he could talk to about pretty much everything. He could come to her bawling his eyes out, she’d just find a way to cheer him up, and vice versa. They were like two peas in a pod. He was thankful for the girl, in more ways than one. “Thanks, Ochako…” Izuku smiled back at her, enjoying the refreshing company after talking to Katsuki. “Of course, ‘Zuku! I’m always here for you.” They continued to scrub some more bowls in silence, Izuku happy he didn't have to spend more time with the soul drenching Katsuki Bakugo. He really didn’t know how a 5 minute conversation with one person could be so exhausting. It honestly shouldn’t be, Izuku knew that, but there was nothing he could change about their relationship. After a moment, Ochako spoke up, interrupting the comfortable silence. “Wanna talk about… what that was all about?” Izuku sighed. He did want to talk about it. And he did want to talk about it with Ochako. She always knew how to make him feel better and forget about the bad things for a while. And there was something bugging him about this specific fight that he really needed some input on. “Yeah… Yeah I do, actually.” Izuku placed down the towel he was using, finally finishing cleaning up. It only took about 15 minutes to scrub and put everything away. Now, he could enjoy a nice, hot spa. He wasn’t going to enjoy the lack of sleep he was sure to get tonight.“When we were… arguing, Kacchan had said something…” Izuku looked down at his hands, remembering. ‘ You don’t think I can become a hero? Then maybe I won't…’ “Wellllll. I kinda sorta maybe… definitely… called him a… villain?” Izuku quickly put his hands up to defend himself. “But it wasn’t like that ! I didn’t specifically say, ‘hey Kacchan, you’re such a villain!’ It was literally more like, ‘how do you expect to become a hero if you can’t even be nice to me?’”Ochako nodded, “I see…” She dried her hands off as she also finished the last bowl in need of washing. “So… you feel bad for calling him a villain? That’s all?”Izuku shook his head. “No no, that’s not why. Of course I do feel bad about saying that, because I know Kacchan, and he’s not a villain, nowhere close to one. But… but he actually agreed with me. He said that maybe he’s not cut out to be a hero, if that’s what I think of him. It’s just… it’s weird . He’s never once admitted something like that. No matter how many times people have said he was more of a villain than a hero. Kacchan has ignored them and kept pushing through. I’m sure this means nothing. I’m sure he was just frustrated at the moment, more than usual, and said something on impulse, like I did. But… I dunno Ochako… It felt weird this time…”“Hm. That doesn’t really sound like something he’d say…” She agreed with him, there was really nothing more to say than that. “You’re probably right though. He was just angrier than usual and didn't think about what he was saying. Don’t look too much into it, okay?” She rubbed his back a little before beginning to walk back inside the house. Izuku nodded. There really wasn’t much more to say anyways. Katsuki was mad. Izuku was mad. They both said things they regret. That’s all it was. Everything’s fine. 🌼Damn nerd really knew how to just piss him off. It was crazy, really, how easy it was for the stupid big eyed freak to get under his skin. He wasn’t exactly sure why. He had absolutely no clue as to why he hated his guts so much. They were perfectly fine when they were kids. Katsuki cared so much about the dude. He was willing to do anything, just to make sure he was safe and happy. After Izuku didn’t gain his quirk and Katsuki did, he just… didn’t care to play around like they used to. He wanted the nerd to be safe - not that he’d ever admit that to anyone - so pushing him away seemed like the best option. Why had this been the best option at the time? No idea. Katsuki guessed that if he didn’t get the nerd involved in his own shenanigans, Izuku wouldn’t be in danger due to his lack of a quirk. What was he even saying? To hell with the nerd. As if he cared about his safety. As if he enjoyed his company when they were younger. All Izuku had been good for was to boost Katsuki’s already escalating ego. He was there to remind Katsuki of how absolutely incredible he was. Izuku was nothing more than a stepping stone to his inevitable victory. This was all stupid. Feeling sorry for the nerd. Trying to act as if he was once nice to him on purpose . Stupid, stupid, stupid. Damn idiot was messing with his headIt sure as hell didn’t surprise Katsuki that they ended up arguing, again . He’d expected it to happen and, quite frankly, he had no one to blame other than that stupid, baggy-eyed, quirk-erasing, mind-exhausting, good-for-nothing, sack of shit teacher, Mr. Aizawa. He was the one who paired the two up so he better not come yelling at Katsuki for the outcome of his own idea. Gosh he really couldn’t stand these people. 🍀The next day, everyone woke up at the assigned time, however, they all arrived like a mob of zombies. Groaning, dragging themselves alongside their friends, eye bags heavy. Today was going to be even longer than yesterday. Izuku seemed to be the only one in a cheery, more alive-looking state, ready to get along with enhancing his quirk. Izuku and… well. You know…“The hell’s got you so cheery idiot?” Katsuki asked as he shoulder checked Izuku from behind, not bothering to look back or wait for a response. It was fine because Izuku didn’t plan on giving him one. He was going to avoid Katsuki the rest of this trip, to the best of his abilities at least. He knew there was going to be a point in time where he eventually talked to the blonde, against his will. That seemed like how it always went. He ignored Katsuki, like he was doing to him, and walked over to his exercise station from yesterday. However, he didn’t find Tiger waiting for him. As he looked around, he noticed the Pussy Cats all gathered in the center of the exercise area, looking as if they were waiting for everyone to arrive. He made his way back to the group of people beginning to surround the hero group and waiting for instructions. “Okay folks! We all know how tiring yesterday must have been for you all so…” Pixie-Bob began, looking around at the worn out teens. “We’ve prepared a group activity for today!”Everyone cheered, seeming to be healed of their zombie-like states. “You will be split into groups of three and walk the small path we have created for you in the forest. Pick your number from this hat-” she displayed a black cap to the students “-and find the other members in your group once you have. There isn’t much need for strategy since you are just practicing patrolling, like you’d do if you were actual heroes. So, take this time to rest up and maybe get to know one another, if you aren’t familiar with your groupmates. The patrol will begin at 5 O’clock so be ready by then. Depending on your number, that will determine who goes first. Keep in mind that there will also be fake villains, played by myself and my fellow Pussy Cats. We will be scattered around the path and pop out at will. Once you are faced with one of us, you have to place this sticker-” She picked out a blank circular piece of paper from her pocket “-and place it on us! This is just to make the patrol a little more realistic. You may all pick a number now!”Everyone rushed to get their number first. Izuku kindly stayed behind and waited until the group settled down a bit before trying to get one himself. He prayed and prayed he had at least one person he was close to on his team. He wasn’t against socializing with the other class or getting to know some of his less familiar classmates, but it was always nice to do things with friends. Once he was finally able to grab his number, he realized there were only three left. The other two were picked up by Shouto and Katsuki. Oh god please please please don’t be the same num-“Oi, what number did you get, Icy hot?” Katsuki barked as soon as he unfolded his paper. “I got five.” He replied simply, glancing at Izuku. “Well fuck me then. What about you nerd?”Izuku gulped. Just his luck. He didn’t mind teaming up with Shouto. That was one of his closest friends. Izuku was beyond relieved at that. But… his other teammate.“I-I got f-five… too.” Izuku looked down at the floor, gripping his paper tightly. “Just my god damn luck.” Katsuki shoved his hands in his pockets and stormed off. “I hate this fuckin’ school…” Izuku caught him muttering as he walked away. There was definitely something off with Katsuki, the more Izuku looked at it. Yeah, the explosive boy was always in a bad mood. A worse mood than anyone should be in all the time, but he seemed like he was starting to actually hate things. Before, Izuku could tell, after being around the blonde his whole life, that most things he argued about or disliked were just for show. To prove he wasn’t weak. Izuku knew Katsuki had a soft spot for most things, he just didn’t want others knowing that about himself. Which is why it scared Izuku to know that Katsuki was actually beginning to truly hate things. Beginning to hate the people around him. Beginning to hate Izuku even more than before. Beginning to hate UA, heroes, teachers. Everything. He wanted so badly to comfort the blonde, to ask him what was wrong, see if he could do anything to help. He knew that would only make him angrier. Gosh why couldn’t he just hate Katsuki the way he hated Izuku?“This is going to be fun…” Shouto snorted, sighing as he turned to Izuku. “Just try to ignore him. It’s honestly just a small walk in the forest. We don’t have to interact with each other that much. It’ll be fine.” He rested a comforting hand on Izuku's shoulder before walking off as well. The whole rest of the day Izuku spent inside, preparing himself for the inevitably stressful night he was going to have. It was like the universe just hated him. Hated his feelings. Loved driving him insane. Why was it that he was alway somehow involved with Katsuki? Why was it that the blonde and him had this connection that always drew the other back? They weren’t meant to be friends. They weren’t meant to interact, otherwise they wouldn’t have such a complicated relationship with one another. So why, why , was it that Izuku just couldn’t get rid of him? At four-thirty, everyone began situating themselves with their groups. Izuku was going to wait until the absolute last minute to go anywhere near Katsuki. As everyone began shuffling outside to meet back at the spot where Pixe-Bob and the rest of the Pussy Cats had informed them to meet, Izuku stayed at the back of the group, wanting to arrive last. Once they got there, everyone fully drifted off into their groups, leaving the three, Shouto, Izuku, and Katsuki alone, Izuku and Shouto awkwardly standing away from Katsuki. “Alright everyone! Are you ready to get this patrol on?!” Pixie-Bob asked, trying to hype everyone up. The student all agreed in unison with lots of happy shouting and jumping up and down. Izuku was not ready to ‘get his patrol on’. Katsuki seemed to agree, as a scoff escaped his lips and his eyes rolled, glaring at the group of teens around him. “Please make sure that you are in your group with the same numbers as you and we will start calling out numbers in order to organize you all.” Everyone started shuffling once more, presumably trying to get in order of whose number was whose. “Alright! First up, people in group number one. Please make your way to the front and we will lead you to the start of the trail. Each group should only take about 10-15 minutes on their patrol seeing as you only have to go around the trail one time.”The students who picked out the number one all made their way to the front and followed Pixie-Bob to wherever the trail was. Everyone else was ordered to stay behind and wait until their turn. In the meantime, they were allowed to socialize with one another, as long as they were paying attention to whose group was called up next. Finally, as the sun started setting and the moon crawled its way, higher and higher into the sky, group five was finally called. Since each patrol seemed to be taking longer than 15 minutes, the Pussy Cats had arranged for a group to start walking, then after about 7-10 minutes, another group would start their walk as well, this way they wouldn’t be out here all night. The three, Izuku, Shouto, and Katsuki slowly walked their way to the beginning of the trail. Once Tiger nodded that they were allowed to start their walk, the boys took off, Katsuki in the lead, most likely trying to avoid Izuku and Shouto. “He seems off…” Shouto observed after a minute of silence. Izuku nodded. “I was thinking the same thing.” He looked at Katsuki’s hunched over figure in front of them, his hands shoved in his pockets. Izuku never knew how one could walk like that without their back hurting all the time. “We got into… another argument yesterday and… and we both said… some things. But his response was a little more concerning this time. It’s been bugging me and I really just want to know how he’s doing. I’m worried about him, as crazy as that sounds.” Shouto nodded, politely not asking about what the argument had been about. It seemed these days people knew not to interfere with the two boys' head butting, seeing as it never helped in the end to prevent another argument. “It’s not crazy. It’s who you are, Midoriya.” Shouto turned his head to look at the greenette as they continued walking together. “It’s a very wonderful trait of yours, but I understand that it can be stressful, especially when the person you’re worrying about happens to be the one person who hates when other people worry about him.”Izuku tittered at that last part, understanding what he meant. It was hard for him to care about someone like Katsuki, even though his body somehow did it naturally. “Oi, you two fuckers talkin’ about me?” Katsuki glared over his shoulder at the pair, his eyes looking as if they had actual fire in them. “N-No Kacchan…!” Izuku was quick to defend himself. The last thing he needed was for the two to get into another heated argument while on an assignment together. Speaking of assignment, Izuku was wondering what the heroes had meant when they said they would be playing as villains during their walk. The boys were about 7 minutes in and hadn’t run into them at all. He wasn’t concerned, he was just bored. It seemed as if the teachers had just fallen asleep or something and forgotten about the trio patrolling this dark and creepy forest trail at night. Suddenly, Izuku heard something collapse in the distance. Shouto and Katsuki seemed to hear exactly what he did because they all shot their heads to the left side of the trail, as that seemed to be where the source of the sound came from. Without hesitation, Izuku ran towards the thump. It had sounded like someone fell, and the lack of shuffling in the bushes afterward led Izuku to believe someone had collapsed. He was correct. In the small opening between the halves of the trail, a student, presumably from Class B because Izuku didn’t recognize him, was laying down on the floor. He didn't seem to be in any pain or distress. He looked like he was… asleep?Was this part of the patrol? Did one of the heroes have a quirk that allowed people to drift off, kind of like Ms. Midnight? Were they supposed to save him and bring him back? That couldn't be, though. He’d studied the Pussy Cats quirks alongside the other quirks he’d been analyzing his whole life. Their quirks consisted of telepath, earthflow, pilabody, and a search quirk. It would make sense that maybe a telepath quirk could do this. However, Mandalay’s quirk only allowed her to specifically send messages to other people in their minds, not put them to sleep. When he looked up from the sleeping boy, through the trees, he witnessed another student falling on the other side of the trail. This time, though, Izuku could see a pink smoke forming around that area. Was that the cause? If so, was it because of the heroes? Surely they wouldn’t want their trainees getting hurt from falling so suddenly like that. Izuku got up slowly, making sure that where he was going wasn’t in an area where he would breathe in that smoke. He got to the edge of the trees in the middle of the two parts of the trail. He tried to look around the forest to see where the smoke was coming from but found no source. It was like the trees were producing it. This was odd. This was all odd. Two fallen students on the trail, each one by themselves. He realized that the other student looked like she had been searching for something. Some one . Had she been looking for this fallen boy? Had he gone off by himself and ended up asleep like her? Or did he accidentally breathe in the smoke and was dragged here by himself?“Oi, quit your mumbling nerd. Whatcha got for us?” Katsuki asked from behind him. Izuku completely forgot that they were on an assignment now. Shouto and Katsuki were both looking at him with expecting glances. Katsuki, of course, looked like he was more glaring at Izuku than wanting an answer, but he understood what Katsuki wanted.“I… I think that there's something wrong…”“Well no shit big brain. Clearly something is wrong. Neither of the cat people have quirks like this and, last time I checked, the pedo was back at UA with her dumb sleep quirk.”‘ The pedo ’, as in Ms. Midnight, Izuku was sure. And Katsuki was right. “We should go warn them - the heroes I mean - and possibly Mr. Aizawa. Whatever this smoke is, I doubt it's a part of our assignment.”Izuku went back over to the boy who was still laying face first on the grass. Izuku bent down and rested the boy's arm over his neck, lifting him up. “The hell are you doing?” Katsuki asked, raising his eyebrow at Izuku. He tilted his head, confused. “Um… picking up the guy? You didn’t expect me to just leave him here, did you?” Izuku asked, almost shocked. How was he going to leave a fellow student, alone and vulnerable, out in the forest to face whatever it was that put him here in the first place. “Tch…” Katsuki turned on his heels, his hands in his pockets, exiting the patch of trees they were under, and entering the other side of the trail. He carefully avoided where the smoke was starting to form. Thankfully Shouto went to the other side of the student Izuku was carrying, balancing out the weight. He smiled, showing his gratitude as they made their way to follow the blonde. Katsuki, surprisingly, grabbed the fallen girl, surely holding his breath as he walked near the patch of smoke. He threw her over his shoulder as if she were a sack of flour. At least she was unconscious so she didn't have to feel the undoubtedly uncomfortable position she was in. They made their way to the end of the trail, walking as fast as they could with the extra weight. Just before they made it out of the patch of the trail and back into the open dirt area where the rest of the groups were waiting, Izuku heard ruffling in the bushes. Before he had time to see what was making the noise, another girl jumped out, a knife pointed at his face. He quickly shoved back Shouto, accidentally making the unconscious boy and him stubble over. Izuku had hoped that the girl had mistaken him for a villain, and somehow had obtained a knife to protect herself. Once she started giggling profusely, he decided that was not the case. She had some odd-looking containers on top of her shoulder, with a tube extending out of the back, leading to more green containers. He guessed they were for holding liquids. It looked like she was wearing a school uniform. He couldn’t see the collar of her shirt since it was being blocked by some sort of navy scarf with a pattern that looked like teeth. He could tell it was a uniform due to the red bow that was probably supposed to be a tie over her sweater and the navy skirt she was wearing. Her sweater was a sandy tan and he could just tell by her face, she was, if not the same age, only a little bit older than him. “Oh my!! Shigaraki didn’t tell me there’d be so many cuties on this mission! Gosh it’s going to be really hard to kill you guys!!” She said in a more jolly voice that Izuku would have liked. “I’m Himiko Toga! You’re…” She looked like she was trying to remember their names, although Izuku didn’t know why because he’d never se- “Izuku! Gosh you are by far my favorite! The other two… you’re cute too, but not as much as my ‘Zuku!! Maybe I can take their blood before yours! Save the best for last of course.” She gave him a cheeky smile, her eyes practically glowing as she looked into his. “EHH?! ” Izuku heard Katsuki confront her, followed by a ‘ thud ’, which he’d predicted was the girl Katsuki was carrying over his shoulder. Izuku winced. “Oi. Blondie . The fuck did you just say? Your ‘Zuku? Over my dead, charred, body .” Katsuki practically growled at Toga, standing defensively in front of Izuku. He was stunned. Had Katsuki just… defended him?! And then proceeded to stand in front of him?? No. Izuku was hallucinating. Katsuki was not standing like a beautifully built wall in front of Izuku. He was not glaring at a girl who’d just called Izuku the cutest out of the trio. He was not seemingly about to blast this girl to the next town because of what she’d said to Izuku . The person Katsuki hated most. However, the tall, muscular form of a too-familiar blonde standing protectively in front of Izuku dared to argue otherwise. Too much was going on. Too much information for Izuku to process at the moment. One, they were under attack, clearly. This girl just proved his point that the sleeping smoke was in fact, not one of the pro heroes doing. However, she’d said something about blood so it led him to believe that the smoke wasn’t her doing. There had to be more villains here. And two, Katsuki was… defending him? Protecting him? Mad at him? Perhaps… jealous? Izuku could admit that the girl wasn’t… ugly . She wasn’t exactly his type but maybe Katsuki thought otherwise and was jealous that she called Izuku-“ Oi , nerd. Quit your mumbling. We’re being attacked here!” Katsuki interrupted Izuku’s odd train of thought, shaking him back into reality. Right. Villain. No time for mumbling. “Awwwww. That’s even cuter! It sucks that my poor Izuku is already taken though… I guess I’ll have to settle with the colorful haired one instead…” Toga seemed disappointed as she glanced over at Shoto who was trying to pick up the girl Katsuki had dropped. Izuku almost didn't catch how she’d just mistakenly stated that he and Katsuki were in a relationship. This seemed to shock Katsuki back to reality as he moved from the front of Izuku to stand near his side. “ Excuse me? I am not dating this little piece of shi-”Toga beamed as she interrupted Katsuki. “Even better! More for ME! ” She exclaimed before lunging at Izuku. Thankfully, due to his fast instinct, Izuku was able to dodge her attack, not without receiving a small cut on his face though. The blood dripped down his cheek and onto his white shirt. “You’re so quick, ‘Zuku! This is going to be funner than I thought!!” Toga chuckled as she got into another stance, ready to pounce at him again. Mid-jump, Katsuki slammed into her side, knocking her a few feet back on the trail. She rolled on the dirt, creating a cloud in her wake. It gave Katsuki, Shouto and Izuku a chance to grab the students who were still unconscious and make a run for it. As much as Izuku wanted to stay and fight, he knew he had to warn someone. They didn’t have their licenses yet and were worn out from training the previous day. “Don’t run from me ‘Zuku! That hurts my feelings…” He heard the faint sound of Toga’s voice as they ran as fast as they could to the other students. The way she said his name… it made him uncomfortable in so many ways. They’d just met and she was acting like a lovestruck school girl. As if she’d been watching Izuku her whole life, waiting for this moment to confess her feelings. Izuku was not enjoying this villain. Not one bit. “That little fucker is gettin’ on my nerves. Shoulda’ howitzer impacted her ass when I had the chance.” He scoffed, running with the girl over his shoulders once more, as if she weighed nothing. Izuku couldn’t help but analyze his face as they ran. He knew he was probably being very obvious, seeing as the two were right next to each other, but he couldn't help it. The fighters look in Katsuki’s eyes. The way he seemed confident, despite his earlier actions showing his hatred for, well, pretty much everything. He seemed so calm, while still maintaining the annoyed glare he always has. But… this time he seemed more annoyed about the fact that the villain only cared for Izuku. Katsuki acted as if the usage of the nickname, ‘ Zuku ’, annoyed him because someone else was using it. Katsuki looked as if he was worried something would happen to Izuku since he was very clearly being targeted, and wanted to prevent it.That’s funny. Izuku was funny. Only funny people had the guts to think such absurd thoughts. “Quit staring at me with those creepy ass eyes of yours, nerd.” Katsuki stated harshly at the green-haired boy. He quickly shifted his gaze, realizing they were finally out in the open. The other groups weren’t there, though. Had they already figured out they were under attack? Maybe there wasn’t much time to warn the groups already in the forest. They made their way to the big house where everyone stayed, in hopes that it was where everyone had taken shelter. He wasn’t sure why no one was out fighting though.Oh.No… It couldn’t be…Had they been attacked and… lost? Was everyone gone? Had the Pussy Cats, along with Mr. Aizawa not been enough to stop the villains? If so, did that mean there were that many? Kind of like the attack back at the USJ… Oh gosh, that was it. They had all inhaled that sleeping smoke, and then were vulnerable afterwards, not able to fight back. That’s how the villains won. This was worse than Izuku had thought. He didn’t know what to do. How could he flip the situation around? How could he defeat these villains, while still protecting himself, Katsuki, Shouto, and the two unconscious students they’d saved? Would he be able to? Would they be able to? Three untrained highschool students weren’t going to be enough. Izuku knew that. 🌼Katsuki’s heart was racing. It was pounding out his chest. He wasn’t scared. Tsk. As if. Hell no. He was angry. He was pissed off . No one was around. There were remains of the pink smoke from before around the edges of the dirt area. They’d lost. They’d already fucking lost and Katsuki couldn’t help at all. Served the idiots right. He was right. This school fucking sucked. The people fucking sucked. The heroes fucking sucked. Everything . Fucking. Sucked . He was about ready to drop this girl and walk off without Shouto and Izuku when he was hit from behind by something hot, sending him flying a few feet in front of everyone. The girl he was carrying on his shoulders (against his will, if he may add) also went flying. Her limp body rolling on the ground in a way it probably shouldn't have. He ignored the slight pain he was in after the scorching hot attack and rolled in a way that would allow him to get back up to his feet and face his attacker. “You bastar- ” He started before the same sharp, burning feeling hit his face, not allowing him to counter attack or register what was attacking him. He put his hands up to cover his face from whatever this hot, blue light being thrown at him was. It felt like fire . He felt like he was actually being burnt. Like he was slowly roasting away. Funny, how that works. Being burnt when his own damn quirk was to do the exact same to others. If that didn’t piss him off, he didn’t know what would. Finally, fed up with his attacker, Katsuki shot himself into the air, despite the pain he was feeling in his arms from being almost completely scorched. As he regained his sight, he noticed that it was, in fact, fire he’d been hit with. Not light. His vision must have been really blurred. Blue fire, though… It had to be the hotter kind, Katsuki guessed, if it hurt that bad. He realized, from where he had shot himself into the sky, that Izuku and Shouto were already battling some other villains. The one who he guessed attacked him had some crazy patchwork skin. It looked like the stitches on his body were literally keeping him together. As if he’d burnt himself too many times because of his own quirk. Pathetic. How pathetic, Katsuki thought. Even the villains fucking sucked. He let himself fall a little from the air then propelled himself forward to crash into the villain that attacked him, who was now fighting Izuku. He was not going to give the nerd the satisfaction of defeating a villain who attacked him first. Clearly this caught the man off guard as he was sent flying. “Kacchan!” Izuku exclaimed, seemingly excited to see Katsuki for whatever fucking reason. “What nerd? Didn’t think you were gonna defeat the guy who was rightfully mine to kill, did you?” Katsuki snarled at him, readying himself as he spotted the villain getting to his feet. “Kacchan that’s not-” Izuku began but Katsuki didn’t hear the rest as he shot forward, ready to blast this scar-face to hell. Sadly, the villain dodged this time. He wasn’t going to let him get away that easily. “Oh ho hooo…” The villain mocked as he repeatedly dodged Katsuki’s attacks. “You’re a feisty one, huh?” His smirk was enough to let Katsuki know he hated this guy's guts. Not only because he was a villain, but because he was exactly like Katsuki. Cocky, hot-headed (literally), fast, and slick. Fuck. It pissed him off. “You’re dead .” Katsuki warned before he ran straight for the villain. As predicted, he dodged Katsuki’s attack. However, this time, Katsuki shot himself into the air using an explosion, changing his direction to jump over the villain. Katsuki was now behind him and shot forward with another explosion to boost him. He slammed right into the guy's back and sent him flying forward. He wasted no time to go after him once more. He landed on top of the villain and hovered his hand over his face. “You move and inch , and I’ll blowing your fucking head off.” “Oh… but that wouldn’t be very heroic, now would it?” The man pouted mockingly up at Katsuki. He was getting tired of hearing people say he wasn’t heroic. That he was “more like a villain than a hero”.
‘How do you ever expect to become a hero if you can’t have a simple conversation with me?’
Even the damn nerd thought he couldn't be a hero. How the hell was he supposed to argue with that? The guy that worshipped Katsuki his whole life. Who never left his goddamn side, no matter how much Katsuki shoved him away. He was fine when other people said things like that to his face. He didn't care. They didn’t matter. They were all side characters. Why should he care what some rando has to say about his personality? They didn’t know who he was. They didn’t know how absolutely amazing he could be. Why did they feel like they could say such things about him without knowing anything?But now, Izuku said the same thing as those side characters. He’d said the same words that everyone else believed. Katsuki shouldn’t care so much. It shouldn’t bother him this much . They were the same words he’s heard a million times. So why, why , did having Izuku say it mean so much more?Because. Izuku knew Katsuki. Like, really knew him and Katsuki would be damned if he tried to argue otherwise. Hell, the kid had a whole book dedicated to analyzing him and his power. So, if Izuku was starting to reason with the people who called him a villain without actually knowing who Katsuki was, then that meant that they were right all along. Izuku knew that Katsuki had a short temper. He knew Katsuki was full of himself. He knew so much about the blonde. Therefore, if he had it in him to call Katsuki a villain, then he had no other choice than to believe the nerd. Izuku was right. Maybe Katsuki was more of a villain. Maybe he should stop trying to be a hero. Maybe he wasn’t cut out for it. Fuck the dreams and wishes and hopes of ever becoming the number one. Katsuki didn’t have it in him. He wasn’t a good enough person to become a hero if the one person who always believed in him was going to say he couldn’t. Fuck this. 🍀Izuku was so stunned by the sudden attacks from behind that it took him a moment to come to his senses. Katsuki had just been shot forward by some guy with a blue fire quirk. Toga hadn’t followed them out of the forest so Izuku had no idea what had happened to her. Shouto was battling against some dude that looked like a real lizard. Maybe an alligator? Crocodile? Izuku didn’t know. He was definitely some sort of slithery-lizard-type animal. After Katsuki had shot himself into the air, the villain who’d attacked him came for Izuku. He had to quickly jump out of the way when blue flames were shot his way. Once Katsuki came back and knocked the villain away, Izuku was left with nothing to do. Katsuki was fighting, Shouto was fighting. He couldn't spot any other villains. Until…The villain from the USJ with hands covering most of his upper body had his own hand around the back of Katsuki’s neck. Shigaraki. It looked like he was only holding Katsuki with four fingers though, whispering something into the blonde's ear. No. This can’t be happening. Suddenly, a purple warp, like the one back at USJ, formed behind the two. Why wasn’t Katsuki doing anything?! Why wasn’t he exploding the guy's hand right off of his neck?! He was right there!! Unless the villain whispered some sort of threat into Katsuki’s ear…? Oh. Oh .That was his quirk. Izuku remembers. The villain with hands grasping onto various parts of his body had the ability to dissolve whatever he touches. A few days before they came to the training camp, Izuku remembered how he’d also been under the same circumstance as Katsuki. The back of his neck being grasped by four cold, dry fingers. As long as Shigaraki didn't lay all five fingers on you, you’d be safe. That was what he was doing right now. Katsuki was trapped. He was about to be taken away. Izuku had to do something. He ran as fast as he could to the pair just as Shigaraki began stepping back into the warp gate. “NO!” Izuku shouted. He was about to reach Katsuki before he felt a sharp pain in his right calf. Something had hit his leg. Something had stabbed his leg. He turned quickly to look back and found one of Togas knives jammed into his skin. No, no, no, no. This can’t be happening! Gotta get up… Gotta save Kacchan…! Izuku grunted as he pulled the knife out of his leg, confused as to how it got there because he couldn't spot the cheery girl anywhere. As he pulled it out of his leg, he quickly turned around to continue chasing after the villains slowly making their escape. He was too late. The villains were walking into the gate, Shigaraki walking backwards as he held Katsuki in front of him, like he was displaying the boy for the students to watch as he made his escape. “KACCHAAAAAAAN!” Izuku shouted as he tried to get up fast enough and chase after them. “Idiot…” was all Katsuki said as the gate closed and Izuku ran right through them. Katsuki was gone. The villains got him. And it was all Izuku’s fault.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
🍀The next day, Izuku woke up in an all too-familiar room. The sweet scent of something lavender that stuck to his nose for days after he left. The stiff clothes with some plain flower-looking pattern displayed on them. The stiff, yet somehow comfortable bed with plain, eye-soaring, bright, white sheets. As he blinked up at the ceiling, he tried to search his body for any major wounds. All he could remember was getting stabbed in his calf by one of Toga’s knives. Did something else happen? Had Izuku forgotten everything after the point of Katsuki’s kidnapping? If so, was everyone else alright? Had he done something to his friends? To the teachers? Why was he in a hospital when he could've been easily cured by Recovery Girl in a matter of minutes. The knife hadn’t even dug that deep into his calf. The boy slowly sat up, just in case something else was wrong. Thankfully, he didn’t feel any pain, just a slight soreness which he’d expected after their hard training at camp. “Izuku!” He heard a familiar, friendly voice beam as he sat up. Friendly arms wrapped around his neck, his hand quickly moving to the brunette's back. “Hey, Ochako.” He smiled into her shoulder, inhaling her familiar vanilla scent. Maybe she could tell him what was going on and the need for his hospitalization. “How are you feeling? Anything hurt? How is your head? Are you feeling nervous?” Ochako let go of her hold around his neck to back up and look at Izuku’s face. She had her hands on his shoulders as she sputtered out random questions. Why would his head hurt? Why would he be nervous?“Well, I’m starting to get a little nervous because I have no idea why you’d ask me questions like that…” He tittered, trying to calm the girl down. “O-Oh!” She replied, obviously surprised. Ochako grabbed a small chair that was in the corner of the room and brought it to the left side of his bed, sitting down. “You don’t remember?” He looked at the girl, confused. What was he supposed to remember? The Pussy Cats training camp had been attacked by the League of Villains. He guessed that’s what the group was, seeing as Shigaraki was part of it. Izuku had been fighting a guy with patchwork skin, who’d earlier attacked Katsuki. Then, the blonde came back to get his revenge on the man. At that point, Shouto was fighting a villain who looked like a lizard and Izuku was left with nothing to do other than watch. Idiot. He should’ve been more thoughtful. He should’ve tried to help one of his friends, not stand there and wait for something to jump at him. He let Katsuki get cornered and kidnapped. When Izuku tried to save the blonde, he’d been stabbed in the leg by Toga’s knife, even though the girl was nowhere in sight. Katsuki was gone by the time the knife was out of his leg. Katsuki was gone and Izuku was too stupid to do anything about it. He should have been more careful. His stupid, reckless actions always resulted in him or someone he cared about getting hurt.“Woah, woah… It’s okay, ‘Zuku. Calm down, okay? Breathe…” Ochako had stood back up in the time that Izuku was going through his thoughts and rested a hand on his shoulder. He realized that he’d been breathing very hard, the back of his neck beginning to sweat. Izuku was sure that if a heart monitor was hooked up to him, it’d be beeping like crazy.“Everything’s fine. Don’t worry, okay? I’m right here. Do you need some water? Should I call the doctor?”Izuku looked at the girl, eyes wide, unable to form a sentence. “O-Ochako…” He gasped out, clutching his chest. Why was he acting like this? What in the world was happening? “Why… Why am I h-here…” His head was whipping around the room. His hands were clutching his shirt and the plain sheets he sat on. “Izuku, I’m gonna tell you… but you need - you need to calm down .” Ochako started to gently shake Izuku, trying to get his attention away from his crazed thoughts. She moved her other hand to rest on his cheek, moving his face to look in her eyes. He was still panting but he could feel himself begin to calm down as he looked into her eyes. Right. He could trust her. Ochako. It was just him and Ochako. He wasn’t being attacked by villains right now. There was nothing to be afraid of. Ochako was there, with him, in a hospital room. He needed to focus. Calm down. Breathe. In, out. In. Out. She nodded as he started to control his breathing, their eyes locked onto each other. “That's good. Just breathe. I’ll tell you everything, don’t worry.” Izuku swallowed nothing and nodded, his grip on the sheets and his shirt loosening. Ochako seemed to calm down at this too as she sat back in her chair, her hand grasping Izuku’s in case something else happened. He felt safe. He felt relieved knowing he had this sort of relationship with the girl. If anyone else were to see the way the two acted towards each other, Izuku knew people thought they were dating. He couldn’t get mad at them, though. Sometimes it did feel as if they acted like a couple. However, Izuku never felt that way. He was beyond thankful that he could act this close and cuddly with one of his friends without it being awkward. That’s just who he was. Izuku was a very affectionate person. He enjoyed being close with others. He enjoyed occasionally holding someone's hand for support or comfort. He loved hugs around his neck or waist. There was just something so soothing about physical touch that he couldn’t understand. Thankfully, he found another person just like him that was able to understand his needs and be able to match them. “Better?” She asked after a moment of him catching his breath. “Yeah. Better…” He sighed, smiling at her. She nodded, letting go of his hand. “So,” She began, “What was the last thing you remember?”Izuku laid back a little on the hospital bed, his arms resting on his stomach. “The very last thing I remember is Kacchan getting taken into the warp gate…” Izuku could already feel slight tears pooling in his eyes. Gosh, why did he have to be so sensitive?“Mhm… Nothing after that?” The green-eyed boy nodded, unsure of why he was supposed to remember more. Izuku definitely wanted to know what led him to the hospital. “Did I get hurt? Were there more villains?”Ochako quickly shook her head as well, “No, no. You didn’t get hurt - well no more than you already were.” She gestured to his leg. “When the students and Pussy Cats arrived on the scene, everything had already happened. The villains were gone. We were all confused as to why two students had been on the ground, panting, and one of them with what looked like a serious injury in their leg.” “Why weren’t you guys waiting there for us to finish our walk?” Izuku asked. That was probably one of the things confusing him the most. “Everyone went back to the house. The Pussy Cats said it was getting too late for us to continue patrolling. They left a sign in the center of the area telling you guys to go to the house once you were finished. Did you not see it?”“No? I mean, I’m sure it could’ve been because all three of us were in a rush to get the unconscious students back to everyone. We didn’t really take any time to look at our surroundings. We just wanted to warn everyone.” Izuku was relieved that his friends and the heroes hadn’t been struck by the sleeping quirk. Thankfully they were all unharmed, as far as he knew. “But that doesn’t explain why I’m here. Couldn’t Recovery Girl just heal my leg back at camp?”“That’s what I’m getting to,” She replied. “When we got there, we knew something was definitely off. Then, I spotted you. You were grasping your legs so tight to your chest with your head buried in between them. There was blood pooling around your right leg. I ran over to you. I tried to ask you what happened, or just make sure that you were okay but you weren’t answering me. You kept saying, ‘ It’s all my fault. It’s all my fault. He’s gone. I couldn’t do anything. It’s all my fault…’ ” Ochako looked away as if she was going to cry. “I was so confused . You looked like you were in so much pain, but not because of your leg. I could tell something had happened, and the lack of Bakugo being with you guys told me everything. You started sobbing like crazy and pushing everyone away when they tried to help you, I think you even punched Denki when he tried to shock you into calming down…” She sniffed away the tears, looking like she was trying to hide a small smile from the mention of Denki getting punched.Izuku chucked, although he felt slightly bad for hurting one of his friends. He’d definitely have to apologize to the bright boy later. “So, they eventually just gave you some sedatives. I guess the stress got to you and you just passed out. They brought you here to look at your leg and let you calm down after the panic attack.” Izuku nodded. He felt bad now. Had he done more than punch Denki? Had he injured any of the heroes? He didn’t use his quirk, right? That wouldn’t have gone well. Why had he overreacted in the first place? Katsuki would be so annoyed with him if he knew Izuku was acting like this just because the blonde had been kidnapped. “Are… Are you okay?” The brunette asked, examining Izuku to see how he was feeling about all of the new information. “Yeah. I’m okay.” He gave her a half-hearted smile, looking down at his hands. He took this moment of comfortable silence between them to think. How had the villains even known where the camp was? How did they know the students would be there? In the middle of summer, if he may add. And where did that sleeping smoke come from? Were there even more villains that they didn’t get to see? The rest of the class and the heroes had all gone back to the house so they wouldn’t be able to help with his questions. This led him to believe that the three of them, Izuku, Shouto, and Katsuki had been the main targets at camp. But why did they leave right after taking Katsuki? Was he their main target? Izuku and Shouto just happened to be there with the blonde? Toga had made it seem like she was only interested in Izuku, but that could’ve been for more… personal reasons. Also, why did Toga already know their names? That was the first time Izuku had ever met the blood thirsty girl. He guessed it would make sense that maybe the villains had seen the students on TV at the sports festival. Still, none of it sat right with him. He needed to get out of this hospital. Maybe rest up a little bit more because his head was starting to throb. Then, he needed to speak with All Might, or Mr. Aizawa since he was at the camp. “When am I getting discharged?” Izuku asked after a moment. “Umm, soon I believe. You really weren’t injured that bad so they don’t really have a reason to keep you here. Unless they want to know more about how you’re feeling or what went down back at camp.” Ochako replied. He nodded just as someone barged into the room. “Izuku! My baby!” The familiar voice of Inko Midoriya weeped as she ran to the bed and pulled Izuku into a tight hug. “Mom!” He cried back, the tears he tried so desperately to hold back after thinking about Katsuki finally escaping. “M-Mom… I-I’m so s-sorry…!” He buried his face in her neck, sniffling. “No, no, my sweet boy. Don’t apologize! You did nothing wrong. It’s okay honey, it’s okay.” She reassured him multiple times as Izuku continued to apologize. Apologize for his recklessness. Apologize for how he lashed out, even though he still didn’t remember it. Apologize for how he couldn’t be there in time to save Katsuki. Apologize for getting hurt again , and scare his mother like this. “‘Zuku, look at me.” His mother demanded, stern yet calm. She grasped his face in her hands. He wiped away the tears as best he could, not wanting to look like a wreck in front of his mom and best friend. “You did as much as you could. You tried your hardest to save Katsuki and that’s all that matters. It’s not your fault that he’s gone…” She quickly added, “And he isn’t gone forever. You know the people at this school. You know All Might. They aren’t going to let the villains have him for long. I can assure you that everyone is working as hard as they can to think of a plan as we speak.” She smiled, wiping away tears that continued to fall down his cheeks, despite him desperately trying to hold them back. “B-But m-mom…” He hiccuped, closing his eyes for a second to try and regain his composure. “I-I was t-too late… A-And we were a-arguing before t-that, t-too.” Izuku sniffed. “H-He probably h-hates m-me. H-How could I e-ever apologize t-to h-him?” Inko looked as if she wanted to cry as well, hearing those words come out of her son's mouth. If there's one thing a mother hates, it’s seeing her child cry. “It doesn’t matter what he thinks now, honey. You tried to save him. And if Katsuki can’t see that when we get him back, then that’s his own fault. Okay?” Inko sniffed as well. Izuku could tell how hard she was trying to keep herself together for her son’s sake. Izuku could do nothing other than nod and pull her back into a tight hug. She was right. Izuku tried to save the blonde, despite his desire to look the other way. That’s what Katsuki would’ve done, right? Look the other way? Perhaps even comment on how “ weak ” Izuku was for being captured so easily. Katsuki would’ve taken one glance at Izuku with Shigaraki's hand around his neck and went, “ Dumbass ”, while scoffing in his face. The blonde would’ve never acted like this afterward. Like such a nervous wreck. Hell, Katsuki would probably be glad if Izuku had been captured. No more “ nerd ” to annoy him all the time. No more annoying “ Kacchan!” s all the time. Maybe he’d miss being able to argue and piss off the green haired boy, but he could always find someone else to do that with. Izuku shouldn’t feel so bent out of shape over someone who wouldn’t even glance in his direction twice if he’d been captured.‘ It’s who you are, Midoriya ’. The voice of Shouto rang through his mind, reminding the greenette he just couldn’t help but worry. Izuku sighed. There was no use stressing over the past. The only thing Izuku could do was get out of this hospital bed, which was starting to feel more uncomfortable, and help as much as he could to get the explosive boy back. “Are you here to take me home?” Izuku asked hopefully to his mother. “No honey. I’m sorry. The doctors need to check up on you first.” Inko smiled back at the boy. “Oh, um…” Ochako piped up. Izuku had almost forgotten the girl was in the room before his mother barged in. “I actually think that we might be moving into dorms…?” She began slowly, as if trying to not ruin the moment for the green-eyed mother and son. “Mr. Aizawa said that after the events at the USJ and camp, they believe there might be someone amongst us that is feeding out information to the villains. I mean, it makes sense, seeing as how the teachers and heroes assured us that the locations were heavily guarded from the outside.” Izuku’s eyes widened. Someone feeding out information ? Like a mole ? Was there really someone potentially among his friends or teachers that was going against the school? Had one of his most trusted companions been the reason for Katsuki’s kidnapping? No. They wouldn’t. Why would someone, going to this school if he may add, want to go against it? Everyone he knew seemed so trustworthy, and against the villains. He didn’t want to believe it was true. Maybe the dorms weren’t because of a potential mole. Maybe they were just for safety because they went to a hero school. That would make sense. You wouldn’t want kids studying at the most famous hero school in Japan wandering around, open and vulnerable. And what if the dorms were exactly what the mole (if there was one) wanted? To lure everyone into the same place, spending all of their time together. Living together. That seemed like the best way to gain information about the school. Perhaps this mole was one of the teachers. Someone capable of having enough power to suggest living in dorms. It all sounded like a bad idea and Izuku wasn’t sure he liked it. “I can tell you’re overthinking all of this, ‘Zuku.” His mothers warm hand lifted to rest on his cheek, bringing him back to reality. It was crazy how much his mother could read him. “I’m not too fond of the idea either, but I truly believe that it could be for the best. What better way to receive information about a mole than having everyone together all the time. This makes it much more obvious if one student were to slip up one day when feeding information out.”“But what if this is exactly what the mole wants? To get everyone in one place? What if the mole isn’t a student?” Izuku countered, unsure of how to make up his mind. His mother frowned and rubbed his cheek a little with her thumb. “I know, honey. I know you’re worried. I am too and I don’t even go to your school. If you don’t feel comfortable enough to stay here, I’m sure we can work something out. In the meantime, I want you to visit the dorms and make up your mind once you see them. Does that sound okay?”There was no arguing with Inko Midoriya when she made a point as good as that. Izuku really needed to stop overthinking so much, especially on things he had little to no information about. He nodded his head, sighing in defeat. He wasn’t mad, just nervous. His mother made a great point and he was going to listen to her. Thankfully Inko wasn’t the type of overprotective helicopter parent who worried way too much about her son. Of course the woman worried, but it wasn’t to an extent that made Izuku annoyed. She truly just wanted what was best for him and he understood that. “Okay, mom. I’ll try it out.” She smiled at his response and he gave her a small smile as well. He looked at Ochako now, “So, I have to move all my stuff from my house into the dorms? And will we be able to visit our families?”She nodded, “Of course. During breaks and things like that we are allowed to go back home. Bring whatever you will need on a daily basis to the dorms. This is looking like a permanent thing, even if the school catches the mole. I think it’ll be fun! We can all hang out after school in the common area, stay up at night, sneak into each others-”He waved his hands at the girl frantically, a nervous smile forming on his lips as he glanced at his mom from the side. She had a small smirk on her lips, “Pshh, don’t get too ahead of yourself, little one.” Inko rubbed Ochako’s head, a laugh escaping her lips as the brunette covered her mouth, her face flushing. “Anyways, I’m going to head out, ‘Zuku. I’ll start gathering your things, is that okay? I just wanted to check up on you really quickly before I started work. Love you honey.” Izuku let out his breath, thankful his mother didn’t take what Ochako was saying too seriously. “Okay mom. Thank you and love you too!” He beamed her way before the door shut. He quickly turned his sharp, playful gaze to Ochako. “ You .”“I’m sorry! I totally wasn’t thinking!! She brushed it off though. No need to worry!” She let out a nervous chuckle and Izuku only smiled at the girl. “I’m just messin’ with youuu.” Izuku teased and she smiled, putting a hand to her chest, dramatically letting out a “phew!” Just then, a doctor walked in (politely knocking instead of barging in like his frantic mother). She gave him a comforting smile and nodded to Ochako, signaling she wanted some time alone with the greenette. Ochako nodded back before patting Izuku’s shoulder one more time. “We’ll probably be at class by the time you get back. I’ll see you at the dorms later.”He nodded and watched as she left, feeling nervous about his new homing situation and talking to the doctor. “So,” She began, looking at a clipboard he desperately would like to look at as well. “I presume you don’t remember the events of last night?” She questions, looking up from the papers she’d flipped through. “I do remember some, but not anything about the panic attack my friend mentioned.” He admitted, wishing he did remember. Maybe he could sort out his feelings better that way. “I understand… It is completely normal for someone to not remember moments like those. We just want to make sure we can prevent anything like that from happening again…” It was reassuring to hear those words, although it didn’t help the ache in his stomach. “How are you feeling?” “I’m feeling good. Just a bit sore… But my leg feels great! Although I haven’t tried walking on it yet, I don’t feel like it should be any worse than the soreness from training.”She nodded, writing something down. “That’s good to hear. Does your head hurt? Are you feeling any dizziness? Perhaps fatigue?”He shook his head. He did have a mild headache but found it wasn’t worth mentioning. With some water and some ibuprofen, he’d be fine. Aside from the soreness, Izuku felt completely normal. That was a good sign. Hopefully he’d get out of here soon. “Great. I think you’re all set. I believe there is someone waiting outside to escort you back to the new dorms. If you feel off at all, please don’t hesitate to contact the infirmary or Recovery Girl.” She smiled before stepping out of the room. Izuku moved his legs to the edge of the bed, propping himself up on two feet. He felt good. His right leg was a bit more sore than the other, but it wasn’t awful. He would surely feel better after some stretching. He was about to leave the room when he remembered he was still in the hospital gown. Thankfully, when he looked around to see if there were any clothes left for him, there was. A plain black shirt, navy shorts, socks, and other necessities he may need. Izuku was thankful for whoever left these for him.Once he changed, he opened the door and found Mr. Aizawa waiting for him. Izuku smiled at his worn-out looking teacher, in hopes he was doing okay. Izuku knew it was hard to lose such a wonderful student, even if they were someone like Katsuki. But it’s okay. We’re going to get him back , Izuku reminded himself before his sad thoughts began to overtake his mind once more. “I assume you know about the dorms?” Aizawa asked, walking out of the infirmary with Izuku. The greenette nodded, excitement suddenly pooling through him. He wasn’t so sure why he'd been against the idea of them. Moving into dorms, being able to stay so close to his friends, in the school he’d dreamed of attending was a miracle. He shouldn’t focus on the bad stuff so much, it often got in the way of all the positive things he could be looking at. Izuku was tempted to ask what the dorms looked like or a brief summary of where they were located, but decided he’d like the surprise. As they approached a large building, more than enough space for his class alone, he decided that was the right time for questions. “Is this just for our class? Class 1-A?”Aizawa shook his head, “No. You will be living here alongside Class 1-B. However, they will be on the other wing of the building. So, if you’d wanted to socialize with the other class, it’s not impossible, but the dorms are built to keep classes together. There are two more like this for the second and third years. Inside, there are five floors of dorms, a common room, and a kitchen. All the basic things you will need to live here. They are not mandatory, but the board is highly recommending that students choose to live here. Not only for their safety, but for the benefit of schooling as well.”Izuku nodded, understanding what his teacher was saying. They were not only guarded here at UA, but it would be easier for them to study and maybe even train more. Izuku was sure they had access to the gyms and was excited to be able to train after hours with his friends. Another benefit was being able to become stronger as a class by living together. It was almost impossible to not talk to people you lived with and Izuku was looking forward to getting to know some of his not-so familiar classmates. As he entered the dorms, he immediately removed all doubt from his mind about wanting to stay. It was amazing. Pretty normal for a school dormitory but it was huge . There was one whole wall that was just glass windows. The common room was right next to the kitchen, as he’d expected, and there were couches and chairs all around. There was a table large enough to fit his class if they decided to eat dinner there. Izuku imagined everyone would prefer to eat on the couches. The walls were a pretty green, along with the green rug under the also green couches. It was so spacious. “Everyone is already in their afternoon classes. You will be excused for today so please get settled in. Your mother has already dropped off your things. Second floor, door number 3.” Aizawa said before walking back outside, presumably to get back to class. Izuku wasted no time running to the stairs up to the second floor. Once he found his dorm and entered, he immediately began unpacking. Thankfully Izuku’s mother knew him like the back of her hand. She packed all of his favorite All Might posters, figurines, and plushies. It was like she knew he was going to choose to stay. He’d have to call her later.The room seemed about the same size as his old one so he had no doubt things would fit. Izuku put his clothes away in the dresser. Shirts in the first drawer, pants in the second, underwear and socks in the third and finally, the bottom drawer for his pajamas and any other clothing that didn’t fit in with the rest of the drawers. His bed was surprisingly comfortable. The sheets were new and soft but the plain white wasn’t to his liking. Hoping his mother packed his All Might themed sheets, he jumped out of bed and began rummaging through the boxes. When he found the sheets, he quickly changed them from the ones on his bed, turned off the lights, and flopped onto the fluffy mattress. The literal hour he’d been awake for this whole day seemed to be tiring enough for the boy. He pulled his favorite All Might plush close to his chest, closing his eyes. Sleep thankfully came to him without any struggle. ~
He was shaking. Panting. Sweating, unaware of his surroundings. His vision was blurry. Sounds were muffled. Katsuki was gone. It was all Izuku’s fault. He’d never been more sure of anything, other than Katsuki getting kidnapped was all his fault. He’d been stupid. He’d been reckless. Izuku just stood there. Watched as his friends fought a battle he was also a part of. It wasn’t until the one person who hated Izuku most was in deep trouble that the greenette had thought of doing something. Even then, he wasn’t good enough. He wasn’t fast enough, strong enough. Izuku failed to protect someone who was so close to him.
He never should’ve said those things to Katsuki.
‘How do you ever expect to become a hero if you can’t have a simple conversation with me?’
Izuku was so, so wrong for that. He’d never forgive himself. Being mad or frustrated or annoyed with the blonde was no excuse to call him a villain. Izuku messed it all up. That's why he sat on the ground, hands gripping tightly around his knees as he rocked back and forth, shaking and panting like never before. This was worse than breaking an arm, or a leg. This was worse than seeing his own blood pool around his body from wounds, worse than the knife that was stuck in his leg moments ago.
“It’s all my fault. It’s all my fault. He’s gone. I couldn’t do anything. It’s all my fault…” Izuku’s heart began to race, the words spilling out of his mouth without intending to. He couldn't help it. The thoughts were so overwhelming that he needed to get them out another way.
As a hand was pressed into his back, Izuku was quick to shove it away, not able to focus on the muffled voices around him. He was panicking and there was nothing he could do to stop. As much as the greenette tried to block out the stress and worry and bad thoughts, he couldn’t. Once another hand reached to pick him up, he was quick to extend his arm, slapping it away. He wasn’t sure what part of the person he hit, or how hard he hit them. Right now, Izuku didn’t care.
His palms were sweating, slipping on his knees as he tried to pull himself closer. He needed something to ground him. He needed help. Just rocking back and forth here like a weakling wasn’t going to do anything. He needed to get Katsuki. He needed to get the blonde back now . The villains weren’t going to get away with this, Izuku was sure of it. He’d make sure that Katsuki came back, and when he did, Izuku would apologize. Apologize for everything. He didn’t mean to call the boy a villain. He didn’t mean for Katsuki to take the words to heart. That was the hard truth about our words.
Even the slightest movement of snow could cause an avalanche.
Izuku didn’t mean to annoy the blonde with his mere presence. Although he didn’t feel the need to apologize for that much, Izuku still would. He wanted things to be better and he’d do what he could to take it all back and have the explosive boy competing by his side once more.
~Izuku shot out of bed, panting. He placed a hand on his chest, gripping the black shirt he’d put on earlier that day. He examined his surroundings, thankful it had all been a dream. He’d never felt like that before. That gut-wrenching pain in his stomach, the horrible voices in the back of his head telling Izuku he wasn’t enough. Now that he remembered the panic attack and pushing away his friends, he was thankful he hadn’t earlier this day. He wouldn't have been able to face Ochako after that. The girl must’ve been so worried, seeing someone close to her in that state. It took him a moment to steady his heartbeat before he wrapped his arms around his knees and rested his head on them, sighing. The lack of light fluttering through his thin curtains told Izuku that it was nighttime. He probably wouldn't be able to sleep tonight if he was just waking up now. He hadn’t had lunch or breakfast either. His stomach grumbled at the thought. Sighing, Izuku got up knowing it was better than sitting on his bed for another few hours, letting his thoughts haunt him once more. Surprisingly, there was no one in the common room when he walked downstairs. Everyone was either sleeping, or perhaps hanging out in their own rooms. Izuku wondered if they had some sort of curfew…Walking into the kitchen, he noticed a breeze coming from the entrance of the dorms. When he looked further, the door was slightly cracked open, as if someone left it open so they could get back inside. Curious, he walked over. When he opened the door, he found Ochako sitting on the front porch, her elbows resting on her knees and her face resting on her palms. “Ochako?” Izuku sort of whispered, unsure if they were allowed to be out right now. The girl jumped at the sudden noise, turning her head. “Izuku!” She whispered excitedly back to the boy. “Come come. Sit with me!” She gestured to a spot on the stairs beside her. “What are you doing out here? Do we not have a curfew or something?” Izuku asked as he sat down next to the brunette, realizing that he probably should’ve brought a sweater when he left his dorm. “Yeah, we do. But it’s not like the teachers stay at the dorms with us. I’m not going anywhere anyways. I just felt like getting some air.” Izuku nodded, realizing how refreshing it was to be outside right now. “What are you doing out here mister? Shouldn’t you be resting?” She teased, shoving his shoulder a bit. He laughed lightly, looking up. It was a pretty night. It seemed to be a new moon so the stars were very visible. He’d never understand why looking up at the stars comforted people. “I just woke up. Had a nightmare.” He said simply. “Oh… You okay?” She asked. “Yeah. I think it was me remembering the panic attack actually. It was just like how you described it.”“That must’ve been tough. It was pretty scary just watching it all happen. I can’t even imagine how you must’ve felt remembering it.”“I’m okay. You don’t have to feel bad for me though. It’s all my fault anyways…” He looked down at his hands, suddenly feeling guilty. “What do you mean? Nothing’s your fault, ‘Zuku.” Ochako lay a comforting hand on his back, rubbing slightly. “But it is. Kacchan wouldn’t be gone if I had been more productive. I just stood there as he and Todoroki fought the villains, being completely useless. Then when he was actually in trouble, that’s when I decided to do something. How stupid could I be?!” He could feel the tears beginning to pool in his eyes. Izuku was not going to cry right now. “A-And then I got stabbed in the l-leg, stopping me from getting to h-him. Ochako… what do I do ?” He turned to the girl, the tears visible in his eyes. There was clearly no use fighting his familiar habit, no matter how hard he tried. “He’s gone . A-And I know you s-said we’ll get him back, b-but, what do I do then? How do I a-apologize for calling him a… a villain ? A-And annoying him so bad he got distracted ? Kacchan, of all people, was captured . And it was because of m-my stupid words.” He covered his face with his hands, sobbing. Izuku wasn’t a pretty crier so he couldn’t help the little hiccups and gasps that escaped his mouth. He needed to cry. He also needed to get rid of this childish habit of his but that was a discussion for another day. “No, no, Izuku..!” Ochako quickly pulled Izuku into a tight hug, her hands cupping the back of his head. “Don’t cry, okay! There’s nothing to cry about, sweetie… You’re not useless. You did everything you could! Don’t put yourself down over something that wasn’t your fault. Katsuki was captured, there’s nothing we can do about it. But I need you to be strong, and understand that everything is going to be okay. You’re going to be the one to bring him back to us, and when you do, he is going to see that there is no reason to be mad at you and that all of this crying was just silly. Okay?” She leaned back a little to look at the tear-streaked boy. Izuku sniffed wiping at his cheeks. He really wished it was that easy to just wipe away the tears and know that everything was going to be okay, but of course, he was Izuku Midoriya. Crying was easier than not crying, apparently. Ochako smiled once more at him, wiping his cheeks as well. He hiccuped a few more times before looking back up to the stars. He was still sniffing but felt as if a small weight had been lifted off his shoulders. “I just….” Izuku started, thinking about what he could say to lift his mind from negative thoughts. “I just wish I could know what he’s doing. I wish I could know what he was thinking, not just now, but all the time. It’d make things so much easier…” Izuku sighed, wiping at his cheek again. “I just hope he’s okay…” 🌼Wherever the villains had taken Katsuki, it was plain as fuck . What kind of major group hides out in a bar ? If they were going to do it in the first place, at least make the place a little flashy . Like, come on. Plain, hardwood counter-tops, brick walls, red spinning chairs that were probably stiff as hell . And the place was empty. That much made sense, seeing as the league was pretty well known, and hanging out in a crowded bar with the chance of Heroes in the same vicinity wasn’t the best of ideas. Even more reason for them to decorate it in their own style. Maybe Katsuki was too much a design freak. He’d never, ever , admit he enjoyed interior design or things of the sort, but it just sort of came as a habit to the blonde. Didn’t matter. It’s not like he would ever share his ideas with anyone.Besides, whatever the hell he was strapped into was pissing him off even more than the lack of decor. The blonde was seated on some kind of stone chair with a small cushion that wasn’t really doing anything for his lower and upper body. The way he was strapped down felt like a child’s car seat. Leather straps over his shoulders and around his stomach, connecting to where his arms were also trapped in some sort of stone contraption, preventing the use of his quirk. He was hunched over, which the blonde usually wouldn’t mind, seeing as that's how he normally walks around. Hands in his pockets and slightly slumped over. However, he did that on his own accord. Not because he was being held hostage but some dumbass villains. As soon as Katsuki was free of this stone block encompassing his hands, these villains are going to be sorry they ever thought of Katsuki as their target. It made sense anyway, that he was the main target, seeing as they left rather quickly after trapping the blonde under Shigaraki's uncomfortably dry hands. He was not going to get over that sensation. The immediate chill that ran through his body, as if he knew what was going to happen if he tried to fight back. Katsuki would never admit it, but he was almost scared . To be that close to literally crumbing to pieces, it does something to a person. No matter how much he wanted to spin around and grab the flimsy man by the same hand threatening to ruin him, Katsuki knew he couldn’t. It's okay though, he’ll find a way out of this stupid bar soon enough. “You’re finally awake…” Someone observed, as if it wasn’t already fucking obvious. He’d been looking around the room for a good minute. No shit he was awake. Instead of verbalizing these thoughts, however, Katsuki chose to glare at the nearest person. “Oh mannn. He’s even cuter when he’s mad!” The hot-headed boy could recognize the annoying, high pitched voice of Himiko Toga anywhere. “The fuck did you just call me, blondie?” Katsuki snarled at her, his eyes surely burning holes in her skull. “Not a very creative insult seeing as you are blonde yourself, young man.” The man dressed as some sort of magician spoke from the corner of the room. “Tch. Whatever…” Katsuki mumbled to himself, angrier than ever. He was allowed to insult anyone however he desired. Even if it happened to be about a trait he acquired himself. Katsuki had nicer blonde hair anyways, meaning the insult didn’t count towards him. Obviously . He could’ve called her a variety of other insults, the villains should be happy he stuck with a less violent one. “Anyways…” The raspy voice of Shigaraki started, “Let's get down to business.”Katsuki turned to the villain, wondering what he could mean by “business”. “If you assholes think I’m gonna join your little cult, you better think again.” If Katsuki was going to be brutally honest, he was saying those words to better convince himself, not the villains. He had no idea why. This seemed to amuse the league’s leader, as he continued, “I had a feeling you’d say that… However, I’d like you to think again.” Katsuki rolled his eyes. As soon as his hands were free, this crusty faced nobody was going to be the first thing he blasted to hell. “Now, I know what you’re thinking… ‘ Why the hell would the most wanted criminals try to recruit me into their little group ?’ Well, it’s because I see your potential…” If them wanting to recruit Katsuki wasn’t enough to confuse the hell out of him, this sure was. His potential? No shit he had potential. A lot of potential to be the number one hero. A lot of potential to be better than all his peers at absolutely everything. A lot of potential to beat the absolute shit out of this crusty ass villain if he didn’t let Katsuki out of this uncomfortable chair. “You see, we’ve been watching you for some time, and have caught onto your rather…. villainous tendencies. You are a very aggressive boy, Bakugo, and I can’t help but want to put all of that anger into something worthwhile. Here's why…” Katsuki’s want to scream at the stupid villains died down. Whatever Shigaraki was saying seemed like it needed to be heard and he, for some reason, felt intrigued. “Heroes these days seem to have it pretty rough huh? They put in their best effort to help people in need, all while risking their own lives. It’s a pretty big job to handle. At least they’re getting paid for it, right!?” That last line seemed to be a joke coming from Shigaraki's mouth. Katsuki caught on to what the villain was trying to say. “As long as the heroes are gaining fame and fortune from their simple deeds, then everything's fine. These days, our precious rules are everything… That’s why people like you and me are looked down upon. Because we’re a little different from everyone else, right? Because we don’t like to follow the rules. And when we try to do something that doesn’t exactly follow the guidelines, we’re the ones to blame. We’re the villains. If we want to kill to protect our friends or the people we care about,” he gestured to the room of villains, “then it’s suddenly wrong. I am not allowed to fight for the kind of justice I seek, just because I don’t have a license stating I can. That’s the problem I’d like to fix, and you, Bakugo, are just the person to help with that.” At this, the blonde tilted his head, slightly curious. He could help in their stupid plan to overthrow the heroes? As if. Katsuki wanted to become the exact thing they were against, they knew that. There must be something about the explosive boy that the villains went through all the trouble just to get him here. What was it? Was it just his “ Villains tendencies ”, or something deeper? Did they see a part of Katsuki that the boy couldn’t see himself? “You, Bakugo, have the essence of a true villain, whether you’d like to believe it or not. You have all this pent up anger towards so many things and the people in your life that have wronged you, and it’s all going to waste. Rotting away at that dumb prestigious school for wannabe ‘ All Might's ’. Use that anger for great things. Seek revenge on those who have wronged you, and if anyone tries to stop you, it’s their fault for interfering… So? Whaddya say, Lord Explosion Murder ?” Katsuki sat silently in the stone chair he was strapped to. It almost took him a moment to hear the mention of his childhood superhero name. It hadn’t been very “hero-like” when he submitted it for his hero name, so hearing it once again was like music to the blonde's ears. Everything that had been said made perfect sense. Heroes didn’t actually care about saving people. They didn’t actually care if they made someone's day by swooping in and defeating a villain. It was all for the money and fame. For the giant billboard with their faces plastered on them reading, “ Who will be our next number one?! Will All Might be able to hold his legacy for much longer?! ” There hasn’t been a single pro, that Katsuki knew of, after All Might that actually cared for the well-being of civilians. As long as you had a pretty face, a flashy costume, and a nice quirk, it didn’t matter how good of a hero you were. After all, the voting for hero ranks was all based on popularity, not how many lives they saved or how much effort they put into the business. Katsuki didn’t want to be one of those people. He wanted to be like All Might. He wanted to be better than All Might. However, when you have people screaming at you left and right that you’re no better than a stupid villain, one can only hear those words so many times before it starts taking a toll on them. No matter how hard Katsuki pushed those awful thoughts away, and those horrible voices shouting at him, they always came back. The one person Katsuki thought would always have faith in him, finally gave in. Izuku was just like the rest of those lame extras. He saw Katsuki the same as everyone else did. There was no point arguing anymore. He accepted it. Katsuki Bakugo was always going to be a villain at heart, no matter how hard he fought to prove everyone else otherwise. Because why the hell did the blonde think he needed to live up to everyone else's expectations? Why did they believe they had the right to criticize him ? Katsuki was better than all of those people and he would prove it, even if it meant becoming what they all hated. If those damn extras back at UA didn’t have faith in Katsuki’s hero path, then there was no point fighting for it. If no one’s going to appreciate his effort, he didn’t care. Why should he try to prove them wrong? “Oi, crusty face.” Katsuki growled up at the villain, a slight smirk dancing on his lips. “You want me to join your stupid little cult?” Katsuki bit his lip, looking to the side. He was really doing this, huh?“I’m in.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
🍀Izuku sat inside the comforting walls of All Might's office, ready to talk with his mentor about how they were planning on getting Katsuki back. It’s been on the boy's mind since waking up this morning. His mother had said something about how the pros were already forming a plan. It wasn’t enough; Izuku needed to hear it for himself. He needed to be involved in the plan. Katsuki getting kidnapped had been his fault, so it only made sense the greenette was there to get him back. After standing by a counter and waiting for the coffee to slowly fall into the cup placed below, All Might sat down in front of Izuku, who was seated on a small couch. The frail man sipped on his coffee before saying, “Young Midoriya… You wanted to see me?”Izuku nodded, building up the courage to talk to his mentor about the things on his mind. “Yes. It’s about… Well it’s about-”“Bakugo, I presume?” All Might finished the nervous boy’s sentence. “Y-Yes, All Might. I wanted to know what the plan is to get him back.” It felt rude to announce his thoughts so blatantly, like Izuku was so confident they even had a plan. The boy wasn’t trying to sound demanding of All Might. Of course there were things his mentor wouldn’t be able to simply share with the boy at times, but Izuku felt as if this wasn’t a matter that needed to be kept a secret from the students. He meant well. Izuku wanted to bring Katsuki back, as did the pros. Shouldn't he be able to help?“I understand your concern, Young Midoriya, but I can assure you we have everything under control.” All Might responded softly. “I-I know that but… I just… I just want to help.” Izuku looked down at his hands, grasping his shorts slightly. “It’s my fault he’s gone and I don’t want to just sit around while you guys are doing all of the work. I know I can help. I know we all can help.” Izuku wanted his friends to be involved in the rescue as well. When the class worked together, they were able to accomplish many outstanding things. A rescue mission was just what they needed to prove that.All Might sighed, setting his mug down on a yellow coaster. “My boy, the best thing you can do at the moment is calm yourself down and let the pros handle it.” All Might looked at Izuku, “I know I would usually tell you to do everything you can, to fight those villains head on, but right now we are talking about much larger matters. Young Bakugo wasn’t kidnapped by some lowly villains. We know the league is dangerous, which is why we are advising the students to stay out of it.” All Might gave the boy a weak, comforting smile. Izuku was getting the impression that All Might didn’t fully agree with what he was telling Izuku. All Might didn’t speak as confidently about this in the way he usually would speak about such topics. The way he sighed in between sentences, the way his smile wasn’t as pure as it should be, led Izuku to believe this. The frail man seemed even more worn out than usual. Perhaps All Might wanted the students to be involved with this rescue mission but was overruled by other people of authority. “But All Might, I know I can be helpful. We all can!” He tried, wanting to boost the man's spirit. “I’ve been training, working hard. I’m stronger than before and I’ve learned to control One for All better. You know that!” Izuku did his best to defend himself. He knew this was disrespectful, that he was taking advantage of his close relationship with the number one hero to get information about their plan, but it was all he could think of right now. All Might wasn’t the type to underestimate his students' strengths. They could all come in handy in case the pros needed a distraction or if something went wrong. Izuku knew his classmates all wanted Katsuki back, and that determination was what would help out. He just needed to prove to All Might that they were capable enough, then, maybe All Might could convince whoever else was underestimating them. “Midoriya, this isn’t about underestimating you, or your classmates. I know your strengths, your hearts, and your determination. But this mission is far too dangerous. It’s not just about physical strength - it’s about tactical decisions, quick thinking under pressure, and handling situations that no one your age should have to deal with. The pros have the experience. You don’t need to put yourself in harm’s way when we have people who are better equipped for it.” Izuku sighed as well as All Might. “Then what are we supposed to do? Sit around while you guys do all the hard work?”“No. You’ll do what you always do. You’ll train. You’ll get stronger. You’ll continue to learn what it means to be a true hero. And then, when the time comes for a mission like this to take place once more, you’ll all be ready for it. Take this as a learning experience for you and your classmates. Work hard, that’s all I ask from you guys.” All Might rested a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder, trying his best to cheer him up. Izuku nodded, looking down. He understood where All Might was coming from. He knew the pro just wanted to keep his students safe. All Might knew Izuku would be helpful in a mission like this but it was still too dangerous to take that kind of risk. Like he said, they were going against strong, well-known villains. Izuku would still do what he could to help get Katsuki back. “All right.” Izuku smiled up at his mentor, “I think I’m gonna go now.” All Might returned the gesture before the greenette left the room. Izuku roamed the halls, no destination in mind. He let his arm extend to brush along the walls, walking lazily back towards the main building. He should be heading to class right now. He’d get there, eventually. Something in him just felt empty - lost… Like not having the blonde around was more stressful than having him around, as crazy as that may sound. Perhaps Izuku was so used to the bickering and bullying that it felt odd to be without it. It’d only been a day, what was he talking about? There was no reason for Izuku to be acting all weird. All he needed was a good distraction. Something like going back to class. As if someone had read his mind, Izuku heard a small, “Midoriya?” The boy in question turned to see Shouto walking behind him, a few books in his hand. “Oh, hi Todoroki! I was just heading to class.” Izuku smiled, retracting his hand from the wall and holding them behind his back. “I see. Would you like to walk with me?” Izuku nodded. The boys walked side by side in silence to their classroom. Surprisingly, Aizawa hadn’t entered yet either, so everyone was chatting, waiting for class to begin. “‘Zuku!” Ochako called out as the green-eyed boy stepped into the room. For some reason, the mention of his name seemed to get everyone's attention. Within seconds he was surrounded by his classmates. “Midoriya, dude! How are you feeling?”“Got any info on Bakugo?”“Guys wait-”“Ya’ll were so sick back at camp!”“Yeah! I didn’t get to see the villains but you all looked pretty beat up!”“Have you rested well?!”“Hey, don’t-!”“I’m sure the heroes were really impressed with you guys!”“Wait, have any of you heard from camp about how the villains got in?”“Oh yeahh. I was wondering about that too…”“I’m sure as soon as we get Bakugo back, things’ll be good!”“ Guys !” Everyone paused to see Ochako floating above their heads, somehow Izuku was up there with her. “Can’t you all see Izuku’s still recovering?! He was really going through it when we found him. It’s only been two days and everyone bombarding him with questions isn’t going to help. I understand we’re all curious but now is not the time!”Ochako and Izuku gently floated back down the floor as people began to calm down. He hadn’t even noticed how much he’d begun to sweat, and how fast his heart started beating after everyone swarmed him. It was odd. Izuku was used to big crowds like that. His friends tended to come to the sweet boy when they needed help, or just wanted to be friendly. So why did he feel nervous all of a sudden? Like the close proximity of his peers was suddenly too overwhelming. Was it because of the panic attack he’d had? Was Izuku starting to become an even more nervous person than he was before? He’d probably need to talk to someone about this later. “Sorry guys, I’m just a little tired, but I’m alright! I got some good sleep and I’ll be back to normal in no time!” He felt like he was saying those words more for himself, than his classmates. As Izuku walked over to his desk, he couldn’t help but glance at the empty one in front of him, the previous feeling of emptiness returning for a brief moment before he shut it out. Izuku was not going to get emotional over an empty seat. Starting today, Izuku was no longer going to sulk. He was going to fill his thoughts with confidence and hope. Izuku would push through and save Katsuki. “Hey, Midoriya!” The friendly voice of Kirishima started, coming up behind Izuku. “Hey Kirishima!” “So, I was wondering…” The red-head started, sitting down in the seat across from him. “After class, maybe we could… I dunno, chat for a sec?”Izuku tilted his head. This was an unusual request from the spiky boy, but Izuku wasn’t one to turn his friends down. “Sure! Is everything okay?” He couldn’t help but add that last bit. Force of habit.“Yeah, yeah. Everything’s all good man!” Kirishima patted the greenette on the back before returning to his small group of friends. Izuku turned on his desk so he was now facing the board. Aizawa would surely be walking in any minute so Izuku took out a pencil, pen, and his notebook, doodling for a few moments. As if on cue, their tried-looking homeroom teacher dragged himself through the door. Izuku noticed the man seemed more exhausted than usual, probably due to the loss of a student and forming plans with the other teachers all day and night. At least he’d hoped that was the reason. “Good morning class.” Aizawa began, tapping a few papers to align them on his podium, facing the students. He looked directly at Izuku before saying, “Midoriya, I went over this yesterday but I will say it again, in case no one informed you or some -” their teacher pointed his glare towards Denki who was attempting some sort of magic trick that involved a pencil inside his nose “-weren’t paying attention yesterday.” The blonde in question flinched, ultimately stabbing his nose with the pencil as he stumbled in his seat to pay attention. “Ahem. Anyways… I understand that you are all still supposed to be on your summer vacation at the training camp so, today and for the rest of the week, I will be allowing you to start your own training with a group of your choice. Document the activities you did with each other. I request an hour at minimum doing some sort of quirk training, cardio, sparring, and other things of the sort. “Please do not overexert yourselves. This is supposed to be a fun activity with your peers.” Aizawa seemed to be done with his announcement before quickly adding, “However, I do not want to receive reports on how you spent the hour at the mall or inside the dorms watching TV. That will result in your first grade for the next semester an F .” The class let out an in-sync “aww” at this. Izuku wasn’t disappointed. He would be missing out on the training he’d receive from actual pros back at camp, but he was thankful that Aizawa was offering this alternative. Hopefully the class hadn’t picked their groups yet and he could join his close circle of friends for the assignment. “Izuku!” Ochako called from the other side of the room. “Me, Todoroki and Ida made sure we left a spot for you in our group! That is if you’d want to join.” Izuku smiled, thankful his friends were so thoughtful.“Yes, thank you! I was going to ask in a minute if I could join anyway!” He chuckled, feeling as if the girl had read his mind. After Aizawa dismissed them, Izuku walked over to his friends' tables, curious as to what they planned on doing for their hour. “So, I was thinking we could do some more quirk enhancing like at camp? I was making some good progress with my float and I don’t want to lose it all now!” Ochako piped up as soon as Izuku sat down. “Oh yeah, that's a good idea Ochako. I noticed that you were managing to float me earlier when I first walked in! I wanted to ask about it.” The girl beamed as Izuku complimented her. “Thank you!” Her improvement was really showing. Ochako would normally get super nauseous after she lifted past her limits of a few tons, and the nausea would come even sooner if she floated herself. He was impressed. “Shall we head to the gym?” Ida asked the group and everyone nodded. This was a major plus to living on school grounds, like Izuku had been thinking earlier. They can stay after hours and put in extra training. Then, when they were done, they’d be able to go straight to the dorms and relax with each other. As they worked together for the next hour, improving their quirks by using the ideas the Pussy Cats presented to them, the friends could successfully say they used their time wisely. Izuku knew that they could all keep going, since Aizawa never said it couldn’t be more than an hour, but everyone seemed to reach a silent, mutual agreement that one hour was enough for the day. They made their way back to the dorms. The other students seemed to have gotten back before their group so they were hanging out in the common room. “Midoriya!” Izuku heard someone shout from the crowd. Kirishima walked up to the greenette after Shouto, Ida, and Ochako walked off into their rooms to wash up before hanging out with the rest of the class. “Oh, hey Kirishima!” He replied, matching the red-heads energy. “So, do you think we could talk now?” Kirishima seemed to lower his voice as he spoke. It concerned Izuku. “O-Oh right. Of course! But, I would like to shower first, if that's okay.” Izuku smiled, trying to replace the boy's odd expression. “Of course. I’ll be waiting.” Kirishima gave him a half-hearted smile, walking back to his group of friends in the center of the room. Izuku walked up to his room. He couldn’t help the smile that crept up his lips at the sight of his new space. He was beyond excited to spend another night in his new home. There was something so simple, yet so amazing about being able to live at the school of your dreams. It was a feeling Izuku couldn’t really describe without sounding insane. He was sure no one got this excited about being able to live away from home. Izuku just guessed that there was something about having his own space to live in that made the boy feel more independent and grown up. He shook those thoughts, wiping the jubilant expression off his face and grabbed his shower materials. Izuku took a quick shower, eager to talk to Kirishima, and was surprised to see the boy already sitting on his desk chair when he came out. “You really like All Might, huh?” The spiky-haired boy began, chuckling as he glanced around the room. The boy in question flushed, hiding his face in the clothes he changed out of. “Y-Yeah. I guess I-I do… hah.” He cleared his throat and tossed the dirty clothes aside, sitting on his bed across from Kirishima. “How’d you know this was my room anyways?”“We all got a map the first day here. Sorry for the intrusion.” Kirishima replied. “Ah. I see, no worries. Anyways, what did you need to talk about?”Kirishima cleared his throat, seemingly tensing up, looking anywhere but Izuku. “U-Um. Well…” He rubbed the back of his neck, meeting Izuku’s eyes, his expression serious. “I’m sure you want to get Bakugo back, right…?” Kirishima seemed to be nervous asking the question, as if he was betraying the rules or wasn’t sure if Izuku actually wanted to get the blonde back. “Of course! I’d do anything to get Kacchan back…” Izuku looked down, feeling guilty. He had to get the boy back.“Well, I’ve been thinking.” Kirishima seemed to calm down a bit at Izuku’s response, as if he’d been granted permission to speak his mind fully. “I think we should all work to get him back. And… And I know the pros are already working on a plan, and I’m not underestimating them at all , but I just feel so useless not being able to help. I get that it’s probably going to be more dangerous than a normal rescue mission but I need to help. I really do. Bakugo,” Kirishima smiled, “even though he’d probably not admit it… he’s my best friend.” Izuku smiled, despite the sinking feeling in his stomach. He didn’t want to say he was jealous of Kirishima, but there weren't very many other words to describe how he was feeling. Katsuki liked Kirishima better than he’d ever like Izuku, and the pair had just met only a few months ago. What was so unlikable about Izuku that made Katsuki care more about a complete stranger, rather than the boy he’d known since forever? Kirishima was a wonderful person, don’t get him wrong, but Izuku couldn’t help but wish that they could switch places, just once. Another reason Izuku needed to be the one to bring the blonde back, to show that Izuku wasn’t weak and was capable of Katsuki’s friendship and gratitude. “I know, and I understand you completely.” Izuku smiled, being honest. “And I agree with you. I talked to All Might earlier and was told they were working on a plan. He said to stay out of it but… I can’t. When someone I care about is in trouble, I have to do something.”“Now that’s what I’m talking about!” Kirishima grinned at Izuku before he shifted in his seat to be closer to Izuku. “So, here’s what I was thinking…” Kirishima explained the basics of his plan, making sense for the most part to Izuku. “So, how do you plan on leaving without getting caught?” Izuku asked after he presumed the boy was done explaining. “That’s the part I’m still working on…” Kirishima scratched the back of his head. “All I know is that I want to be able to at least be there for the pros, even if it means having to watch from the shadows until they need help. I wanted to go downstairs and tell everyone else. I think the plan could work, it just needs some extra opinions and finalizing!”Izuku nodded. It was honestly an amazing plan. The students would be serving as a sort of backup plan for the pros. Hiding in the shadows unless they felt it was necessary to help out. Meaning, if a villain were to get loose and try to run away, the students would be there to catch them, or if the battle seemed to be leaning towards the villains benefit, they could step in and help even it out again. Izuku knew there were going to be many consequences to face if they were caught outside of school grounds as well as going against the pros' wishes of staying behind. However, with the knowledge that Izuku wasn’t the only one who felt this strongly about rescuing Katsuki, he was willing to face those consequences. “Well.” Kirishima clapped his hands together. “It feels so good to finally get this out. I knew I could count on you, Midoriya!” The energetic boy stood up from Izuku’s desk chair and patted him on the shoulder. “Wanna come with me to tell the others?”Izuku stood up, smiling and nodded multiple times. “Of course!”The two made their way down to the common room. This would be the first time he would gather in this area with his friends and Izuku was excited to hang out with them after school hours (even if it was to discuss the kidnapping of his former childhood friend).As Kirishima and Izuku made their way there, he noticed that most of the students had gone off to bed now, leaving Mina, Denki, Sero, Ochako, Shouto and Ida gathered around on the couches and chairs. “Ah, perfect! Just the people I wanted to talk to.” Kirishima announced as he flopped down on a bean-bag next to Sero. Everyone turned their attention away from whatever they were watching on the TV to look at the boys. Izuku wasn’t sure how Kirishima was going to broach the subject of their plan so he decided to smile at the group, allowing the boy to take over. “What’s up Kiri?” Mina was the first to speak up, clearly curious as to why neither of the two were talking. “Well, uh…” Kirishima scratched the back of his head, causing everyone to seem more interested. “I’ve been doing some thinking - me and Midoriya have - and we’ve thought of a pretty solid plan to help the pros get Bakugo back.”This seemed to brighten up the room, seeing as Mina and Denki scooched in closer to the rest of the group. Izuku could already tell who was going to be slightly against this plan before it was even presented to them. “Now now, Kirishima…” The class president started, adjusting his glasses. “I understand your concern for Bakugo, but the pros have assured us already that things are taken care of. There is no need to go meddling in places we should not.” Izuku sighed. “Just hear us out for a minute, okay Ida?” He smiled at the boy, trying to show they meant no harm. After a moment of brief thinking, Ida seemed to come to a conclusion as he sighed. “I suppose… Please continue.”“Well, I was thinking we could serve as sort of a… backup .” Kirishima sat up in his bean-bag, focusing on explaining the plan as best he could. Izuku had taken the floor next to him, in case he’d like to pitch in. “Meaning, even though the pros want us to stay behind, we should still be allowed to help. I mean, Bakugo’s not just our classmate, he’s our friend . So, if we sorta stay out of the pros way, and not make ourselves obvious, we really wouldn’t be doing any harm. The only reason we’d pop out of the shadows would be if we feel the need to help out. This could help seal the chances of victory. If a villain were to try and get away, we could step in. If the heroes seemed to be losing, we could step in. Basically we’d be a booster, if anything. I think, this way, even if we don’t get to do much, it’d probably make us feel better knowing we could at least be there for Bakugo when he gets back.”Everyone nodded, seemingly understanding the plan. Now, they just needed to figure out how they were going to leave without getting caught. Izuku decided this is where he could pitch in. “Of course, we’ll need to find a way to leave and how to hide away from the pros while they're fighting. That’s another reason we came down here to share with you guys.” The group of students were quiet for a moment, taking in all of the new information. And hopefully thinking of ways they could help out , a silent part of Izuku’s brain whispered. He knew it was a lot to take in. They were going against, he didn’t even know how many rules right now so it made sense to be skeptical at first. Izuku didn’t care though, he knew that he and Kirishima were set on the plan. Two people wasn’t a very large amount to serve as a backup for the pros but he was sure the pair would do what they could if no one else decided to join them. “Hm… Perhaps it would be logical to delay our departure in order to minimize the likelihood of a pro intervening?” Surprisingly, Ida was the first to pipe up after Izuku. His face lit up. Kirishimas as well, it seemed, because at the same time they said, “That’s genius!” “We just have to leave a little bit-” Suddenly, Kirishima was interrupted by Denki abruptly sitting up from the chair he was sharing with Mina. “Guys! I just had a serendipitous idea! What if we leave after the pros!” The boy raised his arms in the air, gesturing to his crowd of friends. “You knoww. Like, if we leave after they go to get Bakugo, then there won’t be any of them here to stop us!” Mina was the first to palm her face, groaning. She slowly reached up and yanked Denki’s arm back down. “W-What…?” He asked, almost disappointed. “I - Did someone already-?”“Just - Sh… Sh, sh, sweety.” She gently patted him on the back, weakly smiling. “Ida already said that…”“He… did ?” Denki huffed, crossing his arms. “ He needs to stop using so many big words …” The boy mumbled under his breath. “Is that even how you use serendipitous?” Izuku heard Sero question. “Um, anyways…” Kirishima started, tossing his pouting friend a comforting smile, leaving the room in an awkward silence for a moment. “I dunno guys. This all seems really… dangerous .” Ochako spoke up. “I want to help, I really do. And I think that serving as a backup is a really good idea but if the pros hadn’t offered for us to be backups before, knowing full well we could, then there must be more danger in the situation than we believe.”The brunette had a point, but it didn’t make Izuku want to help out any less. “I understand Ochako, and you don’t have to help out if you don't want to, but…” Izuku sighed, looking down at his hands. “I can’t just sit around and let other people fix the things I caused. I need to help get Kacchan back, and I will, no matter the dangers or consequences.”Kirishimas nodded at his statement. “Me too. If you guys don’t want to help, that's fine. But me and Midoriya are going to help out the pros in whatever way we can, even if it’s just us two.” The group took yet another moment of silence to really think things over. “I’m in. I want to help, even if I shouldn't.” Mina stated. Izuku smiled, thankful for the girl. “Yeah, me too. I wanna help.” Sero added. “Me as well!” Denki raised his hand, no longer pouting. It made Izuku smile. He could always count on Denki to put a smile on someone's face. “I suppose I am in too, even if I don’t exactly believe this is the best idea.” Izuku was most shocked at Ida’s response. He’d almost been 100% sure the boy would do anything in his power to prevent the kids from going. “However, I will not be taking any action in battle. My role will simply be to oversee your safety and make sure everyone goes about the plan in an according manner.”“So you’re gonna babysit us.” Sero stated, deadpan. “Not exactly…” Ida adjusted his glasses. “More like watch over everyone in an authoritative way.” “That's the same thing, you doofus. You just changed the wording a little bit.” Sero crossed his arms, rolling his eyes. Ida waved his hand dismissively at the tape boy, displaying he was done with that discussion. “I think I’ll stay behind.” Ochako said, rubbing her arm sheepishly. “I won’t tell anyone what you guys are planning, I promise. I guess it’d also be good to have someone back at school to cover for you guys in case someone comes looking for you.” Izuku nodded as she made a great point. “Yeah, I think I’ll do the same.” Shouto added, nodding his head. “Great!” Kirishima clapped his hands together, smiling at the group. “Well, I think we have a plan. Me, Midoriya, Sero, Denki, Ida and Mina will all leave, let's say…. 30 minutes after the pros? I think that gives them a pretty good head start.” He eyed the group, waiting for opinions. Everyone nodded in response. “Then, we’ll stay a ways away from them, still at a distance where we can see everything. Whenever we all - not just one of us. I don’t want anyone going out and helping the pros alone - Once we feel the need to pitch in, we do it as a group.”The more they talked, the more Izuku began to calm down, aside from the small instances where he became more eager to put their plan to action. His heart beat a little faster. It wasn’t in a bad way, where he was internally panicking and going insane not being able to rescue Katsuki right now. No, Izuku’s heart was racing because he was one step closer to getting the boy back. They were really going to save him. Izuku could stop racking his brains every five seconds about feeling guilty because he was going to be the one to get him back. With the help of his friends, of course. He could never be more grateful to associate with people who thought the same way as him. “So, I guess whenever we hear about when the pros are gonna head out to get Bakugo, that’s when we start to prepare?” Sero asked after a little. “Yeah. We just gotta hear out for any talk of a rescue mission.” Kirishima replied as he mindlessly fidgeted with his pant’s strings. “Well! I think I’m gonna head to bed now. It was really great being able to get this all out with you guys. Good night!” Izuku sat up, smiling at his friends and waving goodbye as he began to yawn, feeling the exhaustion slowly eat him up. Izuku was sure he would sleep soundly tonight. 🌼“You want to what ?!” Katsuki all but shouted, baffled at the villain's plan. “You heard me kid. We’re gonna kidnap the principal.” Shigaraki looked up from the plans they had very shabbily written down on a piece of paper. “Is there something wrong?”“I - no? It’s just-” He fumbled for a way to express his thoughts. It's not that he was against the idea, it’s just… it didn’t make sense. What the hell were they gonna do with the over-aged panda who claimed the role as principal at UA? “ How ? And most of all, why ? I mean. I get he’s the principal so he’s probably pretty fucking important, but like… I dunno. Couldn't we do something more… cool ?”Shigaraki sighed, seemingly disappointed, for whatever reason Katsuki had no fucking idea. “Listen, child. This is not some sort of club . We don’t go about things because we think it’s flashy or whatever the hell else you think of us.” Shigaraki gestured around to the group of villains and the area they occupied. “We’re villains . Our main goal is to get inside the hero's head, mess with them a little, and then take what we want.”“And by kidnapping their principal you get…?”“... Inside their heads .” He finished, repeating his previous words. “If we show them that we’re strong enough to break inside their sacred little school, then it’s gonna set them the fuck off. They’re gonna go absolutely a-wall. ‘ How the hell did some lowly villains manage to break into our school and kidnap our beloved principal?!’ It’s gonna get to them. They’re gonna find out that we shouldn't be looked down upon; that we’re capable of a lot more than a few nasty injuries. They’re gonna go crazy trying to get back their already kidnapped student, and now their stupid principal.” He liked the sound of it. Have everyone go absolutely nuts over now two kidnapped people from the school, leaving them vulnerable for more nasty attacks from the League. It was funny. Katsuki had always wanted to become a hero; wanted to become the best. He’d looked down on people who wished otherwise. Why be a villain when you could be a hero?Why be a normal citizen when you could be out fighting bad guys and kicking ass?In his opinion, heroes were the coolest thing out there and nothing was going to change that. His opinion has changed drastically. Katsuki now knows that being a hero isn’t all that. Yeah, they have the flashy outfits, fans, money, and get the praise they deserve but… did they deserve it? Truthfully? The answer was: No. They did not. Heroes did good for society, sure, but they also didn’t do much that proved they were actually worthy of such luxury. Why was it any different that heroes were allowed to fight to protect the people around them, and fight for what they believe, but it was so bad for the villains to do the same thing? Weren’t they fighting for a cause as well? Fighting for what they wish to be true? Why did having a license to do so mean you were somehow correct? Katsuki realized now that heroes were no better than villains. Sure, villains definitely did some questionable things that deserved punishment. Hell, we all have at some point. Which is why it's unfair to treat villains any differently. It’s unfair to label them as “ villains ” in the first place. It’s why Katsuki was here, with the League. He felt like he belonged here. These were his people. The people who actually fought for something they wanted instead of having it handed to them just because they had a flashy name or more fame than another. This was why he was going to help them kidnap principal Nezu, to prove to the heroes that they weren't going to sit by idly and allow this mistreatment to continue. Katsuki was going to mess with their heads to the best of his abilities and inflict some serious damage to those who have wronged him. “Alright… Alright yeah. I get it.” Katsuki agreed after a moment of Shigaraki's explanation. However, there was just one minor problem. Izuku . Katsuki just knew the fucker was going to rain on their parade; mess everything up. Izuku always got his ass involved in shit he shouldn’t. It’s what pissed the blonde off the most. That the little idiot didn’t know how to stop being so fucking nosy . The villains seemed to notice his internal exasperation because Toga spoke up, “What’s wrong Kats? You’re wearing that cute little pouty face that you get whenever you’re thinkin’ about something.” She poked his cheeks, almost drooling. Katsuki was sure if it was possible, the girl would have sparkles shooting out of her eye sockets every time she encountered something that she was attracted to. It was gross. “Fuck off, blondie . And don’t call me that.” He smacked her hand out of the way, scowling. “I’m not pouting , m’just thinkin’.”“About? Is there a problem?” Shigaraki questioned, also noticing Katsuki seemed to realize something. “S’just that the little fucker, Deku , might serve as a minor problem for us. He’s exceptionally nosy and isn’t going to just let us take their principal without a fight. Of course everyone else isn’t going to just hand the guy over but Deku might become a bigger problem then them.” A bigger problem for me at least …The villains nodded in lieu of a verbal response. “I see…” Shigaraki tapped his chin with his finger. “Is there anything you know of that might serve as a distraction for the boy while we fight the heroes?” Katsuki pondered on that for a moment. There were many things that could distract Izuku. Get the boy's attention for one second about something he found only slightly interesting, and you’d have him yapping for the next hour. “I dunno. There could be a lot of shit that could help. It might not work, though, if he knows the school’s under attack.”“Why don’t you distract him? Aren’t you two close?” Toga insisted, popping in front of his face once more.“ Fuck no. Me and the nerd are anything but close. The hell am I supposed to do?” Katsuki frowned back, unsure why she would even ask that. “Dunno, just a thought.” She smiled at him before sinking back into the group of villains before him. Katsuki and Izuku haven’t been “close” since like, 5th grade. Where was she getting all this from? Was it because he jumped in front of the boy when she threatened to take their blood (an action he was still unsure of to this day)? Was it because Katsuki took Dabi away from Izuku when he was fighting him? Those were the only instances Katsuki could think of where the girl would even think that the two were close. It made sense, he guessed, that Katsuki could distract Izuku. The greenette practically worshiped him, and , Izuku was probably going fucking insane after his kidnapping. Appearing before the greenette without having the pros “rescue” Katsuki would probably shock him enough to get his attention away from Shigaraki and the others. That didn’t make the idea any more appealing to Katsuki, however. If he wanted to be in this league, though, if he wanted to prove to everyone that he was better than them, he’d have to make this sacrifice. The blonde groaned, rubbing a hand over his face. “Fuck. Fine. I can distract the nerd.” Katsuki grinned, suddenly coming up with an even better plan. “ And . What if we kidnap him as well? I mean, he’s definitely not going to betray the school and join us, but if we get the idiot out of the way for good, things could go much smoother for us in the long run.”He saw a small smirk appear under the hand that covered Shigaraki's face. “I like your thinking, Bakugo.”A wave of pride flowed through Katsuki, loving the way he could even get villains to love his ideas. Of course they would. It was a pretty fucking awesome idea. “Ah, and one more thing I forgot to mention…” Shigaraki lifted a sheet of paper out from under the one that had their plans for attacking. It looked like a layout of a building. “UA has recently built dorms for the students, as a safety protocol. This should give you a boost in kidnapping Midoriya.”The villain went over the layout of the UA dorms, showing Katsuki where they were located on campus and even who lived in each one. He was shocked, to say the least, about how they’d acquired such valuable information about UA. He was proud , if you must. This would more than benefit their plans. “Bakugo, you go here-” Shigaraki pointed to a certain area that looked like a dorm room, “-and handle Midoriya. We’ll go to the main building, assuming that's where the principal is situated. Hopefully pros will be out trying to get you back while we invade. In the absence of pros, our chances of kidnapping Nezu are high.” Everything seemed like it would go perfectly. Pros would be out stupidly trying to bring Katsuki back, leaving them more vulnerable than they’d expect. Katsuki would kidnap Izuku, unwillingly admitting that he’d play the biggest threat in jeopardizing their plans. Kidnapping Principal Nezu and Izuku was sure to boost their popularity at a rapid pace. Everyone would fear the League, knowing they were capable of things like invading probably one of the most heavily guarded places in Musutafu. He wasn't exactly sure what they’d do with the new additions to their little hideout, but the blonde was sure the villains had some sort of prison he just wasn’t aware of yet. “Alrighty then.” Shigaraki clapped his hands together after going over the plan once more. “Everyone understand their roles? Compress, Toga, Spinner, Dabi, Kurogiri - you will go with me. Bakugo will handle Midoriya. We’ll be in and out before they even know what hit ‘em.”Katsuki nodded, his arms crossed over his chest. “Sounds like a plan.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
🍀Izuku had been living in the dorms for about a week since they’d come up with a solid plan to rescue Katsuki. In that entire expanse of time, his anxiety died down the size of a literal atom. So, yeah, things were looking great. They hadn’t heard a word from teachers or anyone around school about a plan. The only reason Izuku knew that one was being formed was because of the discussion he had with All Might a week ago. Otherwise, he would’ve guessed that no one was actually going to get Katsuki back. Izuku sometimes wondered if he was right, though. If everyone had just decided: “Hey! This kid’s kinda a pain in our ass anyways, why don’t we just leave him be, eh?”Thinking about that never settled too well for Izuku. However, he couldn’t exactly express his internal crisis with anyone because they’d either shoo him away or give him little assurance that the people in authority were taking care of everything.Of course he could go to Ochako or one of his friends and ask if they’d heard anything lately, but the answer was always the same. “No, sorry ‘Zuku. I’m sure they’re just doing some extra finalizing. We’ll hear about it soon enough!”After the third day or so, he kinda just gave up and let his thoughts take over, whether they be good or bad ones. Katsuki was still gone. Izuku had no idea if anyone was actually planning on saving him anymore. He wanted to talk to his friends and suggest that they just go along with their plan by starting a fight with the villains themselves. After several moments throughout the week of deep contemplating, he scratched the idea, admitting it wasn’t worth the risk. Six students weren’t going to get very far against however many villains they were up against in the League. However, sometimes, facing hundreds of villains on his own seemed like a better idea than whatever was going on right now. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could take silence from the school officials. Didn’t they realize that this was a big deal? That one of their students had been kidnapped by a literal league of villains ?! Everyday when Izuku walked into his class in the morning or spotted a teacher going about their day, he had to suppress the urge to get up in their faces and shout:“Hello people!? Villains? Missing student ! Ring any bells?? Are we like, planning on getting him back or…?” Of course that was also not an option, as the result would most likely be one Izuku would regret getting himself into. “-uku?” Some form of noise made its way into Izuku’s endless rant of thoughts. Things seemed to come back into focus as he blinked, looking up from his notes where he, apparently, had been erasing something so hard the paper started to rip. “Izuku!” “Ah!” He yelped, jumping slightly in his chair, the eraser falling out of his hand. Ochako frowned as she bent down to pick up his eraser. “I asked if you had the notes from today's lesson.” She eyed his ripped up paper, bringing it to his attention that the page was probably notes he should’ve been more careful with. “I guess not.” She sighed, pulling up a chair to sit beside him at the table situated near the dorm's kitchen. “What's going on, ‘Zuku? You’ve been acting out of it recently… More out of it, I should say, because I know you’re still panicking about Bakugo.”He scratched the back of his neck sheepishly, deciding not to look the girl in the eyes out of embarrassment.“I’m… okay.” He sighed, fidgeting with his now-ripped notebook page, slowly tearing more pieces of it off. Seeing his nervousness, Ochako gently reached out and grabbed his fidgeting hand, holding it in both of her own hands. “Izuku, look at me.”And he did, tears slowly pooled at the bottom of his eyes. He did his best to hold the majority of them in, careful not to burst.“What’s wrong, ‘Zuku? You’ve never been this down about something.” Ochako asked, her voice almost breaking at the sight of him. She wiped a stray tear off of his cheek, trying to smile in order to make him feel better. “I-I just…” He choked out, sniffing. “We h-haven’t heard anything from the school… about Kacchan, and it’s m-making me worry.” He looked down and quietly said, “What if they don’t want to get him back? What if they just decided the school would be better off without his attitude and loud personality?” “Aww, Izuku you know that’s not true. I’m sure that they just don’t want to make any mistakes in their planning. They’re taking extra long to make sure it’s perfect.” She rubbed the side of his arm, trying to comfort him, but even then, he could tell she was just as skeptical as him. “B-But what if it’s too late by then?” Izuku asked, his pooling tears waning as he began to calm down.“It won’t be.” Ochako stated, firm and real. As if she was 100% sure she was right. Izuku would love to have as much confidence as the girl. She always seemed so sure of things. Her and Mina. He’d give anything to be that confident, even if just for a moment. “S-Still…” Izuku wasn’t that overly-confident person, therefore, he still worried, and would continue to worry, even if solutions were placed right under his nose. “We should do something. We’re not the kind of class that just sits around and waits for things to happen…” “I know… And I’m not really sure of what more I can say to you, Izuku.” The brunette sighed and looked down, her hand falling limp against his arm. “All I can do is tell you to not lose hope. The pros are working hard, I know it. Even though Bakugo can be a pain in the ass, he’s probably one of the most hard-working and determined students this school has ever seen.” She looked up to meet his swollen eyes, her expression that of someone who could only ever be described as determined. “I know they won’t let that talent go to waste.”Izuku rubbed his eyes and nodded. She was right. He couldn't lose hope. They were all working hard and the more faith he put into the school, the more he knew he could trust them to make the right decision. The more you believe, the more it becomes a reality, at least that’s what Izuku believed. Ochako smiled, resting her hand on his shoulder. Izuku sighed, glancing around the room. It was about 5:00 p.m, he guessed, so the other students should be arriving at the dorms soon. Since they’d finished their summer project - working out with a small group for an hour a day - the students had been hanging around campus, going shopping and the sorts. They were free to go home but Izuku guessed that everyone wanted to get used to the dorms before they would have to live in them full time during the next semester. He’d realized that everyone from their class had chosen to stay here. The thought made him feel a bit guilty and selfish that he’d been so skeptical of the idea at first. He couldn’t imagine being the odd one out when all of his friends were living together, creating memories he’d never be a part of if he hadn’t chosen to stay. As if on cue, a herd of his classmates burst through the door, filling the otherwise quiet room with loud and expressive chatter. At this, Izuku began stacking his notes together, clearing the ripped up papers and putting away his eraser and pencil in a case. Ochako wormed her way into the crowd, talking with Mina and Jirou about something he wasn’t sure of. Izuku grabbed his books when he was left alone at the big table and made his way to the stairs, not wanting to get caught up in the crowd. Someone stopped him midway by placing a hand on his shoulder. He instinctively tensed up at the sudden touch, a habit he’d grown accustomed to ever since training camp. He turned around, faced with the welcoming smile of Kirishima. “Hey man! How’re ya holdin’ up?” Izuku returned the smile, the tension from his shoulders easing. “O-Oh, I’m good. Thank you for asking Kirishima!” He looked down at his books before, “What about you? Any news on Kaccha-”Suddenly, the entrance to their dorms burst open, the booming voice of All Might following in its trail. “GOOD EVENING STUDENTS!!” Izuku nearly leaped out of his skin, a small squeal escaping his lips at the sudden intrusion to their new home. “HOW ARE YOU ALL ON THIS FINE NIGHT!?”Everyone sorta just… stared at All Might, unsure of what to do until the man himself cleared his throat, adjusting his collared shirt. “Ahem, my apologies young ones…” The room was quiet for a moment before All Might seemed to get to his point. “My… goal… here was to inform you all with the minimum information I have just received myself.”At this, everyone seemed to stare at All Might closer now, not just because they were unsure of how to act after the random appearance. “We - the heroes - have come up with a solid plan to rescue your classmate, Bakugo…” He quickly raised his hands at the sight of some students stirring, ready to make noise in excitement. “However! I must inform you all to stay in the dorms at all times. I am unaware of the consequences as of now, but I know they will not be light. Please , have faith in your beloved heroes and I assure you, your Bakugo will be back before dawn.”With that, the room erupted in joy. Students jumping up and down, hanging onto one another. Izuku was sure even some were crying. One week without the boy that seemed to piss everyone off somehow did something to the lively class. Although Katsuki could be a big burden to please, Izuku knew that he was a valuable asset to them. They would not be the Class 1A that they were today without him. That is why Izuku found himself jumping up and down with Kirishima, alongside the class, tears of joy spilling from his eyes. They were finally going to get him back. Izuku couldn’t express how absolutely relieved he felt. He knew it would feel good. After a long week of endless waiting for an answer, Izuku was sure the closure would feel nice, but not this nice. It was like an infinite weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Perhaps that weight would return as soon as the explosive boy returned and continued to mess with Izuku endlessly, but he knew it wouldn’t be like before. Somehow…During all the chaos of their newly relieved class, Izuku guessed All Might must’ve slipped out, allowing the students to talk amongst themselves. He must trust them enough to do as he said with that little given information. A wave of guilt spread through his body. He didn't regret coming up with a plan to rescue the boy, despite the hero's wishes, but hearing that the pros actually formed one, and being told straight up that they weren’t allowed to leave the dorms made the task of going against their rules even harder than it seemed to be before. He was not going to abandon their plan, but the guilt would stick with him, he was sure. Izuku was saved from his thoughts as someone began shaking him. “-oriya! You hear that!? We’re gonna leave in a little bit!” Izuku blinked a few more times before making eye contact with the boy shaking him. “We can finally set our plan in place! Everyone’s gonna get ready. I’m assuming the pros have already left so we’ve got a little while to get ready before we also leave.”Izuku swallowed nothing, nodding his head profusely. He gripped Kirishima’s arms, his grin only widening as his negative thoughts drifted away. Right. Good thoughts. Deal with the consequences later. You’re only doing what’s right . “I’m gonna go get ready!” Izuku replied and Kirishima nodded, patting his shoulders before turning to his friends. Izuku rushed up the stairs to his dorm, gripping his books like his life depended on it. Once he arrived, Izuku fumbled with the doorknob, his palms sweating. Izuku barged into his own room and walked over to his desk to place the books down. It was nighttime, therefore his room was dark. He would’ve reached for the lamp if he wasn’t in such a rush. Izuku decided it would be fine. He bumped into something tall and sturdy right next to the nightstand by his bed, resulting in a small grunt from the object. In a rush to find clothes appropriate for their secret mission (black ones undoubtedly), Izuku apologized before he rushed to the bathroom with a pile of clothes. He paused with his hand on the bathroom door. Wait .The room was quiet, the only sounds were Izuku’s heavy breathing from rushing around so suddenly. That, and whatever the hell had just grunted next to his bed. It’d been sturdy enough to be his nightstand, but tall enough to be a human. Izuku gulped as he slowly turned his head to the nightstand underneath his window. Sure enough, a tall, shadowy figure was standing right next to his bed. Izuku was only able to see its silhouette as it stood in front of the window, the light from the moon enhancing the outline of the person. Last time he checked, Izuku lived alone . He lowered his hand from the door, dropping his clothes. He quietly fumbled for anything near his body, keeping his feet in place. Despite his desire to swallow the noise, Izuku whimpered. The sound was so faint, he chose to pretend it wasn’t real. Izuku was not going to freak out. There was a tall, clearly sturdy person standing right at the edge of his bed. They appeared to be wearing a hood with some sort of flair extending a few inches off the sides and their arms seemed to be bulkier at the ends than the average human arm. He couldn’t really see anything below their waist because the moonlight from the window didn’t reach that far down. Nothing to be worried about. He’d probably hung something above his window. A sweater of some sorts, and the only reason he’d thought it was sturdy enough to be a person was because he’d bumped into the nightstand. It was convincing enough for Izuku before the figure actually moved. Like, literally began walking towards him. He tightened his hands into fists, clenching his jaw as he prepared for the figure to jump at him or do something other than stalk in the shadows. Izuku was just about ready to burst out of his room before it spoke, voice rich and velvety: “Missed me?”Izuku stopped as his hands reached for the exit, eyes widening in the darkness. He knew that voice. Izuku had been listening to that voice his entire 15 years of existence. In rare moments had he ever heard it so smooth and calm like this. However, no doubt, did the voice belong to none other than-“Kacchan!” Izuku jumped at the boy, unsure why. He definitely did not plan on hugging Katsuki when they rescued him but somehow Izuku found himself trying anyway. “Oi - What the fuck? Get back jackass.” Katsuki shoved Izuku back, not lacking any unnecessary force. “What are you doing here!?” Izuku asked, his voice raising an octave. He chose to ignore the offensive shove from the blonde. “We were just going to come get you! How’d you escape?! Wait, we have to go tell-!”Katsuki jumped at Izuku, grabbing a fist full of his shirt and pulling his body flush against Katsuki’s, covering Izuku’s mouth with one of his gloved hands. The distance between the two boys had narrowed so suddenly, their faces mere inches apart and Izuku’s heart began to race. This close, he couldn’t ignore the familiar burnt caramel scent that he’d learned to know as Katsuki. No matter what, the explosive boy never lost it. “Shut. The fuck. Up.” Katsuki growled. “Midoriya?” A muffled voice called through his door. Izuku tried to squirm out of Katsuki’s hold. Thanks to the small light emitting from the door behind them, he could see the sparks in Katsuki’s ruby eyes; the warning glare he shot at Izuku before letting go of his mouth. “Don’t say anything .” Katsuki whispered, backing around the wall that was placed between the small hallway in his room and his bed, creeping back into the shadows.Izuku gulped, taking in a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding in, and opened his door, trying to act cool. When he did, he was met with a concerned-looking Kirishima. He’d been seeing a lot of the spiky-haired boy these days. “Everything… alright? I thought I heard you say something about Bakugo…” It was subtle, but Izuku could tell the boy was trying to get a glance into Izuku’s room, wondering if he’d heard correctly. Izuku wasn’t sure why, but he felt compelled to follow Katsuki’s orders of keeping quiet. “K-Kacchan…? W-What do you mean?” He swallowed nothing, hoping his tone sounded normal. Why was he keeping this from Kirishima? Izuku had no idea. All he knew was that Katsuki was , in fact, in his bedroom (somehow), and Izuku wasn’t about to ruin that. “Oh… alright.” The boy looked at Izuku skeptically. He returned the look with a nervous smile. “A-Anyways. I’m gonna… change. That’s what I was doing…. Anyways. Hah… Yeah. That’s probably all you heard…” Kirishima nodded, shooting the boy and incredulous look before slowly walking off to the stairs. Izuku sighed, his head drooping as he slid back into the room. When he was sure Kirishima was out of hearing range Izuku called out, “ Psst. Kacchan… ”The boy in question emerged from the shadows of his room once again, looking even more intimidating than before. Izuku had to suppress the urge to shrink a little in size. He quickly walked to his desk and turned on the lamp, lighting up the room. “Why didn’t you want me to tell Kirishima you were back?” Izuku couldn’t hold back his curiosity as he crossed his arms, eyeing the boy across from him. He felt like he had the right to ask, seeing as he just lied to his friend for a reason he was still unsure of. “Because I’m not.” Katsuki deadpanned. Izuku tilted his head, confused. “Um. What?” Katsuki stepped closer, now only about a foot away from Izuku. “I said: Because. I’m. Not .” The blonde repeated his words as if Izuku hadn’t heard him the first time. “W-What do you…” He was beyond confused. The boy was standing in the middle of Izuku’s room . At UA . In their dorms . Katsuki was back and Izuku had no idea what he was trying to get at. Sensing his confusion, Katsuki face-palmed, dragging the hand down and letting out a groan of frustration. “ Ughh. You know, I really don’t like you.”“Umm, I’m not sure how to-” “Look, you idiot . Obviously I’m here at UA, in your dorm. No shit . But I’m not back in the sense you’re thinking.” Katsuki left it at that, staring back at the greenette with a light grimace painted on his face.His brows creased more, head tilting. In the sense I’m thinking of? Izuku looked off into his room, pondering for a moment. What did Katsuki mean? What sense was Izuku even thinking? Katsuki was back at UA, like everyone had wanted. He’d managed to escape the villains and somehow lead himself into Izuku’s room, of all places. It was a bit odd, don’t get him wrong, but Izuku couldn’t think of anything out of the ordinary. He averted his gaze back to the blonde, looking him up and down. Now, in the light, Izuku could see the outfit he was wearing. The hood, as he’d suspected from the shadows, had the same explosive-looking pattern sticking out of the back like Katsuki’s hero costume. The black mask around his eyes remained, as did the giant X across his chest. This time, though, the X was a more reddish-orange, along with the highlights on the spikes of his hood. His wrists were bulky, with a long lever he could probably pull to let off explosions like the gauntlets of his hero costume, only they looked smaller and more cushion-y. Honestly, the only main differences from his normal hero costume were the collar that went over a portion of Katsuki’s lower face and the hood he wore. Other than that, it looked very similar to his winter costume. However, the vibe was different, if that made any sense. To Izuku, it didn’t seem very… hero -like. The costume gave off a very secretive vibe. It was an odd thought but he couldn't help it. Something about Katsuki felt different. His presence wasn’t the same intimidating as before. It was the kind of intimidating you’d feel if you were face-to-face with someone you should actually be scared of. Of course Izuku had no reason to feel that way towards Katsuki, seeing as he was used to the boy's thoughtless threats. Or, that's what he wanted to believe. He wanted to ignore the thoughts bubbling inside his head. The thoughts that couldn’t be true. Because Katsuki would never do something like that. Not in a million years. Izuku was out of his mind to think such things. Which is why the thought only became more obvious the more he tried to shove it aside. And the fact that this wasn’t what Katsuki had been wearing when he was kidnapped only made matters worse. The smirk on the blonde’s face as Izuku slowly came to a small realization was deadly. As if he knew exactly what was going on inside Izuku’s head at the exact same pace as him. “ No …” The word came out almost breathless. Izuku was unsure he’d even said anything. “Hm? What was that…?” Katsuki asked, his voice low and teasing as he stalked closer to Izuku. He stepped back without intending to, bumping into his desk. He gripped the rim as he stared back at Katsuki, unwilling to believe what was right in front of him. “Ka-Kacchan… wha-” Izuku was unable to form coherent sentences as his mind raced and his heart pounded out of his chest. The closer Katsuki got, the more he began to panic. He shouldn’t be panicking. It was all a big misunderstanding. Katsuki was not a villain. He’d been kidnapped and brainwashed. There was no way this was real. Hell, Izuku was probably dreaming right now. As soon as he came into his room to get changed, he must’ve fallen asleep, exhausted after the endless stressing over the blonde for a whole week. It was a dream. They were about to go save Katsuki and Izuku just needed to wake up. All he had to do was wake-“Stop fighting it, Deku .” Katsuki snapped, suddenly much closer than he was a moment ago.“You-” Izuku tried again, hoping desperately to be wrong. “You aren’t - You can’t be. Kacchan…”Izuku wanted to back up more. He tried desperately to stay as far away from Katsuki as he could but he was pushed as close up against his study desk as he possibly could be, and Katsuki kept getting closer. Izuku could hear his heart beating in his brain, sending chills throughout his whole body. He was beginning to break out in a cold sweat. Izuku couldn’t look at Katsuki anymore. His eyes were fixated on his shoes as he began to breathe heavily. “Aw, don’t panic. There’s nothing to be scared of.” Katsuki teased, his head tilting to look into Izuku’s eyes. “Here, I’ll do this quickly so you can stop freaking out, hm?” Katsuki suggested, his tone friendly for some odd reason as he tipped the greenette’s chin up with a finger, forcing Izuku to look him in the eye.“Do wha-?” Before Izuku could finish the sentence, everything went dark. 🌼Katsuki grinned as the small form of Izuku disappeared under his touch, falling to the floor in the form of a small blue marble. Katsuki would never admit it but Compress sure had an impressive quirk. “Gotcha.” Katsuki shoved his hands in his pockets, holding the marble firm in his palm, and headed towards the window. As he stepped out and felt the warm breeze of the summer night against his skin, Katsuki glanced around at the campus. Shigaraki and the others were somewhere inside the school, hopefully close to their target. Katsuki was still a bit mad about how he was only supposed to get Izuku and get out but chose to ignore it for now, leaping off the dorm building and heading back to the bar. Once he made it back, he opened the door, relieved to be back in the quiet space of their hideout. Katsuki made his way to the door that was placed right next to some TV that they never used and walked inside. The other side of the door was an elevator that Katsuki would have no idea about unless Shigaraki hadn’t specifically told him. He pressed the button to go down a couple floors. They would be keeping Izuku in a small, prison-like room for however long necessary. The elevator stopped after a few seconds and Katsuki stepped out, walking a few feet down a dark hallway that was barely lit up by a small, useless yellow light flickering somewhere above. He turned to open one of the various doors along the walls and stepped inside. When he turned on the lights, they reflected off painfully white walls. He winced for a moment as his eyes adjusted from the darkness of the hallway. He placed the marble on the bed and stepped back, unsure of how he was supposed to get Izuku out. Compress has just handed it to him. Perhaps they’d wanted to keep Izuku like that until the rest of the villains got back. However, Katsuki was not in the mood to wait around for the inevitably betrayed expression that would be painted all across Izuku’s annoying face. Katsuki wanted to be the first to see the boy's reaction. He wanted to see just how shocked Izuku was going to be. How hurt he would be, knowing that Katsuki had changed and it was all his fault. Because it was, really. It was Izuku’s fault that Katsuki was like this. Before training camp, he’d never even considered becoming a villain, despite the hundreds of people thinking he would be better off as one. He despised the idea. But now, after what Izuku had said, Katsuki was sure this was who he was supposed to be. He wanted Izuku to see what he’d created. What he’d done to Katsuki. He wanted Izuku to see just how much he’d ruined everything for the blonde. It would be rather satisfying, he thought. Katsuki reached for a communication device in his pocket, unwilling to wait until the villains got back. “Oi, fuckfaces.” Katsuki called into the device, waiting for a response. “What is it, Bakugo? ” Shigaraki responded, his raspy voice displaying annoyance very clearly. “I got the nerd back at the lair. How the fuck am I supposed to get him out of this marble?”There was a long pause from the other side of the line and Katsuki was beginning to grow frustrated. He wasn’t going to do anything so why shouldn't he be allowed to let Izuku out before anyone got back. It’d probably be better anyways, if the blonde was the first person Izuku saw when he was released, it might ease his nerves a little, rather than a room full of villains. “Just tap the marble.” A new voice announced from the device. Katsuki was quick to realize the voice belonged to Compress himself. Instead of acknowledging the message with words, Katsuki muted himself and did as he was instructed. Sure enough, when he tapped the soft, shiny surface of the marble, it doubled in size, Izuku’s form suddenly popping up on the bed. Katsuki smirked, crossing his arms. It took the boy a moment to take in his surroundings until he finally looked up at Katsuki with an expression he wasn’t sure how to read. “Kacchan…?” The words came out quiet, as if he couldn’t believe any of this was real. Katsuki rolled his eyes, glaring at the boy. “ What ?”“Wh-… Why ?” Izuku asked as he situated himself to look better at Katsuki, his hand gripping the sheets of the stiff prison-like bed. “Why what ?” “Why are you - Why are you doing this? Acting like this?” Izuku asked, his words not hinting at what he meant. Katsuki knew what he meant, however, but chose to play dumb as he started back at Izuku.“This… This isn’t you. You don’t… Kacchan, whatever this is, just tell me. I’m-I’m sor- ”“Shut up!” Katsuki suddenly snapped, throwing his arms in the air. It took everything he had not to send off tiny explosions from his palms. He was not going to listen to some loser tell him who he was. “You don’t know anything ! I don’t want to hear whatever you have to say, so don’t try to convince me to do anything differently. This is your fault.” He pointed an accusing finger at Izuku. That seemed to be the right thing to say, seeing as Izuku’s mouth closed just as he was going to try and fight back with Katsuki. Yeah, this is your fault, idiot. How does it feel? How do you like knowing that you created this? Izuku’s eyes began to pool, the pain evident in his expression. Katsuki liked it. He liked seeing Izuku blame himself. He liked seeing how his words could affect the boy so much. It made him feel powerful . More than he’d felt before. Katsuki had always taken a liking to Izuku’s weaknesses. He’d always loved seeing how his words could hit so deep, no matter the small meaning behind them. There was something odd and frustrating about Izuku that just made him so easy to put down. The smallest, harmless statements were able to affect Izuku so much, and only because they were coming from Katsuki. He’d enjoyed taking advantage of that their whole lives. “I’m sorry.” Izuku finally let out, his head falling limp on his shoulders as he stared at the floor. Katsuki’s eyes widened at the unexpected response. His mouth opened slightly before he quickly masked the shock showing on his face. “Tch. How the fuck is that supposed to mean anything?”Izuku sighed, leaning back on the bed so that his legs could rest on it. He wrapped his arms around them and buried his head between his knees. “I know…” He started, his voice muffled. “I know it’s my fault… And I’m so, so sorry, Kacchan.” Katsuki swallowed nothing, unsure of how to react. He wanted to shout, to yell at Izuku about how he’d ruined everything. About how his words affected the blonde’s entire existence. He wanted to punch him, to hurt him physically, and mentally. Katsuki had not been expecting this reaction out of the greenette. He’d been expecting the boy to break down in tears, to get on his knees and beg for Katsuki’s forgiveness. He was definitely not expecting Izuku to willingly admit that he was in the wrong, making Katsuki feel all sorts of weird things. “I shouldn’t…” Izuku began once more, “I shouldn’t have said - I shouldn’t have said that… back at camp.” Izuku sniffed, lifting his head from his knees and staring blankly at the floor. Katsuki scoffed. “Damn right you shouldn’t have.” He honestly didn’t know what else he was supposed to say. He was too shocked to come up with any insults that could further harm the boy in front of him. It was pissing him off even more. “B-But… But I know that you shouldn’t do this, Kacchan.” Izuku finally looked up and met the blonde’s eyes. “You're not a villain. Please, please don’t do something I know you’ll regret just because I was frustrated and took it out on you. Kacchan please .” Izuku begged. “The hell I’m not!” Katsuki shouted once more, unable to hold up the quiet act any longer. “You said it yourself! Trying to go back on your word now? You think a subtle apology is gonna change anything? You think I’m gonna forgive you just because you’re crying like a fucking baby , begging me to come back to you guys? Things don’t work like that, Deku . Words have meaning. You of all people should know that.” Izuku stared back at the blonde, the pain still evident in his eyes as he listened to every painful word that spilled out of Katsuki’s mouth. “You can’t change what happened. You can’t change who I am and you can’t change what I’m going to become. There’s no amount of apologizing you could do that would ever let me forgive you.” Katsuki knew he was being a hypocrite. The words tasted bitter on his tongue as they slipped out and crawled their way into Izuku’s soul. But Katsuki liked it. The wave of satisfaction after witnessing the painful expression painted right onto Izuku’s face as his words sank deep, as they spread across his whole being, was more than enough to comfort Katsuki in the moment. Right now, it was all that mattered. That he made Izuku feel every ounce of the crushing weight Katsuki carried after that day at training camp. Katsuki’s hypocrisy could wait until he was finished filling the greenette’s mind with the same agony he’d felt when those words were first spoken.
‘How do you ever expect to become a hero if you can’t have a simple conversation with me?’
However, that seemed to spark something inside the greenette, something that Katsuki had never seen before. He actually managed to glare back at Katsuki. On top of that, Izuku had the audacity to scoff . “Let you forgive me? ” Izuku dropped the pouting as he continued to clutch his legs. “Kacchan, do you even realize what you’re saying? Can you even hear yourself?”Katsuki rolled his eyes, returning the glare. “Tch, the fuck are you trying to say, nerd?”Izuku let out a small, mirthless laugh, running his tongue along the inside of his cheek as he looked to the side. “You know, this whole time, I’ve been blaming myself for you getting captured - I still do! I feel really bad for calling you a villain Kacchan, I do. And I know that no amount of apologizing is going to make up for it. But hearing you say that you could never forgive me for the things I said is almost unfair .”“And how do you suspect that? Don’t I have a right to feel this way?”“Kacchan, do you even remember half the things you’ve said to me? The absolutely horrible things you’ve told me. You told me to kill myself. And you wanna know what I did? I forgave you.”Katsuki scoffed at him, “How the hell is that my problem? You’ve got to be pretty fucked up in the head to forgive someone for saying that.”“That's exactly my point!” Izuku shouted back at him, his arms flying in the air. He stood up from the bed, taking a step towards Katsuki. “You can’t even hear yourself! You think that it’s okay to say those things to someone and it’s terrifying! And I know I’m kinda messed up, because any sane person would have removed you from their life the instant those words left your mouth. But you wanna know what I did? I stayed, Katsuki. I stayed .“I chose to ignore all of your flaws, just because I looked up to you. Just because I thought that you were better than that. I knew you were. You’re so indescribably amazing that I chose to ignore the harshest things you’ve thrown at me, just so I could see you succeed at becoming an amazing hero. And now, now that I’ve betrayed you, and hurt you in some way I’ve never even imagined doing, I hate it. I hate myself for saying that.” Izuku’s arms crossed as he walked slowly towards Katsuki, never allowing the blonde to comment. “I never meant for my words to hit so deep. I was mad, and frustrated, and annoyed at you for being so ignorant that I let it slip. I will never forgive myself but it doesn’t give you any right to make me seem like the worst person ever. You’ve done way more than I ever have. It’s not fair to make me feel like an absolute criminal when my intentions were never as awful as yours.” Izuku pushed a harsh finger into Katsuki's chest, causing him to stumble back at the unexpected gesture. “I’m sorry , Katsuki. I’m sorry for calling you a villain. I’m sorry for annoying you to the point of no return, even if I’m unsure how I even managed that. So please , don’t do this.” Izuku sniffed, retrieving his hand as he stared up into Katsuki's eyes, nothing other than pain filling Izuku’s own. Katsuki had uncrossed his arms and was staring blankly at Izuku, unable to reply. He was angry, and upset because who the hell did Izuku think he was ? A little speech from the greenette wasn’t going to do anything to change Katsuki’s mind. As if Katsuki would forgive him just because he tried to use past experiences to make the blonde look bad. Yeah, Katsuki’s done some pretty fucked up shit, but who hasn’t? Why was he always looked down on because of the things he’s done? He wasn’t the only person on this earth who’s done something rude to someone! So why the hell was he being called a villain for it when someone else would’ve been let off the hook with an apology?!It’s not Katsuki’s fault that he’s like this. He can’t change who he is. He can’t change the things he's done, the things he’s said. Izuku knows that, but he still chooses to say otherwise. So, yeah. Katsuki was a huge asshole to Izuku their whole lives, but that didn’t make it any less Izuku’s fault that Katsuki was now standing here, working for the league of villains. “Tch.” The blonde turned on his heels and headed for the exit of the annoyingly white room. He’d had enough of Izuku for one night. Suddenly, a loud ‘Boom! ’ sounded from somewhere above them, shaking the entire room. Katsuki threw out his arms to balance himself until the walls and floor stopped shaking for a moment. “Fucking hell .” He groaned, dragging an exaggerated hand across his face before turning back to Izuku and yanking him towards the door. “Wh-What’s happening?!” Izuku asked frantically, not fighting Katsuki’s hold. “The fuck does it look like, idiot? Your precious friends are here to save you.” Katsuki shouted back at him as another explosion shook the floor. Thankfully they were well underground so nothing would collapse on top of them. “Y-You mean, the heroes…?” Izuku asked, panting as they ran in the direction of the elevator. “Who the fuck else?!” Katsuki whipped his head around to stare at Izuku, throwing his free hand up. “Now shut up and run!”For some odd reason, Izuku was obeying Katsuki. It annoyed him. It pissed him off how easily it was for the greenette to listen to Katsuki and forget about how rude he was. Izuku should be fighting back right now. He should be yelling at Katsuki for doing this, trying to find a way out. Nope. Instead, like the idiot he was, Izuku was trailing behind Katsuki, following his every move like he’d done for the past 15 years. Once they reached the elevator door, Katsuki pressed the button for the last floor. He knew it was probably not the best idea to continue going farther down, but he really had no idea what to do. Once he was in the bunker, he could contact Shigaraki and the villains to alert them of an attack. Katsuki would be fine. Everything would be fine.The door finally opened with a ‘ ding! ’ and Katsuki shoved Izuku in, stumbling as the floor and walls shook once again. As he was walking into the elevator, he tripped on his own feet, thanks to the shaking ground, and landed against the wall in the back of the elevator. Katsuki shook his head, huffing as he pushed himself off of the wall a little bit. He was shocked to see Izuku’s face barely two inches away from his own. Katsuki’s forearms were placed carefully on both sides of Izuku’s head, pinning him against the wall. Katsuki's eyes widened as the greenette stared back at him, breathing heavily. Katsuki swallowed nothing as his eyes trailed down the boy's face, slowly making their way down to his- “Kacchan…?”He quickly shoved himself off of the boy, removing his arms from the wall and turning to push the lowest floors button repeatedly. Just as the doors were closing, someone fell through the floor about 20 feet in front of them. Thankfully his back was turned to the boys and he would hopefully not notice them in the elevator. “Shit, shit, shit .” It would be too late for the hero to get into the elevator in time, seeing as the doors were about 6 inches away from closing. He pressed the button faster, as if that would have any effect. “All Might!” Izuku shouted, pushing himself off the wall and trying to jump out of the elevator. Although he didn’t need to, Katsuki reached out and grabbed Izuku’s arm, pulling him back as the doors to the elevator shut. “You idiot! Don’t tell them where we are!” Katsuki shouted as they began their descent downwards. “Kacchan, please! You know you shouldn’t be doing this! Just come back to UA, I know everyone will forgive you. It was an impulsive decision on your part. I’ll talk to Mr. Aizawa and All Might. I’ll make sure they forgive you. Just please. Don’t do this!” Izuku was holding onto the hand that Katsuki had grabbed him with, pleading. Katsuki shoved the boy off of him. “You don’t know anything.” He muttered, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall. Katsuki could hear Izuku sniffing in the corner as he slowly slid down the wall, clutching his legs tight to his chest. It took them about 3 minutes to reach the bottom. The elevator came to an abrupt stop, shaking Katsuki a little bit as the doors opened. “Get up, nerd.” Katsuki stated simply, walking out of the elevator. For some reason, he wasn’t worried about Izuku trying to make his way back up to the top floor. He knew the boy would soon trail behind him. Katsuki made his way to a desk with about ten different screens displayed above it. None of them were on at the moment but Katsuki guessed they were for some sort of surveillance, overlooking the whole base. He wasn’t exactly sure how big this little hideout of theirs was but, knowing the league, the blonde suspected he’d have much more to see once they’d completed this mission. He plopped down on a chair and pulled out the communication device he used earlier. Katsuki pressed the alert button, beginning to speak into the mic.“Oi, Shigaraki.” It took a moment for a response to come, leaving Katsuki waiting with the black device placed next to his face. “What is it kid?”Katsuki glanced around the room and found Izuku sitting in another corner near the desk he was at. “The heroes are here. I’m in the bunker with the nerd. When are you guys coming back?” His eyes wandered around the room as he spoke and waited for a response, taking in his surroundings. It was just a plain bunker, nothing special about it like Katsuki would’ve expected. The room was dark, the only source of like coming from a small lamp on the desk. Katsuki guessed it was about 50 feet x 50 feet in length and width, a decent amount of space when one needed to hide. There were a couple metal shelves here and there, black bags stored on them, probably carrying supplies if you needed to stay down here for more than a few hours. For the most part it was really just a boring room with space, spare the surveillance screens behind him. As he looked around, he was beginning to grow annoyed by the radio silence. This seemed like an important matter and not getting any answers from Shigaraki was growing concerning. Finally, “Sorry kid…” A raspy voice finally announced. Katsuki's grip on the device tightened. “You’re on your own now.”Katsuki clenched his jaw, pressing the button to speak with more force than necessary, “You mother fuckers .” He threw the black device across the room, raking his hands through his hair. “Fuck! What the hell man?!”Izuku visibly jumped and the sudden change in mood, lifting his head from his knees. “Kacchan…?”“Shut the hell up nerd! I don’t wanna hear a thing outta you!” Katsuki shouted at the boy, glaring. Because of course this would happen. Katsuki was an idiot . He was so unbelievably stupid to believe anything good would come out of joining the league. They were villains for crying out loud! They were manipulating, scheming, lying, conniving assholes that Katsuki had underestimated, simply because he was mad. This was probably their plan all along. They were going to use Katsuki to get the most powerful asset to the heroes out of the way, break into the school and accomplish their mission, then come back and throw Katsuki to the curb. They never had any intentions of actually inviting him to join them. They were going to use Katsuki until they felt they didn’t need to anymore. And he’d been so ignorant this whole time, blinded by constant anger, that he didn’t look at the bigger picture. Katsuki was not a villain; he’d never wanted to be one. He was born to be an amazing hero and nothing more. Now, he could practically kiss those dreams goodbye because there was no going back now. No one would forgive him. UA would never take him back. He’d betrayed everyone's trust and even tried to hurt the people he cared about. After this, Katsuki would have no one. No annoying wide-eyed freak chasing him around all the time, shouting praises as he accomplished something amazing. No loud-mouthed, spiky-haired idiot trying to cheer him up whenever he got angry. His own parents probably wouldn't want him after this. How could they ever look into their sons eyes again without seeing the terrible person he’d become? He had no one to blame but himself. He did this to himself and would live with the consequences for the rest of his life. No one was going to feel bad for the boy that they’d always expected to turn out this way. Katsuki could almost laugh at the thought. When the door to the elevator dinged, Katsuki’s head shot up, anger surging through his whole body. Just what he needed, a walking punching bag to let his anger out on. Katsuki jumped up from his chair as soon as something was thrown right in his direction, crashing into the screen behind him. Propelling himself forward with a few explosions, he crashed right into the hero, knocking them into a wall. They suddenly threw Katsuki back with some unknown force, sending him skidding to a stop just before he bumped into the desk. When he glanced at the corner where Izuku had been sulking a few moments prior, he noticed it was empty. “Sorry Kacchan!” A voice squeaked before something slammed into the side of Katsuki's face, sending him flying into one of the metal shelves. With a grunt, he pushed himself up into a sitting position, taking in the sight before him. Izuku was standing a few feet in front of Katsuki, electric sparks flicking across his body. Katsuki snarled as he hauled himself up, shaking out his arms. He lunged at the boy but was too slow, his side aching a bit at the sudden movement. Izuku was already on the other side of the room, pushing off the wall and jumping back at Katsuki, his foot outstretched to slam into his face. He quickly threw his hands up, sending a small explosion to deflect the kick but was still sent back, flying into yet another shelf. “You asshole !” He shouted, too angry to do anything about the pain flowing through his whole body. “You’re the one who kidnapped me ! ” Izuku shouted back, standing a good distance away from Katsuki. He noticed the hero he’d been fighting a moment ago standing near the elevator, watching things unfold. It was a pretty dumb idea on his part but Katsuki would deal with that later. “Yeah but I didn’t send you into a fucking shelf !” He argued back. Even in a battle, the two never seemed to stop bickering. “Oh my god , how is that even remotely fair?!” Izuku threw his hands in the air, visibly annoyed with the blonde. Katsuki jumped up, palms popping with tiny explosions as he ran towards the boy again. Predicting that Izuku would try to dodge by jumping to the side, Katsuki slid under him, grabbing his leg as he tried to jump over Katsuki, and threw him into the screens, shattering them completely. Izuku was in a lot of pain, from what Katsuki could see. His face was scrunched up, teeth showing, and he gripped the left side of his body, groaning. “Aww, done already Deku ?” Katsuki teased, smirking. “Come on, you threw me twice and I’m still up and running.” He chose to ignore the sudden throb at his side as the words escaped his mouth. “Midoriya-!” The hero shouted after a minute of silence. Katsuki wasn’t looking but he could already tell the man's face was filled with worry and desperation to help the boy battle Katsuki. “N-No!” Izuku yelped back, extending the arm that wasn’t clutching his side. “I’m… I’m okay! Just…” He grunted as he tried to push himself off the desk that was now covered in shattered computer screens. “Just a little bruised up…”Katsuki dragged his right foot behind him, getting into a fighting position. He was ready to push himself off the floor as soon as Izuku got up and tried to attack again. “Yeahh, that's more like it, nerd.” Katsuki observed, the smirk never leaving his face. Izuku winced as he hopped off the desk, a few feet from where Katsuki was standing. “I really didn’t want to do this, Kacchan…” Izuku started looking at the floor as he brushed his hair out of his face. Katsuki rolled his eyes, clenching his hands into fists. “Oh don’t act all tough with me now, asshole.” Katsuki had barely any time to register what was happening before Izuku disappeared from in front of him. He stood there, dumbfounded for a moment before getting slammed in the side of his face, harder than before, by something strong and as sturdy as a rock. Everything went black.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
🌼The light had grown so unbearable, Katsuki had wound up exploding the damn things.At least that's what his mind had done, seeing as his hands didn’t reciprocate the urge. It was a weird feeling, not being able to set off an explosion the instant he wanted to. It was almost like he’d gone numb. Like his brain wasn’t sending signals to his body correctly. In any circumstance, the ceiling in this room would’ve been blown up by now. Sadly, that wasn’t the case for now. It was a bit odd that he’d been sleeping in their make-shift prison bed, but what really set it off was his clothes. He wasn’t in the costume Shigaraki had given to him before their invasion of UA. Katsuki sat up, albeit painful and slow, inspecting the room and himself. For starters, Izuku was nowhere to be seen, not even sleeping in the corner of the room or something if Katsuki was on the bed. He wondered if the villains had taken care of the boy while he got some sleep. Glancing down at his unfamiliar outfit, he wondered how he’d managed to change last night with remembering.He was in an all-white outfit with short sleeves and pants. It wasn’t necessarily uncomfortable, but the fabric was rough and stiff. There was a pocket on the left side of his chest that could hold pretty much nothing, and normal side pockets in the pants. He was barefoot, despite always wearing socks to bed. Suddenly his feet felt cold just thinking about touching the cold stone walls and marble floor surrounding him. There was something off about the room, though. Instead of a white brick pattern like the prison back at the league’s hideout, these walls were solid, no lines or patterns anywhere on them. He noticed the door looked different as well. Back at base, the door blended right into the walls. You were only ever able to tell it was a door by looking closely and finding the handle that opened it. This one was steel and had a handle that went all the way across the door, horizontally. Katsuki’s brows furrowed, his head tilting in confusion. This was definitely not the same prison he remembered from the previous night. And he most definitely didn't own a single pair of uncomfortable, plain clothes.There was something else going on here. Something else that led Katsuki to be laying in a whole different white room, seemingly the prisoner in this case. He got up, entire body shivering as his bare feet hit the marble. His side ached and his head throbbed in protest as he slowly walked across the room to the steel door, reaching for the handle. He hovered over it for a moment before retracting his hand. Slowly, he leaned his ear against the cold steel, not expecting to hear anything but wanting to try anyway. As expected, no noise came from beyond the door. From the looks of the small window on the other side of the room near his bed, it couldn’t be any later than ten o’clock. He pushed his ear against the door once more. This time, a faint sound of footsteps began to get louder the longer he listened. Suddenly, the door creaked open, the person on the other side acting as if they were trying to peek inside the room before entering. Out of surprise, the blonde stumbled back, landing on his butt, not neglecting to send a jolt of pain through his body as he stared bewilderingly up at the unfamiliar face. At first he’d thought it was Toga, due to the woman's blonde hair. However, instead of yellow eyes and two messy buns atop her head, this woman had blue eyes and a neat ponytail placed in the center at the back of her head. Not a villain . Katsuki immediately knew where he was. “No fucking way…” He said to himself, breathless. “Oh, good you’re up!” The woman blinked, turning her head to where Katsuki sat dumbfounded on the floor. She spoke in a kind voice, holding some sort of clipboard in her left hand. Katsuki had no idea what to think. He clearly wasn’t in the Villains base, but there was no way he’d been captured back by UA. “Who the hell are you?” Katsuki asked, because that was the only thing his brain could put into words without blowing this lady halfway to mars. She blinked at the blonde. “Hm… I see you don’t remember” She observed stepping inside the room as she wrote something down on her clipboard. “Where the fuck am I? What the hell am I supposed to remember?” Katsuki asked, this time a bit louder as what little of his patience began to die down. “Well…” She began, presumably thinking of how she could put this easy for the boy without him blowing up. “I’m pretty sure you could guess where you are. As for who I am: No one exactly important. Just a doctor reserved to look after you for the time being. I will not be the only one watching over you, however. “I’ll be more of the observational one, taking notes on your recovery and behavior. The other person should be here soon so don’t worry.” She gave him a comforting smile before turning back around to open the door and leave, as if that was all she needed from the boy for now. What the hell ? Why in the world was he back at UA? Katsuki had forced his mind to ignore the thoughts about being back at UA from the moment he woke up and realized he wasn’t in the base. That lady had done nothing to ease his dreadful mind. He slowly got up from the floor, realizing he’d probably looked stupid as hell to that woman when she walked in and found her patient lying on the cold floor. He all but limped to his bed, realizing his body hurt even worse now. Once the boy sat down, he pulled his legs into his chest, dragging a hand down his face. He quickly regretted that as an even worse pain shot through him like lightning. “Mother fucker !” He shouted at himself, grasping his nose. There was a bandage on it that he’d failed to recognize sooner, and the pain that dragging a hand over it caused him led Katsuki to believe it was broken. This day couldn’t get any worse. First, he’d woken up in some stiff ass clothes. He was probably making them out to be more uncomfortable than they actually were but he was angry and that was all he could do. Then, some weird lady comes in and informs him that he is, in fact, back at UA. Finally, she walks out like it was nothing, leaving him to drown in his own thoughts and find out his goddamn nose is broken. Katsuki sighed, laying flat on the bed and staring up at the ceiling. He needed to think. He needed to understand what events would have possibly led to this outcome. Katsuki hadn’t been caught at UA when capturing Izuku so that was out of the question. He’d gotten back to the base safe and sound, allowing him to let the greenette out of the marble and talk (more like argue) with him for a little bit. After that, he remembered getting attacked by the heroes and needing to hide inside their bunker. Until that point, Katsuki had been more mad at the heroes until he remembered what had happened inside the bunker.
‘Sorry kid…’ A raspy voice finally announced. Katsuki's grip on the device tightened. ‘You’re on your own now.’
Katsuki clenched his jaw, the words spilling into his brain as if someone had just spoken them a minute ago. He’d been betrayed . By the very same people who’d kidnapped him and led the boy to believe he could work alongside them. He was an idiot to think that any of it would’ve ever gone right. Trusting villains? It was out of the question. He’d known that from the start. The anger he’d felt towards Izuku, and everyone around him, about believing he wasn’t strong enough to become a hero had blinded him from seeing how bad of a decision he was actually making. Katsuki had betrayed everyone because he thought they betrayed him. He gripped the sheets on the bed, as if he was trying to get a grip on reality. He was now a prisoner. A prisoner at the very school he’d tried to imprison. Although it had been a simple infiltration of school grounds, Katsuki knew that the events would have led to greater, burgeoning consequences if they’d succeeded. That was his goal, anyways. He’d wanted to hurt them but ended up only hurting himself. So why did they bring him back here? Why make him a prisoner at the very place he despised? Wouldn’t it be better to hold a criminal in an actual prison? That's what he was anyways; a criminal. Katsuki had joined the League of Villains, even if they only planned on using him. That automatically made the blonde a Villain because. He’d wanted to become a villain, for that short period of time anyway. UA wasn’t planning on taking him back, were they? Because if so, that was probably one of the dumbest ideas he’s ever heard of. Taking back a student who wanted to take them down? Could the school be any more idiotic? Katsuki wasn’t able to further criticize the decisions of the hero school because someone knocked on the door, softly. He probably wouldn't have heard the noise in any other circumstances, however, the room was so silent, you’d probably be able to hear a pin drop.Katsuki ignored the knock, wanting to be alone. He didn't expect them to go away, though. As guessed, the door slowly crept open, like how the doctor had done a little while ago. Only this time her blonde hair was replaced with green, and her slim figure was replaced by that of a muscular one. Holy fucking hell, no way . When the door opened, it was like a radiant beam of fucking sunshine blasted through the room, illuminating every corner and crevice with a disgustingly large amount of warmth and luminosity. It took everything in Katsuki not to wince at the sickening smile plastered across Izuku’s face as he spotted the blonde sitting on the bed. If looks could kill, Izuku’s limbs would’ve slowly been ripped off, one by own, reduced to nothing but mere particles under Katsuki’s murderous glare. “Kacchan!” Izuku beamed, seemingly ignoring the deadly expression on the blonde's face. He all but rushed into the room, quick to make himself at home on Katsuki’s bed. “How are you feeling?! Does anything hurt? How is your nose? Are the clothes uncomfortable? Is the bed too stiff? Maybe it's the light…?” Izuku tilted his head, examining Katsuki’s face. “You look a little upset, is every… thing - Oh… It’s me, isn’t it?” As Izuku slowly finished his sentence, he must’ve registered the look on Katsuki’s face as he stared silently back at Izuku. “Bingo, you dumb fuck.” Katsuki rolled his eyes, the glare never leaving his expression. “S-Sorry, Kacchan…” Izuku’s shoulders dropped, his rays of sunshine dimming and he looked down, nervously picking at the fabric of his pants. Katsuki continued to stare at Izuku, looking him up and down. There were so many things he wanted to yell, but couldn't come to terms of how he wanted to yell it. Shouting, “Why the hell are you pouting, you fucking idiot? You came in here for a reason now spill! I don’t have all day, I need to get the hell out of this dump,” didn’t seem like the best idea. It was a little too straight forward and if there was anything the blonde knew, it was that Izuku didn’t do well with people yelling at him. Why the hell do I care if the nerd cries a little because I yelled? Katsuki’s thoughts quickly retorted. He couldn’t necessarily ask Izuku nicely either, since that just wasn’t his thing. So, simply staring with an ugly expression and waiting for the greenette to notice seemed like the best option (for now, unless the idiot doesn’t stop fucking moping over nothing). Finally, the nervous boy looked up, meeting Katsuki’s eyes. “I’m sure you have a lot of questions…” It seemed like it could be stated as a question, but Izuku knew better than to question Katsuki’s expression. They were pretty obvious if you asked him. “W-Well, for starters,” Izuku said quickly, realizing Katsuki wasn’t going to say anything back. “In case you didn’t know already, you’re back at UA. This is a spare room they keep in the hospital, in case patients need sometimes alone and away from everyone. I guess it’s to calm them down and keep them from freaking out or something…” He didn’t seem confident as to what the room was used for exactly but Katsuki got the gist. However, he chose to tease the boy and act as if he didn’t understand. “So, I’m in a fucking mental asylum then, huh?” “W-What? No! Of course not!” Izuku was quick to defend himself, waving his hands in front of his body, looking frightened. “They would never do that! There's nothing wrong with you, Kacchan. It’s more like… A place to cool down, I guess.” Izuku shrugged, clearly not understanding that the blonde was just joking. “Whatever.” Katsuki huffed, turning away from Izuku on the bed. “If this is a place for me to ‘cool down ’-” He used air quotes, “-then why the hell are you here? If anything, you’re just fuel to my never-ending flame.” “I was getting to that…” Izuku responded, seeming to find offense to Katsuki’s comment, like always. “S-So, as you would probably guess, the school isn’t particularly happy with your actions. You know, joining the League of Villains wasn’t exactly a smart -” “Yeah I get it you dimwit.” Katsuki snapped. “That doesn’t answer my question. Why are you here?”“S-Sorry.” Izuku looked away, rubbing the back of his neck. “Anyways. Basically, I’m just here to spend time with you during your uh… recovery? I’m not exactly sure how to put it but I just know I’m supposed to be here. I think maybe… tend to your wounds as well…” Izuku seemed to tense up at that last part, as if he was uncomfortable. Katsuki had no idea why, but the thought of Izuku tending to his wounds sent a shiver throughout his whole body. The thought of Izuku hands on him; his warm, squirmy little hands roaming Katsuki’s body, feeling for any pains, made the blonde feel odd. He quickly shook that awful thought and turned to Izuku. “So, you’re like my… caretaker? A fucking babysitter ?”“Actually, no. Midoriya is here to make sure you have a nice recovery and are in the right mindset before we allow you back at UA, Young Bakugo…” A familiar, lively voice announced from the doorway. Katsuki broke his eyes away from Izuku’s form to give All Might the same piercing gaze. “I wouldn’t look at me like that, young man. Seeing as it is because of me that you are even allowed back on school grounds, let alone the privilege of interacting with one of your classmates.” All Might responded. For some reason, Katsuki felt the slightest bit guilty for looking at the frail man that way. As if he’d just disrespected an entire bloodline. He was used to giving hateful looks to people, even All Might, but now it felt different. As if he understood that the circumstances were different and that now was not the time to let his emotions get the better of him. Katsuki felt like glaring at himself for thinking that way. He scoffed and turned his head away, resting his chin atop his knees as he hugged his legs towards his body. “Much better…” All Might observed. “Now, how are you boys doing? No fighting, I’d hope?” Katsuki couldn’t tell, but he was guessing All Might was looking between the two boys with a smile plastered all over his face, as if he already knew the answer to that question. “A-Ah! No, of course! I was just filling Kacchan in on the things he might be wondering about!”Katsuki rolled his eyes. Izuku could never go a single second without nervously explaining himself for no reason. They hadn’t been fighting, so what the hell was there to be nervous about?“Good, good. As expected, my boy.” All Might smiled at Izuku, pulling up a chair Katsuki had no idea had even been placed in the corner of the room. “Anyways, I am here to talk to you, Bakugo. How are you feeling?” Katsuki chose to not look into the hero's eyes, unsure of what it would do to him. He wasn’t exactly sure how he was feeling anyways. He was pissed off. He was embarrassed. He was unsure if he should be thanking the school or hating them even more for bringing him back here. “Why’d you bring me back?” Katsuki asked, his chin still resting on top of his knees. “Ah, I expected you to ask that…” All Might replied, crossing his legs from what Katsuki could see from his periphery. “Well, the school had been highly against it, I’ll give you that.” Katsuki scoffed. “It took all night, a minimal amount of sleeping and much convincing to allow you to stay here. Of course, don’t expect to be attending school or interacting with your peers anytime soon. This is as much as I could do for now.”“But why? Why do you want me here? And if I’m not allowed to hang out with my frie- er classmates, then why the hell is he here?” Katsuki finally chose to lift his head and shoot Izuku a look of disapproval. The greenette shrunk under his gaze. “Now now, Young Bakugo. I understand this is all very confusing…” All Might began, waving his hands as if to signal for the blonde to calm down. “I will answer all of your questions, I promise. As of now, the reason I wanted you back here is because I know you. You are an incredible student and an even better hero. I understand your potential and it would be a shame to let that skill go to waste.“I realize how that may sound selfish, but it’s really for your own benefit. I understand that the decision you made wasn’t the best one. We all make crazy mistakes sometimes. It’s part of growing. I believe that if you spend some time in this room, accompanied by Young Midoriya here, you can learn from your mistakes and work to be a better person.”Katsuki could tell the look on his face wasn’t friendly. Why did everyone think so highly of him? He knew he should be thankful for the school and for All Might advocating for him but the blonde just couldn’t get himself to. After years of non-stop praise and forgiveness from everyone around him, Katsuki wasn’t having it anymore. He was tired of everyone worshiping him, as crazy as that may sound. It was like he wanted to be punished. It didn’t make any sense that people were still praising him and wanting to give him things even after he’d gone behind their backs and became a villain. But maybe they didn’t see it like he did. Maybe everyone didn’t believe that Katsuki had actually wanted to become a villain. That pissed him off even more, because did they really not think he could become a villain if he wanted to? If the explosive boy had wanted to become the baddest villain out there, he sure as hell could’ve. Just having the thought cross his mind should force people to resent him. Why did this suddenly bother him anyways? Praise was good. Getting second chances was good. It meant that he was important and too good to go to waste. But getting second chances also meant that he wasn’t good enough to pass with the first chance. It meant that he had to work harder to truly earn his spot, to earn people's praise. After a minute All Might added, “I get this is a lot to take in so I’ll give you some time. I’m not sure what Midoriya has told you, but as said before, he will be hanging out with you for the time being.” Katsuki’s thoughts were interrupted and he shot his eyes up to look at the frail man sitting across from his bed. “But why? Can’t you get Recovery Girl or a nurse or literally anyone else ?” Katsuki was hoping that by the harshness in his words, they would rethink this whole idea. Surely Izuku wouldn’t want to spend time around Katsuki if he knew the boy wasn’t going to be happy with it. “I understand that you probably aren’t feeling exactly ecstatic about this arrangement, but it’s all I can do for you. Recovery girl would be able to treat you, but since you are technically a criminal here, we are choosing to let your wounds heal naturally and have you taken care of by someone who could ease your nerves.” Katsuki scoffed, his expression nothing but shocked. “‘ Ease my nerves ?’ That’s the exact opposite of what the idiot’s gonna do!” “I am sorry if you are not happy with these terms but as of now, this is how things are going to go. I don’t want to give up on you so I am doing everything in my power to make sure things go smoothly. If you behave and prove your worthiness of the school's trust once more, I’m sure you’ll be out of here in no time.” All Might finished with a reassuring smile. Katsuki’s mouth opened and closed before he sighed. He had no energy to fight back with the man. There was nothing he could do about these conditions. Surprisingly, he didn’t feel as awful as he thought by just sitting back and allowing things to happen. Normally the boy would put up more of a fight. Now, he didn’t have the energy for it. “I will be leaving now. I hope you can do your best to make yourself at home. I’m sure you’ll be given a change of clothes regularly. There is a bathroom over there-” He pointed to the left corner of the room near the steel door that he’d failed to recognize as another small room, “-and if you have any further questions, feel free to ask Midoriya or the nurse…” All Might stood up, flattening out his clothes and putting the chair at the head of Katsuki’s bed as the frail man made his way to the door.“I will drop by once in a while but for now, it will mostly be him. Please don’t cause a fuss.” He quickly added before closing the door. The two boys were left alone in the quiet room, sitting awkwardly next to each other on the bed. Katsuki grumbled before initially making the first move. “So how often am I going to have to see your lame ass?”Izuku seemed shocked at the sudden question, as if he’d expected the blonde to ignore him for the rest of the time he spent sitting there. “O-Oh, well…” Izuku regained his composure, clearing his throat and thinking. “I will try to make it here everyday, I guess. I need to look at your wounds and make sure things are going well for you. During the week I’ll probably be here later in the-”“Why the hell aren’t you mad at me?” Katsuki interrupted, finally having enough. There was no way he was going to spend time around Izuku without getting to the bottom of things. The thoughts would be nagging the back of his head all the time if he didn’t get it out now. There was no reason for Izuku to be in here, acting like he wasn’t mad at Katsuki for everything that had happened.“W-What…?”The blonde sighed a heavy sigh and turned his whole body to sit crossed-legged, facing Izuku’s side. “You heard me. Why are you acting so casual? Aren’t you mad? Don’t you hate me? Why did you agree to look after me if it meant having to see my face every day ?” Izuku seemed confused by his questions, as if he literally had no idea why he would ever feel the need to hate Katsuki. “Kacchan I-”“I don’t get it!” The blonde threw his hands in the air, not letting Izuku continue. “I do all these horrible things to you. I bully you, I insult you, I push you away, I kidnap you, and yet, you’re the one who apologized? Make it make sense, Deku, because I’m beyond confused.” ‘I’m sorry , Katsuki. I’m sorry for calling you a villain. I’m sorry for annoying you to the point of no return, even if I’m unsure how I even managed that. So please , don’t do this.’ It made no sense. Katsuki would never apologize for the things he’d done, only because he simply didn’t know how. There was nothing he could ever do to deserve the forgiveness of Izuku and he didn’t want it. He didn’t need it. He was an asshole and he accepted it. There was no changing the past. He just wanted to know why Izuku had felt like he was the one who needed to apologize. Katsuki continued to stare at the greenette, their eyes never looking away from each other. “I…” Izuku began, his head slowly looking down to stare at his hands. “...don't know.”Katsuki chose not to respond and allow Izuku to form his words. “I just felt like I needed to…?”Katsuki scoffed. “You needed to? You felt like you needed to apologize for annoying me even though it wasn’t your fault? Deku, that's the dumbest fucking thing I’ve ever heard.” Katsuki almost laughed, unsure of how else he was supposed to react. “I know… I know it is.” The boy sighed, fiddling with his pants. “I just… wanted you to rethink about what you were doing. I told myself that when we got you back, I would apologize. Apologize for everything, even if I didn’t know what that meant. I probably don’t have anything to apologize for but it just felt like the right thing to do.” Izuku finally looked up at Katsuki again.“I don’t want things to be like this between us. I’m willing to apologize for things I didn't even do to have a good relationship with you, Kacchan. I know you can be a better person and I want to be here, by your side, without feeling like some weird stalker who praises you for everything you do.” Katsuki’s eyes widened the slightest bit before he quickly returned his face to neutral. Hearing those words was odd. He’d never expected Izuku to actually want to be around him. Because why the hell would he? Any sane person, just like Izuku said, would have removed Katsuki from their life the minute they had the opportunity. He couldn't change the way he acted, but the people he acted towards could sure as hell change who they hung around with. Yet Izuku wanted to stay?“You’re an idiot, y’know that?” Katsuki replied, frowning but in a sarcastic-sort of way. Izuku let out a half-suppressed laugh. “Yeah, yeah I know. But it’s just who I am, I guess. I just hope you don’t hate me.” I could never hate you .Katsuki scoffed. Although he’d never admit it, he had nothing to hate Izuku over. He wasn’t going to get close with the greenette all of a sudden. They were still too different and incompatible. Although he knew he’d be seeing more of Izuku these days, and things surely wouldn't be the same, Katsuki knew they wouldn't completely shift all of a sudden. The two were still rivals. Katsuki still wanted to be better than Izuku and that just wasn’t something that would change. He acknowledged the boy's power and it drove him to try harder. After this experience with the villains, Katsuki knew he was going to be better. He was going to work even harder to earn everyone's trust back, even if it hurt his pride a little. “So, what are you trying to say?” Katsuki chose to ask, wanting to know exactly what Izuku meant by ‘being by his side ’. “Well… I actually don’t know. I guess I just want to be able to be in the same room as you without having to spark an argument. I don’t want my mere presence to be a burden on you. I want to be able to have conversations with you, without being mentally drained afterwards.”“Sooo, you want to be friends ?” Katsuki asked, an incredulous look on his face.“W-Well, we don’t have to be ‘friends’ exactly… More like acquaintances who’ve known each other their whole lives.” Izuku shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck as he chose to not look Katsuki in the eye. “And why the hell would you want to do that?” Katsuki asked, honestly just trying to get under the boy's skin at this point. “I-I don't know! We don’t have to, of course! After you are out of here and I’m not required to spend time with you, I can pretend like none of this ever happened and we can just go on like strangers. Even then, all I’m asking is that you don’t act like I annoy you 24/7. That’s really all I want, Kacchan. Is to be able to be around you without sparking some sort of conflict.”The blonde nodded, turning his head away. Surely it wouldn't hurt to act like that around the boy. Of course it would take time for them to be able to interact normally but Katsuki was sure that the amount of time he would be spending in this room would give him enough time to tolerate Izuku’s annoying personality. It's not like they were going to become best friends . Hell, they probably weren’t even going to be normal friends. Katsuki just had to put up with the nervous boy from time to time without some sort of argument stirring up between the two. It can’t be that hard. Katsuki wasn’t a child . He knew how to interact with someone without losing his temper. Although the terms seemed simple, he knew there would be much more to unfold between them. For now, he just had to agree and see how things went. After this, he could pretend like Izuku wasn’t there, and not have to interact with the boy at all. “Fine .” Katsuki said through gritted teeth, rolling his eyes as if saying that one word was the hardest thing he’s ever had to do. “R-Really? You mean it, Kacchan?” Izuku asked, lifting his head to look into Katsuki’s eyes. “Whatever, nerd. Just don’t think I’m gonna be all buddy-buddy with you from now on. You’re still my competition, don’t forget that.” Katsuki pointed at Izuku as the boy in question beamed. The blonde scoffed and looked away. “I mean it…” He mumbled, glaring at the wall. “Of course Kacchan!” He replied, seemingly excited for a reason Katsuki was unaware of.Katsuki couldn’t hold back the grimace that crept its way onto his expression but chose to look away, not wanting to upset Izuku (surprisingly). A few moments passed by while the boys sat a decent distance away from each other on Katsuki’s bed, unsure of what to say next. “So…” Izuku started, his hands tapping on his laps. “Are you… in any pain?” He asked the question as if he shouldn’t. As if he wasn’t literally here to look after the blonde. Katsuki narrowed his eyes towards Izuku. “W-What?! I’m supposed to make sure you’re okay!” Izuku was quick to defend himself under Katsuki’s look. “Tch, can’t you do anything without making it awkward or sounding so nervous?” Katsuki asked with genuine curiosity. “I-I don’t know… Sorry…?” Izuku rubbed the back of his neck letting out a nervous chuckle. “Whatever.” Katsuki turned on the bed so he wasn’t facing Izuku anymore. The blonde crossed his arms facing the wall on the other side of the room. “My head is killing me and my nose hurts like hell. What the hell even happened to my face?” He’d been wondering what happened since he accidentally rubbed a hand over his bandaged nose. Katsuki was aware that he’d probably wake up with bruises on his sides from being thrown into shelves, but the head injuries were unfamiliar. “O-Oh…” Izuku started, looking guilty. “S-Sorry about that… Hah, that was… me. I kinda… kicked you in the face. You blacked out so that’s probably why you don’t remember.” Katsuki slowly turned his head to stare at Izuku, his eyes wide. He wasn’t even trying to hide the utter shock in his expression. Noticing this, Izuku was quick to speak up, “I’m sorry! I really didn’t mean to break your nose, I swear! I didn’t even know you would black out from that, I just needed a way to-”Katsuki burst out laughing, clutching his stomach as he leaned forward, the throbbing in his side sparking up as he laughed. He didn’t even get to hear the last part of Izuku’s sentence. The greenette stared back at him, bewildered. “Kacchan why are you-?” Izuku started, his eyes wide as he looked at Katsuki bent over, unfamiliar noises coming out of his mouth. Katsuki lifted up one of his hands as if to signal he needed a moment. Izuku kept opening and closing his mouth, unsure of what to say. Once Katsuki was able to calm down for a second, he said:“You’re so pathetic! ” Katsuki blurted out, still clutching his stomach. “Deku, can you even hear yourself right now? Oh my god this is hilarious .” Izuku blinked at the blonde, beyond confused.“I don’t understand. Kacchan! What did I say?!” Izuku asked, his words coming out fast and nervous, desperately trying to understand what was so funny. He leaned his face closer to Katsuki’s, tilting it down as he tried to look at the blonde’s face. Katsuki let out another sigh as he wiped at the tears on his cheeks, leaning back against the wall, his arms resting over his stomach. He opened his eyes and found Izuku leaning over to try and get a better look at his face. The boys were about ten inches away from each other, one with an expression etched in nervousness, the other’s expression full of amusement. Katsuki’s pain seemed to dissipate after he’d started laughing. Now, they sat in silence, faces inches apart as Izuku looked at him waiting for the blonde to explain himself while Katsuki simply started back, a plain smirk plastered on his face. He was breathing a bit heavier than usual, trying to catch his breath from the laughter. It didn’t take long for Katsuki to realize that he’d never interacted this much with Izuku without there being some sort of argument. He’d never been this close to the boy without shooting him a glare. Sure he’d just been calling him an ‘idiot’ and a ‘nerd’, but it didn’t feel the same. It didn’t have the same poisonous tone behind it like usual. Katsuki found it wasn’t terrible to have these sorts of interactions with Izuku. He had expected it to be even more draining than arguing. He’d expected it to be impossible to interact with Izuku without hating everything he said. Somehow, without even trying to, Izuku had actually managed to make Katsuki laugh . Although it was for a dumb reason and completely unintentional, he laughed. For once, Izuku’s presence wasn’t intolerable. Katsuki was enjoying it. And it was scary. He wasn’t this kind of person. He didn’t want to act this way around Izuku. It wasn’t normal. As he looked deeper into Izuku’s forest green eyes, filled with confusion and absolute pureness , Katsuki quickly got himself together and cleared his throat. He broke eye contact and crossed his arms, scoffing. “S’nothin’. You were just bein’ dumb.” Izuku frowned, leaning back a little and letting out a small ‘ hmph ’ that Katsuki did not find cute. “That wasn’t very nice, Kacchan.” Izuku said, crossing his arms as well and pouting. “I don’t even know what I did!” Katsuki rolled his eyes and looked to the right, not replying to Izuku. They sat in silence once again as Katsuki thought. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do. Getting this close to Izuku wasn’t going to be a good thing. They were bound to fight and argue. Anything else felt unnatural. He knew that wasn’t a very beneficial way of thinking but he couldn’t help it. How else was he supposed to act around Izuku? There was no way for the two to be friends and just ignore the past. Katsuki had been a terrible person. Izuku shouldn’t be this quick to forgive him. He shouldn’t want to be this quick to forgive him. Katsuki wasn’t a friendly person. He didn’t know how to act nice to people without the occasional insult. He wanted to be better than everyone so that meant not caring about anything other than reaching the top. But what if that was why Izuku wanted to be friends? Or acquaintances, whatever the hell he’d said. What if he wanted to be close with Katsuki because of the way he was always striving to be the greatest. It made sense anyways. Izuku wanted to be the best as well. He had always been trailing after Katsuki, looking up to the blonde even though he pushed him away. He clearly admired Katsuki’s determination. So maybe Izuku thought that by getting closer to the blonde, some of that determination would rub off on himself? Perhaps Izuku didn’t mind the taunting or teasing if it meant he could be in the presence of someone as great as Katsuki. No, that couldn’t be it. Only an idiot would think that way. Izuku was an idiot for staying near Katsuki all these years, though.“Well…” Izuku started, interrupting his thoughts. “I think I'm gonna go.”He looked over at Izuku, scanning his features for anything that might hint as to why he wanted to be close with Katsuki. Once nothing came up and he ultimately looked like a creep for staring at the boy without talking or replying to what he said, he blinked and looked back at the wall across from him. “So, you’re comin’ back tomorrow?” Izuku nodded, standing up from the bed. “Tomorrow we can check out your wounds and make sure everything will heal correctly. I actually have to get to my afternoon classes now. I’ll see you later Kacchan!” As Izuku made his way back to the door, Katsuki remembered something. “Oi, Deku! Before you go, I have a question.”Izuku turned around as his hand stopped on the handle of the steel door. “Yes?”The blonde looked down at his hands, opening and closing them as he thought. “Why the hell can’t I explode shit anymore?”Izuku’s eyes widened, as if he’d remembered to tell the boy something important. “Oh! I totally forgot to mention that to you!” He rushed back over to sit on the bed again. “So, basically that’s what this room does. Since it’s meant to calm patients down and make sure they recover well if they aren’t able to in a normal hospital room, it’s filled with sensors that turn off their quirks.” Katsuki studied the white walls, looking for any sign of sensors that he could possibly turn off. If he was going to be stuck here, he should at least be able to use his quirk. “It’s honestly just a safety protocol. As soon as you step outside of the room, you can use your quirk again. And it’s not just you. If I were to try and activate my quirk right now, it wouldn’t work either.”Katsuki huffed, annoyed even further with this stupid school. They really knew how to get under someone's nerves. Izuku looked down at his hands and then got up. “Okay, well if that’s all I’ll be going, again.” He smiled at Katsuki and walked back to the door. Once he opened it, a small hint of light filled the room from the giant glass windows on the other side of the hall from his room. It was nice, until the big steel door shut once more, leaving the only source of light artificial from the glaring white ones above. Katsuki sighed, resting his head back against the wall. He could already tell he wasn’t going to enjoy anything here at all. He was alone once more, his only company the constant loud, cursed thoughts swimming through his brain.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
🌼It’s been about a month or so since Katsuki was recaptured by UA. He knew because everyday, he’d slowly rip a piece of toilet paper off from the roll and put it in a small pile by the head of his bed. Was that weird? Yeah, probably. But Katsuki wasn’t given any sharp objects or writing utensils that would let him draw tallies on the wall like you’d seen in a prison in the movies. He was going insane. They fed him, gave him a new pair of plain white clothes everyday, he showered, used the restroom, and slept. Of course he interacted with Izuku more times than he could count. The more the two spent time together, the more Katsuki could feel himself slipping. He knew it wasn’t long before he fully gave in and allowed Izuku to get close to him. It was so, so weird. He didn’t want to be like this. He didn’t want to have these sorts of feelings or relationships with people. Katsuki was closed off. He only cared about himself and achieving great things. He didn't worry about all that extra stuff like friendships. It wasn’t important. He didn’t know how much longer he would be staying in this room, either. Katsuki believed that he’d been behaving pretty well. He never tried to escape. He didn’t argue or insult Izuku that much. They were bound to argue either way but it’s not like he was doing it on purpose . Not now at least. Didn’t they see that he was trying? He was trying to gain their trust back. He was trying to prove himself again, no matter how much that was hard for himself.It was also starting to get scary how casual the two were acting around each other. Izuku would walk in the room, sit on Katsuki’s bed, and they’d start some random conversation that seemed to last forever. Katsuki normally kept quiet and let Izuku do all the talking, only speaking up here and there when he had a thought or wanted to make some sort of sarcastic remark. These kinds of experiences were normal. Humans talked and interacted with one another. They sat in comfortable silence sometimes, just taking in the presence of the other person beside them. Humans got close, shared things with each other that they normally wouldn’t. Made each other laugh. Things of the sort. But Katsuki wasn’t one of those humans. He didn't sit down on a bed and start chatting with someone as if it was an every-day thing. Although it was an every-day thing for him now, it still wasn’t normal. He wasn’t the conversing type. The circumstances that the blonde found himself in at the moment were probably the cause of this unusual behavior. The cold marble floors. The cold stone walls. His sheets were cold. His feet were cold. His stupid pillow was cold. Which, quite frankly, pissed Katsuki off even more because cold pillows were the absolute best . Too much cold could apparently turn one of the greatest things into something the blonde dreaded. Everything was fucking cold . He scoffed at himself. How the hell did he manage to get here? Stuck in a locked room that no one would admit was a prison, he may add, for over a month. It was frustrating. Sure he understood that the choices he made to lead him here weren’t the best, but one doesn’t just accept punishment without being a little mad, even if they realize they deserve it. What the hell was he supposed to do, though? Let everyone walk all over him forever? Spit in his face and say he was no better than a villain? No way in hell would he do that. If no one thought he would be a hero, why bring him back here and try to make him into one again? Katsuki proved he could make rash decisions just because he was angry. What was stopping him from doing it again? Did they really believe that by sending in one of their ‘kindest’ and ‘happiest’ students to spend time with Katsuki that he would suddenly change and become a better person? He called bullshit, because there was no way a few months or so with some school sweetheart was gonna change his mind about hating everyone. Did they not see this, or did everyone just choose to look past it and hope for the best?Would Katsuki ever be able to overcome this? Becoming a villain was a big step, and to him, one of the greatest betrayals someone could pull. That was like being told a huge secret from someone, just to go tell the person they specifically said not to tell about it. Of course that was just his anger talking. The blonde knew he’d never make this stupid mistake ever again. He was given a second chance and was going to take it. He wasn’t a villain and he regretted ever thinking the thought in the first place. Everyone was going to see that some day. Katsuki had been sitting on the floor for the portion of the day he’d been awake. He needed something different from the same ol’ bed he slept in everyday. It wasn’t the greatest of options because his side began to throb, the same as it's been doing the whole time he was in the room. If damn Recovery Girl could just cut him some slack , these pains would be gone by now. But no . His wounds had to heal ‘naturally’ due to his actions. It was dumb. Didn’t criminals get treatment for their wounds when they were in actual prisons? Were they just being harsher on Katsuki because he was a student?Whatever it was, he needed to stop sitting on this damn floor before he worsened his healing process. Slowly, the boy pushed himself off the floor, his arm pressed against the wall as he hoisted himself up, grumbling through the whole process. He made his way to the bathroom situated on the left side of the entrance/exit door. Thankfully, the lighting in the bathroom was one of the yellow kinds. He normally came in here when the bright white one became too unbearable for his eyes. It reminded him of a sauna in here. The walls were covered in tan wood planks, each about two inches wide and three feet long. There was a bench following the same wood pattern along the left wall and the sink was placed directly in front of it. The shower was about five or six feet wide with a white curtain placed in front of it. Overall, the whole room was probably about 20 feet x 20 feet, if he had to guess. It was one of the things that made Katsuki not hate the heroes completely , because he was gifted with a bathroom this large. Katsuki remembered what the room he stayed in was originally used for and he could guess why the bathroom resembled a sauna so much. Given that the room was built to calm down their patients and allow them to have a better recovery, this was the perfect choice for just that. He sighed, sitting against the smooth wooden bench, resting his head against the wall. This small room was his one sense of comfort these days. It was quiet, the light wasn’t beaming in his eyes, and he had a shower right next to where he sat, just in case he felt like cooling down. Even then, the different things that calm a person down can only work so much before they become another normal, everyday routine, forcing you to find something else to soothe the never-ending nerves. There had to be something the school could do for him. Yeah, he was a ‘criminal’, but he wasn’t deadly . The boy fucked up once, joined a small league, went about a mission - that he failed , may Katsuki add - and this is how they treat him? Who cares if he really betrayed them, he was just a kid for crying out loud. (Those were just his emotions talking).They couldn’t let him outside for a few minutes a day? Even prisons had some sort of courtyard where people could sit outside and get some natural light every once in a while. It didn’t even have to be everyday, just a few minutes maybe once a week , was all he was asking for. Katsuki would probably disintegrate the moment he stepped outside again, his skin grown unfamiliar to the power of sunlight. He sighed, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees and place his head in his hands. He heard a slight creak coming from outside of the bathroom. In desperation to do anything other than sit around, the blonde shot up from the wooden bench, swinging the bathroom door open. Katsuki’s shoulders shrunk as he found the door to his room was shut, the source of the creaking probably a pipe or something. Still no Deku… he found himself thinking. He lifted his head and walked - more so limped - to his bed, flopping down and groaning as he buried his face into the cold pillow. His bed wasn’t exactly uncomfortable , but he guessed that the reason he’d been annoyed with it was because that was the only place he could go these days. He was getting more and more bored of everything these days that-Wait. Wait a damn minute .Katsuki shot up in bed, back against the wall as he grasped his head from both sides, eyes wide as he stared into the white sheets underneath. The fuck ?Still no Deku?“ Deku?! ” Katsuki whispered-shouted to himself, his scalp growing numb under the force he was pulling at his hair. The hell was that supposed to mean? “ Still no Deku ”. What the fuck , dude? Why did it matter if Izuku opened the damn door or not? The last person on earth he’d wanted to see right now was the damn nerd (that was a lie). Of all people. That would only drive him more insane. Just like everything else, Katsuki was getting bored of Izuku’s constant visits, even if it was the boy's job. He didn’t enjoy them. Sure, Izuku was somehow, miraculously the only person who was allowed inside Katsuki’s prison besides All Might or a doctor but that didn’t mean he was the person Katsuki wanted to see out of the rest. He was not going to think about how the room somehow lit up even brighter when Izuku walked in, but not the kind of light that was unbearable. You could even say it dimmed to just the perfect amount where Katsuki could deal with it. He was not going to think about how the plain room suddenly felt bright and cheery as Izuku’s curls bounced when he laughed or walked. The way his freckles stood out so much against the blandness of everything else. How he smelt like-Nope. No, no, no. It was official. Katsuki was going insane. He was not thinking about Izuku right now. He was not fantasizing about Izuku right now. No . Katsuki laughed at himself, banging his head against the wall and ignoring how the action made his head sting more than ever. That's what he needed. Some pain. Some pain to drive away the delusions. The headache would clear his mind as he focused on somehow getting the pain to go away. Gosh things were just going so smoothly for Katsuki these days, weren’t they? As if fucking Satan had made his way into Katsuki’s mind and granted the boy a hell he could never wish for, a knock on the door echoed throughout the entirety of the empty room.But since he wasn’t some helpless child who longed for company, Katsuki chose to ignore it, his arms resting on his knees as he still sat with his back against the wall on his bed. And even as he watched from the corner of his eye as a pair of green eyes, green hair, freckles, flushed cheeks, and a warm smile entered the room, Katsuki clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, glaring even sharper at the white bed sheets. What the hell was happening to him?“Kacchan!” The fucking idiot beamed like a disco ball as he bounced on oblivious clouds towards Katsuki’s bed, shutting the door. He ignored Izuku. “How are you feeling?” He asked, clearly not reading the fucking room. The greenette brought the same chair All Might sat on over to the bed. Izuku placed the back of the chair towards Katsuki, his legs straddling the seat and his head resting on his arms as they hung over the top of the chair. He still refused to meet Izuku's eyes. Izuku tilted his head, trying to see the blonde’s face. His cheek scrunched against his arm as he examined Katsuki. “Kacchan?” Izuku asked, softer this time with a hint of concern lacing the words. “Is this… Is this not a good time?” He asked, starting to shuffle on the seat. “I can… come back later if… if you’d like? Or I - I could um…”“Tch.” Was all Katsuki could muster out. Izuku gave him a soft smile, leaning back on the chair. “I’ll leave you alone for now, Kacchan.” For some reason, and against his own will , that was the exact opposite of what Katsuki wanted. To be left alone. Again. Especially when he had someone like Izuku to talk to sitting right in front of him, offering to give the blonde some company“Wait!” Katsuki blurted. The words shot out of his mouth before he could think about what he was saying or doing. He sounded so desperate. So weak . “I uh - My - My side. It’s been… bugging me.” Katsuki frantically looked anywhere but Izuku, fiddling with his pants strings, “And um - You… Well you’re here to…” Katsuki slapped himself in the face, groaning. “Holy fuck just forget it. Never mind. I don’t know what the hell I’m even doing.” He tittered although nothing was funny, sagging onto the bed with his arm above his face. A kind, warm hand found its way to Katsuki's arm, immediately heating up at the touch. “Hey. Of course I’ll help. That's why I’m here.” Katsuki opened his eyes and kinda just… stared. He stared at Izuku. For a hot second, actually. He took in the sight. Those green eyes. Those green, green eyes that never seemed to carry any hatred towards Katsuki. No matter the circumstance. He could be yelling his lungs out, insulting the poor boy, and his eyes would still be filled with a kind of comfort and kindness that Katsuki could never deserve. Ever . He stared at Izuku’s perfect eyelashes. His scattered freckles that seemed to always show no matter the lighting. His fluffy, crazy hair that was never tamed. The smile lines around the right and left sides of his mouth. His mouth… His soft, pink lips…He must have been staring for a while because the spot where Izuku's hand was resting on Katsuki’s arm had gone cold. The blonde blinked a couple of times, trying to regain his composure. Izuku bit his lip, nervous but never breaking eye contact. “W-Well um… Where - Where does it h-hurt again?” Izuku asked, breaking the awkward silence.“It’s… my…” Katsuki started, voice still dreamy as he gazed into Izuku’s fucking soul , like a creep. He quickly shook his head and cleared his throat. “My - My side.” He looked back at the boy, painting his face with a neutral expression. There was nothing to be stuttering about right now. “It’s been pissing the hell out of me. Same goes for my head.”“O-Oh. I see. Okay.” Izuku quickly nodded, swallowing nothing as he leaned away from Katsuki, examining the blonde. “These, uh… prison… beds aren’t the… greatest.” Izuku looked away, seeming to find discomfort in admitting his classmate was actually in prison . That was one way to get the blonde out of his trance. He didn’t need someone feeling bad for him. He didn't need pity , especially not from someone like Izuku who was only capable of feeling pity for people. He scoffed. “Yeah. Whatever. When can I get out of this shit-hole anyways? I’m getting sick of this place.” Katsuki decided to try and talk about himself, seeing as that always cleared his mind. This seemed to amuse Izuku in some way because he met Katsuki’s eyes and said:“Kacchan. You joined the League of Villains .” The boy let out a giggle, as if something was fucking funny . “You should be grateful that UA is doing this much for you.” He looked down for a moment, getting quiet. “Mr. Aizawa was strongly against it but he was thankfully outnumbered.” Katsuki watched Izuku’s fingers fidget with each other, the boy's green curls falling in front of his face as his head was tilted down. He looked like he wanted to say something, that’s what pushed Katsuki to watch the boy further. “Why’d you do it?” Izuku asked, his voice low and almost sad .“ Hah ?” Katsuki asked, an eyebrow lifting as he watched the boy across from him. “Why’d you do it, Kacchan?” Izuku asked once more, lifting his head to meet Katsuki’s eyes. “Join the League?”The blonde stared back, unsure of how to answer that question. “If you were mad with me, or upset about something, you could’ve talked to me. And if not, you could’ve talked to anyone .” Izuku started to choke and Katsuki could already tell that it wouldn’t be long before the boy started leaking out of his eyeballs. Katsuki let his legs slide forward on the bed, now placed flatly in front of him. He stared at his hands resting in his lap. “Because I couldn’t.”Izuku tilted his head, sniffing. “W-What do you mean? Of course you can. You can always talk to me Ka-”“No I can’t! I can’t . You know that.” Katsuki snapped, scowling at Izuku. “Don’t think that just because you spend time with me every day that you know who I am and you know about the things I feel. Because you don’t , Deku. You don’t.”Izuku sighed, looking back at his hands again. “I know. And I don’t think that I know what you feel. I’m sure that I’m probably the person who knows the least about your feelings, even if I’ve known you longer.“I’m just saying that you can talk to me, even if you feel like you can’t. I get that I’m probably not the person you’d wish to see everyday.” Izuku paused before he met Katsuki’s eyes again, this time looking determined. “But I am. I am here, and I am going to do what I can to make you feel better, even if it means annoying you until you can finally speak up. I don’t want you to hate me, Kacchan. I just want to be able to talk to you. I want you to be able to talk to me .”Katsuki stared back at the boy with a blank expression. What the hell was Izuku even trying to say? Katsuki couldn’t talk about his feelings, let alone with Izuku. He didn’t even know what he was feeling. It’d probably feel nice to get things out, but the only way he knew how to do that was by yelling and cursing and exploding things, all of which he currently couldn’t do. Even then, he’d had time to realize that that method of disclosure wasn’t always the most effective. But what else was he going to do? Sit here and drive himself insane? Live with the guilt his whole life without ever actually telling someone what was wrong? Sure, the blonde liked avoiding all things that involved real feelings , but it was proving to not be such an efficient way of living. He was going mad. He was exhausted, and not just because the bed was weird. His mind was exhausted. He didn’t know what to do and was sure to explode any day now. Perhaps this wasn’t such a bad thing. Besides, what was he even gonna say to Izuku? That he was dumb for joining the League? That he had absolutely no idea why Izuku’s words had such an influence on his decision? That he was fucking sorry for being an ass to everyone but probably wouldn’t stop doing it any time soon? Those were never things he ever planned on sharing with anyone, and if he did, the greenette would be the last person he told. So, for now, perhaps he could just get away with some simple sentences that would ease his nerves for the time being. “I don’t know.” Katsuki admitted after moments of silence. “I don’t know, okay? I don’t know why I did it. I don’t know why I do anything , honestly.” Izuku watched as the boy explained himself, albeit briefly. It wasn’t much, but it was more than Katsuki had ever thought he’d let spill. “Was… Was it because of what I said?” Izuku asked carefully, his tone soft. Katsuki shot him a slight glare. “It doesn’t matter. None of that’s important anymore.” He looked away, sighing. “I won’t do it again. I’ve learned my lesson and I’m gonna work even harder to beat your ass for the number one spot. Just because I fucked up this once doesn’t mean I can’t make a full recovery and reclaim my marks.”Izuku sighed, letting out a half-suppressed laugh. “You’re right, Kacchan. And I fully expect you to make that recovery so I can show you that you're wrong. I will be taking that number one spot, just you wait.” Katsuki smirked at the greenette, scoffing. “Whatever helps you sleep at night, nerd.” Izuku returned the look with a prideful grin. The two boys say in comfortable silence with one another for a short while. Finally, Izuku cleared his throat, acting a bit awkward before he said:“U-Um would you like me to… check out your side?” He sheepishly looked up at Katsuki, rubbing the back of his neck. “I brought some ointment and other things, in case you needed something.”Katsuki examined the boy before shrugging, the motion stinging his side for a moment. “Alright.”Izuku swallowed nothing before he slid off the chair and onto the left side of the bed where Katsuki sat. He stared at the blonde for a moment before clearing his throat. “C-Could you um… t-take off your shirt?”Katsuki blinked, momentarily taken aback by the sudden request. Then it dawned on him, like the fucking idiot he was, that the pains he was experiencing were on his skin. And that to look at someone's skin, you had to take off clothing. No shit, huh?He moved his arms above his head to slide off the white shirt he was wearing, slow to not cause any more pain for himself. Once he was shirtless, the blonde turned so he was now facing the wall, allowing Izuku to examine his right side where the pains came from. “O-Oh, damn…” Izuku said, clearly shocked, his earlier embarrassment fading. “ I did this?”Katsuki scoffed. “No, you idiot. The shelves you threw me into did this.” The blonde rolled his eyes as he looked over at Izuku frowning at him. Izuku reached into his pocket and pulled out a small bottle. Katsuki guessed it was some sort of pain relieving cream. “It might feel a little cold at first, but you’ll get used to it.” Katsuki nodded.Nothing could’ve prepared the boy for what happened next. Nothing could’ve prepared him for the feeling of Izuku’s soft fingers pressed against his bruised skin. It was almost enough to make Katsuki forget about the pain he was in, about the ache that the push of a finger against his ribs made the blonde feel. It wasn’t even cold, either. The only way Katsuki could tell Izuku had even put ointment on his finger was because of the slick, wet texture he felt against his skin. Izuku’s hands were warm. They were caring. They were nice . Katsuki liked it. He liked this feeling. As Izuku gently pressed three fingers against his ribs, rubbing in circles, Katsuki was practically leaning into the touch. He could feel his body heating up. His face, his ears, his side, everything. “I’m gonna push a little harder, is that okay?” Izuku asked. Katsuki almost didn’t even hear the boy. It was like he was in a trance. His eyes had been closed because he’d been enjoying it so much. He fluttered them open and looked over his shoulder at Izuku. The greenette had one leg hanging off the bed with the other crossed in front of him. Izuku looked up into his eyes for confirmation. “Okay.” Katsuki replied, going back to staring at the wall. Izuku pressed against his side a bit harder this time, causing Katsuki to wince, his teeth baring. “Sorry! I could just feel a knot here and I wanna get it out. It should only hurt for a minute.”Katsuki closed his mouth and gritted his teeth and nodded. Izuku slowly brought his other hand to press against Katsuki’s back, allowing him to get a better hold on the blonde's tensed-up side. And if that motion didn’t cause his heart to shoot out of his fucking chest, he didn’t know what did. Hah… what?What in the mother fucking fuck load of fucking fucks was that? His heart just jumped? His heart fucking jumped ? And all because Izuku had placed a couple of grimy hands on his skin. Call him Denki Kaminari the way his brain just short circuited because there was no way that he was feeling this way towards the Izuku Midori-fucking-ya. “You okay, Kacchan?” Izuku asked, leaning his head in Katsuki’s frame of sight. The boy in question jumped.“Ah - what?” Katsuki asked, gulping like a fucking idiot. “I asked if you were okay…?”Katsuki looked down at the boy whose body was tilted just the slightest, his warm hands still pressed against Katsuki’s sore skin. The blonde was breathing heavily now as the two sat still, Izuku with a confused expression on his face. Suddenly, the greenette squeezed Katsuki’s waist with one of his hands. Katsuki jumped once again, wacking the boy's hand off of him. “Ack!” He yelped, moving away on the bed. “What the fuck was that?!”Izuku was too busy burying his face in his hands and he giggled away like a maniac. “Kacchan!” The boy gasped for air. “You’re… You’re ticklish?!” Katsuki’s face flushed in embarrassment. He wrapped his sturdy arms around his torso, suddenly feeling very exposed. As he watched Izuku laugh, he shot the boy a glare even if he wouldn’t see it. “I am not .” He replied sternly. “Why the fuck would you say that ?”Izuku continued laughing, now clutching his stomach as he leaned forward, his curls falling in front of his face. His cheeks were also red but Katsuki guessed that was from all the laughing. It wasn’t doing anything to lessen his own embarrassment. “It’s not funny, you idiot! I’m not ticklish! I was just startled, that’s all…!” Katsuki pleaded, trying desperately to defend himself even if it seemed like Izuku wasn’t going to believe him. Izuku finally let out a heavy sigh, leaning back and wiping his eyes, his face full of a wide grin. “I… I’m sorry, hah…” He tittered before speaking, “I’ll stop, I’ll stop. It’s just-” Izuku looked like he was about to start laughing again so Katsuki decided to throw his pillow at the boy. For some reason, this only caused Izuku to start laughing. “I’m sorry!” He yelped in between chuckles. “I just wasn’t expecting…!” Katsuki pouted and he looked to his right at the empty room, hugging the sheets underneath him to his chest. “Fuck you…” He muttered under his breath, although he didn’t really mean it. “I really just wasn’t expecting that to work…” He giggled, burying his face in Katsuki’s pillow. “Sorry Kacchan, you just looked a little off.” Izuku smiled, lifting his head. Katsuki looked at the boy from the side of his eye, shooting him another friendly glare. “Don’t you ever pull that shit again, got it?” He turned his head to face the greenette, pointing an accusing finger at him. Izuku raised his hands innocently, “You got it.” He smiled, resting the pillow in his lap. The blonde couldn’t help but follow the movement as Izuku's hands rested on one another atop Katsuki’s pillow. He gulped. Again. “Anyways,” Izuku said, fixating his eyes onto Katsuki. The boy wished he could cover himself even more with these thin sheets. “I wasn’t done, so c’mere.” Izuku gestured with his hands for Katsuki to sit next to him again. The literal movement caused Katsuki’s entire body to heat up. Slowly, he scooched his way back to sit next to Izuku, his right side facing the boy. Once again, Izuku slowly pressed warm, soft fingers against his ribs as well as rested gently on his back, massaging into the tense skin. He moved his fingers in circles at first, trying to find the area of tension Katsuki presumed. Then, after a moment he started pressing downwards with both of his thumbs. It was made obvious to Katsuki that the boy had re-coated his fingers in the ointment that he’d been using before, allowing for his massages to come out smoother on the boy's skin. After a few minutes of silence, Izuku just began to rub the ointment into Katsuki’s skin, ever-so slowly. The greenette was so close to him that he could practically smell the boy. A slight hint of cinnamon would fill Katsuki’s nose every time Izuku’s hair would move. It wasn’t a strong kind of cinnamon that you would smell right out of a container. It was more of the light kind that you’d normally inhale when drinking something. It was comforting. It reminded him of Christmas and warmth. Warmth just seemed to be Izuku’s thing. He smelt warm, he felt warm, he was always in a warm mood, if that made sense. Katsuki had been so lost in thought about Izuku being warm that he hadn’t heard that boy start to clean up. “-ood for now.” Katsuki turned his head to watch Izuku wipe his fingers with a napkin. He only caught the last part of the sentence but the blonde imagined it was something along the lines of ‘that should be good for now ’, gesturing to Katsuki’s newly massaged rib-area. Katsuki swallowed nothing and began to slowly turn on the bed, his bare feet meeting the cold floor. His whole body shivered with the contact but he quickly adjusted to it. He got up, stretching as best he could without causing anything to hurt too much. Surprisingly, he felt much better than before. Izuku had never actually massaged him or looked at the wound head on. Katsuki would always tell him what it felt like and how much progress he was making. Then, the greenette would give him a small list of exercises or activities he could do to help the healing process. It worked for the most part but this was looking to have the best outcome yet. “How does it feel?” Izuku asked, sitting on the edge of the bed as Katsuki leaned from side to side. He nodded, making his arms wave in circles. “Pretty good.” He looked at the boy, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. “Not bad, Deku. Not bad at all.”The greenette smiled as if that compliment had made his whole day. “That’s great! I’ve been working recently to learn how to handle my wounds when I get them and it’s been good so far for me. I’m happy I was able to help you out as well, Kacchan!”The blonde nodded, going to sit on the bed again. He didn’t really know of anything more to say so he just sat there, shirtless and examining his fingers. As time stretched on, Katsuki’s thoughts began to take over again. He was here, sitting alone with Izuku, the boy who he’d never gotten within 10 feet of without insulting. The boy he’d bullied his whole life, never thinking twice about what he might actually be doing. Izuku was never someone Katsuki had imagined spending his free time with. He’d never wanted to until this point. He wasn't even sure if he actually wanted to. For all he knew, Katsuki could just be bored and in need of some sort of attention before he went crazy. Izuku just so happened to be the only one who gave him that attention, whether he’d wanted to or not. He didn’t think they would ever get much farther than this. Two boys who occasionally hung out, laughed together, helped each other out. That was all it was.
Was it?
Yes. Yes it was. And Katsuki accepted that. He had to accept that. However, even if they’d never be more than whatever this odd friendship/not friendship thing they had, it wouldn’t hurt to talk to the boy sometimes. Izuku did say he would be open to listen to Katsuki, even if he’d completely shut down the thought earlier. He wasn’t going to say much , just what was on his mind. Was this a good idea? Probably not. Was he going to regret this way farther down the line? Probably, yeah. Did he care right now? Ehhh…Finally, Katsuki gave in and sighed. “I was mad.”Although the boy chose to keep his gaze fixed on his fingers, he could see the shift in Izuku’s body as he turned his head to look at the blonde. “Hm?” Izuku asked. “It was because of what you said.” Katsuki continued, not hinting at what he was trying to get at. “Kacchan wha-”Katsuki interrupted the boy before he could continue, “And before you say anything, I still think that it isn’t important. What I’m saying right now doesn’t mean anything, okay? I just can’t think of anything more to talk about…” He finally looked up at Izuku, his gaze firm. Izuku looked back, slowly nodding as if he understood finally what Katsuki was trying to talk about. “I just…” He began, his eyes returning to his lap, unsure of where to start. “I was just so conflicted… I didn’t know what to do. After you said… that … to me, I really didn’t think much of it at first. I really didn't care, y’know? ‘Cuz I’ve been hearing shit like that since before I could remember. “Now you could just imagine how I was beating myself up after your words started to do something. And let me just make myself clear,” Katsuki said, turning to look at Izuku, “I’m not telling you this to make you feel bad or sorry or any of that lame sympathy or empathy or whatever the fuck it’s called. Got it?” Izuku nodded, choosing not to respond with words. The greenette stayed quiet, listening attentively. Katsuki took this as his cue to continue. “Anyways. Like I said, I was so confused about why the hell hearing you say something like that had pushed me over the edge. I get that I probably could’ve been smarter about it or whatever, but I didn’t know what to do. “It was like hearing you, of all people, saying something like that was my final string. You’ve always been so… so nice and endearing that I thought as long as I had you on my side and believing I could be a good hero, then things would be alright.” Katsuki sighed. This sounded like more of a confession that he’d wanted it to. He was not trying to boost Izuku’s confidence that they could one day be friends. That was not at all what he was trying to accomplish right here. He just wanted the boy to know what was going through his mind because Izuku probably wouldn’t stop asking him. That was all. It had to be all. “Gosh, this sounds so weird, man.” Katsuki grumbled, dragging a hand down his face, careful to avoid his nose. “N-No, it’s okay. I… I want you to tell me these things, Kacchan.” Izuku gave him a small smile. “It’s just… I dunno. I never thought your words could be so… impacting of my decisions, y’know? It’s weird. I always hated you; found you annoying. You never were important to me and I never understood why you stayed. It was all too much for me, I think. So, I guess hearing the one person who always had faith in me, no matter what, finally give in and side with all the people who didn't have faith in me, I took it as a sign. “A sign telling me that I really was a villain. And Shigaraki was right there, offering me something no one would ever think twice about declining. But I accepted, all because I was stupid and ignorant and a fucking loser .”Katsuki looked to his right side, hiding all parts of his face from Izuku that he could. He sounded so pathetic right now. There was no way he was saying these things out loud. Let alone to Izuku . How long ago was he saying he wouldn’t get close to the boy? That he wasn’t ever going to say these types of things out loud? He wasn’t going to admit to these things? Like, two minutes ago, was it? Slowly, a gentle hand made its way to Katsuki's right cheek, guiding his face to turn the opposite direction. His eyes widened and his lips parted, unsure of how to respond. He slowly met Izuku’s eyes as the boy got closer. He was so confused as to what the hell Izuku was trying to do before he felt tight arms wrap around his neck. Katsuki was speechless. He was frozen in place. He just stayed still, allowing Izuku to hold him but never reciprocating the gesture. The white walls across from him suddenly seemed very interesting…Izuku pulled back, looking up at Katsuki. Suddenly the boy looked horrified. “O-Oh my god. I-I’m so sorry, Kacchan. You just… You looked like you needed a hug or something and I just… I don’t - oh god you’re uncomfortable. I don’t even-”Katsuki yanked the boy back into his chest, wrapped his arms tightly around Izuku’s waist, burying his head in the crook of the smaller boy's neck. He had no idea what urged him to do such a thing. The movement seemed to shock Izuku as well because it took him a moment to wrap his arms around Katsuki once again. He gently stroked Katsuki’s back as the blonde hugged him tighter. It was unlike anything he’d ever felt before. Now that Katsuki thought about it, he didn't think he’d ever hugged someone like this. Sure, he got occasional half-hugs from his parents. That was just because they knew he wasn’t an affectionate person but still decided that he was their son so some sort of affection was necessary. He’d never let Kirishima or Mina or any of them get close to him. Mina would occasionally wrap her arm around his but he’d quickly push her off. He’d never been so close to another human being before. It was suffocating. And warm. And comfortable . It was like he was laying on a cloud. Was this what hugs felt like? Were they supposed to make you tired? As if you wanted to just doze off right then and there? Was Katsuki supposed to enjoy it this much? Maybe he was just touch deprived. Or maybe there was something about the way Izuku hugged people that made it so intoxicating. Perhaps Izuku was just the type of person to give other-worldly hugs. The boy looked like he hugged people often. Perhaps he’d just gotten good at it? Was that even a thing? Someone who was better at hugging than others? Slowly, Izuku pulled away and Katsuki reluctantly let go as well. He looked into Izuku’s eyes as the boy smiled at him. It was only then that Katsuki realized he still didn’t have a shirt on. He quickly averted his gaze, looking frantically around to find his shirt. Finally, when he spotted it, he yanked the fabric from under his sheets and pulled it over his head, suddenly feeling warmer than before. Izuku hadn’t looked away from him the whole time. “Feeling any better?” Izuku asked.Katsuki looked at the greenette, unsure of how to respond. He could tell the truth; that that was the best fucking thing he’s ever experienced. Or lie and say it was uncomfortable. Perhaps he could tease Izuku a bit for being so good at it. None of the above seemed like reasonable options, though. “It was fuckin’ weird.” He settled for saying. He wasn’t completely wrong, although he wasn’t speaking the full truth, either. Izuku just laughed, looking down for a quick moment. “Whatever you say, Kacchan.” He began gathering his things. Izuku grabbed the small container of ointment he’d brought and stood up. Quietly, the boy walked to the other side of the room with the chair he was originally sitting in and placed it there.He walked back halfway to Katsuki and stopped. “Well, I think you did like the hug.” He began, smiling at the floor. “And I think that my massaging worked well. So I’m gonna go now. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Katsuki nodded, watching the boy begin his descent to the door. He suddenly felt empty as the greenette began to get closer to the exit. Like he was missing something, or forgot to say something. He was so overwhelmed with the events of today that he felt like falling asleep. As Izuku opened the door, he couldn’t help but try and get a peak outside, as if that would do anything. “ Bye, Izuku… ” Katsuki whispered as the door shut, liking how the words felt on his tongue.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
🌼
Since the time when Izuku had looked at his wounds head on, Katsuki had been starting to buzz with odd feelings. He’d recalled hearing about this kind of stuff in the books he read or whenever his friends would gossip or talk about
their
disgusting feelings. He’d never felt this way himself, though.
It was making him nervous.
Whenever Izuku would make an appearance in his room, he’d suddenly feel much warmer on the inside. His stomach would somehow drop but he felt like it wasn’t for a bad reason. Izuku made him laugh more with his lame jokes and Katsuki started talking more when they had conversations.
He’d be an idiot to resist admitting that he looked forward to the next time Izuku visited. Whether it was just because he was lonely every other hour the boy wasn’t there, or because he
actually
wanted to see him, Katsuki dealt with it.
Because who wouldn’t? He couldn’t keep pretending he hated Izuku. There was no going back from where they were now and he’d be an idiot to try and keep fighting what was right in front of him.
Katsuki liked hanging out with Izuku and that was final.
It seemed like an infinite weight had been lifted off his shoulders when he was finally able to come to that conclusion. Why, exactly? He was unsure. But that didn’t matter as long as he was capable of admitting to it.
There wasn’t anything wrong with liking the company of another person. Even if that person happened to be the one that you
never
would’ve thought of hanging out with. The person that you literally
despised
.
It was totally normal!
“
Ughhhhh
.” Katsuki groaned, laying flat on his back as he grabbed his pillow and smothered himself with it.
It was currently the middle of the night. The middle of, what was it? The
hundredth
night that he couldn’t go to sleep because Izuku was all he could think of?
Wait.
Let me rephrase that.
Because Katsuki’s newly formed
friendship
with Izuku was all he could think of. Not just
Izuku
himself. Of course not. That’d be weird. Sure, his thoughts had Izuku
in
them and the friendship he was losing sleep over was a friendship
with
Izuku and the greenettes face just
happened
to pop up in those thoughts and he kept replaying that
fucking hug
with Izuku and the way that Izuku gently moved Katsuki’s face to look at him and the way his hands were so
fucking soft
and the way the nerd just
knew
how to calm him down and
what the fuck
?! Katsuki is
not
thinking about Izuku! Hello? Are you not listening??
Not.
I. Zu. Ku.
Dumbass. How clear could one be?
Something clicked.
Not in his brain, but something
literally
clicked in the far side of the room. Like a light switch being turned on. Like the pressing of a keyboard. Like a lock being
un
locked.
Katsuki shot out of his bed and quietly made his way to the head of the bed. Here, the bed wasn’t fully pressed against the wall so he was able to hide between the space, still able to see the rest of the room if he wanted to.
Normally, he’d just sit there and glare at the door to his room until the person came over and sat on his bed beside him or pulled up the other chair in the corner of the room. However, that was all during the
day
.
There wasn’t a clock in the room - another thing that fucking pissed him off - so he wasn’t able to tell what time it was
exactly
. He knew it was
way
past whatever curfew the school had put in place ever since the training camp, though.
Light footsteps tip-toed their way to his bed.
Whoever it was clearly didn’t want him to know they were in here. He’d made the right decision to hide.
Katsuki risked taking a peak out of the side of the bed. Thankfully, there wasn’t really any light flowing into the room. He was given a small window in the other corner of the room directly in front of him but the moon seemed to be covered by clouds right now so he was pretty much hidden away from the intruder.
Sadly, there wasn’t really any
fucking light
flowing into the room so he couldn’t see the dipshit trying to
murder
him right now.
He felt like punching something. Some
one
. The blonde smirked as the footsteps got closer to his bed.
Only a few seconds later, the footsteps came to a stop right in front of his bed. He could tell by looking underneath, seeing the person's feet standing right in front of his bed. Slowly, praying the minimum light would shelter him, he crawled out from the tight space until he was directly behind the person.
In one swift movement, he swiped their feet from under them, causing the person to spin and face him. Taking advantage of this position, he grabbed their wrists, twisting them and bringing them above the person’s head. He pushed them back onto his bed, straddling and pinning them down with his own weight.
The person let out a quiet and surprised
‘ack!’
as they slammed into the bed.
When Katsuki thought he had a firm grip on their wrists and they were pinned down, he chose to move his face closer, trying to get a better look at their face but not succeeding. The light was too dim.
“Who the
fuck
are you?” He growled, gripping the person's wrists above their heads a little bit tighter.
From the outline of their body and the size of their wrists, he guessed the intruder was a male. They couldn’t be much older than him, or much bigger - if at all.
The person seemed too shocked to reply. All he could hear were their heavy breaths, clearly taken aback by the sudden overpowering.
“
Talk
, before I rip out your vocal cords and you
can’t
anymore.” He threatened.
The person below him let out another pathetic noise, squirming a little beneath his grip. “K-
Kacchan…!
” The person almost whimpered.
Katsuki was about ready to rip their arms off for calling him that because
no one
calls him ‘
Kacchan
’ other than Izuku. And how the
fuck
did this person know about that nickname anyways? Denki mocked him for that nickname
once
but Katsuki taught the electric boy a lesson, preventing it from ever happening again. And everyone stopped calling him that since elementary school. Everyone but-
“
Deku
?!” Katsuki whisper-shouted, his eyes widening.
He felt the boy under him nod profusely, in lieu of a verbal response.
“What the - What the
fuck
?” Katsuki took in a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding. “Wha- What are you
doing
here?” He looked down at Izuku, his eyes narrowing.
“I-I um…” He began, his voice shaky. “I-I came h-here for y-you…? B-Because… W-Well-”
“Oh for
fucks sake
you idiot. Spill it!” Katsuki shook the boy’s arms over his head.
“W-Well s-sorry…! It’s a b-bit odd w-with you on t-top of m-me…!” Izuku whisper-shouted, his voice still a bit nervous.
Katsuki’s eyes widened at the boy's shaken words.
He was still straddling Izuku.
He was still
pinning
Izuku’s
hands
above his
head
.
In an instant Katsuki was off, standing about two feet away from the bed. Slowly, Izuku sat up, rubbing his wrists as he looked around anxiously.
Katsuki stared back at him. He was almost completely sure his cheeks were painted a deep red, seeing as his body felt like it was on fire. He itches everywhere. His ears were burning. His palms were sweating, and that was saying something, seeing that the boy normally sweat due to his quirk.
Fuck.
“S-Sorry, Kacchan…” Izuku started, rubbing his neck sheepishly. “I probably should’ve said something when I came in…”
Katsuki scoffed, crossing his arms. He felt like yelling. However, due to his minimal knowledge about whether there were speakers along with the cameras this room has undoubtedly placed everywhere, he was sure that wasn’t the best option.
“No
shit
, you fucktard. Why the hell are you even here?”
It wasn’t like Katsuki was
mad
that Izuku had paid him such an odd visit, he was just surprised. He was confused, too. Because why the hell was Izuku risking getting caught after curfew? For
Katsuki
? Of all people.
Of course, not that Katsuki
cared
or anything, but Izuku could potentially be risking the time he spent with Katsuki right now. If they caught Izuku sneaking around with the blonde beyond the hours he was allowed, they could take away this privilege just as easily as they gave it to the greenette.
“I-I just… I had an idea…?” Izuku looked at Katsuki, his hand rested on the back of his neck as he shrugged.
Katsuki tilted his head at the boy. “An
idea
?” He echoed. “An
idea
that involves
sneaking around
after dark and potentially getting your
ass
in a hell of a lot of trouble? And for what?
Me
?” He poked himself in the chest, as if he couldn’t believe anything that was coming out of his own mouth.
“Well… yeah…” Izuku replied, looking down. “I guess so…?”
Katsuki face palmed, the sound echoing through the dark and otherwise quiet room. “God. Do you know how much of a fucking
pain in the ass
you are?” Katsuki asked, the words not laced with any real venom.
Izuku let out a breath of air that sounded like it could be identified as a tired laugh. “Sorry, Kacchan. It was dumb of me.”
Katsuki groaned, dragging his hand down his face. “It’s - Fuck it’s fine. God, just - just what the hell was this ‘
idea
?’” He used air quotes.
Izuku scratched his head as if he didn’t want to tell Katsuki anymore. “Well… As you can tell, it’s kinda dark outside…”
Katsuki was about ready to lunge at the boy again.
“Okay, okay!” Izuku put his hands up as he saw Katsuki tense up a bit. “I was thinking…” Izuku looked around at nothing, taking in a breath before saying, “Well I was thinking we could go for a… walk?”
Katsuki stared at Izuku, ready for him to say something else. To add something onto that sentence. Maybe say that he was fucking
joking
and
let out a good laugh and then state why he was
actually
here.
He waited for a good minute, just staring back at the greenette.
Nothing happened.
“You’re fucking serious?” Izuku visibly gulped from what Katsuki could see in the dim moonlight. “De-
Deku
. Tell me your
fucking
serious.”
The nervous boy shook his head a few times. “I-I’m serious…?”
Katsuki looked around the room as if waiting for someone to pop out and say: “Surprise! It’s all a big prank to prove your loyalty! If you’re able to resist Izuku pressuring you into leaving the room, then you can finally rejoin our school!”
Nope. Nothing. The idiot was fucking serious.
Izuku could clearly tell that Katsuki didn’t believe him so the two stayed quiet as Izuku fiddled with his fingers and Katsuki stared back at him.
“U-Um-”
“How the fuck do you plan on not getting caught?” Katsuki interrupted just as Izuku began to talk.
Izuku took a moment before he replied, presumably thinking of a response right there on the spot. That only made Katsuki less convinced this whole idea could work out. “W-Well… We’ll just be really,
really
careful, I guess.” Izuku shrugged as if it wasn’t a big deal.
“Be
careful
?” Katsuki asked. “Deku, did you do
any
planning before you came in here and told me all this shit?”
The boy in question scratched his head. “Well um… No I guess?”
Katsuki scoffed. “You’re unbelievable.”
“Hey! I’m doing this for
you
. I could very much go back to the dorms and just come back in the morning. However, in the morning we’ll be stuck in this room, as
usual
. You decide what you want, Kacchan.”
Katsuki was taken aback by the sudden change in Izuku’s tone. He wasn’t expecting the boy to snap so suddenly like that. Katsuki was only teasing after all…
And maybe this wasn’t
such
a bad idea. Sure, it was poorly planned, but Katsuki got the idea. He
was
tired of being cooped up in the room to no end. Some fresh air
would
be nice. But what if he was caught? What if
they
were caught? Katsuki assumed the school would kick him out and transfer him to a real prison after proving he couldn't be trusted. And for Izuku, the boy could probably be risking his place at the school as well, helping out a criminal like Katsuki.
However, the chances that they
didn’t
get caught and the two boys hung out and had a good time were looking much bigger than the bad outcomes. He just had to have faith in his and Izuku’s ability to be stealthy. Things would be fine.
Katsuki grunted, uncrossing his arms as he slowly made his way to the bed, stopping right in front of Izuku.
“Get up idiot…” Katsuki mumbled, looking to the side. He was
not
going to risk seeing Izuku’s smug face after the blonde gave in.
“W-What?” Izuku asked, lifting his head.
“I said get up,
nerd
. I thought you said you wanted to get out of here?” Katsuki looked down at the boy looking up at him.
“R-
Really
?!” Izuku asked, jumping up from the bed. His and Katsuki’s chest practically brushed against each other. The blonde chose to ignore the close proximity and roll his eyes, stepping away.
“Whatever. I’m sick of being cooped up in here anyways.” He shoved his hands in his pockets and followed Izuku.
His heart began to pound as they reached the door, Izuku reaching his hand out to pull it open. He wasn’t the type to normally get nervous when breaking the rules. Katsuki just assumed that since his whole career was practically on the line right now, it would be normal for his nerves to start acting up.
“Wait.” Katsuki began as the door slowly crept open and Izuku poked his head out. “How the fuck did you manage to even get in here?”
Izuku pulled his head back inside the room, closing the door slightly so their voices didn’t echo down the dark hallway.
“Well, the door
is
always unlocked.” Izuku stated, as if it was an obvious fact.
“That
fuck?!
” Katsuki whisper-shouted. “They leaving the fucking door
unlocked
? Who’s fucking idea was
that
?” Katsuki asked, dumbfounded.
Izuku just looked back at the blonde and shrugged, his lips pouting a bit. “I guess they just don’t really think there’s a reason to lock it. I’m sure that when they have real patients in here that they do. But right now, I suppose you’ve proved you’re trustworthy enough. I mean, you haven’t tried to sneak out, have you?”
Katsuki scoffed at the irony of the question. “I mean, not until now, I haven’t.” Izuku let out an embarrassed sort of laugh, turning back around to face the door.
He opened it fully now and slowly walked out, holding it open for Katsuki to trail behind him.
When the two finally stood in the open hallways, Katsuki took the chance to look around. There were windows all along the wall directly in front of his door, allowing the moonlight to illuminate the hall.
Izuku glanced down both sides of the hall many more times than necessary before he grabbed Katsuki’s arm and began to move at a much faster pace than the blonde was expecting.
“Wha-” He began, trying to pry his arms out of the smaller boy’s grip.
Izuku quickly turned around to look up at the blonde, putting a finger to his lips as he gave Katsuki’s arm a squeeze. “
Shhh. We can’t talk until we're outside…
” Izuku whispered. He gave Katsuki a nod before turning back around and heading down the hall once more.
Katsuki gave up trying to free his hand and let the boy guide him through this unfamiliar space.
The walls were just as plain as the ones inside of his room. Soft, white surfaces that looked colder than they probably were. There were occasionally doors placed here and there with labels displayed in the center of them. From what he’d seen so far, the labels consisted of a random letter following a two digit number. He realized some of the letters began to repeat, causing the boy to guess rooms with the same letters were used for similar purposes.
Once the halls began to widen up, Katsuki looked ahead, finally recognizing some of the area they were in.
The blonde never really came to the medical building because he tended to his own wounds. He didn’t need any grimy doctor hands searching his body for things that he could just as easily fix himself.
They were now in the waiting room of the medical building. Chairs were spread around the expanse of the room, forming a sort of square-like area. The counter where doctors would gather information or check in patients was directly behind a row of chairs. To the left of the counter, was another short hallway where Katsuki was able to see a door that led outside.
Izuku gestured towards that way and Katsuki nodded as Izuku dragged him along once more. Finally, they slowly pushed open the building’s door and stepped outside, the fresh end-of-summer air blowing against their skin.
It felt like forever since Katsuki has been somewhere other than a box of white walls. Somehow, he felt like the air
tasted
nice. He felt like he could take a bite out of the chill air and it would suddenly fill his stomach with a food he’d never even dreamed of consuming.
Katsuki lifted his head and smiled, the air feeling nice against his skin. He heard Izuku giggle.
“Wow, Kacchan… I didn’t know you missed fresh air so much.” Katsuki lowered his head to look at the boy, a smirk playing on his face.
“Oh shut up, nerd. You try spending, what - two months? - cooped up in a room with nothing more than a small hint of natural light.”
Izuku grinned, lowering his head. “Yeah… Yeah, you’ve got a point.”
Izuku slowly let go of Katsuki’s arm, the skin where his hand had previously been growing cold as the air brushed against his skin. Katsuki would be an idiot to say he didn't miss the touch.
Of course in a totally not weird, one hundred percent friendly, platonic, this-is-totally-normal way. Not just because it was Izuku touching him. No, of course not. He just longed for some physical touch. Not longed for Izuku’s physical touch. Totally not.
Izuku began to walk, leaving Katsuki to follow in suit. He wasn’t exactly sure where the greenette planned on taking them so he just decided to walk without saying a word, thankful to even be out here.
“Is there anywhere you want to go, Kacchan?” Izuku unexpectedly asked, turning his head to look at Katsuki as they blindly walked in a random direction.
Katsuki, surprised by the unexpected question, takes a moment to respond. “Uh, I dunno…” He scratched the back of his neck, looking around. “We could uh - check out the dorms? The last time I saw them I couldn’t really get a good look because… well, y’know…” Katsuki let out a half-suppressed laugh, shoving his hands in his pockets.
Izuku nodded. “Sure, we can do that! Follow me.”
Katsuki obeyed and followed the boy as they walked in a direction he’d never taken before. They ended up on a dirt path, from the sounds of their feet crunching on the ground. After walking for about five minutes, Izuku began to slow down. Katsuki was unsure why so he chose to walk closer to the boy, his head lowering to talk directly in Izuku’s ear.
“What are we looking at?”
“Ack!” Izuku yelped, jumping back and bumping into Katsuki. The blonde chuckled, enjoying the surprised expression on Izuku’s face.
That look quickly turned into horror. Katsuki quickly mimicked the expression, unsure of what he had done. Suddenly, Izuku grabbed Katsuki by the collar of his shirt and pushed him down. The greenette placed a finger over the blonde’s lips, gesturing for him to stay quiet.
Katsuki landed flat on his butt and had his hands placed on the ground behind him to sturdy himself, his eyes wide. Izuku was kneeling down right in front of him, looking to his left.
Katsuki couldn't take his eyes off of Izuku.
Soon after, the blonde heard footsteps coming from the right side of the bush they were hiding behind. His eyes widened further and Izuku whipped his head around to stare the blonde directly in the eye. Izuku mouthed:
‘Stay. Quiet.’
and Katsuki quickly nodded his head, his body growing warm.
Once the footsteps sounded like they were right next to the bush, Katsuki’s heart began to race further. He wasn’t very nervous about getting caught at first, having been too cocky about his ability to be stealthy. Now, when he was actually at risk, he wasn’t sure how to react. They would be fine.
Surely
they would be fine. This person was just going to walk right-
Izuku suddenly leaned in closer to Katsuki, pulling the collar of the blondes shirt closer to him as well. Katsuki could feel Izuku’s warm breath against his skin as the greenette stayed silent, the footsteps coming from the side of the bush slowly fading into the distance.
Katsuki was breathing heavier now and he was sure Izuku could tell, seeing as their faces were literally
three fucking inches apart
. Izuku finally turned his head to look at the blonde, seeming to recognize that whoever it was was now long gone. He clearly didn't seem to mind the close proximity as he stared into Katsuki’s crimson eyes.
A small grin started to form on Izuku’s face and he removed his hand from Katsuki’s lips, leaning back a little. The greenette then sat fully back against the gravel, a decent distance away from Katsuki that allowed the boy to spread his legs out, leaning back on his hands. He let out a relieved sigh.
“
Man
.” Izuku said, voice low. “That was
close
.” He let out a humorous puff from his nose, looking over at Katsuki.
The blonde was so confused on how he was supposed to respond that he just stared back at Izuku, eyes wide, and never changing the position he was sitting in.
Izuku seemed to misinterpret his expression as the boy began to giggle, soon turning into laughter, buckling over and clutching his stomach.
“Oh my god,
your face
!” Izuku said, trying his best to keep his laughs low.
“I-
What
?!” Katsuki asked, brows furrowing and finally moving slightly in his spot to try and understand what was so funny.
While Izuku continued to laugh, Katsuki couldn’t help but observe the boy’s facial features. The small dimples that dipped into his skin near the center of his cheeks. The creases in the corner of his eyes that proved he was really enjoying himself. The two sharp canines that glowed in the moonlight. He’d never noticed how sharp those two teeth on Izuku were until now. It was nice.
Pretty
.
Soon after, Katsuki couldn’t hold it in anymore. Seeing Izuku laughing so freely and wholesomely, it was bound to become contagious, causing the blonde to eventually start laughing alongside him. He found himself smiling, his chest bumping up and down in rhythm with his chuckles. The whole time he kept his eyes locked onto Izuku, smile never fading.
There was something so beautiful - so
pure
- about this moment, to Katsuki. No matter how much he tried to fight it, there was no use. The two boys sat there under the moonlight, laughing as quietly as they could after the suspense of the events that happened just moments prior.
“God…” Katsuki began, his words forming slowly as he tried to catch his breath. “I…
hate
… you, so much…” He said these words, although his smile never faltered as he looked at Izuku through blurry eyes, the tears from his laughter simply not holding back.
“
K-Kacchan…!
” Izuku gasped, still holding his stomach. “Oh my
god
. That was
so scary
!” Izuku whisper-shouted, wiping his tears.
“God you
idiot
. We almost lost everything!” Katsuki joked, messing with the boy.
“Pshhh, Kacchan you can’t even lie. That felt so
good
!” Izuku looked back into his eyes, the moonlight lighting up his face, really making his scattered freckles pop out and the emerald in his eyes shine.
It took everything in Katsuki to not move closer to the boy. To not get a better look at those shining eyes. To really get a chance to count the galaxy of freckles that painted Izuku’s warm-toned skin. He wanted to brush his fingers over those dots, he wanted that shine in Izuku’s eyes to light up his day and make him forget about everything, at least just for that moment.
Of course none of
that
was possible. Katsuki was only a boy, trapped in a prison that he put himself in and Izuku was the sun that had been stripped away from the blonde, only because of his own mistakes.
Shaking his dreadful thoughts away, Katsuki chooses to respond to Izuku. “Yeah
whatever
, nerd. You better have something nice for me after that shitshow. I swear my heart jumped out of my fucking chest.”
In more ways than one
, Katsuki silently thought to himself, wishing he could just say things like that out loud. Life would be so much easier.
Izuku giggled, “I mean… I didn’t really have anything planned, now that I think about it…” Izuku started, scratching his head.
Katsuki tilted his head. “Seriously? You just planned on taking me out of that shitty ass room and then wander around campus,
without
a plan? Deku, are you fucking dumb?” Katsuki’s words came out harsh but he meant no real harm behind them. Hopefully Izuku will get that.
It wasn’t exactly
easy
for the blonde to speak without some sort of tone in his voice, even if he was truly trying to be sincere.
Izuku shrugged, as if it didn’t really bother him, and thankfully not taking Katsuki’s words to heart. “Well… I mean, I got you out of there, right?” Izuku looked back at the boy, a skeptical smile forming on his face, as if he wasn’t sure that was what Katsuki even wanted in the first place.
The blonde only scoffed in return. They were now left sitting in silence behind a bush, right next to the students' dorms. He chose to sit up a little and peer over the top of the bush, trying to get a look at what the dorms really looked like.
When he was working for the League, he only really had a chance to get a side view as he made his way into Izuku’s room. Of course, he’d been given blueprints so he knew which room to invade, but that wasn’t really helpful when one wanted to get a look at the
real
thing.
They seemed nice and cozy from where Katsuki looked. He guessed that each dorm was probably the same size as Izuku’s and it made him feel hopeful for when
he
got a dorm.
If they even take me back
. Katsuki quickly shook the negative thought and continued to observe.
He knew there was a common room that his friends most likely hung out in after school and a big kitchen that he would
definitely
use for cooking in the future. Hopefully the beds and couches were soft. And thank
god
he’d probably be able to decorate his room how he wanted. If there was one thing he hated, it was living in a space he couldn’t fit to match his own personality.
Hence, the prison. He probably would’ve been fine with it all if he’d been able to bring a few things inside with him. Perhaps one of his blankets. Or his own
clothes
, for god's sake. He’d been listening to all their rules. He never tried to sneak out - until now, but that wasn’t even
his
idea - and he didn’t even talk back to the nurse when she asked him questions! Sure, he didn’t really talk to the nurse at all but it still
counts
.
“So, what do you think?” Izuku asked after a while of silence.
Katsuki leaned back down from observing over the bush to look at Izuku who was already watching him with warm eyes.
“Eh.” He decided to say, not wanting to admit he actually didn’t hate the whole design and idea of dorms. “They’re alright, I guess.” Katsuki shrugged.
“Come
on
, Kacchan. It’s alright to
like
things, y’know? It’s not gonna hurt to just say you like the dorms. They’re pretty cool.”
Katsuki rolled his eyes playfully, a smirk playing on his face. “Yeah, whatever,
Deku
.”
Izuku shakes his head, a smile on his lips. The two stay sitting there for a while longer before Katsuki finally pipes up. “So, is this all you wanted to show me?”
Izuku looks into his eyes and tilts his head, “Is this all you wanted to see?”
Katsuki’s brows furrow. “Tch, what’s that supposed to mean? I didn’t even know you were gonna come into my room tonight. How was I supposed to know what I wanted to do on this secret little mission of yours?” Katsuki teases, a half-smirk forming on his face.
“Yeah, I guess you’re right.” Izuku smiles, his teeth flashing in the moonlight.
Katsuki wants to take this moment and engrave it in his soul. He wants to paint this moment into his very own eyes so that it’s the only thing he ever sees.
It’s selfish, he knows. It’s selfish to feel this way towards anyone, especially Izuku. The blonde’s not quite sure
what
he’s even feeling but he knows it’s wrong. How could one feel such emotions towards the person they claimed to hate for years?
And why was it all only coming to him now? Katsuki never felt like this before. Izuku never caught his eyes like this. It made sense to not hate the boy anymore since they spent so much time together this past month, but what were these extra feelings? It would be dumb to try and hide the fact that Katsuki had always cared for Izuku, no matter how much he denied it. But this? This felt different.
Katsuki never wanted the boy to get hurt. He said some pretty…
awful
things, but that was because he was young and dumb. Was that the lamest excuse for his actions that he could ever come up with? Of
course
. Katsuki would never forgive himself for the way he treated Izuku. He wouldn’t allow Izuku to forgive
him
. Because he knows that deep down, if someone were to treat Katsuki the way he treated Izuku, he’d never want to look the person in their eyes again.
No matter how amazing a person can be, no matter how strong they are, actions speak louder than words.
So why,
why
was this all happening? Why did he suddenly care for the boy the same as he always did, but this time he wasn’t ashamed of expressing that? He wasn’t ashamed of getting closer to Izuku. He wasn’t ashamed of admiring his features, of engraving them into his brain. Katsuki
wanted
Izuku to know he cared. He
wanted
the boy to continue spending more time with him. Maybe then, Katsuki would be able to make up for everything he’s ever put Izuku through.
That could never be the case, he thought. Too much has happened for him to just go back now. No matter how hard he tried, it wouldn't be enough.
Right?
Would Izuku ever be able to care for Katsuki in the way that the blonde was now beginning to care for him? Would Izuku be able to forgive him, even if Katsuki knew he shouldn't? Did Izuku hate Katsuki even more for how he was acting these days? Was he frustrated with Katsuki because it only took him
fifteen years
to finally realize that maybe being an asshole all the time isn’t the
greatest
of ideas?
They were better when they were kids, but Katsuki still had a massive ego. He still tried to be better than Izuku. He still tried to control the smaller boy; always making sure that when they play super hero games, or things of the sort, that Katsuki was the stronger, better character.
He wanted to be better than Izuku
so badly
. He wanted to
prove
he was better, all the while ignoring the fact that Izuku would always be the bigger person. Izuku would always be better than Katsuki. He would always deserve better things,
happier
things. Izuku was smarter, faster and stronger than Katsuki in so
many
ways that he hated himself; hated Izuku.
After all his effort to try and be better, it all came back to this. Izuku would always be number one… he always has been.
And
fuck
if that didn’t make the alluring feelings for Izuku in Katsuki’s heart deepen further, he had no idea what would.
Gosh, this blonde was too far gone to overlook his confusing emotions any longer.
Thankfully, before he said something absolutely terrifying, Izuku began to brush himself off and stand. “Well…” The boy started, eyeing Katsuki nervously, “Do you maybe wanna… go inside?”
Katsuki gulped, trying his best to calm his aching heart as he looked at Izuku’s intoxicating figure illuminated by the bright moonlight.
Shit
.
“Y-Yeah.” He cleared his throat, mentally shoving a pistol down his throat for
fucking stuttering
. “I mean um, sure, I guess? Not much to really do out here, but… won’t we wake someone?”
Izuku shook his head, his features full of determination. “Not unless you don’t know how to sneak around,
Kacchan
.” Izuku teased, pointing a finger at the blonde.
Katsuki took this as a challenge and smirked. “Tch, you
wish
, nerd. I’m better at sneaking around than your ass ever will be.”
Katsuki mimicked what Izuku had done; brushing off his pants from sitting in the dirt path. Izuku smiled as the blonde got up and proceeded to walk towards the entrance of the new UA dorms. Katsuki would be lying if he said he wasn’t a
little
bit nervous, and it wasn’t simply because he was hanging out with Izuku anymore. He was also excited. The thrill of this whole thing was really making Katsuki feel better. If only they could do this more often…
The soft
‘click
’ of the door echoed through the empty and dark room, causing Katsuki to panic for a quick second. He wasn’t expecting the door to make such a sound. Hopefully everyone was sound asleep by now.
Izuku tip-toed into the building, causing Katsuki to roll his eyes, a playful grin playing on his lips. “Gosh, you’re so embarrassing.” He mumbled, loud enough for Izuku to hear, though.
The greenette whipped his head around to frown at Katsuki, the look
definitely
not cute. “Psh, leave me alone.”
Katsuki playfully nudged the boy in front of him as they continued to walk slowly over to a staircase.
“My room is on the second floor.” Izuku whispered as they began to walk up.
For some reason, Katsuki was shocked to hear those words come out of the boy's mouth. He hadn’t been expecting to actually
go into
Izuku’s room. For some reason, it made him nervous.
Katsuki chose not to respond and just follow the boy as they walked down the hallway of the second floor. Soon, they found Izuku’s room with a big ‘
3
’ over the top of it.
Slowly, the smaller boy opened his door, careful not to make any noise, and Katsuki followed in suit. Once they were no in the quiet space of Izuku’s room, he felt even more nervous than before.
It was weird, because he’s been in this room before.
With
Izuku. Maybe it was because the circumstances were different? This time Katsuki’s goal wasn’t to kidnap Izuku and potentially turn him into a villain. Still, the feeling was odd.
“Sorry about the mess…” Izuku explained in a quiet voice, frantically going around the room to move a small amount of things out of the way.
Izuku then turned on the small lamp on his desk, sending another unfamiliar wave through Katsuki. The last time he’d seen that desk and lamp was when he was closing the distance between the two boys, getting closer and closer until their bodies were up against each other and Katsuki was able to trap him inside one of Mr. Compresses shiny blue marbles.
He gulped.
“Um, well…” Izuku started, filling the silence again. “This is… my room.” He gestured with his arms to the comfortable-looking space filled with Izuku-scented objects.
“It smells like you in here.” Katsuki stated mindlessly, taking in the room.
“Oh - thank… you?” Izuku let out a soft laugh and Katsuki’s eyes widened.
“Uh - I mean… like, not that - or um… well, that's not what - oh fuck, never mind.” Katsuki face-palmed, sighing.
Izuku chuckled once again. “Don’t worry about it, Kacchan. I’ve always wanted to be one of those people who have their own scent, you know what I mean?”
Yes. Yes, god I know what you mean.
Katsuki would inhale Izuku’s scent any time of day. Not in a weird way of course... There was just something so comforting about the scent of cinnamon that projected off of the green-haired boy. Katsuki enjoyed it, that’s all.
He chose to nod and continue looking around the room. His eyes landed on a particular photo framed on Izuku’s desk. He couldn’t tell from where he was, but as he got closer, Katsuki figured out pretty quickly what that picture was.
It was them.
The day that they both went to the store to buy a certain bag of All Might-branded candy. Only a few of them had contained a special addition All Might card and Katsuki swore he bought every bag he saw when he was younger, hoping he’d become one of the lucky kids to find the card.
That was the day he did. The cute little explosive boy was jumping in the air, holding his All Might card to the sky, grateful. When he picked up the frame, he glanced at Izuku in the background. He’d never noticed before, clearly too blinded by his own success, that Izuku was clutching something to his chest, smiling as he looked up at Katsuki with eyes full of admiration.
He also got an All Might card.
But why didn’t he look as proud of it as Katsuki? He looked more proud of Katsuki than the card itself.
“Hey, nerd.” Katsuki asked, turning around to find Izuku already smiling at him.
Oh boy.
“You got one of those shitty cards, too?”
Izuku nodded, coming up to stand next to Katsuki, their arms brushing in the close proximity. He took the frame out of the blonde’s hand and turned it around, revealing the very card he was talking about. “Yup.” Izuku replied, gently placing the picture back down.
“
Seriously
? Why didn't you ever tell me?” Katsuki asked, his brows furrowing as he looked down at Izuku.
“I dunno… I mean, look how happy you were.” Izuku pointed at the picture. “How could I have ruined that for you?”
Katsuki tore his eyes away from Izuku to look at where his hand pointed. He
had
been happy that day. Happier than he would have remembered. It was always so
rare
for someone to find those kinds of things, and the fact that Katsuki
did
, had always made the moment more special.
So why did Izuku hide his own happiness? And for Katsuki? Why did he let the blonde take the spotlight when he was also deserving of it?
Katsuki really did not deserve this boy's comfort.
Izuku walked back over to the door of his dorm room and looked at Katsuki. “Wanna go look at your dorm real quick before we have to go back?”
Katsuki nodded, silently not wanting to leave. “How do you know where my dorm is?”
“Everyone got a map of the place when we got here. It had everyone's dorms on it and who stays in which one. Yours is right next to mine!”
Katsuki's eyes widened.
Right next to him?
They, once again, quietly left the room and walked to the next door down. “It’s probably not gonna look like much since you haven't put any of your stuff in it, but we can still take a peak.” Izuku whispered as he gently opened the door.
Both of them snuck a peek inside of the empty room. It was pretty spacious without anything in it. Katsuki found that he didn’t exactly hate the idea of living here. As quickly as they poked their heads inside, they closed the door.
“Well, we should probably head back now…” Izuku suggested, looking up at Katsuki with that
look
that literally wasn’t even a
look
but it still got to the blonde.
He quickly looked away, silently clearing his throat. “Yeah. Don’t want anyone growing suspicious... You never know if they do double checks when I’m sleeping… or whatever.” Izuku nodded and they walked back towards the stairs.
It made sense anyways. Katsuki wouldn’t doubt it that the school wanted to make sure their student/prisoner/patient - whatever they fuck they called Katsuki - was absolutely still in his room, especially if they were going to leave it unlocked all the time.
The two crept their way to the front door downstairs and stepped back outside, the cool, late-night air blowing against their skin. He was thankful that it wasn’t even really cold outside. Nights like this were always the best. Not too cold, but not too hot, and the wind blew into his spiky hair.
Finally, as they got further away, he took another glance at the dorms, a small feeling of hope coursing through his veins, praying he will one day be allowed back here.
Sometimes, Katsuki thought that, if just for a
split
second, maybe spending time cooped up in that white room wasn’t the worst thing for him. After all, he’d come to a couple
major
realizations.
One being that he didn’t have to be a complete asshole to everyone, every second of his life. Things were so much easier and less nerve-wracking when he just spoke what he was actually feeling to Izuku the other day.
“... It was all too much for me, I think. So, I guess hearing the one person who always had faith in me, no matter what, finally give in and side with all the people who didn't have faith in me, I took it as a sign…”
Although he had said that day that he didn’t care about Izuku when they were younger, and that he had no idea why the boy’s words were so impactful, Katsuki knew deep down, he always cared. He always knew why Izuku was so impactful on his life. Izuku was able to lift him up from the terrible mistake he made by joining the league. Izuku brought light back into his life and Katsuki would always cherish the boy for that, as cheesy as it sounds.
Damn, Katsuki really needed to get out more. Being stuck with his thoughts all the time was really weird. One second, he hated himself for wanting to get too close to Izuku. The other, he wanted nothing more than to just look at the boy and smile. This is why the thought of being cooped up in the room actually did good for him only lasted for a short moment. It made him think about other things -
confusing
things - as well.
Why must humans feel this way? Why must emotions be so confusing? Why couldn’t Katsuki just get to the bottom of everything and tell Izuku what was on his mind. Would the greenette think any less of Katsuki if he knew what was really going through the explosive boy’s head? Would
Katsuki
think any less of himself for being put in such a vulnerable position like that?
It was all a mystery, and would continue to be until Katsuki figured out how to deal with it all.
The two boys slowly walked back in the direction they came, the only sound during the peaceful night being the crunching of dirt under their feet.
It suddenly dawned on Katsuki that he didn’t actually have any shoes on. How the hell did he manage to get all the way out here without thinking about that? Seeing his conflicted face, Izuku turned his head to eye the blonde, an expecting look on his face.
“I totally forgot I wasn’t wearing any shoes.” Katsuki replied, understanding what the boy meant when he looked at him like that.
“Oh, wow. I… I didn't even think about that. Sorry, Kacchan.” Izuku replied, looking back ahead.
“Eh, it’s fine. I have a shower and I'm not cold. Nothing to apologize about, nerd.” Izuku nodded and they continued walking.
As the infirmary began to come into view, Katsuki couldn’t help but already start to feel alone. He didn't want to go back into that room. He didn't want to sleep on that plain, uncomfortable mattress anymore. Could’t they see that he was getting better? He’d never tried to sneak out (until now, but that wasn’t even his idea). He was nice to Izuku. He did
everything
they asked. Katsuki couldn't help but silently plead to himself every night that he’d be let out of this damn prison someday soon.
The cold floor sent a small wave of emotion through Katsuki as they entered the quiet hallway. Both boys hadn’t really spoken a word since Katsuki mentioned his lack of shoes and it wasn’t exactly bad. He found himself enjoying Izuku’s simple presence.
And finally when they made it back to his door and walked inside, Izuku still following him over towards the bed, Katsuki couldn’t help the solemn feelings that washed over his entire being. It was like seeing the bed he’d been forced to sleep in for the past month made him want to cry.
Of course he wouldn’t
actually
cry. Katsuki wasn’t
that
far gone. Yet.
However, if he’d spent much more time in here, he wouldn't doubt for a second that all of the years worth of unfallen tears would soon catch up to him.
Sighing as he sat down, Katsuki glanced at Izuku to find him standing quietly near the edge of his bed.
“Well…” The greenette started, fidgeting with his hands for some unknown reason. “I hope you um… had a good time…”
Katsuki looked up to the tiny window that lit up his room only the slightest. The moonlight looked so much better when he was actually outside…
“Good night, Kacchan.” Izuku said quietly, beginning his descent towards the door.
“Night, nerd.” Katsuki replied, the “nerd” part sounding half-hearted.
It took him a moment to build up the courage to say these next words, but he found that it didn’t feel as scary as he thought. “And thanks… for taking me out of this shithole.” Katsuki let out a small huff from his nose, trying to bring some life into his otherwise dull heart.
If Katsuki squinted, he could see the small smile that formed on Izuku's lips as the boy reached for the handle and opened the door. “Of course Kacchan. Anytime.”
And just like that, the room was filled with silence.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
🍀
Izuku isn’t exactly sure what led him to sneak out in the middle of the night and hang out with Katsuki. He very much could’ve stayed with the boy a little longer during the day if he wanted to. He always could’ve
asked
someone why they didn’t let Katsuki get a few minutes of fresh air everyday and even recommend that they give it to him.
So why did he risk his own career for the explosive boy that never really liked him and is still unsure if he likes him now?
Perhaps it was how bad Izuku felt for the blonde. He couldn’t even imagine being cooped up in such a plain and simple place for so long with no one to talk to other than himself and the same green-eyed boy everyday. Katsuki had been stuck in that room for almost two months now and Izuku was unsure about when he’d get released.
He wanted to give Katsuki something that would cheer him up. Maybe the everyday visits were enough. Maybe Izuku treating his bruises and wounds were enough. That could all very well be enough to satisfy Katsuki. Hell, maybe Izuku was doing
too
much. It was never easy to tell with Katsuki.
Or, maybe he wanted to take the blonde outside on a little secret trip because of the way he’d been acting recently. Ever since Izuku had treated him the first time, it was like the blonde was more open now. Sure, almost every sentence still came out of his mouth hinted with an insult, but it wasn’t as real as it had been before. And he’d noticed that Katsuki was more willing to talk to him, even if it was short and brief. He’d make comments whenever Izuku talked that made it seem like he was
actually
interested, not just putting up with the boy's rants because there was nothing else to do.
It led Izuku to believe that even if Katsuki wouldn't admit it, he was starting to enjoy Izuku’s company. It made the greenette happy. He’d always wanted to be close with Katsuki. The first day that Katsuki had been in that prison he even expressed his want to be friends somehow. However, the answer that Katsuki had given him led him to believe that his wishes might be stretching it a little too far.
Maybe it wouldn’t happen. Maybe Katsuki was lonely and needed someone to talk to, but then once he was finally free, he’d go back to the way things were. Izuku didn’t
want
that, but he never really got his hopes up too high when it came to his former best friend. So, he settled for being able to see the blonde everyday, even if he didn’t want to see Izuku. That was enough for now.
But again, there was something different about the way that Katsuki expressed himself. It was like he wanted something from Izuku. Like there was something going on in his head that he couldn’t quite place, so he chose not to say anything, probably unaware that the feelings were displayed right on his face.
It was a sort of longing look that Izuku couldn’t quite interpret. Katsuki never looked at anyone like that. He never expressed his true feelings to anyone. Izuku had never even seen him
hug
another person besides the greenette.
Izuku wanted to take away that look because he didn’t trust it. He didn’t trust the things that could happen if it stayed for too long. It made him feel ways that he’d rather not think about.
He believed that by doing something special for Katsuki, maybe it would go away. Maybe Katsuki would find the thing he was looking for if he got some fresh air. Perhaps the looks were him begging Izuku to try and help him make this whole situation better.
Maybe Izuku could help Katsuki by taking him out more. The blonde would surely like that. He’d be getting out of that suffocating room, even for just a small moment in the night.
If Izuku tried his best to give Katsuki things that would cheer him up, maybe he’d recognize that Izuku was someone worth spending time with. Maybe they could actually be friends, even after Katsuki was let back into school. If he proved his worth
now
, then things could be better in the long run.
And even then, as Izuku sat in class, mindlessly listening to Aizawa lecture them further about quirks, he couldn’t help thinking about what those looks meant, no matter what his mind tried to tell him about them.
He’d come to the conclusion that Katsuki was just lonely, that there was a lot on his mind, but it felt like more. It
looked
like more. And it had been bothering him even more since hanging out with Katsuki last night.
When he finally made it back to his dorm, he’d been feeling happier than usual. He felt like he’d finally done something for the blonde that proved his worth. No one else was allowed to hang out with Katsuki, so he was the only one to cheer him up for now. The moments they shared felt
special
to Izuku.
However, despite the happy and accomplished feelings rushing through him at the time, there was one more feeling nagging at the back of his mind.
The feeling like there was something he was missing. Like, behind that longing look of Katsuki’s was another hidden message. One that wasn’t just him being lonely. One that was directed towards Izuku and only Izuku.
What did it mean? Did it mean anything? Was there actually something there, or was Izuku just going crazy, overthinking things as usual.
But no. He couldn’t be, right? Because Katsuki doesn’t stare at people for moments on end, no clear emotions displayed on his face. He doesn’t look at people like he genuinely doesn’t hate them. It's all scowls and insults and frowns and eye-rolls and glares. No in-between.
So why,
why
? They were honestly kind of uncomfortable. He was so used to the harsh personality of Katsuki that he didn’t know how to react when the boy was anything but that. He liked this version, he really did, it was just different. He liked when the blonde wasn’t yelling at him or blaming him for something but he didn’t like the odd looks that followed. The odd looks that made Izuku feel like he meant something more to Katsuki. Like a… friend? But Izuku never looked at his friends like that. Neither did Katsuki.
So what did it all mean?
🌼
When Katsuki woke up the next day, he felt fully refreshed. As if it was his first time actually going to sleep since he’d been brought back to UA.
It was weird though, because he’d stayed up well past the normal time he usually “slept”. Maybe there was just something so relaxing and comforting about Izuku that finally allowed him to rest peacefully.
And after last night, he knew things wouldn’t be the same. At least not for him.
He felt differently. Not just about himself, but about… Izuku. He felt like now he could actually call Izuku his friend. But honestly, he wanted to call Izuku his friend after about the first week of them hanging out.
Things just flowed so easily for them. They almost always had something to talk about, the conversations never got old, and when there wasn’t something to say, the silence was peaceful. He enjoyed the boys' company. He enjoyed his personality, his smile, his laugh.
Katsuki enjoyed
Izuku.
And that thought didn’t scare him anymore. He no longer felt like his entire world was going to come crashing down all of a sudden because he was okay being around Izuku; because he was okay with calling him a “
friend.
”
Katsuki wasn’t scared to admit that he actually wanted to be a better person. He didn’t want to be the same explosive kid that yelled at everyone just because. He didn’t want to be the same explosive kid who got mad over literally nothing.
It wasn’t fun being angry and upset all the time, he’d learned. It just made things more confusing and complicated. He’d also learned that being angry or disgusted at nothing at all was simply immature. There was no need for it. Sure, some things are worth getting frustrated over. But not
everything
.
Take Izuku, for example.
He is probably the purest person the blonde has ever known. Since the moment they met when they were kids, up until this day. Izuku cared so much about everyone around him, probably more than he cared for himself. He wanted to make sure everyone was safe and happy. He loved everything to the fullest.
He showed Katsuki kindness even when he deserved the exact opposite of that. And only growing more annoyed with the greenette
because
of that kindness was unnecessary. There was no point to it.
Although he didn’t want to admit it, Izuku
was
right.
How the
hell
did he plan on becoming the world’s greatest and number one hero if he couldn’t have a simple conversation with the one person who’s shown him nothing but pure kindness? Although those words had done nothing but anger him and lead him down a road that ended in nothing but trouble, he’s had time to think them over. He’s had time to allow those words to really sink in and make a difference.
If Katsuki
really
wanted to be a hero, he wasn’t going to get very far like this. He needed to know how to control his temper. He needed to know when it was appropriate to lash out for no reason (even if there really is never an appropriate time for this).
From now on, he wanted to show everyone that he wasn’t just some kid that got mad because he wanted to. He wasn’t going to have anymore people telling him that he was “more like a villain than a hero.”
Those days were over. From now on, people will see Katsuki’s full potential. They’d see that he was going to be a fucking
amazing
hero and nothing less. He’s capable of so much greatness and he knows it. He’s sure that other people know it too, they just weren’t sure how to show him.
He could only thank Izuku for finally opening his eyes after all these years, to a future that wasn’t so red and conflicting.
___________________________
Katsuki woke up around eight or so, he guessed as he looked out the small window near his bed. He got up and took a quick shower, walking out of the bathroom while drying his hair.
He was not expecting to find All Might sitting on the same plastic chair in front of his bed like the last time he visited.
“The fuck?” He grumbled under his breath, forgetting that he shouldn’t be cussing in front of people like All Might.
He was trying to be better, remember? The cussing was a good place to start…
“Nice to see you too, Young Bakugo.” The frail man huffed, a sincere yet forgiving (for his attitude) smile playing at his lips.
“What are you doing here?” Katsuki asked, slowly making his way over the bed he could only tolerate last night.
All Might allowed Katsuki to sit down, the bed creaking with the motion. The shorter blonde awaited for the kind man to explain his presence.
“Well,” He began, clearing his throat, “Let’s start off simple. How have you been, young man?”
Katsuki scoffed, eyeing the older man. “As good as one can get, locked in a shithole like this for over two months now.”
All Might clicked his tongue, a light, humorous puff of air escaping his mouth. “Ah, yes. I wasn’t expecting anything less from you.” He adjusted himself on the plastic chair, looking back at Katsuki again.
Honestly, what else was he supposed to say?
“I’m so beyond grateful that you guys have gifted me with this wonderful second chance, even if it means I have to sit here for days and days without even the slightest clue if I’ll ever actually be released! I’m so, so happy that you all have given me stiff, plain white clothes, a creaky bed, and thin sheets, along with barely any natural light to go about my day. Absolutely, truly,
undoubtedly
grateful!”
Yeah, fuck no.
All Might was lucky he went with the short response he did, even if he didn’t go about it in the most mature way. He definitely could’ve cursed a
lot
more in that short span of a sentence, but he chose to be a little nicer, if only for All Might’s sake (and maybe his own, seeing as this man was probably the one deciding his fate at the moment).
“Anyways,” All Might started, smiling at Katsuki. “As you probably know, I was the one who originally fought for you to be brought back to UA… Most other board members, including your homeroom teacher, were strictly against the idea.”
Katsuki had already known most of that. He knew that a lot of people probably hated him right now. He’d probably even made
more
people go against him, seeing as most already thought he’d be better off as a villain anyway.
When Katsuki realized that he was back at UA, All Might had been the one of the first people he saw, besides Izuku and the nurse. He’d been a little too baffled by the fact that he’d actually been brought back to really pay attention that day. He
did
know, however, that All Might was kind enough to fight for him. He would forever be thankful for the man, even if didn’t show it.
However, even though he knew people were against the idea of bringing Katsuki back as a student, the part he was not aware of was
who
exactly didn’t want him to stay.
Aizawa? His homeroom teacher? Of all people? Honestly, he did deserve it but
seriously
? What the fuck man? Sure, the sleep-deprived man was a bit stricter than most, but damn, Katsuki thought that he had a soft spot for their class.
Clearly, he was wrong.
His face must have expressed how he was feeling, because All Might sighed, giving him a reassuring look, “I’m sure that’s not what you were expecting to hear from me, but I can assure you that Aizawa does not hate you. He may be…
disappointed
, however that shouldn't change your views of him. If he saw the progress you’ve made, he would be proud. We all are.”
Although Katsuki knew the man was trying to be sincere and cheer him up, he was not having it. He knew he’d been making progress. He was
proud
of that progress. Katsuki was doing everything he could to become a better person just so that he could get the fuck out of this boring ass room. He had a good time hanging out with Izuku. He was respectful-ish to the nurse.
He’d admit that he was just honestly tired of her asking the same lame ass questions, beginning with,
“How’s everything going with you today?”
Like bitch, “Never better! Things are going so leave me the fuck alone.”
Those were pretty much his responses, word for word, so maybe the progress wasn’t as much as he’d been hoping, but it wasn’t as bad as it
could
be. Once again, he could’ve made his statement much harsher, like he chose not to with All Might a moment ago.
Again, progress. Katsuki was going to make
progress
…
Anyways…
He really didn’t think that Aizawa being against him coming back to UA was going to affect him this much. The thought that his teacher, someone who’s tolerated his explosive and harsh personality, had actual faith in him, and even helped him grow was now
against
that growth?
He couldn’t even be mad at Aizawa. He had every right to hate the blonde. Katsuki would honestly be
more
surprised and hurt if he just fully accepted everything.
But damn. It’s crazy how one stupid decision can really fuck up a person’s life.
“Young Bakugo,” All Might interrupted his devastating realizations. “This is not the reason I came here. I was not hoping to ruin the mood by giving you this information, so I hope you can forgive me for that.”
Katsuki sighed, rubbing a hand down his face as the other rested on his knee, unsure of how to respond. He decided to allow All Might to finish speaking, seeing as he probably wasn’t done.
“So, getting to the point of why I visited you today unexpectedly…” He smiled at Katsuki, this time it looking more excited. Katsuki now felt intrigued. “Well, as you know, and as we all have seen, you’ve been making wonderful progress. I, alone, am very proud of you. I knew it was a good idea to give you another chance. So, we’ve all decided that it wouldn’t hurt to allow more people to visit you.”
The more All Might went on, the more Katsuki’s eyes widened. Although it wasn’t news that he could finally leave this room, it was damn close.
More visitors? He would finally be able to see his friends? He only partly knew how Izuku felt these days, so the blonde was completely oblivious to how his other friends felt towards him. Hopefully they didn’t resent him for his stupid decision. They would see Katsuki, see who he’d become in these two months, and hopefully not hate him for the spontaneous decision. And, if he was granted more visitors, that meant that they
had
to want to see him, right?
Everything would be perfectly fine!
At this reaction, the frail man sitting in front of Katsuki seemed to feel a bit relieved, the tension in his shoulders easing just a bit. “Ah, I see that was the right thing to say…” He let out a puff of air from his nose, crossing his arms and leaning back a little on the chair.
Katsuki tried to smother the grin that was forcefully making its way to his lips. He was happy. He knew that. Over the course of these long two months, he’d been able to better understand that it was okay to feel more than just anger. However, old habits die hard, and Katsuki was still not used to smiling without feeling like a complete loser.
So, letting out as much as he could for the moment without wanting to tear himself apart, Katsuki let the slight grin crawl up his lips, turning his head to the side and biting his lip.
All Might grinned, seemingly happy with this reaction. “Now, I won’t stay long, seeing as I know you don’t like these kinds of chats. If you want to see any of your friends, just tell me. I’m sure they’ll be happy to see you.” All Might gave Katsuki a nod before standing up on his chair and bringing it back to the corner of the room by the door.
Katsuki watched as the man moved, thinking.
Would his friends want to see
him
? He sure as hell wanted to see them, but again, did they forgive him? Would they look at him the same? Would there be disappointment hidden behind their eyes? Would they look at Katsuki from now on and only see the villain that he almost became?
He didn’t let those thoughts eat at him for too long, clearing his throat just as All Might opened the door. “Thanks, old man.” Katsuki grumbled, picking at the sheets underneath him. “And uh… sure, if they wanna come in.” He shrugged, adding half-heartedly because he didn’t want to show All Might that he was actually sort of excited, despite the bad feelings that were bubbling in his head.
The door closed without further interaction between the two and Katsuki was left in silence, not sure of what else to do. He’d just come from the bathroom before All Might randomly entered his room but he couldn’t really think of anything more to do.
As Katsuki sat up from the creaky bed, he thought he heard loud noises coming from outside of the door. It sounded like a… stampede? Like a large group of people just ran past his room.
Or running
to
his room…
The door burst open, not giving Katsuki any time to react before he was trampled onto the floor, his hearing engulfed with loud cries (good ones he guessed).
“
What the fu
-”
“Bakugo!” A friendly voice yelped, his lungs suddenly begging for air.
“Oh my god man! It’s been forever!!” Someone else chimed in, their voice raspier and deeper.
“Dude, what the hell! Why’d you have to go and be such a wimp!” Someone claimed, although Katsuki could tell they meant no real harm with those words.
Ah.
He knew who these people were.
“Kaminari, I swear to
fucking
god, if you don’t stop nuzzling your
fucking
face into my neck like a god damn
baby
, I
will
howitzer impact your last
fucking
brain cells out of that disgusting ass skull of yours!”
The weight on his chest visibly lessened and Katsuki was able to breathe just a bit more. However, he still had the obnoxiously pink girl wrapped around his neck to deal with. “Same goes for you, Pinky.”
He could tell that the girl reluctantly pulled away, now standing up. He quickly jumped up to his feet and brushed himself off, finally looking around at his friends.
Katsuki was going to ignore the random urge to pull them all into a hug.
Stupid Deku, making me fucking soft now
… Katsuki thought, although he wasn’t actually mad at the greenette.
“Dude!” Kirishima said first, gripping onto his shoulders with more force than necessary. Katsuki was a bit surprised, seeing as they couldn't use quirks in here, but Kirishima's hold was still firmer than it should’ve been without his hardening. “We’ve missed you man! How have you been? They treating you right here? How’s the bed? Ooo, is the food absolutely
awful
? Hey, at least you get a shower, though!” He looked behind the blonde’s shoulder at the room Katsuki was just about to enter before they barged in.
Katsuki scoffed, not even bothering to answer those questions. He didn’t want to, but the blonde felt the question tugging at the back of his head, needing to be asked. “Why the fuck are you guys here?”
His friends all tilted their heads, as if he was crazy. “Um… because you’re our
friend
? And we
missed
you?” Mina stated in a matter-of-fact voice. “Seems like this room has messed with your memory too. Did you forget all about us? Is the only one you care about now your precious
Deku
.” Mina dragged out Izuku's name to taunt Katsuki.
But
what
? What the fuck was she trying to get at? His
precious
? Did they clearly not see that Katsuki
hated
Izuku? That the blonde had spent the majority of his life
bullying
the guy? Why would he suddenly be Katsuki’s
precious
? It’s not like he’d ever paid any mind to Izuku, more than a bully would anyways…
It’s not like he snuck glances at the boy when they trained during class… It’s not like he would randomly catch himself watching Izuku during lunchtime, mindlessly playing with his food that had already gone cold. It’s not like Katsuki would randomly comment about how his friends fighting forms were never going to be as perfect as-
Holy shit. What the hell was happening to him?
“Damn, Kats. I was just joking…” Mina said after a minute, crossing her arms as the group of friends stared back at the blonde, shock evident on all of their faces.
Fuck.
“Damn, Bakugo’s got it
bad
…” Sero chimed in, a teasing grin playing on his face as he leaned to one side, his arms crossed.
Katsuki scowled at him, flipping his friend off before he walked back to the bed, the idea of going in the bathroom again to pass time slipping through his mind.
Kirishima was the first to follow, plopping down on the bed next to Katsuki. He put out his arms to balance himself as the bed shook underneath the force of him sitting down. “So, how’ve you been?” He asked as Katsuki’s other friends all piled in front of him, Mina choosing to sit down next to Kirishima while Kaminari and Sero stood behind them, looking around the room.
“Tch, how do you think Shitty Hair?” Katsuki said, rolling his eyes.
“Seems like someone hasn’t changed at all.” Mina mumbled, scratching her head.
“Hey, isn’t Midoriya supposed to be like,
calming
you down? What happened to that? Or are you only nice to
him
? The rest of us are just chopped liver.” Kaminari asked. The expression on his face told Katsuki that the idiot blonde was being serious.
“First of all, shut the fuck up.” Katsuki said, pointing a finger at him. “And second of all, how were you expecting me to act? Don’t think that just because some nerd has been hanging out with me for the past months that I’m gonna all of a sudden grow soft on you guys.” He scoffed, crossing his arms.
Katsuki sort of felt bad for referring to Izuku as just
‘some nerd’
, knowing damn well he thought of Izuku as more than that.
Woah.
Could he even say that? He thought of Izuku as more than a
‘nerd’
? Was that wrong? Was Katsuki being selfish? And what
did
he think Izuku was to him? He obviously liked the wide-eyed boy, but to what extent? As a friend? As a best friend? As someone he simply just didn’t hate?
Or maybe… more than that?
But that couldn’t be. Because Katsuki wasn’t like that. Katsuki didn’t feel that way towards anyone. Towards
Izuku
.
Right?
He tried to replay all of the recent events that happened with Izuku in these two months, searching for answers.
He knew that he’d definitely changed. That was a given. He tolerated Izuku now. He wasn’t as angry as he was before. He was accepting the new feelings that flowed through his body, whether he wanted to or not. And that was all because of Izuku.
The boy had taught Katsuki, even if he wasn’t trying to, that there was more to life than anger and frustration. He taught Katsuki that just because something felt off inside of him, that didn’t mean it was completely bad.
And Izuku had done all of this without ever
specifically
doing anything. It was like Katsuki just
knew
. It was like being around Izuku was the answer he needed all along. The greenette didn't need to even say anything for Katsuki to understand that things could be better.
He knew that things weren’t all that bad, that his mind only made things harder for himself. Izuku had been rubbing off on Katsuki and the blonde knew it. He knew that he was changing.
But it wasn’t bad. He
wanted
to change. He
wanted
to get better.
He wanted to show the boy that he was capable of more than just anger. He wanted to prove that to himself of course, but there was something deep within him that knew he was mainly doing this all for Izuku.
Katsuki realized he wanted to get better for Izuku, whatever that meant. Slowly but surely, on instinct, the things that Katsuki did were all for Izuku. What
was
he doing, exactly?
He was trying. Katsuki was trying. He was trying really hard to show Izuku that he was worthy. That he was worthy of the boy's friendship. Although he may not act like it, Katsuki felt like every day when Izuku would hang out with him that the blonde was opening up more.
He’d talk more when Izuku would. He’d add more comments when the boy would ramble about nothing really. He’d look at Izuku. He’d memorize the boy’s features. He’d listen to his voice, watch his lips. Katsuki would mindlessly count the boy’s galaxy of freckles, wanting so desperately to ask for more of those hugs that he’d only ever received once.
Gosh, what the hell was happening to him? He really
did
have it bad when it came to Izuku Midoriya.
“Uh huh…” Sero crossed his arms, tonguing the inside of his cheek as he looked at Katsuki incredulously.
“Shut the fuck up!” The blonde hollered at him, flinging his arms in the air, desperately trying to hide the flush that begged to tint his cheeks.
“Awww, someone’s
blushing
.” Kaminari observed, leaning forward on his hands that were placed on the steel part of the foot of the bed.
Katsuki grumbled, rubbing his face with his hands and flopping onto his back on the bed. He was
not
talking about this in front of his friends. The one’s would would
never
leave him alone if they actually knew what was going on inside of his head.
If they knew
who
was going on inside his head…
“Oh my god, no way!” Mina squealed, making her way to look at Katsuki’s face. “Kats, are you like,
literally
crushing on Midoriya?!?!?”
At this, all of his friends seemed to become more intrigued, as if the blonde's reaction wasn’t enough to try and show them he was
not
having it.
Kirishima finally spoke up after a while, his voice nothing short of confused, “Wait, wait,
what
? Bakugo
what
?”
“No!” He shouted at them, still laying on his back. “I do not have a
crush
on Deku!”
Somehow this only earned more gasps from his friends, the heat on his cheeks rising as well. “Oh my god, oh my god! You totally do!! This is like, a moment in
history
! Guys, you’re seeing this too, right? He is literally blushing so hard right now!” Mina said, shaking Katsuki.
The blonde covered his face with his hands, turning on his side to get away from his friends. “Leave me alone! Can we talk about something else! Something that doesn’t involve my
definitely
-not-crush on Deku! Because I don’t
fucking
like him like that!”
All of his friends paused for a second, looking at Katsuki like he’d grown a second head. They seemed to be contemplating on whether or not to take him seriously and it was beginning to piss him off.
Because he
didn’t
have a crush on Izuku, for crying out loud! He’d spent a lot of time with the boy but that was because he
had
to. And sure, he felt safe enough to admit, only in his
mind
, that the two were friends, but that didn’t mean he liked him as more than a friend!
Sure, he enjoyed Izuku’s company. Like,
really
enjoyed it. And maybe the blonde’s head would shoot up whenever he heard the faintest sound coming from somewhere near his door, in hopes it would be the boy with soft, messy green curls he called hair. Maybe his heart would jump at the sight of Izuku walking through that door, a stupid, definitely ugly and not completely heartwarming smile plastered all across his dumb looking face that Katsuki did
not
completely adore. And
maybe
he’d felt a little too nice that one time Izuku had massaged his wounds, asking the blonde if he was hurting him too much, or if he was feeling uncomfortable. Maybe he liked the way that Izuku had randomly found out he was ticklish, not knowing that Katsuki had
never
shared such facts with anyone else. And maybe he wouldn’t even mind if Izuku had chosen to continue tickling him, making the blonde’s stomach grow sore from all of the laughing he could have done.
Maybe
he liked the sound of Izuku’s voice and his laugh, displaying his perfect dimples in the center of his cheeks.
Maybe
he liked looking into Izuku’s eyes. The ones that perfectly resembled a beautiful lush forest with trees as far as the eye could see. A forest during the summer time as the sun fluttered through the leaves above, shining perfectly down onto the ground below. Maybe he enjoyed it a little too much. And maybe, just
maybe,
he loved counting the freckles on Izuku’s face, selfishly longing to graze his hands across that beautiful galaxy, feeling Izuku’s soft, warm skin under his fingers. Maybe sometimes he’d want to kiss those freckles. Each and every one of them, showing Izuku just how fucking
perfect
he-
Yeah. Yeah, okay. Maybe he had a little crush.
“Ugh, fine.” Mina grumbled, leaning her head on Kirishima's shoulder, pouting. “We came here to talk about you anyways! So, how’s it been? And don’t just reply with ‘
how the fuck do you think it’s going, Pinky?
’” She joked, receiving a bubble of laughter from the other friends in the room.
Katsuki was grateful to be quickly pulled out from his miserable realization. He did
not
want to think about the fact that he might have a crush but not a crush but could totally be a crush even though it literally isn’t but oh my god it is definitely a crush on Izuku Midoriya.
No. Not right now. Any time but now.
The blonde sighed, sitting up on the bed. He should be having a good time right now. His friends that he hasn’t seen for over two months are here, sitting right in front of him, wanting to talk, and
not
hating him, he may add. All while Katsuki is over here stupidly obsessing over
Izuku
.
“It’s boring here.” Katsuki replied, plain and simple. “The food is not terrible. The clothes aren’t
that
bad but everything’s just so plain and white that I really can’t stand it anymore. Deku comes and hangs out with me like everyday so things don’t get
too
boring around here. But that’s only because he
has
to. He hangs out with me because All Might said it’d be good. So stop filling your brains with whatever nonsense you're thinking.”
Surprisingly, his friends stayed quiet, allowing Katsuki to speak. When he was done, Kirishima was the first to speak. “Man, that sounds like it sucks. We were all going insane because we couldn't come here and check on you man. When the hell are you getting out of here?”
“I've been asking the same question. I don’t know…” Katsuki looked down for a moment, fidgeting with the sheets. He’d already asked a different version of the thoughts flowing in his head, but he wanted to be more clear this time. Without really thinking of how he should word it, Katsuki asked, “Why the hell aren’t you guys pissed at me or something? You came in here and acted like nothing happened. Aren’t you mad about what I did?”
His friends seemed to be completely shocked by this question. “Kats, is that really what you think?” Mina answered his question with another.
“Yeah man. Why do you think we’d be mad at you? What’s there to be pissed about?” Kirishima backed the girl up.
“We all make mistakes, Bakugo.” Sero added. “Take this idiot for example-” He pointed an accusing thumb at Kaminari. “Literally last week he got caught with Mineta trying to sneak into the girls hall after dark. That might be even
worse
than what you did.”
“Hey!-” Kaminari threw up his hands, embarrassed.
Katsuki scoffed. “But like, I literally went against
everyone
. I wanted to… I wanted to
hurt
you guys. I wanted to hurt everyone. I just don’t get it.” He didn’t
want
to feel so guilty and mad at his friends for forgiving him so easily, but he couldn't help it.
Kirishima placed a reassuring hand on Katsuki’s shoulder. The blonde met his eyes. “Hey dude. Don’t be so hard on yourself. We don’t hate you, okay? Promise. We’re just glad to have our friend back. And even if you were mad and wanted to do harm to us back then, it’s all in the past. You’re better now. I can see that you’ve learned your lesson. It’s gonna be okay man.”
Katsuki hated how Kirishima made things seem so simple. But he loved that his friend was able to not hold anything against him. But he
should
. Shouldn’t everyone? Katsuki did something bad, something unforgivable, and his friends were able to brush it off as some simple mistake.
‘We all make mistakes, Bakugo’
Yeah right. Not mistakes
this
big, he was sure.
“Hey, stop thinking so much about it.” Kirishima said, shaking him a little. “We’re being serious, Bakugo. It’s all good.” The red-head smiled at Katsuki, trying his best to brighten the mood.
Not having enough energy to think about the topic anymore, Katsuki sighed, trying his best to smile back at his friend.
“Woah-” Sero said randomly, grasping Kaminari's shoulder. “What the hell was that..?”
Katsuki looked up at the dark-haired boy, confused. He looked behind him to see what he could be talking about.
“Holy shit-” Kaminari added, gasping.
“Oi, what the fuck-?”
“That was the manliest smile I’ve ever seen, Bakubro…” Kirishima said, placing a hand on his chest as his eyes began to
literally
water.
“
Hah
-?”
Mina suddenly jumped forward and wrapped her arms around the confused blonde once again. “
Awwww
. Our little Bakugo is all grown up now!!” She squealed. Katsuki was too shocked at this point to shove the girl off.
What the fuck is happening.
“Shit man! I didn’t know you could smile like that…
And
seem like you actually felt bad for something! Maybe we should lock you up more often. Seems like you’re
actually
going soft…”
Katsuki finally realized what was happening and glared at his friend. “Fuck you guys.” He grumbled, looking at the wall on his left, Mina still hugging him. For some reason, the contact wasn’t unwelcome.
“Aww, I want a hug too!” Kirishima pleaded, jumping onto Katsuki as well.
“Wait-” He tried but it was too late, the friendly boy had already wrapped his arms around Katsuki on the opposite side of Mina.
“Me too!” Kaminari and Sero replied.
“I swear to god you little-!”
___________________________
The group of friends had hung out for longer than Katsuki could keep track of. They caught him up on most of the important things he’d been missing while he was gone. He enjoyed the variation of company, actually. It was nice having someone other than Izuku to talk to, not that he was complaining about the boy's company.
Katsuki missed his friends. He’d never say it
out loud
, but he felt safe enough to admit it silently to himself, even letting a few wholesome smiles escape his lips while they chatted on and on about almost everything.
When everyone had seemed to think they’d talked enough or there wasn’t much more to talk about, they began standing up. Katsuki looked outside the window and realized it had already gotten dark. They had literally been talking all day…
“Well, it’s getting pretty late man…” Sero was the first to speak up, stretching out his arms. “It felt so nice talking to you again Bakugo.”
He watched as his friends began to shuffle, signalling that it was time to go. He couldn't help but already start to feel lonely, the emotion hardly evident on his face, though.
“Aww, don’t miss us too much, Kats. We’ll be back soon, don’t worry!” Mina assured him, giving the blonde another squeeze before she got up. At this point, he allowed the pink girl to hug him, even if he didn’t reciprocate the gesture.
Everyone said their goodbyes and headed for the door. As the group of friends were now outside, Katsuki heard the very faint voice of Kirishima say, “Just one sec guys. I’ll meet you at the dorms in a little. See ya,” right before he closed the door and rushed back over to sit on the bed in front of Katsuki.
The blonde was confused so he waited for Kirishima to start.
“Okay. Now that it’s just us.. I’ve been meaning to ask you this all day.” The red-head started, grinning at Katsuki in a way that he
definitely
didn’t trust.
“Shitty Hair, what the hell are you about to ask me-”
“SoyouhaveacrushonMidoriya?” Kirishima blurted, the words coming out all at once that it was hard for Katsuki to interpret them.
However, it wasn’t hard for him to put two and two together, crimson eyes widening at the question. “
What?!
”
“Come onnn. No one else is here, Bakugo! Just tell me! Aren’t I your best friend?? Pleaseee.” Kirishima begged, his face pouting as he spoke.
Katsuki grimaced at the sight, looking away. Gosh, why did this topic keep coming up??
“Cut it out, Shitty Hair.” Katsuki said through gritted teeth.
“Ughh. Come on, what’s it gonna hurt to admit it, huh?” Kirishima continued, not giving up. “You
know
I’m right.” He bounced his eyebrows up and down and Katsuki rolled his eyes.
He really didn't know
what
to say. Because
did
he have a crush on Izuku? Katsuki didn't think he did. However, the thoughts swarming inside of his head earlier begged to differ. There were moments when Katsuki would catch himself thinking a little too deeply about the greenette, unsure of why, though. He never thought that he was capable of feeling that way towards someone; he never
wanted
to feel that way towards someone.
But it was like Izuku had just kept pulling him in somehow. It was like no matter how hard he tried these two months to not like hanging out with Izuku, the
more
he liked it.
Why did things have to be so confusing? Why did he have to be like this? Why did Katsuki have to fall for the one person that he could never have? Because Izuku
surely
didn’t feel the same. There was no questioning it. No one should gain feelings for someone who used to bully them. It’s impossible.
Then again, no one should gain feelings for someone they used to
bully
, so Katsuki wasn’t really sure
what
to believe anymore. He knew he liked Izuku. He knew he wanted to be his friend. But again, did he want
more
than that?
“Wow…” Kirishima said, looking at Katsuki’s conflicted expression with wide, shocked eyes.
Katsuki whipped his head to glare at the boy. “
What
.” He said, his tone sharp.
“Dude, are you like,
in love
with the guy or something?” Kirishima asked, his tone serious.
Katsuki scrunched up his face, crossing his arms. “No,
Kirishima
. I am not
in love
with Deku. I’m just…” He paused, thinking of the right words to say. “Feeling very…
conflicted
, that's all. So stop looking at me like that!”
The eyes that belonged to the boy sitting in front of Katsuki widened even further, his lips up-turning in a smile so wide, Katsuki was almost blinded by how white the sharp teeth were underneath. A loud, short laugh escaped his lips and Kirishima was quick to slap a hand over his mouth as looked at Katsuki in disbelief.
“Holy
shit
! Oh my god..! Baku-
Bakugo
. Oh my god. I knew it!
Hah
! I called it oh my god. Kaminari owes me 20 bucks bro, holy shit this can’t be
real
.” The boy began rambling, randomly grabbing onto his hair and looking everywhere but Katsuki.
The blonde began panicking himself, unsure of what the hell was happening.
“Shitty Ha-! Kiri-! Fuck, dude what the hell?! Stop acting like that! What is so funny?! And what the hell did ‘
you know
’? You don’t know shit!” Katsuki started shaking the boy in front of him, trying to knock some sense into him.
Kirishima gripped Katsuki's shoulders back, startling the blonde and making him let go. “Dude. This is ground-breaking. I can’t believe it. Are you like, deadass? Like, you actually
like
Midoriya? No jokes?”
“Oh my god! You’re not listening! I don’t like the nerd! Why can’t you get that through your head-!”
“Because look at you! You’re going insane! Whenever we mentioned him, you suddenly drift off into some other world, completely forgetting about what we were talking about! And it’s so obvious! Look at you. You’re so much more… I dunno. You’re way more
open
, I guess. Like you didn’t even try and push Mina off of you earlier when he was hugging you. And…” He hesitated for a moment, scratching the back of his head as he took his hands off of Katsuki’s shoulders. “And I think it’s kinda cute… y’know? The whole
‘enemies to lovers’
thing…”
“Holy fuck.” Katsuki actually shoved Kirishima this time, not bothering to be gentle.
“Ack!” The boy yelped in return, quickly balancing himself. “I’m just saying! I always thought you had a little crush on Midobro. You’re always gazing off at him whenever you get the chance. And you love to compare us to him.
Especially
when we’re sparring and stuff. Oh! And don’t think I didn’t notice the way you glanced at him back at training camp when I mentioned your food was good. It was like you were
begging
for him to be the person you can always cook for. It was completely hilarious.”
Shit. Now he really was too far gone. Because what the fuck. What the fuck what the fuck what the fuck what the
fuckkkkkkkkk
. Nononononononono
no
.
“
UGHH
.” Katsuki grumbled, slamming himself back onto the bed causing it to shake, starling Kirishima. “
Fucking hell
. You’re like Mina, y’know that? Why the fuck are you guys so similar? Fucking drama freaks.” He mumbled the last bit, dragging his hands down his face.
“So…” Kirishima said after a few minutes of allowing Katsuki to internally yell at himself. “What are you gonna do about it?”
The blonde quickly shot back up, looking into his friends eyes with pure disbelief. “
‘What am I gonna do about it’?
The fuck do you think?” He asked, his voice incredulous. “Absolutely
nothing
. What
can
I do about it, you asshole?”
“Uh… tell him?”
“Are you fucking stupid?!” Katsuki asked, flinging his arms in the air. “I can’t do that! It’s not like the nerd’s ever gonna like me
back
. There’s no way! I was a complete ass to him our
whole lives
. And he may act like he forgives me and wants to be my friend, but I just
know
the little fucker secretly hates my guts. There's no way he
doesn’t
. It just couldn't work out. And it
shouldn’t
work out. I don’t deserve him…”
“Come onnn.” Kirishima offered, leaning his head back for a quick second, dragging his words out. “You gotta shoot your shot man! I mean, look at me! I never thought Mina could ever like me back because I’m such an idiot, but here I am!”
Katsuki tilted his head, surprised. “Wait, you and
Pinky
? Like, you
actually
asked her out?!” The blonde leaned forward, intrigued that one of his friends actually had the balls to do something brave.
Kirishima beamed, his eyes widening in excitement. “Yeah man! Oh my god we didn’t even say anything earlier! It was this whole big thing dude, I wish you were there. So basically, about a week ago, I finally built up the courage to- wait! No no. This isn’t about me! Stop changing the topic!”
Katsuki sighed, rolling his eyes and leaning back, sad he wasn’t successful in distracting the red-head from the uncomfortable truth.
“What I’m trying to say is that you just need to go for it. Have some faith. And if he doesn't like you, I’m sure over time you can convince Midoriya to change his mind.”
“But that's the thing! If he doesn’t like me back, then I’m just gonna ruin everything! We were
just
getting better, man. I was finally starting to realize things. I was… I dunno. I was opening up to him! We were actually becoming…
friends.
Fuck, dude. We were getting so good… I don’t want to lose him.” Katsuki looked down, suddenly feeling a heavy weight fall upon his shoulders.
Why did he care so much about this dumb relationship? Why did his feelings have to be so impactful? Sometimes he wishes he could just go back to feeling nothing but anger; to feeling nothing but hatred for Izuku. It was so much more simple like that. Katsuki never had these aching throbs pounding against his heart whenever he thought about Izuku. He’d never felt like he was getting ripped apart just because he knew there was never a possibility that Izuku would like him back.
“Oh man, it’s worse than I thought…” Kirishima breathed out, watching Katsuki.
“Shut up dude. I’m serious. I don’t know what to do…”
“Look…” Kirishima said, trying to grab Katsuki’s attention. “There’s no reason that you guys can’t still be friends after you confess to him. And if he thinks it’s weird or whatever, then that’s his fault. But I think I know Midoriya pretty well to say that he isn’t the type of person to just run away from something he cares about. If he really cares about you and wants to be friends, then this shouldn’t be anything. I mean, he stuck around all this time, even when you were being a complete asshole…”
“Thanks, dumbass.” Katsuki scoffed, picking at the sheets.
“I'm just saying! If he was willing to go through all of that trouble, then what's the worst that could happen when he finds out you
actually
like him finally, even if it’s as more than a friend…?”
Katsuki didn’t know what to do. He really wanted to tell Izuku how he felt. He didn’t realize it at first, but now, talking to Kirishima and actually saying how he felt out loud felt so much better than bottling everything up and keeping it to himself. He knew it would be scary, but telling Izuku would feel like an infinite weight being lifted off his shoulders.
“Gosh, this sucks dude. Why the hell do feelings have to be so confusing? And why do I have to have
so many
of them??”
Kirishima tittered, “Yeah man. That’s what happens when you’re not angry at everything for no reason. It’s wild out here.” Katsuki rolled his eyes at the sarcastic remark.
Honestly, how bad could it be? It’s not like he was gonna do anything crazy. He’d simply tell Izuku how he was feeling, maybe imply that it would be totally okay for the boy to not feel the same way but also hint that he hoped he did. No harm in that, right?
Katsuki has learned a lot recently. He’s become a better person. Izuku should know that. Izuku should
see
that. He’s the one who helped Katsuki grow. And even though they may have had a rough past, what's stopping them from getting over it
together
? Maybe if Katsuki were to confess, he and Izuku could talk things out thoroughly. Maybe if they realized how much they liked each other and didn't want to lose one another, it would be much easier to talk about the past.
Perhaps Izuku could actually forgive him, instead of just saying he did for the sake of their friendship. And Katsuki would make it up to the boy. He would. He was already trying anyway. And as soon as he got out of this damn prison, he could show Izuku that even more. If the greenette would accept his feelings and like Katsuki the way he liked him, then the blonde would be able to prove he could be better from here on out. He’d work every day to show Izuku he was worth the boy's love and friendship, no matter what it took.
Maybe this wasn’t such a bad idea. If anything, Katsuki gets rejected and they go back to being strangers. He’d lived like that before, what's stopping him from doing it again? Things weren’t
completely
awful then…
Although the blonde said that, he knew he couldn't live without Izuku anymore. They’d gotten too close recently and Katsuki had grown too fond of the boy to ever want to leave him again.
If Izuku didn't like him back, he was sure that they could continue being friends. He would get over the silly little crush and move on, no one would get hurt. Everything would be just fine. Katsuki just had to believe in himself and hope for the best.
“Alright, Shitty Hair.” Katsuki said after a while. “Alright, fine. I’ll see what I can do.” He sighed, giving his friend a small smile.
“That's more like it!” Kirishima replied, patting Katsuki on the back. “Well, ima go now, it’s probably pretty late by now. It was great catching up with you man. We’ll all be back soon.” The boy stood up, smiling at Katsuki as he made his way to the door. “And don’t chicken out. You got this!” Kirishima said before closing the door behind him.
Yeah, of course. He got this.
What’s the worst that could happen?
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
🌼
About a month and a half later:
A month and a half of Katsuki slowly eating himself away inside, still unsure of how the fuck he’s going to confess to Izuku. He honestly thought he had it. He thought he fucking
had it
. He thought that expressing his feelings was going to be a walk in the park; like just another day spent between the two. It was so easy talking to Kirishima about how it couldn’t be that bad. It was so simple to look at himself in the mirror and say everything that he wanted to say.
Little did he know, telling that
actual
person that you’re head over heels for is a lot harder than it looks. Especially when that person is someone you spend almost all your time hanging out with.
It wasn’t like he
didn’t
try and talk to Izuku. He did try. For the most part. Maybe. Kinda…
Ehhh
??
Either way, it wasn’t
his
fault that the words never came out right. It wasn’t
his
fault that earth decided to make his stomach do one-hundred times more flips around Izuku now that he had confirmed his feelings for the boy. It
wasn’t his fault
. Okay?! It wasn’t!
Seriously though, why was everything so
complicated
?!??! Why did this stupid earth decide to give people all of these fucking emotions and then
not tell them what to do with it all
?!
Katsuki was better off yelling at people just because he felt like it. He hated this. It was too much and all completely
unnecessary.
Every time he thought he got the courage to finally spill his heart out, he’d look into those deep, green, forest eyes and forget everything he was going to say. Izuku wouldn't even make any kind of facial expressions. He’d literally stare back at the blonde, awaiting for his response. A response that never came.
“Er- You’ve got something… um, in your hair…” Katsuki would say, scratching the back of his neck before he ruffled Izuku’s curls a bit to make it seem like he removed the object that wasn’t even there.
It was like this every time. Izuku would look at Katsuki, simply
look
at him, and everything would fall apart. It was a nightmare. And currently, he’d actually had about one or two about it.
Nightmares where Izuku would look Katsuki in the eyes as he confessed, the greenette’s expression shifted more and more each second. He’d look at Katsuki and hate him, hate everything about the blonde. He’d hate his voice, his eyes, his hair, his face, his body,
everything
. Izuku would hate the way Katsuki acted. He would hate the words that spilled out of the blonde’s lips, even if those words were expressing how much Katsuki cared for and cherished Izuku.
The greenette would look at Katsuki in a way that was absolutely utterly
disgusting
. His face
scared
Katsuki. And after the blonde was done talking, in hopes that with each new sentence that came out of his mouth Izuku would change his mind; change the way he looked at the blonde, it never did. Izuku continued to look at him like he was an actual monster; like he couldn't
believe
Katsuki could ever even
dare
to say such nonsense.
And then he would walk away. Izuku would simply get up, turn around, and walk away, not once ever looking back. Katsuki would call out to him. He’d scream for Izuku to come back, he begged and begged knowing that it was no use. Izuku was gone. He was walking away, and Katsuki was the one hurting this time.
Just like he deserved. He deserved for Izuku to walk away. Katsuki was selfish and Izuku was not. Those nightmares weren’t there to make Katsuki feel bad. They were there to show him the truth. The truth about how he was a horrible person and Izuku had every right to hate and resent him for everything he’s ever done. They were the harsh truth and Katsuki just chose to believe it was his mind playing tricks on him.
Katsuki would wake up panting, grasping his shirt as he looked around the room frantically, hoping Izuku was still there, sitting next to him, listening to him pour his heart out, but this time listening to him, understanding him,
forgiving
him and not walking away.
Then Katsuki would realize it was the middle of the night and it was only another stupid nightmare. Just a stupid nightmare and nothing to worry about.
However, those
‘stupid nightmares’
were what was mostly keeping him from actually telling the truth. He knew it wasn’t good to keep this stuff bottled up. He knew he should just do what he told Kirishima he’d do. After all, Katsuki had felt almost ten times better when he just
admitted
he had a crush. Imagine how much better he would feel knowing that he told his
actual
crush how he was feeling.
He’d feel free. He’d feel lighter. He’d probably get more sleep too.
Or maybe not. Maybe he’d feel worse. Maybe everything would play out just like it did in the nightmares. Izuku would hate him, walk away, and never look back. Maybe it was better like this. Maybe Katsuki should just keep his mouth shut. It was better for him to suffer internally then lose someone he just gained. He didn't want to push Izuku away right as they were finally getting closer. He needed the boy in his life. Why would he go and ruin that all just because of his stupid feelings?
“Yo, dude.” Kirishima said, shaking him a bit, “I swear, all you ever do when I come in here is panic and clutch your hair like a madman. I mean, I know I’m the only one you’ve told about this but seriously, chill out dude.”
Katsuki, once again, ran his fingers through his hair, not even beginning to imagine how he probably looked right now. Hair disheveled, eye bags, fingernails ragged-looking, eyes wide like a crazed animal.
He’d made the very smart decision of choosing to not look in the mirror for about a week now, unsure of what it would do to him. Although now that he thought about it, choosing
not
to look in the mirror and witness the horror of a person he’s become probably wasn't the best idea. Maybe if he saw himself in this state he’d finally come to his senses.
And oh, what was Izuku thinking? Holy shit, Katsuki was a
mess
. How was he supposed to get Izuku to like him if he looked like a fucking maniac? There was no way that even Katsuki could look good in this state.
He tried his best to put on an act whenever the boy would visit him, but he was sure Izuku could see right through it. That was always something he was good at. Izuku could always tell if something was wrong with Katsuki.
“Okay, that’s enough.” Kirishima finally said, sighing as he lifted Katsuki off the bed, practically dragging the blonde near the direction of the bathroom.
Katsuki was too caught up in his thoughts to recognize the sound of running water coming from a sink. It was only then, when Kirishima dunked his head into freezing cold liquid that he realized what was happening.
“
ACK!
” Katsuki yelped, retreating his head from the sink, slamming into the wall behind him. The blonde clutched his chest, breaths coming out heavy as his wide eyes stared at their reflection in the mirror directly across from him.
Shit.
All while Katsuki looked at himself, now realizing he’d messed up big time, Kirishima stood next to the counter, his arms crossed as he tongued his cheek. He eyed Katsuki with an expression that said,
‘Now you see what I see. Pull yourself together idiot’
.
Katsuki built up the courage to walk closer to the mirror, never taking his eyes off of his face. When he was close enough to lean on the counter, Katsuki turned his head in all sorts of different directions, really taking in what he looked like.
He lifted his head up, rubbing a hand down his neck. His skin was getting kind of dry… Then he tilted his head down, looking at the ugly dark bags under his eyes. They were even more prominent when he looked at them from this direction.
Katsuki turned his head left and right, the red lines in his eyes obvious as he moved them to get a better look at the side of his face. Katsuki ran a hand through his hair again, this time slowly, lifting up the spikes over his forehead to see the slight creases from scrunching his face all of the time. His hair was not as pointy as before, the blonde realized. He should probably take a shower…
He traced one of his hands under his shirt, feeling over the muscles on his torso. He hadn’t worked out in a while so some things didn't feel as firm as before. The way he was acting now probably wasn’t helping either.
Fuck, he needed to pull himself together.
Suddenly, he received a not-so-friendly flick to the forehead. He whipped his head around to scowl at Kirishima, although the red-head seemed unbothered.
“You see?” He asked, his eyebrows raised in a way that made Katsuki almost feel
stupid
.
“Fuck you, Shitty Hair.” Katsuki grumbled, glaring at himself in the mirror.
“There he is!” Kirishima announced, giving Katsuki a firm slap on the back. “Now take a fuckin’ shower dude, and wash your face. I’ll be outside.” Kirishima did as he said, and proceeded to walk out of the bathroom. Katsuki was about to say he needed towels and new clothes but quickly stopped, realizing they were both on the counter in front of him.
He mumbled a few more insults to himself under his breath before removing his clothes, warming the shower up as much as he could before dipping under the boiling hot water. It was like burning his skin until it actually turned red was the best way to calm himself down. And it didn’t bother him so the blonde didn’t think there was anything wrong with it.
However, he did realize that the amount of heat he could tolerate had gone down slightly over the time he spent here. Perhaps being unable to use his quirk for so long was also taking some kind of toll on his body. Hopefully he wouldn't have to train even
more
when he got back to school and hero work…
___________________________
After Katsuki got out of the shower, he’d almost expected Kirishima to not be there, tired of the blonde’s confusing personality these days. Thankfully, Katsuki had gotten his life surrounded by people who just didn’t know when to walk away from things that had nothing to do with them. He wasn’t complaining, though. Not anymore at least.
He sighed, rubbing his spikes and feeling
much
more alive and refreshed.
“Aye! You actually look like a decent human being again!” The other spiky-haired boy said, looking up from his phone as Katsuki slammed the bathroom door shut.
Katsuki chose to flip him off, letting out a large sigh as he flopped onto the bed, shaking it. “I guess I feel better…” He reluctantly admitted, receiving a smirk and pat on the shoulder from Kirishima.
“So, any new thoughts flow into that fresh new brain of yours? Or did they wash out even more with the shampoo?”
Katsuki looked up at his friend with wide, disbelieving eyes. “
What
?! What the
fuck
did you just say, you little shit?” Somehow, this only made Kirishima buckle over laughing as he clutched his stomach.
Katsuki was left to sit there and stare at his friend like he’s never met the guy before. Because
damn
, did Katsuki really act that bad before? He knew the red-head was only joking but he had to have looked
somewhat
worse than he thought for Kirishima to think
that
.
“Man…” Kirishima finally said, catching his breath. “That was
priceless
.”
Katsuki rolled his eyes and brought his legs up to his chest, looking anywhere but in his friend’s eyes. “Yeah yeah. Go fuck yourself.”
“Okay, okay, but seriously. Have you figured anything out? Are you gonna finally tell him? You definitely look like you're in
much
better shape to do such a thing…”
The blonde chose to ignore yet
another
insult from his friend, taking in a deep breath before he looked at him. “I dunno…”
Because he honestly didn’t know. Sure, the shower felt amazing, and Katsuki
did
feel like more of a human being now, but that didn’t raise any ideas in his head as to how he was going to tell Izuku he liked him. That he
really
liked him.
He wasn’t about to back down now. Him and Kirishima had put too much effort into this to just throw everything out the window. And Katsuki was not a coward. He wasn’t
afraid
of his feelings. Sure, they were a bit…
odd
at times and there were so
many
of them, but that didn’t mean he was going to let them drive him completely insane.
He would be able to tell Izuku how he felt, and he would do it perfectly. Maybe so much so that he even convinced the other to like him back. That wasn’t so much to hope for, right?
He just needed a
little
bit more time. Maybe a few more days. Maybe not even that. Hopefully, by the time Kirishima left today, he would have finally come up with a plan and finalized it.
At first, Katsuki thought that just randomly blurting out the things on his mind was the way to go. Then, however, that plan kept playing over and over again in his head until he realized that by shouting out such random emotions, it was probably going to do nothing but scare Izuku away. So, he crossed that off the list of suggestions.
Next, he believed that maybe it would be better to wait until he got out of the prison, seeing as he would have more opportunities to make it up to Izuku if the boy didn’t like him back. However, the problem with that was that Katsuki would probably go insane before he got out of here and did something even
more
stupid that led Izuku to never talk to him again. And he needed the boy’s company if he wanted to make progress here.
And all of the rest of his ideas slowly just fell apart after that. Nothing seemed to work. Nothing felt like it would actually reach into Izuku’s heart and make him like Katsuki back. Everything always ended badly.
It ended with Izuku slowly getting up from his chair, never breaking eye contact with the blonde, and simply walking away, never a single word escaping his lips.
Or, he looked into Katsuki’s crimson eyes with disgust so strong, Katsuki could smell it. This scenario was the most replayed in his nightmares. He hated it. He hated the way Izuku would look at him. He hated the way those forest green eyes looked into his soul and made him feel like an absolute piece of shit.
Katsuki knew he was a piece of shit, he really did. But Izuku never admitted to that. He always forgave the blonde. He always looked at Katsuki like he was a hero, like a person worth sticking around. And Katsuki never understood it. He never understood why the person who got the worst of his treatment looked at him better than everyone else.
And it was these looks that sparked a tiny flame of hope inside his chest. A tiny flame that said he might actually have a chance. A tiny flame that said even if Izuku wouldn’t come through at first, Katsuki would be able to win the boy's heart over time. Izuku wouldn’t hate him, even after this confession. He wouldn’t look at the blonde any differently. And maybe, just
maybe
, if Katsuki was lucky, at the end of the day, Izuku would look at him with even
more
admiration and love than he did before.
That was also the great thing about Katsuki’s new found emotions. He discovered that when a person is actually capable of feeling more than just anger, they are able to put those other emotions to good use. Like, for example, believing that if he tried hard enough, Katsuki
would
get Izuku to like him.
Honestly, if he really wanted to try, he could think about this as a competition. He was competing for Izuku’s love. He was competing against all of the other fuckers trying to win Izuku over. Because the blonde knew there was
no way
that no one else had the same feelings as Katsuki. Izuku was just so naturally touching that there wasn’t any doubt in Katsuki’s mind that someone else was going to try and win the boy’s heart before him.
So, that's another reason things weren’t so bad for Katsuki. He loved a good challenge. He loved
winning
a good challenge. And that’s just what he was going to do. No doubt about it.
“You should probably start thinking about things soon, man. Especially if you want to tell him before you get out of here.” Kirishima said. Katsuki rubbed his head, burying his face in between his knees.
His friend was right. If Katsuki wanted to do anything, he needed to do it
someday
. He couldn't keep being so scared all the time. It was going to be okay, right? No matter what happened? If Izuku didn't like him back, Katsuki could also always try and still be friends. He’d get over this silly crush one day and he and Izuku could just be friends.
As long as he didn’t completely fuck everything up, it might be okay.
🍀
Katsuki seemed to only act more and more off as the weeks went by. Izuku knew that something was definitely up no matter how many times the blonde tried to tell him off.
Various answers like, “It’s really nothing, Deku,” or “Idiot, I’m fine. Stop fucking worrying all the time.” Sometimes Izuku would get close to the answer but it would still be a bit ambiguous like, “Nerd, I’m stuck in here all the time, how do you think that would start to affect
you
?”
He tried to not ask as much after that one. It made sense. Katsuki was there day and night, never given the chance to merely glimpse outside the door. Izuku could understand if that was starting to get to his head.
However, when Izuku walked into his room on a normal Monday afternoon to find Katsuki slumped over on his bed, gripping his blonde spikes like it was the only thing left, Izuku knew there was more to the problem.
That day, Izuku had previously asked All Might if it would be okay with him bringing in some activities that would keep the two occupied. Izuku had asked before if he could bring things in to keep them busy during the time spent together and it had never been a problem. Izuku being Izuku, though, he still asked every time just to make sure it would be okay. This time, he chose to bring a sketchbook and some pencils that the two could draw with.
Izuku had always loved drawing. It was one of the many things he did to pass the time or get his mind off things. The greenette guessed that it would also be a good thing for Katsuki to do while he was alone.
“Kacchan…?” Izuku started, slowly closing the door as he eyed the blonde nervously. He gripped the supplies in his hand as he walked closer to the bed.
A sniffle came from the boy in front of him.
Izuku wasn’t very close to the bed but he could see Katsuki shifting, probably trying to hide whatever he was just doing. However, Izuku knew that he wasn’t going to let it go this time. He rushed over to the blonde, dropping his things on the bed.
“K-Kacchan..!” Izuku said, slowly lifting his hand to press against the blonde's shoulder. “Kacchan are you okay? What happened? Are you… crying…?” Izuku leaned back a bit, wanting to give him space. He knew Katsuki wasn’t one to be okay with being so exposed to the people around him.
Suddenly, Katsuki uncovered his face and leaned forward towards the boy. Izuku was taken off guard, seeing as he wasn’t sure what the blonde was doing. Soon enough, strong, firm arms were wrapped around his waist and Izuku was left stunned.
Katsuki buried his face into his shoulder and Izuku could tell that the boy decided to let his tears fall out more, sniffing. Izuku almost started crying himself, never having seen Katsuki in such a vulnerable state before.
They hugged once, but that was only because Katsuki had seemed like he was mad about something. It was sort of the same as this… The blonde acted like he didn’t need anything but would quickly change his mind and wrap his arms around Izuku.
He wasn’t sure what to think of these moments. There was something about them that made him feel warm inside. It wasn’t exactly a
bad
warm, it was just confusing.
Izuku loved to hug people. He loved being able to comfort people by embracing them in such a way. However, hugging Katsuki was different. It was like he was made to hug him. Although he knew Katsuki wasn’t exactly the most
affectionate
person, there was so much care and vulnerability put into his hugs that Izuku couldn’t help but melt right into them.
It was amazing. He’d always wished Katsuki would hug him. Even when they were kids. He’d wanted to know what it felt like to be hugged by such an amazing person; by someone as talented as Katsuki. He’d imagined it’d be kind of rough, or awkward. He didn’t
want
it to be, but that was what always played through his mind.
He was
not
expecting the hug to do so much to him, but he wasn’t complaining.
The smaller boy wrapped his arms around Katsuki’s neck, also pushing his head into the crook of the other’s neck. He held Katsuki tight to him, never wanting to let go. Without knowing what he was doing at first, Izuku’s hands moved up the back of Katsuki’s head, slowly weaving through the blonde spikes.
He wasn’t sure what urged him to do such a thing, especially knowing the kind of person Katsuki was, but he did it anyway. And to his surprise, the blonde only squeezed him tighter, gripping onto the fabric of Izuku’s shirt.
“Izuku…” Katsuki said, albeit quietly. He was sure that if the blonde wasn’t directly next to his ear, he wouldn't have ever heard the name.
And oh, god, how he wanted to be called that every day. He wanted Katsuki to call him that every day. Izuku never knew how good it would feel to be called his real name by the blonde. It felt like an honor. Like he was so special for having someone as amazing as Katsuki say his real name. It was probably childish, but he didn’t care.
“K-Kacchan…?” Izuku whispered back, still hugging the boy. He didn’t really know what to do at this point.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Izuku.” The blonde said and Izuku’s heart wanted to burst. What was he sorry for? Did something happen? What did Izuku miss to cause the blonde to act in such a way?
“W-What for?” He asked, shifting his head on the boy's shoulder. “You didn’t do anything, Kacchan.” The boy clinging to him visibly tightened his grip and Izuku could feel the ragged movements in his shoulders as Katsuki silently cried in his shoulder.
What was he even supposed to do right now? Katsuki has never acted like this. Izuku never knew he
could
act like this. He wanted to help, he really did. But what the hell are you supposed to do with someone who’s never once expressed their emotions in any other form besides anger? And what are you supposed to do when that person doesn’t like it when people try to comfort them? So anything Izuku did would probably set the blonde off, right? Should he just let him cry? Should he stay silent? Should he run away? That seemed like a good idea sometimes. He could run away. He could remove himself from this situation. That way, he could forget it happened. He could forget the way hearing his own name from Katsuki’s mouth made him feel. He could run away from the way his heart was aching seeing Katsuki like this.
But Izuku knew he could never run away from the boy after this.
“I-” Katsuki began, hiccuping. “I don’t even k-know why I’m crying…” He let out a short, half-hearted laugh, burying his face in the crook of Izuku’s neck even more.
It tickled.
Izuku tried to smile as well on the boy’s shoulder, letting out a soft chuckle. “It’s okay… It’s okay, Kacchan.”
“I’m just…” Katsuki took in a sharp breath, trying to steady his breathing. “I’m just feeling… weird.”
Izuku nodded, rubbing his back. “I get it…”
“A-And, I just… I’ve been thinking.” Izuku pulled back despite how much he didn’t want to. He could feel Katsuki not wanting to let go either but Izuku wanted to face him so they could talk better. The blonde wiped his face, still sniffing. His nose and cheeks were red. His eyes looked more tired than usual. Izuku wondered if he was even able to get proper rest here.
“I guess…” Katsuki wouldn’t meet Izuku's eyes, as he was seemingly too busy staring at his hands and fidgeting with the fabric of his clothes. The blonde took a deep breath before he looked up and said, “I’m sorry.”
Izuku tilted his head, unsure how he was supposed to take that. “I’m sorry, for everything. For bullying you, for pushing you away, for acting like just a complete
asshole
.” He sniffed, never breaking eye contact. “I always said I hated you because you were weak; because you were nothing more than some quirkless loser that wasn’t going to get anywhere in the world. I said that I was so much better than you, I
acted
like I was so much better. When, in reality, I always knew you were so much stronger than me.
“You cared so much for other people. You care how they feel, how they act, and how they see things. That was just too much for me, I think. I never understood why everything else seemed more important to you, rather than your own self. I think it kinda made me mad…” The blonde scoffed, scratching the back of his neck and looking to the side.
“It made me mad that you didn’t see how important it was to care about yourself just as much as you care for other people. And that might sound stupid, but it’s what I thought. I… I wanted to protect you.” Katsuki’s voice got quiet as he went on. “And the only way I thought I could do that was by pushing you away. I believed that if you stayed away from me; someone who only brought trouble wherever I went, that you would be safer. You didn't have a quirk and I was scared that one day I might not be able to protect you…”
Izuku had no idea what to say. Because
what
? Katsuki
cared
about him? He
always
did, even when they were kids? There's no way. There can’t be. He knew that the blonde was weird with the ways he expressed his affection but
seriously
?
“Look, I know that doesn’t make any sense. I know that none of that can make up for how I acted, I’m not an idiot.” He sighed, biting his lip. “But I just needed to say it, okay? I just wanted to tell you so that I could stop going insane all the time and acting like I don’t actually want to be your friend. It’s so hard nowadays to act like I don’t enjoy the time spent with you as much as I really do. It’s so hard to act fine when you have to leave. I hate keeping these feelings inside.
“And I used to not. I know that before this whole incident, I would’ve been completely fine with hating every moment with you. But now, after all these months. I just
can’t
. I can’t hate the time spent with you. I
want
to be your friend and I’m not scared to say that.”
Oh.
Oh this…
This is everything he’s ever wanted. Those words were all Izuku needed to hear. There was no going back. He didn't need anything and he wasn’t sure how he
ever
needed anything other than this. Because
oh my god
. Katsuki wanted to be his friend. He didn’t hate the time they’d been spending together.
Izuku did it. He made him happy. He proved he was worth Katsuki’s time. He proved that he was worth being friends with. Izuku
proved
himself and it was the greatest thing he’s ever done.
“H-Hey wait-” Katsuki said frantically, searching Izuku’s face. “No, no. Wait- Why are you crying…?! Ah- Shit, no. De- Izuku wait…” He cupped the boy's face in his hands, looking into his moist, forest green eyes.
Izuku’s lips quivered as he sniffed, smiling through the tears. This took Katsuki off guard as he wiped away Izuku’s tears, holding his face. He frowned, letting out a friendly
‘tch’
as he backed up and looked away, taking back his hand.
Izuku looked down at his lap, fidgeting with his fingers. His cheeks were growing sore because his smile just wouldn’t go away. He honestly didn’t care, though. Everything was going to be so much better from here. He knew it.
“Sorry, I just…” Izuku began, biting the inside of his cheek. “I mean, I know it may sound weird but… but that’s probably the one thing I’ve always wanted to hear. I could care less about anything else if it meant you wanted to be my friend.” He looked up at Katsuki, his eyes full of honesty.
The blonde stared back into his eyes and Izuku wasn’t sure what he should do. He looked at Izuku in a way he just couldn't describe. Katsuki looked at Izuku like he wasn’t human, but not in a bad way. It was like the blonde was seeing something so out-of-this world for the first time that he couldn’t express it.
Izuku could feel the emotions in his eyes. He could see how much better Katsuki felt after saying all of this. He could finally see how much the blonde cared. He finally felt like he could read whatever was hiding behind those crimson eyes.
It didn’t last long, however. Izuku still guessed that it would be hard for the boy to express his emotions clearly, even if it was better than before. Katsuki cleared his throat, wiping his own face once more. “So…” He eyed the book next to Izuku. “What's that?”
Izuku looked down at the book and pencils beside him, his brain finally remembering what he’d come in here to do in the first place. “Oh!” He reached over and grabbed the supplies. “It’s a sketchbook! And some pencils…” He handed a pencil to Katsuki, opening up the book. “I thought maybe this time, we could draw? I always like drawing to relieve my stress or pass the time. I asked All Might and he said it’d be okay for you to keep this in here and draw whenever you get too bored.”
Katsuki fidgeted with the pencil in his fingers, inspecting it like it was something new to him. “Huh. Thanks…” He replied, a half-smile playing on his face as he looked at Izuku for a quick second.
The greenette smiled back, nodding as he opened the book. “Can I… draw you?” He asked, swallowing nothing as he brought the led of his pencil closer to the page.
“Sure…” Katsuki said, leaning his head on one of his hands.
Izuku then made himself comfortable on the bed, getting into a position that would allow him to draw better. He looked back and forth from Katsuki’s face to the paper, never once missing the way the blonde stared at him. The way his hooded eyes looked deep into Izuku’s whole being, as if he was absorbing him through that gaze. Katsuki’s crimson eyes burned just as hot as the blood creeping up Izuku’s face, painting his soft cheeks with a pretty color that matched.
It made him nervous. It made him want to make this drawing just as perfect as Katsuki’s face. He wanted to perfectly reciprocate all of his features into this drawing so that whenever he wanted, Izuku could look back and feel like the blonde was right next to him.
He wasn’t really sure
why
he wanted it to be so perfect, he just knew that he did. It needed to be exactly like the blonde, in every way possible. He had to bite his lip to hold back the smile that was begging to show, not wanting to seem like an absolute creep.
“Almost done?” Katsuki randomly asked after a while of silence. Izuku almost jumped at the sound of his deep, velvety voice, the sound like music to his ears.
To keep from saying anything embarrassing, he simply nodded, finishing the last strokes of Katsuki’s spiky hair.
Finally, he let out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding and put the pencil down beside him, slowly handing the book back to Katsuki.
“Wow…” Was all Katsuki replied with, holding the book in his hands as his eyes traced over it. His eyes widened as he took in Izuku’s work. It only made the greenette more proud.
“Do you like it?” Izuku asked, his head now resting in his palm as he leaned forward to get a better look at Katsuki’s face.
The blonde looked up and into Izuku’s eyes. Izuku was almost completely convinced that he saw those small flames in Katsuki’s eyes drift down to his lips for a slight second before up to his eyes again.
“Yeah…” Katsuki said breathlessly as he grinned, looking back at the drawing. “Yeah, I love it… Now let me draw you, nerd.” Katsuki said, flipping the page.
Izuku smiled, resting back on the wall behind him on the bed. He watched Katsuki’s hands as they moved effortlessly on the page. He also realized that he never thought Katsuki was one to draw. He knew that he’d brought the sketchbook in here so that the blonde could draw sometimes but he didn’t actually know if he would like that. Izuku was eager to see how the drawing would turn out. He wanted to see what Katsuki’s beautiful hands could create with that pencil and paper.
A while passed by before the blonde looked like he was almost done. The whole time, Izuku had stared at Katsuki’s hands and then back up at his face when the blonde would look up. He loved the way Katsuki scanned his features, wanting to make everything perfect as well. It made him not feel as weird knowing that Katsuki was probably doing the same thing.
Of course the blonde probably didn't want to make it so perfect to the point where he could look at it and not feel lonely anymore. That was probably just Izuku. Because why would someone as perfect as Katsuki want to remember Izuku’s face? Why would he want to recreate it so that when the real thing wasn’t there, it wouldn’t be so bad?
Izuku wasn’t even sure why he wanted to do that. Maybe he was weird. Maybe Katsuki was fine with looking over Izuku and memorizing his details. Maybe that was something he did. Maybe, even when he was angry, Katsuki liked to observe people and memorize them. Perhaps he even used to find their weaknesses. That was probably something useful during battle, right?
Shit, Izuku sure did feel weak right now.
“Done.” Katsuki said, interrupting his thoughts. Izuku quickly shook himself internally, making sure he didn’t seem off. He felt sad, missing the way Katsuki’s eyes glazed over him. A boy could dream…
“Here…” Katsuki placed down the pencil, gripping the book a little before handing it to Izuku. “It’s not… the
best
. I’m a little rusty so it probably doesn’t look that good… I swear that if it’s ass that’s not actually what you look like, okay?”
Izuku couldn’t hold back his smile. Because Katsuki wanted it to look
perfect
? He wanted Izuku to know that even if it wasn't a good drawing, that he still looked better than that? Did Katsuki think he looked good? The greenette flipped over the book, his eyes immediately scanning over the drawing.
He wanted to die a little.
“Yeah, fuck. I knew it was gonna be shit…” Katsuki grumbled, rubbing a hand over his face.
Izuku quickly looked up at the blonde, his eyes widening. “
What
?! Kacchan…!” He said in a rush, looking from the page to Katsuki. “This-
This
is what you think I look like?!” He asked, flabbergasted.
“Ugh, no! I told you that if it looked like shit that it wasn’t actually what you looked like!” The blonde argued, looking to the side.
Izuku was shocked. “Wait-
what
? No, no! Kacchan, this is
amazing
! I’m just shocked because I can’t believe
this
is how you see me…!?”
This seemed to get Katsuki's attention. “You- you
like
it? And wait, what do you mean? Have you
looked
in the mirror?” Katsuki asked, an incredulous look playing on his face. “Deku, you’re like…” The blonde bit his lip, presumably unsure of how he should word things. “Fuck, you’re
beautiful
…”
Izuku was sure that if his eyes could widen any further, they would. “I’m…” He started, confused if he’d heard the blonde’s words correctly. “I’m
beautiful
?”
The blonde groaned, flopping back onto the bed and covering his face with his arm. “Never mind, forget it.”
Izuku pouted, frowning. “Kacchan! Nooo, come on. Are you being serious? Is that actually what you think?!” He placed down the book, leaning forward to lay beside Katsuki.
The blonde turned on his side, avoiding Izuku. “Hey...! Kacchan, come onn.” He pleaded.
“No! Go away, loser!” Katsuki replied, his tone sounding annoyed but Izuku knew he was just bluffing.
Izuku wrapped his arms around the blonde's waist, pushing his face into his back. “
Kaaaaachaaaaan
.” He dragged out, tugging on the boy.
“Ughhhh,
go away
!” Katsuki squirmed in his grasp, trying to weakly remove Izuku’s hands.
“Nooo. Come on, say it again! Say it one more time! Pleeeeease??” Izuku said, a light giggled escaping his lips.
He was probably enjoying this too much. Izuku had basically just become friends with Katsuki and he was already getting this close and used to the interactions. However, he really didn’t care. This was probably the only thing he’d ever
truly
wanted, besides from becoming a great hero.
Izuku had always wanted to be able to talk to and hug Katsuki without feeling like a loser. He wanted the blonde to be okay with talking to him and hugging him and being close with him. And finally, now that he got it, Izuku wasn’t going to let it get away.
Suddenly, Katsuki turned over on his side, now on the one facing Izuku. He placed his own hand on Izuku's waist. Izuku’s eyes widened at their sudden close proximity, the blonde’s face only a few inches away from his. He pulled in his hands to his chest, looking into Katsuki’s eyes, unsure of what to do.
“You’re beautiful, Izuku.” Katsuki said, his face firm and honest. “And I’m so sorry that I acted like I hated you and like you were worthless when, honestly, you’re the greatest thing I’ve ever known.” He looked down, his hand gripping gently onto Izuku’s shirt on his waist as he scoffed. “And you were worried about yourself sounding cringey… Man, feelings make people so sappy, huh?” He looked back up at Izuku, a smile on his face that seemed half-hearted.
Izuku’s lips slowly up-turned into a smile, his cheeks flushing. “You’re so
cheesy
, Kacchan!”
“Ugh, shut up. I know…” Katsuki said, his smile now a little bit more full of real happiness.
“But it's okay.” Izuku added. He felt it was necessary. “I forgive you, okay Kacchan? Don’t beat yourself up anymore. Don’t ever think that I don’t like you or that you don’t deserve to be my friend. I promise I don’t hold anything against you. I swear on All Might.” He smirked, wanting to cheer the boy up.
“Tsk, alright you nerd.” He ruffled Izuku’s curls, smiling.
After that, the two sat up and continued to chat for a few more hours. When Izuku finally left, his cheeks hurt. He hasn’t been this happy since… hell, he can’t even remember.
He was finally friends with Katsuki. He finally felt like things were going to get much,
much
better from here.
___________________________
The next day, Izuku already knew what he was going to do. He knew that Katsuki had loved the walk they went on before. He wanted to do that again. And now, he felt as if it would be ten times better, knowing they could actually call each other friends now.
So, Izuku waited all day, feeling a bit bad that he never told Katsuki he wouldn’t be visiting him. However, it would all be worth it later. Izuku went about the whole day, trying to hide his excitement.
However, he was caught just as he was about to go up the stairs and into his dorm room. “What’s got you so cheeky today?” Ochako came up beside him, startling the boy.
“Oh-!” He said, laughing nervously. “Um, it’s n-nothing!” He rubbed his neck sheepishly.
Ochako narrowed her eyes at him. “Hmmm. I know that look. What’s going on, ‘Zuku? You got a crush on someone or something?”
Izuku’s eyes widened and he waved his hands in front of him, “What?! No! Of course not, it’s just…” He scratched his head, his face scrunching up. “Well, Kacchan… Um… We’re…”
Ochako’s eyes widened as she slapped a hand over her mouth. The brunette gave no warning before she grabbed Izuku’s wrist and dragged him the rest of the way up the stairs and into his room.
“Ack!” He yelped as she threw him onto his own bed, slamming the door. “Ochako-!”
“
Explain
.” She stated firmly, sitting on his desk chair.
“W-What?! Explain what?!”
“
Yourself
, dummy! What the hell else do you think?” She said, waving her hands in the air.
“B-But, I didn’t
do
anything?! Why are you so worked up?” His eyebrows furrowed as he tried to find out what got the girl so riled up.
“
Izuku Midoriya
.” He said, causing the boy to tense up. He knew she wasn’t joking when she used his full name.
“Y-Yes…?” He said quietly.
“How? How did this happen? When, where, why, just-
how
?!” She waved her hands around her head. She stared at the floor like a crazed animal and Izuku had no idea what to do.
“What do you
mean
? I never even said anything! You just dragged me in here-”
“Yeah, for a
good reason
!!” She interrupted him. “‘Zuku, how can you just drop a bomb like this and not expect me to react this way?!”
Izuku was growing stressed himself, honestly so lost at this point. “
Ochako
.
You
better explain yourself because I seriously have no idea what you’re going on about.”
“
Ughhh
. Isn’t it obvious? I’m surprised! Were you just planning on never telling me you guys were dating now? Were you gonna act all cheesy and happy until I confronted you like I did? I thought you trusted me! Why didn’t you say something??”
Izuku gaped at the girl. “Ochako
WHAT?!
” Izuku screeched, his voice raising a few octaves. “What the
hell
are you thinking right now? Dating
who
?! I never said I was dating anyone!!”
The girl seemed confused, as if Izuku was the crazy one here. “Huh? What do you mean?”
“No, what do
you
mean??” Izuku snapped back, pointing an accusing finger at her.
“You said you guys were dating! When I asked why you were so happy, you said that you and
‘Kacchan
’ were dating! Am I wrong?”
“Yes! You couldn't be
more wrong
, Ochako! You never even let me finish my sentence. I was
going
to say we were
friends
now, not dating!”
The girl's expression completely changed, her lips pursing as her face scrunched. “Ohhh.” She said, scratching her brown hair. “You see… That honestly makes a lot more sense. I was gonna ask how you suddenly went from hating each other to dating…”
Izuku gaped at her once more. How did she even
think
that?! Izuku didn’t like Katsuki! And how could she even say that knowing the type of person Katsuki was. How could she ever think that the blonde was the type of person that liked Izuku?
It’d taken them this long to say they were friends anyway...
“Hah, well this is embarrassing…” She said, letting out a sarcastic puff of air from her mouth.
Izuku glared at her, his expression still shocked. “You little…” He began.
“Hey! Don’t look at me like that, I’m sorry!”
Izuku was already in the process of gripping his pillow as hauling it at the girl, a bit of One For All powering his throw.
“Ack!” She yelped, covering her face.
___________________________
As nighttime rolled around, Izuku waited until it was absolutely quiet outside of his door before sliding it open just enough to squeeze out, making his way to the stairs. He’d done this once before so he wasn’t
too
nervous, but it was still a little bit sketchy.
Izuku made his way down to the dark common rooms and to the exit. Once he was successfully outside the building, he let out a breath, happy he’d made it this far.
The rest of the way to the medical building was easy. He just had to keep an eye out for anyone who might be walking or patrolling around campus. Izuku was a bit confused as to why they left the medical building unlocked during the night, seeing as
anyone
could just walk in, but he chose to keep it to himself. He didn’t want to risk losing moments like these he could spend with the blonde, letting him have more fun than he could being stuck in that plain room.
He walked down the long halls until he finally found himself at Katsuki’s room. He was also a bit confused about why they left
his
door unlocked, but again, he wasn’t going to tell anyone and risk these moments being stolen from them.
Izuku slowly inched the door open, catching a small glimpse of Katsuki’s light breathing on the bed in the far corner. He was happy that he didn’t have to worry about the boy jumping out of nowhere and attacking him this time.
Izuku walked over to the bed, careful not to make too much sound. He wasn’t sure if there were cameras or microphones in here so he didn't want to be too rowdy.
“
Kacchan
.” Izuku whisper-shouted, tapping Katsuki on the shoulder as he kneeled in front of the bed.
It took the blonde a moment to stir in his sleep, turning on his side to face Izuku. “Mmmm,
whaaaat
?” He mumbled, his eyes still closed.
Izuku chuckled, poking him on the chest again. “Wake uppp.” Izuku replied.
The blonde turned once more, burying his face in the pillow. “
Go away, All Might.
”
“Kacchannn. It’s me, Deku.” He tried. Maybe if he specified who it was, the blonde would be more willing to get up.
Thankfully, this did get a reaction out of the boy. He lifted his head up from the pillow, snapping it to look at Izuku’s poorly lit face. “Izuku?” He asked, his voice deep and sleepy.
The boy gulped, still not used to hearing that name roll off the blonde’s tongue. “Y-Yeah… It’s me.” He replied, quieter and more nervous this time.
Katsuki sat up more on his bed, crossing his legs and rubbing his face. “Ughhh.” He groaned, scratching his head. “What are you doing here…?”
“I was hoping we could… Go for another walk…? Of course if that’s asking too much then we don’t have to-”
“Really?” Katsuki asked, interrupting him.
Izuku nodded, looking up at the boy. He was still kneeling on the floor in front of Katsuki’s bed. “Yeah, do you want to?”
Katsuki nodded multiple times. “Yes! er- um, sure. Yeah, that sounds fun.” He cleared his throat, looking to the side.
Izuku chuckled, standing up. “Okay, tough guy.”
“Hey-” Katsuki began to protest, following Izuku to the door.
They both checked carefully that there was no one in the hallway before walking out. Izuku had an idea about where they were going to go this time so he wasn’t nervous. They made it out of the building and started walking in the direction of the school.
“Where are we going? Or are we just gonna wander again?” Katsuki asked, walking beside Izuku.
“I wanted to take you to the pond. Have you ever been?” Izuku replied, looking up at the blonde as they walked.
Katsuki shoved his hand in his pockets. “We have a pond?”
Izuku let out a puff of air from his mouth. “Yes, Kacchan. We have a pond.”
“Huh.” The blonde scoffed as they continued walking. “And why are we going to see a pond?”
“Well, I had nothing else in mind. And I like coming here sometimes to look at the fish.” He said as they arrived at the school's small pond.
“Tch, that sounds cheesy as fuck.” Katsuki replied, looking down at the water like he didn't trust it.
“Pft, whatever Kacchan. Would you have preferred to stay inside that room all day?”
The blonde shot Izuku a playful glare. “Alright, alright. My bad.” He waved his hands innocently.
The truth was, Izuku
did
enjoy coming here. He loved sitting at the edge of the pond and watching the fish swim through the water. They seemed so peaceful, like nothing could ever go wrong.
There were these two specific black and white coy fish that Izuku loved to watch swim around with each other. They seemed so calm and free. As free as one could get in an enclosed body of water, that is. Sometimes he’d sit here for hours, watching the ripples in the water, watching leaves drift from trees and onto the surface.
There were other fish in the pond, he knew that. A variety of different colored coy fish, but Izuku only cared for the black and white ones. They brought him a sort of comfort that he couldn't describe. He’d been sitting here for so long that, in some ways, the two fish reminded him of himself and Katsuki. It may sound dumb, but Izuku could place the pieces together, noticing how they were complete opposites.
Black and white. Izuku and Katsuki. Two completely different colors, and two completely different people. It was kind of a sad thought, and Izuku wasn’t exactly sure why he’d always thought about it, but he did. He thought about the fact that if the two colors were to ever mix, or come too close in contact, the black would completely take over. It would outshine the white, leaving nothing left over.
Sure, perhaps they’d mix, and create a sort of gray color, but Izuku knew that everyone would always know black was on top. They’d look and notice the more defined color before they even thought twice about acknowledging him.
Perhaps that’s why they never got along, until now. They were black and white. Whenever they’d tried to work together or simply interact, that gray color would engulf them, and Katsuki would always try to take over. It was a cycle they were always bound to repeat.
And after his thoughts started to trail to this sad side, Izuku would realize he was looking too deep into things; overthinking. He would usually leave after this point, not wanting to think about what could’ve been.
“So… What? You just sit here and watch the fish swim around? Seems kinda boring to me…” Katsuki shrugged, his hands in his pockets as Izuku kneeled down next to the pond.
“It’s not
boring
, Kacchan.” Izuku rolled his eyes, still watching the coy. “It’s comforting. Not a lot of people come here that I know of, so I can sit here and enjoy the quietness whenever I feel like it.” He dipped his fingers in the water, the fish scurrying away from his touch. “It’s not always about how something looks on the outside. It's more about how that thing makes a person feel on the inside. You know?”
Katsuki nodded quietly. “Yeah. I get it…”
After a minute or so, the blonde shifts closer to Izuku, glancing down at the water. “Hey. This water’s not… poisonous or anything right?”
Izuku tilted his head, pulling his hand back to rest on his knees. He looked up at the blonde. “What? No, of course not. The fish have to li-” Izuku began to explain before his entire body was surrounded by a freezing liquid, his lungs gasping for air.
“KACCHAN!” Izuku shouted as he resurfaced. The pond only made it up to his chest but it was
freezing
. His curls were heavy against his head as he glared up at the blonde boy laughing away on
dry
land.
“Shhhh.” Katsuki had the audacity to say, clutching his stomach as he did his best to quiet his laughter. “Stop splashing so loud! You’re gonna alert someone!!” He waved his hands at Izuku, his eyes squeezed shut.
Izuku shot the boy a look of pure shock, not knowing what to even do. “You
jerk
!” He whisper-shouted. “Get in here!” He flung some water Katsuki’s way, getting on the boy’s pants.
“Oi!” He jumped. Izuku’s words seemed to surprise Katsuki, as if he was offended the boy would even suggest such a thing. “You’re
insane
. No way am I getting in that freezing ass water.” He scoffed, looking at the water like he was judging it.
“Kacchan! You pushed me in here! You have to get in now!” Izuku protested, making his way to the ledge so he could push himself out. His clothes clung to his body, the wind blowing around him only making things worse.
“Like
hell
I do! That’s your problem you got pushed in, not mine!” Katsuki started backing up from the pond, seeing Izuku make his way towards the edge of the water.
Izuku finally managed to get himself out of the water and sit on the edge as he clutched his sides, shivering. He pouted as his eyebrows furrowed. There was no
way
he was letting Katsuki get out of this one. He just had to think of how he could get back at him.
Noticing his sullen expression, Katsuki looked at Izuku’s hunched over figure, his hands still in his pockets. “Come on Deku. Don’t be like that…” Katsuki began to walk towards him. The boy could tell he was being careful, unsure if this was all just part of an act.
Finally, once he felt it was safe enough, he sat on the edge next to Izuku, kicking the water with his feet. “Hey… Look, I’m sorry. I didn’t think-”
Izuku used all the force he could to shove Katsuki into the freezing cold water. It was surprising how easily tricked the blonde was.
As Katsuki resurfaced, Izuku let out his own wave of giggles. “Pffft, you’re so predictable, Kacchan!”
“Oh, you little
shit
. Get your ass over here.” Katsuki began to trudge his way towards Izuku. The greenette’s eyes widened and he tried to crawl back on the gravel. However, thanks to himself already being soaking wet, his body slipped against the small rocks as he fumbled to move away from the blonde.
“Ack! No, no. I’m sorry…! Kacchan wait-!” Izuku tried as sturdy hands wrapped around him, hauling him back into the pond.
“
Hrghk-!”
Izuku coughed, wiping his hair away from his face. “Augh, I
hate
you, Kacchan!” He said, pushing the boy’s chest in a playful manner. It took Izuku a moment to realize the blonde still had his hands on Izuku.
He looked up at the blonde, only to find him staring back, his eyes filled with something Izuku couldn’t quite pin-point. He took this moment to admire Katsuki’s form. It was almost unfair how perfectly the light reflected off of Katsuki’s perfect skin. His spikes were flatter due to the water, but his hair still seemed to stick up a bit. Katsuki’s plain white shirt clung to his toned body and Izuku could see his shoulder muscles through the moonlight hitting his back.
He was beyond perfect. It was like Katsuki was sculpted by the gods himself. Izuku always knew why he admired Katsuki. He loved his determination. He loved how the boy always got what he wanted. But he’d begun to realize these days that the boy was more than just his confidence.
He really had everything.
Katsuki had the looks, the skill, the popularity. All of it. It was all Izuku could ever hope and dream for. He almost felt a bit special to be gifted with these moments. He wasn’t sure anyone had ever been this close to the blonde and allowed this much of a view without being exploded to death.
Izuku rolled his eyes, trying to push off the boy’s chest. “Urgh, let go. You’ve dunked me enou-”
“Is it bad that I kinda wanna kiss you right now?” The blonde asked, interrupting Izuku.
“Ah-
what
?” His eyes widened and he stopped trying to get away for a moment, unsure if he heard Katsuki correctly.
“I don’t know…” The blonde replied, his hands moving ever-so-slightly on Izuku’s waist. The action sent shivers up his spine. “I’m just looking at you right now and I just… I don’t know.”
Izuku blinked a couple
hundred times
because holy hell. What was happening. He didn't think he was hearing things correctly. There was no way Katsuki had just said he wanted to
kiss
him. He wasn’t sure if this was a dream or a nightmare.
“Where is this even coming from…” Izuku trailed off, his hands lightly gripping onto the front of Katsuki’s shirt. He wasn’t sure why he hadn’t pulled back yet. He wasn’t sure why Katsuki had said those words. He wasn’t really sure of anything at this moment.
Katsuki brought a hand up to cup Izuku’s cheek, the other still placed on his waist. The greenette gulped, watching Katsuki’s eyes the entire time. Those beautiful rubies flicked from Izuku’s eyes down to his lips.
He felt as if time had actually stopped.
This wasn’t happening. This couldn’t be happening. Izuku was dreaming. He was having a nightmare. He was sleeping in his bed, alone, dry, and with a blanket over his body. Izuku was not outside, in a pond, soaking wet and about to be kissed by Katsuki Bakugo.
Soft, tender lips pressed against his own, moving slowly and delicately, like they were scared he might break. Izuku’s eyes were wide open and he stood there, numb. His grip unconsciously tightened on Katsuki’s shirt and his shoulders tensed up as the boy’s lips moved against his own.
Oh god. He wasn’t dreaming, huh?
He had no idea what to do. Should he kiss him back? Should he just stand here like a fool, not doing anything? Should he shove the boy off and make a run for it? There were definitely pros and cons for each of these suggestions.
For the first one, a con would be that he might not like it. Izuku might play into it and realize he was making a huge mistake. A pro would be that he would literally be kissing
the
Katsuki Bakugo. The guy that everyone fan-girled
and
fan-boyed over. The absolute, most perfect person in the whole world.
Suggestion number two was a major con because he’d just seem like an idiot. How could he stand there, eyes wide and confused as Katsuki kissed his soft lips? It’s honestly just rude. However, if he did just stand there, he could have every reason to explain to Katsuki that he had no idea what to do. That he wasn’t sure if he even wanted this.
Lastly, if Izuku chose to run away, how the hell was he ever going to show his face to Katsuki again? Surely the blonde would be embarrassed that he pulled such a stunt, only to have the boy run away in fear. And Izuku probably wouldn't ever gain the strength to face him again. But then again, if he ran, he could get away from this. He could pretend it never happened. He could go back to the dorms, sleep, and act like it
was
just a dream.
However, Izuku was a fool. Which is why he found himself standing on his toes, wrapping a hand around the back of Katsuki’s neck, pulling their faces even closer. His lips moved in a beautiful rhythm with Katsuki’s that he almost felt ashamed to even
think
about running away from this.
The blonde’s lips were so soft and gentle that Izuku felt like he was getting sucked in. He’d expected a kiss from Katsuki to be rough and rushed (not that he’d ever imagined kissing the blonde or anything like that…)
Katsuki gripped Izuku’s waist tighter, pulling Izuku’s body against his own. He let out a slight gasp at the action and the blonde took this as a key to nip at his bottom lip. It shocked Izuku for a second and a light wave of some unfamiliar feelings flowed all the way up from his toes and into his heart.
He twisted his fingers through Katsuki’s blonde, damp spikes while his other hand rested on the boy’s chest. The kiss
was
gentle at first, but slowly their pace increased and their lips moved more frantically against each other.
Katsuki licked and nipped at Izuku’s lips like he was a starved animal. Izuku was sure they’d be swollen later on but he couldn't bring himself to care. He also couldn’t bring himself to care about the fact that the way Katsuki's kissed him made Izuku think the blonde had wanted this for some time. The way he kissed so deeply into Izuku’s lips led the boy to believe that it wasn’t just a random
“I don’t know
”. Katsuki had wanted this for a while. It was obvious.
But once again, he didn’t care.
All Izuku could think about was the beautiful boy clinging to his body right now. Katsuki kissed him, and he acted like he really meant it. It wasn’t exactly what Izuku had planned when he brought the blonde out here.
He’d wanted him to have a good time. He wanted Katsuki to stop being so sad all the time. This was far from anything he’d ever imagined. At least Katsuki seemed to be having a good time.
Right?
Suddenly, the blonde pulled back, still holding onto Izuku’s face. He’d be an idiot to ignore how his body responded to this, inching forwards just a bit for more.
“Wait-” Katsuki said, breathing deeply as he looked into Izuku’s eyes. “Wait a second… I- I’m sorry. Oh my god- Deku-
shit
. Holy shit what the hell was I thinking.” He let go of Izuku, splashing the water as he backed up.
“Wha-” Izuku asked. “Kacchan hold on, what happened? Did I do something?” He stepped closer to Katsuki, completely confused.
“I wasn’t even thinking. It just slipped out and- and you didn’t stop me- and
fuck
. I’m so sorry. Please don’t hate me. I really shouldn’t have done that…”
Izuku’s brows furrowed. “No, wait. Kacchan
stop
. What are you saying?”
“I’m saying
please
forget that just happened.” He took a step towards Izuku, his arms held out a little. “
Please
. Please don’t think I’m weird. I didn’t mean it, okay? I was so lost in thought and I spoke before I thought-”
Izuku yanked the boy into his chest, wrapping his arms tightly around him. “Kacchan.” He began, no longer shivering thanks to the warmth radiating off of Katsuki. “I have no idea what you’re trying to say right now, but just stop. Stop talking, okay?”
“What? Maybe you’re not-”
“Shhh.” Izuku squeezed him tighter. “Why would I hate you?”
“W-Why
wouldn’t
you? I just made things like, a hundred times worse for us. And as we literally just became friends… I’m so sorry. I got ahead of myself and let my emotions get the better of me. Please, just forget it all happened, okay?” He tried to push Izuku off but the boy remained still.
“Why would I forget this?” He asked sincerely. “Kacchan, I didn’t pull away did I?”
The blonde looked down at Izuku, his body easing up a bit. “What-?”
Yeah,
‘what’
was the right question.
What
the
fuck
.
Why would he forget this? Um, maybe because he just
kissed
his
best friend
?? And it was pretty freaking awesome?? Like, hello?? He
had
to forget this! Izuku had no idea what he was doing. He shouldn’t be doing this. He didn't like Katsuki. They were friends. They were great friends. Right? What was happening? Why why why??? What could he have possibly done to result in him in this position?
“I- um, well…” He stumbled over his words, unsure of what to say now. He could’t take back the words he’d already said, so maybe he could try and fix them? “W-Well, what I meant was that… um it’s- it’s okay! You don’t have to feel weird or er- um. Yeah! Hah…” Izuku backed up, rubbing his neck sheepishly and refusing to make eye contact with Katsuki.
Katsuki eyed the boy skeptically. “What?”
Izuku entwined his fingers with each other, unsure of what to say. “Um… You don’t… You don’t have to feel weird, okay? It’s okay, really. No harm done.” He looked up, trying to smile as best he could.
The blonde bit his lip, looking to the side. “We should go.”
Izuku swallowed nothing, looking down. The cold breeze was starting to get to him and the boy was on the verge of shivering. “Yeah.” Izuku sighed. He should feel hurt at the sudden change in topic. They should talk about this. They really should.
But then again, what were they gonna say? What was Izuku supposed to say?
“Yeah, it’s okay, Kacchan. I totally was kinda sucked into that kiss and it was pretty freaking amazing but like you clearly don’t think it’s okay so of course I don’t think it’s okay so we should totally just move on from this. Okay!”
No thanks.
Thankfully, the greenette remembered something as they stood there in silence. “Oh, and we should get some new clothes too…” Katsuki quickly nodded, stepping back and out of the pond.
The two walked silently back to the dorms, each gripping onto their bodies to try and lessen the cold. As soon as they got inside, Izuku was sure they both felt more relieved than anything. He rushed as quietly as he could up to his dorm, Katsuki following in suit.
He rummaged through his dresser, trying to find something as similar to the blonde’s uniform that he could. “Um, I think this should work…”
He held out a pair of pants and shirt and looked almost identical to the uniform. Why did he have this? I dunno, you were asking the wrong person.
“Thanks.” Katsuki said quietly, grabbing the clothes and walking into his bathroom.
The blonde quickly changed and they left the dorms once more.
It was torture. This atmosphere was torture. What did he do? Why did he do it? What was he going to do to fix it? He had to do something, right? It couldn’t stay this awkward forever.
But wait.
Why
? That
was
the more important question. Izuku didn't even
initiate
the kiss, he just played along. Why did Katsuki say he wanted to kiss him? Those words were something he never thought he’d hear come out of the blonde. It was almost scary.
But at the same time, Izuku found himself not hating it.
He had to hate it, though. This was wrong. It was
so wrong
. He shouldn't like kissing Katsuki. He shouldn’t like kissing his
friend
.
Sure, he’d kissed Ochako before. It wasn’t something
completely
odd. But when he’d kissed the girl that one time, just for fun and to see how it went, he immediately knew that it wouldn't ever mean anything more. They both knew that.
But this was different. When he kissed Katsuki, he was somehow drawn to the boy. He’d wanted to get closer to him. He wanted to become
one
with Katsuki. Izuku felt like he needed more, like he
wanted
more. He felt like he was drowning, but also like he was being burned alive. And both sensations weren’t bad.
At that moment, he wanted to drown in Katsuki. At that moment, he didn’t mind burning up to a crisp, if it meant he could get closer to Katsuki. He wanted to do it again, Izuku realized. He wanted to feel that again.
But it wasn’t going to happen. No, no. Izuku would never do that again. Him and Katsuki were friends. They literally
just
established that like, two days ago. He was
not
going to ruin that. Izuku would pretend like nothing happened, just like Katsuki wanted. It was for the better.
“Good night.” Katsuki said as he walked into the room, not looking back at Izuku once.
Somehow, that was worse than he’d expected. “Wait- Kacchan.” Izuku reached out, pulling the boy into a hug. “Please.” He begged, although he wasn’t sure why. “Please don’t act any different, okay? I swear, it’s okay.” He leaned back so he could look at the blonde. He hated how Katsuki was looking off to the side, not making eye contact. “There’s literally nothing to feel bad about. I swear.”
The blonde sighed, looking down. “Yeah, alright…” He said quietly.
“I mean it.” Izuku said, putting a reassuring hand on Katsuki’s shoulder. “Goodnight, Kacchan.” Izuku said, giving the boy another squeeze. He smiled and stepped back.
Even though it felt weird, Izuku wasn’t going to give up that easily. It was okay. He’d enjoyed the kiss, so what? Kissing was nice. It felt good. He’d enjoyed it a little
too
much, sure. But that didn’t mean anything.
As Izuku walked out of the room, he let out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding it. No matter what, he was going to make sure things didn’t get awkward.
It was all going to be okay.