Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Prologue

Some things are bound to change. There's no such thing as fate, destiny, or whatever weird crap you hear in stories where the result of the story will still be the same no matter what the characters do. In real life, there's only one thing that holds you back from becoming the best version of yourself, and most people don't even know they're self-sabotaging until the opportunity has already passed. And that one inhibiting factor is fear. 

Fear ruins your chances of a successful life with just a snap of your fingers. With fear, you could end up living your days out in regret—never truly unlocking your full potential, and never quite finding the courage to figure it out for yourself. Fear is the leading cause to becoming a side character in your own story.

Nobody wants that. A boring life all because you're too worried about what will happen if you say, do, risk that, or don't? Seems like a shitty way to live, and pretty ill-advised. Luckily, there's a way to avoid that outcome—and it's relatively easy. By looking fear right in its big ugly face and telling it to fuck off.

When the dust clears, everything might not work out the way you wanted it to, but at least you've told your truth. When it comes down to it, that's all you can do. It might be true that love is a gamble. But most would rather take that risk than spend the rest of their days living in the dark.

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5:04 P.M. That's when they finally got themselves checked into the hotel.

"Midoriya Izuku," the woman called into the quiet lobby, where Katsuki, Shoto, and Izuku were all sitting, waiting for their cue. The setting was a large hotel lobby, filled with old shelves, couches, books and glass chandeliers that were so old they definitely weren't manufactured anymore. Izuku had noticed a few interesting things around him—photos on the walls dating to the early 1900's, titles of authors he knew to have passed away ages ago, and a striped, faded green wallpaper that had likely never been changed out since this place was built. The only other sound aside from the woman calling out to him was some classical piano playing from a record player in the corner of the room. Real old-fashioned type—just like the theme of the place.

Izuku stood from his spot on the couch, leaving an indent on the well-worn green leather after how long he'd been sitting there. He walked over to her desk in the corner of the room and took the set of three copper keys from her age-wrinkled hand. 

"Thank you," he said politely, flashing a kind smile. The woman just silently nodded. With her eyes huge-looking through the thick glasses, and her faded gray hair tied into a slick ponytail, she reminded Izuku of a librarian—quiet, curt, and to-the-point. 

From each their separate couches, Katsuki and Shoto stood to follow as they watched Izuku get handed their keys. They lugged their suitcases behind—cases filled with their hero suits. That was all they needed, anyway. Izuku looked at the keys. Room 205, the tags read. That was on the second floor.

"It's about damn time," Katsuki grumbled as the trio made their way down the hall. Around the corner was the elevator. They were currently exasperated after having to wait more than an hour just to get their key. The front desk lady had mentioned 'room cleaning' or something like that, but it seemed like it'd taken much longer than it should've. As they walked, Izuku noticed that the hallway wallpaper was darker than the lobby, more like a faded dark olive green.

"Hush, Kacchan," Izuku said over his shoulder, hoping the receptionist hadn't heard him. "She's just doing her job," he added quietly. He wasn't in the mood to bicker with Katsuki, but out of habit, he found himself reminding the other to be polite.

"Shut up. I know that," Katsuki shot back. So he hadn't taken it lightly, Izuku realized. “And don't tell me what to do, shitnerd." 

"Calm down, both of you," Shoto inserted himself with a sigh. "You're tired and nervous. This isn't the time to be picking fights," he said. He was all too familiar with their arguments, and was probably trying to stop them before it could have a chance to progress.

"Like hell I'm nervous," Katsuki denied with an indignant glare at them both. At this point they'd arrived at the elevator, so Izuku pressed the button with the arrow pointing up as Katsuki continued. "This mission is gonna be a fucking breeze. Aizawa himself said so."

"First of all, he didn't say that—he said he thought we could handle it on our own," Izuku corrected, ignoring Katsuki's eyes as they narrowed into fiery slits at the comment. No matter how reasonable Izuku tried to sound, Katsuki always ended up feeling antagonized by his corrections. When am I going to learn that I should just shut my mouth and let it be? "And second of all, we can't go into it thinking it's going to be a clean in-and-out mission. Just because we're seniors now doesn't mean we have it made. We've been on solo missions before, but this one is actually drug-involved, so we don't know how strong the villains are really going to be."

What Izuku was saying was true. Mr. Aizawa had sent them on this mission—to infiltrate a suspected drug lab and gather evidence, including pictures, samples, and recordings—so the Pro Heroes could swoop in and make the arrests afterward. It was supposed to be just a quick in-and-out with no conflict at all. But still, there was the threat of a fight if they made a mistake and got themselves caught.

“Tch. You think I don't know that, Deku?" Katsuki snapped. "Fuck off." His tone was laced with venom, but didn't seem to have any interest in taking it further than just a verbal argument. Usually, they could sort out their arguments without resorting to violence, especially nowadays when things were getting better between the two. But that didn't mean they didn't still have disputes or arguments pretty much every time they spoke to one another.

Katsuki and Izuku have always had a complicated relationship. Ever since they were kids, they've been off and on about each other. Neither really knew why. There wasn't a blatantly obvious reason—it was like they were drawn to each other without actually trying, or even wanting to be—but at the same time separated by their differences. And there didn't seem to be anything that anyone could do about it. It's just always been that way.

Izuku tried to be fine with that. Katsuki was Katsuki, and wanted nothing to do with Izuku. They both had their own friends and people they love. They were completely different. But at the same time...there was just something about Katsuki that always made him want to stay close.

"You're just angry because we spent an hour sitting in the lobby with nothing to do," Izuku pointed out, displaying his palms in a gesture of innocence. "Don't take it out on me." 

"No, I'm pissed 'cuz you keep acting like you know better than me," Katsuki growled in turn. Izuku clenched his teeth and refrained from rolling his eyes. A moment later, the elevator dinged and the doors shuddered open, revealing a space hardly large enough for three grown adults. Izuku was hesitant to step inside. It was tight—they'd have to squeeze inside to all fit. He glanced over his shoulder at Katsuki, who seemed to notice his hesitance. He didn't say anything, just stood there. Izuku assumed he was waiting to see what he would do.

Finally Izuku just pursed his lips and stepped inside. Shoto and Katsuki took their time following him. Izuku tucked himself into the corner so they could all fit, trying not to take up too much space. Katsuki had to stand between him and Shoto. He was close. Izuku could smell the faint scent of amber cologne radiating off his skin. Really close. He thought about the argument they'd just been having. Well, it hadn't really been an argument—more like a small dispute. Some back-and-forth. Regardless, they weren't on the best terms, so he just hoped Katsuki didn't mind standing this close to him.

Izuku focused his gaze on the wall of the elevator to avoid looking at Katsuki as the door slid closed. He silently noted the floral patterns etched into the small vanilla tiles on the walls, noticing their faded color and chipped edges in a few places. There was no doubt that this place had been built ages ago. It was a small little building, old-fashioned and snug, but with a comforting vibe. As he studied the tiles, he couldn't help but notice just how utterly slow the elevator was moving. They only had to go up one floor, and it was taking longer than 30 seconds.

"Could this thing go any fucking slower," Katsuki voiced Izuku's thoughts with a huff, and the area of the room was so small that he felt the draft of his exhale as he spoke. Izuku let his eyes drift. Katsuki was wearing his familiar black tank top that hugged his lean frame, especially accentuating his incredibly defined waist and broad chest under the thin fabric. After training for hours daily—for years straight—it wasn't a surprise that Katsuki was well-defined. Unfairly well. His ratio of muscle to body fat percentage was incredible, and next to none that Izuku had ever seen. Every time he was able to catch a glimpse of Katsuki shirtless, for whatever context that might be, he was always impressed by the dedication that obviously went into his body. 

Izuku sometimes found himself studying his physique out of jealousy, but then he'd remember just how hard Katsuki worked to get a body like that, and he wouldn't feel jealous anymore—only motivated to someday achieve that same level for himself. The only reason he thought about this kind of stuff in the first place was because he liked to take notes about it in his hero notebooks, however childish that might've seemed. The blond needed to be aerodynamic so he could get into the air without a problem using his Quirk, so he couldn't be too bulky; yet he also needed to be strong, so there was that, too. At this point in his life, Katsuki sat at a happy medium. 

Over the years, he's dedicated at least a few pages of his hero notebooks to Bakugou Katsuki alone...and though he would never, ever admit that out loud, the fact was there. It was embarrassingly true that even when Katsuki wanted nothing to do with him, Izuku was constantly there to keep a close eye on his improvement. And that part of him likely would never change.

Another quite embarrassing thing to note was that Katsuki had an almost uncomfortable height advantage on Izuku. Now, of all times, when growth spurts were supposed to stop happening. This was especially strange because they'd been similar heights for most of their lives until this point. But no, Katsuki just had hit a growth spurt sometime within the last two years—and Izuku, for some reason, had not. Katsuki now probably stood at about 6' 1" or 6' 2" while Izuku was only at about 5' 8". A whopping 6-inch height difference that he could add to the list of things that Katsuki did better than him. Hopefully Izuku wasn't done growing just yet. 

Izuku's eyes probably lingered on Katsuki for a little too long, because when Katsuki glanced down at him with that piercing red stare, he quickly looked away. He wasn't shy, and he wasn't particularly scared of Katsuki anymore. But that stare wasn't one you wanted to be caught under for too long.

Finally, the elevator dinged and the doors opened with difficulty. Katsuki clicked his tongue as he was the first one to file out. "Should've taken the damn stairs," he muttered as he started off down the hall, dragging his black suitcase behind him. Izuku followed, though he wasn't even sure that Katsuki knew what room they were in.

"Do you know where you're going?" Izuku asked. 

"Two o'five," Katsuki replied without looking back.

"Oh, how'd you know?"

"I looked at the keys in your hand, dipshit," Katsuki replied as if responding wasn't even worth his time. Izuku sighed inwardly. He was used to Katsuki being like this, but still...the blond was acting a little snappier than usual. Had Izuku done something wrong? Said something? Maybe it was the small argument they had earlier, but he didn't think something like that would actually affect Katsuki's mood. He thought back to when they'd been sitting in the lobby. It'd been silent then. When did this argument really start? Was it when they arrived? No...he was fine then.

Oh, Izuku remembered now. It was after the receptionist had revealed that all three had to share a room.

"What? Oh, hell no," Katsuki snapped, shaking his head ardently. They were all standing around the front desk, trying to get the woman to give them another room. Any other room.

"I'm sorry, but I already told you. All the other rooms are booked. You need to call more than just a few hours beforehand if you want to rent more than one room," the old woman said sternly. It was clear that she wasn't going to put up with any arguing. It wasn't like there was anything she could do about it, anyway. If all the other rooms were booked, there was nothing they could do to change it.

However, Katsuki had always been an argumentative person. "I'm not sharing a room. Icyhot probably snores," Katsuki said. But to Izuku's bewilderment, he looked at him when he said that. As if Izuku was the problem, not his own arrogance. "Come on, lady, there just has to be a one-bed room that I can take," he pressed.

"Come on, Kacchan, just deal with it. You're being a nuisance," Izuku told him. It's not like he wanted to share, either—but he also wasn't the one begging the receptionist for an open room. Part of him wondered why Katsuki was so determined about this, but the answer was simple. He didn't like Izuku. He had a stubborn soul. And whenever Katsuki was told something that he didn't like, he was renowned as the guy who fights hard to get rid of it. Izuku continued, "There's no need for you to sleep apart from us. We're only staying for one night, anyway."

"Yeah. And I don't snore," Shoto added indignantly.

"You three will just have to share," the woman interjected. "There are two beds. Sort yourselves out. But I hope you know it'll be a little while before the room will be cleaned, so you'll have to wait here in the meantime." She waved her hands in a gesture that said 'sit down and leave me alone.' 

Katsuki was the first to stalk away with an annoyed scoff. Shoto followed with an unbothered look, while Izuku looked indifferent on the outside but was secretly bothered by Katsuki's irritation to just be sharing a room with one another. He was aware of his and Katsuki's uneasy past, but when someone's looking at you like it'll literally kill them to spend a night in the same proximity as you, it's not exactly a confidence boost. Deciding to just forget it, Izuku sighed and sat down a few chairs away from Katsuki, waiting for the receptionist to call one of them up and tell them the room was ready.

And now, here they were. Katsuki arrived at room 205 first and stood impatiently outside, watching as Izuku used one of the keys to unlock the door. He was painfully aware of the other's eyes on the back of his head as he lined the mouth of the doorknob up with the divots of the key, pushed it in, and then turned it to the side. It unlocked with a soft click and Katsuki was instantly pushing past him to get in. Izuku decided to just ignore the rude gesture. Katsuki was impossible to figure out.

The rest of the night was spent quietly. They turned on the TV, ordered some food from room service—which was surprisingly good for such a small hotel—and started prepping themselves for the mission tonight. They were supposed to leave at around Midnight, so they had a few hours to sleep if they wanted. Katsuki claimed the farthest bed from the door, so Izuku and Shoto fought over who was going to sleep on the floor. Izuku ended up beating him in the argument, so now he was setting up his blankets and pillow in the center of the floor between the two occupied beds. In his household, he'd been raised to always sleep on the floor if the beds were taken. It was just the polite thing to do. Apparently Shoto was taught the same thing, so that's why they always ended up arguing about it.

Their room wasn't particularly large—the ceilings were low-hanging and the lack of furniture made it seem more spacious than it really was—but it was cozy. The thermostat was set at 70, the perfect mixture of cold and warm. A large window filled up most of the far-side wall, giving them a nice view of the quieting city outside. 

Their location for this mission was a small city just outside the urban area of Tokyo, a few hours away from UA—which meant no Pro Heroes or teachers to immediately back them up. The city was one that Izuku had never heard of. In fact, none of their classmates, or even teachers, had recognized it when they got the call saying that witnesses were suspicious of illegal drugs being sold. Nobody would expect that in a small, unknown town, something like that would happen right under the residents' noses. But here they were to investigate anyway.

Izuku finished making his bed and laid down, covering himself with a thin white blanket he'd found in the closet. Above him to the right, Katsuki was under the blankets scrolling through channels on the TV, muttering about how there was nothing to watch; while above him to the left, Shoto was on his side facing away from them, presumably asleep. Izuku stared up at the popcorn-textured ceiling, busying his mind with a fun little game where he tried to make out shapes in the texture of the paint. He noticed one clump that looked particularly like a disfigured dinosaur. And another that looked kind of like a three-legged dog.

He could feel himself stilling before suddenly, the peaceful silence was broken as Katsuki clicked his tongue and his arm extended over the edge of the bed, still holding the remote. It seemed that he'd finally given up on finding something to watch as he sighed in defeat. Izuku remained quiet, wondering if the blond knew that he was still awake after that long period of silence. Another few moments of quiet ensued until eventually, Katsuki spoke again. “You up, Deku?" he asked. A simple question—not a trace of malice or trickery. Just curiosity. The room grew quiet in anticipation of Izuku's response, who was contemplating whether he should say something or not.

Katsuki sometimes alternated between calling him his childhood nickname, Deku, and his first name, Izuku. He seemed to interchange them at random. Izuku sometimes theorized that it changed with his mood, but then he would be proved wrong when even while angry, Katsuki would call him 'Izuku'; or when they were having a normal conversation and he could call him 'Deku' just for the fun of it. Izuku lost sleep wondering what Katsuki's logic was—if there even was any.

Finally, Izuku sighed lightly and spoke. "Yeah." His response was quiet as if he were tired, which he wasn't. The anticipation of the mission later, along with the discomfort of the hardwood floor digging into his shoulders and tailbone, was enough to keep him wide awake. Katsuki set the remote on the nightstand and folded his arms beneath his head, looking up at the ceiling as Izuku was just doing. He glanced up at the blond. He looked calm for once, a little peaceful even. Izuku had never shared a room with him like this. And even though Shoto was there, he was asleep so Izuku could pretend for a moment that he and Katsuki were sharing a serene moment by themselves.

"Can't sleep?" That same gruff-toned voice reached his ears. Izuku looked back up at the ceiling.

"Nope." Izuku's response.

A minute or so of awkward silence followed as if neither of them could come up with a thing to say. It wasn't like they'd never shared a quiet moment together—but for some reason, this one seemed different. As if there was something hanging in the air that neither of them quite understood. Was it trepidation for the mission, or was it something else? It was strange, because moments like these had been popping up more frequently between them. Izuku was noticing more awkward silences where in the past, insults may have been thrown or snappy comments could have been made. It was like their relationship was becoming more placid, but at the same time, more difficult. More difficult to understand, as well as maintain. He didn't get it, and sometimes, it scared him. The last thing he wanted was to lose his friendship with Kacchan, especially after all this work the both of them had been putting in to build it.

It wasn't like they were the best of friends or anything. They had their differences, and they kept their distance. But Izuku had known Katsuki longer than anyone at the school. He felt a deeper connection with him than anyone, and he knew that if there was one person in the world he could trust, it was Katsuki. He didn't want to lose that.

"The mission is gonna be easy. Stop worrying about it," Katsuki finally said. Izuku blinked.

"What makes you think I'm worried?" he asked curiously. He'd given no indication that he was worried. Mostly because he wasn't.

Katsuki sniffed. "You always get quiet when you're worried," he said flatly, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. There was a pause before he added, "That, or right before you're about to talk someone's ear off with some bullshit you came up with."

Izuku scoffed to cover up how surprised he was that Katsuki would notice something like that about him. He must have really been paying attention if he would notice something so small about the amount he'd been speaking. "Yeah..." Was all he responded with. Had he been acting quieter than usual? Whether or not he was, Izuku hadn't noticed it himself. And he wasn’t worried. So what was up with him? Maybe he was worried after all but just didn't want to admit it.

Eventually, he realized he should probably say something, so he snapped out of his mental tangent and back to reality. "Sorry, I'm just..." Izuku shook his head. "Thinking."

"Like usual," Katsuki added, and Izuku rolled his eyes lightheartedly.

"Right," he shot back. "And you're acting awfully quiet, which is far from normal."

Katsuki looked over the edge of the bed at him, and in that brief few moments their gazes made contact, Izuku felt his heart start to speed up with alarm. Those red eyes—the same ones that he'd looked into thousands of times—seemed a little more electrifying in that moment. The soft yellow light from the bedside lamp made Katsuki's skin glow, and the crimson hue of his eyes seemed to be boring into his head. "Watch what you say, nerd," he uttered as the cherry on top. Izuku looked up at him, giving an innocent smile to hide the fast pace of his heart. 

"Whatever you say, Kacchan," he said cheerfully as Katsuki rolled back into his comfortable position. Izuku's eyes looked back up at the ceiling, but he was still seeing those eyes in his mind. His heart lingered at that pace for a few moments before it eventually settled down. Katsuki hadn't made him nervous like this since middle school.

Katsuki sighed from atop the bed, re-folding his arms to cushion his head above the pillow. "Anyway, I can't sleep either. Too busy thinking about how many villains I'm gonna fuck up later," he said in a boastful tone. Izuku supplied a laugh at that.

"We're not supposed to actually fight them. But yeah, I get it," Izuku agreed. He knew this was Katsuki's way of telling him that he was a little anxious for the mission, too. "I just hope you're able to sneak around without blowing everything up."

"Ha! Of course I am," Katsuki snapped. "I could say the same thing about you, Mr. Breaks-His-Arms-Every-Time-he-Uses-his-Quirk."

"Not anymore!" Izuku exclaimed indignantly as Katsuki snickered with himself. "I haven't broken so much as a finger since last September."

"Oh, so you've been counting months?" Katsuki continued. "That really says something. What, have you made like, a calendar for breaking bones? Or maybe a little graph.”

Izuku sighed in exasperation. It was mostly annoying because it was true. "You can stop teasing me for that any day now," he said dully. It was often a topic that Katsuki took advantage of to tease him. However, Katsuki just scoffed.

"That'll be the day," he marveled at the thought. "But I don't think I ever will."

"Does that mean I get to tease you about the fact that you literally have to sweat just to use your Quirk?" Izuku quipped.

Another scoff. "Sure, but there's nothing wrong with that. Sweating is normal. Breaking your fucking bones is not."

"Yeah but have you seen how sweaty you get during battle? It's gross," Izuku continued to tease. "No wonder why you're always wearing black."

"Oh, you wanna go there, shitnerd? How about the fact that you can't keep your mouth shut ninety percent of the time. If I had a penny for every time you started spouting shit that nobody needed to hear, I'd be a fucking billionaire."

Izuku shook his head and clicked his tongue. "Like I haven't heard that one before. Maybe work on coming up with some new insults, hm?"

The argument escalated quickly. The two continued to bicker until Shoto woke up when Katsuki threw the remote at Izuku and he was sent into a laughing fit of pain. "Can you two please shut up?" Shoto snapped groggily, looking over his shoulder at Izuku, who was trying to get rid of the goofy grin on his face. He tried to seem apologetic.

"Sorry, Todoroki," he said, and looked at Katsuki, who was scowling. They both laid back in their beds and looked up at the ceiling, a sort of easy peace settling between them. Izuku always enjoyed moments like these, where he and Katsuki are actually getting along. They're few and far between, but no longer nonexistent. And that was something that Izuku could be grateful for.

Midnight.

Pale moonlight poured through the curtainless windows, and the hardwood planks seemed especially cold under their bare feet as they shuffled to get ready. The time was nigh—and the mission was about to commence. Izuku could almost smell the tension in the air. They were all at least a little bit nervous, despite how many times they denied it. This was their first mission so far away from any Pro Heroes. If they messed up, nobody would be there to save them—and perhaps most terrifying of all, they wouldn't be trusted to go by themselves anymore.

Izuku accidentally bumped into Katsuki exiting the bathroom. "Watch it," Katsuki snapped, and Izuku ignored his coldness by shoving past him in return. That was just normal Katsuki—despite the fact that only a few hours ago they were joking and messing around like normal. Whatever, he thought with a sigh as he pulled his hood over his dark hair and pocketed his phone. He's impossible.

A few minutes later, Shoto was the last one in the room, finishing packing his things. "Ready?" Izuku asked. They had no need for the room anymore, so they were probably going to just check out now.

"Yep," Shoto answered, holding his suitcase. Katsuki was already waiting outside, so they stepped out to join him. Izuku stepped out from the darkness of the room and into the dim orange light of the hallway. They were all wearing their stealth suits, which were different than what they were used to seeing each other in. Katsuki looked him up and down and Izuku returned the favor. They'd both made some changes to their stealth suits recently, but neither of them made a comment about noticing it. Izuku tried to ignore the eyes boring holes into his skull as he started walking down the hallway towards the elevator. 

Instead of using the elevator this time, however, they just took the stairs. Izuku didn't feel like cramming himself into a tiny room with Katsuki after he'd been acting so bitter.

They got to the main floor and Izuku volunteered to check them out while Shoto and Katsuki stood by the door to wait for him. He walked up to the receptionist, who looked way too tired for this. It was a young lady this time instead of the older woman. Izuku wondered if this was her daughter—they had the same brown eyes and arched eyebrows. He supposed that would make sense. After all, a small business like this probably ran in the family.

"Checking out for Midoriya Izuku," he said, and she leaned forward in her desk chair to type his name on her computer.

"You're early. It says here you have the room until morning," she said.

"Yeah, that was just for precaution—but I don't think we'll be back. I'd like to check out now please," he said. She stared at him for a moment before shrugging.

"Alright. Izuku?" She repeated his first name. He nodded. She did some more typing on her computer before nodding and giving him a curt smile. "Okay, you're free to go. Thank you," she said before leaning back in her chair and returning attention to her phone. Izuku thanked her in return before walking back over to the other two—who for some reason both looked pissed.

Actually, Shoto didn't look angry. He was saying something quietly to Katsuki, who looked very conflicted about what was being said. Izuku tried to listen in as he approached, but Shoto stopped when he got within hearing range. Katsuki looked at Izuku with a scowl on his face, and Izuku was almost afraid he'd done something wrong until Katsuki tongued his cheek, scoffed and turned away. "Don't tell me what to do, Icyhot," he muttered over his shoulder as he pushed past the glass doors and left them alone. Izuku looked at Shoto expectantly, hoping for some answers about the silent warfare that had just happened, but the latter didn't look very talkative as he gave a nod and followed Katsuki out the door. 

Izuku sighed. Why did his friends have to be so confusing? He followed them out the door and into the chilly spring night.

The drive to the building was short, as it was only a few blocks away. They parked a few hundred feet down the road, not wanting to draw any attention to themselves by getting too close. The walk from the car to the building was silent—they ducked into the shadows to avoid passing cars, and remained on high alert to look out for any patrolling villains. They didn't spot any. As they approached, Izuku took note of the building. It was three stories tall, with few windows and exits and spray-paint covering the walls of the first floor. Shrubbery had grown up the walls, looking like it hadn't been trimmed in years. There weren't any balconies, and not even so much as an air conditioner sticking out the side. It looked completely abandoned.

Izuku pressed himself against the wall and peeked around the corner, finding an empty parking lot overgrown with vines and weeds growing from the cracks in the asphalt. Again—it looked abandoned.  He turned to Katsuki, who was pressed against the wall beside him. He had his hood up, too. "Are you sure this is the right place?" he whispered. Katsuki looked at his GPS before showing it to Izuku. Arrived, the screen read. All arrows were pointing to here.

"It looks abandoned," Katsuki whispered before leaning over Izuku and peeking around the corner to see for himself. He looked for a few moments before sighing and going back to his original position. He looked at his phone, which still had the GPS pulled up. "Well, empty or not, this is the place," he said gruffly. He glanced at Izuku and then at Shoto. "We should figure out a way to get in," he said in a quiet tone. Shoto nodded and without another word, they all knew to split up.

Shoto moved in the other direction, black hero suit instantly blending in as he moved farther into the shadows. These hero suits were perfectly made for spy missions like this, and Izuku appreciated how well they faded into the dark. He was sure they'd need it, especially if they were going to infiltrate this building.

Izuku used his Quirk to get a head start on the other two, who couldn't use their Quirks without making noise and alerting the villains of their presence. He checked for doors, windows, and anything else that could be useful for them to get inside. He was just about halfway around the building, praying that they didn't end up needing to climb to the second floor, when he came across a mini sliding glass window covered from the inside in boards. There was a padlock on the outside, but it was rusty and looked breakable. "That'll work," he muttered before pulling out his phone and pinging Katsuki and Shoto. They arrived less than a minute later from the other side, likely with as little luck as him.

"This should work, right?" he asked in a whisper as they approached. Shoto crouched down in the overgrown grass beside him to take a look.

"Probably. Nice, Midoriya," Shoto said quietly, and Izuku nodded. 

"Thanks. I'll just break that padlock," he said. "Can someone get me a rock?"

Almost immediately, Katsuki handed him one. Apparently, he'd already thought of that idea. "Thanks," Izuku whispered before taking the fist-sized rock. He summoned the strength of One For All and then swung it down as hard as he could. He hit the padlock perfectly and it broke with a tang before falling to the ground in two pieces. A perfect hit, right in a chink in the metal. However, the sound waves were still vibrating through the air a couple of seconds later. It ended up being louder than he'd anticipated.

"Keep it down!" Katsuki hissed, glancing around nervously. Izuku pursed his lips.

"Sorry," he whispered. Then he cracked open the window and slid it open, struggling slightly at first because of how glued-together it seemed. It was obvious that nobody had opened this window in years. Caked-up dirt and cobwebs crumbled to dust on all sides as he moved it, and he had to hold his breath just to avoid breathing it in. Once open, he got a good grip on the top board before using his Quirk to pry it off rather quietly. He was able to do so without much difficulty. His heart was racing with adrenaline, and he could feel sweat dripping down his chin and gathering at his eyebrows. Here he was, breaking into a supposed villain's headquarters. He just hoped there wasn't anything waiting for him inside once he got these boards pried off. 

Katsuki and Shoto waited patiently behind him, keeping a lookout as he pried off the boards one by one. The last one was the hardest. For some reason, it had four nails on both sides instead of two—so Izuku had to use a little more power. But it was fine. He got it off without a problem, pulled it silently outside, and then stacked it against the wall alongside the other boards. Once finished, he turned to the others, who were watching silently. "I'll go first," Izuku volunteered, and without waiting for a response he turned his body feet-first, grabbed the edge of the wall with both hands, and began to lower himself inside, hoping the ground wasn't too far down. He couldn't see a thing.

He held his breath and could hear every beat of his racing heart as he lowered himself further and further, still not feeling ground. He regretted not using a flashlight to see first, but it was too late to back out now. He didn't want to look like a wimp. He wasn't scared, only a little nervous. Finally, he fully extended his arms so he was just dangling from the edge of the window, not a clue to how far down the floor was. He tried listening for any signs of movement from below, but couldn't hear a single thing. It was silent.

Finally, Izuku let go. His gut dropped as he fell, but he was relieved as he realized the floor was only a few feet down. It was a high wall. He was a good distance underground at this point. Looking around, but still couldn't see a thing—however, based on the echo his boots made when he landed, the room was big. He turned his gaze back up to the window, where Katsuki was poking his head through. "You good?" he heard the other ask from above. Izuku cleared his throat, trying not to sound anxious. He was unnerved after that little trust fall, and the darkness engulfing him wasn't making things any better.

"Yeah. It's only a few feet of a drop," he said. A moment later, Katsuki was lowering himself inside just like Izuku had, and a moment after that, he dropped down beside him. It was comforting to have the presence of someone else beside him in this unknown territory. Before Katsuki had gotten down here, his heart had been nearly beating out of his chest—but now he felt like he could calm down. He wasn't alone anymore.

Shoto came a few seconds later, and soon they were all standing together and turning on their flashlights to investigate. Izuku switched on the headlamp built into his stealth suit and shone it around, giving himself a moment to adjust to the light before he split from the group and started the search for evidence. The first thing he noticed about the room was how big it was. Walls made of concrete, stretching far around and echoing their every move. There were only two windows in the entire room including the one Izuku had broken into. The other was in the opposite corner of the room, and it was the exact same shape and size as this one. There was only one door, and it was in the corner to the right of Izuku. The next thing he noticed were the rows upon rows of tables. Almost like this was supposed to be a cafeteria.

Only, these weren't cafeteria tables, and there weren't any chairs to sit. These tables were silver medical tables—like where doctors lay patients when they're about to perform surgery. Not a single table had something on it. They were all empty. But the sight of it left a bad taste in Izuku's mouth—like something terrible had happened in this room, and he didn't want to know the history of it.

By his friends' reactions, they were both thinking the same thing. "The fuck..." Katsuki muttered as he shone his light over the tables, taking everything in. Izuku caught a glimpse of his face and noticed he looked troubled. He hadn't been expecting this—none of them had.

"What is all this?" Shoto asked nobody in particular, venturing into the center of the room and looking around. He looked creeped out. "This is..." he trailed off.

A moment of silence ensued before someone could gather the courage to speak again. "We should search the room for signs of drugs. That's what we came here for," Izuku said, but his words felt shallow. He was starting to feel like drugs were no longer the focus here—like they were obligated to investigate all these examination tables. Why were they here if not for people to be kept? And if they were here for medical purposes, why was the entire place locked down? Why did it seem abandoned? This building wasn't registered as a hospital—it was a warehouse. People don't get medical treatment in a warehouse.

He walked to the nearest table and ran his finger across the smooth, cold surface. If this place was as abandoned as it seemed, his finger should be caked with dust—but when he took his finger back to his eyes, it was clean. Not a speck of dust in sight. Meanwhile, back when he was opening the window, he'd been holding his breath just to avoid breathing any of it. Which meant—these tables were freshly cleaned. People have been using them, and using them recently.

He took a breath to tell Katsuki, who was closest, but could tell the other already knew what he was going to say. They made eye contact, lights illuminating each other’s faces. "Should we keep going? We were only sent here to find drugs—not investigate some crazy psycho crap," Shoto piped up as he made his way back over to them. He looked a little distraught. "Maybe we're in over our heads here. We don't have any backup."

"We haven't done what we came here to do. We need to gather evidence of drugs, bag it up, and then bring it back for the Pro Heroes so they can take down the villains," Izuku said, though he was rather uncertain himself. Something about this was making him uneasy, and he could tell it was affecting the others, too.

Katsuki had his own opinion. "You two can leave if you want. I'm finishing the mission," he said before walking away. Izuku noticed he was going towards that door in the corner. There was nothing else in this room to see.

"Kacchan, wait a second," Izuku said, but he knew it was pointless. Once Katsuki got an idea, he didn't give up until he got what he wanted. He was stubborn like that—but it was also something Izuku could admire. If only they weren't in a possibly dangerous situation right now. Katsuki continued walking towards the door, completely ignoring Izuku's plea. He looked at Shoto, willing him to come along. The three of them together were powerful enough to take on some tough villains. But at the same time, this place was really giving off odd vibes.

Shoto looked at him hesitantly. He glanced at Katsuki, who would surely go on his own if he had to. Finally he sighed. "Fine, let's go," he said, and Izuku breathed a sigh of relief as the three of them made their way to the door. 

The door itself was huge, about eight feet tall and made of heavy-duty oakwood. The wood itself was dark and stained with color, chipped in some places, especially along the edges. Katsuki was already staring at it as they approached. "How the hell are we supposed to get past this?" he grumbled as Izuku and Shoto walked over. He then tried pushing it—leaning his shoulder and planting his feet into the ground, pushing until the veins were visible in the temple of his forehead. Finally, he backed off as it didn't move an inch. "Won't budge. Damn thing," he said before giving it a frustrated kick.

"Let me try," Izuku offered after watching Katsuki struggle, and the blond reluctantly stepped back with a begrudging sigh. Izuku put his hands near the doorknob before planting his feet firmly on the ground and taking a deep breath. He started to feel the electric power surge through him, up his legs, torso, and all the way down to his fingertips. Then he started pushing. At first, it didn't budge, so he added a little more power. Then he heard the wood begin to creak. 

"Careful, Midoriya," Shoto warned from behind him. He gave a muffled "Yep" in response. He was adding power slowly to avoid making too much noise. 

The door continued to creak until he began to hear splintering from the inside. There we go, he thought as the old wood began to give way beneath his palms, where he was concentrating most of the power. It wasn't long before the old knob gave out and the door cracked open with a loud snap and a few flying splinters. The noise sent echoes through the room—but it was successfully open. He looked back sheepishly as the echoes continued for seconds after. He'd been too loud again. Shoto looked nervous while Katsuki only looked pissed as he walked forward.

"Fuck, Deku, think you could've been any louder?" he hissed as he pushed past Izuku into the darkness beyond. But Izuku snatched his forearm before he could get any further. 

"Could you just wait a second?" he snapped. "Don't go running off. We need to stick together." That much was true.

Katsuki looked over his shoulder at him. "Watch it," he said dangerously. "This ain't your mission, nerd." His red eyes shone in the otherwise darkness.

"Right. It's all of ours," Izuku shot back, trying to ignore how suddenly intimidated he was feeling. The unease in his gut was growing heavier with every passing second. With Katsuki trying to run off on his own all the time, and Shoto nervous to the point where he didn't even want to continue, Izuku was starting to feel really bad about this. But he knew one of the reasons Katsuki was being so cocky was because he was nervous, too. If they just all worked together, this wouldn't be a problem. Walking into a dark, secret hallway wouldn't be scary. And they'd get this done in a matter of minutes.

Katsuki looked him up and down again. Their faces were close—in a few seconds Izuku could pick out every little scar from previous battles and training, every speck of dust settled on his sunkissed skin, and every shade in the nervous eyebags under his eyes. His heart was starting to speed up. If Katsuki didn't start listening, they were gonna have a problem. It took a few seconds of intense eye contact for Katsuki to finally answer. 

"What percent of your power did you use to get through the door?" Katsuki asked with a totally straight face. Izuku blinked and his mind drew a blank. The question completely caught him off guard. 

"Uh...what?" 

"You can let go now," Katsuki added, glancing at his arm. "You'll give me a damn bruise."

Izuku didn't realize he'd been squeezing Katsuki's arm to the point his hands were shaking until he released his grip. But he didn't apologize. "Does this mean you're gonna listen?" he asked, trying to sound demanding.

Katsuki scoffed like that was the stupidest thing he'd ever heard. "Answer my question," was all he said as he started walking. Izuku followed. And Shoto came last, well-adapted to listening to their arguing. 

Izuku sighed, hoping if he answered Katsuki's question he would start being more cooperative. "About 20 percent," he said, walking beside the other now. They both had their flashlights on and were walking down a darkened cement hallway with no lights and no doors. It was a little claustrophobic, even though he'd never had problems with claustrophobia before. He was on high alert. Heart racing, eyes wide to catch any movement, ears strained to hear even the slightest sounds of an oncoming attack. He was talking to Katsuki in a low voice. This was a weird hallway. A weird situation. The door had been locked for some unknown reason. The flashlights didn't reach past 10 feet ahead, so they couldn't see how long the tunnel was, and the air seemed to be buzzing with life even though nobody was there. It was truly unnerving.

"Really, 20 percent? I could've done it in 10," Katsuki poked at him to relieve some of the suffocating tension. Their footsteps continued to echo around them. Was it just Izuku's ticking brain, or was the tunnel getting narrower?

"Well you don't exactly have One for All, so I guess we'll never know for sure," Izuku shot back. Normally Katsuki would've quipped with something sharp, but in their situation right now Izuku could tell he was fighting to come up with something.

"Actually, I'll have you know that—"

"Sh!" Izuku cut him off with a brief grab to the forearm and a shush. Looking ahead, he'd noticed a drop in the ground. Stairs? Katsuki noticed it as well after following Izuku's gaze. Shoto peeked over Izuku's shoulder as they precariously advanced.

"A hole?" Shoto asked quietly as they approached, but once they got to the edge, they realized that it was indeed a staircase going down. Izuku shone his flashlight and was further exasperated to realize he couldn't see the bottom. The darkness was thick. 

"Of course it had to be stairs," Katsuki muttered as they began their descent. "The hell is this place? An underground bunker?" he asked, coming to a silent mutual agreement that after coming all this way, none of them had any intentions of backing down.

Izuku continued to walk beside him. "I wonder how it's avoided all the sewers. Must've been built a long time ago.” He'd never seen something like this before. A long hallway and now a staircase? At least the walls around them seemed to be expanding the further they went down—getting taller as well as wider. He wondered what was waiting down there, hopefully some drug samples that they could take and then book it outta there. "These flashlights suck," he murmured out of frustration as he couldn't see the bottom yet. "How far down is it?"

"I can see it," Katsuki said, and Izuku looked closer to see a moment later that his flashlight was finally reaching the end. A few more steps and he could make out a wide room beyond, with walls stretching to where the light wouldn't reach. Twenty steps later, they made it to the bottom. Shelves upon shelves of vials filled with variations in colors of liquid. Plastic containers filled with powder stacked together from size small to size extra-large. Testing tubes hanging off the sides of the metal shelves. Syringes piled on tables, cardboard boxes filled to the brim with small white pill bottles, clutter littering the ground and filling the countless shelves. Some of it didn't even register in Izuku's mind until he looked twice.

None of them moved. They just stared. All this equipment...Izuku noticed a heartbeat monitor, a cardboard box of unopened syringes, a shelf filled solely with small clear glass bottles of "medicine." A shiver ran up his spine. What was going on here behind closed doors? Those tables upstairs...were people being...experimented on?

"Holy shit," Katsuki muttered under his breath. After a minute or so of adjusting, Izuku was the first to step forward. He walked to the nearest shelf filled edge-to-edge with thumb-sized vials containing yellow, blue, and red liquid. He grabbed one of each color and stuffed them in his pocket after removing his phone. 

"Start collecting," Izuku said. "Let's get this done quick." He was trying not to let the shakiness show in his voice. He was scared—mostly to find out what these vials, syringes, and medical equipment were being used for. Experimenting? Human testing? Some people were capable of very evil things. And for that, he was angry.

He grabbed a few more vials along with a packet filled with white dusty material, which he stuffed in his chest pocket. Along with that, he was taking pictures of anything and everything he saw that might be important. But unfortunately, they didn’t have any data as a result of them being probably around 50 feet underground, so they couldn’t send the photos back to Aizawa just yet.

Minutes passed as they explored; collecting evidence, taking everything in, and trying to figure out what the hell was going on here. Why the syringes? The gauze? The heart rate monitors, breathing tubes, and vials filled with mystery liquid? He was feeling more and more nervous with every passing second. The room seemed to go on and on—shelves upon shelves of medical equipment. Whatever this place was, it wasn't new. This was an ongoing operation with decent funding. However, another question was surfacing in Izuku's mind—where were all the bodies? If their hunch was correct, and people were being tested on, where were all the victims? The evidence? And on another note, he hadn't come across a single villain yet. Where was everyone?

Izuku kneeled down to take a picture of a pile of unraveled gauze sprawled across the concrete floor. His muscles were taut, ready to start running at a moment's notice. This whole place was giving him a bad feeling, especially since they hadn't seen any villains yet. He was ready for something to spring out from around the corner at any second.

He heard soft bootsteps behind him and was naturally startled. He looked over his shoulder to see Katsuki emerging from behind a shelf with his phone in hand as he scanned the walls using the flashlight. He caught Izuku's eye and turned to walk over, and Izuku gave him a nod of acknowledgment before going back to take his pictures. Izuku could hear every step of his boots with how quiet it was in the room. It felt nice to finally have someone beside him after a few minutes of silent exploration.

"This is so fucked up," Katsuki muttered as he walked over. Maybe he was thinking the same thing. "Makes me wonder what's been going on in here. With all this medical stuff, and the tables upstairs...I bet it’s something really shitty," he added, standing beside Izuku now, who was still crouched even though he had finished taking pictures. "The human testing type of shitty," he added lowly.

Izuku chewed his cheek. He'd been thinking the same thing—but now that Katsuki had said it out loud, it seemed more real than ever. "I've been thinking the same thing," he admitted after a moment of contemplation. Suddenly his eye was caught by a spiderweb glistening in the light between a couple of overturned boxes. The silk strands, so thin and durable, beautiful and intricate for such a widely-feared creature. He wondered what made them so terrifying. He stared at the web for nearly half a minute, unaware that he was doing so. He was deep in thought until Katsuki spoke again.

"Izuku," he said quietly. His voice was placid, not a touch of anger or annoyance like it usually had. He didn't exactly sound concerned, but the only thing Izuku noticed, or even heard in that tone of his voice, was that he wasn't angry. Izuku looked over his shoulder at him, attempting to meet his eyes. But the latter was focused on something else, something past him, over his head and behind the shelves only a few feet away. He looked a little too focused—like he was intrigued by something there. Maybe a piece of medical equipment they hadn't seen before, or a box of vials with a new color liquid. At least...that'd what Izuku was hoping. Izuku watched as his expression slowly faded from curiosity into unease. Then, he said just about the most terrifying thing Izuku could've imagined.

"Did you hear that?"

Finally Izuku followed Katsuki's gaze, still crouching on the ground. He didn't dare move. His heartrate sped up, and he strained his ears to pick up on any sounds that Katsuki may be referring to. He stared with wide eyes into the darkness beyond the shelves, wishing his flashlight had a higher wattage so he could see better. The darkness was just so thick. Where's Todoroki? he wanted to ask so they could make a break for it, but the lump in his throat was prohibiting him. Something about this situation was screaming danger. What had Katsuki heard that caused him to look so nervous?

Suddenly, he didn't have to wonder anymore. Suddenly, the world around him erupted into chaos.

A bloodcurdling scream shattered the silence, causing him to jump up and take a leap backward out of shock. Katsuki wasn't far behind him. That scream wasn't anything like he'd ever heard before. It wasn't human. It was deep, like the creature had immense strength, but at the same time had a shrill insect-like undertone. The best way Izuku could describe its tone of voice was angry.

In his haste to get out of range, he realized he'd dropped his phone. Moving on instinct at this point, and thinking only of the mission, he made a move to go back for it. However, before he could get his legs going fast enough, the nearest shelf to him was plowed over with such immense force that horror and shock seized his body. A 400-pound eight-foot-tall pure-steel shelf, thrown at him as if it were made of playdough. The shelf came hurdling towards him and surely would've inflicted a few decent-sized injuries if Katsuki hadn't jumped in the way and blown it back with an explosion that shook the ground. Sparks lit up the room and for a split second, Izuku could see what they were up against. Not a villain. A monster.

At first glance, it looked like a serpent. An elephant-sized serpent. A long slender body, accompanied by silver scales, a broad head, and fangs oozing with venom. It moved like a snake—slithered along the ground like a snake. It hissed, but it also screamed. Oh, the screams were horror-invoking. Every noise sent a shiver down his spine. This was something out of a nightmare. A horror story. A scary movie. But never something he thought he'd see in real life.

Now, at first glance, it looked like a serpent. It moved like one, too. But as Izuku took a closer look, he began to realize it was not only a serpent—but something far more terrifying.

Arachnid-like legs had sprouted from the sides of the snake—long, sharp, and dangerous. Something in him knew that just one jab from those lightning-fast limbs would mean a serious injury. Everything about this thing was screaming death to the point where he wasn't even sure he could touch it without getting seriously hurt. Somehow it made a clicking sound that accompanied the screams. Perhaps the most unsettling thing was its eyes—large, round, and glowing with intelligence. This thing was truly the stuff of nightmares—the result of a genetic experiment. Like the creators were trying to make something as terrifying as possible using the two most widely-feared animals, snakes and spiders. And to be fair, it was a success.

Izuku was beginning to understand why people were afraid of spiders.

"Fuck!" he could barely hear Katsuki shout before the creature was screeching again and scurrying towards them, moving at something between a slither and a crawl. Those legs were stronger than they looked—this thing was moving fast. It knocked over another few shelves in the process, yellow eyes glowing with the light from their flashlights as they struggled to predict its path. Izuku barely had time to mentally recover before he was jumping out of the way, dodging jabs from the spider legs and avoiding the venomous teeth of the snake. Beside him, Katsuki was doing the same, blocking attacks with explosions and trying to scan for a way out. A shelf was coming up fast behind them—they'd be cornered soon. Katsuki attempted a quick escape using his explosions, but before he could get out of range the creature wrangled him back in using a few of its many legs. Weren't spiders supposed to only have eight? From the brief glances he was getting here and there, he could count almost twenty.

The ongoing shrieks and rattling croaks of the creature were unsettling and totally distracting. This thing was a mixture between a snake and a spider, and the size of a fucking semi truck. It was making Izuku's stomach churn. Silver scales reflected the light from his flashlight as it darted back and forth with startling precision for something its size. He spotted a leg darting in from the side and quickly reacted by swinging his leg towards it while dodging the razor-pointed tip. He swung, made contact, and followed through. His leg swept straight across, detaching half the leg from the body and sending black steaming liquid splattering across the ground. The thing screeched even louder, causing his eardrums to vibrate and a sharp pain to shoot through his skull because of the frequency. He was sure his ears were bleeding at this point.

Even though he'd just taken one of its legs off, the creature didn't seem fazed at all except for the scream. It continued attacking furiously—yet its movements were shadowed by percision. Izuku dodged and weaved, gritting his teeth and struggling to remain focused. Only a few seconds later, he looked down at his leg as he started to feel a tingling sensation like his skin had fallen asleep. He was shocked to see his hero suit had been burned through with acid and his shin was bleeding as the outer layer of skin started to shrivel away. His eyes remained impossibly wide. The injury didn't even hurt—yet looked gruesomely bad. He'd been right. Either this thing was coated in poison, or its blood was pure acid—and both options were terrifying.

"It's poisonous!" Izuku cried in exasperation as the creature lunged with its fangs, snapping at the air where his bleeding leg had been only milliseconds before. He glanced over his shoulder and realized they were now cornered against a giant shelf. He couldn't just push this one over as the monster could. No, this creature needed his full attention if he wanted to avoid getting skewered.

"Duck!" Katsuki suddenly yelled from behind him, and the other's voice, even if angry and in the midst of this impossible situation, somehow gave Izuku a sense of control. He ducked. "Eat shit!" Katsuki directed his arms at the serpent, going airborne with a series of blasts to get just out of range. Not a second later, a deafening explosion filled up just about the entire room, enveloping the creature in smoke and blinding curtains of fire.

Izuku could feel the heat on his back as he looked over his shoulder from where he was crouched. Bright red and yellow waves of light surged from Katsuki's outstretched palms as he fired off one of his gauntlets—enough firepower to fry any freak like the one they were facing. That familiar sensation of admiration toyed with Izuku's chest as he watched the other unleash his full power and take out this monstrous creature in one blow. It was truly amazing—he was impressed every time. When Katsuki finally dropped to the ground and explosions stopped from his hands, the top half of the creature was black and charred and it seemed to be struggling to stay upright. The spider legs creaked and croaked like turning gears and the once-shiny silver scales were sizzling with heat. The serpent's head hung low and its eyes were surely burnt, as it wasn't trying to look at them. A soft hissing sounded from its throat. And that's when Izuku knew it was his time to contribute.

He got a running head start, eyes set on the broad spot on its skull right between its eyes. He didn't plan on giving it any time to recover. With gritted teeth and a sense of strength surging through his body, Izuku propelled himself through the air and, silent but deadly as the snake itself, swung his foot and swept directly through the skull of the target. He only got about halfway through before he lost momentum and was forced to fall back, but that was more than enough to kill it. The serpent collapsed to the ground with a mighty boom and Izuku landed beside Katsuki, watching it spasm and twitch in its final moments of life. Despite the sizzling feeling in his leg, he felt triumphant. They'd beaten their foe rather quickly.

"Nice job, Kacchan," Izuku panted. "But what even was that thing?"

Katsuki took a few seconds to calm his breathing before replying. "I'm assuming it's a result of these fucking drugs they have everywhere. These fuckers are probably mixing genetic information. Sickos," he replied. He then looked around begrudgingly. “Where's that damn Icyhot? You think he would've heard us fighting and maybe stop by to help out," he added. Izuku looked around, too, but the darkness was too dense to see much. And just like that, the room was back to silence. Was that the only villain? He doubted it. Shoto wasn't anywhere to be seen. Was he in trouble? Izuku couldn't hear a thing. Now, he was getting nervous.

"Don't even think about yelling for him," Katsuki added sharply as Izuku was about to take a breath to yell. Izuku looked at Katsuki. "If there are any villains here, they already know our location—but that doesn't mean they know Todoroki's. So keep quiet," he added. As Izuku turned his body to face him, something else caught the other's attention. Katsuki looked down at his leg and muttered a, "Shit."

Katsuki pointed, and Izuku looked down at the leg he'd kicked with only moments before. This was the same one he'd kicked with the first time, too. The clothes had burned fully away and his skin was bubbling from the acid in the serpent's blood. He grimaced at the sight—even though he couldn't feel an ounce of pain. It just felt like a warm towel wrapped around his calf. What was a little concerning, however, was that he could no longer wiggle his toes. He was losing motor control already—not a good sign. "What the fuck, Deku, didn't you say it was poisonous? Jesus," Katsuki cursed, and Izuku refused to meet his eyes. "We need something to wash that off," he added hurriedly, looking around as if a bottle of water might appear out of nowhere. "I think I saw a sink in the back. Let's go," he ordered. Izuku didn't protest, so off they went.

They made their way briskly through the rows of shelves, Izuku well-aware of the trail of blood he was leaving from his bleeding leg. He didn't limp. He didn't feel any pain, so there was no reason to. The way he was walking felt a little too casual for the way his leg looked like a crime scene.

They maneuvered around tipped-over boxes and navigated through darkened aisles, trying to retrace their way to the back of the room—but the place was truly a maze. Katsuki had his hand cupped and was using some small-scale explosions along with his flashlight to lead the way. The sound reminded Izuku of firecrackers and was almost soothing after the obnoxiously loud battle that had just ensued.

After only a minute or two, it was starting to get harder to move—bending his knee was becoming a challenge of its own—but the poison seemed rather slow-moving and hadn't reached his head yet. He decided to just keep it to himself, glancing at the passing tubes and boxes filled with expensive equipment as they walked. He wondered how much money it would have been to buy all these supplies. Most of it didn't even look like it was being used. How did these villains have such lucrative funds? They were working in a literal warehouse. He sighed inwardly. So many unanswered questions.

It seemed like only a few seconds passed before his leg started locking up when he went to take a step. His eyes widened with alarm the first time it happened—but then he popped it back into place, and all was good. At least until a few seconds later, when it locked again and he stumbled, almost tripping if not for his other foot's quick work. He clenched his jaw, still set on not asking for help. The poison was slow-moving. He'd gotten himself into this mess, anyway, so he didn't want to trouble Katsuki.

The only thing was, he didn't need to tell Katsuki that he needed help for the other to figure it out. The blond noticed Izuku's slower pace and turned to look at him. He studied the way he was walking for a few seconds—with a locked knee, quite uncomfortably—before asking, "Does it hurt?" 

"No," Izuku quickly responded, "It doesn't hurt. The thing is, it's starting to get..." he grimaced with another step, "...harder to move." New fear started to kindle in the back of his head as he realized what this poison could do to him. Paralysis was no joke. Katsuki slowed out of unease, but Izuku waved him off. "I'm okay," he assured.

"Well hurry up, then," Katsuki with a doubtful stare and harsh tone, but Izuku could detect the worry underlining his words. "It's just up ahead."

"The poison's already in my system," Izuku pointed out as they continued walking, trying to go faster to just get this done. "What's more important is getting out of here. Let's do this quickly," he added. An unknown expression washed across Katsuki's face for a moment—something he didn't often see on a face so rigid with intensity. Concern. But it was gone just as quickly as it had arrived, and quickly he was making a move to do something about it.

"Let's hurry the fuck up, then," Katsuki said before walking over to the struggling Izuku and hooking an arm behind his back and in the crook of his knees. 

"What are you—" Izuku was about to say before Katsuki swept him off his feet and into the air. A little huff was physically sucked out of him as Katsuki took him up bridal-style and continued walking like it was nothing, like he was a bag of pillows. This was impressive because Izuku knew how toned with muscle he was. He wasn’t light. Katsuki was just strong. "Kacchan!" Izuku exclaimed in embarrassment as this was happening. They were now going faster than before, but still it felt kind of unnecessary. He was cradled close to Katsuki's chest, strong arms keeping him off the ground to move him purposefully from point A to point B. There was no doubt that this was probably the more efficient way of movement. But that still didn't eliminate the fact that it was just straight-up mortifying.

"This really isn't necessary," Izuku muttered, holding tightly onto Katsuki's shoulders as if he would drop him at any second. He got a nice close-up look at Katsuki's face for a solid few seconds. 

"First of all, quit staring at me," Katsuki said, scowling at Izuku and chasing away his gaze. "Second of all, your fucking knee locked up—what do you mean this isn't necessary?"

Izuku looked down at his leg, which was sticking straight out, still bleeding and even sizzling softly from the lingering poison. He winced at the sight. "Plus, movement spreads the poison faster. Didn't you know that, nerd? So suck it up and shut your mouth."

Izuku did just that. 

Thirty seconds passed, and that was all it took before Izuku was starting to feel a bit woozy. The steady dip of each of Katsuki's steps as he carried him was starting to shake up his brain, and the tingling in his leg was spreading up his thigh, his hip, and into his torso. He couldn't feel his foot at all. "Urgh..." he muttered, blinking slowly as he stared over Katsuki's shoulder where his chin was rested.

"How you feelin'?" Katsuki asked in response. 

"I don't feel," Izuku replied dumbly.

"Don't feel what?" Katsuki rolled his eyes.

"My foot," Izuku replied. "Or my leg. And my head is starting to hurt..."

Katsuki pursed his lips. "Damn it," he muttered. "You idiot."

Izuku continued to stare over his shoulder. "Am I gonna die?" he asked. 

Katsuki kept walking, and Izuku noticed he'd sped up to more of a stride. "Hell no. We're gonna rinse this shit off your leg, call Aizawa, and get you fixed up right away," he replied with confidence. Izuku laid back in his arms, removing his chin from his shoulder and meeting Katsuki’s eyes. Surprisingly, Katsuki locked gazes with him. Izuku could feel every muscle straining in Katsuki's body to keep him off the ground. He wondered if Katsuki was studying him, too. With his poison-muddled brain, all he could do was stare.

After a few seconds of that, Katsuki broke the thickening silence between them by saying, "Your pupils are super fucking dilated. It's creeping me out."

Izuku frowned and rolled his head back so that he was just hanging there limp. "I don't care. As long as my leg doesn't hurt, I'll be okay," he said. 

"And now the poison is getting to your brain. Even worse," Katsuki grumbled.

They reached the sink and Katsuki dumped him on the counter before turning on the tap and starting to work on unlacing Izuku's boot for him. Izuku just laid his head back on the table and let Katsuki do whatever he wanted. His breathing was starting to feel laborious and it was getting harder to focus on one thought at a time. He tried to fixate his attention on the steady sound of Katsuki's breathing. He was breathing through his nose. It sounded a little panicked. "I'm gonna rinse your leg now, so if it hurts, just deal with it," Katsuki muttered before grabbing Izuku by the foot and dragging him a few inches across the table to get his leg under the running water. Izuku couldn't feel it, so he just lay there in silence. "Can you feel that at all?" Katsuki asked after a minute.

"Not at all," Izuku replied drowsily.

"Okay," Katsuki said. Izuku lifted his head and looked down to see Katsuki rubbing the red, tender skin under the water, gently scrubbing the remaining poison from the wound. Izuku laid his head back down after observing for a few seconds. 

"I didn't know you were such a gentle doctor," Izuku said, mostly to make conversation. He wiped his forehead and came away with a sweaty sleeve. He was probably burning with fever.

"Why, do you want me to be rough? I can be," Katsuki demanded, but his threats were empty. “And I’m not a doctor, I'm just smart enough to know that the longer the poison stays on your skin, the more it's going to spread through your system. I just wish we could've gotten here sooner. The poison's probably already gotten to your head. Fuck."

"It's getting harder to breathe, too," Izuku added casually. "My chest feels like it's tightening up."

Katsuki clenched his jaw but didn’t say anything. “Okay, I think I got it all washed off. Let's go." He grabbed Izuku's legs, pulled him to the edge of the table, and threw him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. 

"Ack!" Izuku exclaimed as he did so. "Ow, my leg!"

"You can't even feel it," Katsuki growled.

"Well, that time I did! You need to be more gentle."

"I’m not gentle.”

“Yeah, obviously, you’re not,” Izuku rambled.

“Whatever. We're getting out of here," Katsuki snapped as he hurried back in the direction they'd come.

"What about Todoroki?" Izuku asked worriedly, giving up on being embarrassed about the fact that Katsuki was carrying him. "We can't just leave him here."

"Yeah, well, if we don't get you out of here in the next ten minutes, you're probably gonna fucking die. So we're going now—with or without him," Katsuki shot back. "The guy can take care of himself. Even though it is a little weird that we haven't seen him lately..." he trailed off. Izuku bit his lip anxiously. 

"What if he got ambushed? We need to help him," Izuku said, weakly elbowing Katsuki's back. The other shrugged him off.

"I'll get you out of here, call Aizawa, and then come back for him."

"You can't do it all on your own! What about me? I can help."

“You can barely fucking move. Stop trying to be the hero and sit this one out. You already took out that other villain."

"I'm just saying that if there are a bunch of villains down here—villains that were strong enough to kidnap Todoroki—you might need some backup," Izuku explained. He could feel heat rising in his stomach. He didn't want Katsuki getting captured while all he did was sit helplessly out of danger. Couldn't he understand that? Could he try to see things from Izuku's point of view?

"I can take care of myself. I don't need you to fucking worry about me, especially when—"

"Run!" A shrill new voice cut through their conversation, startling them both into stopping and looking back. Izuku's eyes flew open. He recognized that voice.

"Todoroki?" he called in response into the darkness, looking behind them where the voice had come from. His heart began to speed up. Shoto’s voice was strained with fear. A few rows of shelves back, he could see a flame approaching, flames outlining the frame of somebody's body. Shoto was sprinting toward them at full speed—and he was telling them to run.

"I said go, dammit!" Shoto shouted as he approached. With the second scream to knock some sense into him, Katsuki started booking it in the other direction with Izuku still on his shoulder. He felt his guts being rearranged as Katsuki's shoulder dug further and further into him with each step. The only thing keeping him anchored to the other was the strong hands gripping his legs and the small of his back. The sound of their footsteps and heavy breathing was the only thing he could hear, and his brain was being shaken vigorously with every bounce of Katsuki's step. He seemed to be struggling with the extra weight, and Izuku noticed Shoto catching up quickly, which meant they were running rather slow.

"What is it, Todoroki?" Izuku demanded, his voice shaking with every one of Katsuki's steps. He tried to prop himself up on Katsuki's back and grimaced with discomfort, while Katsuki muttered, "Stop wriggling around!" It felt like his torso was being squished, but it probably would've hurt more if half of his body wasn't already paralyzed. He looked back. Flames licked across the left side of Shoto’s body, lighting the way and revealing the look of terror in his eyes. Terror? What for? With an even closer look, Izuku noticed that most of his clothes were torn and battered, and he had multiple gashes and wounds covering his body. He was bleeding a sizeable amount. Izuku could only stare in confusion before he worked up another question to ask.

"What happened?" he asked loudly to be sure Shoto could hear him. Shoto had been fighting? They hadn't heard a thing. Was that somebody's Quirk? How did Shoto get away? What were they facing? 

"Villains!" Shoto exclaimed between breaths. "Lots of them...too many to fight...hah...we need to...hah...get out of here!"

Izuku looked behind Shoto and, peering through the darkness, could faintly see dark figures maneuvering through the shadows hot on his tail. They were catching up quickly. Flashes of teeth and wild eyes that could only be from an animal. Dogs, maybe? No, something worse. Wolves. Izuku grated his teeth. "Kacchan, they're catching up!" he exclaimed. "Just put me down!" 

"And leave you to die? Fuck that!" Katsuki huffed, struggling to run faster. Shoto was outpacing them and had nearly caught up. Suddenly an ice wall sprouted from the ground behind them—right between two shelves, so it should've blocked the wolves off—but somehow they just jumped right through. Izuku blinked. Had he been mistaken? There was no way they could’ve just jumped right through it. Right?

Izuku continued to look back and could see now the figure of a man among the wolves, running alongside them. They must be a part of his Quirk, because if they were real wolves, they would've caught up already. Izuku clutched onto Katsuki's shoulder.

"Fine, but at least use your Quirk to get us off the ground!" Izuku shot back. Hearing that, Shoto decided to use his ice and slid past them with a woosh. Katsuki let go of Izuku's legs and suddenly light sparked beneath his palms and an explosion filled the air. In an instant, they were flying through the air towards the exit, all attempts at staying quiet thrown out the window. Repeated bursts of light and grenade-sized explosions emitted from Katsuki's hands, propelling them forward at a much higher speed. His stomach dropped with each time. He figured Katsuki must be accustomed to flying like this, because it was much different from the way he did it. Izuku looked down to see the figure still following them, teleporting through shelves with his shadow wolves right at his side. Izuku pondered on his Quirk. Whatever it was, it was interesting.

"Are we being chased?" Katsuki asked after a few more explosions. They were soaring through the air at this point. Izuku wondered how high the ceiling was, because they were about twenty feet off the ground right now. 

"Yeah, but the guy can't fly, so we're good up here," Izuku replied.

"It's only one guy?" Katsuki asked.

"It's a guy with a bunch of shadow dogs that can teleport through walls and dodge Shoto’s ice. I guess that's why he was telling us to run," Izuku replied. "Todoroki had a bunch of cuts and it looked like he was bleeding."

"I can fucking see that," Katsuki replied. "He's below us."

Izuku looked down and, without much surprise, realized Shoto was flying above the shelves on his ice right below them. They were going about the same speed. And then suddenly, Shoto was shouting and pointing at something across from them—and then he was firing up his left side, reaching back his arm as if he were about to throw his flames. Izuku followed his gaze. And then suddenly, just as Shoto started to light up the ground, there was a flash of something in the air—a tiny object hurdling straight towards them. Straight at Katsuki. A bullet.

Izuku didn't even give himself time to think. Time slowed down. His heart skipped at least few beats. Every movement of his body accounted for something, and every motion that he made worked for his benefit. No mistakes. He hurled his weight to the side so that the bulk of his body was shielding Katsuki's, and then he held on and prayed that the mystery bullet didn't hit the blond. Whatever it was, he didn't care. It didn't matter. At this point, Katsuki was the only one that could save him. He couldn't let Katsuki get hurt. 

The bullet hit him in the back with a chk. He didn't even have time to react to the flaring pain that instantly seized his muscles. However, what he hadn't accounted for was that Katsuki might be thrown off balance by his sudden change in positioning. And as a result of his miscalculations, they were now hurdling straight towards the ground as Katsuki tried frantically to straighten them out—and failed. "Fuck!" was all he heard before they collided with a shelf. Izuku's leg hit a box of vials, so glass went flying everywhere, shattering all around them and filling his ears with melodic screams. He felt shards slice through his clothes and pierce his skin, covering him in tiny cuts that only added to the pain he was already experiencing. He tried to remain focused on Katsuki, but couldn't keep his eyes open in fear that a shard would find a way to blind him.

He hit the ground, rolled about twenty feet—bouncing off multiple shelves and other clutter in the process—and ended up in the middle of the floor surrounded by shards of glass, tipped-over boxes of medical equipment, and multiple splatters of his own blood. His body throbbed. His head hurt. He couldn't move his right leg, and his left leg wasn't working much better. His flashlight was broken, so he couldn't see a thing. He could hear banging and thumping a couple of shelves away, so he assumed that was where Katsuki had landed. He propped himself up, groaning. The world was spinning. He looked towards where he'd heard Katsuki fall, and was glad to see his flashlight bobbing, so he must've been getting up. "Kacchan," he called, trying to sit up. He still couldn't move his legs.

Footsteps jogged closer, and Izuku looked up at the headlamp standing above him when he arrived. It was Katsuki, all right—and he did not look happy. "Deku, what the fuck?" he demanded, crouching down beside him and harshly grabbing his wrists to pull him to his feet. "What the fuck? Are you fucking serious?" he continued, cursing more than his usual amount. No "are you okay?" No  “thanks for saving me." Just a whole lot of cursing. Izuku noticed he did that when he was stressed or angry—and in this case, it was both. "You really are a goddamn idiot. Do you realize what you just did?"

"Saved you from a bullet?" Izuku guessed. Katsuki ignored him.

"You've made this a lot fucking harder for me, that's what you did," Katsuki corrected without even listening to what Izuku had said. He must not have noticed the bullet, then. "Get on my back. They're gonna catch up, thanks to you."

"Okay, but can you at least take the bullet out first?" Izuku asked hotly, even though, strangely enough, he wasn't feeling affected at all. The spot in his back had stung a little at first, but now it didn't even feel like he'd been hit at all. Was it a fake? A trick, or maybe a dud? He didn't know, but he was confused.

"The hell are you taking about?" Katsuki snapped. So he hadn't noticed the bullet. Izuku turned his back to reveal the silver tranquillizer-type bullet with the tip embedded in his spine. Katsuki just stared at it dumbfounded for a moment before planting his fingertips firmly at the base and pulling it out. He examined the thing for a moment before Izuku heard the metal clanging on concrete as he dropped it. "That's why you jerked around like that? You were shielding me from a bullet?" he asked, looking Izuku square with narrowed eyes and parted lips, like he couldn't believe it. Like he couldn't believe that Izuku had a motive for throwing them off course.

"Yes, of course I had a reason! Now stop standing there and let's get out of here!" Izuku exclaimed, snapping Katsuki out of his stunned state. They didn't have time for 'thank you's or 'I’m sorry's. They just needed to get the fuck out.

But alas, they were a few seconds too late. The once-distant sounds of claws ticking on the ground suddenly became near, and in an instant they were surrounded by the dark figures of those shadow wolves. Snarling and snapping with glittering teeth and glowing eyes, these creatures were a little too savage-looking for Izuku's comfort. With the addition of the poison muddling his brain, he was feeling extra overwhelmed by the things circling him, growling and yapping and trying to bite wherever they could. He could barely even stand on his own—let alone dodge the attacks of vicious wolves. Things were not looking good for him at the moment.

Katsuki used his explosions to fend off the creatures. Whenever one got too close, he would fire one off, sending the dog yelping with smoldering fur to hide within the rest of its pack. He was handing it fine. Izuku tried to stay out of the way, trying to ignite his Quirk if needed—but he wasn't feeling that familiar electricity in his chest that he got when he turned on his Quirk. No...it was more like a dull ache. Emptiness. That electricity was gone. His strength was gone. He balled his hands into fists, trying to muster up something, anything, to be of use. A dog lunged at him, and he tried to punch it, but Katsuki ended up having to do it for him. His strength was...no. It couldn't be. His Quirk had never done this before...

Another dog went flying with one of Katsuki's explosions. Izuku could tell he was trying to find an opening to get them both out of there, but was too focused on defending to spend too much time pondering an escape. "What's their fucking weakness?" he asked after exploding another set of snapping teeth. Izuku had been searching for an answer to that well before he asked—but to his dismay, it seemed there was none.

"I can't tell!" he replied. He scanned the darkness for the human figure he'd spotted earlier, hoping maybe for a hint on how to weaken his Quirk—but he couldn't see anything, not even when Katsuki fired off a big explosion. Everything was just too chaotic. His head was spinning. His legs were wobbling. He felt so useless, helpless, weak.

One for All was unresponsive. Not even when he tried to reach within himself, when he tried to communicate with the previous wielders, could he reach them. Fear and frustration seized his chest. A lump formed in his throat. That bullet...it must've been a Quirk tranquilizer. It turned off his Quirk.

He was Quirkless. Izuku nearly started panicking before he could talk some sense into himself. We don't know how that bullet works. Maybe it only works for a few hours. Maybe it's just for now that I can't use it—I mean, they can't just take my Quirk forever, right? 

Yeah. He was gonna go with that.

"Kacchan, I can't use my Quirk," he said over his shoulder once Katsuki got done exploding another wolf. He was handing the current threat well on his own, so Izuku wasn't too worried yet about not being able to use it. Maybe they could get by with Katsuki's power alone.

"What?" Katsuki shouted before letting loose another explosion, followed by a pained yelp as a dog was sent flying through the air. 

"I can't use my Quirk!" Izuku shouted. 

"Yeah, I heard you!" Katsuki shot back. "Was it that damn bullet?"

"It was," Izuku confirmed. "It must've been a Quirk tranquilizer or something. So don't get hit by one!"

“Yeah, no shit.”

Just as he said that, a new sound filled the air—a whistle. Katsuki and Izuku both ducked on instinct. Then, just to the right of Katsuki's foot, a silver dart embedded itself in the ground—the same type Izuku had been hit with. The villain that shot Izuku was here.

"Great," Katsuki muttered. Another wolf flung itself at them, but he easily blew it off. "Now we got bullets to worry about."

Suddenly light flooded the room and Izuku looked up to see Shoto flying across the shelves on a sheet of ice. On his left side roared a wall of fire, lighting up some of the darkness and revealing the villain that he was up against. A dark-clothed man floating in the air, holding a yard-long sniper pointed straight at Katsuki. Obviously he was trying to get rid of Katsuki's Quirk. If he did that, he and Izuku were pretty much done for. But thankfully, before he could pull the trigger, Shoto raised a wall of ice from the ground and blocked his vision. Then, he looked down at the two of them.

"You guys okay?" he yelled. Izuku could see blood glistening on his forehead and noticed the way it had soaked into most of his clothes. 

"We're fine—and take it easy, Todoroki! It looks like you're losing a lot of blood," Izuku exclaimed. 

"Just take care of the bullet man, Icyhot!" Katsuki shouted over his shoulder. Shoto nodded and took off in chase of the so-called "bullet man." Suddenly a dog lunged and snapped at Katsuki's leg, so naturally he blew it up—but he left his other side unguarded for only a split second. And in that single moment, a second dog lunged. It sunk its teeth into Katsuki's leg and pulled him off his feet, sending explosions everywhere but the target. Three more dogs saw their opportunity and took it. They bit into Katsuki's arm, leg, and torso, shaking their heads and ripping through his skin. He got to work exploding them off, but other dogs were taking notice of his slip-up and beginning to move in, seeking an opportunity to strike.

"Stop!" Izuku screamed, lunging for the nearest dog and mustering up enough strength to punch it repeatedly between the eyes. It was true that he no longer was in control of his Quirk, but that didn't mean he'd lost his muscle, too. He could still throw a mean punch. He hit the dog a few times before it let go of Katsuki's leg and turned its bloody fangs to bite him, instead. And as this animal snapped and bit at him, Izuku came to the quick realization that this wasn't just some dog—this had the size, strength, and bite force of a primitive wolf. It took a hold of his forearm and pulled him off balance with terrifying strength. He toppled over like a toddler just learning to walk. Two more wolves decided to dig in, taking hold of his legs and starting to pull him in three different directions. He screamed—not just out of pain, but out of frustration. He was Quirkless again. Helpless. Just another civilian to be saved—a terrified kid, unable to do anything to save himself. And he was going to die.

That is, until a huge explosion blinded him and momentarily stunned the dogs. He blinked his eyes open to see Katsuki struggling to his feet, gushing blood in multiple places and staggering his steps. He'd just singlehandedly blown up half the group. Izuku guessed he'd used his second gauntlet, which was now mostly destroyed as the dogs ripped it away from him. But Izuku didn't have much time to think about that before he was shaken back to reality—physically shaken by the wolves as they tore through his flesh and tried to rip him apart. Another scream escaped his lips. He could feel his limbs being pulled, flesh being pierced with razor-sharp teeth, whole body seized by these demon dogs that somehow had no weakness.

Not a second later, two more explosions ensued, and the two dogs that had been biting Izuku's feet were knocked off and thrown to the side. Finally, the third one was blown up—and the explosion that Katsuki created was so large that it killed the animal upon impact. It went limp in an instant and collapsed to the ground in a steaming pile of singed hair and burning flesh. Izuku propped himself up, shaking, and looked over his shoulder at Katsuki. He was breathing heavily, bleeding from multiple places where he was missing flesh and gouged deep with wolf teeth. Izuku noticed a crimson pool growing beneath him. The dogs had done a good amount of damage.

"Kacchan," Izuku croaked, sitting himself upright, but the rest of the pack was already circling them again. There was no time for words.

The wolves looked a little more hesitant to be attacking after watching their buddies be killed by a single explosion, but on the other hand, they looked twice as angry as before. The malice in their eyes was chilling as they glared and circled around the injured Katsuki and Izuku. Izuku was getting the same feeling when fighting the previous monster. That he was the prey...and these wolves were the hunters.

"Stay close," Katsuki muttered, stepping closer to Izuku so he could better protect him. Izuku grit his teeth. He really wasn't enjoying feeling like a damsel. But really...what other choice did they have? They were severely and quite utterly fucked.

"You have to leave me," Izuku blurted as the dogs began lunging again. Katsuki was now accounting for both of their backs—Izuku couldn't even stand himself upright. He was a liability. Useless. Katsuki had to leave him—it was the only way.

"You'd best shut up now, Deku. I'm not leaving," Katsuki shot back furiously. “And don’t you ever even think about suggesting that again.”

Before Izuku could respond, another dog lunged with snapping teeth and managed to get a bite on his unprotected foot, and he cursed and shrieked as it began dragging him backwards towards the rest of its pack, where he'd surely be torn apart. Katsuki grabbed him and blasted the wolf with enough firepower to end its life. The smoking animal backed off and Katsuki took position hovering over Izuku's body. “These damn dogs. Just fuck off!" he shouted, blasting at whatever was in his close vicinity. But the dogs were adapting now—getting smarter. They knew to dodge wherever he aimed his hand. So now, he was having a harder time landing a good hit.

Another thing Izuku started to notice was the way Katsuki was shaking. He was obviously getting burnt out from using his Quirk so much, and probably wouldn't be upright much longer. The situation was becoming desperate. 

"Damn it Kacchan, just go without me!" Izuku cried in a moment of desperation. He could see how hard Katsuki was fighting to stay standing right now—after all, he was gushing blood from multiple spots, especially his legs. He was probably in so much pain. And it was all because Izuku couldn't have been smarter about fighting that first creature. If only he hadn't been so stupid and gotten himself paralyzed—and then better yet, gotten his Quirk erased—none of this would be happening.

"Shut up, Izuku, I swear," Katsuki exclaimed through ragged breaths. Another giant explosion followed his words, singing the tails of two dogs as they were a little slow to jump out of the way—but not really harming any. He grunted in frustration at his trembling hands. "Damn it. Damn it!" he shouted. Another explosion that did nothing. He was getting tired. This was getting out of hand.

"Getting a little worked up, are we?" a new voice boomed, cutting through the noise of the dogs and the explosions. Suddenly, the creatures stopped attacking—every one of them. Everything immediately grew still. The animals formed a ring around Izuku and Katsuki, blocking their route of escape but not going on the offense. A couple of them were still growling, but the lot of them became very silent. Izuku scanned the darkness for the source of the voice—it was probably the man controlling all these animals. He couldn't see anything. 

Katsuki stayed on his feet, dripping blood onto Izuku's back from where he stood over him. The only source of light was Katsuki's flashlight and the minor explosions that were popping from his hands. Izuku willed him to kneel down, conserve his energy and avoid passing out, but Katsuki was stubborn and wouldn't show weakness even if you held a blade to his throat. Izuku knew he would rather pass out than kneel and show that he's been hurt.

A few seconds of intense silence passed. Izuku could hear noise in the distance and assumed that was Shoto taking care of the bullet guy. He and Katsuki continued scanning the darknedd. The dogs kept their yellow eyes locked on the two of them—but didn't move. Finally, the voice came again. "You guys aren't looking too good."

Izuku's gaze darted to the source of the voice. A man dressed in all black, casually approaching with a pistol in his right hand aimed straight at them. The controller of the dogs.

He wasn't wearing a mask of any kind—Izuku could clearly see his face. The first thing he noticed about it was how young the guy looked, late twenties at most. He had a scruffy short-cut beard and an unnatural color of blue for eyes. His brown hair looked only a little longer than his beard, maybe a couple inches. He wasn't your typical "villain." This just looked like some normal guy.

He smiled easily, pistol pointed directly at Katsuki's head. "Try to blow me up, and I'll shoot you. With real bullets this time," he said. Despite how much he despised following orders, Katsuki didn't move. Neither of them did. They were stunned. The guy's icy gaze flitted to Izuku, where it lingered an uncomfortably long time. Finally, he spoke again. "You're Izuku, right? Midoriya Izuku," he said. Izuku clenched his jaw. The man didn't even wait for a response, he just continued talking. "Oh, that's just perfect. You were the one who defeated our boss, yeah?"

Absolute malice glinted in the guy's eyes—strange, wolf-like eyes that were a little unsettling to meet for longer than a couple of seconds. Izuku didn't stir. The man advanced a few steps. Katsuki tensed above him.

"You remember him, don't you?" the guy continued, not paying any mind to Katsuki. His gaze was on Izuku now. His voice was unpleasant, like a knife being sharpened on a wheelstone. "Two years ago. The Shei Hissaikai Compound." He stood there waiting, as if Izuku was going to say something. He felt the gears in his head turning a little slower than usual. Shei Hissaikai...that was...

"Overhaul," the man said. "You might remember him by that name." Izuku remained silent. It was all clicking together in his brain. The underground facility...Quirk tranquilizers...vials upon vials of drugs, evidence of human experiments...it all related to Overhaul. Had there ever been a second compound that the heroes found? No, he thought Overhaul worked alone. He did work alone. So who was this guy?

"You may be wondering who the hell I am right about now," the guy mused, as if reading his thoughts. "Well, let me explain a little. I used to work with Overhaul—at least, until he got put six feet under. Now, I've been carrying on his work all alone; manufacturing and selling drugs, carrying out his name, making money and building the lab, keeping us moving throughout the years so we don't get caught. Actually, we had plans to move to a different facility tomorrow," the guy explained. Izuku and Katsuki stayed silent—they didn't know what to say. This was really bad. Mostly, Izuku was trying to figure out a way to get out of here. He'd lost all feeling in both his legs and most of his torso. Even the tips of fingers were becoming difficult to move like normal, and he was having a hard time staying seated upright.

"I'm guessing you're here to gather data so that you can bring it back to your masters and get us caught. Well, I'm not gonna let that happen. But I am willing to make you guys a deal. Since I'm in a good mood—and we already had plans to ditch this place tomorrow—I'll let you go. But only under one condition. You give me back my drugs that you have hidden in your pockets, hand over your phones, and let me use my memory eraser drug on you so you don't remember any of this when you wake up. 'Kay?" He said it all so casually that Izuku was almost inclined to just blindly agree. But Katsuki was quick to speak out.

"Hell no, scum. We're not letting you get away with all these shitty things you've been doing," he snarled in a tone that even made Izuku nervous. "You're working with Overhaul? I bet your morals are just as screwed as his were. What are you, his brother or somethin'? Or maybe you were his servant when he was still around," Katsuki snorted. This back-and-forth was already making Izuku nervous. With a gun pointed to Katsuki's head, their opponent had the upper hand here. Katsuki was acting a little too bold for his comfort.

The man finally dragged his gaze away from Izuku to meet Katsuki's challenging eyes. "I don't know if I'd be saying that with a gun pointed to my head," he said in a dangerous tone. Izuku tensed as the guy cocked the gun with a soft movement and a click. In addition, his dogs started growling. "I will shoot you. I'm not afraid to kill a kid."

"Oh, I already know that much," Katsuki snapped. "But are you so sure you won't miss?" 

The man grinned. Then, dark and silent as shadows, five more wolves materialized from behind the man's frame one at a time and took place at his sides. They bared their teeth at Katsuki and Izuku, as if smiling. His ability to create these creatures wasn't just uncanny—it was impossible. Izuku had never seen a Quirk quite like this. The wolves could teleport through objects at will, but still bite into Katsuki and Izuku when they wanted to inflict damage. And they just somehow grew from this man's body like bacteria. And he could create an endless amount. Something wasn't adding up—the fact that there wasn't a weakness. Every Quirk has one. So what was his?

"You look shocked," the guy mused, taking control once more. "Allow me to elaborate. I've created this drug—along with many others—that works as a sort of Quirk enhancer. Normally, I'd only be able to create three or four wolves, and they wouldn't be nearly as strong as the ones you see here. But with my Quirk enhancer, I can create an endless amount, with double the strength." He smiled. "Isn't that just fascinating?"

Izuku stared. Katsuki glared. The dogs around them started panting and wagging their tails, almost as a response to the guy's mood. It was fascinating—but it was equally so terrifying. 

"Anyway, back to the point. Even if you do somehow dodge my bullet, my wolves will just tear you apart. Like I've said before, you aren't looking too good. I'm sure you've realized that, too. So if you try to fight, you're probably just going to die."

This was starting to look pretty hopeless. Izuku was praying for Shoto to somehow come and swoop them out of this, but he was off distracting the sniper guy. He'd surely be busy with that for at least few more minutes—minutes they just didn't have to spare.

"Back to my offer," the guy continued. "As much as I'd like to kill you, your teachers probably know you're here—so if you don't respond within the hour, they'll surely come looking. So. Here's what I propose: a solution for both of us," he said with a bizarre amount of delight. Like he was having fun. "You hand me the drugs that you've smuggled into your pockets, along with your phones, which most certainly contain incriminating evidence that I just can't allow you to give to your teachers. Next, I inject you with a memory-erasing solution that will erase all your memories of the past 24 hours. And finally, I kick you out of here, pack up my stuff, and leave. That way I don't get caught, and you two get to keep your lives. How's that sound?" he asked with an encouraging nod. 

Izuku finally snapped out of his confused daze to give an all-out glare at the man. "Our mission was to come here and reveal all of the sick things you've been doing so the Pro Heroes can come and hunt you down. We're not leaving until we've done that," he snapped. Suddenly he felt Katsuki's hand on his back, putting pressure on his shoulder. He realized the other was using him as stabilization to stay upright. Katsuki wasn't doing well. The gouges on his legs and arms had formed a pool of blood around his feet, and now he was struggling to even stay standing. He was hiding it well, though. When he spoke, his voice was still as strong and confident as ever.

“What he said," Katsuki agreed. The both of them stared down the man, who was now frowning.

"I was hoping you wouldn't say that," the man sighed. "Well, maybe this will convince you." He re-aimed the tip of his gun at Katsuki and pulled the trigger. A loud bang filled the air and Katsuki silently fell to his knees.

Izuku cried out and turned to look at him with wide, terrified eyes. He first looked at Katsuki's face, praying to God that the man hadn't aimed at his head. But his face was fine, aside from the grit and drying blood that had already been there before. He was looking at the ground with a clenched jaw and narrowed eyes. Izuku looked further to see him cradling his shoulder, which was spurting new blood from the bullet hole. It didn't hit his heart or any internal organs. It didn't hit his head. In fact, the bullet was aimed in a spot where Katsuki could very well survive. If only he hadn't already lost so much blood...

Katsuki was silent through the pain. His hands were shaking—his whole body was trembling with the shock—but he didn't make a sound. Not a single inclination of weakness. Izuku immediately took to his own clothes, flailing to grab at some loose cloth on his leg where the poison had burned it away. He found a weak spot and, struggling with his sluggish fingertips, managed to tear off a piece. But it wasn't long enough to fit around his arm. Izuku cursed under his breath and ripped off a thicker chunk, praying the fabric was long enough to work this time. He was relieved when it turned out to be the perfect length. Katsuki let him slip it under his armpit and tie a quick knot, pulling it as tight as possible. He hissed in pain, but it had to be tight to slow the bleeding. Izuku wished he could make a tourniquet, but didn't see any objects nearby that would work as a stick. As they performed this, the man continued to talk and walk around them, watching their desperation in comfortable silence.

"You can bandage him up all you want, but with all the blood he's already lost, he won't be conscious for much longer," the villain spoke, pacing to the left and beginning to circle them within the ring that his dogs had created. "It's obvious you care about each other. Are you sure you want to let him die?" he continued. Izuku knew that question was aimed at him. 

"You're not gonna die," Izuku muttered to Katsuki. He was trying to ignore the man—he was just saying that to get in their heads. "Kacchan, you're not gonna die. We'll figure this out," he half-whispered. He noticed Katsuki's breathing was starting to grow shallow, and his trembling was noticeable. This wasn't good.

"I'm fine," Katsuki grumbled through clenched teeth. "It's just a little...scratch."

Izuku's eyes returned to the man, who was watching them with an amused expression. One hand stroked the fur between the ears of one of his wolves, and the other hand held the gun still pointed at the both of them. "Hand me the drugs and your phone, and let me erase your memories. It's easy as that. Then you'll never find me again, and you'll both walk away alive," he said convincingly. "Just believe me when I say I don't want you to die."

A moment of silence. Izuku weighed their options, all while trying to come up with a plan. This guy didn't care if they died or not—he just wanted them out of his hair. They were surrounded by bloodthirsty wolves that followed the every command of their master. But at the same time, he couldn't just give up the mission. Not like that. And he knew Katsuki wouldn't want to give up, either.

Just like that, something popped into his poison-muddled head. Whether it was a good plan, he didn't know—but it was possible. A spark of hope kindled in his chest as he pondered it for a second or two and then decided it was worth a try. 

"I don't believe you. He'll die from blood loss if he doesn't get medical attention soon, so he's gonna die whether we give you the evidence or not. Do you have anything for healing wounds?" Izuku asked. 

Katsuki looked at him. He looked like he might keel over any moment now—yet that angry glow still remained in his eyes. "No, Deku. We're not gonna fucking lose this," he muttered, and Izuku could almost feel the waves of anger rolling off him. He met Katsuki's eyes from where they were kneeling next to each other. 

"It's not losing, Kacchan. It's a tactical retreat," he said quietly. Then, he very, very subtly held out his hand, making sure it was out of the man's sight, and molded it into the shape of something fist-sized. He stared Katsuki in the eyes and mouthed one word. Grenade.

Katsuki understood. The grenades buckled to his belt—he didn't think the man had noticed them yet. If Izuku could throw one and catch him off guard, it was possible that they could create enough chaos to make a break for it and escape. The exit was near—Izuku remembered photographing the test tubes hanging on the shelf near here. And if they timed it perfectly with Shoto, they could all make it together. Izuku could still hear the sounds of fighting in the distance and hoped Shoto was finishing up. 

Katsuki understood his plan. They'd always been able to come up with similar plans in the past, so now was no different. Just to sell it a little more, Katsuki shook his head in disapproval. "No. We're not giving up to this scum. We can still fight our way out of this," he insisted stubbornly. As he was talking, his hand was snaking its way to his side, where one of his grenades was latched. Izuku kept eye contact with him as he precariously managed to pull it from the strap without making a noise. "I've never lost before, damn it, and I don't plan on starting now!"

His tone was so convincing that Izuku himself almost believed it. "Come on, Kacchan, just work with me! I don't want you to die," he said in a hushed voice. Silently, and without breaking eye contact, Katsuki passed the grenade to Izuku's outreached hand. He had it in his grasp—and the man hadn't seemed to notice yet. So far so good.

Katsuki glared at him, then glared at the man, then back at Izuku. "Well, fuck that. You're paralyzed from the waist down. How the hell are you gonna survive this?" he demanded. Then he looked at the villain. "You got some kinda anti-venom or something? Deku here went and got himself infected with that damn serpent's poison, so the future ain't looking too bright for him, either. Give me an anti-venom, and I just might consider," he said snappily. 

The man looked appeased with Katsuki's words. "Wonderful! I'm so glad to see you two agreeing with me," he praised. "Of course I'll get you that medicine. I don't know exactly how well it'll mix with the memory-eraser, but It'll probably be fine," he shrugged. "You'll also need to tell your other friend to do the same. I think he's on his way now." He lowered his gun and turned to one of his dogs, giving it instructions to "go fetch Eiko"—whoever that was. Izuku's heart skipped a beat. The plan was working—he was letting his guard down. As he turned to face the man, he gripped the grenade tightly behind his back, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. If he could throw the grenade at the man, and Katsuki could use a few blasts to get them to the exit, this could work. This would work.

With his free hand, Izuku slowly fished the drugs out of his pockets and emptied them onto the ground. Every drug but one. The packet of white dust in his chest pocket. He hoped the man just didn't notice. Katsuki did the same—but Izuku noticed he kept his phone. So they were both keeping some form of evidence, then.

Izuku gathered all the vials into his hand and held them out to the man. His heart was racing in his chest. Now was the time. He could hear the soft shh of Shoto’s ice as he approached—he must've just finished his villain. Now is the time.

The man walked over to them with his hand held out for Izuku to place the drugs. Everything moved in slow motion as he handed them over—and as he did, pulled the pin on the grenade with two fingers. It made a little chnk noise, but Izuku masked it with the sound of glass vials clattering together. He counted the seconds in his head. One...two...three...

On the fourth second, he chucked the thing as hard as he could at the man's chest. It hit him, catching him off guard—and then it erupted into flames and smoke with a deafening boom.

A bloodcurdling scream filled the air as the man was engulfed by a blinding explosion. Shrapnel from the grenade flew back and pounded Izuku's body, but he ignored it as he grabbed into Katsuki and felt explosions lift them off the ground. Even if Katsuki couldn't move, at least he could still use his Quirk. They took off into the air, Izuku clutching to Katsuki's shoulders with all his remaining strength, and Katsuki grunting with the effort of getting them off the ground. Izuku could feel his muscles straining incredibly, and knew he was pushing himself to the near brink.

He looked over Katsuki's shoulder to see the man covering his face with both his hands, all while shouting at his dogs to run after them, along with all sorts of profanities. The shadow wolves took off in their direction, following close behind on the ground, teeth snapping and vicious snarls sounding from their throats. They looked about a hundred times more terrifying in the intermittent bursts of light coming from Katsuki's explosions. Izuku knew that if they landed now for whatever reason, they'd surely be ripped apart.

He heard someone yell from beside them and looked over to see Shoto soaring through the air on a bridge of ice. He looked battered and bruised, but otherwise no worse than the last time Izuku had seen him. He was staring at them with wide, expectant eyes, but Izuku couldn't understand what he was saying. His brain was fogging up. His arms...oh no. He was starting to lose his strength. The paralysis was becoming more prominent in places other than just his legs.

Shoto yelled again, and this time Katsuki responded. "We're fine, Icyhot! Head for the exit. It's just up ahead," he shouted in a raspy voice. Izuku knew he was struggling, too. The explosions were getting weaker with each burst, and the pain on his face told Izuku all he needed to know about how hard he was fighting to hide it. He couldn't keep this up for much longer. But they were almost there...Izuku's eyes widened as he felt his arms begin to slip. His joints were locking up. His chest felt heavy, and he couldn't speak. The paralysis was taking over. He couldn't speak.

He looked at Katsuki's face. He looked pained, but determined. Determined to get them both to the exit. But that surfaced another question in Izuku's mind—how were they going to escape the devil dogs while running up the stairs? Running down that tight, claustrophobic hallway? There was no way that Izuku could run in his current state. He was a liability. Helpless. Useless.

Quirkless.

He grit his teeth, trying to swallow the lump in his throat and failing to even do that. He was losing motor control fast. He had maybe a few more seconds before his muscles gave out and he let go of Katsuki. He had to just hold on enough to make sure Katsuki makes it out alive. His muscles strained, and he could hear ringing in his ears with how hard he was fighting to hold on as his strength sapped away. This was it. There was no getting out of this. All he wanted was for Katsuki to make it out. If he could just get to the exit, then he could let go, be taken by the dogs, and Shoto would at least make sure Katsuki gets out of there. Please don't wait for me, Izuku thought desperately. Let me be taken. I'm a liability again.

Let them take me.

I'm helpless again.

He might as well just kill me.

His friends were all that mattered at this point, and that was because he knew they still had a chance to survive this. Izuku didn't have that hope. If he went with them, he would slow them down so much that they would surely get caught—but if he stayed and let himself be the center of attention, they had a chance at escape. 

All these thoughts passed his mind in the span of a few seconds. Time slowed down as Katsuki’s explosions started to propel them toward the ground, where he knew the exit was coming up fast. He could feel his weak arms begin to give out, joints locking up at this point. He could feel his throat starting to close as he let go. The thought of death passed his mind, but oddly enough, he wasn’t too scared by it. Everybody dies at some point—so why not now? Why not while doing a good deed, trying to save his friends? It was the least he could do to repay them for all they’d done for him. He’d been the one to get himself paralyzed. That was his fault. He didn’t want his friends to die here because of it.

His stomach lurched as he plummeted toward the ground, completely motionless as his body went numb. Another thought passed his mind—he thought of his mom. She’d always been there for him, or at least tried to be. She helped him through his rough childhood, the time when he’d been Quirkless and desperate to get a grip on his own life. He hadn’t known what he was going to become back then. He had no idea. He just figured he’d live out the rest of his life a useless nobody, without fulfilling his dream of becoming a hero.

Well, here he was. A hero. What did that mean, exactly? As it turned out, he’d never get to know.

He fell about ten feet and hit the ground shoulders first. The air was knocked from his lungs and he struggled to gasp for breath, attempting to part his lips to make a grasp for some air, trying to regain it back. But he soon found that he couldn’t move. Not even his lips. Not his throat. He couldn’t swallow, he couldn’t blink. The only thing he could do was breathe—fortunately—and look around. His breaths were labored and shallow, but at least he was still able. 

Katsuki landed at the base of the stairs and, once he could semi-stabilize himself, started running back towards the sprawled-out Izuku to grab him, shouting. He had a wild light in his eyes that Izuku noticed, and he tried to shake his head as Katsuki started running at him. On Izuku’s other side, he couldn’t see the wolves, but he could feel the vibrations of their paws on the ground as they gained on him. It was only a matter of seconds now, he knew.

Go, Kacchan, he thought with what little sanity he had left. His fingers twitched, and that was about all he could do in the way of movement. He felt his mind start to fade. He stared at Katsuki, who was struggling to even stay on his feet as he ran at him screaming. Out of the corner of his vision he spotted Shoto dropping down from a wall of ice and starting to run toward Izuku, too, both shouting. Terror twisted both their faces. Even Katsuki, who rarely showed emotion, looked horrified. Izuku couldn’t move—he couldn’t tell them that it would all be okay. He couldn’t tell Kacchan not to blame himself, and he couldn’t thank Shoto for being such a good friend. All he could do was think it, and hope they understood.

It was another second before the shadows overwhelmed him. Teeth dug into his ankles and immediately he was being dragged away from Katsuki and Shoto, who were still mindlessly trying to save him. There was nothing they could do. Hopefully they understood that. All Izuku hoped was that they could save themselves. He knew Katsuki wouldn't want to leave, but was praying that Shoto came to his senses and dragged him out of there. Maybe now that he'd collapsed, the wolves would stay focused on him and pay no attention to the others.

Izuku accepted it as he was dragged away, the sounds of snarls and shadowy figures enveloping him in a cocoon of death. He couldn’t fight back, so he didn’t even try. He just closed his eyes and let it happen. Whatever fate had in store, he was ready. 

Izuku passed out soon after that.

“Icyhot, you better let fucking go of me!” Katsuki screamed in a dazed fit of panic and rage. His mind was spinning, his body was throbbing, and he couldn't control most of his body very well. Involuntary explosions pulsated from his palms, propelling them toward the exit and doing exactly what he didn’t want them to. He couldn’t control himself. Izuku was still there. He was in danger. Katsuki could only stare at the howling, writhing mass of dark fur and flashing teeth, body rigid with this newfound terror. Why’d Izuku let go? One moment they'd been flying fine, and the next Izuku was stiffening up and falling. They were almost to the fucking exit. Why’d he let go? Had he been more injured than Katsuki thought? Was it the poison that finally took over? Or worse...was Izuku trying to sacrifice himself for them?

“Fuck! God damn it, Izuku!” Katsuki shouted so loud that he felt his voice break. The wolves were paying no mind to him now, only focusing on Izuku as they dragged him away, surely to eat him. Todoroki dragged them away from the scene, but Katsuki knew he would never get that image out of his mind—not ever again. Izuku lying on the ground, bleeding and helpless. The dogs overwhelming him—dragging him away. Away from help. Away from him. 

He fought to escape Todoroki, even if he knew it was helpless at this point. Izuku was surely being torn apart. Katsuki screamed and cursed—out of horror, and out of disbelief. He...no. This couldn't be happening. Izuku wasn't screaming—Katsuki wondered if he was even conscious. He tried to peer through the shadows, but everything was blurring together. 

"Go back, Todoroki! We have to go back!" he shouted in Shoto's ear, noticing the way his voice was becoming ragged and hoarse. Along with his vocal cords, his body was starting to weaken. He could no longer function his legs correctly, so he was stumbling and staggering as Todoroki tried to drag him up the stairs. He could hear their footsteps on the pavement as they traveled up a few. He looked back, eyes wide. He refused to leave. No, he couldn't.

"Get the hell up!" Shoto screamed back, and Katsuki wavered as his eardrums erupted with vibrations from the soundwaves. "I'm trying to save you, Bakugou, so get up! Don't you think this is what he would've wanted?" he continued. Katsuki looked over his shoulder and in a second's glance noticed just how exhausted Shoto looked. Tears—whether voluntary or not—had gathered at his eyes. Blood and grit covered most of his face, along with the rest of his body. He was shaking and had a clenched jaw. It looked like he was struggling to stay upright, let alone drag Katsuki's ass up the stairs.

Katsuki looked back at the pile of dogs and clenched his teeth, barely containing another frustrated scream. He couldn't see Izuku—was he still alive? There wasn't any blood, and he couldn't hear any flesh or cloth tearing. Were the wolves actually killing him? He was denying the thought. Snarls and howls echoed throughout the room, but he couldn't see Izuku. No exposed flesh, no torn-off limbs. Were they sparing him? Then why drag him away?

Shoto hauled him up another few stairs before he came to his senses and remembered to fight back. "I'm not leaving, Icyhot...!" he shouted through clenched teeth. He managed to break away from Shoto and took a step forward—but instantly as he put weight on his right leg, his knee buckled and he was sent face-first down the stairs, going head-over-heels for a few steps before he could frantically stabilize himself. Shock rippled through his body with how weak he'd become. Looking down at his legs, he realized the bite marks and chunks of gouged-out flesh were gushing blood along to the beat of his heart. He couldn't feel any pain due to all the adrenaline, but just looking at the injuries was enough to make him light-headed.

"Bakugou," Shoto said in a dangerous tone, stepping down to him and grabbing him by the collar. He looked him dead in the eyes, stone-cold. "We're gonna make it out of this cave. It's what Midoriya would want, and we're not going to dishonor him by killing ourselves right now. Can you understand that?" 

Katsuki ignored the shakiness in Todoroki's voice. He sounded broken—but at the same time, he sounded like he knew what needed to be done. He was determined. Katsuki looked back one last time, breathing heavily and lip trembling with what he knew he had to do. Izuku was down there possibly getting killed, but...he couldn't save him.

The one time Katsuki couldn't save him.

Todoroki grabbed his arm and pulled him to his feet, not even waiting for an answer as he began to drag him up the stairs at an unreasonably fast pace. Katsuki had a hard time keeping up, but he was complying. He was leaving Izuku. Fuck, he couldn't believe this. He was giving up.

Every instinct in his brain was telling him to go back. He cursed himself out loud for being so weak, raspy voice filling the staircase with sound along with their bootsteps. He could still hear the fading snarls and barks of the devils behind them. How could he be so helpless? Izuku needed help and he couldn't do a damn thing. Now he was here running like a weakling, feeling his body slowly weaken, letting himself be saved rather than being the one helping. He was furious. But on the other hand, he was terrified.

Even if Izuku hadn't always been a big part of his life, he'd always been there. Always. When they were kids, middle schoolers, high schoolers and now adults. He was always there—sitting on the balcony of his apartment, or doing homework in the common room, or sparring with one of their classmates in the training area. No matter how many times Katsuki refused it, or how long he tried to force it out of his mind, the fact was that he'd gotten used to having Izuku around.

He liked sparring with him—developing their Quirks together, learning each others' strengths and weaknesses, even if it wasn't voluntary. He'd gotten used to the way Izuku was always in his corner. He could always trust him, even if he never asked for help. It was his quiet, assuring presence that Katsuki could appreciate. Their history wasn't something he was too proud of, but the fact was that through thick and thin, Izuku had always stuck around. 

The boy who was always there. The boy who would chase him, no matter how many times he tried to push him away. The boy who helped him realize so much about himself. Izuku identified his flaws, but most importantly, brought out his strengths. They made each other stronger. Over the years, Katsuki had started to realize that. And yet, he'd only pushed him away. And as he ran up the stairs now, abandoning Izuku—the boy who was always there—he found himself regretting it.

He clenched his teeth, swallowing the lump growing in his throat. He couldn't cry. He wouldn't. Not for this, and not now. Right now, he needed to focus on getting out. Even though he knew it was cowardly, and every bone in his body was fighting for him to go back, he had to do the right thing. Over the past couple of years, he'd learned that. Sometimes retreating wasn't the weakest option.

But this time, it really was.

They reached the top of the stairs and started shuffling down the hallway, making their way to the exit. Katsuki was struggling to walk, so he used the wall as support. Shoto currently had better motor control, so he could walk normally aside from a limp—but after leaving Katsuki completely in the dust, he had to turn back. Silently, he limped over to Katsuki, who was trailing blood and struggling to stay upright on wobbly legs. He hooked an arm under his armpit to drag him along. "Tch," Katsuki muttered as Shoto lent him a hand. But as Shoto offered his strength to Katsuki's waning body, he didn't argue like he usually would. In fact, he felt himself leaning farther into Todoroki than usual—as his body was given that relief, he couldn't help himself from beginning to rely on it.

They made it a few more feet without any problems before his eyelids grew heavy and his brain started to fade. He was about to pass out.

Shit, he thought as his mind slipped. The blood loss and physical exhaustion were finally getting to him. Panic gripped his chest but it only lasted for a blink of an eye. Not a second after that, his brain shut off, too.

"Bakugou!" Shoto exclaimed as the blond fell into him, suddenly going motionless and collapsing to the ground. He'd passed out. Shoto surveyed the deep wolf bites littering his ankles and arms, as well as a bullet wound on his shoulder. It was amazing he'd lasted this long on his feet. Shoto looked at his face—clammy and pale. He was breathing shallowly and his body was shaking, despite him being asleep. He was definitely going into shock if he hadn't already. "Shit," he cursed under his breath as he realized he was going to need to carry him from this point on.

Shoto wasn't doing too well on his own. He'd been fighting the wolves before, so he had some cuts and deep bites from where they'd nipped his feet and arms—but he wasn't as bad as Katsuki. His arm was throbbing from when he'd smashed it between a shelf while fighting the bullet guy. He probably broke it. His lungs ached from when he'd been slammed against the ground, and he figured he'd fractured a few ribs. And his left leg was pretty beat up with some deep bites, but he'd managed to apply some bandages, so he wasn't bleeding as badly. He could walk. He was aching with exhaustion, but he could walk. He could get them out of there.

He grabbed Katsuki by his shoulders and sat him up against the wall, allowing for a better angle to carry him. Katsuki was completely unresponsive, even as he yelled in his ear or slapped him across the face. It was final—he was doing this on his own.

Shoto took a deep breath and lowered his shoulder to pick him up. He grimaced with pain in his arm and legs, gritting his teeth at how heavy Katsuki was—packed full of lean muscle. It was terribly inconvenient. After using the wall for support at first, he grit his teeth and moved on with Katsuki firmly on his shoulder, knowing there wasn't a second to spare. The moment he could hear wolves barking behind him was the moment he dreaded.

They headed toward the exit at a steady pace. He was relying on the wall for support, struggling with the weight of them both. Katsuki was heavy, especially while unconscious. The next few minutes were grueling. He made his way down the hallway, wincing with each step, driven only by the sense of duty and determination he had to get them both out of there. As he walked, he thought of Izuku—he'd been left behind. Guilt wormed beneath his skin. He was horrified by what he'd done. Izuku was his best friend, after all. He'd helped Shoto open up to the world, and was the first person he could ever trust to speak with about his past. Izuku was important to him—it'd taken all of his willpower to leave him there.

But at the same time, he knew it was what Izuku would've wanted. Shoto and Katsuki to make it out alive. He'd seen it in Izuku's eyes, even as he was about to be swarmed by bloodthirsty dogs. He wanted his friends to be safe.

That was one of the things Shoto admired most about Midoriya. His selflessness. However, more often than not, selflessness came with self-sacrifice. Izuku would help whoever he could in any way possible. Most of all, his friends, who self-evidently he was willing to die for. God damn it.

After a few minutes of blinding pain and stumbling down the hallway at an aggravatingly slow pace, Shoto reached the end of the hallway with Katsuki miraculously still on his shoulder. He couldn't hear any dogs yet, so that was a relief. The villain was likely too focused on Izuku to pay them any mind. He hauled Katsuki to the window they'd entered from and dumped him on the ground with a grunt of pain. His entire body throbbed. He could hear ringing in his ears. But they were almost to safety.

Once crouching beside Katsuki, he pressed his fingertips to the ground and willed a platform of ice to lift them to the window. Crystals sprouted from his hand and formed a slab of blue beneath them, lifting them toward the exit. Once high enough, Shoto dragged himself out the dirty windowsill, gulping the fresh nighttime air. Around him, the setting seemed a little too peaceful for what was going on inside. He could hear crickets singing, hidden within the overgrown greenery. The quarter moon remained exactly where they'd left it only half an hour ago when they entered the building.

That was how long it took for their lives to go to shit. Half an hour.

Shoto reached back into the building, where Katsuki was still lying motionless on the slab of ice. Shoto dragged him outside with some difficulty, wincing with every extension of his fractured elbow. Then, with one arm hooked under Katsuki's armpits and Katsuki's arm draped around his neck, he stood up straight and continued carrying him the hell out of there. 

He considered calling for help, but soon after realized his body was too weak for that. He was breathing heavily, muscles screaming with overuse, head splitting from blood-loss and vision starting to blur. He cried out as he tripped over a stone on the ground and nearly toppled over with the uneven distribution of Katsuki's weight. He managed to right himself and keep dragging them both along, driven solely by the stubbornness coursing through his veins and determination laser-engrained into his head. Once he got to a safe spot, he could rest. But not now. He had to keep going.

Eventually he reached the front of the building, where he stumbled into the parking lot, trying faintly to yell for help. He knew it was useless—this part of town was virtually abandoned. There was no way people were out and about at this hour. He dragged Katsuki across the cracked pavement, overgrown with weeds that seemed to tangle his feet every time they got the opportunity. Footsteps were loud in the nighttime air. He grit his teeth. He was aiming for a secluded spot where maybe the villains wouldn't be able to find them, but at the same time knew that if they wanted to, they would. They had the wolves to their advantage, after all. It would be impossible to hide from them.

Shoto made it to the street and had to set Katsuki down to catch his breath. Taking a seat to calm himself, he started brainstorming a plan. He glanced at a few buildings, wondering if he could break into one and barricade them inside, before he remembered the dogs could teleport through walls. Back alleys? He thought about trying to hide—but dogs had good noses. They'd find him in about ten seconds, especially with Katsuki leaving a trail of blood for them to follow. What about the car? No use. They’d parked too far away for him to make it. Plus, he was in no condition to drive right now. He clenched his jaw and looked at Katsuki. Still unconscious, sprawled out on the ground, chest rising and falling unevenly with each breath. He wouldn't make it much longer in this state.

Shoto grabbed the bandages strapped to his belt and started applying them to Katsuki's worst wounds, praying he wasn't too late. As he did this, an idea popped into his mind for a temporary escape. If they could just hold off until some backup got there, they could get medical attention and make it out alive—maybe even get Izuku back. He finished applying bandages to Katsuki's wounds, wrapping them tightly in gauze, and then with his remaining strength pressed his bloody hands to the ground. Immediately, a slab of ice formed beneath them, which started lifting them skyward. Farther and farther, he grit his teeth with every ounce of energy he was putting into his ice. He felt his body continue to drain of energy. Despite the fact that he's been training his Quirk for years, with this much blood loss and physical exhaustion, it was a lot harder to control.

They got about twenty feet off the ground before he stopped and added a barrier around them to ensure they didn't fall. Not like they were going anywhere. Then, he finally called Aizawa.

With shaky fingers and a spinning head, he called their teacher.

It only rung for a few seconds before he picked up. "Todoroki?" he asked in his normal monotone voice, with no sleepiness despite how late it was. It was likely he wasn't able to sleep because he was waiting to hear from the three about their mission. However, they'd agreed only to call on emergencies—everything else was supposed to be a text message. So their teacher was quick to add, "What happened?"

Shoto took a deep breath. For some reason, Mr. Aizawa's tone and voice was just making this seem even more real. He didn't like that. The thought of this being real.

"We messed up," he said shakily. Things weren't meant to go like this. This was supposed to be an easy mission—and now he wasn't even sure if they'd make it out alive. Despite all the strength and power that he, Katsuki and Izuku held all together, some things had occurred that sent their luck hurling toward destruction.

"What happened?" Aizawa repeated a little more demanding, and Shoto could hear footsteps and a creaking chair as he got up from wherever he was sitting. He heard All Might's voice in the background, too. It appeared they were all waiting together. "Todoroki, do we need to send help?" He sounded impatient, but his tone was edged with worry. Of course he was worried about his students.

Shoto gulped down his pride and nodded, glancing at Katsuki, who was lying still beside him, bleeding silently through the bandages he'd applied only a minute before. "Yeah," he said. "We failed." The shame in his voice was glaring. Then he screwed his eyes shut, dreading what he had to say next. "Also..." he paused, taking a deep breath to control his voice. "They...They got Midoriya."

Aizawa was silent for a long moment upon hearing that. The One for All user among them had been taken down? It didn't seem possible. Then, Aizawa asked, "What do you mean, they got him? Is he..." Aizawa paused. "Is he alive?"

Shoto blinked slowly. "I don't know," he said, noticing just how slurred his voice was. He was falling asleep. "But Bakugou and I are both injured pretty badly. He's lost a lot of blood and is unconscious. This villain was way tougher than we thought," he continued. "We're on a tower of ice right outside the building. The wolves can teleport through walls. We had to escape," he explained rather poorly.

"Hold up—wolves? Is that the villain's Quirk?" Aizawa backtracked.

"Yes, and they're strong. Just so you know what to expect," he said, shifting so he could lie down on his back. He was getting tired. In the back of his mind, he knew he should be trying to stay awake, but the incredibly appealing thought of sleep right now was really tempting him to just close his eyes. Every breath sent a pain through his chest. He prayed a shard of his broken rib hadn't pierced his lung.

Aizawa sounded concerned. "Okay, Todoroki, I'm on my way right now," he said. Shoto could hear All Might's voice yelling something from afar, but through the phone, he couldn't make sense of it. "You sound tired. Do not fall asleep," he ordered.

Shoto stared up at the sky. There wasn't a cloud in sight—only burning dots of light sprinkled across the darkness beyond. Since when had it turned into such a nice night? He blinked slowly, counting stars in his head just to occupy his mind. "Bakugou and I are safe up here. Just get here soon," he said into the speaker before letting his hand go lax. The phone fell beside his ear. He could still hear Aizawa talking, telling him to stay awake, sit upright, make sure Bakugou was still alive and confirm that the villains couldn't get to them. Shoto knew he should be doing all those things—but he couldn't muster up the energy. All he wanted to do was sleep his problems away. Maybe when he woke up, Katsuki would be healed and Izuku would be back with them, uninjured and ready to start training again. Maybe everything would be better if he just closed his eyes...

"Todoroki, stay with me, damn it!" Was the last thing Shoto heard Aizawa yell into the phone before he faded into a nice, gentle unconsciousness.

Chapter Text

"I don't care if you're busy. I can assure you, Midoriya Izuku is just as important as whatever you've got going on at your agencies."

Aizawa stood at the head of the meeting table, gazing at the eyes seated at the pill-shaped table around him. After almost two days of unsuccessful searching, he'd finally managed to gather a few Pro Heroes—and as of right now, he was trying to convince them to form a counterattack. In response, the room was stagnant and stuffy, filled with all the contradictory opinions floating around. Everybody had their own ideas of what was important, and nobody was quite sure of the right thing to do. The meeting had commenced only a few minutes ago and already it was becoming clear what everyone’s goals were.

Two days ago, Midoriya Izuku—along with two of his classmates, Bakugou Katsuki and Todoroki Shoto—were entrusted on a solo mission as Seniors at U.A. high school. It wasn’t their first, but it was their most difficult. Aizawa himself had allowed them to go, all in agreement with All Might and the rest of the teachers at the school. They'd agreed that it was about time the three of them—the highest-ranked students of their class, and the most reliable kids he'd ever taught—could handle a higher-stakes mission on their own.

He soon came to realize that was a big mistake. As soon as his phone lit up with a notification from Todoroki—a call from Todoroki, something they'd agreed wouldn't be used unless for emergencies—he knew he messed up. As Shoto explained everything on the phone, followed by a very concerning silence as he passed out, Aizawa quite literally felt a cold stone of dread drop in his stomach. Since that night, he didn’t think he’d eaten anything more than a morsel—as that stone of dread was still there, taking up space.

Aizawa couldn't forgive himself. No, he didn’t think he ever would—even if they did get Izuku back. Not only as their teacher, but as a superior Pro Hero, he'd sent them into hell. A hellish mission that could’ve been avoided had he considered it a little more. And now three of his students were suffering because of it, likely to sustain some life-long trauma and injuries.

He was trying to make up for his mistake. Now, all he cared about—no, all he could think about was getting his student back. It was his responsibility, his duty. But in order to do that, he needed to gather a few more strong heroes for some backup. In addition to the fact that these villains were strong, he had responsibilities at the school, too, and couldn't just leave his remaining students. He'd need someone to cover for him.

It'd been difficult to gather any heroes here, and suspected that was because crime rates on the streets had been skyrocketing lately. With these new drugs circling through the villain system, and a shortage of heroes going around, the current heroes were struggling to make ends meet. On all their faces Aizawa could see exhaustion, and reluctance to even be here away from their agencies. Endeavor, Hawks, Mirko, and Best Jeanist were the only ones he could snag, and that was because they had large enough agencies. Aizawa knew he had to make this quick, so he tried to make haste while still emphasizing his point. 

"Like I said, he was kidnapped by villains running a drug lab. There was also evidence of human experimentation. These villains could possibly be the ones putting drugs on the streets," Aizawa continued, hoping to highlight something that would be beneficial for not just the school, but for the heroes, too. "If drugs stopped being manufactured, crime rates would go down." 

"Erasure," Endeavor spoke up, and the look on his face said that he planned on arguing. “I’m not sure why you think we have time for this, but please allow me to just make one thing clear: we don’t.” Aizawa held an even look with him, despite the worry growing in his gut.

“I understand, but is an hour of your time too much to ask for? I’m asking one, at most two days away from your agencies to form a search-and-rescue for Midoriya. Seriously, I get you’re busy—but is that really too much to ask for?” he challenged.

Endeavor flared his nostrils, looking at Aizawa with a curled upper lip. "Don’t use that tone with me,” he stated. “I have more on my plate to worry about than some lost kid.”

“Some lost kid?” All Might repeated, sitting up and slamming his hands on the table. “You mean the kid who’s interned with you on multiple occasions? The kid who’s always, always been ready to help you out, even if he already has a full plate? That kid?” he demanded, staring at Endeavor. “Don’t be ridiculous, Enji. You care, I know you do. Being selfish never got anyone anywhere.”

“It’s Endeavor, All Might,” he snapped back, flames licking at the pads on his shoulders and flaring up as he glared at the skinny man at the end of the table. “You don’t have the right to use my name—not here, not ever,” he stated firmly. Then he sat back in his chair, remaining stiff with anger. “And it’s not selfish. It’s just the truth. I don’t have time.”

“What he’s trying to say, All Might,” Mirko piped up from where she sat beside Endeavor, “is that our agencies are already running behind. Because of our proximity in the city, Endeavor and I have been working together over the past week—and let’s just say things haven’t been going well,” she said.

“They haven’t been going well for any of us,” Jeanist added without missing a beat, “but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t at least consider offering our help to a student.”

“It’s not that I don’t want to help, Jeans,” Mirko shot back, “It’s that I literally cannot leave my agency without it crumbling to pieces. Do you know how much prep it took for me to be here right now? I had to train one of my sidekicks to take the lead, organize parties for patrols, hire new sidekicks to take the places of the ones I sent out so our building doesn’t get overrun, and do a shit ton of other stuff, too. Just so I could leave for an hour.”

“Oh, and did I mention how many people have quit on me in the past two days because either they got too overworked or they suffered substantial injuries that scared them off? Nobody has any balls anymore, and it’s infuriating,” she groaned, rolling her head back and lacing her arms behind her head. “I’m so tired, I feel like I’m going crazy. I’d kill for just a lunch break one of these days. But no. Every time I try to eat, the restaurant is getting robbed or I hear gunshots or explosions outside and have to leave my sandwich untouched.”

Everyone sat still and listened to her speak. As Aizawa took in this information, he felt his skin begin to crawl. He knew there were a lot of villains on the streets, but he didn’t know it was to that extent.

Endeavor spoke once more. “I haven't been able to sleep more than four hours a night for the past week. Like Mirko, I hardly have time to eat, let alone go home and see my family. I've been working tirelessly—and these villains just don't let up,” he said. He turned back to Aizawa. “Our job is to protect the streets, and your job is to protect the students. So why do you need our help suddenly? Are the teachers at U.A. not good enough?” he asked. Despite the harsh words, he was remaining calm—and therefor Aizawa would have to force himself to do the same.

“It’s not that at all,” Aizawa said. “We have a lot of skilled heroes at our school. The only thing is, we’re not sure if it’ll be enough. These villains are ridiculously strong, strong enough to nearly kill two of our top students while kidnapping the third. We don’t know what kind of reinforcements they have. I don’t think it’s a good idea to go into this without careful consideration and reinforcements,” he said. His solution was strategic. It was the only safe way to go about this.

"Midoriya has always helped us in the past," Best Jeanist voiced from where he sat to the left of Aizawa. "He's never been afraid to put his life on the line to help. Don’t get me wrong, I know how much work comes with running an agency during times like this—and I understand your pain. This has happened before, and it will happen again. But we might never get this opportunity back to save this student,” he spoke wisely and with careful calculation, hands folded mannerly on the table.

“Mirko, I get that it took a lot of preparation to set this up. Why can’t you do that again? Endeavor, same with you. I’m not trying to call you out, but this is a child who's been kidnapped. It's not a matter you can just sweep under the rug," he added. He made good points, and Aizawa was grateful for his support.

"He's one of the most promising students at our school, and will make quite the fine hero one day," All Might added from across the table. Aizawa looked at him—his tired eyes, wringing hands and disheveled hair. He hadn't been sleeping for the past two days. "We can't just abandon him," he added. He was staring at Endeavor, who was still looking at Aizawa.

"I understand he's a promising student," Endeavor growled, "and I acknowledge that I’ve mentored him for years now. I like the kid, I really do. But I'm afraid that if I leave the city for only a day—even just a few hours—the streets will be taken over by villains. That means men, women, children, whole families could be wiped out. I’m sure you don’t understand how much of a pain this all is, and how hard of a decision you’re putting on me to make. I don’t like to disregard something like this. But it's a struggle to even keep up with all these damn villains."

He sighed in a tone so distressed that it almost made Aizawa start to feel bad for him. "I really am sorry, Aizawa, but I don't think I can help. Like I said before, I have a lot of area to cover and not enough of me to do it.” Aizawa’s throat tightened as he scooted his chair back. “I need to go, but maybe you all can form a plan on your own," Endeavor spoke, looking apologetically around at all the heroes around the table. This wasn’t going well. Aizawa was starting to get nervous—not to mention angry—about how final his tone sounded. Like he'd already made his decision when they were only five minutes into the meeting.

"Don't be narrow-minded," Aizawa said with the most respect he could muster, which turned out to be more of a grumble. His cutting words silenced the room. "You're heroes. Heroes are supposed to help others."

"And what about the hundreds of people I've been protecting in my city area? Do they not matter?" Endeavor shot back, fire blazing in his eyes. "What happens when I take a day off of hero work and a bank gets robbed, killing five people in the process? Or when a villain takes a family hostage and I'm not there to save them in time? Or how about a bomb set up in Town Square, but before I can get there it blows up and kills tens of people? Hundreds of people?"

Endeavor paused for dramatic effect, glaring at Aizawa. "That’s all happened in a week. Plus more. I can't risk all their lives just to save one," he said. And that was final. With a shake of his head and a grumble, Endeavor stood to leave.

He hated how heavy with meaning the No. 1 hero's words were to all the others at the table. They were all looking around at each other as if wondering, “Why are we still here?” Unfortunately, Endeavor had made some good points. Aizawa knew full well how much burden and stress they were under to protect the city. But were they just going to leave a student who'd been kidnapped? That wasn't very heroic of them. 

A few moments passed before, without another word, Mirko stood up to leave. She didn't look back as she stepped out the door. But to Aizawa's surprise, Best Jeanist and Hawks stayed put. Even as the seconds ticked by, they didn’t leave. Hawks hadn't said anything for the entirety of the meeting, but he was still here. Best Jeanist had been on Aizawa's side the whole time. With these two heroes, it was possible... if they both just stayed.

"So..." Hawks finally spoke up after a few moments of silence. His chin was rested on his knuckles as he stared at the table, not a hint of emotion on his face. Aizawa couldn't tell if he looked angry, reluctant, apprehensive... but he sure didn't look happy. After a lengthy pause, Hawks took a breath and the attention was drawn to him. "You don't know where he is, huh?" he finally asked.

Aizawa looked at him from where he sat slumped in his chair. "No," he admitted. "We sent reinforcements to the building, but when we arrived, they were already gone. They didn't leave a trail for us to follow, and we don't have any leads to where he could be. We need someone to scout for us," Aizawa continued. With that, Hawks finally dragged his gaze to look at him. Scouting was one of his specialties.

“I’m good at that,” he said with the beginning of a smile. “Is that why you called me here?”

“That, and because you have one of the largest hero agencies in Japan. I figured maybe you could spare some time,” Aizawa said with a sigh. “I thought the same thing about Endeavor and Mirko, too, but…well, here we are.”

Hawks gave a little scoff, and Best Jeanist looked at him. “You haven’t said anything yet. Why? We could’ve used your support,” he said. Hawks shrugged.

“I didn’t know who’s side I was on. On one hand, I have about twenty hours a of hero work a day to attend to—but on the other hand, that leaves about seven extra hours to do whatever I want. Who says I can’t spend that time helping a student?” He looked at them both evenly, and Aizawa allowed himself to relax a little. Hawks was already a whole lot more open-mined and easygoing than the other two.

"But, uh… the only thing is…" Hawks looked back down at the table, and there was an attentive silence as he paused. "Do we even know that he's still alive?" 

The room went silent. Aizawa stared at the table, jaw clenched with the thought that his student might be dead. When Shoto was describing what happened over the phone, he wasn’t very descriptive, but when Aizawa asked him if Izuku was alive, he only said, ‘we don’t know.’ The option was always there, and it went both ways. Maybe Izuku was still alive, far away from them… or maybe he was dead.

There were so many possibilities it was hard to consider them all. Aizawa was so worried that sometimes he forgot to even try. But the truth was: it didn't matter. Alive or dead, they still had to capture these villains. Izuku was just a part of that.

"We don't know," Aizawa finally revealed. “But what we do know is that these villains are dangerous and shouldn't be on the streets causing problems. As heroes, it's our job to capture them."

Hawks was nodding his head slowly, though his face showed how he was torn in two. Aizawa could tell he was trying to be optimistic, but one could only be so positive. "Aizawa, man... I really would help. You know I would,” he began. “The only thing is that I only have so much time. Maybe if you could find these villains, and then call me... I'd gladly help. But..." he trailed off with a sigh.

" I want to help Midoriya. He’s a good kid, and I’ve seen a lot of promise in him. But my agency is falling apart. Gotta keep it together, y'know?" He sounded apologetic. Aizawa hid his disappointment with an emotionless stare. He didn't know what to say. Even Hawks was too overwhelmed to lend a hand. He decided to not respond.

He looked at Best Jeanist, who was staring at the table now. Even after all the things he said before, he still looked reluctant. This was a big risk for him, too. "Please… I can't do this alone," His words were more of a plea than anything else.

Jeanist looked at him and nodded. "You don't have to," he said. "I'll help."

Aizawa sighed in relief. "Thank you," he said. Best Jeanist had always been a reliable hero, and a friend of Aizawa's. “Your generosity is greatly appreciated.”

Jeanist dipped his head in recognition before looking at Hawks. "You seem more inclined than the others to help out. What's stopping you?" he asked.

Hawks scratched the back of his neck. "I have a lot to do back at my agency. It’s a lot of the same stuff Mirko was talking about—people quitting, heroes going home, everyone getting injured... I can't keep up. My remaining forces need a reliable leader to keep them strong. Adding one more problem to the list just wouldn't be a good idea," he said. Aizawa sat up.

"What if I told you I could take over your agency, just until you finish scouting for Midoriya?" Aizawa proposed. Hawks was the best one for this job.

Hawks looked hesitant. "Well..." he thought about it for a moment. "I suppose that could maybe work. But you have your students to attend to. Would it be a good idea to leave them?" he asked.

"They don't need my constant supervision now that most of them are eighteen. I’d be allowed to leave for a day or two." 

Hawks shrugged. "Well, then why the hell not. I guess it’s fine with me if you know a thing or two about management. I’d probably have to show you the ropes and tell you how it’s run first, but that shouldn’t take more than a few hours," he said with a thoughtful look to the side.

"So you're agreeing?" Aizawa asked hopefully, just to make sure. He felt a huge weight off his chest as Hawks nodded.

"Sure thing. Midoriya's always been an excellent student, and a great help to us all. I don't mind helping him out."

Aizawa rested his head on the backboard of his chair, heaving a sigh of relief. “Thanks a lot. Both of you,” he said. Jeanist and Hawks were some of the most powerful heroes he knew. This was possible. And so, the four of them—including All Might—sat in that room and started talking strategy.

A strategy for getting Midoriya Izuku back.

Shoto woke up yesterday. Surrounded by his family and friends, comforted by their reassuring words, he'd woken peacefully. Truthfully, he didn't even remember how he got there in the first place. He couldn't remember the fight that took place the previous night, and he couldn't remember the horrible things that happened to his friends. All he could see was his mother, sister and brother staring worriedly down at him, telling him that everything was going to be okay and he didn't need to worry anymore. His dad was there, too, but only for a little while before he had to leave again. Something about "important business at the agency." Apparently he was too busy to sit in the hospital with his own son.

Shoto spent a few hours just refamiliarizing himself with the real world. While he was asleep, he'd been subject to some pretty strange dreams—terrors of vicious beasts and blood and death—so once he finally woke up, it was a relief to see daylight again. It took him a while to sort out what was real and what wasn’t. Once he got the chance to mentally recover a little, he was told he had two broken ribs—one of which had, in fact, pierced his lung—along with a fractured elbow and a good amount of blood loss. Apparently right after he'd passed out on the battlefield, his body started lapsing into shock, so it was a miracle he was even alive.

At first, Shoto couldn't remember any of this. It was a shock to hear it all. How was it possible to get that beat up and not remember how? But after he heard what the doctor said—wolf bites covering his body, chunks of flesh missing from his legs, and broken bones he couldn't even remember getting—it all started to piece back together in his head.

Those so-called nightmares hadn't been fake after all. They were real.

"Wait, so... what happened to me?" Shoto had asked, but the doctor couldn't answer him. Not even his family knew what to say. And so, he was at a loss for a few hours as he was left to remember.

A few Pro Heroes came and passed, including All Might and the principal. Neither stayed long. It seemed they were both pretty busy, although neither told him what it was exactly they were busy with. Shoto started to become frustrated after a while, especially as he was not allowed to leave his bed to look for answers himself. Why couldn't he remember? The memories were right there in his mind, he just couldn't seem to sort them out. Like he was trying to read a book with film covering his eyes. He could see the pages. He just couldn't read the words.

That was until Aizawa finally came by. The teacher he trusted most, the one he could rely on. After kindly asking his family to leave, Aizawa sat at the edge of his bed and finally explained everything.

It was like a ray of clarity in his mind as Aizawa let him in on everything that happened. How he, Katsuki, and Izuku were sent on a solo mission to the drug lab. How things went terribly wrong, and they all came out seriously injured. And possibly the most devastating news of all... how Izuku had been captured. 

Nobody was even sure if he was alive. And as the memory floodgates opened in Shoto's head, he realized he couldn't even recall, himself.

"He... He's really gone?" Shoto asked, trying to keep control of his voice and not let any emotion bleed through to his face. He truly couldn't believe it. Izuku, who'd always been the most promising—the highest climber, the most devoted to his improvement—had been defeated. Shoto felt himself clutching the bedsheets until his knuckles were paper-white. Aizawa kept a level gaze with him. The dark circles around his eyes gave away that he hadn't been sleeping much, and that understanding wisdom deep in his eyes said that he was feeling a lot of the same things Shoto was experiencing right now. 

Aizawa simply nodded. "I'm sorry," he said. The room's energy shifted into heavy silence, weighted with the despair of those two words. Shoto stared off to the side, body rigid with regret, grief... but most of all guilt for not being strong enough to save his friend. 

Suddenly his gaze snapped back to Aizawa, who was staring off, too, as if waiting for Shoto to say something else. "And Bakugou?" He asked under his breath. Part of him was terrified for the answer—he hadn't heard anything about the blond since he'd been in here. Were they keeping it from him for a reason? Was he...

Dead? The word wouldn't even configure in his brain. The thought of losing both of his friends was just too agonizing to consider.

Aizawa blinked once before quickly shaking his head, a somber expression passing over his face for an instant. "He still hasn't stirred. He's alive, just unconscious," he explained. Shoto immediately exhaled in relief. In just those two seconds it'd taken Aizawa to respond, his heart skipped about five beats. 

"Thank God," Shoto muttered, blinking the fear from his eyes. "What are his injuries?"

Aizawa had to take a deep breath before delving to remember them all. "Let's see... shock, blood loss, bruised lung, fractured rib, concussion. Oh, and a bullet wound, too," he began. "Not to mention all the flesh lost from his legs. We had to call in a specialist with a Cell Activation Quirk to replace it for him—and you, too." Aizawa rubbed the back of his neck as he spoke. "It was pretty... gruesome. Honestly I can't believe he's still alive," he added.

Shoto closed his eyes, hating his imagination for the graphic images just now illustrated in his mind. He swallowed the lump in his throat. "Well, can I... see him?" He asked after a moment. Aizawa glanced at his legs, which were under the blankets, still unseen by either of them. 

"I don't know how bad your injuries are. Recovery Girl was between you and Bakugou all day yesterday, but I'm not sure if you're fully healed yet. Are you sure you want to get up?" Aizawa asked. He looked hesitant, but would probably be willing to do anything Shoto asked.

"Yeah," Shoto said. And that was all it took to convince him. Aizawa helped Shoto move the blankets—he was a lot weaker than he thought—to reveal his legs, wrapped in thick layers of pale bandages, hiding the undoubtedly ugly scene inside. Shoto tugged the needle out of his arm before swinging his body over the edge of the bed and putting his bare feet on the cool tile floor. His nerves twitched with the sudden movement after being still for the past two days, and he winced at the raw feeling in his soles as he put pressure on them.

His skin felt different than usual and he guessed that was the doctor's Cell Activation at work. Aizawa walked around the side of the bed and stood nearby to help if he so needed. He slowly stood himself up, wobbly at first. There was a dull ache in his bones, but otherwise he just felt numb. Maybe his legs would be okay after all. He put some hospital-provided pants on, and Aizawa didn't even need to help him as they left the room.

The hallways were quiet and empty, and Shoto guessed that was because this was the recovery section of the hospital, where urgent care usually wasn't needed. He and Aizawa passed a couple of guests and a nurse, but that was about it. Aizawa led them without hesitation toward Katsuki's room, silently glancing back every so often to make sure Shoto was keeping up. But he felt fine. Aside from the occasional stab of pain in his leg or the tightness in his chest when he inhaled, along with the complete unavoidable weakness weighing down his entire body, he was okay.

The trip to Bakugou's room took about two minutes because of how slow Shoto was walking. The hospital was rather large—the number of doors they passed was incredible. He figured this was Central Hospital, but he’d never been in this wing before.

They arrived, and Aizawa knocked on the door before cracking it open. Shoto could immediately hear a few whispers coming from inside, and as the door swung out of the way of his eyes, he could see who they came from. Inko Midoriya—Izuku's mom—was the first one he noticed. She was sitting beside Mitsuki and Masaru Bakugou, Katsuki's parents, at the head of the hospital bed. Shoto didn't have to look to know Katsuki was lying there, unconscious, injured and unresponsive.

Aizawa entered first, giving a polite nod to the three adults already seated beside the bed. Shoto entered next, eyes instantly drifting to where Katsuki lay. The sight was exactly what he'd expected. Eyes closed, bandages covering his body, IVs and tubes sticking out of both arms. He had a breathing mask stuck on his face and his lower half was buried in sheets and blankets. The heartbeat monitor beeped steadily in the background as Shoto stepped inside, meeting the eyes of Inko first. Her round face, usually so kind and reassuring, was puffy with tears and lined with wrinkles of stress. Her sunken, despaired eyes would fill anyone's heart with sorrow. Just by looking at her, he could already tell what she was going through. Her expression gave away every emotion.

Over the past few years, Shoto had visited Izuku's apartment a number of times, so she knew him enough to care about his well-being—but most importantly, she knew that he was one of Izuku's closest friends. Almost as soon as she made eye contact with Shoto, she was getting to her feet and rushing over to him. She already looked to be on the verge of tears, and Shoto knew he wasn't ready for whatever was about to happen. 

"Shoto," she croaked out as she walked over, trodding in her slippers across the light tile floor. She opened her arms for an embrace, and her expression alone was almost enough to make him cry. She had that kind of hopeless despair in her eyes, though it was well hidden by a trembling smile and a warm gesture. He could feel that motherly love radiating from her skin as he leaned down to give her a hug, a blank look on his face as he did. She hugged him tight, clutching his shirt and chin resting on his shoulder. Her body was tense and Shoto could tell she was trying not to cry.

Shoto felt another wave of emotion roll over him as he returned the hug to Izuku's mom, the woman who'd just lost her everything, her only son. He thought of Izuku... the boy who wasn't here. Izuku who was gone. The new pain stabbed at his heart like a dagger. There was just something about how Inko was clinging onto him—like he was the last thing connecting her to her son, who was no longer with her. Fuck.

He clenched his teeth as he felt his eyes growing hot. As the seconds went on, he noticed her shoulders begin to shake, and knew she was crying. She was silent about it, so he didn't dare say a word. He just hoped his presence was enough to help ease her grief a little.

A few moments later, she finally let him go, and looked up at him with an obviously-forced smile. "I'm so happy," she sniffed, "that you're okay." She wiped the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand, then grabbed Shoto's arms and fixed him with a firm little shake. "You don't know how happy I am," she added with emotion in her voice. Shoto gave a rare smile and gently rested his hands on her shoulders. It was amazing how her mother-like care could extend to those even outside her own family.

"Thank you, Inko. I..." He paused, smile stiffening. He didn't know what to say. I'm sorry? Would that just make the situation worse? He would feel terrible if she started crying again because of him. He'll be okay, I'm sure of it. Should he try to console her? But how could he say that if he wasn't 100% sure it was true? He thought of Izuku. What would he say at a time like this? Shoto had never been the best at comforting people, but the former always seemed to know what to say—even in an impossible situation like this.

"I just want to say..." Shoto struggled for words. And he was never one to stutter. "...that Midoriya was a hero until the very end. Bakugou and I wouldn't have been able to escape if not for his selflessness," he finally came up with. He waited with bated breath for her response, praying that she wouldn't somehow take it the wrong way.

But Inko just smiled sadly and loosened her grip on Shoto's arms. That look in her eyes said she already knew that. "That's how he's always been. There was no way he'd ever let his friends get hurt," she said. A moment of thought gave silence to the room, but eventually Inko just smiled, patted Shoto affectionately on the shoulder, and returned to her seat beside Mitsuki. The room lapsed into more of a relaxed silence as she re-took her seat.

Shoto exchanged looks with Mitsuki, who had the kind of guarded look to her that he knew was hiding something pretty deep. There was just something about Mitsuki that told him she was worried—no matter how hard she, for whatever reason, was trying to hide it. She looked cool and composed when he looked at her, with an even gaze, easy smile, and hands folded over her lap like she had nothing to worry about. Meanwhile, her son was lying on the brink of death in front of her. 

Shoto could admire that self-control; that serenity. Such confident self-assurance. How could she be so calm at a time like this? There was such a difference between her and Izuku's mother, who was barely holding herself together, by the looks of it. And yet, they could find friends in each other. Izuku had told Shoto how the two mothers often found solace in one another, especially when one was upset over something. They could comfort each other, despite their differences. Shoto guessed that was the reason Inko was here now in the first place. He always took the time to appreciate a relationship like that. 

Finally, Shoto pulled up a chair to Katsuki's bed and sat beside him, eyes drifting over his injuries. His lips were pursed with acrimony towards the villains. Those bastards. They were the ones that did this to all of them. He couldn't even imagine how Katsuki was going to react when he woke up and heard about what happened. They lost the battle. And not only that... they lost Izuku. Shoto knew they had care for each other, even if Katsuki sometimes didn't act like it. And if ever Izuku tried to say otherwise, his eyes always told the truth about how he really felt. He admired him.

Two years ago, they couldn't stand each other at all; but now they had a sort of mutual respect. They still fought plenty—but things were better. It was true that Shoto didn't know the whole history behind them. In fact, his knowledge didn’t even scratch the surface. But he knew enough to understand they cared for each other’s wellbeing.

For Katsuki, this whole thing would be a tough pill to swallow.

The five of them sat in silence for a minute or so. Shoto sat back in his chair, a hand on his chin and eyes glued to the blankets on Katsuki's legs. He had a thoughtful expression... paired with a desperately empty mind. He couldn't think of what to do, hell he couldn't even think of a thing to say. Should he say anything at all? He was staring at his friend right now, unconscious and cold. Katsuki looked especially peaceful—no anger could reside on his face while asleep, which instead glowed with a gentle light. As Shoto sat there pondering, no words came to mind that seemed to suit the situation.

Another minute passed before someone finally said something. It was Mitsuki. "Can you tell us about the villains that did this?" She asked. Her voice was gentler than he'd ever heard it, shadowed with a hint of sadness as she gazed at her son. She finally drew her eyes to look at Shoto, hitting him with that piercing red gaze and intense stare. Shoto was again, like every time he saw her, struck by her resemblance to Katsuki himself. With the same blonde hair, crimson eyes, and fiery personality, it was almost uncanny how much they looked alike. As she continued, he noticed as her voice turned bitter. "Those damn heroes didn't tell us much about how this happened. Only that you three were sent on a dangerous mission and there was somehow no adult supervision. Then, this happened," she sharply motioned at Katsuki. Inko's lips pursed from the chair beside her, and Shoto was again painfully reminded of Izuku. 

"That's not exactly how it went," Shoto said quickly. He didn't want Mitsuki to think that the teachers were being careless when in reality they were only trying to prepare them for the real world. "The mission was meant to be an easy one—we just underestimated the villains, and didn't know how strong they'd be."

"So they sent you there without knowing how strong the villains really were?" She scoffed. "Damn the hero course. This has happened too many times."

Shoto clenched his jaw. How could he disagree? She had a valid point. However, with Aizawa standing only a few feet away, he couldn't just let her say something like that without defending it. "We were under strict orders not to interact with any villains—we were just supposed to grab the evidence and run. The thing is, the villains got to us before we could escape. Nobody could've predicted that," he said, hoping that didn't come off as too strong. He wasn't angry at Mitsuki for resenting the hero course. He still remembered vividly that night three years back when Katsuki had been kidnapped by villains—it sent everyone into a panic. Now it seemed like the same thing happening all over again—except this time it was Izuku instead. 

Instead of snapping back an angry response like he was almost expecting her to, Mitsuki just looked at him for a few extra moments before sighing. "I'm... sorry, Shoto. I shouldn't take this out on you," she said in a quieter tone. "I'll take this up with the heroes, and get my answers that way. You don't need to explain yourself." She gave a faint smile, and Shoto felt his shoulders relax as he was no longer under that pressure. Mitsuki had a death glare that he wasn't quite sure she was aware of.

"Thanks," he said, because he didn't really know what else. The room went quiet again as nobody seemed to know what to say. That was until less than a minute later, Aizawa—who'd simply been standing back, watching—got a buzz on his watch as he received a notification. He stirred, and Shoto looked to see he had an urgent expression. 

"They're requesting me for a meeting. I wonder if they got into contact with more heroes," he explained swiftly. "I think it's about time for me to leave," he added specifically to the parents, who watched with expressionless faces. Shoto wondered if they were on bad terms, and spared a second to hope that wasn’t the case. Then, Aizawa turned to Shoto. "Is there anything else you want me to know before I leave? Want me to help get you back to your room?" He offered.

Shoto glanced at the parents, hoping they didn't make him leave. "If it's alright with you, I'd like to stay," he said to not one of them in particular. Inko and Masaru both looked at Mitsuki, and it was clear she was the one making the decision. For a second Shoto was nervous about that, but to his quick relief, she just shook her head as an indication that she didn't care either way.

"You can stay as long as you want, Shoto. We don't mind." She spoke for all of them. Shoto nodded gratefully and looked back at Aizawa. 

"I'll stay here," he said, "but there actually is one more thing I should probably tell you before you go."

Aizawa raised his eyebrow in inquiry, and Shoto leaned over in his chair to show the importance of his words. "Those villains we fought..." he paused, "they were working with Overhaul."

The teacher's eyes widened in response. But Shoto continued. "They used a Quirk suppressor on Midoriya, and that's how they were able to capture him so quickly. And their whole bunker was filled with other kinds of drugs, stuff I couldn't even imagine what they use for. I'm sure they're the ones putting drugs out on the streets. Which also means..." he blinked, refusing to look at Inko, "That we also have no idea what kind of things they're... what they might be using on Izuku. It's entirely possible that they could be testing drugs on him."

Aizawa clenched his jaw, and Shoto heard Inko give a little gasp from across from him. He still refused to look at her. He couldn't bear to see her expression after hearing something like that.

"Did... Did that villain tell you his name? If he's been around long enough to have been working with Overhaul, maybe we'd recognize him," Aizawa asked after a moment. Shoto shook his head.

"No, but I was pit against a different villain than Bakugou and Midoriya were. I was against a guy with some kind of floating Quirk, and he was shooting Quirk tranquilizer bullets with a big sniper gun. The other guy's Quirk was creating dogs out of shadows—except they were stronger and smarter than average, so they were more like wolves. They listened to his every command and it seemed like he could conjure an endless amount. They were really powerful," he added. Aizawa stared at him as he spoke, as if taking in this new information. He was probably making a mental note so he could tell all the heroes at the meeting he was leaving to attend. 

Aizawa breathed an exhale. "Well, then." He blinked. "Is there anything else? I ought to tell the other heroes about this," he said, tilting his head toward the door. Shoto gave a slight nod.

"That's all I can remember. I'll let you know if I think of anything else," he said dismissively. Aizawa looked troubled as he gave a nod to the parents and opened the door to leave—but before he could get fully out the door, a voice called him back.

"Wait!" Inko stood up from her chair, sharp voice stopping Aizawa in his tracks. He turned to look at her, pausing to hear what she had to say. 

"Yes?" Aizawa asked evenly after a moment of silence. It looked like Inko was trying to figure out what exactly she wanted to say.

"Mr. Aizawa... may I call you that?" She asked tentatively after a second. 

"Just Aizawa is fine," the teacher replied calmly. He stood motionless at the door, waiting patiently for what she would say next. Inko looked like she was having trouble speaking—all this disturbing information around her son was likely throwing her off. But she remained strong and tall as she faced the teacher.

"You're my son's teacher," was the statement she began with. Shoto could hear that hinge of anger in her voice, and immediately knew where this was going. Aizawa was either about to get a lecture or a telling-off, and neither option was very appealing to hear. He thought about leaving—but with another glance at Katsuki, he decided to just stay. He couldn't leave his friend like this.

"I am," Aizawa spoke between pauses. His voice was quieter than before. Accountable. Regretful. Shoto hoped Inko didn't tear him apart.

"So that means... that means you have the power to save him, right?" 

When Inko spoke, her voice was dripping with despair, cold with desperation—and yet, somehow, warm with hope. She looked at Aizawa with hope. Hope that he might be able to get her son back. Hope that their teacher would take care of him, and hope that he, as a hero, would be able to rescue him. Shoto felt his heart squeeze as he listened.

Aizawa clenched his jaw, and anyone could tell that this was a difficult conversation for him to have. But he didn't remain silent for long. "I'm going to do the best I can, ma’am. I'm recruiting a rescue team for your son as we speak," he replied. "We won't let these villains get away with this. That fact is absolute." He sounded confident, Inko nodded after he said that. 

"Good. That's good," she said, seeming to relax a little. But her eyes remained resolute—she had more questions to be answered. "Will you... I mean... can you promise me that he'll be alright?" She asked, and Shoto could see tears building up in her eyes. "Can you tell me that my Izuku will make it home safe from this? Can you..." She sniffed. "Can you tell me if he's even alive?" She was trembling now. Shoto noticed as Mitsuki took her hand and squeezed it.

Aizawa maintained eye contact with her, but Shoto couldn't see any emotion on his face. He was staying calm on her behalf, which was probably the smartest thing he could do. "I..." He started, but trailed off at a loss for words. He shook his head. "I'm sorry," he finally settled. Inko just stared at him. "But I don't want to make any promises that... I'm not one-hundred percent are true."

Inko pursed her lips and blinked the tears out of her eyes. The next few seconds felt like an eternity as she just stood there, taking in his words. "Okay," she said finally, in a gentle enough to break anyone’s heart. She nodded slightly, sniffled, and then sat back down. "Thank you for your time."

Aizawa gazed sadly at her for a moment before turning and leaving, the door clicking softly shut behind him as he did. Shoto closed his eyes and ran his hands over his face, heaving a heavy sigh. His chest felt like he was being weighed down by a 500lb boulder, and his mind was so fucked he could barely even think straight. So he just sat there in silence, no intention of talking to the adults across the room from him, and especially no intention of leaving. His plan was just to sit right here—and wonder where the hell everything went wrong.

--

His dreams were filled with confusion, disorientation, and a whole lot of shitty colors.

For some reason, all he could see were colors—mixtures of blues and green, turquoise, cyan, emerald, moss. Some of the colors were comforting—they soothed his mind, like the feeling you get while looking outside on a rainy day from the warmth of your home. He felt calm while these soft colors were present, like he was safe and nothing could hurt him. But sometimes the colors would be harsh—blinding daggers of yellows and hot reds, scalding his nerves and causing the walls of his mind to shudder. The world would rock and jolt like he was a bagged goldfish being shaken around by some obnoxious 7-year-old girl.

He couldn't remember how he got here... he couldn't even remember what he was. Thoughts couldn't really form in his state of mind, he was just forced to be subject to the colors, floating around in this chasm of this unknown. He could sense that he was alive, he could feel that in his nerves—whatever that meant. And for whatever reason, he could tell that people were trying to bring him back. Help him. “Save him.” But the blinding colors and searing pain that came with the "healing" was sometimes almost unbearable.

Maybe that was just his survival instinct telling him, but even without structured thoughts, he was almost sure that something was trying to bring him back.

Eventually, his thoughts became organized enough to form complete sentences in his head, and the searing brightness of the colors started to become a little less intense. He was able to ask questions and form conclusions. Where am I? I must be unconscious, or maybe in some kind of induced coma. What's that pain? It must be the doctors trying to heal me. Who am I? Katsuki.

The only question he couldn't quite answer was why he kept seeing these colors—and why the most predominant of them all was the color green. Why green? His favorite color had always been orange—or at least, that's what he thought. As these color terrors continued, he began associating the color orange with 'pain' and green with 'safe.' It was strange, but alas, the mind was capable of some pretty strange shit.

As his mind and body continued to recover, his memories started to come flooding back. The most recent ones, like the fight—vicious dogs, losing consciousness, and a whole lot of blood. Losing Deku. Losing his mind. But with that also came some not-so-recent ones, something he wasn't quite expecting. Memories from when he was growing up. He remembered his childhood. 

One flashback took him back to about four years ago. He'd been in middle school, living and breathing school, work, and training. Every day he'd wake up, head to school, sit through some shitty classes he didn't think he'd need—which later he realized he really did—and then go home, get shit on by his mom, and head to the backyard for some training. Those days, the workouts weren't especially intense—he would do some push-ups, sit-ups, maybe some squats or pull-ups on the side of the house once in a while. Blow some shit up, get screamed at again. And then he'd repeat it all the next day. 

At that time, he knew stuff like that wasn't enough to get him into the top hero school U.A., but it was all he really knew how to do. He didn't know any training methods or techniques—all he knew was that because of the influence of All Might, he was gonna be the next number-one hero. It was all he ever wanted. And he was willing to work his ass off to get there.

One day after an argument with his mom before school, along with the fact that he accidentally dropped his homework in a puddle and ruined it right before it was due, he was feeling a little testy. He'd been walking in the hallway, head down, hands pocketed, eyes lowered like he usually did. Despite his extravagant personality, he wasn't one to talk in the halls when he had places to be. Class would be starting soon.

He was already on edge, just on the brink of snapping, when just about the only thing that possibly could've made his day worse crossed his vision. None other than Midoriya Izuku, the typical class nerd, carrying an armful of books that looked far too heavy for him and weaving through students to get to their classroom with a determined look on his face. He was heading in the opposing direction, and that was because Katsuki was heading to his locker. They were, unfortunately, in the same class. Katsuki narrowed his eyes and was about to walk past him—when the shorter boy accidentally bumped into his arm, causing the floodgates keeping his emotions at bay to suddenly come crashing down.

He didn't know what snapped in him, but something sure did. Acting on instinct he whirled on Deku and, silent with rage, two-hand shoved him back with his whole strength. Deku yelped and toppled into a group of girls, who all shrieked and scrambled to get away from him as he butted in and nearly knocked one over. A few slapped at him in anger, and a couple more cursed him with a few rather intense profanities before whisking out of sight. Now it was Katsuki and Deku, staring each other down—one with complete ignorance and dismay, and the other with a bizarre rage that he wouldn't be able to explain if he tried. At times, he almost felt blinded by it.

"What are you looking at?" Katsuki asked with a smug voice that didn't quite match the befuddling thoughts racing around in his head. 

There was a pause for a second. "I mean, you... you pushed me," Deku said meekly. Back then, he didn't have a mean bone in his body—he couldn't even stand up for himself. Katsuki didn't know why, but that tone of voice really worked in amusing him. That power over the other, feeling like he was in control of something... it never got old. He could walk all over the shitty nerd without any retribution. This is something he learned later in life was called a superiority complex, and it wasn’t necessarily good, especially when the nerds started fighting back.

Instead of progressing things and possibly being late to class, Katsuki just shrugged. "Stay out of my fucking way next time."

And then he just walked away.

Now, Katsuki wasn't quite sure why his brain was bringing up such an unpleasant memory—but whatever the reason, it was leaving a sour taste in his imaginary mouth. Why was he thinking about that? It was like his mind was betraying him, trying to make him feel guilty for his past wrongdoings—stuff that happened years ago. Stuff he'd already made up for. He'd felt guilty for bullying Deku a million times before today—but something about reliving that memory just tweaked him in a way that made him feel evil all over again. He knew that nowadays, Deku would never bring a memory like that up—it was likely he forgot it ever happened.

Deku had moved on. So why couldn't he?

Oh, he knew why. Because now Deku was gone. And the fact he'd bullied him as a kid was the only damn thing he could think about.

Even when he tried to move past those memories, he felt guilty all over again when he looked back at their conversations before descending into that dreaded basement. Back at the hotel, he'd been too caught up in his own shit and contradicting emotions that he ended up being an asshole to Deku. Just like usual, his brain whispered. And then again, mere minutes before they'd gone down the stairs that led to Deku's abduction, the two of them had been fighting about... fighting about... shit, he couldn't even remember what they were fighting about. Something dumb, probably. But the fact still remained that he was an asshole to Deku, and now he wasn't even sure he'd ever see him again.

Guilt stirred around in his head, submerging him in emotions that felt far too heavy to be comfortable. He felt like he was sinking, all alone in his head with no way to get out and nothing to guide him. Sometimes he felt like screaming, but that wouldn't do any good. He didn't have a voice—only his mind telling him things, whispering discouragement in his ears, trying to drown him in all these goddamn emotions. God, he hated them. Emotions. He wasn't usually good at figuring them out, but while sitting alone with nothing but himself to think about, he did his best to translate them into words. Anger was a big one, that was for sure. Then there was guilt. Frustration. Disquiet.

Sadness.

Regret.

Regret was a hard one. If only he'd been a little faster to get Deku out of there, he wouldn't have had to sacrifice himself. If only he'd been strong enough to beat that villain in the first place, they wouldn't be in this mess. If only, if only...

No. ‘If only’ my ass. He could do that to himself all day, but what problem would it solve? None. Maybe he should try focusing on getting out of this damn mind coma.

He tried stirring. He tried speaking, yelling, sitting up, opening his eyes—but at first, he just couldn't connect to his body. Think of your iPhone trying to connect to that Bluetooth speaker that's just out of range. That's how he felt—just too far away.

That was until slowly, he started to feel himself settling back into his body. He didn't know what did it, or even how to explain it—maybe the restlessness, or possibly just the sheer will of his soul just wanting to be awake again. But he didn't question it as the sound began to bleed back into his ears—and he could actually hear something other than his own brain talking for once. He felt the beating of his heart in his chest, spreading across his shoulders and down his arms, all the way to his fingertips. He felt a dull ache in his legs as the feeling faded back into those, too. He could sense people talking around him, though he couldn't make out who the voices were coming from or what they were saying. The feeling of being alive again was almost euphoric, even if he didn't have the power to move yet.

He just lay there gaining his bearings for a minute or two before his body was ready to start moving again. The first thing Katsuki did when he "woke up" was he took a deep breath, filling his lungs with some much-needed air and throwing his body into motion. He opened his eyes.

Everything was blurry at first, but the first thing he recognized, even without totally clear vision, was his mom standing beside his bed looking down at him.

"Hey, Katsuki," came a muffled voice. His mom's. He blinked again, glancing around the blurry room that was gradually shifting into focus. Sunlight was pouring in through the drawn curtains—but wait. Hadn't it just been nighttime? How long was he asleep? He looked at his mom to ask, but realized he didn't have the ability to use his voice yet. His body was being especially slow in waking up.

He looked to the side and managed to move his head a little. He felt the nerves twitch in his fingertips and soon he was able to move his right hand. Next came his left. He looked up at the face peering down at him—who was that? He could barely make out a figure, but when he blinked a couple more times he was able to make out the features of Todoroki's face. He was smiling slightly, but not a happy smile. More of a worried smile.

Katsuki moved his head back to look at his mom and managed to let out a groan. Well, that was a start. Why couldn't he move yet? It felt like his limbs were pinned by sandbags, or like gravity was multiplied by five. He couldn't do much. Had he really been that hurt in the fight? 

After a few more seconds of gaining consciousness—or at least trying to —he was able to move both hands and lift his arms. He tried to speak again, and this time he was able to make the "w" sound. He slowly formed that sound into words.

"What... the hell... happened."

He strained to sit up. At this point, almost everything was in focus, and everything was starting to speed up again. He noticed his dad and Auntie standing by his mom on the left side, and Shoto at his right. The room was at peace. He could vaguely hear the heartbeat monitor off somewhere to his left, and noticed his battered hero costume sitting on a table in the corner across from him. He struggled to sit up, but his mom put a hand on his shoulder to stop him. "Hey," she said warningly, but not in her usual stern voice. It was soft with relief. "Just lay down," she said. Katsuki looked at her for a moment, considering, before hesitantly laying his head back down. 

His dad grabbed his forearm and held him firmly. "It's so good to see you awake, Katsuki," he said with a smile. Katsuki could see tears in his eyes, hidden behind the glare of his glasses. But his voice gave it away more than anything. He cleared his throat. "We didn't, uh... we didn't really know if you'd wake up."

Katsuki just blinked at them. He knew he should be trying to comfort them... but right now, he needed answers. He looked at Todoroki. "What happened?" He asked again, voice raspy. Maybe Shoto would tell him what he needed to know. As someone he would consider one of the closest to being his "friend," Katsuki knew he could trust him.

Shoto's smile faded and he closed his eyes briefly before explaining. "You've been out for two days, if that's what you're asking," he said. Katsuki 's eyes widened. "The villains got away after we passed out and the heroes are still trying to get a group together for tracking them. Aizawa’s finishing his meeting right now, so he can probably explain it better than me when he gets here," he said.

Katsuki's gaze hardened. "It's been two days," he stated in a dangerous tone, "and nobody's done anything to get Deku back?"

Shoto looked surprised. "So... you do remember what happened?"

"I remember enough," Katsuki said flatly, lifting a hand to rub his forehead. He clenched his jaw as he relived some of those moments. As that image of Deku being dragged away flashed in his head again, he couldn't help but close his eyes. Possibly the most agonizing memory was the fact that he couldn't save the nerd. He couldn't save him. "What else happened while I was out?"

Shoto shrugged. "I woke up a few hours ago," he said. So he wasn't much help. That’s fucking great. He needed to talk to Aizawa.

"Katsuki, honey..." Auntie spoke for the first time, and immediately the rest of the room grew still as they waited for what she had to say. She'd been sitting there silently watching until this moment. Even Katsuki paused to listen. "We..." She blinked, shaking her head helplessly. "We actually don't know if Izuku is alive or not."

Katsuki stared at her. His own mother? Was the first thought that passed his mind. He felt a pang in his heart to be hearing such words from Deku's own mom, who was usually the one known for her optimism and faith that things would always work out. It looked like the light of hope had fleeted from her eyes, and now she was left with only darkness and despair. Katsuki felt for her. Losing her son like that, it must have been devastating. As he looked at her sad, cloudy face, he knew he couldn't let it slide.

"Oh, he's not dead," Katsuki stated firmly. He gathered his accumulating strength and sat upright, ignoring the way his mom looked as if she wanted to object as he did so. He felt his strength growing with every passing second and knew he'd be up and about soon if he just held up this momentum. "I need to talk with Aizawa, because he's definitely not dead. That just wouldn't make any sense." 

Everyone looked at him like he was crazy, and he knew he should probably explain what he meant. But there wasn't any time for that, and he couldn't gather his thoughts enough to speak his part anyway. He started pulling the IVs and patches off his arms, not caring whether he needed them or not. He was fine now. If he could stand, he was getting out of here.

"Hey, now," his mom warned as she realized what he was trying to do, "you just woke up. There's no reason to--"

"If nobody else is gonna do anything about it, then I will," he interrupted her, swinging his legs over the left side of the bed and forcing Shoto to step back and give him room. Blood trickled down his arms from the places he'd ripped the IVs out, and he wiped at it to avoid dripping on the bed. 

"Katsuki!" His mom snapped, reaching for him across the bed. He stood up, barely missing her outstretched hand.

"See? I'm fine," he said, standing and turning to her with arms posed in a 'told you so' motion. What he didn't say, however, was the fact that instantly as he got up, he felt blood rush to his brain and his vision first went fuzzy, then completely black. His first thought was to sit back down, but he refused. Don't pass out. Don't fucking pass out, he told himself. Katsuki stood still, waiting for it to pass, and in a few seconds he was lucky that it did. And then he was fine again.

He smiled thinly at his mom, who was currently getting up to chase after him as he turned to leave. He could hear her cursing under her breath, telling him to 'get back here,' when his dad suddenly stopped her. "Mitsuki," he said gently, "it's fine." And that was the last thing he heard before he left that room.

He walked down the hall—bare feet patting against the cold tile floor, wearing a gray medical uniform which had apparently been fitted to his frame, moving at a staggered pace that made it look like he could fall at any moment. The strange thing was that he felt fine. He was just a little weak after being unconscious for two days. His stomach ached with hunger and his mouth was dry as sandpaper, but that didn't matter quite yet. His first job was to find Aizawa and find out exactly what the hell the plan was. Because there had to be one. There was no way the heroes had spent two days sitting on their hands not doing anything.

He walked down a few hallways, following any signs on the walls that might give him some sense of direction. Though he didn't know where the hell he was going, he walked with a purpose, not slowing for even a second. Jesus, this place was huge. It seemed like it never ended. Finally he came across a nurse, a stout little woman dressed in a blue uniform, who looked a little taken aback to see a patient as unsteady as him up and about. She was mopping the floor when he approached her and rasped, "hey." Then she'd turned and looked at him like he'd just escaped the Psych ward.

"Um..." she said, glancing around for an escort. "Can I help you?" 

He knew how crazy he looked. But he didn't really give a fuck.

"Yeah," he panted, "where's the lobby?" It seemed that just walking had found a way to tire him out. That wasn't good. She stared at him for a solid few seconds, probably deciding whether or not to call for backup and detain him, before simply sighing and pointing to the right.

"Go straight down that hall, then take a right when you get to the end," she said in an exasperated tone. She definitely didn't get paid enough to chase after some crazy kid in the hallway. Besides, it's not like he was hurting anybody. Katsuki nodded before turning to follow her directions. His best bet was the lobby—and if Aizawa wasn't there, he could ask the receptionist if she knew where he might be. 

The hallway felt a mile long as he wobbled along as quickly as he could. His joints and muscles were a little touchy, so sometimes he mis-stepped and stumbled a little, and other times he tripped over himself and ended up just looking like an idiot. He was having a lot of trouble walking in a straight line, so from an outside perspective, you probably would've assumed he had a little too much to drink.

He passed a few nurses on his way down the hall. Nobody stopped to question him—nobody even cast him a second glance. He was thankful for it, but at the same time couldn't help but question the hospital's security system. Was it a normal occurrence for strange, high-looking teenagers to stumble unsupervised around the halls? If so, that was surely a safety violation.

He got to the end of the mile-long hallway and took a right. That was what the lady said, right? He was pretty sure. Running solely on determination, he turned the corner, breathing as if he'd just run a marathon, and made his way toward the swinging doors just a few feet away. Walking was getting easier at this point, and he was getting used to the ache in his muscles, but he still probably looked like a crackhead. For one, his hair was definitely messy, and he was breathing heavily even though he's barely walked for more than five minutes. For two, there was blood smeared all over his arms. And for three—possibly the most disturbing part—he wasn't wearing any shoes. 

Katsuki pushed through the doors to get to the lobby, crazed eyes instantly flitting around the large room for familiar faces. Aizawa wasn't there, no—but he was surprised to see some faces that he did recognize. 

There, in chairs half a room away, sat a few of his classmates. He instantly recognized Kirishima, Denki, and Mina out of the group, but there were others, too. Their eyes dragged to look at him after the loud entrance of opening the doors, and instantly when they registered who he was, their faces lit up with surprise.

"Bakugou?" He heard Kirishima say first as everyone started standing up and making their way towards him, faces alight with confusion and glee to see him awake.

"The hell are you guys doing here?" Katsuki asked as Kirishima, Denki, and Mina reached him first. For some reason, they all threw their arms around him, laughing and giving their exclamations of how happy they are to see him awake. His other classmates filed in, too—had they come to visit him? Why were they even here? They were surely missing opportunities for missions by doing so. 

"To see you, of course!" Kirishima exclaimed, patting Katsuki lightly on the shoulder. Katsuki noticed they were all being precariously gentle with him, like they were afraid he would break if they hugged him too hard. With a glance down at himself he only now noticed how he was wrapped practically head to toe in bandages. He was wearing pants so you couldn't see the ones on his legs, but his arms showed through the T-shirt—more than half his skin was covered in clean white bandaging. 

"Aizawa said Todoroki-kun woke up, so we came to see him. We didn't know you were awake yet," Yaoyorozu began to fill him in, but he could barely hear her because everyone was talking over each other.

"We thought you were dead!" Mineta cried.

"What happened, man? You've gotta tell us everything!" Kirishima exclaimed.

"Bakugou, Bakugou! We all flipped out when we heard!" Said Denki.

"Yeah, especially about what happened to Midoriya. Nobody believed it at first," Sero added. 

Katsuki froze. So they knew. Hearing someone from an outside perspective saying it somehow made it so much worse—and in such a fleeting tone? It made it so much more real. As if their entire lives hadn't been shattered by the loss of Deku. Like they should've been. He clenched his teeth to stop from snapping. Just hearing the name was throwing him off—like his classmates had any right to talk about him right now.

"Yeah, we're all worried sick about him. Have you heard about where he is?" Someone asked.

"Is he alive?" Someone just flat-out asked.

"What happened that night? I heard it was a really powerful villain."

"As powerful as All Might!" Another one added, which was quickly accompanied by a, “no way!”

"I heard the villain was connected to Overhaul," he heard someone say to nobody in particular. How the fuck did they know that? The thing making him angry was that so many questions were being asked, but they weren't giving him a second of time to even think about an answer. He couldn't hear his own thoughts. He couldn't focus on one voice—all the words were just swirling around in his brain, a chorus of squabbles. He was surrounded, overwhelmed, people talking in his ear with every turn. And maybe he was just being sensitive, but everything just seemed so goddamn loud.

"Just- everyone shut it!" Katsuki suddenly snapped, yelling at them despite himself. They grew quiet. They stopped squawking in his ear, and he could finally think straight. He looked at Kirishima.

"You look stressed, man," Kirishima said. He paused, then nervously added, "and pale."

Katsuki brushed him off. "I'm fine. Does anyone know where I can find Aizawa?" He asked, trying to calm himself down. He didn't like getting this angry, especially when his classmates were just here to visit him and Todoroki—but everything just seemed so overwhelmingly annoying right now.

"He's in a meeting," Denki said quickly. "Uh... you wanna sit down until he gets here?"

"No," Katsuki responded, pushing past his classmates, not knowing particularly where he was going. "Tell me where he is exactly. I gotta talk to him."

"Talk about what?" Mina asked, trying to step in his way. He realized his classmates were trying to stop him. Maybe they'd noticed how dizzy he was getting, and were picking up on how agitated he was feeling.

"I need to figure out the plan," Katsuki said through his teeth. Get out of my way, is what he wanted to say—but decided to try and keep his anger to a minimum. That is, unless they kept prying. This was seriously getting annoying.

"Is it about Midoriya? Can we come with?"

"No," Katsuki snapped immediately. Shut up. Just shut up. Everybody shut up. "Shut up," he added. Then he rolled his eyes, angry at himself. He hadn't meant to say it out loud.

But thankfully it worked. They stopped asking him questions. Except now they just looked worried.

"Is everything alright, Bakugou?" Asked Iida. Their prying eyes, all staring at him—people he'd been living with and fighting with for years, people he knew he could trust—and yet they didn't know him at all. No, Katsuki thought, I'm not okay. I can't think. I can't speak. And even if I could, I wouldn't know what to say. Deku's gone. Izuku. I need to talk to Aizawa. Fuck. Where is he? I need to get him back. Where is he?

"Where is he?" Bakugou asked. He felt dazed. What was happening to him? Why couldn't he think? 

"Who? Oh, Aizawa. Um... I think I saw him walk into that room earlier," Denki pointed at a door all the way across the lobby. Katsuki followed his gaze, then began walking towards it. 

"Hold on, you look like you need some water," Kirishima said. "Are you sure the doctors know you're here? I mean, where's your escort?" Finally asking the real questions.

"Do you wanna take a seat, maybe?" Mina added. She sounded worried—they all did. Katsuki ignored them. He walked away, and nobody followed. They knew better. Sure, they were his classmates, and he'd known them for years—but that didn't mean he wouldn't tell them off if he had to. After all this time, most of them had learned what it was like to deal with him. They no longer bothered trying to stop him. If he wanted something, he was gonna go get it.

When he got to the door he noticed a sign on the outside that read Meeting in Progress. This must be it. Katsuki raised his hand to the door to knock, but in one swift motion, just as he was extending his arm to hit his knuckle on the wood, it swung open to reveal Aizawa standing there, a defeated look on his face. He'd opened the door at the perfect time to where Katsuki didn't even have to knock. Instantly when he caught sight of the blond his face lit up with surprise.

"Bakugou?" He said, completely astonished. Behind him, Katsuki noticed heroes getting up to leave. They must've been forming a search group or something—but based on the disappointed look on Aizawa's face when he'd opened the door, things hadn't been successful.

"Aizawa," Katsuki replied matter-of-factly. "We need to talk."

"What the hell are you doing out here?" Aizawa asked, exiting the room fully and stepping aside to let the others leave. He gave Katsuki a once-over. "You look terrible. Let's sit down."

"No," Katsuki said. "I came all this way to ask you what the plan is, now could'ya just tell me?" He demanded, standing stubbornly in place. He ignored the estranged looks of the heroes as they exited the room, staring as they passed to get to the exit. They were probably wondering why the hell some random kid was standing outside their meeting room, waiting for them to finish. Well, he didn't give a fuck what they thought.

"How long have you been here? Nobody even told me," Aizawa continued. He still looked shocked that Katsuki was even standing in front of him right now. "I knew Todoroki was awake, but I had no idea... I mean, when did you wake up?"

"Like ten minutes ago," Katsuki said dismissively. "Now tell me. What are you doing to catch these damn villains?"

Aizawa's eyes narrowed with, what... confusion? He looked perplexed. Exasperated. And as Katsuki kept looking at him, he realized he also looked extremely tired. His eyes were bloodshot and darker than usual. His posture said he hasn't been sleeping much. Katsuki was willing to bet he was feeling guilty for what happened that night, hence why he was putting all the burden on himself to get Deku back. "You came all the way here to ask what the plan is?" He asked skeptically. "Going by the looks of it, you got straight out of bed and came to me. Don't you care that you might be hurting yourself?" He asked.

The angry tone in his voice, Katsuki knew, was there to hide the worry. Katsuki was aware of how bad he looked. Nothing about this interaction was normal, or even practical. But he was in desperate need of answers—and Aizawa was the only one he trusted for them.

"Since I woke up—and even when I was asleep, in my dreams—all I can think about is... apprehending those villains. And getting... you know..." he paused. Expressive words that didn't involve anger usually didn't come easily to him, but he was trying. He sighed. "I wanna get some payback," he said. I wanna get Deku back, he thought subsequently.

Aizawa's gaze softened slightly. He no longer looked angry—he just looked like he understood what Bakugou was getting at. And he looked like he felt the same way. "I agree," he said, confirming Katsuki's suspicions. "I want my revenge, too." He stared at Katsuki for a moment and then looked at the ground. It was like he wanted to bring something up, but was waiting for Katsuki to do it himself. 

"Have you..." Katsuki began, finding what he wanted to say. "Has there been any news since I passed out? About..." He purposefully avoided his name, "...anything?"

Aizawa got what he meant. But just then, a cool look washed over his face, and he motioned towards the wall. "Let's get you some water." He walked away.

Katsuki frowned and trailed after him, fully prepared to fight if need be. "Will you tell me what's going on, or not?"

Aizawa kept walking. "We can't be rushing this, Bakugou. This isn't something to be hasty about. Catching villains is a very touchy--"

"And what about Izuku?" Katsuki finally called him by name. He was raising his voice now. "What kind of fucked up shit do you think they might be doing to him while we all sit on our asses here at the hospital? This is unbelievable," he said. 

"What is?" Aizawa demanded over his shoulder.

"The fact that nobody even cares about what's going on! Todoroki told me there aren't even any heroes looking for him yet, and it's already been two fucking days!" Aizawa suddenly handed him a plastic cup filled with water from the little water jug hanging from the wall. Katsuki downed it as Aizawa explained.

"You don't even know what's been going on out there for the past couple of days. Crime rates are skyrocketing. Heroes are wearing themselves thin trying to cover all this territory when villains only seem to multiply in strength and numbers. Drugs are circulating through the streets, so heroes hardly even have time for a break. I had to practically drag their asses off the streets and into that meeting room, and still hardly anybody has time to care." Katsuki re-filled the cup and drank some more, already feeling better after that. His fighting spirit was returning. 

"And? I don't want to hear some fucking excuse. Don't they realize that the damn nerd is pretty fucking important to our cause?" Katsuki demanded. You had to be stupid to not realize everything Deku had done for the heroes in his lifetime. He was an asset. And not only that, but a kidnapped student. That was surely pretty important.

"Yes, I know," Aizawa said. "I know, damn it. That's what I've been trying to tell them. And I've managed to gather a couple of heroes. But I’ve realized it’s still not enough—and without a plan or a lead to where the villains could be, those heroes won't be of much help, either," he continued. Katsuki was pacing now.

"Fuck," he said, scowling and walking back and forth in front of Aizawa. "I mean, that's just bullshit. How do they expect us to find the villains without help? That's the main fucking issue," he said. "Who'd you manage to recruit?"

"Hawks and Jeanist," Aizawa replied. Katsuki nodded. They were both powerful, and would definitely be valuable in an operation like this.

"But they won't help until we know exactly where the villains are?" Katsuki asked dubiously. That was some B.S. right there.

Aizawa shook his head. "That's what they said," he said. "But you have to understand, the stress of being a hero is sometimes quite unbearable alone. Especially with everything going on, I was surprised I could even snag their attention, let alone get their help. We have to take advantage of it." 

Katsuki clicked his tongue. He didn't like admitting it, but Aizawa was probably right. He had no idea what was going on out there. "I'm just saying it better happen fast," he said. The thought of Deku alone in enemy territory, surrounded by malice and anger, being possibly turned into a monster like the one they'd fought together in the basement. What if that was the last time he ever got to fight alongside Deku? No, that couldn't be the case. Deku was alive, and he knew that. They just had to get him back before anything happened that couldn't be fixed. "When are we leaving to look for him, then?" Katsuki asked after a moment. 

Aizawa's eyes narrowed slightly. "I will be searching for him with the other teachers tomorrow morning. You are not going anywhere for at least a few days. You need to recover," Aizawa said. Then he started walking away, towards the doors that led to the rehabilitation wing where he'd just come out of. He was probably going to see Shoto, Katsuki realized as he followed.

"I don't need a few days," Katsuki protested. "I'll be better by tomorrow. Let me come with you."

"No," Aizawa said firmly. "We're not bringing you. You're barely strong enough to walk down the hallway, let alone scout for villains and possibly get into another battle. It's an absolute no, Bakugou. Don't ask again." He then pulled out his phone and started typing a message to someone with one hand. "I'm gonna get you a ride back to U.A. to recover there. That way, we can keep an eye on you," he added after a moment of letting Katsuki seethe.

He grit his teeth. "I'm not just gonna sit around and do nothing while Deku's out there in the hands of the enemy! You're insane if you think I'll let that slide," he fumed. 

"Hey," Aizawa warned, turning to him with a deathly expression that almost made him reconsider acting so ill-tempered. "You don't want to test me right now, kid. You do what you're told, and you don't complain. That's how students act in the presence of teachers." He swiftly and coldly put Katsuki in his place. He only needed half a brain to realize that Aizawa was dead serious. If he talked back right now, he'd likely regret it.

Katsuki bit his cheek and stopped in his tracks, struggling to not whip a response. On a subject as touchy as this, he knew he shouldn't push his luck, especially when this guy had the power to completely ruin his life if he didn't comply. Besides, Aizawa had already given him a lot of valuable information that he could use for himself. So he just bit the bullet and shut his mouth.

Aizawa spoke over his shoulder as he continued walking, still typing on his phone. "I'll check you out, so just go sit in the lobby and wait for your ride to get there. It should be quick. I'll send Todoroki out in a minute," he said. And that was final. Aizawa continued walking while Katsuki just stood there, trying to piece together a makeshift plan in his mind, and failing. Anything to keep his mind off... other things.

He turned on his heel and walked back to the lobby, where his classmates were still waiting for him. Most had sat down, but some—Kirishima, Denki, Mina—were still standing in wait. He walked over to them with a bit of a disconcerted expression. 

"What'd he say?" Mina asked as he walked over. They all looked worried for him, and now that he wasn't surrounded by a giant mob, maybe he could talk peacefully this time. A few other classmates looked up in interest as he approached, but none made a move to rush to him like last time. Maybe they'd realized how badly it annoyed him.

"Basically just that the heroes are doing jack shit," he said passingly as he sat down in one of the lobby chairs. They all sat surrounding him, huddling in closer as if he was gonna tell them all about it. Which he wasn't.

"And what about Midoriya?" Denki asked. "Is he okay? Where is he?" 

Katsuki grumbled, "That's what we're trying to fucking figure out." He thought about Deku again, and the thought, inevitably, made him a little bit sad. Normally, he'd be sitting here with him right now, trying to form a plan to track down these villains and put them behind bars for good. Normally, he'd be arguing with him over what to do next—whether they should go after them right away, or wait for the dust to settle, or start preparing again for battle. Normally, he'd be heading back to the dorms with him, taunting him over something dumb that would probably never come up again, but he found funny at the time. Normally, normally.

Normally he wouldn't be this quiet after a battle. Normally he wouldn't feel so... sad. 

He hated that feeling. It made him sick. Why couldn't everything just make him angry anymore? He used to be a lot better about squashing down his emotions, just ignoring everything that made him disappointed or sad. He used to just brush it off like it meant nothing to him, and turn it into anger that he could use on the battlefield. Why couldn't he do that anymore? Why did everything have to hurt so bad?

No, that wasn't it. Not everything hurt so bad. Just some things. The important things. He didn't like it, but it was true. Over the years he'd become more susceptible to emotions. Now that didn't mean he was better about letting them out, but it did mean that he was better at identifying them. Even if he was still about as emotionally oblivious as a goddamn toad, he was learning. He found himself caring more. He found himself thinking of people other than himself. And though he wouldn't go as far as to say he had "friends," he did have people he cared about. People he wanted to protect. Deku was one of them. Why was this happening to him? The hell if he knew. And whether it was a good or bad thing was up for interpretation. But nevertheless, the fact was there.

He slumped in his chair dejectedly, fitting his chin in his palm to rest his head. The others looked at each other nervously, like they didn't know how to handle him when he was like this. "Um..." Kirishima finally said, "Are you okay, man? You look a little..." He shrugged. "Sad, or something."

Katsuki looked at him, gaze hardening. It wasn't a good sign that they could figure him out by just his facial expression. "I'm fine. Just mad we lost the battle," he said in a stubborn tone. The idea of being sad just made him angry. He shouldn't be feeling bad for himself, he should be fucking doing something about it. But right now he couldn't do anything. He was useless. "And my legs hurt. I don't know what they did to me in there, but it fucking hurts," he added. That was a lie—his legs really didn't hurt that bad. He just didn't want to tell them the real reason. That he was worried.

"Ah, okay," Kirishima said, backing off. 

"By the way, Aizawa already sent someone to pick me up, so you guys can leave now. I'll meet you back at the dorms," Katsuki added. He glanced at their surprised expressions. They probably wanted to stay with him, comfort and console him, do whatever they usually do to try and make him feel better. But Katsuki was afraid it would only make things worse. Truthfully, he just wanted to be alone right now, whether that was for better or worse. He just wanted them to leave. “It’s nice you came and all that shit, but… you can go now.”

"We can go?" Denki repeated, as if offended. "Geez, Bakugou, that's not very characteristic of you at all. It's not like we came to visit or anything," he snorted.

Katsuki scowled. "And I already said it was nice of you," he grumbled, "but you can go now."

"Well, what about Todoroki-kun? We want to see him, too," Mina added. She looked like she didn't want to go.

"Yeah, and... this probably isn't a great time for you to be alone right now, dude," Kirishima added. "Midoriya... I mean, I know you guys were close..."

"Are close," Katsuki corrected him instantly, without thinking. "I mean—we’re not close. But he’s not fucking dead. Don't talk about him in the past tense like that."

Kirishima paused, tilting his head to the side. Then he put his hands up apologetically. "Sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I just mean you shouldn't be alone. We're all worried about you, that's all."

Katsuki relaxed again. He couldn’t believe that he almost just admitted to him and Deku being ‘close.’ They weren’t. And he hadn’t meant to snap. But he was having a hard time controlling himself right now, and when they were talking about the nerd like he was dead, he just couldn't stop himself from getting angry. In an attempt to shed some light on the gloomy interaction, Mina, Denki, and Kirishima ended up jumping into a light-hearted conversation about something Katsuki didn't care to join in on. He just sat there waiting, glancing at the doors every so often to check if Todoroki was there.

It only took about a minute before the doors swung open and out limped Todoroki, a weary look on his face and shoulders sagging. He looked exhausted. Immediately upon seeing him, all of his classmates stood and rushed over to him, praising his name, exclaiming how happy they are to see him, basically the same things they were saying to Katsuki. Except Todoroki was taking it a lot better than he was—he was smiling slightly, saying 'hi' to them all, thanking them for coming to visit and asking how their studies have been.

Katsuki had no idea how he could do that. He knew for sure Todoroki was hiding how tired he was, because right when he'd come out the door, he looked like he could collapse at any minute. But now he looked fine. Tired, but otherwise content. Katsuki knew it was a ploy, and to be frank, he didn't quite know why Todoroki was trying so hard to act nice. To comfort their classmates? To act like everything was fine... when in reality, everything was coming crashing down?

Katsuki put his head in his hands. He was glad to finally have the attention off him. 

A few minutes passed of talking from that direction until he heard footsteps approaching. He looked up and realized it was Todoroki, and he was holding a white trash bag filled with something that looked heavy-ish and boxy. It only took him a second to realize what it was.

"My suit?" Katsuki guessed as Todoroki handed it over. He had the group of classmates trailing behind him, but they'd reduced themselves to low whispers as they got within a ten-foot proximity to Katsuki.

"Yeah. It's pretty messed up—you'll have to get it repaired," Todoroki said. 

Katsuki nodded at him. "And yours? I'm assuming there's similar damage."

Todoroki held up the bag in his other hand, and Katsuki assumed that was his own hero suit. "Yeah. It's all ripped and torn. I'll definitely need to get it fixed up," he said. Then, he and Katsuki did something he didn't think they've ever done before—they looked at each other.

It wasn't just any ordinary look, though—it was a look of understanding. Of shared grief, and of recognition of each other’s' quiet misery. They truly saw each other. They both had a million thoughts running through their heads, and they were putting on a mask to not let anyone else know. But Katsuki knew. He knew by the look in Todoroki's eyes that he was going through a lot of the same things. And oddly, it felt good to know someone else understands you. It felt good to know he wasn't alone.

They just held that knowing look for a second or two until Katsuki looked away with a ‘tsk. He felt that damn lump rising in his throat all over again. And he hated it. He hated everything. Todoroki sat down beside him, and Katsuki didn't acknowledge it.

The rest of their classmates sort of took the hint that the two of them had something private to say to each other, so they all fizzled out, going to sit in different chairs or gathering in groups to talk. Katsuki vaguely heard a few of they say they're gonna head out. Once they'd all spread out a little more, and nobody was within hearing range if they whispered, Katsuki sighed and placed his head back into his palms. Todoroki's still presence beside him spoke for itself—he didn't know what to say, either. It was somewhat refreshing, however, to just have someone beside him that wasn't constantly talking, prying about what happened, demanding answers from him when he obviously didn’t want to talk about it.

Todoroki and Katsuki sat in shared silence for what seemed like minutes, and Katsuki was secretly grateful for it. He didn't think he could handle any more tough conversations right now—and he was glad Todoroki understood that.

When he was finally ready to speak, he kept it quiet. "They're not even doing anything about it," he deadpanned in a low tone. He kept his eyes locked on the floor, unmoving. "It's already been two days. And they haven't done a fucking thing." Todoroki moved uncomfortably beside him, but he didn't look up. "This should be top priority shit, right? And still nobody gives a fuck."

"It's not that. Haven't you seen Aizawa busting his ass to try and gather heroes for this? He’s already got a couple. It's just that most heroes already have so much on their plate, and--"

"That shouldn't matter," Katsuki stated. He clenched his jaw. "But what's worse than that, Aizawa's not letting me help search for, quote, at least a few days. What if he's dead in a few days? Dead when it could've been preventable?" He asked. Now, this made him mad. He could feel heat rising under his skin, crawling up his body like a virus, spreading to his brain where it would start to take control if he didn't keep it in check. His muscles strained. He felt his heart start to beat faster, even after all the effort he was putting in to keep it in check. He kept his eyes fixed on the ground. "I can't just sit around and do nothing. I'd rather die."

He remembered thinking those words on that night two days ago. He couldn't leave Deku. He would rather die than leave. But alas, he'd been convinced to live. Live to save. Wasn’t that what Deku always said? Katsuki was living right now on the hope that they might be able to get him back. But if he couldn't even do that, he might as well be dead.

"I feel the same," Todoroki quietly confessed from beside him after a moment. "If we can't even save the people we care about, what's the point in living?"

Katsuki held his beath. So Todoroki did feel the same way. He supposed that was good to hear. Finally, he lifted his head from his palms and looked at the guy. He had that same unwavering expression that he always did—and it was then, at that moment, that he realized he and Todoroki had the same motives. They had the same mindset about this.

If Aizawa failed to help them, Todoroki was his best bet to get what he wanted. Todoroki was the one he should team up with. 

Katsuki realized this in a second. "I guess we better get him back then, huh?" He asked. A smile twitched on the corner of Todoroki's mouth.

"Hell yeah," he said. Then he put his hand out—like to shake hands. Katsuki looked at it. And then, without speaking, they did a handshake. Just a simple one, like a dap-up. It was a small act, but Katsuki felt like it was the beginning of their 'partnership' for these next few days. They didn't need to say it aloud for Katsuki to know that Todoroki meant business. They were gonna get Deku back—and if that meant going against Aizawa's rules, then so be it.

Five minutes later the car arrived and brought them back to the dorms. In that time, a few nurses had come by and removed their bandages, exposing their previously-covered arms and legs. Katsuki didn’t know what he was expecting to see when the bandages came off, but he definitely wasn’t expecting soft powdered skin, pale and glowing in the light, with hardly a scar to be seen. It was by some miracle that the doctor had been able to do this. The only scars he could see were some jagged white lines tracing up his calves and shins, probably from where the dogs had torn at his flesh and the doctor hadn’t been able to repair it fully.

After they got in the car, not a word was spoken on the way back, aside from Katsuki's mom calling to yell at him for leaving without a goodbye. Katsuki begrudgingly apologized and bid her a late goodbye, along with a goodbye to Auntie as well. He seriously hoped she was doing okay. He knew how much that woman loved her kid.

Katsuki himself still felt a little woozy, but he was otherwise okay. Todoroki didn't mention any pain, either, so Katsuki assumed he was doing fine. When they arrived, the car dropped them off and, without a word, peeled out of the parking lot. Neither of them gave it a second thought. As they took the trek across the sidewalk to get to the entrance, walking that familiar path with the fluorescent pink trees and fresh-cut minty grass, Katsuki couldn't help but feel defeated. The feeling that something was missing was unshakeable, and frankly, quite sickening. He tried to brush it off, but again failed.

As they got to the building, he caught a glimpse of himself in the reflective doors. He looked worse than he thought he would. Dark bags under his eyes and exhaustion lining his face, even though he hadn't so much as moved an inch over the past two days. That exhaustion was probably from the strain of all the excessive healing forced onto his body. He looked like he hadn't seen the sun in two years, and his hair was still covered in grit and blood from the battle. Apparently, the nurses hadn't bothered with trying to clean it. 

Todoroki and Katsuki entered the school and, inevitably, parted ways without another word. Katsuki retreated to his room, and Todoroki took the path back down to his own. He felt detached as he opened the door to his own room and stepped inside.

It was cold, just like usual—but the chill didn't feel good on his skin like it normally did. As the air rolled across his skin, immersing him—suffocating him—he crinkled his nose. It didn't feel the same now. Nothing did. He threw his hero costume down on his bed and flopped down not long after it. It was unbearably quiet. The only thing he could hear was his own breathing, along with the occasional grumble of his painfully empty stomach. But he couldn't even bring himself to think about that right now, let alone get himself something to eat. 

After a while of not being able to fall asleep—not like he was really trying to, anyway—he forced himself to get up. If he stayed there any longer, he was afraid he might start thinking again. And right now, his mind was a dangerous place. The thought of a shower occurred to him, but the thought of spending even a minute longer in this suffocating room was enough to make him start choking. So he left, thankful that Aizawa hadn't put a guard on him or some shit like that, and just started walking.

He didn't have a motive, nor an idea of where his feet were leading him. He didn't care that he was still wearing his hospital uniform or that he was walking around in the temporary slippers they'd given him before he left. He didn't care that he probably looked like a hobo, all dirty and exhausted. He ignored the disorientation spinning in his head. None of that shit mattered. What mattered was somehow finding a way to escape it.

His feet took him to the stairs, and before he knew it he was descending, moving at an aggravatingly slow pace. He was at the point where he just let his body take over. It was like his mind was shutting off, detaching from reality, going off to hide from the world for a bit. His physical exhaustion could probably speak for that, along with the mental and emotional trauma of everything going on lately. His footsteps echoed through the empty stairwell. Nobody was around.

Vaguely he wondered where everyone was. Hadn’t he told Kirishima to meet him back here? He couldn’t quite recall, but something along those lines had been said. He wandered for a while, dragging his feet down hallways, head sapping and hands buried in his pockets. He passed peoples’ dorm rooms, hoping nobody came outside and saw him like this. He would probably just end up ignoring them anyway, because he did not want to talk right now.

Over the course of five minutes, he descended only two levels. No hallway was left un-walked.  He didn’t know why his body was doing this, but for some reason it just felt right. Walking felt good after being asleep for two days.

After dropping two levels, he paced one hallway for a minute or so before his feet decided to take him in a different direction. The only difference was that now, it seemed like his body had more of a purpose. He wondered what that could be. Like his body had any fucking idea, either. That was until he made it halfway down the hallway and suddenly felt the need to stop.

He lifted his head looked to the side, noticing a door. It was just like any other. Where was he? Wait, that... hold on, what floor was this? He backtracked, slowly fading back into reality. This was the second floor, if he remembered correctly. He looked to the side, staring at the door in the dimly-lit hallway. Second-to-last room on the second floor. That could only mean one thing.

This room was Izuku's. 

He just stood there for a while, staring at the name on the door, almost in a state of awe that his body had taken him here. Had he come here subconsciously? Was this his intention? He stared at the doorknob. All of Deku's stuff was in there—his bed, untouched in days. His clothes, his notebooks. Probably some All Might stuff. He seriously considered going in, and his main argument against it was: why the hell would he? That was Deku's room. Deku's property. What if he didn't want him to see it? It’d be fucking weird to go in there.

At the same time, he was drawn to it. He really didn't know why, but the thought of seeing Deku's stuff almost seemed reassuring, like seeing everything in place, just the way he'd left it, would make him feel better. Immediately after thinking that, he scoffed audibly. That was ridiculous. What a ridiculous thought. He's not going in there. That'd be stupid. 

But he didn’t move from that spot.

But then another thought crossed his mind, something he knew was probably dumb but considered it anyway—what if by going in there, it gave him a clue to where he was? Like a hint, or a note, or some insight to where he could've been taken. It was laughable, but it was there. It made sense in his ill-afflicted mind. And so, running on that small hope, he took a step closer to the door. He put his hand on the cold doorknob, then turned it slowly, cautiously cracking it open and letting the cool air spill out. He figured Deku liked his room cold, too.

He opened the door, half expecting a green-haired boy to jump out and scare the hell out of him, followed by a series of questions about what he was doing there. But there was no Deku. The room was dark and void of life, and after only a few seconds of standing in the doorway, he was starting to feel pressure building in his neck where a lump was starting to form. Just knowing that this was where the nerd spent his time, this was where he slept, this was the place he called his home—was throwing him down a well of emotions that he was having a hard time climbing out of. He slowly entered the room and ran his hand across the wall to find a light switch. He found it and flipped it on.

Instantly the room was lit up, and Katsuki could see everything there was to see. His All Might figures—over the years, they'd migrated to fill only one shelf in the corner of his room, rather than being scattered all over like a madman—his bed, tucked neatly in place, tidy and perfect as usual. There wasn't a single article of cloth on his floor, nor a single speck of dust out of order. Deku had always been a neat person, but this was almost OCD level, and Katsuki knew it. He'd always been like that—even when they were kids.

Katsuki just sort of looked around for a minute or two. He hadn't been in the nerd’s room in, what... years? He could feel some strange feeling stirring in his stomach as he looked around, an emotionless look plastered on his face. The bright ceiling light was bothering him, so he decided to just turn a lamp on instead. It gave the room a dimmer glow that he found much more pleasing.

After looking around for a few minutes, not moving, not touching anything aside from the lamp, Katsuki wordlessly walked to the edge of Deku's bed and slowly took a seat. He looked at the pillows. Was that where Deku rested his head every night before drifting off to sleep? Was that where he lay, thinking, muttering to himself like he used to do when they were kids? At sleepovers, he’d always keep him up with his damn mumbling. It was aggravating.

He looked at the desk. That was where the boy sat to do his homework. He could still see the books Deku was reading on the table—ones for school, and ones he reads just for fun, too. He noticed the notebook off to the side that he liked to take notes in. He could always be found writing something down in there—whether it was a note about the book he was reading, or something about one of his classmates, or just a little slice of information on how his day was going or what he was thinking about at that time. Katsuki could imagine him there right now, sitting slouched over his book writing something 'secret' that 'nobody's allowed to see.' That's what he always said. "Don't read it! Don’t read it yet! Nobody's allowed to see!" Like he was hiding some secret code that would end the world if anyone else's eyes even grazed the paper. Katsuki shook his head. Damn fucking nerd. 

He looked at the All Might shelf. All the figurines, rolled-up posters that he'd taken down sometime within the past year, and collections of cards—all that had to do with All Might, of course. Katsuki could relate to that, though he'd taken down his All Might gear far before Deku had. Now, he only had a few figurines left sitting out in his room.

Upon closer inspection, staring at the various figures, sculptures, and small posters, Katsuki was able to pick something out. A small figurine. Limited edition. He knew the exact date it'd been bought... and the exact date it'd been given to Deku.

Thirteen years ago, on Deku's 5th birthday. Katsuki bought him that.

The very last birthday present he ever got him.

It was right there smack dab in the middle of the shelf, turned so that all could see it in all its glory. Katsuki remembered feeling so proud of himself for buying that. Over the course of four weeks, that was the sole thing he saved up for. Doing chores to earn allowance from his parents, selling lemonade at the end of his driveway to passing pedestrians, hunting through the couch cushions for any spare change that his parents might've dropped. He still remembered so vividly the look of disbelief on Deku's face when he unwrapped it. It was like he couldn't believe his eyes. That look had been followed by a look of realization, then amazement, then delight. He'd jumped up, crying probably, and wrapped his arms around Katsuki to give him a big hug.

Katsuki still remembered—Deku hugged him so tight that he could barely breathe, and for so long he almost blacked out. But in that moment, he'd been so happy to be Deku's friend. He'd been so happy to have done that for him. The thought that he, Bakugou Katsuki, could ever make anyone that happy... remained in his memory ever since then. 

Even after all this time, Katsuki still looked back at that memory fondly. But always after thinking about it, it would be tainted by memories of how big of an asshole he'd become. He never got Deku another present after that—in fact, he went out of his way to avoid him on his birthdays and holidays. He grew apart from him. Katsuki stopped visiting Deku's apartment, and whenever his mom forced him to go, he acted like it was the worst experience in his life. So eventually she just gave up, too. They stopped talking at school. He ignored it when Deku said 'hi' in the hallways. They became strangers.

That was until Deku started following him around again—or at least, when Katsuki started noticing it again. Wherever Katsuki went, Deku somehow appeared there, too. It got old real quick. Eventually, Katsuki confronted him about it, but even then it was yet to stop. Katsuki didn't know what his problem was. The nerd claimed it was just coincidence, but Katsuki knew better. He was following him. For what reason? Katsuki today still didn't wasn't quite sure, but back then he’d always assumed it was because he was looking down on him. Following him because he pitied him.

Regardless of the reason, it pissed him off to no end. And somehow they grew even more distant despite Deku's attempt to stay close.

This phase didn't last for long, however. One day, things changed. Katsuki snapped. He hit Deku. Punched him square in the jaw, and sent him down ass first. Until then, he'd never laid a finger on him—but after that, he never hesitated in being physical. Pushing in the halls. Giving him a beating after school. He started being more verbally abusive, too—calling him names, making a fool of him during class, telling him to do awful, awful things that to this day he would never repeat. In Katsuki's mind, this was all okay... because Deku never fought back. He continued to follow Katsuki, but he never retaliated. Katsuki never understood it. And that made him even angrier.

When they got to high school, things didn't change much at first. He loathed the guy—couldn't even stand to look at him. And yet, they were put in the same school, in the same class, in seats right next to each other. Tensions had always been high, and that just about sent them through the roof. Going against each other during training and even going out of their way to fight when the teachers weren't around. They were always in competition with one another, whether they were on a mission, after class, or anything in between. But then, because of this—being together 24/7—slowly their hate melted into more of a rivalry.

Especially when over the years, they equaled out in strength and it became clear that they had to work together if they wanted to succeed on missions. They found a way to coexist. Not becoming friends, per say, but more of... rivals. They were each other's competition, pushing to become stronger and keep up that equal strength. Katsuki had no idea where he'd be today if not for Deku.

He stared at the All Might figurine for a good while, just thinking. He thought about his past with Deku. All the cruel things he'd said and done to him as kids—and as teenagers, all the times they helped each other grow. He thought about all the times recently he'd passed Deku in the hallways and they made nonviolent eye contact, without Katsuki scowling or sending him off with a shove. Or the times he'd head down to the common area to do his homework and Deku was already there, reading. They'd sit on chairs across from each other and mind their own business, but it was secretly nice to have someone there to keep him company. 

He thought about Deku's face when he smiled at him—those damn big round eyes, with those damn stupid freckles. He sniffed. Deku's damn green hair, with the stupid goddamn curls that always looked so damn messy, but somehow good at the same time. The way Deku's face lit up when he talked about something he had interest in. The way he always knew what to say, and always knew what he wanted in life, no matter what anyone told him he could or couldn't do. The way... The way he found a way to make everyone feel good, even at the cost of his own happiness. The way he never gave up on his dream, even after all the times Katsuki told him he couldn't do it. The way Deku... the way he... fuck. No. He couldn't do this.

Katsuki looked down. His eyes felt hot. The room was silent, and so was he as he shed his first tear.

He stared at the bed, clenching his teeth so hard they might shatter, hands clasped in fists so tight he felt pain shooting up his knuckles. He sniffed again, watching as the tears fell from his eyes and made dark spots on the blanket. Was the bed shaking, or was that just him? He didn't wipe his eyes, didn't even move. He just sat there in stunned, silent misery. Part of him was shocked. He hardly ever let himself cry. Usually he was able to just push through and keep it all bottled up, and he'd be happier that way. But for whatever reason, this time felt different. This felt a whole lot deeper, like he was losing a part of himself... by losing that damn nerd.

Why was this? What the hell was wrong with him? Him and Deku weren’t very close. They weren't friends. Even though he wasn't quite sure what it meant to be someone's friend in the first place, he tried to put it in perspective. They never hung out. They never had fun together. Isn't that what friends are supposed to do? Be nice? Act... friendly with one another? Katsuki didn't know how to fucking do that. He didn’t know how to fucking do any of those things. He just knew that right now he was alone in Deku's room, sitting on his bed, dripping from his eyes while thinking about all the things they'd done together in the past.

And at the same time, he was coming to realize something. Something he'd never really stopped to think about before, but was important all the same.

He's worried about the damn nerd. He wants him back. And he's willing to do whatever the fuck it takes to make that happen.

Because what's the fucking point in becoming a hero if Izuku isn't there to do it beside him?

Another few minutes were spent sitting there silently before Katsuki started to hear a noise coming from outside the door. He assumed it was just a passerby so didn't think much of it, but as the noise continued to grow closer—he identified them as footsteps—he realized they were coming for him. He didn't look up as they stopped outside the door. Katsuki stayed silent, staring at the bed. His tears had stopped flowing, and now he was just left staring at the mess he'd created, dumbfounded and cold, feeling detached from the world.

The handle of the door trembled, then clicked as it began to open. He didn't move. If they tried to take him back to his room, he'd just resist until they gave up. He wasn't ready to go back there—not against his will, anyway. He heard shuffling at the entrance. Whoever was coming in was moving really fucking slowly, but someone was definitely there.

After a few moments of nobody saying anything, all while enduring the sensation of eyes boring into the side of his head, he almost felt inclined to look up and see who it was. Why were they here, if not to drag him back to his room and lock him up? Who the fuck was disturbing him for no reason? 

Another few moments passed. It was so silent that Katsuki began to wonder if they were gone, until finally his curiosity—and irritation—got the better of him. He looked up.

It was fucking pink cheeks. She was standing there beside the door, just staring at him. She looked apologetic, but also like she didn't want to leave. Her eyes were remorseful, and yet Katsuki couldn't muster up any feeling for her but annoyance. What was she doing here? This was Deku's room. Her room was on the fourth, nowhere near here. How could she even get that mixed up?

Her eyes looked red and puffy, like she'd been crying. She was always fucking crying about something. What was it this time? Deku? She was crying about him, wasn't she. Even though she wasn't even there. She wasn't the one who witnessed as he was dragged away by those dogs, motionless and silent as he was overwhelmed by sharp teeth and bristling malice. She wasn't the one fighting to get back to him, fighting to save him, but then being forced to leave instead, going against everything she ever knew or believed in life. She wasn't the last one Deku had spoken to, possibly the last one to have seen him alive. 

No. She wasn't any of that. So why the fuck was she here?

"Sorry, I, uhm... It looks like I caught you at a bad time," she said. Katsuki must've been glaring pretty nastily at her, because she looked uncomfortable. He glanced at the tear stains on the bed and, instead of answering, just decided to ignore her. There was nothing he could say that would make this situation any better. Except maybe, fuck off. "So, uh... how are you? I imagine after something like that' you'd be a little shaken up. And you don't look so good, either..." She continued, deciding to just annoy him even further. He knew she was just trying to be friendly, but that wasn't really a thing they did. They weren't friendly to one another.

Katsuki had never been fond of pink cheeks, so her appearance here was nothing less than aggravating. But even after his best attempts at ignoring her, she prevailed, becoming even more of a nuisance than he thought possible. "I came here to... well..." She paused. Katsuki knew she didn't have a reason. "Because I wanted to... mourn him."

Katsuki stared at the bed. He felt hot anger bubbling up in his chest, but tried to swallow it down. Why was she acting like he was already dead?

"I wasn't expecting you the be here, though," she added quickly. "I mean, it's not like I was looking for you or anything." Jesus, help him. Why wouldn't she just shut up? After another few seconds of silence, she added a little more quietly, "I heard about what happened on the mission. What he did... it was really heroic, wasn't it?"

Katsuki grit his teeth. He felt his heart racing now. That was where he drew the line. No, he thought. There was nothing fucking heroic about sacrificing his life for someone else—let alone Katsuki himself. He hated himself enough without having Deku's blood on his hands. 

"He was always such a great hero, so I guess it's fitting for him to--"

"You should leave." 

Katsuki cut her off. He couldn't stand it anymore. If she said one more goddamn word, he was afraid he'd say something he regrets.

She stood there in stunned silence for a moment. He knew she was staring at him. But for some reason, she didn't move. She didn't leave. Wasn't he clear enough? He told her she should go. It was in her own best interest, so why didn't she listen?

"Bakug--"

"This isn't your room. Fucking leave." It took all his willpower to say nothing more.

Out of his peripheral vision, he saw her shake her head. "Well, this isn't your room, either," she stated with firmness to her voice. She sounded indignant. Disdainful. Like she had any right to fucking be here saying that to him right now. In response to that, Katsuki clenched his jaw and closed his eyes. He couldn't look at her. He couldn’t fucking look at her, or he’d probably blow her up. Maybe he should just go, but he couldn't force himself to move. No, not after what she said.

"I can be here if I want. Izuku was my friend, too," she continued. Katsuki's eye twitched and he narrowed his eyes. He noticed how she used his first name instead of 'Deku' like she usually did. "I mean... I'm just saying he... I'm not trying to impose myself here, but..."

Katsuki suddenly stood up. He glared at her with a wrinkled nose, a scowl on his face as he pushed past her to leave. She silently stepped out of the way. He didn't spare her any more breath as he stalked away, heading for the stairs to go back to his room. He might not've looked like it, but he was silently seething. Or maybe he did look like it. He wasn't sure. But his mind felt like it was spinning, and he felt like he was trembling out of anger. See this, this was why he never let himself cry. Because now the bitch knew he'd been crying over Deku. And that wasn't fucking embarrassing at all.

When he got to his room, he tore off his clothes and jumped in the shower. There was nothing like some burning-hot water to help calm him down. 

Once he turned the water on so hot it started to turn his skin red, he started raking through his hair, which was grimy and tough with dirt, blood and dried sweat. Disgusting, he thought, watching as reddish-brown tainted liquid dripped down his face and splattered on the white tile floor at his feet. Once the worst had been roughly combed through, he applied a good glob of shampoo to wash the rest out. As Katsuki stood there, scrubbing his scalp to within an inch of its life, blinking scalding hot water out of his eyes and suffocating himself in the steam, he couldn't help but feel a little happy. Because for the first time since he woke up, he wasn't thinking about Deku.

He finished his shower and threw on some shorts and a T-shirt before retreating to his bed. With the hot water to help calm him down, he was suddenly exhausted. Katsuki flopped down on his bed, not even caring that the lights were still on, and passed out soon after that.

Two hours later, he was woken by Aizawa knocking on his door. 

"Bakugou," he semi-heard the teacher call through the door, "can I come in?"

Katsuki sat up and muttered back a "yeah" through his drowsiness. He was rubbing his eyes and fighting back a yawn as Aizawa entered, carrying a plate in one hand and a bottle of water in the other. He wordlessly walked over to Katsuki and handed them to him. When he looked at the plate, it took a second for him to comprehend that there was a sandwich and some chips. Katsuki stared at Aizawa wordlessly as he dragged his desk chair to the center of the room to take a seat.

"That's for you," Aizawa said calmly, motioning to the food and water bottle he'd handed him. "It's not gourmet or anything, but I figured you haven't eaten, so I made it."

Katsuki stared at the plate for a moment, mouth watering, before he set it down on the bed beside him. He'd eat it later. "Here to talk?" Katsuki asked after a moment, glancing at Aizawa. He was leaning forward with his hands laced together under his chin, staring intently at the ground. It looked like he was trying to figure out what to say. Katsuki decided to be patient, hoping maybe he had some information on where Deku may be. 

"Yeah," Aizawa responded in a gruff voice after a few seconds. He sat up and looked at Katsuki, meeting his eyes evenly. "I just came by to tell you that I'm on your side here. Okay?" He held eye contact with Katsuki for a moment to emphasize his sincerity before continuing. "Obviously I care about Midoriya. I've been teaching him for the past three years, watching him grow, and helping him to become the best hero he can be. I care about the kid. Alright?" He paused as if waiting for Katsuki to indicate his understanding, while the latter just sat in silence, holding eye contact but not saying anything; unmoving. He didn't know what Aizawa was getting at here, and quite frankly, he was interrupting his nap.

"I'm worried about him. And I want to get him back," Aizawa continued, despite Katsuki's silence. "And I know you do, too, so don't even try to deny it." He sounded almost accusatory, while there was only more silence on Katsuki's part. "I know you two have a complicated past. But after all this time, I also know you've been able to work through some of it. You don't get along the greatest. So what? Despite your differences, you have a lot of similarities, too. Just look at how much you two have helped each other grow. It's really quite remarkable how--"

"What is this, a therapy session?" Katsuki interrupted him, venom lacing his tone. Why was Deku always the topic of fucking conversation? Couldn't Aizawa just give him the food, tell him what he needs to know, and leave? Katsuki already knew he didn't get along with Deku. Big deal. He already knew he wanted to get him back. Big deal. Aizawa was making a big deal outta nothing, coming in here and re-opening all these wounds he’d finally managed to sleep off. "Why don't you tell me something I don't already know," he added. 

Aizawa stared at him for a moment, looking like he was about to snap back, before just giving a sigh. He looked too tired to argue as he just stared at Katsuki. "No matter how much you change over the years, some things will always stay the same," he half-muttered, sounding annoyed with a little bit of amusement thinning his tone. He shook his head and looked down. "Unluckily for you, I'm gonna have to blame that outburst on your current state of mental and physical instability. That’s going to mean that you need to stay here and recover for a few days. I'm forbidding you from leaving U.A. High School until I deem you physically and mentally well enough."

Upon hearing this, Katsuki immediately jumped up, looking Aizawa down with flaming, frantic eyes. "What? No! Aizawa, I'm fine. I'm stable. A few days could cost the damn nerd's life!" He exclaimed, not hesitating to raise his voice. Aizawa couldn't do this to him. No, not with Deku on the line. Lock him up in solitary confinement for two years once the nerd gets back—he didn't care. But not before then. 

"I'm sorry," Aizawa stood to match his energy, "but it's what All Might and I agreed upon. In your heightened state of emotion right now, it'd be dangerous to let you go anywhere other than here, let alone take you on a mission with us. No, you need to calm down before you're given those privileges again."

"I am calm. I'm so fucking calm!" Katsuki said, pacing his room. "I just—I need to help find him."

"We will find him," Aizawa interrupted, motioning to himself. "The other teachers and I are doing all we can to get him back. You just have to trust us, Bakugou. That's what teachers do," he said in a low tone, trying to calm him down. But Katsuki was beyond calm. He was so upset he could feel steam rolling from his palms.

"So what, you're locking me up? For days? During the most critical part of our mission?" He demanded, whirling on Aizawa. He couldn't believe his ears. This was some top-tier-level bullshit right here. "I thought you meant I'd be confined for, like, a day or something. But a few days? Are you fucking serious? I need to talk to All Might," he snapped, trying to push past him to leave. But Aizawa cut him off shortly, staring him down to deactivate his Quirk and stepping in his way to stop him from leaving.

Over the years, Katsuki had grown tall enough to be roughly the same height as Aizawa, if not a little bit taller—but that teacher-student superiority was obviously still there. Katsuki backed off. Even without his scarves, Aizawa was an intimidating force to be reckoned with. That was a battle he could not win.

"Sit down," Aizawa ordered. Katsuki flinched under those piercing eyes, red and vivid with power. Begrudgingly, Katsuki took a few steps back, teeth clenched and hands—now smokeless—balled into tight fists. He stared the teacher down. Then, doing so almost against his will, he slowly re-took his seat on the bed. Aizawa stayed by the door, blinking and releasing his hold on the student. He looked like he was done here.

"Like I said, I'll let you leave once you can show me that you're mentally and physically ready. But until that point, you'll be staying in this building. It’s for your own good." Katsuki had to bite his tongue to keep from countering with something that would probably get him in trouble. "Whether that takes a few days, or a few weeks. Your next goal is to prove that to me."

Katsuki never stopped staring at him as Aizawa turned, opened the door, and exited the room without another word. 

Ohh, he was mad. He was so fucking mad that he almost felt like blowing up every piece of furniture in this room. But instead of doing that, he just blew up Aizawa's sandwich instead.

After throwing it in the trashcan along with the chips, he pumped it red with a few explosions, not caring whether Aizawa heard it or not. He felt like screaming, but then again, why would you scream if you could just blow shit up? He blew up that poor sandwich until it was nothing more than a piece of smoldering charcoal left at the bottom of the bin, which was seconds away from a collapse in itself. And when that was done, he dumped the bottle of water all over it as the cherry on top. Smoke swirled up from the steaming can, but he didn't think much of it. Why should he care if the stupid fire alarms went off? They should know better than to put smoke detectors in a teenager's room, much less a teenager with an explosion Quirk. 

After he'd blown off enough steam, he flopped down hard on his bed for the second time today, though this time it was for a completely different reason. Last time, he'd actually been in search of sleep—while this time, he just felt dismayed. How the hell did he end up here? Aizawa was supposed to be on his side, not the one oppressing him. Didn't he understand how important this was? Katsuki didn't have time to be sleeping around. He had to get his ass out there and go find Deku.

After all, Katsuki was the whole reason he was kidnapped in the first place, right?

The thought was sickening, but he was sure it was true. He was the cause of this. Maybe if he'd been more careful, they wouldn't be in this position. Maybe if he'd controlled the situation better back then, they wouldn't be dealing with this right now. Deku wouldn't be dealing with this right now. He wiped his hands down his face, frustration bubbling up in his chest and simmering under his skin. He glowered at the ceiling. This was just so shitty. So fucking shitty.

He closed his eyes and tried to force himself to fall asleep, because that seemed like all he could do at the moment. He went still. He tried to slow his heartbeat down, take deep breaths, and think of things to make him calm—all the shit that usually worked to make him sleepy—but all he could seem to do was feel angry. Despite his motionless demeanor, his mind was spinning in a torrent of thoughts and emotions that he couldn't quite pick out. He didn't understand why his brain always did this to him. How he always had so much to think about, but could never seem to form a coherent sentence in there. It was like a tornado spinning around his brain at all times, and the only thing that spewed out of it was anger.

Well, all times except one. The only time he could really think, the only time he could actually feel calm, was in the heat of battle when he was forced to make split-second decisions based on instinct. When he was fighting, he didn't have to worry about pleasing others, or hiding his emotions, or any of that bullshit that didn't matter. He could just focus on one thing, the important thing. Winning. If he could just focus on that, he was almost guaranteeing himself success.

When he really focused, his reaction time increased. He could zone in on his opponent and let everything else fade away. He became able to move on instinct. And that was when he found himself to be the most connected with his mind—when he was mid-battle, flying through the air on a burst of explosions, letting the noise drown out his thoughts and mold his mind and body into one in itself. Only then could he find real peace.

His stomach went on a series of growls, probably wondering why he hadn't devoured that sandwich yet. It's a little too late for that, he thought. The singed stench of burnt meat and bread still lingered in his nose, which normally would've grossed him out—but now it only made his shriveling stomach feel emptier. An empty gut was probably another reason he couldn't get to sleep, but since he couldn't muster up the motivation to get out of bed and get himself something, he just lay there and tried to ignore it.

After about twenty minutes, he got up and turned his light off, and only after another twenty minutes of no sleep did he decide to get under the blankets. At this point, he was pissed off. He didn't even want to sleep, he just didn't want to leave. Facing Aizawa or any of his classmates right now would probably turn out detrimental to their emotional well-being. So he just forced his eyes shut and shoved a pillow over his head, praying for sleep to come sometime within the next few hours.

The next morning he woke with a start.

Breathing heavily and clutching his chest, he sat himself upright, a cold sweat trickling down his face and shoulders drawn back. He stared at his bed, the blankets which were all strewn about, indicating that he'd been thrashing in his sleep. He could hear his heart drumming in his ears, and stayed very still as he started trying to calm himself down. He stared. And he stared. When was the last time he had a nightmare? It must've been at least a few years. He rarely ever had dreams—but those images he'd seen just then were so vivid, so real, that he almost thought they were happening in real life. 

The room was barely light enough to see, but that amount of light was enough. He looked at his forearms, expecting them to be all slashed and torn as they'd been only moments ago—but he was fine. A little shaken, but otherwise okay. He lightly traced a finger across his skin, where he could still feel the cold edge of the blade pressed against him. He could still feel the man's hot breath on his ear, still feel the hand on his shoulder and the thick, heavy darkness surrounding him, suffocating him. He could still see the knife dragging across his arm, digging into his flesh and leaving a clean-cut laceration.

He still remembered being motionless as he watched the velvety blood flow from the cut, painting the pale skin of his underarm a crimson red and echoing throughout the room as it splattered all over the floor. He remembered being frozen as the entity continued cutting into him, spilling his blood right before his eyes. He couldn't move. He couldn't say anything.

He could still remember when he was finally able to take a breath. He could still remember screaming. 

Katsuki sat like that for a minute or so until he was jolted by a knock at the door. He took in a sharp breath, jolted from his trance-like state, and blinked a few times before wiping the sweat from his brow. He lifted his head and wobbly stood up before making his way to the door. That was probably the most vivid dream he'd ever experienced. Even minutes after it was over, his heart was still racing. As he approached the door, he wiped the distraught look from his face and ran a hand through his hair. He fiddled with the handle for a moment before prying it open, letting light spill into the room from outside.

His eyes were met with a nervous-looking Kirishima, who was wringing his hands and averting his eyes. When Katsuki opened the door fully he snapped his gaze up to stare at him. Katsuki could see the worry on his face. He looked dubious, like he didn't know if he was even supposed to be there. 

"Hey, man," Kirishima said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Um... are you okay?"

Katsuki stared at him. "What the hell are you talking about," he said, squinting with the sudden change in lighting. "Why wouldn't I be."

"Well, it's just that I heard you scream, and then you went silent. I was getting a little worried..." He trailed off with a puzzled look from Katsuki.

"I screamed?" He distantly asked, baffled. He racked his brain in an attempt to remember, but the only thing he could recall was when he screamed in his dream. Had he done so subconsciously in his real body? Was that the reason he woke up? He struggled to remember, while Kirishima only looked curious.

"You mean you don't remember?" He asked with eyebrows knit together. "I thought you might've stubbed your toe or something, but then when you didn't say anything afterward I got a little weirded out. Were you dreaming or something? Having a nightmare?" 

Katsuki narrowed his eyes at him, finally snapping out of his delirious state and realizing what was going on. "That's none of your business, shitty hair. And what the fuck were you doing outside my bedroom anyway? Spying on me?" He demanded. He turned and stalked into the bedroom, leaving the door open for Kirishima, who was already jumping to defend himself.

"No, I wasn't! At first I was here to wake you up and see how you're doing, but while I was trying to get enough courage to do that, I heard you yell and realized you were already awake. And so I was about to walk away, but then I figured I should still check on you, so I waited a few minutes before knocking because I was waiting for you to say something, but you didn't, so then I--"

"Okay, okay, I get it," Katsuki interrupted, rolling his eyes out of habit. It tended to annoy him when people started rambling. "So you came to check on me. Anything else?"

Kirishima paused for a moment, standing in the middle of his room while Katsuki moved around, getting himself ready. He put on new clothes; as the ones he was just wearing were drenched in sweat; gave his teeth a quick brushing, grabbed his phone from the nightstand, and snatched his broken hero suit from the floor. He was done in two minutes. In that time, Kirishima went on to explain how a group of their classmates were all sitting in the commons area, talking about him, Deku, and Todoroki and the mission. "I started getting worried about you when I realized how long you've been sleeping, so I came up here to get you," Kirishima finished as Katsuki walked out the door, moving at a brisk pace.

"What do you mean, 'realized how long I've been sleeping?' I was only out for a few hours," he said over his shoulder as he made his way to the stairwell. Kirishima jogged so he could walk beside him.

"Dude," Kirishima said, and the hefty way in which he said it inclined Katsuki to look at him. "You were asleep for almost twelve hours."

Upon hearing that, Katsuki's step faltered and he almost tripped. He stared at Kirishima with widened eyes. "You're shitting me," he deadpanned. He could feel unease crawling at his skin. How had he been asleep for that long and not noticed? And if he really was gone for that long, why did he still feel like shit? It must've been that damn nightmare's doing, draining his energy even while asleep. 

"Yeah," Kirishima shook his head. "I've never seen you sleep for that long. Must've been pretty exhausted, huh?" He asked with a bit of a lighter tone. Katsuki could tell he was trying to lighten the mood, but now really wasn't the time for small talk.

He gave a huff. "Guess so," he agreed, but secretly he was getting nervous. Had anything happened while he was out? He recalled Aizawa saying the heroes were running a mission this morning. Had they returned? Did they find anything? He had so many questions that needed answering, and his body was itching for something to do. At least after sleeping for so long he felt a bit more energized. He could tell his body was still a little weak and his movements were a bit sluggish, but that was nothing he couldn't work off in a couple of good training sessions. Right now, however, all he wanted was to find out what was going on—and find somewhere he could get a meal.

He and Kirishima made their way down the stairs until they got to the first level, where the commons area was. Kirishima was right. All of their classmates, with the exception of Shoji and Koda, were sitting around the circle of chairs and couches having one big conversation. Katsuki noticed Todoroki was there, too, and realized he must've woken before him. As Katsuki and Kirishima approached, Denki was unfortunately the first to notice them.

"Hey ho, look who finally woke up!" He exclaimed, drawing everyone's attention in an instant. As Katsuki felt all eyes land on him, he could already feel irritation gnawing at his semi-good mood. Nobody was saying anything.

"I'll kill you, dunce face," he said begrudgingly as Kirishima flopped down on the couch, leaving room for him to sit, too. But Katsuki stayed standing, aware that everyone was still staring at him. Why weren't they saying anything? He looked around challengingly at their prying faces. So curious, so invasive. Some even looked sympathetic, and that pissed him off even worse. "What, do I have something on my face?" He asked coldly, and immediately the majority of them looked away. Some started up new conversations, while others just looked like they just didn't know what to say. Katsuki wondered if they'd been talking about him prior to this, but now that he was here, they had no choice but to stop. 

"So how are you feeling, Bakugou?" Asked someone to his left after a moment, and Katsuki looked to see it was Jirou. She looked semi-concerned, but Katsuki was already so done with being asked that question. 

"Fine," he answered curtly, crossing his arms with a guarded expression. "Could be better. I'm really fucking hungry."

"There's some leftover breakfast in the fridge," Kirishima offered, pointing to the kitchen. "Yaoyorozu made cinnamon rolls, so I saved you a few."

And so, it was only a few seconds before Katsuki was leaving again. He didn't have much interest in talking on a hollow stomach. "Good enough for me," he said, and as he started off towards the kitchen, he stopped beside Todoroki's chair. He was sitting with his knees to his chest and arms wrapped around his legs, and was wearing his usual jaded expression. "You heard anything of importance recently?" Katsuki asked lowly, not really wanting their classmates to overhear but knowing they probably would anyway. Sero and Ojiro were standing only a few feet away.

Todoroki glanced up at him, then shook his head. "I haven't seen Aizawa or All Might, and my dad's not responding to my texts. I figured I'd just wait here until someone shows up," he said. Katsuki gave a short hum of acknowledgment and walked away. In the fridge, there were three cinnamon rolls in a glass container right at the front, with a little sticker on the top labeled For Bakugou in blocky handwriting. Under that was a little smiley face. Katsuki popped off the lid and bit into the first one he saw, not even bothering to warm it up first. He was so hungry his hands were shaking.

After he devoured the cinnamon rolls in the blink of an eye, he found a cup on the cabinet shelf and filled it to the brim with tap water. He chugged that. Then he refilled it, and chugged it again. On his second re-fill, he only drank it halfway before taking small sips to finish it off. After that, he was feeling pretty good. He returned to his classmates, who were chatting easily, paying little mind to him now. He took that seat beside Kirishima and sighed.

"Better?" Kirishima asked with a stupid grin on his face. "I just watched you absolutely demolish three huge cinnamon rolls and chug about a gallon of water."

"Shut up," Katsuki snarled as he shoved his arm roughly, but Kirishima only laughed.

"I'm joking," he snickered, brushing off his arm where Katsuki had pushed him. "Anyway, I'm glad you're feeling better. It's good to have you shoving people again."

Katsuki leaned back on the couch and laced his hands together behind his head. "Yeah, sure," he agreed half-heartedly, blinking up at the ceiling. "So tell me what the hell you guys have been talking about down here."

Kirishima thought for a moment, humming. "Well, for starters, we were talking about the results of the hero popularity contest last night. It was Hawks again," he began, starting to list things on his fingers. "Then we were talking about our hero missions, and then we were talking about the number of villains on the streets right now. It's madness out there!" He continued. "We talked about breakfast, what we should make for dinner... oh, and we talked about a story on the news about this guy with a hat Quirk, where he could make hats out of any objects he touches. Apparently, he broke into a library and turned about half of the books into cowboy hats. He went to jail," Kirishima recalled.

"Okay, okay—I meant anything important. Have you talked about anything important?" Katsuki clarified, pinching the bridge of his nose. Kirishima was so clueless, it almost physically hurt him sometimes.

"Oh!" Kirishima laughed. "Well... not anything I can remember..."

"The teachers, just last night, made an announcement about the whole situation. How about that?" Butted a new voice, and Katsuki looked over his shoulder to see Sero standing there, wearing a genuine expression. He was leaning on the couch and looking at Katsuki. "Aizawa, All Might, the principal... they all had an interview about everything that's been going on recently. Aizawa told them about the mission and explained the situation of why you guys were there. He told everyone about how Midoriya got kidnapped, and then he addressed the local heroes and told them to keep a lookout for a man with a... ah, what was it... a dog Quirk?" He looked at Katsuki for confirmation, but he was unmoving. Unresponsive. Aizawa was already publicly announcing this? That wasn't a good sign, especially if nobody was even looking for him yet.

"And how did the public respond?" Katsuki asked, eyebrows knit together in intrigue. 

"Well..." Sero pursed his lips. "Not very well," he began with. "As you can probably expect. I mean, two years ago, essentially the same thing happened, just with different people..." He looked at Katsuki, and he knew that was a reference to him. Katsuki had been kidnapped by the League of Villains two years ago and held in an attempt to try and get him to join their side. Anyway, it had failed miserably and Katsuki was returned home safely with the help of the heroes. The only difference was that this time... they didn't have the help of the heroes. This time around, it wouldn't be so easy.

"Yeah, and then Aizawa said that the main leader of this group was in cohorts with Overhaul when he was still alive. So I guess that rumor was confirmed," Kirishima added.

"What are we talking about?" Denki interrupted, walking over and leaning over the couch to get right in Katsuki's face, wearing a goofy smirk. Katsuki pushed him away with a wrinkled nose.

"The speech last night," Sero explained. "We're catching Bakugou up on what happened while he was asleep."

"Oh! Did you tell him about the guy with the hat Quirk? The hat Quirk! Oh my god, it was so funny!" Denki exclaimed without skipping a beat.

"I know, right!" Kirishima immediately added to his energy, and the two of them went into another laughing fit, spewing incoherent facts about the guy. Katsuki made something out about cowboy hats and a twelve-year sentence. He glowered at them for a moment before turning back to Sero, who was apparently the only other sane member of this group.

"Anything else?" He asked simply, and Sero gave him an amused look before that thoughtful expression washed back over him. "Um..." he pondered for a second, glancing off to the side. "Ah. I don't know if you already knew this, but most of the teachers went out to search for the villains this morning. They've been gone for a few hours, but I don't know when they'll be back. And that's about all I know."

Katsuki nodded. "Well, that's good to know, at least," he said. After another few moments of thinking, he stood up and rounded the couch to retrieve his hero suit from where he'd dropped it on the floor behind. "I'm gonna get my suit fixed. Never know when I'll need it next," he said impassively. At this point Kirishima and Denki stopped being idiots and looked at him curiously.

"But you only just got here," Kirishima complained. "We were having fun."

"You guys were having fun," Katsuki corrected, "I just came here to get information. I got shit to do," he said, starting to back away towards the exit. To get it done quickest, he'd have to go to the support course, which was about a seven-minute walk from here. He could test his Quirk a little on the way there. He hadn't used it in a few days, so he was curious to see if he was rusty at all.

"Uh... okay. Cya later, I guess," Denki said as Katsuki turned and left.

It was cloudy outside when he exited the building, with winds strong enough to gently sway the trees, but not bad enough that it was noticeable. He could fly in this. As he took a big breath of fresh air, he threw his broken hero suit over his shoulder and positioned his hands behind him to set himself off. He ignited his Quirk, and not a second later he was soaring through the air, off in the direction of the main building.

It took a second or two to re-coordinate his brain with his palms, but once he did, he was able to use his Quirk with flawless accuracy, just like usual. He enjoyed the feel of the clean, chilly air buffeting against his face and raking through his hair. Up here, above the trees, where all he could hear was the wind whistling in his ears and the intermediate sound of explosions behind him as he propelled himself forward, he couldn't stop himself from grinning. He loved it. On the ground, he could never feel this free. Down there, he was nothing more than a little dot in the scope of someone's eye, and that thought never ceased to antagonize him. But up here, they were all the dots and he was the one looking down at 'em. Up here, he could focus on nothing but himself. And that idea always gave him comfort.

Katsuki soared through the air for no longer than a minute before he arrived at his destination. He touched down at the entrance of U.A., startling a couple of class 3-B students in the process. He didn't mind their stunned, exasperated faces as he entered the building, leaving them behind and heading off in the direction of the support course.

Of all the students in the support course, he only knew the Hatsume girl, and that was only because she'd approached him one time with a proposition of "modifying his suit"—whatever the hell that meant—and he'd denied her with a few harsh words. He was heading to her now, broken hero suit in hand and broken ego in the other. He hated asking people for help. But she was probably his best option, as his only other option was sending it to the company that had designed it for him, and he had no idea how long it would take to get back to him if he did that. 

He quietly walked through the hallways of U.A., the ones he'd navigated so many times before. He could find his way with his eyes closed if he wanted to. He knew every inch of this school, inside and out. He arrived at the support course and pushed through the tall steel door, immediately immersing himself in a room filled with smoke, the deafening sounds of machinery, and of course the fine addition of numerous screaming students. He didn't think too much of it and continued on. 

"You there—yeah, you!—man the water station! I thought I told you not to let the fire burn out quite yet!" Katsuki heard the familiar booming voice of Hatsume as she stumbled into view. Her clothes were smoking and her hair was sticking out in all directions as if she'd just been victim of some kind of explosion, but she didn't look worried at all. This was her kind of environment—rampant and disastrous. This was where she thrived, Katsuki knew that much. "Otake, control that experiment of yours, for crying out loud! And Souta, bring me my wrench! I need to get this baby under control," she stated, staring at the machine that was shuddering and spewing smoke, looking like it might explode at any moment. 

"Yes, ma'am!" Katsuki heard a distant voice shout back, and he assumed that was one of the class 1 students, as he sounded younger. Hatsume was class 3 now, so she was one of the oldest students remaining—meaning she was the boss. 

This was where he decided to interject, right before she was about to jump back into that machine over there. "Oi, Hatsumi," he called. She didn't turn. The sounds of machinery were nearly overbearing, and he clicked his tongue when she didn’t respond. "Hatsume!" He shouted after a second, realizing she probably couldn't hear him over all the chaos. Her head snapped over with an inquisitive expression, grease smudged all over her face and hands coated in dirt and grime. She gave him a once over before a big smile grew over her face. 

"Hey, it's you!" She exclaimed loudly as she started walking over to him. Her clothes were still smoldering, and Katsuki wondered if she even cared. "What brings you to my humble abode? Are you here to gaze at my dazzling babies?" She asked, motioning to the lump of sputtering machinery that looked like it was three seconds away from combusting and killing them all. Her wide, proud eyes shone with love for her work, and Katsuki could admire that.

"I wouldn't say dazzling," Katsuki scoffed in turn. “Actually I'm here to… ask for something." He rubbed the back of his neck, a pained look on his face. He didn't like it.

"Well, maybe I can excuse you insulting my baby if you give me something interesting to do. What's your proposal, spiky-hair kid?"

She stared at him as if she hadn't just committed a criminal offense by calling him 'spiky-hair kid.'

"You fucking with me?" Katsuki narrowed his eyes and glared at her. "Okay then, grease-face. Be that way."

She snickered. "I'm only joking, I know your name. It's Kat, no... Kats... Katch... Kacchan. Kacchan? Am I saying that right?"

Katsuki's gaze solidified. He stared at her like she'd just admitted to killing his dog. Kacchan? Why did she think that was his name? There was only one person he knew who called him that, and hearing it out of this extra's mouth just felt downright weird.  

"Where the fuck did you hear that?" Katsuki asked lowly. He felt the walls inside his brain start to raise like a drawbridge, while his expression turned stone-cold and sharp as he glared at her. 

"Uh, that is your name, right? That green-haired kid said so when I asked him. I think his name is Midoriya."

Well, that explained it. "Since when did you go asking the damn nerd for my name?" Katsuki demanded, but quickly realized that question was pointless and rolled his eyes. "Whatever, just don't fucking call me that. I need you to fix my suit for me," he said before roughly shoving the battered fabric and remaining chunks of the gauntlets into her hands. She took it and immediately began inspecting the pieces, flipping the fabric inside out and inspecting the folds, and measuring the length of the lacerations and burn marks with her fingers. She was muttering something, and Katsuki realized she was taking notes. 

"What fabric is this? Oh, never mind, I know it," she said, waving him off as he was about to respond. "Fireproof... stainless steel... ooh, a liquid capacitor, I wonder what that's for..." She studied the contents for no more than half a minute before she set them aside on a table. "Done!" She exclaimed with shining eyes, giving him an excited look. It seemed that their previous quarrel had already been forgotten, because she didn't look like she had any problems with fixing his suit. "I'd be happy to do that for you, sir, but since I've been so busy lately, I'm gonna have to charge you about 140 thousand Yen for it!" she beamed. 

Katsuki stared, eyes widening and jaw dropping with immediate surprise. 140... thousand?  "The fuck? The support course doesn't charge money!" he shouted, shock and unease rippling through his body. He didn't have that kind of cash. Could he take a loan? Maybe he had some money stored up. He hadn't checked his bank account in a while. What about the summer job last year? Did he make anything from that? Since then he hadn't had any time, so he wasn't sure there was any left over. Was he gonna have to get a fucking job again? Fuck, fuck, fuck. 

But as he was struggling to think of ways to pay that fee, the bitch was standing off to the side doubling over with laughter, pointing at him like he was a fool and wiping her eyes with dirty hands. "Oh! Oh my god, your face!" She howled, acting like she hadn't just dropped a bombshell on him of 140 thousand Yen. Like, what the fuck.

"Stop laughing, you psychopath, or I'll fucking kill you!" Katsuki took a step towards her, but she shook her hands out innocently, still in the midst of a laughing fit. 

"Stop! Stop, don't kill me," she giggled, blinking tears from her eyes. "I was only joking, dude, you don't have to pay me. It was a joke. Lighten up," she cackled, and immediately Katsuki felt stupid. He stopped in his tracks, staring at her with dumbfounded absurdity. As she pulled a notebook out of her breast pocket and started jotting something down, Katsuki was shaking his head distastefully, which was slowly turning into a look of ire. 

"What the fuck is wrong with you, playing with my head like that and then laughing about it, dumbass! You've got something screwed up in your brain if you think you can get away with that shit!" He shouted above the ricocheting sounds of failing machinery.

"What?" She shouted back, cupping a hand to her ear as everything started to seem a whole lot louder. The machine behind her was making the whole room vibrate and everyone was scrambling around to fix it, terror in their eyes. It seemed like a big deal, but Hatsume looked rather unfazed.

"Ma'am, we need you!" Some kid shouted from behind her.

"Just a minute!" She shouted back. "Anything else you wanna add?" She asked Katsuki. He just stared at her in an estranged way. This woman was crazy.

"You know what? Forget it. Just fix my fucking suit," he snarled before spinning and walking away. 

"Okay! It should be done within the next forty-five minutes or so!" She waved him off before rushing to get back to whatever the fuck she was doing before.

Katsuki stalked through the hallway toward the exit, a scowl on his face and hands in his pockets. That whole interaction had put him in a bad mood, but at least his suit would be fixed quickly. That was one good thing about the Support Course. They knew how to get shit done in a timely fashion. As he trudged through the well-lit empty hallways, glancing at new posters or signs on the walls as he passed, his gaze was suddenly drawn to movement across the path from him. He glanced at the figure, assuming it would be a student from class 1 or 2, but was instead surprised to see All Might rounding the corner walking towards him with his head and shoulders sagging with exhaustion.

He glanced up and when he caught sight of Katsuki, he instantly corrected himself, wiping the previously-somber expression from his face and forcing a thin smile. 

Katsuki picked up the pace to get closer, removing his hands from his pockets and staring at All Might with importance. "Young Bakugou. I haven't gotten a chance to see you yet. How are you doing?" he asked in his usual benign way. Katsuki looked him over. His eyes were sunken and dark, with stress lines crinkling his eyelids and forehead. He was moving at a sluggish pace, like his bones weighed more than they did before. And he also looked skinnier than usual.

"All Might," Katsuki said impassively, though secretly he felt a spark of worry inside himself. "I'm... fine."

"Is that so?" All Might said, patting Katsuki on the shoulder. "Well, I'm glad to hear it. Take a walk with me, would you?" He asked calmly. Katsuki couldn't say no, though he was reluctant to say yes.

They walked silently to the exit and left the building, immediately bathed by the cool outside air that purified Katsuki's nose after the foul stench of smoke and grease. He was heading this way regardless, so it's not like walking with All Might was wasting his time or anything. He walked silently beside the teacher, glancing at him every so often to see him gazing at the pink trees around them, watching a bird drop from a branch and land on the grass, or simply looking up at the clouds as a gust of wind blew past. All Might looked so peaceful, despite how tired and unhappy he seemed at the same time. He knew All Might was one of the worst affected by Deku's kidnapping—next to Todoroki, Aizawa, and of course Katsuki himself.

All Might was Deku's closest teacher, his mentor, his predecessor. He passed One for All on to Deku, who was in turn training to become the next #1 hero of Japan, which had been his dream since childhood. Katsuki had done his fair share of hating Deku for being the one to receive this power—but after all this time, he'd never been able to gather up enough anger to hate All Might. He was his idol—the character that helped shape him into the person he was today.

As a kid, Katsuki had always been a fan. Always wanted to be just like him. Watching him on TV, seeing him constantly win, win, win—even if all odds were against him. So all in all, he never hated All Might. He never could bring himself to—and even if he seemed like he did, he was only acting that way to hide his true admiration for the guy. The admiration that could never quite be squashed.

That was one of the few ways he could relate to Deku. Their undying admiration for the symbol of peace—throughout their childhood, middle school, and now high school years. They'd always admired him the same. So now that Deku was gone, he felt even closer to All Might than he had before—like this was the last connection he had to Deku with him being gone. 

Now to be quite clear, he did not think Deku was dead. He knew the nerd was still alive. Whatever the boy was going through right now, he was fighting through it, and soon he would be returned safely home. But that didn't change the fact that he was—at the moment—gone.

Finally, Katsuki just looked blatantly at All Might. They'd been walking for about five minutes now without a word being said between them, so his voice broke the accumulation of peace. "So do you have something to say to me, or am I just walking with you for no reason?" He asked pointedly, giving him that same sharp-eyed glare that he gave everyone. Even if he admired the guy, he couldn't let himself slip. All Might looked at him with those all-too-knowing eyes before giving a little smile, which seemed sad more than anything.

"Can't you just appreciate the nature out here?” He asked somberly. “I've seen two blue jays, a chickadee, and a robin while--"

"All Might, we aren't here to look at birds. I know you're just doing this to distract yourself, but we have things to talk about that are actually important. So I'm gonna need you to take this seriously," he cut him off immediately, aware of the direction this was going. All Might was trying to distract him, trying to get him to forget about their real-life problems going on. All Might was trying to distract himself from thinking about Deku.

The teacher looked at the ground and heaved a sigh. "I know. And I am," he said lowly. Katsuki looked ahead once more as he continued. "Sometimes it seems like I need to take things a little less seriously."

Katsuki scoffed. "I guess you could say that," he said. Then he glanced at him again. "When's the last time you've slept?" He asked, making his tone seem rough so as to not seem like he cared as much as he really did. 

All Might sighed. "That's not for you to worry about, young Bakugou. But thank you for your concern," he said slowly.

"Actually, it is for me to worry about," Katsuki corrected, "because apparently you're not gonna take care of yourself, so someone else has to do it for you. And who's that gonna be? Well, Aizawa has his own problems to deal with, and nobody else has the gall to question you about it, let alone tell you what to do. So here I fucking go. Eat something, then go to sleep. He's not gonna just magically come back if you start killing yourself, so... don't."

All Might was silent, so he continued. "Do you think Deku will like it when he comes back and sees you skinnier than a bag of bones and running off one hour of sleep? Do you think he'll like it when you pass out of exhaustion right when he needs you most? No. So don't you fucking dare try to... I don't know, fucking throw your life away for no reason. You feel guilty. Sure. We all do. So stop being selfish and take care of yourself, for the damn nerd's sake if nothing else."

Katsuki kicked a rock, and they were silent for a minute or so. He could tell All Might was reeling after that one, but it needed to be said. If their teacher was gonna drown himself in guilt, there had to be someone there to pull him out of the water. And Katsuki just so happened to be that person. Finally, the teacher found it within himself to speak again. "Thanks," he said quietly. Then softly added, "I needed that."

Something stirred inside Katsuki, and he decided to change the subject. After a moment of silence he cleared his throat. "So are the rest of the teachers back yet? I haven't heard anything, and everyone's been wondering what the fuck's going on," he said. No difficult conversations. No difficult conversations. All Might took a deep breath before following his question. 

"Yes, they returned not too long ago. Actually, I've been informed that they might've found a lead to where the villains might've gone. But it's only a hunch—there's no concrete evidence yet," All Might said, not noticing the surprised look on Katsuki's face as he continued. "But don't fret. We will find him. All the teachers are determined, and so am I. I will not rest until that boy is returned," he said confidently, looking up at the sky.

"Hold the fuck up, All Might, you found a lead? And you're not following it?" Katsuki demanded, grabbing his arm to stop him. They now stood in the middle of the flawless brick pathway, surrounded by beauty while staring at each other—one with ferocity, and the other with earnest. Them, with their glaring imperfections and emotions, surrounded by such brightness that almost made them look out of place. "You have a lead to the villains?" Katsuki asked again, shaking All Might a little by the arm. The teacher looked at him before brushing his hand off.

"It is possible," All Might said. Now his guard was up, especially after seeing how wild Katsuki’s eyes looked after he said that. "I feel as though I've said too much."

"No, no, don't fucking do that," Katsuki started as All Might began walking again. "Don't fucking do that to me, All Might. You know I want to help. You can't take this from me," he insisted, ignoring Aizawa's voice in the back of his mind. I'll let you leave once you can show me that you're mentally and physically ready, it said. As if he was talking to a fucking psycho. 

"Actually, I can. If you're too emotional, letting you go on the mission would only be more harmful that anything else. That's why we need to keep you here until you're ready," All Might said. Katsuki groaned, rolling his head back and wiping his hands over his face.

"You're starting to sound like Aizawa," he muttered through clenched teeth. "I can't keep hearing this same shit over and over again. I. Am. Fine. I seriously don't understand what you people think I'm gonna do," he stated angrily. "What, you think I'm gonna hand myself over to the villains? Put up a slideshow about why I think they should give 'im back? No, I'm gonna fucking fight alongside the rest of you, and win that shit fair and square. You'd benefit from my help. So let me come along!" He exclaimed.

"The thing is, there is no mission to go on. The only thing we're doing right now is searching for him," All Might said, raising his voice a little to match Katsuki's tone. "Whether you like it or not, I'm still your teacher. I know what's best for you, and so does Aizawa. So you should just leave it to us." His tone sounded final, and Katsuki didn't like that.

"Well, when's the next search party going out?" Katsuki fought to keep up this argument.

All Might paused as if he was deciding whether to tell him or not. After a few seconds, he gave a response. "Tonight," he said. "Tonight at midnight."

Katsuki stomped one foot and pointed accusingly at All Might. "Trust the teachers, he says. We have it under control, he says," Katsuki mocked, using exaggerated air quotes to get his point across of how fucking stupid this all was. "Tonight at midnight? That's twelve hours from now! How much shit could they do to Deku in twelve hours? How much fucking pain could they cause him in that amount of time. How many times could they fucking kill him in twelve hours!" Katsuki was damn near shouting now, and he could feel blood rushing to his brain, telling him to calm down. He didn't care. All Might was letting them down—letting Deku down by doing this.

"I mean, how much time are you shitheads going to waste?" He continued. "It's already been nearly three days since he got taken, and what have you done? Jack shit, that's what. And now you're not letting me go out and look for him. That's just fucking bullshit!"

"Young Bakugou, please calm down. That is no way to address a teacher," All Might finally snapped and turned to him, eyes narrowed and finger pointed fiercely. Katsuki bit back the urge to slap that finger out of his face.

"You can tell me what to do when you start making some goddamn sense," Katsuki shot back through clenched teeth. He was so mad he could hear his heart pounding in his ears. He could feel his blood boiling with rage, feel the tension building in his shoulders and neck with how disagreeable this was. All Might was acting brainless, they all were. Anyone with a brain could tell that this was a time-sensitive mission that needed to be solved quickly. But no, instead they're just gonna sit around all day while they could be following this perfectly good lead they found. The groundwork was laid out. Now they just had to fucking follow it.

"We're waiting until nighttime so we can work under the cover of darkness. Tonight, the plan is to search until we find him—or until the sun comes up," All Might explained before continuing to walk.

"And then what happens after that? What happens after the sun comes up? Because I don't know if you knew this, All Might, but it comes up every day. The sun rises, then it sets. During the day, are you just not going to do anything? Just sit around and wait for the villains to fall in your lap?" Katsuki demanded. "I mean," he scoffed in disbelief, "if that's your plan, then screw it. Deku might as well be dead," he snarled.

"Don't talk like that," All Might warned. With every passing sentence from Katsuki, he looked angrier and angrier. "You, as a student, do not get to tell us how to run things. It's our job to get him back, so we will put all of our efforts into doing that in a safe and orderly fashion. So please, young Bakugou, stop trying to tell us how to do our job," he said. His voice was nothing like it was before—there wasn't a hint of gentleness to it. He sounded exasperated and guarded, and Katsuki knew he'd sparked that in him. But he just couldn't find it within himself to care. This was unacceptable, and they both knew it.

"Does Deku's mom know this is the plan? Does she agree with it?" Katsuki asked. "And how about the press. Have you told them?" He doubled down, satisfied as All Might's hardened gaze started to crumble. "If the heroes aren't going to do anything about this, then tell me where the lead is. Let me go out there and do it myself. I'm strong enough. I'm old enough, too, so you can't play that card against me. Tell me what you found!" He now began the pressure on All Might, hoping he might crack if he put in enough.

"Absolutely not," All Might refused, shaking his head sternly. He looked at Katsuki. "You are nowhere near well enough to go out there right now, especially when you've already been beaten by these same villains before. It's far too big of a risk," he stated in a firm tone. Katsuki's eye twitched.

"Then recruit some heroes to accompany me. Endeavor. What about him? We interned with him, for fucks sake, and he can't even spare some time to help one of his trainees? What the fuck is wrong with you people?" He demanded. All Might clenched his teeth, looking like he wanted to fight back, retaliate with a sound argument—but he just couldn't. There simply was none.

Was Katsuki being unreasonable? Probably. But so were Endeavor, All Might, and not to mention Aizawa, too. Even with his best interests in mind, this was just wrong.

If he wanted to get this done, it was starting to look like he was gonna have to do it himself—behind his teachers' backs.

Katsuki stopped in his tracks and sighed, clenching his teeth and fists to keep from blowing something up, while All Might turned to look at him with a speechless, defeated expression. "Anything else you want to tell me?" He asked in a cold voice, staring at All Might like he was a complete stranger. The teacher just looked back at him calmly, not saying anything, not even blinking. He was done. Defeated. There was nothing else to talk about.

Katsuki slowly nodded his head. Then, without another word, he lit up his palms with a few substantial explosions that sent himself flying through the air, back towards the dorms where he came from. It would probably be about another thirty-five more minutes until his suit was repaired. And when that time came, he was gonna leave this school and, if need be, find Deku's captors without the help of any of the useless heroes.

Chapter Text

Katsuki returned to the dormitory with a group of cluster explosions, so he arrived in only a matter of seconds from the place he'd been talking with All Might. Planting his feet as he touched down to avoid toppling over from the momentum, he was able to stabilize himself before briskly making his way inside, a scowl permanently glued to his face. He'd practiced landings like that countless times before so he'd be able to change course immediately when reaching the ground, and it showed in his precise and calculated motions. Everything he did, he did it with a purpose.

Shoving through tall glass doors and stomping his way back to the common room, he found his classmates still sitting there, having their oblivious little conversations. He noticed a few more were gone now—Iida, Tokoyami, and Denki were nowhere to be seen—but aside from them, everyone was still hanging out.

He trudged his way straight to Todoroki, who was still sitting in that damn chair, sulking like usual. "Oi, Icyhot," Katsuki snapped, heart still slamming angrily in his chest and fists clenched with irritation. That conversation with All Might had put him in a rather bitter mood.

"Bakugou," Todoroki responded casually in response, looking up from where he'd been staring at the ground. They'd last spoken only twenty minutes ago, but the difference was that Katsuki was now in a significantly worse mood than before. "You seem angry. What's wrong?"

"Always one to state the obvious," Katsuki snorted before walking right past him and heading toward a quiet spot in the corner of the room. As he passed, he muttered a quick, "get over here."

Katsuki didn't look back as he snappily made his way to a secluded hallway where he was sure no classmates would see them. That scowl still hadn't softened on his face, and as he waited for Todoroki to get there, he found himself tapping his foot impatiently on the ground. For a solid few seconds he was mumbling curses on the heroes and swaying back and forth on his feet, biting his cheek while swimming in thoughts. Nothing seemed real. Nothing seemed okay. "Fucking All Might... no, the damn hero system is fucked... I could go myself, but no, no, you're too unstable... man, fuck you... I could fucking kill all of you... that stupid damn nerd, and the villains... fuck them..."

As he was muttering this nonsense he started to realize what he was doing and, with a sort-of clicking sound in his brain, shortly snapped himself back into control. That was weird. He glanced around guiltily as if he'd just done something incriminating, feeling his eyebrows knit together with incredulity. "The fuck," he said under his breath before raking a rough hand through his hair. He'd never been one to mutter before. Muttering like that was for damn nerds and idiots. And the fact that he'd just been doing it subconsciously was seriously getting on his nerves. When had he started doing that? If he ever caught someone listening to him mutter, he'd probably have to kill them. His tempestuous mind was whipping him through a flood of emotions so violent that a voice from behind almost startled him.

"Hey, what were you—"

"The fuck do you want?" Katsuki snapped as Todoroki rounded the corner. The latter, in response to his aggression, put his hands up and glanced back awkwardly, as if concerned about whether he should be here. 

"You told me to follow you," Todoroki stated, looking a little confused. "Did you want to talk about something?"

Katsuki looked at the boy for a moment. His mind was still spinning. Resentment from the argument with All Might, agitation as he thought about the villains, and dissatisfaction about everything that's been happening recently. That was a good word to describe how he was feeling right now. Dissatisfied. 

"Yeah, there is something I wanted to talk about, actually," Katsuki finally snapped himself out of his mind haze and glowered at Todoroki. "But first, get over here so they can't fucking see you, or those snobby big-eared assholes might try to eavesdrop on us." He motioned to the wall far past where any of their classmates could see, not thinking much of the insults he'd just spewed.

Todoroki gave him a semi-puzzled look before slowly moving past Katsuki to the spot he'd pointed. "Now I'm convinced you're mad," he said, leaning against the wall and slipping his hands into his pockets. "What, did you run into Mr. Aizawa on the way back here? Did he say something about Midoriya?"

"No," Katsuki stated dryly, looking through his eyebrows at the guy. "It was All Might."

Todoroki's interest looked like it was piqued as he raised his eyebrows a little. "Oh?" He probed. "And what'd he say?"

Katsuki clenched his teeth for a moment, trying to recall everything that happened only minutes prior. The truth was, he'd been so damn mad that his brain was starting to block some of it out, and he had to fight past that initial fog of anger to get to the meat of the conversation. "Basically he told me that the heroes returned from their mission with a possible lead—and they aren't fucking following it. Not until tonight. At midnight. So they can, according to All Might, be under the cover of darkness." He scoffed, "like that's ever made a fucking difference. Those morons haven't realized that the villains are stronger at night."

Todoroki leaned forward with a newfound curiosity lighting up his eyes. "They found a lead?" He asked. "Where is it?"

"Like hell if I know! He didn't tell me!" Katsuki snapped. He couldn't remember when he'd last started pacing, but he was now walking back and forth in front of Shoto, gnawing at the inside of his cheek. "He refused to tell me, then basically repeated what Aizawa's been telling me this whole time. Telling me I'm not mentally stable or some shit," he half-spoke half-shouted. "Oh, and then he said the heroes aren't gonna search unless it's after dark. So they're not gonna do anything during the day!" He exclaimed. 

"Okay, now that's idiotic," Todoroki said, standing straight up with a piercing glare. "So he refused to tell you? He told you there's a trace, a chance to find Midoriya, and then didn't tell you where?" He sounded offended.

"He sure fucking did," Katsuki growled, wrinkling his nose at the thought. "It's like he wants to condemn me. Punish me or some shit by keeping me here. He's trying to drive me fucking crazy is what he's doing."

"So you had a full, civil conversation with All Might and he didn't tell you where the lead is? I mean, usually he tries to be reasonable about things."

Katsuki grit his teeth. "How many times do I need to tell you, Icyhot. He didn't tell me. If he did, I would've already been heading there right now."

"And you had a civil conversation?" Shoto repeated. "You didn't get angry?"

Katsuki was silent. Yes, he'd been mad, but that shouldn't make a difference. His lack of response was all the answer Todoroki needed. 

"Okay, so you got pissed at him and expected to get information after that. Great plan."

"He was refusing to work with me! Don't fucking patronize me, asshole, you would've done the same thing. I get mad a lot. He's used to it." At that, Todoroki sighed and turned away from Katsuki. He started walking out of the hallway while Katsuki just followed, hands raised with brimming anger. "Hey, don't walk away. I wasn't done talking!"

"I'm going to find Mr. Aizawa. Maybe if I can have a polite conversation with him, he might tell me more about this lead. Stay put," Shoto said evenly as he walked away, leaving Katsuki in the commons area with the rest of their classmates, who were now looking over curiously. He ignored the attention, still staring at Todoroki, who was crossing the floor towards the exit. He was really leaving right now? 

"Just stay here? And do what? " He demanded, but slowed down when he realized Todoroki wasn't gonna look back. Now, he was dead set on talking to Aizawa.

"I don't know. Talk to your classmates. Maybe enjoy yourself a little. I'm the best person for something like this, so I'll get the information from him—and if I can't, I'll get it from my dad. He's bound to know something useful." Todoroki said these words from afar as he got to the exit and pushed through the glass doors, leaving Katsuki in the dust without so much as a goodbye to pardon. Leaving Katsuki with the rest of them—the people who'd just heard the words 'information' and 'useful' in the same sentence, so now they were bound to be nosy. 

Katsuki stared after Todoroki for a few moments, seething in the bothersome knowledge that the boy was right. Out of the two of them, Shoto probably was the best one for getting information out of their teachers. He was a tad more respectful, anyway. Dare he say likable. Plus Katsuki was practically on a watch list for being too "unstable". Enjoy yourself a little, Shoto's words jeered in his head, taunting him. Talk to your classmates. Katsuki scoffed audibly. "Yeah, right," he muttered under his breath, pocketing his hands and staring off in contemplation.

It took another few moments of persuading himself to be nice before he was finally able to tear his gaze and look at his classmates. The closest ones were already staring at him—Kirishima, Sero and Mina. Kirishima had a raised eyebrow and was the first to speak as Katsuki slowly dragged himself over to them, feeling very defeated despite not having lost anything.

"What was that all about?" red-hair asked.

"Dumb question," Katsuki replied.

"Sorry," Kirishima hastily replied before adding without remorse, "Where's Todoroki off to?" 

"Just shut up. I don't have to tell you." Katsuki flopped down on the corner of the couch, the farthest he could get from the rest of them. He had no interest in talking, and he thought he made that clear with the way he was facing away from them, eyes averted. But apparently those subtle social clues were too meager for them to pick up.

Mina was the closest on the couch, so she was next to ask, "What, Is it a secret or something? Are we not allowed to find out?" She had a stupid light in her eyes, like she knew she was eventually going to get the information out of him, whether he liked it or not. For some reason, Mina always had a way of convincing him to tell her things. She was annoying like that.

"It's not a fucking secret," Katsuki sighed, still looking away. "I just don't want to tell you."

"Are you sure, man? We swear we won't tell," Kirishima said, leaning over Mina and grabbing Katsuki's elbow to shake him briefly, hoping to gauge a reaction. But Katsuki didn't look over.

"I'm sure," he said firmly. "I don't wanna talk about it."

"And why not? Is it against the rules?" She asked. "I heard you mention something about Mr. Aizawa, and talking, and information. Is Todoroki-kun going to talk to Mr. Aizawa? About what? Information—information regarding Midoriya? The villains? That's all you ever talk about these days, so I'm assuming..."

"Seriously, raccoon eyes, just shut up. It's none of your damn business. Maybe this is why I never want to hang out with you people, because you always make it your job to weigh in on my life when it has nothing to do with you!" Katsuki shot at her. "Seriously, I've only been sitting for ten seconds and you're already being annoying as shit. Can't you just be normal for once and shut your mouth?" He gave her a sharp glare that he hoped would scare her off, but Mina—being Mina—only grinned. He was indifferent to the eyes watching him and Mina's argument unfold and tried his best to just ignore them.

"Why are you getting so defensive? Am I right?" She asked, completely disregarding everything he just said. "I must be right! Hear that, guys? Todoroki-kun's going to talk to Mr. Aizawa about the villains that captured Midoriya. Hear that? I figured it out!" 

She looked far too proud of herself for Katsuki's liking. In fact, they all did. It's not exactly rocket science. I mean, it was pretty fucking easy to figure out. Was invading his personal life really so funny to them? Was it just a game, like 'whoever's the first to drive Katsuki through the wall gets a prize?' Did they not give a fuck if it made him mad? He scowled, staring down at the ground. He could say nothing now that they'd regrettably figured it out. Only a fucking minute into the conversation. Katsuki could only focus on trying not to snap at them, which would be difficult if they kept prying like this.

"So he's going to talk about Midoriya-kun? What is there to talk about?" Sero asked after a minute of talking with Mina and Kirishima, their conversation which Katsuki had formerly been blocking out. But when they directed the question at him, he slowly turned his head to give them a dangerous glare.

"I'm not. Fucking. Telling you," Katsuki said through gritted teeth. "If you keep asking, I'm gonna go to my room. So leave me the fuck alone." He really didn't know what to say to make them shut up, so he figured threatening to leave was his best option. 

Sero and Kirishima looked uncomfortable, like they were taking his threat seriously—but once again, Mina was unfazed. "If you just tell me, I'll leave you alone," she said with an innocent smile. "I just want to know what you two are trying to do." She seemed more serious now as he looked away. "Are you breaking the rules? Why else would you be so defensive if you weren't doing something bad?" Katsuki felt a spark of unease in his chest as she got closer to the truth. "Hm, maybe you're going on a mission... a mission with Aizawa? A secret mission. Or... are you breaking Aizawa's rules and going after the villains by yourselves? That's the more probable answer, isn't it. That seems like something you two would do. Uh, hey—hey, wait, get back here!"

Katsuki stood up and turned to walk away, shoving his hands in his pockets and heading towards the stairs to get to his room. The bitch was getting far too close to the truth to be comfortable. She thought she had him all figured out, didn't she. She thought she was so fucking smart. That was one of the things he hated most about Mina. She always found a way to figure him out, despite all the walls he builds to defend himself. She was hella good at reading emotions.

She chased after him. "I'm right, aren't I? Why are you trying to hide it from us? We can help you!" She exclaimed as she trailed after him. Kirishima and Sero followed suit, buzzing with excitement.

"Yeah, we can help! You guys shouldn't do it alone!" Kirishima exclaimed. Katsuki was already out the door, trying his best to get the hell away from them.

"Come on, Bakugou, don't leave us hanging like this. If Mina's right, then you're going to need some support!" Sero added.

"Exactly! I mean, these villains are strong. We make a good team!"

"Just let us help you, man!"

"Will you stop fucking screaming about it!" Katsuki snapped, suddenly whirling on them. He could only ignore it for so long before he snapped. "What, do you want the whole world to find out? Jesus christ."

"Still," Sero spoke reasonably, "It's dangerous. You guys got destroyed when it was you, Midoriya and Todoroki alone. But since Midoriya won't be with you, it'll be even worse. What if you get caught?" He tried to argue.

"Don't wanna hear it," Katsuki said over his shoulder as he walked away, trying to get to his room as quickly as possible. He was two seconds away from turning around and blasting them into the sky.

"Okay, but what about Mr. Aizawa? What if he catches you? You could get expelled," Mina added. "And if we go with you, we can get it done faster. You can have more support."

"Who said I was even going? I never confirmed that I was doing anything against the rules. So all of you need to shut the fuck up and stop thinking you're so entitled all the time!" Katsuki snarled.

"I am right, though, aren't I? You are going to search for the villains. That's why you were so mad, and that's why you didn't want us to find out. 'Cuz you don't want us to get in your way," Mina continued fearlessly. "Let us help you! I promise we won't get in the way!" She exclaimed. Katsuki could hear all their footsteps quicken to keep pace as he sped up. This was probably his worst nightmare.

"No," he said firmly.

"Please?" Kirishima begged, clapping his hands together.

"No."

"We want to help Midoriya as much as you do," Sero said.

"Shut up"

"We do!" Kirishima again.

This is when Katsuki started seeing red. Everything just started to pile up as he whipped around, firecracker-like pops jumping from his hands and eyes alight with a fiery hate. "For fucks sake, I said no, dammit!" He shouted, taking a heated step at them and holding up his smoldering hands. They all jumped back, ducking their heads like he was about to blow their lids off. He was two years of anger management away from doing just that. "I already told you assholes, it's none of your damn business." You don't care as much as me. "You'd only get in my way, and that's that." None of you have a fucking clue. "I already talked to Aizawa. He gave Icyhot and me permission to go. So stay out of my fucking way and don't cause a scene, or else you're gonna have a whole lot more to worry about than just pestering me all the time."

He couldn't help but lie for their sake, even if they were being annoying bastards. If they knew he was going against Aizawa's wishes, that would automatically put them in jeopardy. Like if he and Todoroki somehow ended up getting expelled, these three idiots would most likely be penalized for simply knowing about their plan. But if Katsuki lied now and said they have Aizawa's permission, that would free of harm for the most part. 

It was a subconscious grace he was giving them, not that they ever deserved it. But Katsuki couldn't have a clear conscience if they got in trouble for something he did.

"Come on, man," Kirishima said. "Mr. Aizawa said that?" he looked hesitant.

"Yeah," Katsuki replied curtly.

Mina looked skeptical. "Why didn't you just say that from the get-go?" She asked with narrowed eyes. "It would've saved us from walking all the way out here—and saved you a lot of threats, too."

"Because it's supposed to be a secret," Katsuki doubled down. "He told us not to tell anyone else because he could get in trouble. Technically we're not supposed to be going at all, but he made an exception after that damn Todoroki managed to convince him." Oh god, this was such a ridiculous lie. How could they ever believe it? Just give up already, he thought almost pleadingly as the three stared at him with obvious conviction.

"Convinced him... how?" Mina asked. He bit back a scowl. Stop asking questions you don't wanna know the answers to.

"The hell if I know," Katsuki said. Then he turned away again, hoping to leave it at that. "I'm leaving now. Go away."

He walked away, and they didn't follow. Even after walking about a hundred feet to get to the stairwell, there were no footsteps behind him, no voices calling for him to wait or yelling at him to let them come along. Thank fuck, he thought with a mini sigh of relief as he climbed the stairs two at a time. That was probably the most annoying interaction he'd ever had in all three years of hanging around them. Sure they sometimes got on his nerves, but he'd never been that close to throwing actual punches.

One thing that made him especially angry was their claims that they cared as much as him about getting the nerd back. Yeah, right, he thought resentfully. If you cared as much as me, you'd be fucking doing something about it instead of sitting on your ass all the time.

Besides, none of you were even friends with him. There's no way you could've cared as much as me.

Immediately when he caught himself thinking stuff like this, a flash of a scowl passed across his face. I wasn't his fucking friend either, he reminded himself. But that statement made him think. Why did he care so much, anyway? He didn't care about being Deku's friend. He didn't care who he chose to hang out with. He just didn't care. He wasn't Deku's mom, or his teacher, and he damn sure wasn't his friend.

Then why was he the first to jump to save him? Why was he the only one doing something about it, with the exception of Todoroki? He had to think about that for a while as he made his way to his room.

Because he hates losing. The idea of losing to those villains was worse than anything else. When Deku got kidnapped, Katsuki lost. He took an L. And that was unacceptable. So of course he had to get the damn nerd back.

At least, that was the easiest way to explain it.

Katsuki got to his room and shot Todoroki a text letting him know where he was. Then, he waited. Ten minutes passed. He paced around his room, went on his phone, even cleaned up the burnt trash can from yesterday. If he sat still for too long, he gave the thoughts a chance to catch up with him—and they would surely tug him under the current of his imagination if he let them. So he tried to keep moving. Another ten passed, and this was when he started to wonder where Shoto was. Icyhot hadn't texted yet, despite the two or three additional texts Katsuki had sent asking where the hell he was and what was taking so long. But when the time reached the thirty-minute mark, that's when he really started to get impatient.

He started doing some pushups just to pass the time and manage his irritation, but not even that was enough to keep his mind vacant. He ended up blasting some music from his phone to keep his head occupied. A bad thought or two managed to wiggle its way through the noise once in a while, but he squashed them out before they could really become a problem. It was like a constant war with himself. A war with his mind.

He hated his brain. He wanted to get rid of it. Because the damn thoughts that came with it always found a way to make him feel mad, or guilty, or god forbid sad. Feelings were just about his worst enemy.

Katsuki was a minute away from just booking it the hell out of there and looking for Todoroki himself when he heard a knock at the door. "Finally," he exhaled, getting up from the floor and pausing the music. "Come in," he called. Quickly after, the door swung open and Todoroki walked in.

He had a hard expression as he stood in the entryway and looked at Katsuki, as if the impassive frown and cold eyes had been forged into the aspects of his face. At the same time he regarded Katsuki with a sort of dignified posture, like he had to fight through hell to get to this point—and managed to succeed. They both stood there for a few seconds, staring at each other, before Katsuki muttered an abrupt, "What."

"I found out where the lead is," Shoto said. He had a little ring of pride to his voice. "I managed to convince Mr. Aizawa."

Katsuki wiped his brow with the back of his hand, still a little sweaty from those pushups. "Well? Where is it?" He asked, hiding the way his heart skipped a beat out of excitement. "I didn't think he'd fold so easily."

"It took me about twenty minutes to convince him," Shoto said, "but once I brought my dad into it, he told me."

A flash of confusion washed over Katsuki's face. "Endeavor? Why would that convince him?"

"I just said that if he didn't tell me, my dad would. So he sorta gave up. I don't really know why, but it seems like there's some sort of tension between them."

Katsuki clicked his tongue. "Well, that's a little underwhelming," he said, but shrugged. "Whatever. So where is it, then?"

Without a word, Todoroki showed his phone, and Katsuki realized the Maps app was pulled up. He took a closer look while Shoto explained what was on the screen. "1125 North Avenue Street, there's a dock. It's about two hours away. Two nights ago, an unfamiliar truck pulled up and some guys in hoods got out. They broke the cameras before the heroes could get a good look at them, but Aizawa said there was a dog spotted in the background. A black dog. It was big and, even though it's a shot in the dark, there's a possibility it could've been related to the villain we fought." Katsuki studied the dock on the map and realized it was connected to a canal, which... oh shit. His eyes narrowed as he realized. That canal opened up directly to the Pacific ocean.

Fuck.

"Is there a missing boat or something? Some evidence that these were the same villains we fought—some way to track them?" He asked while studying the image, a stone of dread dropping in his gut.

"No. The heroes are planning on investigating more tonight, but Aizawa said they're worried that if they're on a boat, they could escape to a different country and we wouldn't be able to follow them."

Katsuki's mask slipped for a moment, letting his alarm show in widened eyes and a clenched jaw, before he could regain composure again. Unease crawled at his skin. "Shit," he muttered, scratching the back of his head. He looked up as Todoroki powered off his phone and slipped it into his pocket. "That's no good. Not fucking good at all." It hadn't even occurred to him that the villains might've tried to escape by boat. The oceans stretched far and wide, and it would be hard, if not impossible to track them if they tried to flee to a different country. The possibilities were endless. He was painfully aware that Japanese heroes wouldn't be welcome in many of their surrounding countries, especially if the villains already had connections there.

"Yeah. Definitely not good," Todoroki agreed darkly.

"They could be long gone by now," Katsuki realized out loud. He gnawed at his cheek, a subconscious habit that he'd never been able to break since he was a kid. "You think they took Deku with them?" The question came from his mouth almost involuntarily, even if he knew the answer to it—or rather, didn't want to know the answer.

"Even if these are the same villains we fought, there's really no way to tell. We can't tell what was in the truck, or if it was a decoy, or if they're sailing away on some giant boat right now that will never come back and we'll never find again. We just don't know." His voice was a little darker than usual, hinting that he was nervous. Yeah. He had every fucking reason to be nervous about that.

For the first time, Katsuki was forced to deal with the idea that he might not be able to find these villains. Until this point, he's been convincing himself that he'll find a way—evade Aizawa's rules, escape the school, somehow track down the villains and rescue Deku without getting himself killed. All this time, he's been dead set on the idea that he'll be able to win. He sold himself on the fact that he was always able to figure his problems out in the past—and this time wasn't any different.

But now, hearing what Todoroki was saying, he was starting to feel a spark of doubt within himself. A spark of hesitation. Of fear. Because on land, he could track villains. They could look at the cameras, or call for witnesses, or get the local heroes on deck to help. On land, it was possible. They had support. They had options. 

In the ocean, there were thousands of boats. Thousands of places to hide, thousands of places for the villains to escape to. If these guys decided to leave the country, it wouldn't matter how many heroes they gathered up. It wouldn't make a difference how much time they spend searching. Because All Might, Endeavor, Aizawa—they would all be helpless. Katsuki would be helpless. If these damn villains got away, there was no telling if they'd ever be seen again.

He tugged at his hair with one hand and turned away from Todoroki, jaw clenched and eyes narrowed with irritation. "Maybe if the heroes had been a little quicker to get on this shit, we wouldn't be in this situation right now," he muttered, automatically turning to blame the heroes. But part of him knew his accusations were irrational. The heroes were doing their best given the current circumstances. Aizawa was working his ass off to try and make this happen, and All Might was visibly affected by the whole thing. Katsuki didn't like putting it on them, but who else was there to blame? He and Shoto had been unconscious the whole time. The rest of the class was away with hero studies and missions. He hated admitting it, but there was really little anyone could do.

"Well, I can't really argue with that," Todoroki said, walking deeper into the room and leaning against the wall to face Katsuki. "If they are trying to escape by boat, there's no telling where they could go. We need some heroes with search quirks to help us find them, and find them fast."

"You got that right," Katsuki grumbled. "I heard we got Hawks on our side, so that's good news. He's pretty good at finding shit."

"Best Jeanist, too," Todoroki agreed.

"Well, yeah, but he's not really good for searching—more like detaining. Could be useful if we find this damn boat they're on. That is if they're even on a boat. First things first is we should go to that dock and look around for anything they might've left behind."

Shoto's eyebrows pinched in objection. "But the heroes are already going there tonight. Don't you think we should try somewhere different? Maybe the warehouse where Midoriya got captured? It's possible they left some evidence there."

"I'm sure the heroes already looked there, Icyhot."

Shoto shrugged. "Aizawa didn't tell me where they were looking today, he only told me about the lead. But yeah, I guess you're right." He paused. "But I feel like that'd be a little counterproductive, don't you? If the heroes are going there anyway, we might as well just look somewhere else."

"No." Katsuki said. "Like you said, the heroes are going there tonight. That's, what, ten hours from now? That is the counterproductive part. So I say we go now and cut that time in half. Depends on how fast you let me drive, though. Got a car we can take?"

Todoroki drew back slightly as if he wanted to argue. "Well..." he said, pursing his lips and looking at Katsuki through eyes narrowed with thought. Katsuki stared back, daring him to speak up. Daring him to argue. I'm not afraid to go without you, Icyhot. I'll find a way. Don't think I need you for anything, he thought to himself. But thankfully, he didn't have to make that argument. Shoto sighed and stood up straight, giving a curt nod.

"I can borrow one of my dad's cars. When's your suit supposed to be fixed?"

Katsuki couldn't stop a little smirk from spreading across his face. Now this bastard was speaking his language. "Should be done in ten minutes, thanks to how long you took. How about your suit?"

"I have an extra that I keep for emergencies. It's at my house. I'll swing by, grab that, and then come pick you up from the support course. Deal?"

"Sounds good, Icyhot," Katsuki grinned. "Now get the hell out of here."

"Cya in ten," Shoto said in passing as he turned and exited the room. Katsuki followed about a minute after, the remnants of a smile wearing off his face. So Todoroki was willing to sneak out of school, steal one of his dad's cars, and go against villains on their own—all while directly disobeying Aizawa's orders? Knowing fully well that they could be caught by the villains, or worse, expelled from the school? He scoffed. Maybe Todoroki was more interesting than he was given credit for.

As Katsuki rounded the corner out of his room and the door clicked faintly closed behind him, a voice startled him from behind. "Hey, Bakugou!" A familiar voice reached his ears. He whipped around to see Kirishima stumbling through the hallway towards him, a frantic edge to his movements. "Wait, wait!" He was calling. Behind him came Kaminari, Mina, Uraraka, and finally—Jiro. A look of confusion washed over Katsuki's face as he watched the five of them advance, each of their faces alight with excitement and fervor. They looked like they'd just found a pot of gold in the bathroom and were running to tell him about it. But he knew better—they were only here because they wanted something from him.

"What do you want?" Katsuki asked, a salty taste curling his lip as he caught sight of pink cheeks running towards him with that stupid, carefree look on her face. He still hadn't forgiven the lot of them for bothering him earlier, even after all the time that passed for him to calm down. And he hadn't forgotten the way floaty girl barged in on him while in Deku's room, ruining his moment with her complete lack of empathy. He'd probably never forget that.

"Let us go with you," Kirishima panted, jogging over and propping himself over on his knees to catch his breath.

"What, did you run here? What the hell is going on?" Katsuki scanned the five of them as they formed a group in front of him, presenting themselves like they'd just solved the mystery of the century. He found his gaze landing on Mina, who was standing in the middle. Why was she smiling? Why were they all smiling? He was starting to feel sick. As he tried to read all of their expressions and figure out what the hell was going on, a dagger of understanding cut through his troubled mind. He looked at Jiro. Her quirk was amplifying sound. And they'd run from the direction of the stairs.

"You didn't." He felt his eyes narrowing. His teeth clenched with rage. "I know you were not just spying on us, Kirishima."

A flash of a sharp-toothed smile passed Kirishima's face and he rubbed his neck. He was looking at the ceiling, feet shifting restlessly. Guilt. "Uh, yeah... about that..."

"Damn it!" Katsuki exclaimed, glowering at them all. He stomped over to Mina, who looked indignant, while the rest of them just looked unsure. At least those stupid smiles were gone from their faces. If he had to look at that for one more second, Katsuki was sure he would've punched a hole through the wall. His rage was imminent in the way he glared down at Mina as he got close to her, heat rising in his chest. "What the fuck is wrong with you," he spat.

"I wanted to know what you were planning, and you refused to tell me. So I took matters into my own hands," she said stubbornly.

"So you used our classmate for your own selfish gain? You're un-fucking-believable." He could hardly stop himself from shouting. "Spying on us so you can feel better about yourself? What the fuck is wrong with you!"

"It wasn't only her idea—we were all in on it, too," Kirishima piped up, shifting to subtly position himself between Mina and Katsuki. He put a hand on Katsuki's chest to make him step back, but Katsuki slapped it away.

"Fuck you. Fuck all of you."

"You can't rescue Izuku-kun without us. We won't let you!" Uraraka voiced, stepping up to put a supportive hand on Mina's shoulder and stare at Katsuki. He glared right back at her. Like she had any say in this.

"Shut the hell up, pink cheeks. Why are you even here."

Her eyebrows scrunched together as she stood a little taller. "Because Mina asked me to. Izuku is important to me, and she knew I'd want to help get him back. Because she's a considerate person—unlike some people here."

Katsuki knew the bitch was talking about him. But he couldn't bring himself to care. "The five of you, walking up here like you don't have a care in the world. How can you all smile when you know you're being invasive? How can you smile when you know you're going to make someone mad?"

"Because it's not exactly new for this specific person to be mad," Denki muttered.

"Say that again!" Katsuki snapped.

"No—what Kaminari is trying to say, what we're all trying to say, is that you'd be better off with our help. I know spying is wrong, and I'm sorry I contributed to that. But we don't want you guys getting hurt. If we can find their boat in a stealthy, efficient manner, this will all be worth it if we get Midoriya back home safely. Your main goal is to look for evidence, right? So the more eyes the better. I'm not asking you to bring our whole class or anything, just... us." Jirou stepped up and spoke calmly from beside Uraraka. 

This was the only thing that made Katsuki pause. Maybe because he respected Jiro's opinion a little more than the others, but probably just because she was right. The more eyes, the better. Their plan now was to search for evidence, and after that, locate the boat the villains were holding Deku in. All of those tasks required looking around. Searching. And searching always went faster if there were more people on the job.

But Katsuki wasn't gonna be convinced that easily. He'd been fighting all this time for independence, so why would he stop now? "You know that if we get caught, we might get expelled, right? Actually, we probably will get caught, especially if we find evidence and need to give it to Aizawa. And if we get caught by the villains, we might have to fight our way out of that, too. Are any of you prepared to do that? Are you seriously willing to risk your lives for this?"

"Sure we are," Jiro said. After realizing that she was the only one Katsuki was really listening to, the others backed off to give her a direct view of him. "Are you?"

"Obviously," Katsuki retorted. "I wouldn't be doing this if I wasn't."

Jiro maintained an even gaze with him. "Why?"

Katsuki paused. He blinked, and then frowned. The simple question threw him off balance. Why? Why was he willing to risk his life for Deku? Why was he dedicating so much time and effort to saving the nerd, who'd been his enemy, his rival, for years and years? He felt like he was asking himself that hourly—and still, he didn't have a solid answer. They weren't friends, but they weren't enemies. They sure as hell weren't close, and yet they knew each other better than anyone. Their relationship was complicated, to say the least. And he was sure part of the reason he was so insistent on finding the villains was because he wanted to even the score. But there was always that little voice in the back of his mind, telling him he just might care about Deku more than he was willing to admit. 

"I have my reasons," Katsuki eventually responded. He didn't feel like explaining himself further than that. He paused for even longer, staring at each pair of eyes standing before him, some looking pleading, others just looking determined. He knew all of these people. He knew they'd work hard, and he knew they would probably be useful if they were gonna be searching for the villains. At this point, his stubbornness was the only thing keeping him from saying yes.

"I think we should let them come along," came yet another new voice from behind Katsuki, paired with footsteps coming closer. A spark of relief fizzed in Katsuki's chest as he turned to see Todoroki walking down the hallway toward them, one hand buried casually in his pocket and the other juggling his phone. He came to stand beside Katsuki and gaze at the rest of their classmates. "You guys must really wanna help, huh? Well, my dad has a truck that can fit eight people. There's room for all of us."

"Seriously?" Denki asked, wide-eyed. "I mean, really? You'll let us come along?" He looked astounded.

"Sure," Todoroki shrugged. "Why not."

"You're not even gonna ask me first?" Katsuki asked lowly. "It's more likely we'll get in trouble if there's seven of us leaving the school at once. More likely for Aizawa to realize what's happening and hunt us down, anyway."

"He's more likely to realize you're gone before anyone else, Bakugou. He's already been watching you like a hawk. So are you saying you wanna stay here?" Shoto asked.

Katsuki snorted. "Hell no. This was my fucking idea," he reminded. "And I don't trust any of you driving, least of all you, Icyhot. I'm going." He gave one last begrudging glare at the rest of them before turning away. "You can come along, but don't expect me to be happy about it. And if you aren't in the car in ten minutes, we're leaving without you," he said. There was a chorus of excited chatter and footsteps fading as their classmates ran to prepare while Katsuki and Shoto rounded the corner out of view.

Wow. Did he really just say yes to that?

Fuck.

Todoroki walked beside him down the hallway and out of the building before they parted ways, Katsuki heading for the U.A. building while Shoto started his way home. He lived relatively close, and if he used his Quirk, he could get there in a matter of minutes. Katsuki arrived at Hatsume's office and found her there waiting for him, singed hair and smoldering clothes stinking up the room as she handed him his fresh suit. He thanked her and by the time he got his suit, changed clothes in the locker room, and went back outside, Todoroki was already there waiting for him. A minute later, their five tag-alongs arrived and piled into the back seat—and once everything was settled, Katsuki floored it and they got the hell out of there.

The car was quiet for a total of two minutes before Kirishima, Mina, and Denki broke into a conversation and wouldn't shut up. Pink cheeks and Jiro kept mostly to themselves, and Katsuki found himself amused by the fact that Uraraka had no idea how to converse with this friend group. Shoto was quiet for the most part, too, aside from the occasional backhanded comment when someone kicked his seat, or the times when he needed to give Katsuki directions. On the outside, it was a lighthearted, airy environment. There was talk of picking up lunch, but no matter how many times Katsuki tried to deny them, the backseat riders remained insistent. So he got talked into McDonalds.

Katsuki didn't talk much. He didn't even snap as hard as he usually would when Kaminari accidentally kicked his seat trying to steal a chicken nugget from Mina. Without trying, or even really meaning to, he was quiet. Dazed, almost. He kept his eyes glued like lasers to the road, and his hands gripping the steering wheel with vigor—but in his mind, he was ridden with incertitude. Only now, with nothing to occupy him or keep his mind busy, were his thoughts given a chance to catch up to his head. Only now was he forced to think. And as his thoughts came to scratch the surface of his mind, his fears came crawling right behind them.

He was thinking about All Might and how frail he looked. The past few days had really taken a toll on him. So why wasn't he working harder to get this operation moving? Then he thought about Aizawa, and what he said. In your heightened state of emotion right now, it'd be dangerous to let you go anywhere other than here. Even so, Katsuki wasn't willing to sit around and wait while Deku got kidnapped and experimented on. He wasn't gonna sit around and wait for the nerd to be killed. If the heroes wanted to do that, so be it. But they better not try to fucking stop him from going.

More of Aizawa's words popped into his head. I'll let you leave once you can show me that you're mentally and physically ready. Whether that takes a few days, or a few weeks. Your next goal is to prove that to me. What about him made it seem like he wasn't mentally and physically stable? He felt fine. Aizawa was so full of shit for that. We can't be rushing this, Bakugou. This isn't something to be hasty about. Not fucking true. There was every reason to be hasty about this. The other teachers and I are doing all we can to get him back. You just have to trust us, Bakugou. That's what teachers do. Yeah, right. Go to hell.

This all ended up leading him back to his thoughts about Deku. It always led back to that, didn't it? The familiar pinch of guilt burdened his heart as he thought about that night again. The way Deku just lay there on the ground, motionlessly staring at him, looking so damn accepting of what was about to happen. How could he be so ready? So ready to die, like it was second nature to him. Ready to die for his friends. Ready to die for Katsuki, a guy who'd never treated him correctly, all the way up until the day he was taken.

Only hours before the incident, while they were settling themselves in the hotel, Katsuki hadn't been kind to him. In fact, he'd been a complete asshole. The truth was he wasn't comfortable sleeping in the same room as Deku. It wasn't, like, a sanitary thing, or even a preference thing. It wasn't even because he and Deku used to be enemies. It was more just because... well, he had a hard time explaining it. Just the thought of sleeping next to Deku made a weird feeling stir in his gut. Like that tingle of uneasiness before a mission, or the feeling you get when you forget your phone on the bus. Why did he feel like that? Well, he had no fucking idea—but it was definitely new.

Whatever it was, it made him nervous. And being nervous made him angry.

So again, he took that out on Deku. He yelled at him. And snapped when he got in the way. And ignored him when they both knew he could hear. Everything the nerd did just made him mad. But now when he thought back on it, it just made him want to punch himself in the face. Because why did he have to be such an asshole.

The last thing Deku probably remembered was Katsuki being an asshole. The last thing he probably remembered was being ignored, and then being hurt. All because of Katsuki. 

What if he doesn't even want to see me? What if I save him... but he wants nothing to do with me after that? The idea was always circling around in the back of his mind, but now that all these other thoughts were coming to light, that one managed to wriggle its way out, too. Katsuki knew he'd been a bad person. He was an asshole, and there was nothing that could change that. But maybe this time, he pushed Deku too far. Maybe this time after returning from captivity, Deku would come to his senses and finally start hating Katsuki like he should've done so many years ago. Maybe their relationship would be over. 

For some reason, that was the scariest thought of all.

Todoroki's words suddenly resurfaced in his head, lost in his memory until this point. Stop being a jerk to Midoriya. He really takes what you say seriously, so you shouldn't be so hurtful to him. One of these days he won't be so forgiving. They'd been standing by the door waiting for the damn nerd to check them out of the hotel, when Shoto leaned over and whispered that in his ear. He hadn't thought much of it at the time. In fact, he'd only gotten defensive. I'm not hurtful, he'd thought. And I don't care if he ever forgives me.

But now as he reflected on it, Todoroki was right. He was right, and now the nerd was gone. Deku would never forgive him. How could he ever forgive him if he was already gone? And if they got him back and Deku found out he wanted nothing to do with Katsuki, how could he blame him? He was hurtful. He is a jerk. How could he ever expect Izuku to forgive him for that.

"Bakugou. Ease up, there. You're going twenty over the limit." 

Katsuki looked up from the road and quickly cast a glance at Shoto, who looked worried as he glanced from the speedometer, to the road, and then back to Katsuki again. "You don't have to speed. We're almost there."

"I wasn't speeding," Katsuki retorted, letting his foot off the gas and looking down behind the steering wheel. He was going 90. 

"Sure you weren't," Todoroki muttered. With a glance at the untouched bag of fast food on the dashboard, he added, "You should eat before we get there. It would only slow things down if we had to wait for you because you're keeling over in exhaustion."

"I'm not hungry," was Katsuki's reply as he fixed his eyes back on the road. "That shit would give me a heart attack, anyway."

"I don't believe you. And it's not that bad. A little greasy, but otherwise okay." Todoroki grabbed the bag and took out a box before handing it to Katsuki. "It's chicken."

"You call that chicken?"

"Eh... more or less. Do you need me to drive so you can eat?"

"No," Katsuki stated indignantly, taking the box from him and opening it with a scowl. "This looks like shit."

"Stop complaining and just eat it," Shoto sighed before handing him a packet of hot sauce. With a begrudging sigh, Katsuki forced some food down his throat, minding the speed a little more carefully now. As he finished up the drive, he found himself finishing up his thoughts, too. Some things felt a little clearer now, while others just seemed more confusing than ever. When they got Deku back, he was gonna talk to him. Really talk to him. Because if there was one thing he learned after today, it was that he had a lot of regrets about his life. He had a lot to say to the nerd. And he didn't want to be regretful anymore.

They arrived at the dock and everybody piled out of the car, looking around anxiously as if villains could pop out from a corner at any second and ambush them. Katsuki could tell they were aware they weren't supposed to be here. After years of following directions and never defying Aizawa's orders, this was probably new to them.

"You all better watch your backs. We're in the shitty part of town now," Katsuki said to the group as he slipped his mask over his face. He rounded the corner to the trunk and after popping it open, grabbed his gauntlets. Mina approached him as he was securing the machinery to his wrists.

"Is there a plan from here, or are we just supposed to walk around aimlessly until we get jumped?" She asked, leaning on the car and watching as Katsuki ran his hand along the smooth steel of his gear. Hatsume had done some admirable work. This was almost exactly like his original design, with a few tweaks to the color. The greens were slightly darker than usual, but it probably wouldn't be noticeable to anyone that wasn't him.

"Hey, you're the one who begged to be here, racoon-eyes. Don't come crying to me about being bored."

"I'm not saying that, I'm just asking what the plan is—if there even is one."

Katsuki slammed the trunk. He spared a second to notice the new weight on his arms as he walked back to rejoin the rest of the group, who were just standing there, watching his and Mina's conversation unfold. "The plan is to find evidence, track down the villains, and then kill 'em. I already explained that to you a hundred fucking times."

"So should we split up? Stick together? God, you're unbearable."

"Doesn't matter to me what you guys do, but we're not leaving until we find something. So I guess you better start looking." Katsuki waved them off, and they all looked at each other nervously. A spark of anger ignited in Katsuki's chest. "Why the hell did you guys come here if you're gonna look so nervous about it? What, are you scared of a villain? There's nothing to look so damn terrified about."

"We're not scared of the villains! It's just..." Kirishima said with a shrug.

"Just what?" Katsuki demanded.

"What if Mr. Aizawa found out we were here? He'd be really angry," Uraraka said. "I never thought about being nervous until now."

Katsuki just stared at her. "Are you fucking serious? Well, It's a little late for having doubts, considering the fact that we're already here."

"We should go in pairs," Todoroki interrupted, stepping between them. Apparently, he wasn't very interested in listening to them argue. Again.

"Good idea," Denki jumped to support him with a goofy smile on his face. "Not that I'm afraid of the villains or anything, it's just I'm..." He paused, "okay, maybe I'm a little afraid of the villains, but—"

"If you're scared, don't come," Katsuki interrupted sharply. "There's no time for hesitation out there, and I don't feel like babysitting. So if you feel like being a coward, just stay where you are," he added before turning away. He ignored the shouts of protest behind him, leaving the rest to Todoroki. It was his idea to bring them, so it was his job to deal with them.

He walked a hundred paces to the edge of the wooded platform and gazed out at the ocean. The massive expanse of water, so large it made him feel insignificant in its mere presence. The afternoon sun was hidden behind clouds that turned the usually-blue water into a dark, stormy color. Katsuki put his hands on the rail and took a deep breath. A steady wind blew against his face, pushing his hair back against his forehead.

The air tasted like salt and smelled of sea life—the kind of murky smell that brought him back to when he was a kid, during the time he spend exploring the endless beaches just down the road from his house. He'd be gone for hours and hours, navigating the sandy slopes, picking up washed-up trash or junk, and sometimes even finding keep-worthy things like toys or lost jewelry. It'd been such a simple time those days, spending the day exploring, not paying any mind to anything other than what they would find next.

They. They. He'd used that term to describe it. Him and who else?

Oh, that's right.

Usually he would explore them with Deku.

Suddenly the smell wasn't so nostalgic. Suddenly, it was nauseating. Suffocating. Katsuki turned away from the wind, burying his nose in his upper arm. A distasteful scowl contorted his face. Get out of my head, he cursed, clenching his teeth. This was getting ridiculous—he couldn't go five fucking minutes without that damn nerd's name popping into his head. He focused his mind on the sound of the waves crashing against the rocky shore. They were strong and frequent, and almost soothing in their continual cycle, never ceasing and never missing a beat. Such a simple thing, yet so reliable.

With a sigh, Katsuki lowered his arm and looked back at the horizon. No boats to be seen. He did a 360, scanning the perimeter. Street lamps, old buildings and a few power lines draping overhead. There was a large dock further down the shore that stretched a couple hundred feet out to the water, and beyond that was a landing canal for even bigger boats. The whole place seemed pretty abandoned, as there wasn't anyone in sight. Overall a pretty dreary place.

Katsuki stretched his hands and exploded himself into the air, using just enough power to launch himself onto the dock a few hundred feet away. He landed with a grunt and winced as the old wooden boards creaked beneath his sudden weight. "Easy," he muttered, standing straight up and looking down the dock. At the end was a small pillar with a mini lighthouse-looking thing on top, spinning in circles and flashing light out towards the water. Maybe there's a camera in there, he thought, however doubtful that idea was.

As he walked, he was continuously scanning the floorboards, scanning for God-knows-what. Anything that stuck out. Evidence, whatever that may be, could come in many forms. Sea spray coated his face and body in a matter of seconds, dampening his hero suit and giving his tongue a bitter taste. The waves crashing below made him nervous when they shook the whole platform, but other than that it seemed secure enough. He got to the stone pillar and hoisted himself up to the light, scanning the outside for any cameras, flashing lights, or even just a sign that another human had been here in the past couple of days. But there was nothing.

Katsuki cursed and blasted himself back to land, kicking up gravel as he landed and broke into strides. He started scanning the ground, looking under benches, investigating stray trailers and even looking through the windows in nearby houses for signs of life. There was seriously nothing around. Nothing to go off. No footprints, or witnesses, no cars or trucks or dogs or even so much as a whiff of a villain. Absolutely nothing for about an hour of vigorous searching.

That was until he came across a certain street lamp, in which there was a camera attached to the top—a camera that was broken. The body of the camera dangled limply from a few remaining cords hanging on for dear life, while the entire lens had somehow been shattered and was strewn across the ground below in a million tiny pieces. Katsuki gazed up at the camera, which was swaying uncannily with the wind. This looked recent. At least, recent enough for nobody to have replaced it yet.

He remembered Todoroki saying something about a camera in this area catching sight of an unfamiliar truck, and then being cut off before it could get any valuable footage. He assumed this was the one. He stared at the damage, trying to piece together how it could've happened. It didn't look like somebody smashed it with a blunt object, or else the whole thing would've been broken—but it was only the lens and the stand connecting it to the pole that was smashed.

Could it have been a weapon, like maybe a sword? Had somebody sliced it? That was possible, but seemed unlikely. After all, how common was it you see a villain wielding a sword on the streets? Plus a sword wouldn't have shattered it like this. No, this was the work of some other weapon.

A gun? Katsuki froze with realization. That night, the villains they'd been fighting both had guns. And the damage to this camera definitely matched the destructive qualities of a bullet. Katsuki knew better than anyone, having been shot and all. He could still explicitly remember the feeling of that bullet tearing through his skin and flesh as it ripped through his shoulder. That was another memory he didn't think he'd ever be able to forget.

He kicked a piece of glass on the ground. The evidence was stacking up in his favor. This whole time, he had a feeling in his gut that he was right, and this was the place the villains got away. And as he continued finding evidence to support it, he continued to feel more and more secure in that feeling. "Now we just need to find where you went," he muttered, looking back at the ocean. The sky was slightly darker now as the sun was starting to go down for the day. They'd been here for a good hour, and this was all he had to go on.

So he got back to looking.

Another hour passed. He talked to Kirishima and Jiro, and they both reported no evidence to be found. He told them to keep looking. They checked neighboring warehouses and abandoned-looking buildings, scoured every street lamp and powerline within a mile radius for additional cameras, and even went as far as to knock on local peoples' doors and ask if they've seen anything conspicuous lately. Every time, they got turned down. Mostly because the only people living in this neighborhood were either indebted, thugs, dropouts, or all three.

By the third hour, Katsuki was starting to get impatient. All this looking, and for what? They weren't finding anything. So far, Aizawa hadn't contacted any of them, but that was about the only thing going their way. The others were starting to feel discouraged, but he ignored them for the most part. He spent time looking down by the shore. He propelled himself onto rooftops to check for signs of someone being there. He even rummaged through garbage cans to look for anything helpful, like maybe a crumpled-up paper containing information on where they were going, or a lost USB that might contain a location. 

To be honest, he had no idea what he was looking for. But this was a far better use of his time than just sitting at the school and waiting for the heroes to do the exact same thing.

When the fourth hour rolled around, Katsuki decided to take his first break. He sat by the truck with the rest of the group and ate sandwiches Kirishima had bought from a local restaurant. Katsuki's sandwich consisted of whole wheat bread, ham, swiss, and bacon. It wasn't terribly delicious or anything, but he couldn't complain. It was hot, and that was all he could ask for.

The air temperature had dropped at least ten degrees from when they started, and the wind had picked up, too. Katsuki could smell the bitter musk of rain tainting the air. He hated rain.

"The sky's getting dark, and we don't have any flashlights. Maybe we should head back soon," Mina mumbled through a mouth full of food. Everyone looked exhausted, sitting hunched over with their heads rested on their palms and eyes dull with lethargy. The heavy weight of discourage plagued the air.

Katsuki knew they wanted to go back, and they were all looking at him for endorsement. He knew this. But he also knew they hadn't found any evidence yet—so the mission wasn't complete.

"There's a convenience store not far from here. Todoroki can take the truck and buy some," Katsuki said gruffly, staring at his sandwich before taking another bite.

"My phone says it's gonna rain soon. I don't really want to be rained on, do you?" Denki asked.

"Stop trying to come up with excuses to leave. I told you, we aren't leaving until we find something," came Katsuki's cold response. Denki sighed.

"That's unfair," Uraraka piped up after a second. "We didn't think we'd be here after dark. It's dangerous to be in this part of town after curfew. Plus, Aizawa has been doing bed checks lately, so he'll definitely know we're gone if we don't leave now. I think it's better to return now with no evidence than get expelled," she said.

"Life isn't fair," Katsuki replied.

Uraraka pursed her lips. Then she looked at Todoroki. "Do you agree with him?" She asked imploringly. "This is getting a little out of hand. We've been here for four hours already. We've searched every inch of this place, and still there's no evidence to be found. Do you really think our chances of finding something will increase when it gets dark and starts raining? Because I think we'll just be wasting our time."

"Sorry Uraraka, but I'm with Bakugou on this one. We came here to find evidence. And if he's determined enough to keep looking—even when all odds are pointing to failure—then I know all of you can do it, too."

Everyone looked conflicted at Todoroki's words until suddenly, Denki stood up. He had a panicked light in his eyes. "If you’re not gonna listen to us, fine. But I'm not willing to risk my spot at U.A. for a lost cause. You all might be ready to do that, but I'm sorry—I'm just not that kind of guy."

There was a moment of silence as everyone let his words soak in. Wind whipped their faces. The distant crash of the ocean waves brought noise to the air. Everybody looked unsure—except Denki. He looked like his mind was made up. But I'm not willing to risk my spot at U.A. for a lost cause.

Denki was starting to make a move toward the truck until Katsuki abruptly stood up. He stared across the circle of people at Denki with cold eyes blazing with fire. Every thought in his mind was put on halt. Every muscle in his body was straining with ire. He was finally losing it. "What did you just say," he growled. His tone was laced with venom.

Everyone stared at him uncomfortably. Denki looked even more nervous than before.

"Uhm..." he said, and gulped, suddenly not looking so sure of himself. "I said..."

"You're lucky I don't blast your fucking face off for saying something like that," Katsuki told him. His eyes were wide with rage. He could feel himself shaking.

Jiro slowly stood up. "Why don't you sit—"

"No!" Katsuki half-shouted, startling everyone and shattering their quiet environment. He could feel his heart speeding up he continued to stare and Denki’s words repeated loudly in his head. But I'm not willing to risk my spot at U.A. for a lost cause.

I'm not willing to risk my spot at U.A. for a lost cause…risk my spot at U.A. for a lost cause…a lost cause…

A lost cause.

"Not until he apologizes,” Katsuki snapped. After four hours of pent-up rage and disappointment from not finding anything, everything was starting to spill out now. His mind laser-focused on what Denki said and started getting worked up over it.

"Me?" Denki asked, bewildered. His eyes were wild with confusion as he looked frantically at his classmates for support. "What the hell are you on about? I didn't do anything wrong."

"Bakugou, I think you're tired. You're not acting like yourself. You've been working hard all day. Just let it go," Todoroki said as he stood up. He put himself between Katsuki and Denki, looking him in the eyes and trying to relieve some of the tension in the air. Katsuki forced him out of the way and took a step toward Denki, who was trying to back away, looking confused and a little scared.

"Take it back, asshole. He's not a lost cause," Katsuki said. His voice was strained and raising with every second. "Why'd you even come here in the first place? You shouldn't be here. The only reason you're here is to make yourself feel better—you don't care if we find anything or not!"

"What? That's not true at all! A-And I didn't say he was a lost cause, I just said this mission is a lost cause! I-I mean, no, it's not a lost cause, it's just that there's no evidence here, so there's no reason to keep looking if there's nothing to find!" Denki tried frantically to explain himself. He was waving his hands in front of him as if to ward Katsuki off, shaking his head and staring at the blond like he'd lunge at any moment. 

"So what, you think this mission is meaningless? How do you know there's nothing to find? You don't know!" Katsuki yelled. Every little failure, every discouraging thought, every disappointing moment of the night came flooding back into his head. He felt anger surge through his veins like liquid fire. At this point, the others were jumping up to try and calm him down.

"Bakugou, just chill out. He didn't mean it," Kirishima said, grabbing his left arm and holding him back.

"We shouldn't be fighting right now—It's pointless. Seriously, Bakugou," Todoroki added as he moved to grab his other arm.

"You think it's fucking fair that Deku got kidnapped by villains? Huh? Do you think that's fair?" Katsuki demanded as he suddenly turned to look at Uraraka. She was standing beside Jiro, both watching uneasily. Her eyes widened as he said that.

"What?" She whispered, confused now that the anger was being focused on her.

"Well, you were just saying how It's not fair if we get expelled for staying here longer. Do you really fucking think it's fair that the damn nerd got taken by villains? Do you think that's fair to him! Do you really think that!" He was shouting now with every word. He could feel Todoroki and Kirishima struggling to hold him back. It's not like he was going to try and hurt her. His body was mostly just acting out of anger now.

"Do you seriously think it's fair that he got taken instead of someone like me, when I'm always the one that's hurting people? Are you seriously saying that it's okay he threw away his life for an asshole like me!"

Only now did she snap out of her daze and find the strength to reply to him. "N-No, I didn't say that at all!" She exclaimed. She looked like she had no idea what he was talking about. "What I said had nothing to do with you or him. I was talking about you forcing us to stay here when almost all of us want to go home!" She shouted, matching his energy. "And he didn't risk his life for you, he risked his life for Todoroki, too. Because you're his friends!"

Katsuki ignored that last part. "Nothing about this is fair. Nothing! So why are all of you so fucking focused on yourselves? Don't you care about anything other than your own goddamn lives? Does nothing else matter?"

"Where is this coming from, Bakugou? What are you saying?" Todoroki asked. His voice rang with concern. Katsuki could tell he was trying to stay calm, but it looked like he was getting angry, too.

"You're delusional, you know," Uraraka stated. She was staring at him strangely. "It's no wonder why Aizawa didn't want to let you leave the school. Because you're not in control of yourself."

Katsuki bit his tongue. He stopped struggling. For a solid few seconds he just stood there, panting, eyes fixed on Uraraka's stupid round face. Carmine hot anger boiled in his chest. Oh, he was still angry, even if he was starting to control himself now. But that urge to fight was already beginning to fade. Usually, he would’ve had more to say than that. But it was like he’d lost his fighting spirit.

Those things she said were inexcusable, especially coming from her. She hadn't the faintest clue of what she was saying. A reaction like this was completely rational given the circumstances. At least, that's what he'd managed to convince himself. 

As he was glaring at her and catching his breath, trying to decide whether to keep yelling or not, a sudden flash of light behind her caught half of his attention. Just past her on the left, behind the truck and hidden in the bushes, a split-second flash of light drew his eyes to it. Coming from in the bush. He was about to pass it off as his imagination when he moved his head slightly down and caught the reflection again. Now, his attention was averted from Uraraka and focused completely on the bush.

"What's that," he said, keeping his eyes locked on it as if it would try to run away. Uraraka stared at him, a look of further confusion washing across her face as she heard his new tone of voice. The anger had drained, replaced only with interest. She hesitantly turned her head to follow his gaze into the bushes, unsure if this was some kind of trick.

"What is it?" She asked quietly. She looked back at him, but he was still staring at the object, moving his head slightly up and down to make sure he wasn't just imagining it. But no. It was an actual reflection of the dying evening light. There was something shiny in that bush. Katsuki's mind was so busy running with all the things it could be that he'd almost forgotten to be mad.

"Let go of me," Katsuki demanded, shrugging Kirishima and Todoroki off. They hesitantly let go, probably thinking he was faking it to just get out of their grasp. But Katsuki had no interest in Uraraka or Denki anymore. He moved past her and rounded the truck to squat beside the bush before reaching timidly under the branches and feeling around the dirt. The ultimate feeling of satisfaction graced his fingertips as ran them along something cold and smooth.

He wrapped his fingers around the object. It was small and flat, and when he slowly pulled it out from under the leaves and revealed its nature, he realized it was a phone. A fucking phone.

Is this real?  He thought, dizzy with astonishment. Was this one of the villain's phones? 

The screen was cracked and when he tried to power it on, nothing happened—but still his heart was racing with accomplishment. He just sat there, crouched, staring at the thing in his hands. He didn't recognize it as any of his classmates' phones couldn't think of a reason why a random piece of technology would be hidden under a bush... if not planted there for another one of the villains to find. "Holy shit," he uttered under his breath. "No fucking way."

"What's going on? Are you gonna puke?" Denki asked from behind. So far, none of his classmates had made a move to approach him—and he liked it that way. He just stared at his reflection in the black screen, enjoying the surge of fulfillment while it lasted. After four long hours of searching, this was the result. After four long, grueling hours of crawling on his hands and knees around this place, it all finally paid off. Sneaking out of school. Stealing a car. Directly disobeying not only Aizawa but All Might, too. Finally, he'd been rewarded. And that was exactly what he classified this phone as. A reward.

"Seriously, Bakugou. You're creeping us out," Mina added flatly. "If you’re done throwing your tantrum, I think we should leave now. We don’t want Mr. Aizawa's to—"

"You guys just don't get it, do you?" Katsuki cut her off, speaking in a slower tone of voice. There was a moment of silence until Katsuki stood up, feeling every pair of eyes boring into the back of his head as he did so. He remained facing away from them as the corners of his mouth slowly stretched up into a grin. More silence. He felt the heaviness of laughter start to pile up in the back of his throat, and eventually spill out past his lips and over his tongue. A low chuckle resounded in his chest. He held the phone delicately in his hands, being sure not to move too much for fear he might drop it. 

"You really don't get it," he repeated through the chuckle. It wasn't that he was necessarily happy—in fact, he wasn't entirely sure why his body suddenly decided it wanted to make him laugh. But he didn't try to fight it, either. I can’t fucking believe this, he thought as he stared down at the precious object. "We can go back now," he said a little louder, wanting to make sure all of them could hear. He was still facing away from them.

"Now he's really creeping me out," Katsuki heard Denki whisper, and Mina gave a little grunt of agreement. But when Katsuki turned around and held out what he'd just uncovered, their eyes began to widen. Some came to realize what he was holding quicker than others, but after a few seconds they'd all managed to figure it out. Silence ensued. Katsuki still had the remnants of a smile on his face. More than anyone, he knew he looked idiotic. He probably even looked a little crazy. But this achievement was something worth looking a little crazy over.

"Is that..." Jiro broke the silence, stepping forward. She was staring dumbfounded at the phone. "...what I think it is?"

"A villain's phone," Katsuki affirmed. He watched as half his classmates' jaws dropped to the floor at his words. He could almost hear the alarms rolling in their heads, the gears turning in their skulls. They didn’t believe him. They just couldn’t. Not for a few seconds, anyway.

"A villain's phone?" Kirishima finally repeated, just to be clear.

"A villain's phone," Katsuki confirmed again, solidifying reality. 

Everyone just stared at him dumbly, looking like he'd just hit them with some kind of stupifying Quirk that drained all the brain cells from their body. All except for Jiro. She walked forward and pulled a ziplock baggie out of her back pocket before handing it to him, a wide-eyed, excited expression beaming through her face. The kind of expression you don't get to see on her often. "Put it in the bag," she told him. "And quickly. We don't want to contaminate the evidence any more than we already have."

Katsuki decided to be compliant as he pulled apart the ziplock baggie to drop the phone inside, next squeezing to make it airtight. At this point, the rest of their classmates surrounded him to get a closer look for themselves, wide-eyed and gaping, acting as if he was holding a brilliant shiny diamond instead of a broken, crusty phone. It was like they couldn't believe that Katsuki was actually right about something. That maybe his outburst earlier hadn’t all been for nothing.

"So we seriously just spent four hours here searching for evidence... when the thing we were looking for was right here all along? Literally three feet away from our car?" Denki asked incredulously. The others looked slightly dismayed as well when he put it that way.

"Guess I shouldn't have assumed you idiots would check the most obvious place. That's way too much to ask for," Katsuki replied pointedly, and Denki just glared at him.

"Does that really belong to one of the villains?" Kirishima asked dubiously, staring intensely at Katsuki's hands as he finished sealing the bag.

As Katsuki slipped the phone into his back pocket, all of their eyes trailed him. "Dunno," he said, turning to the car and making a move for the driver's seat. "But I guess we're about to find out."

Katsuki sat in the waiting room with his classmates all surrounding him, each of them staring at the ground and waiting in silence as the time ticked by. Kirishima was at his left, and Todoroki was to his right. Denki, Jiro, Mina, and Uraraka were sitting in a line of chairs across from them. The room was quiet enough to hear a pin drop. The only thing Katsuki could hear was the slow ticking of the wall clock, and the only thing he was paying attention to was the gray marble patterns etched into the white-tiled floor. In the other room, Aizawa, All Might, Principal Nezu, Endeavor, and a few other teachers were having a meeting.

A meeting on whether to expel them or not.

When Katsuki and the others returned, he'd gone straight to Aizawa, who apparently hadn't even realized they were gone until Katsuki was explaining it all to him. He said something about 'having meetings all day' and 'no time to worry about disobedient kids.' Their teacher looked more tired than ever, and even while Aizawa was scolding them—especially scolding Katsuki—he couldn't help but feel a little, tiny bit disappointed for stressing him out even more. Because no matter how hard their teacher was on them, he was still their teacher. Their protector of years, and the person they had to be able to trust the most. Katsuki didn't like being a burden on his mind. 

But what did he hate even more than that? Being stuck on the sideline when there was something that needed to be done. 

He'd handed the phone to Aizawa and told him about everything that happened, especially making sure to emphasize the fact that they didn't encounter any villains and were totally safe the whole time. Then, Aizawa had called the meeting, and as of right now, twenty minutes had passed since the meeting began. Katsuki wondered what they even had to talk about for so long. He and his classmates broke the rules. They defied direct orders. Put themselves in danger. Pretty much the three rules you should specifically never break.

Katsuki was fully prepared to be expelled. Because even if they did kick him out, that wouldn't stop him from going after the villains. In fact, he'd have more freedom than ever to search for them. He wouldn't be discouraged by expulsion—in fact, he'd be even more motivated. He just hoped Aizawa would give that phone to someone who can hack into it and find out where Deku is. 

Another minute passed of heavy silence. Katsuki could practically taste the dissatisfaction and feel the heaviness of unease tainting the air. His classmates were terrified. Especially Denki, who looked like he was sweating bullets over there. Everyonce in a while, Katsuki could feel eyes glaring into the top of his head, and every time he knew they were Denki's. Yellow-hair was especially pissed. You're the one who asked to tag along, dipshit, Katsuki thought, wishing he had the energy to say it aloud. But he was just too tired to start another argument right now.

Finally, there was a knock at the door, and the silence was chased out of the room. Katsuki stood up as Aizawa entered the room, casting them all a disappointed glare. So he was still mad, huh. "Our meeting is over," Aizawa said, and his voice sounded like it dropped a whole octave over the past two days. Behind came All Might, and then Principal Nezu. The first two had serious faces, while the principal was just smiling like always. Creepy.

"You five look tired," All Might sympathised while Aizawa walked to the front of the room to address them all. "I'm sorry we kept you waiting for so long."

"Don't apologize to them, All Might. They're perfectly fine—I mean, they must be, considering how they felt well enough to sneak out of the school behind our very backs."

So, yeah. He's definitely still mad.

"Yeah, no, we're perfectly fine. So, um... what did you decide?" Denki asked nervously. He was the closest to All Might, so the teacher pat him comfortingly on the shoulder.

"No need to worry, young Kaminari. The school will take care of you no matter what happens," he said kindly. Definitely not ominous at all.

"Why don't you all sit down," Aizawa said, taking back control of the situation. He was standing at the front of the room looking at all of them, arms crossed and foot tapping impatiently on the ground. Katsuki was pretty sure they were all thinking the same thing when he thought, he does not look happy.

Immediately following his words, all of Katsuki's classmates fell to their seats. All but him.

"Sit down, Bakugou," Aizawa said. "It's for your own good."

Katsuki stared at him. Every cell in his brain was screaming at him to stay standing. To defy what Aizawa was saying. Because why should he listen? Why should he sit down? Aizawa was just saying that to order them around, to assert his superiority over them and give himself the stage to talk. In Katsuki's mind, if he sat down, he would immediately be losing any chance at winning against Aizawa in an argument.

But on the other hand, what choice did he have. 

He sat his ass down.

Aizawa's gaze lingered on him for a moment before he moved it to focus on the rest of the students. "Great. Now I don't think I need to ask who planned this little mission of yours, but I will anyway. So who was the instigator?"

Katsuki casually lifted his hand.

"Thought so," Aizawa said. "Now before we begin, I want to ask everyone their reasons for going along. And I also want to know who else knew about this that we should bring in for questioning."

The room was silent for a moment, as nobody was brave enough to speak up. Aizawa's eyes spent an equal amount of time scanning each of them before he said something again. "Nobody wants to speak up? Well, we can go in a line then. Denki, you first," he ordered.

Denki stood up a little higher and gulped. "Well, sensei, I went along because I wanted to help Midoriya. I felt bad for sitting here and doing nothing the whole time, so when I heard Bakugou and Todoroki were planning on going to search for evidence on where he could be, I just had to go along. A-And I also want to add that I'm sorry," he said quickly, even giving a little bow of shame in his seat. Katsuki let escape a scoff. He was mad at Denki, so it was amusing listening to him try to save himself when he knew he fucked up.

Their teacher gave a single nod. "Jiro, you're next," Aizawa moved on, completely disregarding Denki's words and probably sinking all their hopes of not being expelled. There was something personal about the way he moved on from Denki's display of vulnerability so fast. It left a sour taste on Katsuki's tongue. No matter how many times he tried to convince himself that he didn't care about his classmates' feelings, he always proved himself wrong when he got angry on their behalf for something one of their teachers did.

"Oh, uh..." Jiro sighed heavily, not expecting to be called on so fast. But it only took a second or two for her to figure out what she wanted to say. "To be honest with you, Mr. Aizawa, I went along because I was worried. I knew that Bakugou and Todoroki would go no matter what we did, so I figured it would be better for me to go and, you know, keep them out of trouble. I thought it was the best thing to do," she said. Katsuki cast her a glance. She looked sincere. Was that really the reason she ended up risking her spot at this school? She'd gone for their sake?

Aizawa nodded emotionlessly before moving on to Mina. At this point, she already had something planned for what she wanted to say. "I went so I could help those two look for clues." She pointed at Katsuki and Shoto. "But sensei, it was my fault for pressuring them to tell me. Originally they wanted to go alone, but I forced them to tell me what they were up to. It was a joke at first that soon turned into something more serious. In the end, they didn't tell me, so I used Jiro and her Quirk to spy on them from the floor above. I'm the one who got the others into this, so I should be punished the most. Please don't take your anger out on them," she said in a matter-of-fact tone. 

Katsuki blinked at the ground. Those were the most genuine words he'd heard from her all night. She was actually owning up to her mistakes and admitting what she'd done was wrong. Why was she being so reasonable all fo a sudden? He let his gaze drift over to her, and noticed she was looking at him, too. The look in her eyes told him everything he needed to know. I'm sorry.

"That's very touching of you, Ashido, but your classmates all made their own decisions to go and will be taking accountability for them. Is there anyone else you told who we should know about?" Aizawa asked.

Mina took a second before shaking her head. "No. Sero was there at the beginning, but we never told him we were gonna be following Bakugou. He went to his room and we sorta left him."

Aizawa gave a little grunt of acknowledgment before moving on to Uraraka, who was sitting rigid in her seat, perfect posture as she stared at their teacher with round, nervous eyes. "And you?" He asked. 

She pursed her lips and looked at the ground, and Katsuki knew whatever she was about to say was gonna be really fucking annoying. 

"I just... couldn't stand the thought of Izuku being out there, all by himself, probably terrified and confused and waiting for us to rescue him. When Mina told me about their mission to find him, there was no way I could refuse it, even when she told me that you might be mad if we did so. I'm sorry, Mr. Aizawa, but I just had to go. You must understand. Izuku is a big inspiration to me, and, well... I can't imagine going on without him," she said, staring at him imploringly. Katsuki could hardly refrain from rolling his eyes. She think she's the main character or somethin'?

Mr. Aizawa's gaze softened a minuscule amount as he listened to her, but just barely enough to notice. He gave one curt nod before moving on to the next culprit. "Kirishima," he said gruffly. "What's your story."

"My story?" Kirishima repeated. "Mr. Aizawa, the reason I went along is plain and simple. I wanted to help save our classmate. I saw how frustrated Bakugou was getting over the whole thing, and when Mina suggested we go along with him, I couldn't help but agree with her. The quicker we get Midoriya back, the quicker things will go back to normal, right? I just can't stand seeing my friends like this—Todoroki, included. Everyone is pretty messed up because of the whole thing. So I just figured getting Midoriya back should be the top priority," he spoke calmly, without fear. That was one thing Katsuki could secretly respect about Kirishima. He never had a problem with speaking from the heart.

Aizawa's reaction to his statement was the same. He remained silent, gave a single nod, and then moved on to the next person. Only this time was a little different. "Todoroki, go ahead," he said, and Katsuki straightened with surprise. He just completely skipped over him. 

"What about me?" He demanded. "Don't I get to speak?"

"I already know your reasons. I don't need to hear them again," Aizawa replied simply. Katsuki's gaze hardened.

"Seriously? What if I had something to say?" he challenged.

"Don't you dare get up from that seat," Aizawa warned as he put his hands on the chair's arms to stand himself up. But before he could, Todoroki put a hand on his shoulder and forced him to stay in place.

"Bakugou," he said quietly. "Don't push it."

Katsuki clenched his jaw with a lack of conviction. If he was being honest with himself, he had no idea why he was looking for confrontation with their teacher right now—especially now, at a time when he was deciding whether to expel them or not. If he was being honest with himself, starting an argument right now was a pretty fucking stupid idea. Half of his brain knew that, while the other half was too busy ordering his mouth to talk back before it could even stop to think. He grimaced. He hated this constant struggle within himself. 

His mind really was impossible to figure out.

He ended up sitting back down, giving Todoroki the chance to explain himself in a last-ditch effort to rectify them. But again, Aizawa looked unfazed as all hell when he finished. Like nothing he could've said would've surprised him. As Aizawa and All Might stood up there, whispering to each other so Katsuki and his classmates couldn't hear, the blond prepared himself for the worst. He prepared himself to be expelled. Because even after all that talking, all that pleading and explaining about their morals and beliefs, it didn't change the fact that Katsuki and the others had broken the rules. And at U.A., breaking the rules always led to harsh consequences.

"It was nice knowing you guys," Kirishima whispered in the little circle they'd formed while waiting for Aizawa and All Might to finish their conversation. 

"Don't be so dramatic," Mina swatted at him. "They're not gonna expel us."

"Hell yes they will," Katsuki said darkly. "They have every reason to."

Everyone looked at him. "Okay, Mr. Pessimist over there," Mina grumbled. "And what makes you say that?"

"We broke the rules. Think about all the other times we've broken the rules. When I got kidnapped two years ago, Kirishima and a few others left the school to rescue me, and when they got back, Aizawa damn near expelled them. But now, we're Seniors. We have a lot of accountability. We're not getting out of this."

"Now you're making me nervous," Denki uttered worriedly, and Katsuki sat back in his seat, containing a sharp laugh. You've been nervous this whole time. 

"Then you shouldn't have come along. I told you at the beginning that there was a chance we could get expelled, so you should've fucking listened to me then."

"Yeah, well, I wasn't really thinking then! Ugh, I just make the worst decisions sometimes..."

"But he also needs us. He needs us for searching, and for fighting, too. If he's smart at all, he'll wait to expel us until after Midoriya is back. A little bit of passion goes a long way," Mina argued. "And it's not like we didn't have good reasons to go. If anything, he'll expel you, Bakugou, but not us," she continued.

"Wow, thanks," Katsuki growled. 

"And me, too," Todoroki added. "I'm the one who went to Aizawa and convinced him to tell me where the location was. He's probably equally angry at me as with Bakugou."

"Okay, maybe you, too, Todoroki," Mina agreed with a sarcastic eyeroll, "but I don't see why it's a competition."

"It's not," Todoroki replied dumbly.

"Okay—both of you shut up," Katsuki interrupted. "The conversation is over. Aizawa's looking at us."

Everyone went back to their seats and looked back at their teacher, who was staring at the lot of them, a cold expression in his eyes. All Might looked emotionless as well as he sat down in a nearby chair. "So," Aizawa said, and the room went silent. "All Might and I have made a decision."

Everyone held their breath, including Katsuki. He felt his heart speed up out of anticipation. This was it. The consequences of their actions. Whatever happens, Katsuki knew that he was the cause of it. He was the one who started this in the first place, first convincing Todoroki, which then led to catching the attention of Mina, and then the rest of the group. Whatever Aizawa was about to say was brought on because of him.

Part of him felt bad. But the other part of him didn't give a fuck. Because it would all fine—if only there's some information on that damn phone.

Aizawa held their gazes for a solid few seconds, like he knew the weight of the words he was about to speak would be detrimental to their future. The silence killed Katsuki. Seconds felt like minutes as Aizawa seemed to hinder on the edge of a breath, like he was trying to make them nervous and draw this out longer. Maybe Katsuki's mind was just overexaggerating, but he was speaking way slower than usual.

"As the result of our meeting, and after hearing all of your reasons for sneaking out, I'm reluctant to say that we will not be expelling you from U.A. High School."

A chorus of simultaneous exhales filled the room. Katsuki felt a spark of surprised delight within himself, though he refused to let it show on his face, even as he watched his classmates celebrate. They were all smiling and looking around at each other, faces dripping with relief. 

"Ohmygod, we are so lucky," he heard Denki breathe to Jiro.

"See? I told ya," Mina whispered to Katsuki with a wink.

"Wow, what a manly day," Kirishima uttered, elbowing Katsuki lightly in the arm. Meanwhile, the latter was just trying to figure out what the hell Aizawa's plan was. Because there was just no way the seven of them were getting out of this with no repercussions. So what would be their punishment? Maybe no missions for a month—or maybe a two-week suspension—or worse, maybe they would get their hero licenses taken away so they can't fight villains anymore. There were so many terrible things Aizawa could say next that he didn't even bother celebrating.

"Settle down now," Aizawa spoke, and almost instantly everyone hushed up. "As I was saying, we won't be expelling you—and here's why. I will tell you, there's not some grand cause here. Normally I would expel you just like that—" he snapped his fingers "—for doing something so reckless and illicit. Normally, you'd be out that door by now. But before I could make the decision myself, All Might talked me out of it." He motioned to the frail-looking man and Katsuki's eyebrows pinched together with wonder for where this was going.

"He convinced me to call a meeting, and then when us teachers got together, we made a decision. Now this is a special case—because for the first time in U.A. history, the teachers decided to bend the rules a little. The others and I believe that you are not only old enough to start making your own decisions, but old enough to start owning up to them, too. We agreed in the meeting room that I would come in here and ask you your reasons for leaving to save Midoriya. If they were reasonable, we would reconsider an expulsion—but if they were irrational, I was to send you all home and tell you to try again next year."

Katsuki reeled a bit. If that was the case, why hadn't Aizawa asked for his reasons? 

"In conclusion, All Might and I believe that you all showed heroicism today. You went against the rules, and even defied direct orders." He looked pointedly at Katsuki. "But through that, us teachers can see your reasoning. We see how much you care about your classmate, and we understand that. You took proper precautions and stayed out of trouble. You came to me right away once you found the evidence. If you'd engaged in villains without my knowing, that would've been a different story—but you remained diligent."

He paused for a moment. "Now, don't think this is me saying that I'm not still angry with you. Of course I am. I'm angry, and I'm disappointed, and I hope you know that if you ever do something like this again, the consequences will be great," he continued. Everyone looked at the ground. "However." He took a deep breath. "That doesn't change the fact that you found a solid piece of evidence before the heroes could even get the chance to look. You... were one step ahead of us. And though you might've gone against the rules, you've still done more than most to help track down these villains." Part of Aizawa looked pained to say it.

"And..." Aizawa trailed off a little, an uncommon thing for their teacher to do. "And for that, I am grateful. There's nothing more important than getting Midoriya back right now."

Katsuki's eyes widened slightly before he had the chance to blink it off. He stared at their teacher, suddenly coming to understand the meaning of this. Aizawa... he was glad that Katsuki and the others had gone out to find evidence. No matter how hard he tried to hide it, or how many words he used to cover it up, Aizawa was glad they found the phone. He was glad they left before the heroes did, effectively cutting their search time in half. It was likely that Aizawa was one of the few people fighting for the heroes to depart sooner, and it was more than likely that he and Aizawa had the same goals through this. 

Katsuki and Aizawa thought more alike than he was aware of, and that was probably the reason why the latter wasn't expelling him right now. Because god knows Katsuki was the instigator of this whole thing, and not only that but he was the one told specifically by Aizawa himself not to leave the school and look for the villains. 

He hadn't been sure back then, but he knew it now. Aizawa was on his side. They had a common goal: to get Deku back. The only question remaining was, how far were either of them willing to go to make that happen?

Aizawa finished explaining everything, including their punishment—which wasn't even really a punishment, per se, but more like a... debilitation. For the next two days, the seven of them were to be under constant supervision and not allowed to go anywhere without Mr. Aizawa's permission. But when Katsuki asked if they'd still be allowed to go on missions, he got hit with a "that depends on my mood," so he was just assuming that was a yes.

Before he knew it, Katsuki was alone with the teacher again, walking down the hallway to the tech room with All Might and Todoroki twenty feet behind, having a conversation of their own. The rest of their classmates were sent back to their rooms to sleep, but after a few minutes of persistent and stubborn arguing, Todoroki and Katsuki were allowed to tag along. "You can keep an eye on me this way," Katsuki offered, and that was the deal breaker that got Aizawa to finally give in.

"So would you consider me mentally and physically well enough to go on a mission yet?" Katsuki asked smugly as they walked. Aizawa gave him a stern look.

"I don't know about that," he said. "And by the way, Bakugou, just because I let you off the hook this time doesn't mean you're free to do whatever you want. I'm still angry with you. I gave you direct orders, and you completely disregarded them. That is unacceptable and you know it, especially for a U.A. student."

"I know," Katsuki replied dryly, barely suppressing an eye roll. "But the conditions you set were pretty ridiculous, too. I mean, mentally and physically well enough?  The hell does that even mean?"

"I meant what I said. I didn't think you were in the right mindset to leave the school, and I might've been wrong—but I don't know what's going on in your head. So I need you to tell me if you're fit for this." He looked over at Katsuki. "Are you?"

Katsuki cast him a glance before looking ahead again. "Of course I am," he said. "I don't get why you think I'm so heavily affected. I'm just as shocked and angry and determined as anyone else, so why aren't you asking all of them the same questions? Why am I the only one you're worried about?" 

Aizawa let out a low hum. "If you seriously believe that, you're denser than I thought."

"The hell is that supposed to mean?"

"It means you must have no idea how affected you actually are. I mean seriously, how many people are eager as you and I to get Midoriya back? Not many. And yet, you still refuse to see the truth that's right in front of you."

Katsuki's mind blanked. "What?"

Aizawa waved him off, clearly done with this conversation. "Never mind it—that's for another time. We're here," he dismissed before scanning his authorization card and pushing through a windowless white door, giving Katsuki enough time to squeeze through with him before it swung shut again. Ten seconds later, All Might and Todoroki joined them.

The door led to a large series of dimly-lit rooms, each filled with countless forms of technology—monitors, TV screens on the walls, projectors, maps drawn on whiteboards, stacks upon stacks of printed paper, and hundreds of other small things that would take Katsuki hours to even notice. People were bustling around, speaking into headsets or to each other, comparing diagrams, plotting lines on maps, clicking through documents on computers or carrying random shit to people in other rooms. Everyone had a purpose. Everything looked like it was being used. Katsuki just sort of looked around for a few moments, taking it all in, before Aizawa started walking away and he followed closely behind as to not get lost.

"So this is U.A.'s communication center?" Katsuki asked. Despite the commotion all around, the place was relatively quiet, so he tried to keep his voice down. He didn't want to disturb some of this stuff that looked important.

"Yes. All our training sessions and missions need to go through here before we're allowed to teach them. U.A. has a very specific way of being run," Aizawa explained over his shoulder.

"Eraserhead, good to see you," a random guy wearing a suit walked up to them and greeted, handing Aizawa a cup of coffee like he knew he was coming all along. "All Might, the same goes to you. Is there something I can do for you?" He asked. Shoto came to stand beside Katsuki. The man paid no mind to the fact that Aizawa had brought two students in here, and for that, Katsuki was grateful. 

Looking around again, he felt so small compared to what was happening in here. To give himself some credit, he was a comparatively smart guy—he'd never once failed a test, and was always able to pass school with flying colors—but if he was being honest with himself, he had absolutely no idea what most of these people were running. On one particular computer, he saw a bunch of ones and zeroes in bright green letters pan across the screen in an endless loop, and the girl watching it was jotting down notes like she could actually translate that into words. That was the kind of shit he saw in movies. 

This was a completely different setting than he'd ever been in, and he felt small in the wake of it. Todoroki was looking around, too, and Katsuki wondered if he was feeling the same way—or if he even cared at all. Sometimes he just looked indifferent to everything.

"This place is insane," Katsuki muttered.

"Lots of computers," Shoto agreed. 

"See that computer over there, with the ones and zeroes? I didn't know people actually did that," Katsuki said, pointing at the monitor he'd taken note of earlier.

Todoroki followed his point and gave a grunt of acknowledgment as he noticed it, too. "I thought they only did that in movies," he murmured.

"That's what I thought, too."

"Come on, you two, we're moving on," Aizawa broke into their little conversation, effectively pulling them back to reality. They followed him two rooms deeper into this place until they got to a door with the label, De-Coding. Aizawa used that pass again to get in. Immediately when the door closed behind them, Katsuki realized the atmosphere of this place was completely different than the others. All the lights were on, and there were hardly any voices to be heard. It was almost completely silent. 

There were only a few people in this room, which was strange in comparison to all the places before, which had people milling about everywhere you looked. There weren't any maps on the walls or TVs hanging from the ceiling. However, there were about twice as many computers and machines vibrating with use. This place was alive with machinery more than anything else. 

Despite Katsuki and Shoto's unfamiliarity with the place, Aizawa walked indifferently away. He'd definitely been here a million times to be that unfazed by the new environment. "Majime," he said, disturbing the quiet, peaceful air. Nobody stirred or even looked at him except one girl. She had thick glasses and a slick-back ponytail. Just looking at her, Katsuki could already tell she was smart. She was relatively young in comparison to all the other people in the room, who were definitely upper-middle-aged.

"Sir," she replied, looking at Aizawa. She, too, paid no mind to the new guests standing at the door. Thankfully, All Might had decided to hang back with Katsuki and Shoto, so he didn't feel so weird just standing here. He noticed a couch and an armchair across the room but was hesitant to move from where he stood. 

"How's it coming?" Aizawa asked, walking to her desk and looking at the monitor. "Any updates?"

"Nope, we're still on track to have it done in roughly four hours, thirty-two minutes, fifteen seconds. That's if my processor doesn't seek out an anomaly, which would actually allow me to cut our time in half. But that rarely ever happens," Majime explained, glancing at a monitor that's only purpose was to show the exact time in hours, minutes, and seconds. "Fifteen-digit codes are always tough to crack, but we'll get there. I'll let you know the proceedings."

"Thank you," Aizawa said before turning back to look at Katsuki and Todoroki. "There's a couch over here you can wait on," he said. He only had to speak in a normal tone because of how quiet it was, despite them being an entire room away. Katsuki walked over and peeked over Aizawa's shoulder to see the girl's computer screens. On about five screens, it was all the same thing—black numbers flying across a white background so fast he couldn't even read them. On a separate monitor, the same amount of red 'X' marks were popping up consistently, flying up the screen so quickly he could barely recognize what they were at first. 

"What are all those exes for?" Katsuki asked lowly, aiming his question at Aizawa. But the girl—Majime was her name—ended up looking back at him in response.

"Those are all the failed attempts at cracking the passcode," she explained, pushing up her glasses.

Katsuki studied the screen for another moment. "Passcode for what?" He asked, feeling Todoroki walk over and stand beside him.

"That." The girl pointed at a phone sitting on the desk, hooked up to about ten red and blue wires, which then connected to the back of the computers. But that wasn't just any phone—it was the phone. The same one Katsuki had found. The villain's phone.

"Oh," he replied dumbly. "I didn't know you already sent that here, Aizawa."

"I did as soon as you gave it to me," the teacher huffed before leaving to collapse on the armchair in the corner. But Katsuki stayed put for another minute, intrigued. 

"So the password is fifteen digits? Is that it?" He asked. She glanced over her shoulder at him, giving something between a snort and a chuckle. 

"What do you mean, is that it?"  she demanded as if he'd just committed a felony asking a question so stupid. "For a fifteen-digit passcode of only numbers, there are a Quadrillion different inputs—and I'm not being generous. That's not even including the letters of the alphabet, let alone capitals, symbols, or punctuation. You don't even want to know how fast this technology is working," she replied. 

"So you have to go through a Quantillion different codes to get the right one?" Katsuki repeated. "And that will only take a few hours?"

"Correct," Majime nodded. "And if none of those Quantillion are correct, we need to start adding in letters, symbols, and punctuation. These are some of the fastest-working computers in the world, and with the boost of my Quirk, they're even faster. My calculations are almost always correct," she boasted.

Katsuki stared. They really got the highest-trained professionals out here for this. It made him wonder just what lengths Aizawa was willing to go for his cause—and behind closed doors, too. Katsuki would've never known about this place unless Aizawa showed it to him. Their teacher truly was working harder than anyone else to track down these villains.

"So what's your Quirk, then?" Todoroki asked. He seemed interested, too. It wasn't every day you get to see something as fascinating as this. "I don't know much about technology, but this is a whole new level. U.A. really is amazing."

Majime beamed. "My Quirk is basically just technology enhancement, but since I've been a tech nerd my whole life, I've grown acclimated to it and have therefore been able to power myself up. Your school pays good money for someone like me to come and crack a code such as this. I mean, you gotta pay well for service like mine."

"So are you basically a hacker?" Todoroki asked.

The girl turned and glared at him. "I'm not a hacker. I'm a highly experienced technician. There's a difference."

Katsuki scoffed, taking note of her snappy tone. "Touchy subject?"

Now she was glaring at both of them. "How about you go take a seat, kids. Leave the important stuff to the adults," she muttered before turning back to her screen. Katsuki didn't like her sudden change of mood.

"Hey, lady, who's the one that found that phone in the first place?"

"Just stop," Todoroki stopped him with a light punch to the arm before walking towards the couch. Katsuki scowled, hesitated, and then followed.

"Don't tell me what to do," he growled, keeping his voice down despite his peaking annoyance. He didn't like disturbing the peace of the quiet room, but he couldn't let the bastard's words go unjustified. "I didn't ask for your damn opinion, Icyhot."

"Yeah, well, I feel like starting an argument with the woman who's solving our problems is just a little bit counterintuitive," Todoroki shot back in the same tone. They both seated themselves on opposite sides of the couch. There was probably enough room for them both to lie down if they wanted to. It was a big couch.

"Stop arguing, you two," All Might intervened before Katsuki could give his response. He was sitting on an armchair across from them, while Aizawa was in a different chair towards the corner of the room. He was already knocked out. "You should really get some rest. The next few hours will be pretty slow."

Katsuki looked around. All Might was right—this place did look pretty boring. And it's not like he had anything better to do, so... he supposed sleep was probably the best option. He looked at the clock on the lady's monitor. It was 11:15, and he was already exhausted. However, this day's exhaustion was different than others. Tonight, his mind was exhausted contrary to his body. Usually, he would go to his room after a long day of hard training, collapse in his bed, and fall asleep with a clear conscience soon after that. But today, his body wasn't the one that suffered. It was his mind. And his head was a lifetime away from ever being clear again.

He tried a multitude of different positions to fall asleep, but none of them seemed to work until he got up and did some pushups. Nobody paid him any mind—not even Todoroki, who'd fallen asleep twenty minutes ago. He did pushups until his arms gave out, and then after that, he laid back down on the couch and convinced himself that everything was fine. He told himself he was back at the dorm, laying in his bed, exhausted after a long day of hard training. He convinced himself that nothing was wrong, and that he wouldn't miss anything by getting some shut-eye. And he reminded his brain to keep those goddamn invasive thoughts locked in a tight box down in his subconscious, right where he couldn't find them.

Only then did he manage to put himself to sleep.

It felt like only ten minutes passed before Katsuki was roused with a shake to the shoulder. "Wake up," he heard a voice say as his eyes and ears kicked back into action, and quickly he realized it was Todoroki who'd waken him. 

"What, Icyhot," Katsuki grumbled, immediately propping himself up enough to glance at the monitor across the room. Four hours had passed. "Fuck. Did I miss something?" He asked groggily.

"No," Todoroki assured, standing back and giving him room to sit up. He sounded groggy, too—like he'd just woken up. "But the passcode just got hacked, so I figured you'd wanna be awake for this."

Katsuki practically jumped to his feet. "Seriously?" He asked even though he knew Todoroki was telling the truth. Everything about his expression was serious. They both hurried over to where both Aizawa and All Might were huddled around a desk, staring down. That same girl, Majime, was there as well. They were all talking quietly.

"What's going on?" Katsuki asked as he peeked over Aizawa's shoulder to get a look at what they were seeing. There on the table was the phone—and it was, indeed, unlocked. It was also still hooked up to a few wires, and Majime was clicking through windows on one of her monitors, scanning through information Katsuki assumed was coming from the phone. "Anything important?" He asked more loudly since nobody seemed to want to answer his first question.

"Yes, actually, if you must know," Majime snapped, not even looking back from her computer. "We've just found a location pinned on the phone's mapping system. A small, unknown island, about thirty-five hundred miles off the East coast. We think this is where the villains are heading now," she said darkly. "And now we're just scanning the rest of the phone for more information—but I don't think there will be anything else. I think this phone was planted at the dock for a different group of villains to find, possibly to give them the location of the island.

"If you ask me, we should bring this phone back as quickly as possible and put it in the exact place you found it. If there really is a second group, we could apprehend them—or better yet, follow them to this island and take down their whole operation." Majime's voice was full of confidence, and Katsuki knew she was speaking mostly to Aizawa. For a few seconds, they all waited in silence for what the teacher had to say.

"I agree," Aizawa finally said, not looking up from where he was staring at the computer screen. "I already recorded the location of the island, so I'm not needed here anymore. Majime, please send me any additional information you might tap into." And with that, he turned to leave.

"Yes, sir," Majime replied. Katsuki, Shoto, and then All Might followed Aizawa out of the room and back into the chaos outside. In the blink of an eye, their time there was already up. All while shuffling through tight spaces and dodging people walking past, Aizawa was typing on his phone, hardly looking up to see and try to navigate. It made Katsuki wonder just how many times their teacher came in here. 

"So what's the plan now?" Katsuki asked, avoiding a woman walking by carrying a fat stack of paper. He didn't like always being the one asking questions, but he needed to know what was in store for the future. Would he schedule a mission? Start forming a rescue group, or a search party, or both? If so, Katsuki had to be first in line. There was no way he wasn't gonna be a part of that.

"What comes next..." Aizawa said, not even looking over his shoulder when he spoke, "...is I call a bunch of heroes to a meeting and decide what to do next."

Katsuki rolled his eyes. That wasn't really the answer he was hoping for. "Do you really need a bunch of extras telling you what to do? You should start forming a search party for their boat. And once you locate them, make a rescue group. I'll be a part of that," he said boldly. Cloudy relief was starting to make him dizzy as he followed Aizawa through the darkened, bustling rooms. Yes, he was relieved that Majime had been able to hack into that phone, and yes, he was relieved that she was able to find something useful on it. He was relieved that their expedition hadn't been for nothing. And finally, he was relieved that the heroes had a chance at finding Deku again.

Thoughts came resurfacing about how he had so many things to tell the nerd, so many actions he had to address and demons he had to confront. He wasn't sure why, but the thought of being able to see him again was putting that relieved feeling in his head, too. 

"I'm not going to argue with you on this, Bakugou," Aizawa said coldly. "I'll call for a meeting, and whatever we decide, you'll just have to deal with it. Are we clear?"

Katsuki begrudgingly shut his mouth. And that was the end of it.

Just as Aizawa promised, he issued a meeting for any available heroes willing to work on the case. Hawks, Best Jeanist, and Endeavour all showed up. Todoroki had made a private call to his father concerning the meeting, and after about ten minutes of rather impolite conversation, the Number One hero was persuaded into joining the cause. Whatever Shoto said must've been pretty convincing.

Katsuki and Todoroki waited outside the room. They were quite literally sitting against the wall, staring silently at the ground, with nothing to do except twiddle their thumbs and try not to get too lost in their heads. Katsuki was unable to fend off the increasingly disturbing ideas of what the villains could be doing to Deku right now. Stealing his Quirk? Screwing up his mind? Maybe they were tormenting him for information, or reversing his memories to make him hate the people he cares about. Or worse—maybe they were turning him into some kind of giant spider-snake monster, and using him as a guard for all their illegal supplies.

Maybe they were putting poison in his head. Or maybe they were killing him.

He didn't know how long he was left there to think, but before he knew it, the metal door made a clicking noise and swung open, revealing Endeavor as he stepped into the hallway. After him came Aizawa, then Hawks, Jeanist, and the principal. Katsuki shook the vile thoughts from his head and jumped to follow with Shoto at his side. The heroes were making their way to the lobby, not paying the students any mind until they spoke up.

"Endeavor," Katsuki said, squeezing himself between him and Aizawa. Each of the adults had a grim look on their face, and that made the blond nervous about what they had to say. "What did you decide?"

He didn't answer.

"Hey," Katsuki prodded, "what did you decide?"  He'd waited too damn long to not get to the end of this. "Aizawa, tell me. What the fuck is it?"

Shoto aided him with, "Dad, tell us."

"Don't curse at me, boy," Endeavor spoke coldly. Katsuki clenched his jaw.

"I didn't," he replied evenly. "I just want to know what you talked about."

Endeavor sighed heavily as they finally reached the common area of U.A., which naturally was empty, considering how late it was. At this point, Katsuki didn't even want to know the time.

"Fine," Endeavor said, "you want to know what we talked about? Fine." He sounded exhausted. "We know the villain's destination now, so we're sending scouts to find the boat. However, we aren't attacking yet, even if we locate them. We need to find out how powerful they are before a full-fledged attack, because we'll only get one opportunity and it is imperative to know their strengths and weaknesses."

"What?"  Todoroki exclaimed before Katsuki could get the chance. "So you're not going to form an attack group?"

"You've gotta be kidding," Katsuki added, trying to keep himself composed. His hands were clenched into fists so tight he was sure his fingernails would leave marks, and he was biting his tongue to the point he could taste metallic blood. Endeavor just had to be pulling his leg. "It's already been four fucking days since Deku got kidnapped—and you're still gonna wait? I went and found this phone so that we didn't have to postpone an attack any longer, and yet you still find a way to fucking put it off. This is unbelievable!" He couldn't help but let a few curse words slip through his speech. Force of habit.

Endeavor didn't spare him a second glance. "We decided what's best for getting the boy back as quickly and painlessly as possible. If we can avoid losing heroes, I'd like to give it a shot."

"Painlessly," Katsuki repeated. Images flashed in his head of what he'd been thinking about only moments before this—the horrible things they might be doing to Deku, disgusting experiments they may be running on him or nightmarish tests they could be using to fuck with his brain. "There's nothing painless about this. Nothing at all," Katsuki said. He felt like his brain was spinning. Anger and frustration tensed every muscle in his body. "You fucking hypocrite!"

"Excuse me?" Endeavor turned to look at him, one eyebrow arched. His voice was dark and condescending, screaming don't mess with me... to anyone that wasn't Katsuki. The latter noticed steam rolling off his shoulders as he started to get angry. Endeavor was taller than him. Twice the muscle, and twice the experience. If they ended up fighting, Katsuki thought, the No. 1 hero would almost definitely come out victorious.

And that's why he didn't plan on fighting.

Physically. 

"You heroes have the power to arrest the villains without a well-thought-out plan. I've fought these guys. They're strong, but they're not strong enough to beat us if enough heroes decide to join. We don't need to wait an extra two days to scout them out—I say we form an attack now, and get Deku back before they can do any more shit to him than they already have!" Katsuki glared the man down, a flame in his eyes that would not be put out unless he heard what he wanted to hear. 

But Endeavor wasn't having it. "I'm not arguing with you about this," he said gruffly. And then he turned to leave.

Alarm flared in Katsuki's head and he jumped forward. He'd been expecting a conversation, or even just some leeway so he could actually put his opinion in place. "Wait. Hold on, we can talk about this." He knew that with Endeavor involved now, he was probably head of the operation—if not, a key voice in whatever the heroes decided going forward. If he could change this guy's mind, the whole thing might be reconsidered. But not if Endeavor kept on walking away from him like this.

"I've already made up my mind, child, and I'm not about to change it. Now I'm going back to work. It'd be wise for you not to follow me out this door," Endeavor said over his shoulder as he reached the glass door to exit the building. Katsuki scoured his brain for something to say, anything to say that would stop him from going—but before he could even draw a blank, the No. 1 hero was gone. 

Every chance at changing his mind was gone.

Katsuki felt like punching something. He whipped around to look at Aizawa, who was watching with a dejected expression. Clearly, the meeting hadn't gone how he wanted it, either. The blond stomped over to him, figuring Endeavor was a lost cause. His brain was smoldering with anger, so much so that he could feel smoke rolling off his palms. He hadn't been this angry since yesterday.

"Do something," Katsuki demanded, whipping to look at Todoroki, who looked angry, but not as angry as him. "Why is nobody doing anything? Am I the only one who's actually trying to get him back?" 

"Calm yourself," Aizawa replied. "I can't talk to you when you're throwing a fit."

That really threw Katsuki into a tiny loop. Because on one hand he wanted to blast the shit of Mr. Aizawa for saying that, and on the other hand he wanted to calm down and try to sort something out. So he pretty much just ended up back in the same place he started. This was getting nowhere. 

He looked at Todoroki. "Why the hell aren't you saying anything?" He challenged, walking forward and getting right in the half-n-half bastard's face. "He's your dad. Can't you, I don't know, say something to him?" Todoroki took a step back with a briny expression, clearly annoyed by Katsuki suddenly turning on him.

"There's nothing we can say to change their mind. Don't you see that?" Shoto asked in response. Then, something seemed to change in him. He pushed, actually pushed Katsuki off, using both hands to shove him away. The anger on his face was permanent. "I'm angry, too, but you can't go around yelling at everyone for it! Get a hold of yourself, or nobody's gonna be on your side anymore!"

So Todoroki, the usually-calm one, finally hit his breaking point.

Katsuki stumbled backwards, eyes wide with surprise for a moment before he scrubbed it away with anger. He glared at Todoroki, then at Aizawa. "What's wrong with you two? What the fuck are you saying?" They both looked at about their wits end with him.

And suddenly, he didn't feel so welcome here anymore. Suddenly everyone in the room was against him.

Suddenly he was the bad guy in their eyes.

It's not like he wasn't used to being the bad guy, it's just that right now it felt... different. The two people that had his back all up until this point were looking at him as if he was the problem. As if he was the one getting in their way. He felt alienated as he just stood there, staring from Aizawa to Todoroki and then back again, waiting for one of them to say something. And when neither of them did, he understood what he'd done. 

He was driving these people away. The two people he relied on the most through this, no matter how hard he denied it. Todoroki was the one he'd allied himself with, and Aizawa was the only teacher who semi-understood what was going on in his head. They were getting tired of his outbursts. No, more accurately, they were getting tired. This whole thing was draining them, especially Mr. Aizawa, who still looked like he could collapse at any minute. They were tired of running around trying to keep up with him, trying to hold him back from getting them all in trouble, and trying to do everything himself. They were exhausted.

If these people got fed up with him, he'd have nothing left.

He realized all this within the span of a few seconds, and once he came to terms with it, the anger faded from his eyes and was replaced with daze. His brain felt fuzzy with disorganization. Lack of sleep probably had something to do with it. His arms suddenly felt heavy with frustration, while his legs were heavy with loss. After all his fighting, all his plans of going to the dock and finding evidence to speed this process up, he'd still lost. He failed.

This whole thing was for nothing. 

He was the one pushing them away, causing a burden on their minds, and being the bothersome one.

And that was when he turned around and walked away.

He didn't spare a passing insult, he didn't flip them off, and he sure as hell didn't say goodbye as he pushed through the front doors and exited the room. Then, he pushed through another set of doors and exited the building, immersing himself in the quiet outside air.

It was a beautiful night. The half-moon was shining bright enough to give some light to his surroundings, while the stars flickered brilliantly from millions of miles above, giving life to the sky and reminding Katsuki of just how tiny and insignificant he and his problems were to the rest of the world. He was just a kid, and the world would move along just fine if he was never in it. This whole Earth was filled with people going through things more difficult than this. So he should really toughen up and move along.

But... he just couldn't.

Katsuki walked along the sidewalks of U.A., passing under sweet-smelling cherry blossom trees and enjoying a soft breeze blowing against his skin. He thought it was supposed to rain tonight, but was glad that it wasn't. Pale moonlight fluttered through the branches above, catching his eye once in a while. Whenever he looked up, catching glimpse of the glittering starry sky through the florid elegance of the shimmering leaves, it was ethereal.

He could hear the occasional car honk in the distance and the lights from the city weren't exactly natural, but out here, when he was with nature, he couldn't help but find peace. It was beautiful. 

Katsuki didn't find many things beautiful.

He walked until he reached the gates, but even when he got there, it's not like a metal bar would ever stop him. He hopped the fence with ease and relieved himself with the thought of finally being off campus, without having to worry about Aizawa tracking him down and dragging him home by the ear every second. He continued walking, hands in his pockets, just looking around at everything as he passed. He noticed a stray cat lounging in a tree, but didn't pay it a second glance as it watched him pass.

One time, Deku had found a cat while out on patrol—and being the nerd he was, brought it home to insist that Aizawa let him keep it. Of course, their teacher couldn't just let him keep a cat in the dorms, so he was forced to bring it home instead. Auntie Inko was happy to take it in. Of course, all of this was just speculation in Katsuki's mind. It could be a lie, but he wouldn't know. He heard the story from Kirishima while on a mission with him one day. Apparently it was a big fuss for a day or two, but Katsuki had no idea because he always spent his free time in the training room. 

He grit his teeth, glancing back in the direction of the cat after recalling the story. He caught sight of it again and stared at it for a solid few seconds. It was unbothered, lying sprawled on the tree branch, tail swaying lazily below as if it didn't have a care in the world. 

Katsuki spent those seconds trying to figure out why it was reminding him of Deku.

He kept walking, trying to push down that unsettling feeling in his gut that something was missing. The feeling he'd been experiencing ever since four nights ago, when Deku had been captured and taken away right from under him. This feeling was agonizing. And it was aggravating, especially as it refused to go away. Why wouldn't it just leave him alone? Why did he have to be so damn affected by that night? He'd never felt something like this before, especially not for this long.

Sure, he'd felt disappointment and sadness and anguish in his heart all before, but never this strongly, and never for this long. Usually it would all fade in a day or two, and then he'd be back to his normal self. But these feelings right now didn't seem like they were getting any better. He was pretty sure they weren't going away anytime soon. And that is what scared the shit out of him. 

He didn't want to feel like this any longer. Why should he feel regretful and bitter and... defeated for the rest of his life? These damn villains had bested him. They bested all of them. And if the heroes didn't get their act together and save Deku in time, he still wouldn't have won, even if they capture the villains. If Deku died, it was the same thing as if the villains got away. It would be a loss. A failure.

And Katsuki was no failure.

He walked for what seemed like hours. He passed unfamiliar buildings, spun himself down strange roads and quiet neighborhoods, kept himself occupied by counting passing cars or lidless garbage cans. He was never startled, even by the sudden bursts of yapping dogs or the shady yells of an argument in the backyard of some house. His mind was off somewhere else. Thoughtless. Calm.

He walked until his feet started to drag and his brain was teetering on the edge of unconsciousness. And when he reached that point, he just laid himself down on a patch of grass, laced his fingers over his chest, and fixed his gaze up at the stars. They were fading now as the sun would soon be making its way over the horizon. He could see the beginnings of a colorful sunrise turn the wispy clouds a pretty pink color. As the sky started to lighten, he took note of the changes in color—from a deep blue, to a lighter cyan, and for a minute it even seemed to shift into a soft green.

Green. That color reminded him of someone. 

And as he stared up at the overhanging street lights, growing dim in the wake of the sky's natural light, those remind him of someone, too.

It was Deku, wasn't it. They reminded him of Deku.

Everything reminded him of Deku.

As he drifted off into sleep, he couldn't be sure, but he thought he heard the faint sound of the nerd's name being whispered aloud. Whether it came from his own lips or was just his imagination, he would never quite know.

Chapter Text

He woke because of the shivering.

The floor was unbelievably cold beneath his bare skin, so cold that he wondered if it was made of ice. He was on his back, though he couldn't remember how it ended up that way. He was also pretty sure his eyes were open, and yet he couldn't see a thing. Was he dead? He tried looking around but still was yet to catch sight of his surroundings. Is this Hell? After all this time, he hadn't imagined it would be so cold.

Regardless of where he was, the instincts in the back of his head were telling him he needed to sit up. Assess his surroundings. To figure out how to get out of here, and to fix the scratchy feeling deep in his throat. He assumed that was dehydration speaking to him. Was that his survival instincts kicking in? Was he alive, after all?

Izuku remembered very fuzzily the feeling of being dragged away from his friends by the villain's dogs, but he could only remember flashes of what happened after that—his own blood pooling out on the ground as his flesh was ripped apart, the gruesome sight of flashing teeth and wicked eyes as the animals tore into him without mercy, and he even remembered the feeling of not being able to move—not even enough to call for help, or even to cry. His body had been paralyzed, forcing his eyes to watch himself die. He'd never felt something as unnerving as that.

Though at the time, he'd been accepting of it, right? He'd accepted death. He could almost make out the dark, jagged outline of the reaper coming to take away his soul—and he'd welcomed it with a sense of fulfillment in his heart.

But now that he was somehow still breathing, he might as well try to keep it that way.

And then suddenly he remembered something else. That figure he mentioned hadn't been the reaper—it'd been a man, a real physical person, towering above him, and then crouching at his side. He remembered being lifted, bleeding and broken, off the crimson ground. And his memories fizzled out after that.

Had the guy saved him? Izuku had no reason to believe the villain would want to rescue him, especially after all he and Katsuki had done. They'd thrown a grenade in his face and killed his dogs. So why would he save Izuku? Why?

He seriously couldn't think of a reason, so he just forced himself to sit up instead. He placed his palms against the cool concrete floor and sat himself up. Immediately as he did, however, confusion washed over him. I must be dead, he thought incredulously, because my body feels fine.

Izuku tenderly ran his hands along his arms and chest, expecting to feel bandages or bite wounds or something that spoke for his memories of being ripped apart by dogs. But the only thing he found aside from smooth, untouched skin was a thin t-shirt and some boxers, which hardly did anything to protect him against the chill in the air. The darkness was overwhelming—he couldn't even see his hand two inches away from his face. Was the room really that dark? Or had he gone blind?

Izuku grit his teeth at the idea, but clenching his jaw only triggered a sharp pain to go off in his head. His hand shot to cup his forehead and made a slapping sound upon impact, while he let out a short grunt of pain. Here he was, sitting on a concrete floor in some random place; probably in the hands of the villain; with absolutely no connection to the outside world, no way of getting out, and possibly the most life-threatening part of all—no water.

Judging by how his body was acting, Izuku hadn't consumed water in at least a day. Just one more day of this and he would die. He had to get out of here fast.

Izuku closed his eyes and reached within himself, hoping to get into contact with One for All and maybe speak with the past users—but to his uneasy surprise, he felt nothing. No matter how hard he tried to break through to them, how many times he called out in his mind or searched for the power within himself so he could break out of there, he just couldn't find anything. There was no sense of power, and no traces of One for All anywhere. He was completely stranded. Drained of power. 

Quirkless again.

This is when panic really started to set in. Izuku tried feeling around the rough concrete walls, searching for a doorknob, or a lever, or something he could use to break out. He ran his fingers over the smoothness of one singular steel door, but again, there was no knob for him to turn to open it. He tried getting up and pushing his weight against it, making sure to not make any noise for fear that the villains might come if he did. But it wouldn't budge no matter how hard he pushed. His body seemed to be in a weakened state, as getting up and down was somewhat demanding.

Another thing to note: as he was standing, he thought he felt the ground swaying underneath his feet. He put his hand on the wall to stabilize himself, thinking he might pass out, before he realized the wall was moving, too. Everything around him was moving ever so slightly. Rocking back and forth. So unless he was imagining it, he was probably on a boat. Good to know. So the villains were transporting him on a boat, but to where? Somewhere far away from his friends and family? Somewhere he'd never find them again? Crap, he thought. That really wasn't good.

He was in a small room, probably six feet on all sides, so 36 square feet in total. Just enough room to lie down and barely enough to walk in a circle. He felt like an animal. Thrown into a cage and left to rot, without so much as a drop of water or a morsel of food to hold him over. Was this how he would die, after all those years of training to become a hero? Would it all be wasted because a villain left him here for death? Izuku tried to shake his head to clear these invasive thoughts, but part of him feared they may be true. He was unsure, and he was afraid. And those emotions mixed together left a breeding ground for some pretty ugly thoughts in his head.

Completely vulnerable and without a Quirk, Izuku had nothing to do.

So he just sat there. Right there on the floor.

For an hour—or what he thought might be an hour—he just sat there shivering against the wall, staring into the darkness, hands wrapped around his legs to preserve his body warmth against the heat-sucking floor and walls. He just thought about how royally screwed he was. Every time his brain tried to form some sort of plan, he just couldn't come up with the motivation to back it up. He felt helpless. Hopeless. He didn't cry, and he didn't let his guard down—but all he could think to do was wait.

Wait for something to happen.

As he started thinking, he couldn't help but be reminded of his childhood days when he'd been without a Quirk. He spent a lot of time at home with his mom, watching movies, trying to teach her how to play video games, reading books or playing in the backyard. He loved her more than anything, and spent more time with her than anyone in the world. And it was only when Izuku thought about this that he realized... he missed his mom. He hardly ever visited her anymore, especially as schoolwork and social events seemed to just keep piling up and leaving less time for himself. He missed his mom. Izuku hoped she was doing well, but figured she was probably freaking out because he'd been kidnapped by villains and all.

Guilt stabbed his chest, not for getting caught but for worrying her. Every time Izuku got hurt, it seemed like she was gonna have a heart attack. He would probably be the death of that woman. And although over the years she'd mellowed down a lot and realized he wasn't going to die every time he left the building, it was still a struggle to manage her sometimes. There were a few instances he could remember where after a big fight with a villain or a serious injury, his mom would call or visit him and give a stern talking-to about how she wanted him to leave U.A. because it was such a dangerous school.

He always managed to talk her down from it, obviously, but she was still always worried, he knew that much. She was a worrier at heart, and that's why Izuku tried to look out for himself—for her sake. Because he was the only one left in her life, aside from her friends, which she hardly ever hung out with anymore. Izuku was her only child. Her special baby, as she's said countless times before. After his dad left, she was left to practically raise him on her own, putting the weight of parenthood all on her shoulders and probably emotionally scarring her. 

That was probably the cause of her severe trust issues, as well as the attachment issues (especially to Izuku) that she worked so hard to manage after all these years. And that's why Izuku completely respected her when she tried to get him to leave U.A., because he knew the trauma she'd been through and understood her concerns. He always tried to hear her out, even if she was being ridiculous or frightened or angry. Because Inko Midoriya had been through a lot, and what right did he have to disrespect her after surviving that?

So it felt extra bad when he thought about how worried she must be right now. He wished more than anything that he could send some kind of message to her, explaining everything that happened and telling her that everything would be fine. He wished he could tell her not to worry. And that he was sorry for being such a pain all the time.

But he couldn't. 

He was also reminded of a certain someone in his life back then, probably the second most popular person in Izuku's life until about second grade year. Bakugou Katsuki.

Back then, the two of them had been inseparable. He'd enjoyed hanging out with Katsuki almost as much as he enjoyed hanging out with his mom. They would explore the forests together, finding ponds and fox dens and bird nests that they checked weekly to look out for baby chicks. They would travel the ocean beaches, which were probably some of Izuku's fondest memories of the blond, no matter how fuzzy and distant they were.

He'd never forget that excited look Katsuki got on his face whenever one of them stumbled across a big seashell washed up on shore. If he remembered correctly, Katsuki used to collect them—so whenever Izuku found one, no matter how much he liked it, he would end up giving it to Katsuki out of his own will. Katsuki's face would light up, and that would make Izuku happy, too. So unbelievably happy.

The blond hardly ever looked excited anymore.

Izuku thought about that face Katsuki made as he was being dragged away by the dogs. He'd looked nervous. Angry. Terrified, even. Izuku hoped he understood why he had to do it. Izuku had to save his friends. Prioritizing their lives was something he was good at, something he could call honorable, and most importantly, something he could die happy about. If Katsuki and Shoto managed to get out of there alive, that was something Izuku could feel good about, even in death. He just hoped they hadn't been dumb enough to go back for him.

Another hour passed of him sitting there, rocking back and forth, sleepless. There was no reason for him to sleep aside from the fact that he was bored. He stayed on high alert, eyes wide, staring around the darkened room with little conviction as to why he was doing so. There was no sign of villains around him. He couldn't hear a single noise, nor feel even a gust of wind. He wondered how he hadn't suffocated yet if there was no airflow in the room.

He felt so helpless. More helpless than he'd ever felt in his life. And the room was so dark and so silent that it felt like he was in hell already. Was this his torture? Being helplessly locked in a tiny room for the rest of eternity? The thought scared him, but what scared him more was not being able to ever see his family again. He had so many things to tell his mom, All Might, Mr. Aizawa, Shoto, Uraraka, Iida. They'd all done so much for him. Not only that, but the entirety of One for All would die with Izuku. All Might had entrusted him with this Quirk. So how could he be so careless and die such a pitiful death? 

Roughly five minutes after that thought passed his mind, Izuku heard his first noise at the door. His breath hitched and he stood up, facing the door with a racing heart. He knew that whoever was on the other side of that door was a villain, probably coming to beat him, kill him, or do something even worse. So he stood with his fists up and ready, glaring at the iron door in preparation. Even if he was gonna die right now, there was no way he'd go out without a fight.

It only took a few seconds for the villain to unlock the door and pry it open. But instead of being greeted with a man's face on the other side, Izuku's sensitive eyes, drawn accustomed to the darkness, were met with an incomprehensible amount of light. Izuku flinched away but didn't lower his fists as a light designed to blind him pierced his head like a dagger. Part of him was slightly relieved to be able to see again—it was reassuring to find out that he wasn't blind, after all. But the rest of him was just fighting to overcome the pain.

Before he could adjust whatsoever to the lighting change, he heard movement around him and felt strong, rough arms take hold of his wrists. He pulled back, letting out a startled grunt as the hands shoved him against the wall with such force that the wind was knocked from his lungs. A strangled gasp escaped his baked lips. Everything was happening so fast, he had no time to think. He tried blinking open his eyes but the light was so piercing it made him want to just rip them out. His ears were ringing. His legs were shaking out of dismay. He had no idea what they were about to do to him, and he really really really didn't want to find out.

"Get off of me," Izuku said, and he was shocked by just how raspy his voice was. It felt like he hadn't spoken in years. He blinked furiously, making out the two guys who were pinning him to the wall. They had shaded goggles on to protect themselves from the blinding light and were wearing white bodysuits as if Izuku would contaminate them with his touch. He struggled against their grips, but they were way stronger than him, especially in his weakened, Quirkless state. "Let me go!"

"Shut up," one guy shot back, and Izuku was one second from headbutting him in the nose before a bone-shattering punch met his gut and he doubled over in agony. His eyes flew open and he tasted blood in his mouth. A dry heave was sucked to his throat, and if he had any food left in his stomach whatsoever, he was sure he would've puked it up. 

"Let off. The boss is coming," the other guy said, but his words only resonated in the back of Izuku's mind. His whole world was spinning. He couldn't see. He couldn't think. Pain was the only thing he could feel, whether that was in his head, his stomach, or pretty much anywhere else. He wondered if he was going to pass out as he just hung there limp in the two villains’ hands.

And then suddenly, the atmosphere of the room shifted. The guys stilled and then went silent. Izuku lifted his head with a groan and squinted enough to see the outline of another person entering the room, holding something in their hand. Based on the other two villains’ reactions as he entered, Izuku could assume this was the boss.

“So you're finally awake,” the guy said, and a stone of dread dropped in Izuku’s aching stomach as he realized. This was the same guy he and Katsuki fought. The man with the dog Quirk. The man he'd tried to kill.

Oh no.

He walked over to Izuku and grabbed his chin, lifting his head up to look at him. Izuku’s eyes closed instinctively against the light, which was definitely still as bright as before. He wished he could stare defiantly at the guy, but just ended up looking pathetic.

“Don’t struggle,” the shadow man said as he let go of Izuku’s chin, which dropped down to his chest. He felt calloused hands push up his sleeve and rub something cold and wet on his skin. And then, before Izuku could even lift his head to look at what was being done, a sharp pinch and a burning sensation seized his arm.

Izuku cried out and pulled against his holders’ arms as the burning sensation traveled up his arm, spread across his chest like hot fire, and then seemed to seep into his body. The pain thankfully faded within a few seconds, but the lingering sensation that he felt afterward was really what affected him. The mysterious injection embedded itself in his muscles and gave them an even weaker feeling, like it was sapping his strength by the second. And as it quickly spread to his brain, he felt that start to soften, too, like his thoughts were being turned to mush and he could no longer think correctly.

The shadow man slipped the empty syringe into his back pocket once Izuku received the full dose. "Since your Quirk is so strong, I have to use a higher percentage," he explained as if Izuku had ever wanted to know. So that must be a Quirk-weakening serum, he thought haphazardly, rolling his head around to turn away from the light. That was good news. It meant that One for All wasn't gone forever; it was only being suppressed.

"I need to give you that drug every day to keep your Quirk dormant, so get used to it," the man continued even though Izuku had pretty much already figured that out for himself. A moment later his hands were taken off the wall and held in front of him, and the sound of cuffs clicked around his wrists. "Bag," the shadow man muttered, and a second later Izuku's head was bagged in a dark woolen cloth. He felt a little relieved as he was no longer forced to look at that light.

It all happened too fast as Izuku was forced to walk out of the room into a world even colder than before. Drafts of icy wind blew against his brittle skin, and the sound of waves crashing outside immediately told him they were, in fact, on a boat. His two escorts practically carried him at a fast pace across the ground, and his bare feet dragged against the stone ground as he tried to get a foothold to match their quickness. He wondered where they were going. Were they about to throw him off the edge? 

"Help," he called weakly over his shoulder, voice rasping and eyes wide to try and see through the bag over his head. "Help me, somebody!" He yelled louder. He couldn't hear any commotion around him; no talking, or laughing, or babies crying or any other signs of life. This was a big boat, he could tell by the way it hardly shook against these strong winds, and by the way these guys were dragging him across a hallway for so long. Did the villains really own a boat this large, or was it a public boat where people might be within hearing distance of his yells? He gave it a try nonetheless.

"It's useless," the guy on his right growled, the same one who'd punched him. "There's nobody here to save you, brat."

"You're not supposed to talk to 'em," the guy on his left shot back, and Izuku used this opportunity to struggle against them. He planted his feet firmly on the ground and threw his weight backward, hoping to dislodge their grip or, even better, break free of it—but they saw that coming as soon as he tried. The guy on the right squeezed his forearm so hard he thought it might break, while the guy on his left gave him a deep punch in the side to make sure he didn't try it again. 

Izuku wondered if the guy on the right had some kind of super strength, because he sure was strong. It seemed pretty impossible to get out of this. The only thing Izuku could do was cough the phlegm out of his throat after that punch and let himself be dragged to their destination. 

It only took thirty seconds or so to get from point A to point B, which turned out to be another room, thankfully not the side of the boat. Izuku was brought to a table of sorts and practically thrown down on top of it, where his hands were uncuffed, only to be strapped against the table's arms. His legs came soon after that until soon he had no way of moving from this spot on the table. So now he was reclined back. He struggled against it, pulling with all his might, shouting in attempts to get someone's attention and whipping his head around to get the bag off his head. But it was wrapped around tight. And just like that cruel man had said—there was nobody around to save him.

He was left to sit there for a minute or two, breathing heavily as he struggled against the straps detaining his limbs. He felt so exposed in his boxers and t-shirt, especially with a bag on his head where he had no idea what was coming. Goosebumps rolled continuously down his skin, from both the chilliness of the room and the cold surface of the table. It was metal, just like everything else in this god-forsaken place. He was so sick of it. Being cold. It seemed everything in his life was just there to make him shiver.

Izuku lay there on that table for what felt like minutes, but for all he knew, it could've been seconds. He was just trying to calm his racing heart and figure out what was going on. He couldn't hear any noises. There was nobody else in the room. So why would those guys leave him here if there was nobody around to talk to him? 

Eventually, a noise coming from the direction of the door caught his attention, and he turned his masked face to look at it. It sounded like wheels rolling across the ground, paired with footsteps and metal rattling against metal. A table, he thought. It sounded like a metal table being rolled into the room.

"Finally," the voice of the wheeler reached his ears, and he recognized it as the shadow man. Izuku instantly recoiled. The table was rolled into the corner and a few moments passed of the man re-arranging its contents before he walked over and removed the bag from Izuku's head, exposing him again to the light.

The latter ducked away as he did, avoiding looking at him as if the sight would give him a curse. The man stood there for a creepy amount of time, and without even looking Izuku could feel his eyes raking up and down his body. He felt self-conscious. But mostly just terrified.

Without a word, the man walked to the door and closed it, and suddenly the two of them were immersed in a darkened, quiet room, with the only light coming from an overhanging lamp above Izuku's head. With a table of tools and syringes filled with colorful liquids in the corner. And Izuku strapped to a metal table, completely at this guy's mercy. And they were alone.

If Izuku wasn't screwed before, he definitely was now.

Utterly screwed.

"Now let's get started," the man said before pacing over to the supply table and grabbing one of the syringes. He looked at it, checked the label, and then lifted it needle-side up to squeeze the air out. Wordlessly he walked to Izuku's side, who started struggling as his sluggish brain finally realized what was going on. "Didn't I tell you not to struggle?" The man growled before grabbing a fistful of dark hair and holding his head firmly in place. He held the needle up to his neck. "This is what I'll use to make you talk," he growled before plunging the needle deep into the base of his neck and beginning the slow process of squeezing it in.

"Ack—stop!" Izuku shouted, struggling to escape the needle and panicking as he realized what this guy could be doing to him right now. What if this serum made him spill all of U.A.'s secrets? Or what if it made him do whatever the man asked, even against his own will? He struggled against the cold pinch in his neck, eyes wide and scanning madly for an escape. Was it just a side effect, or was his jaw chattering because he was scared? He'd never felt so humiliated. He wanted to scream, but his throat was paralyzed. Was he dying? His whole body was wriggling and thrashing in attempts to escape, long after he figured out how pointless that was. And it didn't help that he was already seeing double as the new drug reached his brain.

The man took out the needle, and as he did Izuku felt something warm trickle down from the new puncture. "There," the man said with an innocent smile on his face, which Izuku knew was harboring something sinister. "All done. See, that wasn't so hard, was it?"

But Izuku wasn't paying attention to him. He was busy wincing and groaning as the fast-acting serum spread throughout his head, the place which it seemed to be targeting. A dark, hot towel wrapped around his brain and started seeping into his thoughts and mind, cutting him off from the rest of his body and starting to mess with his vision. He became sluggish—even more so than before. The world was spinning around him, physically spinning. He could see it. And he was floating, too.

Somehow there were two men in the corner now, and they both looked fuzzy; like his eyes were having a hard time focusing on just one of them. But then, wait—no. As the figures got closer, Izuku realized there was still only one. Everything just started duplicating the further away it got. 

He clenched his teeth and tried to focus. He couldn't let his mind be taken away from him—not now, and not like this. He was fine. The world was slipping away and he was pretty sure he was floating, and not to mention the splitting headache he was accumulating—but he was okay. He was fine. Yes, this would all be okay. He still had his humanity, and he could still control himself to some degree. As long as he had that, Izuku could get through this. He had to get through this.

The man took a seat beside him in a chair Izuku hadn't originally realized was there. "So," the guy said in his casual voice as everything started slowing down again. "Ready to talk?"

Izuku drowsily shook his head. The man still looked the same as before, with buzzed hair and a stubbled chin. His piercing blue eyes were the only unnatural-looking thing about his appearance. If you ever saw this guy on the street, you'd never suspect he was some high-ranked villain with millions of dollars worth of human experimentation equipment stashed away in his basement. No, Izuku suspected he was one of the very few people who knew about that.

"Well, then let me start us off. I've done my research on you, Midoriya Izuku,"  he said, enunciating each syllable of Izuku's name as if it were an insult to even speak aloud. "Oh, yes. And I know all about your past. You didn't have a Quirk as a kid, not even when you reached ten years of age. It wasn't until you somehow got accepted into U.A. High School that you somehow accumulated a Quirk. Isn't that right?" 

Pain throbbed in Izuku's head. He clenched his jaw to keep from replying, even as his towel-wrapped mind was trying to command him to say 'yes'. His own brain, turned against him. This drug really was something terrible. 

"Keeping your mouth shut, eh?" The man looked at him curiously, something like a mixture of frustration and discontent. He was trying to mask it with a calm face, but Izuku knew he was getting annoyed. "It'll get harder and harder to resist with each question I ask," he continued, "and believe me, I have a lot to ask you about. So please, don't be afraid to respond. Go ahead and make this easier on yourself, and I won't be forced to get mad." The way he said it seriously made Izuku consider just giving up.

He wasn't sure why, but there was a ring in this guy's voice that just made him want to spill all of his secrets, important or not. Was that part of the drug? Or was this man really so evil that he'd trained his very voice to sound a way that exploits other people?

"For your sake, I won't delve into the fact that you quite literally murdered our leader, Overhaul, two years ago. To be quite honest, it brings back unwelcomed memories that I don't care to talk about. But what I will ask about is your Quirk. What is your Quirk exactly, Midoriya?"

Izuku's lip trembled with the conflicted emotions stirring inside his head. He glared at the man, and for now he was still able to hold his tongue. So that hadn't been a lie. With the second question, it was definitely harder to keep hold of himself. But he remained composed. 

"How does it work? Where did it come from?" 

Izuku closed his eyes and looked away, trembling now. He was holding his breath at this point and his teeth were clenched so hard he could hear the strain in his jaw. Why was the room still spinning? He looked down at his legs, up at the light, anywhere but that man's face. The light was swirling in circles, and it would've been pretty if Izuku wasn’t sure he was about to lose his mind. The words were forming on the edge of his tongue, and the veins in his forehead bulged with the might it took to keep them back. He wanted to say them so badly.

He wanted to explain his Quirk to this man, tell him all the secrets and carefully-discussed plans that he and All Might went over these past few years. He wanted to tell him all about how the Quirk is passed down genetically, so you need to ingest some of the wielder’s DNA in order to receive it. He wanted to explain every single intricate detail involving One for All and himself, and he wanted to explain it now, as quickly as possible.

At least, that's what his muffled brain was trying to tell him. But Izuku was strong enough to resist. As the seconds ticked by, the poison didn't wear off in the slightest bit—but it did become more manageable. As he stared up at the little light, watching it swirl and turn and multiply like the disco globe at a frat party, he found himself managing the urge to speak with much more consciousness. He could distantly hear the man beside him asking more questions, but none of them resonated in his head as he just sort-of faded away into a static oblivion. 

That was all until the man grabbed his shoulders and shook him harshly back to reality. The back of his head banged against the metal and his face contorted in a wince as he was knocked into another sort-of daze, much less pleasant than the first. Once everything started coming back into focus and his eyes re-adjusted to the darkness of the room, his face was quick to drain paper-white with what he saw.

He stared at the wall across from him. He stared at it. And he stared and he stared, and he blinked a million times, trying to convince himself that what he was seeing wasn't real. But it seemed, to his horror, that it entirely was.

Blood. Dark red and shimmering, gurgling in his ears, seeping out of the walls in the same way that sweat does from pores. It dripped slow and thick down the concrete, all until it reached the floor, where it began to pool and spread towards him some kind of horrific waterfall. 

"Wh-" Izuku stuttered out, staring at the scene unfolding in front of him. He could only stare at it with eyes blown wide, every muscle in his body straining with fear. If that blood touched him, he knew he would die.

The man just watched him. He stopped asking questions to just watch Izuku, like this was all some kind of sick joke. 

Izuku squirmed in his seat, eyes locked on the blood as it slowly inched closer. "S-Stop. Get it away from me," he muttered. It engulfed everything in its path, soaking into the ash-gray floor and growing thicker and heavier by the second. It was coming towards him. He was gonna die. The bloody walls spun in his vision, and he thought he might throw up. Blood. He'd throw up blood. Blood everywhere. Blood in his mouth, in his eyes, in his chest. It was pumping through his veins right now. Blood coursing through his neck, spurting from his arteries, blood bathing his face, clotting his hair and clinging like fever to his arms. His legs. His face, in his eyes, up his nose and down his throat in his ears, choking him, blinding him, killing him. It all tied down to—

"Blood," Izuku muttered, shaking his head now, slowly at first until it progressed into something frantic. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but nothing came out for a solid few seconds. "Nuh-No. No, stop. Get away from me!" The rest of his confusion faded and was replaced instantaneously with cold, sharp, murderous fear. He struggled against the restraints, watching, pale as snow, as the blood reached the base of his chair. Red. Everything was red. "No, stop, I'll die! No!"

He was screaming now, fighting wildly, watching with wide eyes as the blood on the floor began to rise as it had nowhere else to spread to. No. No, it would soon reach him. He saw himself deep under the surface, bubbles screaming from his broken, heaving mouth, crimson poison flooding his brain and shutting off every valve he needs to survive, leaving him dead and forgotten under piles and piles of blood, so much blood, never-ending blood.

"Stop!" He was screaming now, not only screaming out of fear, but screaming for his life. "Let me go! Let me go!"

"Hallucinations," the man said, but Izuku didn't really hear him. "That's normal, especially for your first time. I wasn't sure just how mixing the drugs would—"

But he was cut off by another scream. When Izuku dragged his gaze to look at the man's face, all he could see were the countless legs upon legs of bugs, all different types of bugs, crawling from his eyes, crawling all over his body, their tiny black bodies jittering and twitching and fluttering in the dim light. Some took to the air and started swarming above Izuku, diving in and trying to bury themselves in his hair before he could scream and shake his head vigorously to ward them off. He watched in horror as a clot of bloodied worms sprouted from one of the man's nostrils and plopped down on his lap, wriggling and squirming, smearing blood all over his clothes before dropping down into the rising darkness below. 

Izuku didn't know what to do. He screamed until his voice was raw, and the man just watched him silently—he sat there and watched Izuku as he was tortured by his own crazy mind. The blood was halfway up the man's leg now, filling the room slowly but surely, with no sign of draining it and no sign of stopping it. "I'm gonna die, oh my god. I don't want to die!" Izuku cried. His voice was going hoarse now, but he couldn't stop. No, silence was even more terrifying than the blood itself.

He looked at the man and considered pleading for mercy, but the thousands of insects scurrying out from his blackened eyes told him the man likely wasn't listening. It was like the piñata of your nightmares—only 100 times scarier than that because it was actually real. Dragonflies, wolf spiders, worms and centipedes, botflies and mosquitos, all of them scurried and wriggled from the man's sunken eye sockets, falling down his shirt or on his lap, while the ones with wings took to the air. He could only watch as a mosquito landed on his exposed forearm and started drinking, piercing his skin just like the man's needles had done so easily before it. Izuku tried to swat it, but he couldn't move.

The insect's belly turned red with his blood, and it swelled until it was the size of a small maggot. And then it took off, disappearing into the colony of bugs that were already filling up the ceiling. "Oh god," Izuku rasped. He could feel tears in his eyes. Every ounce of hope in his chest had run dry. The rising blood was almost at his level now, and when it reached him he was sure he'd die soon after that. There was nothing he could do. Another mosquito landed on his forearm, and a few more took their spots on his legs. One landed on his face, but he shook his head until it buzzed off. If the blood didn't kill him, these mosquitos would. They'd suck him dry until he was nothing left but a skin sack of bones.

He could feel crawling in his hair and itching across his skin. They were under his shirt, skittering across his skin and nibbling at the flesh on the nape of his neck. He slammed his head back against the metal, hoping to scare them off, but it was futile. The biting and clawing continued until, in a matter of seconds, he could feel them. They were crawling under his skin.

More screaming, more banging of his head against the metal until he was sure he'd given himself a concussion. He started seeing stars. And only then did the shadow man stand up.

He stood and towered above Izuku, leaning over him and dropping bloody worms on the boy's formerly-clean white shirt. He choked on a sob, feeling a gag start to build up in his throat as they wriggled across his stomach. The pooling blood had reached his reclined heels and was slowly climbing up his legs, and soon it would engulf his entire body—while the man, with his gouged-out eyes spilling bugs all over Izuku's body, was leaning over him, grabbing at something at his other side which he soon realized was the strap. He was pulling on the strap. Releasing it. Izuku was being released.

Immediately as his hand was set free, he buried it deep in his hair, shaking out the curly, disheveled locks and doing his best to free them of bugs, tears streaming down his face as he did so. He was crying, even though he didn't know he was. Actually, to be more accurate, he was sobbing. Hitching uneven breaths, crying in an ugly, screaming-and-wailing sort of way. Even losing battles with villains wasn't as terrifying as this.

Pain flared in his head and the back of his neck, but as the man unstrapped his wrists and ankles; which were left red and raw after fighting against them so vigorously; all he could do was bury his fingers in his hair and shake, scratch, pull, do anything to get those bugs out. 

Even as the man grabbed his arm and yanked him to his feet and out of the room, he didn't try to run. Escape was the last thing on his mind—the only important thing was getting these bugs off of him, out of him, away from his shaking body—because he knew they would kill him, yes, and if he left them in there for too long, they would lay eggs in his scalp, and in no time he'd just be a gigantic walking talking home for them to plant their larvae. He tugged at strands of hair, scratched madly at his itching skin, wiped frantically at the blood smeared on his shirt. Everything was still spinning. The simple task of putting one foot in front of the other had become a challenge as the man dragged him back to his tiny concrete room, wordless as he did. 

When Izuku realized what was happening, realized he was about to be forced into that tiny black room again, he cried out in fear. "No, wait—don't put me back in there, no!" He exclaimed, only now fighting against the guy and trying and escape. He couldn't go back in there. He just couldn't. But his body was weak, and the man had a very obvious strength advantage over him as he shoved Izuku almost effortlessly to the ground, giving him whiplash and most definitely a concussion as his head knocked against the wall. 

"You can stay here until you're done whining," the man said. And then he slammed the door on Izuku's face.

For the next hour or so, Izuku just lay there on the floor, crying, screaming and thrashing, scratching his arms until they bled and digging through his scalp to search for those nonexistent bugs that he swore were still crawling around in there. The walls crushed him, and the darkness gave way to his notoriously-vivid imagination—which in this case, wasn't such a good thing. He envisioned some pretty terrible things within that hour, including some pretty scarring images of his friends, lying motionless in their own pools of blood, leaving nothing for Izuku to do but kneel and cry at their sides. 

Towards the end of this hour, when his voice was shot from the screaming and the drugs in his head were starting to wear off, he just lay on his side, eyes finally coming to a close. Silent tears had puddled up on the floor beside his brow and until he finally was dragged under the comforting blanket of sleep, he felt himself swimming in them.

Later, in his dreams, there was nothing but darkness for a while. Darkness and silence. Leaving him to think about the terrible things he'd just seen and letting his imagination run free. Surprisingly, he had full control of his thoughts and memories in this particular dream, so he was left to remember every intricate detail of the horrors he'd just been forced to bear witness.

Then, at one point, through the darkness he started sensing something familiar. It left a warm feeling in his chest, something his subconscious welcomed with open arms after the bitter coldness of the world around him. At first it was just an idea, a faded memory locked away deep in his mind, never expecting to be opened again. But slowly as his sleep progressed, it started to become more real. It was so vivid he could almost embrace it. It was something warm from his life back at home. 

First it was just a figure, a warm honey-like glow against a dark backdrop. It never took the form of a person. It was more like a presence, or a foggy memory. Whatever it was, it stayed at Izuku's side even as his whole reality felt like it was spinning. It stuck around. Whenever it drew near, Izuku felt that warmth in his chest again, like the presence itself was enough to keep him thawed. And if he ever didn't see it for too long, he started to grow nervous—what if it got lost? What if it didn't come back? But thankfully, it always did.

What was it? Possibly a figment of his subconscious, like a good feeling or a good thought coming to cheer him up? He really didn't understand it, but soon as he realized the figure was making him feel better by the second, he didn't question it any further. After a while, though, it started to take the form of a person. First it was his mom, and then it was All Might—two people he'd always looked up to and trusted.

But then changed to the form of someone else, and that form seemed to stick. His childhood friend, his middle school bully. It molded into a boy with spiky hair and a lean frame, with broad shoulders built for fighting and red eyes made to capture anyone's attention. It was Katsuki. That warm feeling, that feeling of safety, the reason he was starting to feel better... for some reason it was radiating from his image of Katsuki.

At first it confused him. Why would it be Katsuki? Of all people, why him? Of course he cared for Katsuki, perhaps more than a lot of his classmates. He had a deeper connection with the blond than anyone else. He understood him. They understood each other, or at least that's what Izuku believed. But why was he seeing him now? When he could be seeing his mom, or All Might, or even Todoroki, Ochako, or Iida, people he hung out with way more than Katsuki as far as these past two years were concerned.

But no. He was seeing his childhood best friend. The one who'd pushed him away all that time ago, and never let him get too close after that. The one he'd known ever since his very first memory as a toddler, and looked up to ever since, even when the other hated the mere sight of him. That Katsuki.

Once it took that form, it didn't stop following him around. It didn't speak or interact with him, but it was there. The presence was strangely comforting. Rather than trying to explain the change, Izuku came to terms with it rather quickly. He stared wordlessly at the pleasant, honey-colored figment of his imagination. Because that's what he was sure it was. Just another figment of his imagination.

However, instead of lingering in this black abyss for too long after that, his brain was quick to throw him into a new dream—though what he saw next was more like a memory than anything else. 

Present-day Izuku walked down the sidewalk of his home street, the same path he'd taken countless times before as a kid. This was the path to get to Katsuki's house. Happy-looking little houses passed as he walked, filled with happy families and children that he and Katsuki would sometimes play with. But nobody was outside today. In fact, there wasn't a soul in sight.

It was raining overhead, and the light pitter-patter of blue waterdrops splashing against the dark pavement was soothing to his damaged brain. He couldn't feel the water, and when he looked down at his clothes, he realized they weren't wet at all. But it only took a second for him to pass this off. He was in a dream. It wasn't meant to make sense.

He walked down that sidewalk until he reached the purpose of this dream: two small children, lying on their backs on some random person's lawn, staring up at the rainy clouds with star-dazed looks in their eyes and open mouths as they tried to catch raindrops. The rain was seeping into their clothes. Somehow, present-day Izuku knew that the smaller one's mom was searching for him to bring him home—but neither of the kids cared about that. None of that mattered. All that mattered was those two, each in their respective green and orange shirts, glaring up at the rolling thunder and flashing lightning with proud, unafraid faces.

Present-day Izuku walked over to hear what they were talking about. He had a soft smile on his face, one that didn't reach his eyes. This really was a fond memory. He appreciated being immersed in a dream that was so calm, so peaceful, after what he'd just been forced to endure. It seemed as if he was in some kind of spiritual form, watching one of his memories unfold from an outside perspective. Part of him thought that was really cool, but the other part of him knew that this was all fake. It was a trick—just another plan the villain had to torture him when he got back to the real world. 

But his misgivings were short-lived as he got closer to the two kids and was allowed to hear their conversation. They were lying near a street lamp, so they could watch the raindrops fall with the reflection of the light for an added luminescent effect.

"...think about it, 'Zuku," the blond kid's voice was barely audible above the sound of the rain, so Izuku was forced to get even closer in order to hear them. Thankfully, the kids couldn't see him in his present form, so he could get as close as he wanted without looking like a creep. "If we just run away together, we won't have to deal with our stupid parents anymore—or school, or bullies, or jerks that think they're better than us," he was saying. His voice was so high-pitched, it made Izuku smile a little.

He remembered this conversation. Izuku had run away to play in the rain without telling his mom. He'd been angry at Inko because she wouldn't let him go out with his friends to get ice cream earlier that day. It was a stupid reason for sure—but in Izuku's little child mind, he'd taken great offense to it. After all, if Katsuki got to go, he felt that he should be able to as well. The Bakugou parents had always been less strict.

"Too dangerous!" His mom would always say. "Izuku, it's far too dangerous for you to be going out on your own without parental supervision. You're only five years old, for crying out loud—and you don't even have a Quirk to protect yourself yet! I'd feel a lot safer if you just stayed here with momma, 'kay?"

And then he'd be forced to stay in his room, unhappy and alone, as he listened to his friends all having fun outside.

So later that night, Izuku snuck out of the apartment during a big thunderstorm and ran straight to Katsuki's house. The Bakugou parents had no problem with letting Katsuki leave, so the two of them were able to escape for a while. Ever since then, they'd been hanging around this area, playing in the rain. They both loved the rain, but more than that, they loved the things that came with it. Puddles to splash through. Mud to roll in. Worms on the pavement to find and collect. It was just all around a great time. Izuku hadn't been able to do those things in a long time, but he missed them.

The small blond continued, pulling present-day Izuku out of his little trip down memory lane. "If we run away, I can protect you. I know you don't have your stupid Quirk yet, but we can just stay away from villains until you get one."

"I'd love to, Kacchan!" the smaller boy shot up, and older Izuku wasn't surprised by how easily he'd been convinced back then. If Katsuki had told him to jump off a bridge, he most likely would've done it.

Younger Izuku jumped up from the grass and let out a laugh so adorable it would warm even the coldest heart. The little boy beckoned the blond with a tiny hand, and then the two of them ran to the nearest puddle, where they jumped and rolled around until their clothes were thoroughly soaked. They danced and played, taking the spotlight under the street lamp and scream-singing their favorite song at the time. 

Older Izuku watched with a sort of sad smile on his face, because he knew the outcome of this story. These two kids never get to running away together. And in a few months from now, the smaller Katsuki will begin pushing Izuku away for the first time—for reasons he, to this day, never figured out. Child Izuku will whine, and he'll cry, and he'll beg the blond to tell him what he did wrong. But Katsuki never has an answer. Izuku still wonders if he even had a reason—or if he just got sick of Izuku's constant attention and sought the quickest way to get rid of him.

For now, he tries to appreciate the memory. It's nice in comparison to the horrors he'll be forced to endure when he wakes up. So he just sits there on the pavement and watches the two children, so sweet and carefree, innocent in the wake of the world ahead of them. Izuku finds himself wishing that they had run away together all those years ago. It would surely have made for an easier life, spending all his time with Katsuki, hitchhiking across the country and visiting all the places he'd always wanted to see. Scavenging for food, avoiding the police. Even that would've been better than where he ended up right now. Kidnapped by villains and tortured until the end of his life. He sure hoped this wasn't the end of his life.

For now, he just appreciates this moment. A gentle memory, set sail in a sea of pain.

At least he could distract himself for a little while.

The next time he woke up, he almost wished he hadn't. That same bright light glared directly at his eyelids from where he lay uncomfortably on the concrete floor. He winced at the light and instantly sat up, spiking with alarm as he realized the same two men from last time were in the room, standing on either side of the door and making their way towards him. As Izuku's brain started to catch up with what was happening in front of him, he jumped to his feet and backed into the corner, eyes wide and afraid. The light was bright, but if he got out of its direct path, it was manageable.

Yesterday's horrors were still fresh in his mind as he stood there with his back to the corner, facing the two approaching men with a wild look to his face. One of them was holding a water bottle—strangely enough—and the other had a pair of handcuffs. Izuku's fists were up, though he wondered exactly how much good they would do. He couldn't go back into that room. He wasn't ready for it—he hadn't even had the chance to mentally recover. Not like there was a way to ever recover from something like that.

"Stay back," Izuku uttered with a rasp to his voice. God, he was thirsty. That water looked unbelievably tempting that he thought about just letting himself be cuffed if it meant he got to drink it. But he'd never been one to give up so easily.

"Here, we've got some water for 'ya," the one with the water bottle said gruffly, holding it in front of him. But Izuku knew it was some sort of trick. There had to be a catch. There was just no way this guy was giving him free water right now, especially not after how badly they'd both treated him yesterday. "The boss said he wants you alive, so we have to give you water. It's been a day or two, right?" He didn't sound too happy about keeping Izuku alive.

There was a moment of silence before the guy with the cuffs dangled them in front of Izuku's eyes, almost in a taunting way. "If you let us cuff you, we'll give you the water. But if you don't, we're gonna have problems, you hear?" He sounded serious. "So just take the damn water. It's not that hard of a decision."

Izuku couldn't see their eyes through the tinted goggles they were wearing, but he was sure they were both dead serious. If he didn't accept their offer within the next few seconds, he was probably in for a beating. And alternative number two: say he lets himself get cuffed. Then, he gets brought to that room to be tormented with hallucinations that come to life and threats to put his friends' lives in danger.

There was only one right answer here. He sucker-kicked one of them in the gut and made a run for it.

"Hey!" The second one shouted after him, and he was one step from being out that door, home free—until the guy had a fast enough reaction time to grab him.

Izuku was caught and hurled against the wall with such force that he felt something pop in his shoulder. He cried out as red-hot pain exploded up his arm, extending all the way through his torso and even down to his leg. Luckily his skull didn't hit the wall too hard, or else it would've made for a bad concussion. Crap, Izuku thought regretfully as the man pressed his forearm deep into his neck, effectively squeezing shut his windpipe and cutting off all airflow to his lungs and brain. I wasn't fast enough.

He made a sort-of squawking noise as he scrambled to get out of the man's steely grip. He clawed and tore at the man's arm and face, all while wriggling his body and trying to get his chin between his neck and the forearm for some relief. But this guy was unbelievably strong. Great. So this was the same one from yesterday. 

"You fucked up, kid," the guy muttered, and it didn't even sound like his voice was straining as he choked the life from Izuku's body. He was outmatched. Heavily. 

"Stop!" The other man's voice suddenly vibrated throughout the room, and the villain's chokehold relaxed, giving Izuku some room to take a breath. He took a gulp of oxygen, not knowing how long he'd have the opportunity to do so.

"He fought back. We should kill him," the guy choking Izuku muttered, pushing on his neck again and extracting a strangled gurgle from the boy.

"No, the boss will kill us," the guy behind replied, walking over holding the water bottle and handcuffs in hand. Izuku's kick had taken him out for only a few seconds, but he'd been hoping that was enough to make for an unexpected escape. Unfortunately, these guys had a little too much experience for that.

The guy choking Izuku begrudgingly released his neck, but immediately after that seized his forearms and pinned them against the wall so he couldn't fight back. Izuku instinctively tried to knee him, but the guy just dodged and then ended up kneeing him, instead.

Izuku keeled over, stars dancing in his vision from the ram to his gut, but he had no more than a second to recover before the second guy—the guy with the cuffs—grabbed his jaw, pried open his mouth, and was shoving the water bottle down his throat.

"Drink. You're lucky I don't drown you for trying to pull shit like that," he grumbled, and Izuku only managed to down a few gulps before he started coughing. Water spilled from his lips, soaking into his shirt, and the guy responded by chucking what was left in the bottle down on the ground and roughly cuffing his hands. After a bag somehow materialized and was thrown over his head, Izuku was yanked from the room and practically dragged across the hall—just like last time.

Just as Izuku feared, they brought him to the same room and strapped him to that same table before leaving him to thrash and fight in that same silence. Once the bag was removed from his head and the two were gone, his gaze flitted around the room, scanning for the dark figure that he knew would be there, ready for another day of torture. But he wasn't there. Izuku was alone—for now.

That same table of tools and syringes was there in the corner, but it would be impossible for Izuku to reach them from this far away. The only other thing in the room aside from that table was the chair for the man to sit on. Izuku tried pulling on the straps, hoping one of them might be loose enough to wriggle through—but after a minute or so of trying, he realized it was to no avail. This was the same thing as last time. 

He could feel the adrenaline coursing through his veins. A thousand tiny daggers dug deeper into his shoulder with every movement he made, and he figured it was probably dislocated. His head still had that dull ache, but at this point he was used to it. He was just thankful he could finally think straight. Exactly how much time passed since he last passed out? He assumed it was more than eight hours based on how rested his body felt, but it could've been less than that. 

With a glance down at his white shirt, he realized there was no blood on it. So that means... the things he'd been seeing yesterday, the things he was convinced had been real—they were all fake. The blood, the bugs. Just hallucinations. Results of the drug injected into his system. Now in his right mind, Izuku could realize that.

He tried to keep that in mind as a click at the door signaled the man's arrival.

"So, you're finally awake," the shadow man said as he entered the room. He was wearing a black long-sleeved shirt, and had a casual look on his face. Casual. Friendly, almost. As if only hours ago, he hadn't been watching Izuku writhe and scream in pain as his brain was plagued with terrible, disgusting, mind-altering things that he would never unsee for the rest of his life. Casual... after that. 

How could this man act so unaffected right now?

Izuku had nothing to say, so he just glared. Part of him was afraid, screaming not to push his luck—but the other part of him was angry. He was so angry. Who was this man to torture him, and then come back later to act like everything was fine? To act like Izuku hadn't just gone through hell because of his drugs? 

"You were out for seventeen hours. I thought you might've been dead," the guy laughed. Seventeen hours? Izuku thought, baffled. That's more than double what he thought.

The man slowly walked closer, and each footstep echoed throughout the wide, empty room. Every step sent a chill up Izuku's spine. "Did you get the water I sent you? I figured you hadn't gotten any for a while. A little gift from me to you," he added lightheartedly. Like this was all a joke. As he spoke, the tone of his voice made him sound proud of himself. Proud... for giving him water? Like a little bottle of water would make up for what he'd done?

Izuku just glared at the man. He glared a look so murderous that it almost felt wrong of him to do so. He'd never glared at someone like that before. Never. The man looked back at him, eyes emotionless, despite the smile on his face. That face was cold as ice.

Finally, the man broke their little staring contest and walked over to his table, grabbing a syringe from the shelf below. It was a blue-tinted serum, the same one he'd used on him yesterday. Izuku instantly tensed, flinching away from the idea of experiencing any of that pain again. His already-fast-pumping heart skipped a few beats out of fear. It didn't matter how badly he didn't want to be afraid, because every time, his body just ended up betraying him.

"Anyway, I'm a little peeved right now, so let's just get to the point. I'm gonna inject you with this drug, and if you don't answer my questions, you're gonna start hallucinating again. And neither of us wants that. I mean, my ears were ringing for hours after I got done listening to your whining last time. It was annoying," he said, flicking the glass and extracting the air from the syringe as he walked over to Izuku, who was struggling to get away from him. He couldn't even think to be angry about what he just said when he was holding that needle in his hand.

"Don't," Izuku insisted, eyes wide and straps rattling as he shook them. No. All he could think was no. Not again, not after the effects from last time had finally worn off. His voice was still raw and hoarse from all the screaming he did—he wasn't ready for this again. "Not again," he stated, face contorted into one of fear. 

The man did exactly as he did yesterday. He grabbed Izuku's hair, forced his head to the side, and stuck the needle deep in his neck with no warning whatsoever. Last time, he'd been too afraid to scream—but this time was different. As he felt the fiery drug spread up his neck, spill into his brain, and wrap him back up in that warm towel all over again, all he could do was scream.

"Shut up!" the man exclaimed out of exasperation as he finished administering the drug, and then he did something Izuku hadn't expected. He slapped him across the face.

The crisp smack echoed throughout the room, and Izuku's gaze snapped to look at him, lip trembling. He was not about to cry. His body was just so physically terrified that it was making him do things he had no reason to be doing. The man, hand still buried in his hair, dragged his face to look at him by the scalp. Izuku thought he'd never been so ungrateful for the length of his hair.

"You're gonna keep that damn mouth of yours shut, unless it's to answer one of my questions. Got it?" He snarled in Izuku's face. So he wasn't playing around this time—and he wasn't afraid to be physical, according to Izuku's stinging cheek.

Unable to do anything else, and with the room starting to spin yet again around him, Izuku nodded.

The man sat back in his chair, looking satisfied. "Great. Now, first question. Izuku—can I call you that?"

Izuku's jaw clenched, and he shook his head.

The shadow man looked displeased. "Are you sure? We are friends, aren't we?"

Another head shake.

"Oh, but I gave you water," the man said, and the undertone to his voice told Izuku that he really didn't think they were friends. He was just saying this to mess with him. "Does that really not count for anything?"

Izuku remained still.

"Well, that's unfortunate." The man frowned as if he was expecting Izuku to actually say yes. "Anyway, on to the first real question, Izuku. What. Is. Your. Quirk?" He enunciated every word, and Izuku knew this was one of the same questions he'd asked before. If he didn't answer this time, it would definitely be bad.

"...My Quirk is One for All," Izuku said softly. He was staring at the man, right dead in the eyes.

"Good," he praised, "and where did you get it from?"

Izuku opened his mouth to respond, even getting so far as to shape his mouth in the start of an 'A'. All Might, he thought, and the words found themselves forming on the tip of his tongue before his mind could even react. Suddenly his jaw snapped shut, eyes wide. He was really just about to admit that All Might gave him this Quirk. Nobody knew that. The only exceptions were a select few people at U.A., and they were each instructed to never talk about it to the public. And here Izuku was, nearly willing to just give it all away with the snap of someone's fingers.

He looked away. Holding his tongue definitely wouldn't turn out well for him—but he just couldn't give away All Might's biggest secret like that.

"Where did you get it from?" The man repeated, more forcefully this time. Izuku shook his head and looked away. The room was starting to double. Everything started seeming a lot more woozy, like he was intoxicated. No hallucinations yet, but if he took any more of this, he was afraid his brain might not be able to tell imagination from reality anymore.

There were a few moments of silence as the man waited for him to respond, but instead of just repeating the question again, the man said something else this time. "Actually, that was a trick question. I already know who gave it to you. It was All Might, wasn't it?"

Izuku looked at him. Did he read his mind? "No," he lied, and immediately as he did, his vision flickered for about three seconds before it went back to normal again. The room looked a little fuzzier now. This drug really was something else. Something only an evil person would use.

The man was just grinning as he watched. "I can tell when you're lying," he said, "and no, before you ask, I didn't read your mind on that. Actually, I'm proud to say I've done my research. To be completely honest, I've had my eyes on you for quite a while now, Izuku. After the sports festival all those years ago, I searched you up, and low and behold, I found out you didn't have a Quirk when you were younger. And I mean, like, age fifteen, where everyone else already had their Quirks and was starting to figure out how to use them. That was unusual.

"But then, as soon as you revealed that you would be attending U.A. high school, All Might decided it was the perfect time to become a teacher there. Then, you miraculously developed a Quirk! Imagine my surprise when I first found that out," he mused, as if reminiscing on the memories. "And then over the years, as All Might lost his power and you continued growing stronger every day, it all started to click. All Might gave his Quirk to you—and now I just need to figure out how."

He stared Izuku square in the eyes. Eyes so cold he could feel them start to freeze his soul. "I'm gonna get that information out of you. No matter how long it takes—if I have to break you over and over, or torture you until your brain melts and spills out of your mouth." He paused for dramatic effect. Izuku just stared right back at him. He would be lying if he said he wasn't biting his tongue to keep from looking scared. A thin smile washed over the man's face, and Izuku knew it was fake. "You can either make this easier for yourself, and tell it to me now—or you can suffer. Which will it be?"

Izuku didn't answer. With his silence came another wave of pain in his skull, but he could ignore that. What he was more worried about were the visions. He was starting to see things out of the corners of his eyes, like shadow figures that would dart out of range before he could get a good look at them, and dancing lights that popped out of existence just as soon as his eyes landed on them. He found himself glancing around anxiously, expecting something horrific to pop out of nowhere at any second. After all, his hallucinations yesterday hadn't been nearly this mild.

The man stood back, and Izuku finally dragged his gaze to glare at him. He was expecting the guy to look angry at his silence, but to his surprise—and honestly, his dismay—he just looked disappointed. "You're a strong one," he said, and Izuku watched uneasily as a hint of a smile flashed across his face. A smile.

"I gave you every chance to comply, and here you are, still silent." There was an angry tone to in his voice as he rolled up his sleeves. "You deserve this."

Izuku tried to flinch away as the guy seized a fistful of his shirt and punched him square across the jaw.

He blacked out for a second as the punch sent him reeling. Sharp, fierce pain exploded in his cheekbone and jaw where the fist landed, and he could taste blood—lots of it—on his tongue, where he must've accidentally bitten himself. But he didn't have much time to recover before the man was pulling on his shirt, forcing their eyes to meet and asking him another question. "Am I right about All Might giving you his Quirk?" He demanded.

Izuku was silent.

Another punch soared to connect painfully with his jaw. This guy could punch hard. "Why did All Might retire? Was it because of you?" Silence, and another punch. There was a clicking sound as knuckle bone met his face. Blood splattered on the floor. "How did he give you his Quirk? In what way did he pass it on to you?" The man was nearly yelling now, getting frustrated already. But Izuku was staring at the wall, mouth agape and dribbling blood from his split-open lip and tongue.

There in the corner, he could finally see it. A shadow figure, standing there watching, faceless and lanky, stretching almost all the way to the ceiling. It looked almost like someone put it in photoshop and stretched it upwards. Why was it so tall? That wasn't one of the One for All users. Is it here to kill me? 

Izuku was getting increasingly bad vibes from the creature. Almost like it was formed out of the shadows of the room, but not just the shadows of this room. The deepest, darkest, evilest shadows to ever exist. But before he could stare at it for a second longer, the man was punching him again, this time right in the temple of his head. He choked on metallic-tinted saliva as the plane of his left ear shattered and was replaced with a shrill ringing sound. Now, the world was really twisting in his vision.

"Look at me when I talk to you, brat!" The guy shouted, doubling the earsplitting pain in Izuku's skull, before punching him again. His teeth clicked as he wasn't able to close his mouth in time. The blows were really starting to hurt now, especially as he continuously hit the same spot over and over, surely cracking something in his jaw and decimating the left side of his face. He was bleeding from multiple spots.

"If you don't start answering my questions, I'm not going to be so nice," the man growled. "So tell me: how can I get your Quirk?"

Izuku stared at him with one swollen eye, a plump, bloody lip, and an ear ringing so loud he could barely hear himself think. "If you think I'm ever going to tell you that..." he swallowed the blood in his mouth, "then you might as well just give up."

That figure in the corner was really starting to worry him. And the man's expression was so malicious that he started to fear his head might get punched off.

"How do I get your Quirk?" The man asked again, ignoring what Izuku just said. Then he punched him again. "How do I get your Quirk?" Without waiting for a response, he smashed his nose. "How do I get your Quirk?" He socked him in the cheek, sending his head flying against the metal chair. But the man was quick to pick him up by the shirt and feed him yet another.

This process repeated a few more times until the guy stepped back, breathing heavily. Izuku couldn't see anything—both his eyes were screwed shut, watering and stinging from the repeated blows. Blood was dripping down his chin and soaking his white shirt, the room was spiraling, his head was ringing, his injuries were throbbing. Whenever he opened his eyes, he was alarmed to see the figure in the corner inching closer. But that was the least of his worries as the man walked to the table of tools and medical supplies, sorted through its contents for a few seconds, and then grabbed something. Izuku soon came to realize it was a knife.

The man held it up to his face and Izuku watched it glint in the silver light. It was an eight-inch silver blade with a black handle, and the intricate engravings on the steel made him think it was home-carved. Rough hands gripped his shirt and forced Izuku to meet the man's piercing gaze once again. "I'm not afraid to use this. Tell me what I need to know before I cut you up."

Izuku held his tongue, ignoring the blood tricking down his throat. The figure in the corner was getting closer. The knife in his face glinted in his eye, pierced his mind. He could hear the man's words, but he couldn't really understand them. Cut him up? He wasn't entirely sure what that meant, and his cloudy, shattered mind couldn't form thoughts coherent enough to decipher it. So he just clenched his aching jaw and stared defiantly at the man. Daring him to do his worst.

Only a second was spared for Izuku to respond before the man went up behind him, crouched by his reclined head, and leaned over his shoulder holding the knife to his exposed forearm. Izuku could feel his hot, acrid breath on his ear. The shock of the cold blade against his skin was quick to bring him back down to Earth, and he struggled against his bonds again, eyes wide with the realization of what the man was about to do. Cut. Cut. He finally realized what that meant.

No words were said as the man slowly pressed the razor-sharp blade deeper into his underarm, breaking the soft skin with a jolt from Izuku, who was so far managing this with a semi-straight face. But when the skin broke and the man continued to push deeper, dragging it roughly through flesh and skin, cutting through veins and spurting red all over his arm and clothes, Izuku couldn't keep himself composed any longer. He opened his mouth to scream, but before he could, the man's other hand moved to cover it. "Shut up," he said. "Just watch."

Izuku was trembling. His face was pale, sweaty, burning with fever as he was forced to watch. Forced to watch himself be drained of blood, sliced like deli meat. There was something sadistic about the man's voice and the way he silently finished the laceration, only to move on to the next spot, a couple inches above the first. The bloody knife cut, and cut, and then cut again. Izuku could see that same dark figure slowly approaching from the corner, but all he could do was watch. His body felt petrified. He couldn't move, he couldn't struggle. He could only watch.

Two new crimson-red lines appeared on Izuku's skin in the blink of an eye, and he wondered if he'd blacked out for a moment. Blood was pouring from his arm now, he could hear it splattering on the floor. Blood. Blood. It all came back to blood, the blood spurting from his veins, the blood pumping through his heart. The blood he was losing. He was losing a lot.

Five gruesome slashes in, Izuku was starting to feel a little sluggish. Was he about to die from this? So much blood was gushing from his arm, and the veins were so severely mutilated, he would be surprised if he made it out of here alive. 

He thought about his friends. They're coming for him. This is all okay, because his friends are coming for him. They're coming to save him. Please, he begged silently, please tell me they're coming for me. They'll be here soon...

Izuku looked down at his arm again, and he was immediately shocked to see thousands of bugs crawling along his arm, tiny ones, large ones, beetles and spiders, roaches and ants. They were crawling from his cuts. He watched as one dug its way out from under his skin and emerged into the light, bloodied and disgusting, clamping its pincers at him and making a shrill little shrieking noise that he was sure would only resonate in his own head.

The man was still adding cuts to the collection, and each time he finished drawing a neat line with the blade across Izuku's arm, a new wave of bugs would spill out and skitter down his body, making their way to his head, where he knew they would try to burrow inside and get to his brain. If they got there, he knew they would force him to tell this man everything about his Quirk—everything he was trying so hard to protect, everything he was fighting so hard to keep a secret. 

Izuku screamed. He screamed through the man's hand, he thrashed his head, suddenly knocked out of his daze and splitting the silence in the room. The man finished his cut and then stepped back, letting Izuku writhe. He watched with an unreadable expression. Izuku was shaking now, teeth chattering. His breaths became short and uneven, and soon he was hyperventilating. The dark figure was still towering above him, standing right at his side now, staring down at him with nonexistent eyes that somehow bore deep into his soul, digging into his life force, spreading throughout his body and chilling his bones. Everything was cold. Everything was broken. He felt like just collapsing on the floor and begging everything to just go away, just leave him alone, to please just leave him to die in peace.

The man came over with another syringe, and Izuku began screaming even louder, begging him not to, terrified that this drug would make him hallucinate something even worse than what he was already seeing. But when the needle was stuck into his arm and administered into his body, he didn't feel that anguish like he felt for all the other injections. No, this serum was cold and smooth, unlike all the others, which always burned like fire when moving up his arm.

As the new serum reached his head, Izuku felt his eyelids begin to droop and his vision darken. So it was fast-acting. Fast like a snake, slithering up his veins. Fast like a spider, fast like a bug... fast like a...

What's happening? Am I...

And those were the last thoughts to leave Izuku's head before he was put to sleep.

Once the boy had finally gone silent and stopped wriggling, the man turned and walked back over to the table of supplies, shaking blood from the knife which splattered on the ground in a thin line. On his face was a frown of disappointment. "Such a shame," he muttered, and threw the knife down on the table along with the empty syringe he'd been holding in his other hand. After realizing the boy was not in the right enough mind to give him any information, he'd decided to just put him out. The screaming was really getting out of hand. Talk about a fucking headache.

He rummaged around the bottom shelf until he came out with the specific drug he was looking for, a small syringe with an ounce of clear liquid in the barrel. With a sigh, he took it to the boy and stuck it in the vein of his good arm, listening to the sound of spattering on the floor as blood continuously gushed from his arm. Midoriya was losing a lot of blood—but he wasn't allowed to die quite yet. He was needed alive for a while longer.

The man injected the serum and then stood back, watching with a sort of satisfied look on his face as the cuts he'd just been inflicted started to heal themselves at an irregular pace. First the blood stopped flowing, and the room was left silent as there was no more noise to fill it. Then the skin pinched itself together and seamed back up, leaving nothing left but drying blood and raw memories that he was sure the boy would be reliving endlessly in his nightmares for the rest of his life. The whole process took a total of two minutes.

Any wounds on his face healed, too, and that included head injuries, chipped teeth, and even fractured bones. It all healed flawlessly, leaving the kid looking good as new—well, except for the blood that had already soaked his body. That would stay there until he could get himself cleaned up.

The man almost could bring himself to feel bad for cutting the kid like that, but once he'd started screaming again, any feelings of remorse immediately flew out the window. And anyway, the cuts had looked good on him. With a body so young and good-looking, it would be a shame not to cut it up a little.

After a few minutes of cleaning up his supplies and letting the boy's body fully heal, the man unstrapped him, hefted the body over his shoulder, and then brought him back to the cell where he left him stranded in the dark. Upon leaving the small room, he placed a call to his assistants.

"Get the boy cleaned up. I want him looking fresh for our next session," he said before hanging up.

Izuku's feverish dreams were plagued with fears locked so deep in his subconscious he'd never expected them to actually come to light. Some parts of his imagination, he never wanted to uncover—and this nightmare was one of them. Izuku was sitting in that metal chair again, staring at those familiar concrete walls, with the medical table in the corner and the door to exit across from him. He was back in that room again, just like he'd been before. Only it wasn't like before.

Because this time he was surrounded by his friends and family.

"Oh, thank god," Izuku breathed. He felt hot tears of relief stinging his eyes as he looked at his mom, who was standing beside All Might, each staring at him with expressionless faces and no notions of a word on their lips. Izuku tugged on his chains, looking around at them all with pleading in his eyes: Iida, Mr. Aizawa, Asui, Denki, Mina, Kirishima, Sero, Jiro. Shoto. Uraraka. His friends. 

"Guys," Izuku said when none of them made a move to lend him a hand. "Um... could you unstrap me?"

Nobody responded. The room was silent and his ears were ringing. Was he seeing things again? Was he... awake, after all? He couldn't remember passing out, and the man wasn't here just yet. He looked at his arm. It was clean. No cuts, no blood. And his face... he didn't have any injuries there, either. Had he imagined that whole thing?

Was this real life? No, it couldn't be. How did all his friends get here in the first place? And why were they not helping him?

"Todoroki," Izuku said, leaning towards the other boy in hopes that he would gauge a reaction. "Could you please, um, use some fire to burn these straps off?"

Shoto just stared at him. He had an expressionless face, like he couldn't care less that Izuku was strapped here. That he'd been tortured here. That his blood was spilled here, in this room, where the man would surely be coming back soon.

"Quick," Izuku said, looking around at all of them with a panicked edge to him now. "He'll be coming back soon. All Might. Mom. Uraraka, Iida. Someone, please."

Nobody moved. Why was nobody moving? But Izuku soon realized—that man had brainwashed them, hadn't he? He brainwashed them to come here into Izuku's room, give him hope for escaping, and then just stand there and watch him. Stand there and stare at him, just like that man does every time Izuku cries and begs for help. Were they no better than the villain? How could they let themselves be brainwashed like that?

It was just for a moment, but deep down in Izuku's chest, he felt a twinge of something sour; something unpleasant. Worse than sadness, worse than guilt.

Betrayal. Izuku felt betrayed.

"Please," Izuku said, but his voice was only a whisper now. And that was when, one by one, his friends started to leave him.

First the ones in the back—Mina, Sero, Kirishima, Jiro. And then Denki. Then Asui. Until slowly, the room was emptying out. Everyone was leaving. Everyone but Izuku.

"Wait," Izuku called after them, fighting against his restraints. It felt like his heart was leaving with them—along with every hope he ever had about getting out of here. "Guys, wait, he's controlling you! You need to snap out of it! Snap out of it! Hey—can you hear me?!" 

Mr. Aizawa turned and left without a second glance. Following him, it was Iida. And then Uraraka, with her eyes colder than the metal which was sapping the strength from Izuku's bones, turned and left without even a word of goodbye. 

"Uraraka, wait! Stop! Please!" Izuku shouted hoarsely after her. Then, realizing she was a goner, he whipped his head around to look at the remaining three, who hadn't moved from their spots earlier. It was just Todoroki, his mom, and All Might left. They had to snap out of it. These were some of the people he trusted most in his life. Izuku couldn't let this happen. He had to get out of here.

"Mom." He looked at his mother, but she just had that same blank, mindless stare as the rest of them. Why was she being like this? His mom would never act like this. This had to be a hallucination, or a dream—but the metal of the table, the goosebumps littering his skin, the hair sticking up on his neck and the cold sweat trickling down his face—it all felt so real. He bit his tongue to see if he was dreaming, and pain shot down his throat. So he wasn't dreaming? Or maybe this was just some kind of hyper-realistic dream, amplified because of the man's drugs? 

"Please, I-I don't know what to say to snap you out of it! All Might, you can hear me, right? Please, try to remember me. It's Izuku, Midoriya Izuku. I'm your student!" He shouted, tears spilling down his cheeks and dripping from his chin. He couldn't stand this. No—he could take physical torture, he could take psychological torture—but this is where he drew the line. His friends. His family. These people, they cared for him—and somehow this guy's mind game was starting to convince him that they really couldn't care less.

"Mom, I'm your son, remember? I'm your little boy. Isn't that what you always used to say?" He cried. Everything felt too much. This was too much. "Please, snap out of it. Don't leave me!"

"Todoroki!" He exclaimed, but the three of them were already leaving. First it was All Might, who was closest to the door. Then his mom. Then Shoto. Despite his cries and pleads and shouts for them to come back, none of them even spared him another look. 

In a matter of seconds, Izuku was left alone again.

He hung his head, crying. This pain was worse than any other. 

Tears overflowed from his puffy eyes and trailed down his face, where they each ended up on his chest, turning the white fabric of his T-shirt into a light gray color. He was defeated, and he was so, so lost. If he couldn't even trust his own friends and family, why should he bother with continuing to live? Without them, everything was hopeless. Pointless. Wrong.

A few minutes later, it got to a point where the sadness in his heart was starting to feel permanent. Like when his friends walked out that door, they took his heart with them—and in its place was this cold space where the darkness could start to take over. He could feel it. The frost spreading through his chest, freezing up his blackened heart and taking away his spirit, too. He couldn't fight it. Nothing could stop it, not after he'd already been betrayed. So he just let it happen.

He thought of all the good times with his friends. Were they really going to just forget all of that? How could they? He couldn't take it. Everything was so wrong.

Izuku was about ready to give up when suddenly, without warning at all—no footsteps outside, no voices approaching—the door made that familiar clicking from across the room, and he recognized that as the sound of it opening. A second later it swung open, dragging heavily across the floor, just as he's heard it do before.

He didn't look up. It was surely the villain, coming to give him another dose of that hallucination medicine to mess him up and try to get his Quirk. The silence grew larger. Izuku just sat there and sniffled, letting the tears run down his cheeks. He didn't feel like fighting anymore. He didn't feel like losing. What was the point of trying to win if there was nothing there waiting for him on the other side?

Light footsteps got closer. Izuku prepared to be hit. He prepared to be stabbed. Whatever this cruel, unruly man had in store for him... he was ready to accept it.

But he didn't feel hands on his body, and he didn't feel any pain. Not even after a few seconds, when he was sure the man was within range.

He didn't feel any pain, no. But what he did feel was a touch on his left hand. The touch of a person, not harsh or angry. The strap on his hand was being fiddled with. In no time, the strap was loosened around his wrist, and his interest was piqued. He was able to hesitantly pull his hand out. Whoever this was, they were setting him free.

Izuku finally looked up. He was confused now. The shadow man... setting him free? But when he lifted his head and took in the features, the familiar rigid jaw and angry eyes, the calm nature and upright demeanor of the boy standing beside him, it nearly took all of the breath out of his chest—stealing the wind straight from his throat, leaving him speechless and out of air.

It was only after a few moments of staring at blond, spiky hair that he could speak again.

"Kacchan?"

The uncharacteristically-quiet blond was wearing a casual outfit—a black tee and sweatpants No hero suit. No weapons. He wasn't even wearing his boots, or his gloves, or his mask. And yet, here he was standing in front of Izuku. Setting him free. 

Katsuki had a neutral, sort-of impassive look on his face—but it was nothing like the others. No, this was just his neutral face. His normal face. He looked so strangely normal.

He still had the slightly down-turned eyebrows and almond eyes, fixed with that intensity that captures you and doesn't ever let you go, not even if you wanted to be. He still had that rough undertone in his movements, like everything he did had to be quick and efficient so as not to waste his time, which was very valuable and should be respected, as he's said before. And the most notable thing of all, and probably the most noticeable part to Izuku—he still had that gentle aspect to his face, hidden beneath the anger. The side that, even though he always tried so hard to hide by acting tough and strong, there was still there nonetheless. The vulnerable side.

Everyone had one. And though some peoples' caring side was more evident than others, there's no doubt that everyone feels it. Even the toughest, most stubborn people like Katsuki did.

Even if they always refused to show it.

Katsuki didn't speak as he moved from Izuku's wrist to his left ankle, where he started undoing the strap there, too. Izuku, coming to his senses, began fiddling with the strap on his right hand, but it was hard with only one set of fingers—especially when he was shaking so badly.

This was all so strange. He was spinning with confusion. Katsuki was here? But... How? Why? Why him? Where was everybody else? Izuku couldn't comprehend any of this, but he went along with it nonetheless. If he wanted to get out of here, that's what he needed to do. The straps on both of his ankles were undone before Izuku could even get the stupid buckle out of the loop. Katsuki walked over wordlessly to do it for him, and Izuku apologized softly. The tears were still drying on his cheeks. But Katsuki didn't respond. Why did none of them ever respond? Was Katsuki about to do the same?

Was he the same? Just another robot, another drone, another pawn under the control of the villain? Katsuki wasn't responding. He wasn't speaking. But... he was here, nonetheless. He was here helping Izuku, even when everyone else left.

Izuku was fully released. He sat up and rubbed the sore spots on his wrists, staring at Katsuki with wide eyes. Out of everyone—why was Katsuki still here? Had he not been brainwashed, too? 

Without a word, the blond turned and walked to the door, and Izuku was sure he was about to leave just like the others—but he didn't. He just stood in the doorframe and looked back at him, waiting for him to come along. 

A few seconds passed. This was all happening so casually, Izuku couldn't wrap his mind around it. Was this real?

Izuku was reeling in his own confusion as he swung his legs off the chair and planted them on the cool concrete before hoisting himself up. He felt weak, but strong enough to move on his own. He could tell by the way blood rushed to his brain that he was malnourished and definitely dehydrated. But that would all be okay if he could just get out of here. He walked slowly over to Katsuki and hesitantly looked up at him. This was all so confusing, he had no idea what was going on. Why would his mother leave him? Why would All Might leave him? Why was everybody else gone, and where did they go?

All he knew was that everyone left him—all except for Katsuki. Everyone left him, but Katsuki stayed. Kacchan was still here. 

"Kacchan," Izuku said quietly, and the feelings swelling in his chest were so strong that they almost brought him to tears. But he knew Katsuki would not appreciate that very much, so he just wrapped his arms around himself and shivered. The truth was, he was starving for warmth. Hungry for something other than a cold floor beneath his withering body. He wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around something warm, to feel the touch of another person that had nothing to do with needles or knives—he wanted nothing more than to be cared for.

But he was okay with not getting that—if he could just get out of here.

"What?" Katsuki responded almost as quietly, startling Izuku. He hadn't expected him to actually reply, and he also hadn't expected the strange feeling of relief to spread through his chest as he heard the other's voice. So Katsuki was different than the others... at least in the way of speaking. 

"Why are you here?" Izuku asked. He kept his voice low so as not to alert the villains of his escape. He peered up at Katsuki through dazed eyes. To anyone else, it would've looked like he was trying to figure out if the blond was real or not. Izuku spent the better part of a minute just staring at Katsuki, trying to figure out how he could possibly be here right now. But the other was no longer focused on him. Now he was looking out the door, maybe searching for signs of activity or keeping a lookout for any villains coming towards them. Other than that, he was managing to remain completely calm. Katsuki didn't even look worried, or angry, or happy to see Izuku at all. But... he was here. And that's all that mattered.

"Aren't you happy to see me, nerd?" Katsuki responded without even looking at him, following the period of silence that had just dragged out. Izuku had to rack his brain in order to remember even asking a question. He swallowed the lump in his throat and looked down at the ground.

"Well, yes, but... I just don't understand why everybody else left me... but you're still here."

It felt strange to talk. He hadn't spoken properly in days. Katsuki continued looking out, checking up and down the hallway repeatedly, like he was looking for something. "I think they're gone," the taller finally said, ignoring everything Izuku just got done telling him. "Let's go."

And just like that, he was moving again. Why was he so hurried? Was there a rescue team waiting for them on the other side? "Are we leaving?" Izuku asked in a rush as he followed the other out the door, stumbling over his shaky legs to keep up. But Katsuki didn't get a chance to respond, because immediately as Izuku stepped out of the room, his vision exploded with white light and he screwed his eyes shut at the brightness, giving a little cry and scrambling to cover his eyes with his hands. 

His already-aching head screamed at the sudden light, and he winced at the pain that shot through his skull. The first thing that came to mind was the villains, and that blinding light they'd used to distract him before. They'd captured Katsuki, and now they'd soon capture him, too. He was already preparing to be grabbed, planting his feet on the ground and gritting his teeth against the stabbing in his skull.

But the brightness was ephemeral, and it wasn't connected to the villains as it originally seemed. It faded back to normal in the span of a few seconds.

Swiftly as Izuku began to re-gaining his senses, he realized he was in a completely different environment. It was like he got transported into a different reality. The air became humid on his skin and, most importantly, it was warm. The warmth spread through his bones in a matter of seconds. The sound of rain pittering and pattering on a paved surface drifted to reach his ears, and it was instantly comforting. The pleasant smell of water on asphalt carried on the wind to meet his nose.

Izuku opened his eyes, looked around, and presently realized that this place looked... familiar. Neat little houses. A sky darkened and heavy with rain. Rows upon rows of street lamps, tidily-trimmed trees, and large puddles of rain. And it only took another second or two for him to recognize it as the street beside his home. The street that led to Katsuki's house. He was in the same spot he'd dreamt of last night—the place where he'd watched the two kids frolic and play in the water, where he'd taken that trip down memory lane, the same place where his brain had brought him as a last-ditch attempt to heal his broken mind.

And after Izuku came to that realization, it only took another moment to figure out, with a heavy stone of dread growing in his gut, that this whole thing—seeing his friends, being saved by Katsuki, and then walking out that door, free, ready to go home—had been a dream. All just a figment of his imagination. Another trick, just another cruel way the villain had of trying to break his mind, break his spirit. And to be honest, it would've worked. 

Izuku looked over and saw Katsuki was still beside him. He was staring at the two kids playing in the street light, completely unaffected by their sudden reality shift. The blond had that same impassive look on his face, but to Izuku, he almost looked more vulnerable in the blue light of the rainstorm. His red eyes were rigid and focused almost completely on what was ahead of him, but for some reason, and Izuku wasn't quite sure why—maybe it was just his imagination—but he looked a little less guarded than usual. Maybe it was just the lighting, or the setting they were in, but Izuku felt like he could see right through Katsuki's display of fortitude, just for a moment. 

To Izuku, even if it was only for a second, Katsuki almost looked a little sad.

Then, to Izuku's surprise, Katsuki turned those lonely crimson eyes to meet with Izuku's green ones. For a while, they just looked at each other. Waiting for something to happen. Nothing made sense, and nothing ever would. But Izuku had learned to just appreciate the small moments like these. Because any calm moment spent with Katsuki was something to be thankful for, even if it was only in a dream.

Katsuki reached out a hand. Izuku's gaze dropped to look at it after several seconds of maintaining eye contact, and that feeling of surprise returned again. Katsuki was reaching out a hand, as if for Izuku to take it. 

For a solid few moments, he just stared. Neither of them moved. The sound of rain was the only thing keeping Izuku grounded. And the only thing he could look at was that hand, reaching out to him, begging to be taken. Only for a few moments, he couldn't. He was too stunned. Katsuki wanted to take his hand. For a while, he just couldn't bring himself to fall for something like that. He really just couldn't believe it.

But after a while, as Katsuki refused to put his hand down even when Izuku remained motionless, his curiosity got the better of him. That once-overwhelming disorderly feeling came to pass.

Nothing made sense, and nothing ever would.

Izuku took his hand and everything went dark.

When he woke up, he was back in that cell again. His wounds were healed. For some reason, he was still alive. 

He ran his fingers along his forearm, lost at how his cuts were already healed. He could still remember the feeling of the knife cutting through his skin. Yes, that memory was thoroughly burned into his brain. But somehow, he didn't even have any evidence of it on his body.

As he re-adjusted to reality, he tried not to think too deeply about the past night's dreams. It made him too sad to think about. Eventually, he realized there were two water bottles to the right of him, along with some small crunchy things strewn across the ground. Popcorn, he realized as he turned one in his hand. The villains had given him water... and popcorn. He gratefully chugged one of the water bottles but saved the other one, not knowing how common a gift like this would be. He thought popcorn was a strange choice of food to be given, but honestly, he didn't think much of it. These villains were strange, and that was that. It was becoming a normal occurrence for him to feel weirded out.

After drinking the water, he sat with his back against the wall, holding a piece of popcorn between his fingers. It'd been on the floor for hours and was surely covered with germs. Knowing the villains, it might as well have been poisoned. But as Izuku's stomach continued to grumble and growl, screaming at him for some nutrition, no matter how small, he let his hunger get the best of him. Izuku lifted the morsel to his chapped lips and ate it.

It was crunchy, but otherwise just tasted like normal popcorn. How strange, he thought. I must be going crazy. At this point he didn't care if he got sick, so he just continued eating the popcorn, stacking them into a pile and making sure to savor them. He probably wouldn't get chances like this very often, so he ate half now and decided to save half for later. It didn't make much of a difference to his empty stomach, but it was refreshing to get something in his system again. He also had to go to the bathroom.

Thirty minutes later, Izuku heard footsteps approaching from outside and immediately jumped to his feet, holding a hand over his eyes in preparation for the blinding light that had become a tradition whenever the door was opened. But when the door clicked open this time, he was surprised by no bright light—and no footsteps rushing inside to grab him, either. Actually, Izuku was surprised by a whole lot of silence when that door opened, which was strange in comparison to all the other times he'd been taken away, where it'd been a whole hassle to get him pinned against the wall, cuffed, and then bagged.

Izuku hesitantly removed his hand from over his eyes, expecting it to be some sort of trick—but it wasn't. When he opened his eyes, he could see a dark figure in the door. It was the shadow man, and he was staring at Izuku's stock of food and water with raised eyebrows. Izuku was expecting him to get angry. He expected to get his resources taken away, and immediately regretted not ingesting it all right away. Why would he trust the villains to actually give him something that he could keep?

But to his further surprise, the man's face just twisted into a look of disgust. He didn't look angry, or annoyed, or even hostile. He just looked... disgusted.

"Why do you have a pile of cockroaches?" He asked, and then pointed at Izuku's pile of popcorn.

Popcorn.

Izuku looked down with clenched teeth, suddenly not so confident about what he might find piled there beside his water. He dropped his gaze... and instantly his stomach churned with disgust. He felt like vomiting. Because right there on the ground was a pile of dead roaches.

He'd been eating those.

How could he have mistaken those for popcorn? Even while he was chomping down on them? How could he... how could his brain have...

And that was when Izuku realized. He was going crazy, wasn't he.

"Don't tell me you were eating those," the man added wryly. He was still standing in the doorway, blocking off Izuku's exit but not making a move to detain him just yet. Izuku wondered if the absence of the sidekicks was because Izuku had gotten weak enough to not pose a problem. He was dismayed at that thought.

"I see my assistants left you some water like I asked them. They were supposed to give you something to eat, too—I guess they must've given you some of the snakes' food. Cruel."

Izuku was shaking now. Yes. That was cruel.

"Anyway," the man continued after a moment, "I came here to give you a little break. You get to take a trip to the bathroom, and then we're going to get lunch. The only catch is that you have to wear these." He pulled a pair of handcuffs out of his pocket. The man put on a fake apologetic face. "Just a precaution, you see. I can't have you making a run for it and somehow escaping."

Izuku didn't move. Sure, a bathroom break and lunch sounded good—but he didn't trust this guy one bit. Of course he didn't. 

The man watched him for a solid half a minute, probably deciding whether or not to try reasoning with him again. Izuku was sure he’d get mad. Any second now, an angry scowl would wash over his face, and Izuku would be dragged out of here and back to that dreaded room, where he’d be beaten and tortured because the man didn’t like his attitude.

But that didn’t happen. Eventually, the man decided on something and gave a sigh. He slowly entered the room and stepped closer to Izuku, dangling the cuffs with one finger. It made a rattling sound in the quiet air. "Look, I know you don't trust me, but I swear I'm not lying. I'm feeling extra nice today, so don't ruin my mood. Bathroom, then lunch. Unless you want me to just leave you here?"

The room was so quiet it was almost deafening. Izuku tried to settle on something, but he was very indecisive. He wanted some real food, and his bladder was screaming at him to comply. But on the other hand, wanted to remain strong. He didn't want to give in to this guy. It was probably all a trick, anyway. 

After a few seconds, the man sighed again and reached into one of his back pockets to fiddle with something plastic that Izuku could hear. He pulled out a bag of potato chips. "I figured you'd be hesitant, so I brought some chips to convince you."

Izuku's eyes narrowed, not out of anger but out of sheer confusion. Why was this guy trying to act so nice all of a sudden? Was it because he realized Izuku wasn't going to talk while being tortured, so he was trying to bribe the information out of him? He scoffed inwardly. Well, that wasn't going to happen. But the prospect of food right in front of him was a little too tempting. And besides, at this point he was finding it hard to even care anymore. If this was a trap—and he was getting the feeling that it wasn't—he just didn't care anymore. There wasn't anything this man could do to him that would mess him up more than he already was. 

Izuku allowed himself to be cuffed, and the man kept praising him weirdly as he was given the chips and then forced to leave the room. This time, instead of going straight down the hallway, they turned right and the man led them both through a short hallway to a bigger room—a cafeteria. It was a short walk. As Izuku stuffed his face with chips and followed close behind the man per his orders, he never stopped looking around. Searching for things, objects or doors or windows, that might aid him if he got the opportunity to escape. He took note of all these things and mapped out the area in his brain, making sure to never forget them. 

A door with an exit sign was on one side of the room, and on the other side, there was a fire escape. On the ceiling, there was a skylight. He noticed a pinboard filled with tacks, a dartboard on the other side of the room, and even took note of a stray plastic fork on the ground. But even if he did manage to escape for a minute or two, where would he even go? He was on a giant steamboat filled to the brim with villains, monsters, all of the above. And around him, miles and miles of water. He was in the middle of the ocean. And without a Quirk, he had no way to survive it. He was screwed, he knew that—but it was at least a good idea to take note of his surroundings. Just in case a miracle happened.

He was taken to the bathroom, which consisted of a single urinal and a toilet. The man stood outside the whole time with his ear to the door, so Izuku had a minute tops to try and come up with something as he relieved himself. But there was really nothing for him to do, and it wasn't worth the risk trying to climb out the window—which he would have to break, somehow squeeze himself through, and then attempt at making a run for it outside, all over the course of like ten seconds before the man could react and try to stop him. So honestly, he didn't bother.

After he washed his hands, which felt strangely good after not being able to do it for the past however long he's been here, Izuku was brought to the center of the cafeteria and told to sit at one of the tables. So he did. Izuku put his hands in his lap and looked up at the man. He still had a hard expression on his face, making sure not to grace the man with a smile or thankful look, but he did give him some eye contact. The man smiled at him but remained standing. "I'll get you a plate of food," he said pleasantly, and Izuku didn't respond as he turned and walked away.

Once the man was gone, he could look around in peace. The place was filthy, constructed mostly out of concrete or metal, with trash or leftover food just pushed off into the corners of the room instead of being cleaned up. And another thing he realized, the whole place was noticeably empty. There were no other people in the room, and Izuku couldn't see anyone passing through hallways, or even milling around outside on the deck, which he had a clear sight of through a nearby window. So... where was everybody? The only other person in this room aside from Izuku and the shadow man was a gruff-looking guy in a white apron behind the kitchen counter, handing the shadow man a plate of mushy food. That was it.

The shadow man returned and sat down a little too comfortably next to Izuku, sliding him a plate of muddy-looking pasta and some peas. "How appetizing is that, huh?" The guy asked with a scoff. "I hate the menu here. Everything tastes like dog food. But how can I complain when I was able to rent this thing for only 700,000 yen? It was a great deal."

Izuku just sat there silently as he was talked to. The food didn't look appetizing, the man was right about that. And he didn't even get a fork. How in the world was he supposed to eat it?

"I guess you're looking for a fork, huh?" The man asked after a few moments of awkward silence, as if reading Izuku's thoughts. "Well, I'm sorry, but I don't really trust you not to turn and stab me with it, so you'll have to just use your hands."

Heat flared in Izuku's gut. Of course he would say that. Just another way to subtly humiliate him—forcing him to eat with his hands. He wasn't going to eat at all until the man spoke again. "You know, if you don't take my generosity now, you're going to regret it later. The reason I'm giving you a damn meal right now is because your body is going to deteriorate from all these serums without nutrition. And by deteriorate, I mean rot from the inside out. So unless you feel like having your organs start to decay while you're still alive, I'd suggest you eat the goddamn pasta."

Izuku drew a long-winded sigh, clenching his fists under the table. That threat made him nervous, and part of him suspected it wasn't entirely true—but nonetheless, he didn't feel like testing it. After a few moments of hesitation, he reluctantly wrapped his fingers around a few slimy noodles and started digging in, slowly but surely. It was demeaning, and the food tasted like cardboard. But at the end of the day, food is food. And Izuku didn't really feel like losing his organs.

Five minutes later, Izuku was only halfway through his plate, and neither of them had spoken a word. He was going purposefully slow to draw this out. The new view was welcomed after being forced to stare at black walls and concrete for so long. He enjoyed the sight of the gray ocean waves rolling outside, and though there weren't any people to watch on the deck, he could still observe it. He was also aware of the man staring at him as he ate. He hated being watched. He tried to just ignore the prying eyes, but it grew more annoying by the second.

A few more minutes later, he was nearly done with his food. Seeing this, the man straightened his back and cleared his throat. Izuku didn't spare him a second glance as he started talking. "So, Izuku," he began, immediately starting off on a sour note by using his first name, "the real reason I brought you here—aside from giving you a nice meal, of course—is because I thought it would be a great way to get you to open up about some of the information I've asked you. At least, that's what I was hoping," he said.

Izuku paused mid-chew. Was this guy seriously so delusional? Instead of responding, Izuku continued eating. Silently. He tried to make it obvious that he wasn't going to say anything by turning his head away, but the guy unfortunately didn't get the hint.

"In case you've forgotten," he continued, "a few of the questions I asked were: how did All Might give you his Quirk? Is it possible to be passed to someone else? And if so, what's the best way to do it?"

Izuku ignored him, and he could even feel annoyance start to bubble under his skin. How could he ask those questions with a straight face and expect an actual answer? Izuku would never give that kind of information up. So why the hell would this guy be under the impression that he would give it up now?

The man gave him about thirty seconds to respond before he was aggressively standing up and pulling Izuku to his feet by the elbow, an angry look on his face. "Fine then. You want to be difficult? I'll make things difficult."

Izuku was pulled to his feet and instantly his mind flitted around to look around for an escape. He'd noticed a plastic knife on the ground under the table while he was eating, so thinking quickly, he decided to make one last desperate attempt to get it. Izuku tripped himself on a leg of the table and fell heavily to the ground, breaking from the man's grip and making a commotion by rattling the creaky tables with his collapse. Quickly, while the man was distracted and he was under the cover of the table's surface for a second, his hands shot out and made a scrambled grab for the knife.

He got a hold of it. And as he was quickly yanked back to his feet, he shoved it under the strap of his boxers in one swift moment. 

"What the hell are you doing?" The man barked, but Izuku had sold his performance well enough for the man to just think he tripped. "Get off your ass. You're going back to that cell."

"Let go of me!" Izuku exclaimed, fighting against his restraints. The man was holding on to the chains of his cuffs and guiding him back toward the cell. It wouldn't be a very stellar performance if he just let himself be taken.

"Don't fight me, brat!" The man exclaimed, and in an instant, an open-fisted hand sailed down and slapped Izuku hard across the face. His cheek was tingling and numb all the way back to the cell, where the man shoved him inside and roughly pulled something else out of his pocket. A syringe.

Izuku fought it as the man pinned his arms and legs down and then injected the serum into his neck. Izuku recognized the color of the serum—a milky blue color—as the Quirk erasing serum, so he didn't fight it as hard as he would've if it was the hallucination serum.

Once the man was done, he uncuffed Izuku, kicked his remaining water bottle so hard that it exploded against the wall, and then slammed the door, ignoring the shouts and curses of anger following him. But Izuku didn't feel the need to fight for long. He was angry, but the feeling of fulfillment greatly overshadowed that. He now had a weapon. A plastic knife.

He slowly pulled the plastic piece of cutlery out of his pocket and gazed at it in the nonexistent light. He could only barely make out an outline if he moved it back and forth in front of his eyes, but that was enough to see that it was real. He hadn't imagined it. This small utensil would be the key point of his next plan, the one which he was yet to come up with. But he knew it would be critical for his escape. Izuku sat with the knife cradled close to his chest, facing away from the door so that if the villain came in he wouldn't see it. He held on to that thing like it was his lifeline. Which, to be fair, it probably was—especially with the way things were going currently.

For a while, he was unable to sleep, so he was left alone with his thoughts. He thought about how much he hated these walls. He's been forced to look at them for so long, he was starting to get used to them—and that was what really scared him. Getting used to this place. Making this his new reality. No, this wasn't reality. This was just a bad dream.

He hated the fact that he was feeling better after the meal he was given. Terrible as it was, he was completely reliant on the villains for survival right now. But on the other side of that, Izuku could use his usefulness to his own advantage. As far as he was concerned, as long as he refused to give him what he wanted, the villain was forced to keep him alive. Izuku just wondered how long it would take for the man's patience to run out.

A large portion of his thinking time was spent reminiscing about his most recent dream. It had been so sweet, so relieving—and yet, so obviously fake. It made him wonder just how gullible he was to even consider something so ridiculous. Or maybe his mind was just grasping for something to believe in, and that dream had come along at the perfect time. But his confusion about the dream did not outweigh his bewilderment. Just the fact that all of his friends and family had left him—including his mother, the one who cared for him throughout his entire childhood, and All Might, his mentor and predecessor. It completely stumped him. Them along with the majority of his class, including Shoto and Uraraka, who were two of his closest friends throughout High School. The logic here was nonexistent. They would never leave him like that, never in a million years. He knew this.

But possibly the most baffling part of this was his dream's choice in protagonist. 

He wished so badly that it made sense. He tried to think of all the possible reasons why Katsuki was the one to save him, but all he could come up with were impossible. Katsuki cares about him more than he cares about anyone else? Yeah, right. Izuku was good friends with Katsuki, and sure they cared about each other, but having an idea like that was just wishful thinking. Katsuki didn't care about him any more than he cared about Kirishima or Shoto. 

On the flip side of that, maybe Izuku cared about Katsuki more than he cared about any of his other classmates. That was, to Izuku's shame, the most likely option. He'd always been particularly interested in Katsuki's life, especially as kids. Izuku spent his younger days following Katsuki around everywhere, to the point where people would notice and point it out if they weren't together. Izuku had always been enamored by him. His tremendous strength and resolve, his self-confidence even in times of difficulty, his persistence even if the problem was insurmountable, his tenacity even if his goal seemed unattainable. Izuku would always be looking up to Katsuki for those qualities.

Of course there were his downsides, too. Katsuki was sometimes so stubborn it made you feel like you'd be better off trying to argue with a rock. Other times, he got so angry that you'd be afraid he was about to murder you. There was his superiority complex which he refused to address, his complete disregard for human emotions at times, a sizeable amount of arrogance to draw from, and of course his egotistical side which Izuku didn't really care to go into (because it would take too long). But it all sort of tied into his overall lack of care about what he said or did.

Katsuki was an enigmatic nightmare that Izuku spent his life trying to understand—and still didn't. And he didn't think he ever would, especially if Katsuki continued to close himself off from others and hide under that thick layer of anger and indifference that he forced himself to live by. If Katsuki continued to live how he did now, nobody would ever understand him—at least, not until he gets more mature with age, or finds the right person to open himself up to later in life.

Izuku hated the thought of it, but all his life, he'd wanted to be that person. He wanted to be the person closest to Katsuki, the person he trusted enough to actually have a conversation in an authentic, non-threatening way, the one who Katsuki could rely on and trust and believe in and care about. After all this time, even if the thought was only a pea-sized shadow in the back of his mind, he was always thinking about it to some degree. And like he said: he hated it.

He feared Katsuki would never open up to him. Even though they had a surface-level connection, they would never have that deeper, long-lasting connection that Izuku was always searching for. Because Katsuki never opened up. And Izuku could never force him to.

This higher-level thinking soon transitioned into something easily digestible as he grew more sleepy. His brain switched to relive some good memories, one of them being from his childhood. He was four at the time. He and Katsuki used to spend loads of time and energy hunting frogs in the pond beside the park. They'd gather up the materials—fishing nets, tupperware to store the frogs, dead flies found in the windowsill (they later found out that frogs don't eat dead flies), and of course, full body rain suits. They'd always end up taking off their coats because they got too hot, and then their shirts would be soaked from splashing around in the muddy water.

The first time they went, they forgot to poke holes in the top of the tupperware, so they ended up with a pair of very stinky, very dead frogs at the end of the day. They learned from that mistake. The second time they went, with holes poked through the lid of their tupperware courtesy of Katsuki's dad, they caught two more frogs, put them in the container, gave them food and water, treated them with the utmost care—and then accidentally forgot it somewhere out in the woods in their rush to get home for dinner. After that, they pretty much ditched the tupperware idea and continued on with a catch-and-release sort of thing.

Izuku smiled softly to himself while alone in his dark cell. He thought of times with his other friends, too—getting soba for lunch with Shoto, going on walks for ice cream with Uraraka, the informational training sessions with Iida. But they didn't hold the same meaning in his heart as the memories with Katsuki did. Any time spent with him was treasured because of how rare the occasion came. But still, he missed his friends more than anything.

Three days passed. Izuku only knew this because he'd learned the villain's daily cycle. He would come in, cuff Izuku, inject him with the Quirk-weakening serum, bring him to that frightful room. Then he'd play around with him a while, ask him questions, get no result, and start punching away. Inevitably, the knife would end their session. Any limb on Izuku's body was up for carving. Until recently it was only his forearms and shoulders, but with the most recent torture session, the villain had gouged a big hole into the artery in his leg. There was a blood fountain spouting from the wound until Izuku passed out, and then the guy healed him using that serum and sent him back on his way.

He also got fed once in a while, but it was never like it was before. He never went to the lunch room again, no chips or pasta or even wrinkly peas. He got dog food. Literal dog food. 

As you can imagine, a routine like this can start to have an effect on someone pretty quickly, physically and mentally. Izuku was constantly seeing things. Even without the hallucination drug immediately in his system, he was seeing things. The constant visions were starting to make him think that the drug never really left his mind.

His stomach was always rumbling. His throat was dry as a desert. His head was a continuous painful, throbbing, ringing mess. Whenever he shut his eyelids, he was afraid, but not because he thought he was going to die. His dreams were always so detailed and disturbing that he had a hard time believing they stemmed from his own subconscious. One time he'd dreamt that he was home safe in his bed, enjoying a volume of All Might comics with a warm bowl of his mother's curry nestled in his lap. It was a cruel realization when upon waking, he remembered he was not safe, and he was not at home. His mother was nowhere near him and he might never see her again. Another time he'd been subject to a nightmare so bloodcurdling that he'd been happy to wake up. The image of his friends and family, strung up on wires and barbs and then disemboweled right in front of his very eyes, was not something he ever wanted to remember.

Izuku was feeling a little crazier with every day that passed. He was running out of time.

One thing he'd managed to track over the past few days was this feeling of weakness that seemed to come and pass at random. Only, Izuku began to figure out—it wasn't at random. Every time the man came in here with the Quirk erasing serum and injected him, that weak feeling returned. And each time he's about to get injected is when he feels at his strongest. Izuku still had that butter knife from three days ago, only because he'd managed to shove it into a crack in the corner of the room so the man couldn't see it when he came in.

So, with the butter knife and Quirk-weakening serum in mind, Izuku devised a plan. 

He sat silently with his back against the wall, hugging his knees to his chest and tapping the butter knife on the side of his ankle as he pondered this new idea. He weighed the pros and cons. The best-case scenario: he manages to escape. He finds his hero gear, gets a hold of his phone, and contacts Mr. Aizawa to come and rescue him as quickly as possible. Mr. Aizawa now knows his location and knows he needs help right away. He gets re-captured, and then he gets tortured. But it's worth it because a group of heroes comes and saves him by the end of the night. Done deal.

And then, there was the worst-case scenario. Izuku manages to escape. He gets cornered before he can find his gear, and then he gets brought to that room and is tortured again. The villain would be mad. Very mad. Izuku would probably get a good beating and a decent amount of suffering, but the man wouldn't kill him because he still wants his Quirk. 

Izuku knew which one he wanted to pick. There was no way he was getting out of here if he wasn't willing to take risks.

His plan was this. He waits patiently for the man to return, and then right when he opens the door, before the man can get a chance to inject him or even get a good look at him, Izuku plunges the knife through one of his eyes and makes a run for it. He'd take a right to the cafeteria, and then take that door with the exit sign to get to the deck. If he had enough time, he could even grab a few darts from that dart board on the far wall to use as weapons—but that wasn't necessary. On the deck, he'd be able to find a door that leads to somewhere else where he could hide. That should leave him free for roughly two to five minutes as the villains have to re-group and order themselves to find him again. 

In that short break of time, he could find his hero suit below deck, get into contact with Mr. Aizawa, and hide until he inevitably gets found again. But the intense torture that'd ensue would all be worth it. If he could just tell Mr. Aizawa his location, tell him he needs help. He could trust Mr. Aizawa to get him out of here. He could trust him. He'd have to trust him.

Izuku sat still with his spine pressed against the cold wall. He would sit in this position for as long as was needed to not fall asleep. Whatever he wanted to do, he just couldn't fall asleep. The villain would be coming soon. And if he was caught sleeping, the plan would be a bust. He had to be upright and ready for this. 

He had nothing left to lose. And although this whole thing might've seemed like a desperate attempt at escape, bred in the depths of his mind after days of darkness and hallucinations and silence spent with his own gruesome thoughts, Izuku couldn't bring himself to care. He was desperate.

He was about to do whatever he could to try and get out of this place. 

Chapter Text

Shoto heaved a sigh as he swept a stray hair out of his eye, staring up at the eggshell-white ceiling with an insurmountable pit of boredom growing in his stomach. After a two-hour sparring session with Katsuki, he'd actually managed to find some peace within himself for a while. He'd been able to chase the bad thoughts and pestering lethargy away. For a while, he'd actually been able to sit in peace. No sleeping, no moving. Just waiting.

But that was two hours ago. Now, he was back to being bored, even despite the stinging in his cheek from one of Katsuki's explosions and the exhaustion growing heavy on his eyelids. Usually, he would have no reason to be bored. Usually he would always have something to do, and he would never be forced to sit like this, lying in wait. 

But today was one of those days where you just can't really do anything.

It was the day after he, Katsuki, and their other classmates had gone against the rules and found that crucial piece of evidence—a phone—at the dock. The Pros and teachers took a look at it, called a meeting, and then decided to send some scouts to look for the boat. However, they'd decided simultaneously that they wouldn't form an attack until the scouts came back with valuable information about the villains' ammunition and sources of power. Endeavor—the new head of the operation, according to Mr. Aizawa—had an agenda of getting this done without losing any heroes. 

Shoto didn't like this plan very much, and he made that very clear to his father, who, per usual, didn't care about his opinion. He didn't like it because no matter how Endeavor wanted to go about the scouting, it would always end up adding about two days before they actually gathered enough evidence to attack the boat. Five days had already passed since Izuku was kidnapped. Adding another two would make seven. A whole week. Who knows what those villains could do to him within the span of a week?

Five days was already too much, and adding two more could be detrimental to Izuku's life. Shoto was baffled by how nobody seemed to realize that. And he figured that was partly because they’d never been forced to actually interact with the villains. Endeavor had never fought these guys. He never stood face-to-face with one of them, gambling for his life; he never was forced to listen to the villain speak, the voice like liquid poison in your ear, seeping into your brain and making you want to believe anything and everything he’s saying. Endeavor never heard the cold edge to that man's voice. The cold edge saying that he didn't give a damn for anything related to human life—he only cared about his experiments, his drugs, his revenge. 

That man couldn't care less if Izuku died. He's the type of guy to kick a puppy and laugh. No—he was the type of guy to throw a puppy off of a building and go to sleep that night with a crystal-clear conscience. 

Those kinds of villains were the scariest.

As a result of this whole experience, he and Katsuki found themselves hanging out more and more. Usually it was either to complain about the heroes' plan or to train to the point of passing out. But it was comforting to know there's someone else in the world who's feeling the same things as you. Although Shoto might not agree with everything Katsuki says—he might not agree with a lot of things that Katsuki says—he still trusts him more than anyone.

Katsuki is probably one of the most reliable people Shoto's ever met, even if he doesn't seem like that kind of guy right off the bat. He was extremely dependable. If Shoto for some reason came to his door in the middle of the night and asked to do some training, Katsuki would do it, no matter how tired or annoyed it made him. And he was honest, too. It was known by everyone how Katsuki isn't afraid to make his feelings clear. A straightforward personality like that is, for the most part, easy to work around and become accustomed to.

Shoto enjoyed his time with Katsuki, especially when they could just sit together in silence, like they were now. Katsuki was sitting across the room from him in an armchair, doing something on his phone. Because the room was so quiet, the former had to glance at him every so often to make sure he was still there. Katsuki could sometimes be quiet, and to Shoto, that was the best side of him.

Shoto was never one for confrontation. In fact, he hated it. Harassment. Arguments. Insults. Verbal fights. He'd never been good with managing those things, especially being such an introverted kid. If he ever got into fights with the neighborhood kids, he would just try to walk away instead of responding, mostly because he had no taste for trying to win an argument. This resulted in kids rarely conversing with him, which for the most part, he liked. He liked that nobody tried to pick on him. But what he didn't like was the loneliness that came with this side of his personality.

Because of this deep-rooted introvert in his brain, Shoto sometimes got overwhelmed by Katsuki, which was one downside of their friendship. Katsuki, who was so boisterous, confident, self-assured, and angry all the time, sometimes got into Shoto's inner space and started to rattle him. He'd get defensive. Nervous. But Katsuki would never know this because Shoto was exceptionally good at hiding it. 

Whenever this happened, Shoto would have to walk away—or else he might snap. He hated when that happened. An example of this is yesterday when, late at night, after the heroes meeting with Endeavor and Aizawa, Katsuki had gotten mad and started turning on everyone. Shoto knew it wasn't his fault for getting angry. Everyone was. But Shoto had been in an emotionally vulnerable state at that time, so he ended up snapping at Katsuki and pushing him away. Shoto got too angry and said something he shouldn't have. And then he'd watched the look of realization pass Katsuki's face as he understood what he'd done.

He was pushing everyone away.

Then Katsuki left. Shoto hadn't tried to stop him, because after all, what was the point? Whatever Katsuki wanted, he was going to get it. Nobody saw him for the rest of the night. Shoto was starting to get worried until the next morning he came back looking dazed and exhausted, stumbled up to his room, and crashed for five hours before joining the group once more. Nobody asked him where he went, or why he left. He didn't seem like he wanted to talk about it. 

And so, it was still unknown to Shoto why he left. He just hoped it wasn't because of what he said. Get a hold of yourself, or nobody's going to be on your side anymore! The words were definitely not kind, but they were true. Sometimes, working with Katsuki was just unbearable. He needed someone to give him a reminder—or somebody to knock his confidence bar down a peg. 

Anyway, it seemed like Katsuki had forgotten all about that now. As they sat across the room from each other, waiting for the pro heroes to let them in on what was happening, Shoto was in the process of letting his mind wander. He didn’t think about anything important. Maybe his thoughts drifted off to his siblings to wonder what they were doing; or maybe he let himself worry about his dad, who was bearing the weight of the world on his shoulders with all the villainy going around. It was a tough job, being the Number One Hero. Shoto knew that.

Thoughts about Izuku were to be avoided at any cost. Shoto couldn’t handle it right now, and he was getting sick of the worry that carved a gaping hole into his chest whenever he thought about his friend. Nothing good would come from thinking about it. So he tried to keep those thoughts at bay.

Everyone was worried about Izuku. It was all his classmates could talk about. Although their classes were postponed until the apprehending of the villains, that didn’t stop any of them from grouping up and talking about it. Word spread like wildfire around here. Within an hour of Shoto, Katsuki, and the others returning with the phone, everybody knew what was happening. And then the same thing again when Katsuki left the dorm for his late-night walk. Shoto thought that everyone would be sleeping, but he was immediately proven wrong when ten minutes after retreating to his room, Kirishima and Mina were there knocking on his door asking where Katsuki was.

Why weren’t they asleep? He didn’t know. Why were they immediately asking about Katsuki, who was, at the moment, gone? He had no idea. But it was honestly creepy how fast the word spread around here.

Everyone was worried about Izuku. Denki, Tsu, Aoyama, Mina, Kirishima—all of their classmates. Nobody ever stopped talking about it. Izuku’s name was always floating around. One of the biggest culprits of this was Uraraka. She seemed to worry so much that no matter what kind of conversation you’re having with her to begin with, she’d always find a way to bring it up. Izuku was constantly on her mind, and constantly a topic of conversation. It wasn’t her fault. And he didn’t blame her for it. But sometimes it could get a little repetitive. Shoto felt bad. She seemed to be taking it pretty hard.

But out of everybody—all of their classmates, friends, and even teachers, even including Shoto himself—he didn’t think anyone was taking it as badly as Katsuki was.

The first thing he started noticing was how snappy Katsuki had become. Every time someone said his name, it was always “What the fuck do you want?” or “Leave me the fuck alone.” His usage of swear words had increased. Now it wasn’t as if Katsuki was a very clean person in terms of swearing before this, but without anyone there to remind him to be civil, he’d become a real foul-mouth.

The second thing he started to notice, and it came almost accordingly with the snappiness, was the constant forlorn look in his eyes, especially if the two of them were sitting in silence for a long period of time. Like something was pestering him deep in his mind, but he refused to say it aloud. It’d become a recurrent thing that even Shoto, dense as he was, started to see. Whenever anyone, including Shoto, tried asking him about it—What are you thinking about? Are you okay? Why do you have that look on your face?—The look would immediately be replaced with anger, and Katsuki would snap at him and tell him to go away.

Shoto knew he didn’t mean it. Katsuki didn’t want him to actually go away. That was just his special way of saying I don’t want to talk about it. And for the most part, Shoto was able to respect that, and maintain his boundaries. He wasn’t an open person. Shoto, himself, was never very talkative when it came to his feelings. But still…that sad, buried look never went away. And they were friends, after all. Katsuki was one of his closest friends. He cared about him, and he didn’t want him to be in pain. So it was hard to see him like this and not be able to do anything about it. Not even the people in his friend group, like Kirishima or Mina, could seem to get through to him about it. He was very closed off. Inaccessible.

However, even while keeping this forlorn look in mind—Shoto often found himself pondering if Katsuki was even aware of his own sadness.

If Shoto ever asked him about Izuku, Katsuki would always respond with something like “He’s not my friend,” or “I don’t care about him.” And then he’d make up an excuse to why he’s been so dejected lately. Something like, “I’m just annoyed ‘cuz we lost to the villains,” or “I’m not sad. That’s just my resting face, you prick.”

Shoto found himself in a constant state of confusion when it came to Katsuki. Because if he looked at it from an outside perspective, he would think that Katsuki was the most worried about Izuku. But on the other hand, knowing the history between those two, it was hard to make that distinction. The distinction between worry and annoyance. Katsuki sure seemed worried. And Shoto knew that he cared about Izuku. But his consistent denial was almost enough to make everyone else believe otherwise.

The third thing Shoto had really began picking up on for the past few days was Katsuki’s lack of food intake. On more than one occasion, the class would be eating a meal in the common area, and the only person missing would be Katsuki. He’d be in the training room, sweaty and blasting music, off in his own little world, not even caring enough to go to the kitchen and get himself a plate. Shoto was usually able to force some food into him, but most of the time he just didn’t seem interested.

So he was neglecting his health, pushing himself to the point of absolute exhaustion, and taking great lengths to avoid his classmates (the only exception being Shoto, thankfully). As one of Katsuki’s friends, this was all becoming pretty worrisome.

He still remembered vividly this afternoon when he’d gone to the training room in search of Katsuki, hoping to join in on whatever he was doing—only to find him passed out on the concrete floor, soaked head-to-toe in sweat and breathing at a rapid pace. His eyes were flitting underneath his eyelids, as if he were having a nightmare. Shoto panicked and instantly started shaking him, thinking Shit, he’s finally done it. He finally worked himself into a coma. But Katsuki woke up seconds later, and he was quick to start yelling at Shoto for waking him from his “nap,” which they both knew was a lie. Who the hell naps on a concrete floor? Katsuki must’ve passed out and was just too proud to admit it.

But no matter how mad he tried to make himself, Shoto wouldn’t forget that horrified look in Katsuki’s eyes for a split second after he’d opened them.

It must’ve been a pretty terrifying dream.

He thought about consulting Katsuki about his sudden self-sacrificial behavior, but doing that would only push him farther away. Not even Mr. Aizawa or All Might could reach him, or even talk to him without him storming off. It was childish, annoying, and senseless every time he did it—but Katsuki didn’t care. He’d stopped caring. And Shoto only knew that because he told him.

“Honestly, Todoroki, I just don’t give a fuck anymore,” Katsuki said to Shoto, both of them walking away from the training area and entering the locker rooms to get changed. This was earlier today, after the two-hour long sparring session he’d mentioned before. One of the only times he could get Katsuki to open up was after an intense workout, while his endorphins were still pumping and he was more fluid with what was on his mind.

“I’ve tried and tried to care, but everything just feels so… wrong all the time. Like nothing I do is right. And It’ll never be the same again.”

Katsuki spoke in a casual tone, but hearing his words, Shoto was immediately alarmed. He had no idea that Katsuki was so affected. I mean, obviously there was the stuff on the outside, like his irritability and the overworking and the social deprivation—but it was always hard to tell exactly how Katsuki was feeling or what he was thinking. And it was impossible to tell the extent of what was going on in his head.

Losing Izuku had done a number on him, though he didn’t think Katsuki was even aware of that. And he would sure as hell never admit it.

And finally, after they finished their sparring session, Shoto and Katsuki entered this room, where they’ve been sitting for the better part of two hours now. They’ve had nothing else to do. In the room beside this one, a group of heroes and teachers including All Might were keeping direct contact with Hawks—who was currently flying across the Pacific Ocean, hoping to find a boat along the route they'd hacked on the phone. Mr. Aizawa was currently gone, temporarily running Hawks's agency while he did this. Shoto was expecting an update any minute now. All Might had been updating him via text messages every ten minutes, or every time something big happened. Shoto, in turn, would update Katsuki. But he hadn't heard from their teacher in... he cast a quick glance at his phone... twelve minutes now. Was nothing happening? Or was something so big happening that All Might hadn't gotten the chance to text him yet?

As he was busy pondering this, there was suddenly a noise from the next room over—it sounded like a bang on the wall—and Katsuki and Shoto both jumped to their feet, instantly alert. They looked towards the door as the handle rattled and then flung open. It revealed All Might, who had wide eyes and an excited expression. The look of good news on his face made Shoto's heart leap into his throat, and All Might surveyed them both for a moment before speaking in a breathless tone.

"We found him."

The two boys immediately raced for the door to see for themselves, and naturally, Katsuki shoved past Shoto to enter before him. Shoto didn't think much of it. His mind was too clouded with excitement.

All Might stepped aside to let them pass soon they were entering a large comms room, filled with computers, people, and a chorus of hushed voices. This was one of the many rooms they'd passed through yesterday while trying to get to De-Coding. Only this time, Shoto didn't stop to admire all the bright, luminescent screens, or the intricate tasks that each person had been assigned. He and Katsuki rushed over to the computer with the most people surrounding it, and pushed through the crowd of adults until they could see what was happening.

Sitting in a chair facing a large computer screen was a middle-aged man with short hair and a big headset covering most of the side of his face. He was talking into the mic with a solemn expression. Shoto looked past him to see the screen, which projected a birds-eye view of a decent-sized steamboat, chugging its way through crashing waves and whipping winds. It was spewing pale-colored steam from two smokestacks, and though the quality of the video was pretty rough, Shoto could tell it was moving at high speeds.

Was Izuku really in there?

"...Spotted me... Don't think I... Much longer..." Shoto could hear Hawk's voice drifting through the headset, and he sounded distressed. 

"What the hell is going on?" Katsuki demanded, disrupting the quiet of the people around them. Some woman shushed him, so he bitterly shushed her back.

"Be quiet, young Bakugou," All Might said as he hurried to catch up with them, pushing through the crowd to get to the front where the both of them were standing. "You mustn't yell, or you could disrupt the communication with Hawks."

"Is that the boat with Deku on it?" Katsuki asked, staring at the screen with wide eyes. He had a restlessness to his movements—he had his eyes trained on the screen, and was swaying back and forth with a demanding yet anxious tone. Like he was itching to get out there and get a re-match against the villains. Shoto couldn't blame him. He was feeling the same way.

"Well, it is an unidentified, unauthorized steamboat heading directly towards the island that was tapped into the phone you found. There's no record of its takeoff, nor its purchase, and we have no idea how many occupants it holds. So, odds are, this is the one we're looking for," All Might said in a lower tone. Despite his hushed tone, Shoto could sense the shaky elation ringing in their teacher's voice. He was very happy. They all were.

They'd done the impossible. They found Izuku.

Now all they had to do was rescue him.

"...Shit...They've...Machine gun!" Suddenly Shoto could hear Hawks's voice through the headset in front of him, and the birdseye-view camera swayed sharply to the right. Through the blurry camera, streaks of light darted across the screen to the left, and bursts of fire were visibly coming from the boat. Shoto was quickly able to piece together that Hawks was being shot at. 

"They've opened fire," the man sitting at the desk said aloud, and the entire room grew silent in nervous anticipation. "Hawks, what's the report? Do you think you can take out their guns?"

Bullets continued to hurdle toward Hawks, causing him to dodge, bank, dive and duck in order to avoid getting hit. Shoto's heart was racing with alarm for the hero, who was putting his life on the line for Izuku's rescue. He was one of the only Pro Heroes who'd decided to help out, and losing him would be a big failure. Shoto couldn't hear what Hawks was saying, but the man in the headset was nodding his head and listening. "Yes, I understand... Yes... No, that's okay... Please get out of there if you must."

A tinge of disappointment tainted Shoto's former excitement as he realized Hawks was falling back. The camera turned away from the boat and soared higher into the sky, where Hawks would be protected from the villains' attacks under the thick cover of dark gray clouds. It must've been a stormy day out on the ocean.

"He's retreating," the man on the mic said, and everyone gave a collective sigh of relief, even though they could clearly see what was happening on the screen. Everyone except Shoto and Katsuki, who still had disbelief etched into their faces. That had all gone too fast. First Hawks was looking at the boat, and now, thirty seconds later, he was flying away from it.

But hey, at least they found it. Now the heroes can infiltrate and get Izuku back. Everything was finally going according to plan.

"So is he just leaving it?" Katsuki asked All Might, who looked like he still was in a state of shock, too. Their teacher cleared his throat and looked at Katsuki, then at Shoto.

"Hawks brought a tracking device, which he planted on one of his Fierce Wings and then stuck to the boat. So we won't be losing them again," All Might replied.

"Thank fuck, you guys are finally starting to take this seriously," Katsuki sighed in response.

All Might's face hardened into a look of disappointment that he would say such a thing. "We have been taking this seriously, it's just that, well, there's not much we can do with such a shortage of heroes—"

"Yeah, yeah, I've heard it all. Now let's ask Hawks when he thinks we should form an attack," Katsuki interrupted, moving on from the conversation quickly. Shoto knew why he was doing it. They've both heard that sentence so many times, to the point it was definitely getting repetitive. At this point, it seemed they were using it as an excuse more than anything else.

"Good idea," All Might said with a bit more weariness to his tone. Then he leaned over to the desk and grabbed a headset, which connected directly to the computer. He pressed a button on the side and then spoke into the little microphone. "Hawks, this is All Might speaking. Can you hear me? We wanted to ask when you think the best time for an attack would be. Over."

There were some muffled wind noises on the other side of the speaker before something clicked and then Hawks's voice took over. "Hear you loud and clear, All Might. This is Hawks. I've been trying to figure that out myself. Over."

"And when do you suppose the boat will arrive at its destination?" All Might asked.

More muffled wind noises before Hawks responded. "Based on the speed the boat was moving, and the distance between these coordinates and the island, I'd say the boat will arrive in roughly two days, give or take. An aerial attack would be quite difficult, based on what I was seeing on deck. That thing packs a mean punch. Self-installed machine guns, stacks of ammo, and carts loaded with heavy artillery. I don't know exactly how many forces they got, but based on their equipment, I'd guess a few dozen, maybe more."

All Might gave a deep hum of thought. He looked all serious again—there were no traces of excitement left on his face. He pressed the microphone button and spoke again as everyone watched him. "And how about a maritime attack?" 

There was a pause before Hawks clicked the button to respond again. "I mean, that's possible, but it would take more than two days just to get into contact with the forces, convince them to give us troops, and then form a plan to attack the ship. Plus, the local water Heroes are out of commission, battling a group of rogue ships just down the bay. I know because they asked me to help them, but I couldn't because I was busy helping you guys," Hawks spoke darkly. This was starting to look grim once more.

"There has to be another way," All Might muttered, and then suddenly, Katsuki was snatching the headset from their teacher and pressing the button, speaking into the mic. 

"I swear to god, I'll go out there myself and fight them if it comes to that. But we can't wait another fucking day!" He exclaimed, shattering the quiet mood of the room. Everyone stared at him, seemingly surprised at his sudden loud, extravagant tone. Shoto looked around at all of them sheepishly on Katsuki's behalf.

"Sorry," he said. "He's just like this."

A second later, Hawks's voice was coming through again. "Bakugou, kid, is that you?" He asked with some amusement in his tone. "Who gave you the microphone?"

"I took it," Katsuki shot back, "because we're never gonna get the damn nerd back if I don't speak up!"

Shoto winced. That wasn't a great way to talk to a Pro Hero. Especially the number two Pro Hero, Hawks, who was going out of his way to help them in this situation.

But thankfully, Hawks didn't seem bothered by Katsuki's sharp tongue. He's dealt with Katsuki before. "Look, I get you're frustrated. But like I said, an aerial attack would almost certainly end with casualties. With that amount of artillery, the only way to stop that boat would be if we destroyed it. Blew it up. Sunk it. And if you want Midoriya alive when we get done with this mission, I'd suggest not going down that path."

Katsuki scowled, thought for a moment, and then spoke into the mic again. "Well, how else are we supposed to do it, then? And I swear, if you tell me the best option is to wait, I will personally fly over there and kill you."

"Young Bakugou!" All Might exclaimed, exasperated. Shoto hadn't heard Katsuki threaten anyone that seriously since their first year. But on the other end of the line, Hawks was chuckling. 

"You crack me up," Hawks said with an airiness to his tone that didn't fit the mood of the room.

"That wasn't my intention," Katsuki shot back. The weight of his tone told Shoto that he was pissed.

There was a moment of silence on both their parts before Hawks finally pressed the button and spoke in a more serious tone. "I'm sorry, Bakugou, but... I mean, unless you can come up with something else, I think the only option we have is to wait until the boat arrives at the island and then stage an ambush."

Now, at first, Shoto was hesitant to accept this plan. More waiting? Adding two more days to the count? That seemed like too much. But as he thought about it—the artillery, the risks, the bullets that could've torn through Hawks if he wasn't quick enough, and the odds of actually winning an aerial attack with the minimal forces that had—he figured it was their best option. It was their only option. He didn't like it, but he was accepting it. Waiting was their best option.

Katsuki, on the other hand, did not look very accepting. He raised the mic to his mouth and spoke very utterly, coldly, "I told you not to say that."

Shoto didn't like where this was going. He didn't like the anger rising in Katsuki's voice, and he didn't like the way that everyone was withdrawing from him, as if afraid of what he might do. He was staring at the screen with a sort of crazed look in his eye, incredibly silent, incredibly still. Shoto didn't like that at all. 

Even All Might looked nervous as he stepped closer to Katsuki and put a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Young Bakugou, don't—"

Katsuki slapped his hand away. "All Might, don't even try," he warned.

"You're not being reasonable," their teacher spoke. "Let's take this outside."

Katsuki didn't move. 

"Set the microphone down," All Might urged like he was talking to a lunatic. And then, after about twenty seconds of nervous waiting from the people in the room, Katsuki finally moved. And surprisingly, it wasn't in the direction of violence. Katsuki set the microphone down, stepped away from it. And then, without even casting a look at any of the people and heroes surrounding them, he walked away.

Shoto was stunned for a moment. He was expecting a fight. Yells, arguments. He was expecting to have to calm Katsuki down after that. But surprisingly, Katsuki had decided to be civil. Some part of Shoto knew that this battle was not yet over.

The three of them exited the room, first Katsuki, then Shoto, and finally All Might. Katsuki didn't say a word. Only once they got outside and shut the door did he turn to All Might with fury in his eyes. 

"So we can't get him back yet?" he demanded. He looked fraught. Shoto could see the strain in his eyes, though his voice was dangerously low. "He's right fucking there, and you're telling me we can't get him yet?" 

All Might looked at a loss for words. He didn't know what to say to try and calm Katsuki down; he never knew what to say anymore. All he could say was, "I'm sorry, young Bakugou. I know you're taking this harder than others, but waiting for the boat to land is our best option. Tomorrow, we will sort our forces into fighting groups and prepare to fly to the island. You will be with us, I promise you that," he said calmly, trying again to place a comforting hand on Katsuki's shoulder. But the latter moved out of the way before he could touch him.

"It's been too long, All Might," Katsuki said, and Shoto was surprised to hear something other than anger in his voice. Shoto could hear something along the lines of concern. Something like pain. Shoto could hear in his voice that he was afraid. "It's already been five days, and I just know that they've been making use of their time with him. They've been... I know they've..." Katsuki shook his head, mouth caught open as if his tongue was stuck in his throat. He looked off to the side with a troubled expression, and in the lighting, Shoto could really see just how hollowed his face had become over the past few days. Maybe it was his imagination, but he didn't seem at all like he'd been before. Not even in looks.

"I've been having..." he paused, "...premonitions, I think. In my dreams."

Shoto and All Might went silent as they waited to hear what he had to say. 

"I..." Katsuki seemed to be having a hard time with words, which was pretty uncommon for him. He clenched his teeth before continuing. "Every time I close my eyes, I see these... these fucking... visions. It's always in the same place. A dark room, where I'm sitting laid back, and I can't move. I can't see anything but darkness around me and a light above my head," he said uncomfortably. He was still looking off to the side, as if grasping for words. He began scratching subconsciously at his forearm, itching as if there was something invisible bothering him. Shoto hadn't seen him this emotionally vulnerable in a long time. It was rewarding, but also worrisome, to finally be able to hear what was on his mind.

"And then, every time, this shadow-looking thing comes out of nowhere. I can never tell what it is, or what it wants," Katsuki continued. "It does things to me."

"What kind of things?" All Might asked, and Shoto found himself curious, too.

"Like..." Katsuki winced thoughtfully. He continued scratching at his forearm as he said, "Like slice up my arms. Or bash my head. Or..." he paused again, and his eyes looked distant as he called back the memories. "In the most recent one, it took out my eyes."

Shoto's face contorted into a grimace, and he glanced at All Might to see he was frowning, too. But most prominently, he looked interested in Katsuki's story. "Do you think these nightmares are somehow connected with young Midoriya?" he asked hesitantly. None of them wanted that to be the case. But apparently, All Might was willing to consider it a possibility.

Katsuki sighed and shook his head. "I think my brain just likes to envision the worst-case scenario," he said. "It's got a nasty habit of messing with me. But I also thought it was weird that for the past four nights, all I can dream about is that place. And it's... well, honestly, it's making me fucking anxious." He clenched his jaw, obviously not used to actually confessing his emotions. He refused to make eye contact. "I don't know exactly what they're doing to him, but... I know it's not good."

All Might gave a hum of thought. "I'm sorry you are suffering," he said genuinely. "I, too, know the terror that nightmares can bring. I've had some wicked ones myself. But you must remember, too—young Midoriya is strong. Whatever he is going through, I know he can handle it. We have to trust him, just like how he trusts us. It's important to not get too caught up in our own worry, or it can end up jeopardizing the mission or even leading to failure. And we can't afford to fail with lives on the line."

Shoto looked at Katsuki as a look of anger began to brew on his face. 

Whatever he is going through, I know he can handle it. Whatever he is going through, I know he can handle it. 

Yeah, right.

Katsuki found himself glaring at All Might with a look of disbelief and frustration. "Did you not hear anything I just said?" he demanded, getting angry again. "If anything I've been seeing is even close to reality, they're torturing him. Every second we waste is another second that they could be spending killing Deku. You really think that nerd, Mr. Self-Sacrificial I'm-gonna-die-so-I-can-save-my-friends, is gonna be able to hold out for that long? If the villains want something out of him, all they have to say is "I'll kill your friends if you don't do this," and then he'll turn into a fucking slave and do whatever they ask. It's really not that hard to ruin that guy. And that's why we should've gotten him back three fucking days ago!"

He was getting worked up.

"It's fucking sickening. He'd kill himself before he lets someone else get hurt. And that's what pisses me off about him. He's the worst fucking one of us that could've been kidnapped!"

He should stop.

"They can torture him all they want—they could fucking kill him for all he cares—but as soon as they bring up someone he cares about, it's all fucking over. And he's gonna sacrifice his life before any of us can help him because we're taking so goddamn long!"

His head was spinning. Words started to blur together.

"And nobody's doing anything about it, nobody's helping him, nobody fucking cares! You all say you do, but no—no, none of you care. And I can't fucking stand it!" That wasn't true. What was he saying? Why can't I stop? " All you do is make excuses and tell me to wait, you tell us to wait, because waiting is gonna do us so good. Well, no! It's not gonna fucking solve anything!"

He shouldn't be doing this. Todoroki and All Might didn't deserve this. He should probably just stop talking, he should shut his mouth, he should probably stop before he says something he regrets or somebody gets hurt or he goes out of line or he should probably wait; he should probably wait a few more days, yeah, they should probably just wait and wait and wait and—

Wait until Izuku is dead and gone. Wait until Katsuki never gets to talk to him again. Wait until the world goes to shit and there's nothing else to live for and everybody gives up and Katsuki can't do anything, he can't fucking do anything, oh fuck, he should really do something, but he fucking can't—

Hands raked through his hair. Oxygen was running out. He shook his head, chest heaving even though he couldn't breathe, eyes wide and stinging and why are they stinging and body weightless, breathless, senseless. He took a step back. Shoto was saying something to him, but he didn't quite catch it. All Might was speaking, too, but his words were mute. Something was ringing. Was it his ears?

Fuck. He needed air.

Heaving and clutching his chest for air, Katsuki broke for the door and threw himself into a long, narrow hallway. Not caring whether he was allowed to use his Quirk inside, Katsuki used some small explosions to help propel him toward the nearest EXIT sign, which was luckily close by. He needed to get out of here. He couldn't stand looking at their faces anymore—Todoroki, looking so damn concerned and angry at him all the time—and All Might, with his sunken eyes and disheveled hair and weary smile and his condescending tone, always so gentle and delicate, like he was trying to soothe a child before putting it down for a nap. Katsuki was no fucking baby. He didn't need to be treated like one.

He flung the door open and heaved himself out with a sense of urgency. He took big gulps of fresh, damp air. It'd rained earlier this afternoon, so the air was still a little hazy and humid. The fresh oxygen felt like a cool, refreshing bath on his taut lungs and closing throat. He ran his hands over his face. Things already felt a little better now that he wasn't in that damn claustrophobic cage of a room.

After he'd caught his breath and had a better understanding of where he was and what he wanted to do, Katsuki started running.

A jog. That's what he wanted. Katsuki sped from a walk to a jog, heading in any direction that wasn't there. He needed air. He needed space. He couldn't handle this all right now. What was wrong with him? Usually, he would be able to just put on a straight face and power through his emotions like a bull plowing through a thrashing tide. What changed? Why do I feel like I'm losing control of myself?

Before he knew it, he was off school grounds, heading in the opposite direction he went last night. He didn't pause to look at trees or flowers or tiny little comfortable-looking houses that would usually make him stop to think. No. He just kept on going. 

As he jogged, he found himself thinking. Contemplating. And with that, he found himself confused.

Why do I care about Deku so much?

If Deku got kidnapped like this two years ago, there's no way in hell he would've ever been this worried. He hated the fact that he was. Most of the time, he got away with denying it. But it was getting to the point where every moment of his day, even his fucking dreams were becoming tainted with his concern for the guy. He was stressed all the fucking time. He couldn't bring himself to eat, because no matter how hard he tried he just couldn't work up an appetite. Everything was falling apart in front of his eyes. He couldn't even train properly without pulling a move that he would usually use on Deku and then being thrown back into a loop of missing him and wondering where he was.

Huh. That's weird. When exactly did I start missing him?

Everything was darker now. Everything was tainted. It felt like every conscious moment was spent trying to get him back, or thinking about him, or worrying about him, or listening to people fucking blab on and on about him, no matter where he tried to sit to escape it. Everybody was the same. Always bringing him up. Always trying to act like they're worried. "Oh, are you okay, Bakugou? It looks like you haven't been sleeping. " Or "Oh, Bakugou, can I get you something to eat? You look hungry." Or "Oh, Bakugou, you look sad. You must be worried about Deku, because everything's about fucking Deku, the whole world revolves around goddamn

"Deku," he muttered under his breath. He'd worked up a pretty constant speed now, a fast-paced jog that was actually a borderline sprint. He didn't care. Anything to get his heart pumping. His mind spinning. He needed air circulation up there, or else things would start to get a little too static. He didn't want to think anymore. He just wanted to get it all out. He wanted to make it stop.

Anything to make it stop.

He didn't know how long he was running, but he got back just before sunset. He pushed through the glass dormitory doors, sticky with sweat and condensation, breathing heavily and eyes drooping from his hours-long escapade. His feet were dragging as he wearily made his way across the common space toward the stairs. All he could think about was his bed. God, he was so fucking tired.

"Bakugou!" He heard his name being called and didn't turn as he noticed footsteps approaching from the side. He recognized that as Kirishima's voice. He didn't have any energy left to talk to Kirishima right now. “Hold on, man, we've been worried about you," Kirishima said as he caught up, which wasn't very difficult because Katsuki was walking slowly. He still refused to look over as he wearily wiped the sweat from his brow with an also-sweaty back of his hand. 

"You've been gone for over three hours," Shoto added.

"Mr. Aizawa was about to send us out looking for you," contributed Mina. 

Katsuki swallowed dry and asked, "Is Aizawa back from Hawks's agency?"

"Sure is," Kirishima replied quickly. "And you know what else? He said we're forming attack groups tomorrow, so we'll be getting Midoriya back within the next two days! He also said something about an island or a boat, so be ready for that. Though I guess you already knew that since you're hanging around him all the time."

"Thanks," Katsuki replied without thinking. He didn't even look over, but Kirishima seemed confused. 

"...Thanks?" He repeated as if what just came out of Katsuki's mouth was taboo. A thank-you from Katsuki?

"Now get out of the way," Katsuki finished, and stumbled towards the stairs. He felt unstable. His brain was enveloped in fog. On the way up, he had to use the railing for balance because of how weak his legs were. To his relief, the others didn't follow.

When he finally got to his room and somehow managed to wrangle open the door, he immediately collapsed into his bed, forgetting to cover himself with a blanket or even remove his shoes. He didn’t even care enough to shut the door all the way; though Kirishima, worried, would swing by and close it later after giving him a friendly check-up.

In a matter of seconds, Katsuki had lost consciousness.

This time, his dreams weren't filled with premonitions of the future, but rather memories from his past. Though some of these memories were ones that he'd rather keep packed and buried. The first one was innocent enough, but of course, it just had to revolve around Deku. Everything did these days.

Last year, the whole class had gone on a little field trip to the local ice cream parlor. Katsuki had originally planned on not attending, but Izuku and Shoto managed to convince him. They said it would be fun. And to be honest, he was craving some vanilla ice cream. So he went along.

"I can't believe you talked me into this," Katsuki muttered while standing in line behind Izuku. Shoto was in front of them both.

"I can't believe it, either," Izuku answered. 

Katsuki snorted. "Am I really that predictable?"

Izuku looked over his shoulder and smiled at him. "Um, yeah."

After they got their ice cream, the class took their seats outside on the curb, soaking in the sun on their faces and licking away at their cones. Katsuki had gotten three scoops of vanilla ice cream, Izuku got two scoops of mint chocolate chip (his favorite), and Shoto got plain chocolate. Every time he and Izuku got ice cream—or so much as even mentioned the topic within the vicinity of one another—they would have a battle about which ice cream flavor was the best.

"Okay, okay, listen," Izuku laughed, defending himself from the spoon full of vanilla ice cream that Katsuki was trying to shove in his face. "Mint chocolate chip. It has everything you could ever ask for. One, mint. Two, chocolate. Three, the best part: chocolate chips. And four—"

"Shut up, damn nerd, I already told you vanilla is the best. It's rich, it's delicious. It's got the best flavor. You can add just about any toppings to it, and it'll still taste good."

"Toppings… how about chocolate chips, then?" Izuku asked.

"What the fuck is up with you and chocolate chips? They taste like ass on ice cream."

"Okay, sprinkles, then?"

"Those are worse! Seriously, Deku. Clumps of flavorless sugar, made of nothing but food dye and shitty gunk. Nobody over the age of ten years old still gets sprinkles on their ice cream, and that's a fact," Katsuki shot back.

"They do, too, have flavor!" Izuku argued. "I still get them once in a while. So what? Hey, stop making fun of me! At least I don't get a basic flavor like vanilla every time I come here! I mean, seriously, are you too scared to try other flavors or what?"

"I ain't scared of nothin'," Katsuki shot back, shoving him. "Least of all some shitty ice cream flavors. I just know that vanilla is the best, so why the hell would I waste my time trying anything else?"

"'Cuz that's the only way to tell if you'll like it. You need to try it first."

Katsuki clicked his tongue in disagreement. He took a big lick out of his icy treat, which left a sizeable dent because of how droopy it was getting after all this arguing. A dollop overflowed the rim of the cone and splattered to the concrete between his legs, so Katsuki had to lick around the corners. "Great, now look what you've done. My ice cream is melting because of your damn blabbing."

"Or maybe it's because you had to order three scoops after seeing everyone else order two," Izuku was quick to reply, taking a lick of his own ice cream, which was almost down to the cone. "You should've gotten mint chocolate chip, I guess. It melts slower."

"Bullshit," Katsuki replied. And then they were spun off into another conversation, with words flowing like water out of their mouths, coming as easy as if they were friends catching up after a long period of social silence. He supposed, to a certain point, that's what he and Izuku were. They went long periods of time with little to no communication. They never dedicated time to each other for "hanging out" or "having fun." It was always work. School and work. That's all they ever did together; good or bad, fun or boring. There was no doubt that he and Izuku found themselves in close proximity more often than not.

Moments like these—talking with each other easily, eating ice cream like kids, enjoying each other's company like they used to do so often in their childhood—were few and far between. Actually, he thought this was the one and only time from their entire second year. This one moment, for just an hour or two, where their evening was spent talking, joking, messing around and acting how normal teenagers do. How normal friends do.

But he and Izuku weren't friends. No way. Katsuki didn't have friends. 

They just had a lot of shared interests.

After that memory was over, Katsuki was thrown into the next segment of his dream—one that dug a little deeper than the first. He was thrown back into the world of middle school, where he and Izuku had been less than friends; less than rivals, even. Enemies, one might've said. He and Izuku were enemies.

It was the afternoon post-lecture, where all of their classmates had left the room until it was just Katsuki and Izuku left straggling behind. For just a brief moment, the two of them were alone together. Katsuki was facing towards the door and Izuku was still glued to the windowsill, where Katsuki had just gotten done throwing his notebook. He'd rudely tossed Izuku's notebook—his pride and joy, his favorite hobby—into a fountain below, just to be an asshole. Just because he was mean. 

Katsuki watched this all unfold from an outside perspective, watching Izuku's face change as he spoke the sentence that he regretted most. 

"If you wanna be a hero that badly, there's a quick way to do it. Believe that you'll be born with a Quirk in your next life and take a last-chance dive off the roof!"

Izuku whipped around to look at him with a shocked, wounded expression, while Katsuki just grinned and flaunted a few explosions in the palm of his hand. He knew he had power over Izuku, and boy, did he love showing it. Being the Quirkless, fearful boy that Izuku used to be, he never had the guts to actually stand up to Katsuki—especially when the latter started being physically violent with him. 

Katsuki winced inwardly as he watched this conversation unfold. Guilt wormed beneath his skin as he watched middle school Katsuki saunter away, leaving a small, terrified-looking boy to tremble and cry. He often found himself looking back on this interaction, but it hurt especially now when he was aware of Izuku's future. It hurt now because he knew just how many times Izuku will put himself in danger for Katsuki. And it especially hurt knowing that Izuku was actually able to move on from something like this.

Izuku should hate him. Of course he should. Telling him to jump off a roof when he was in an emotionally vulnerable state was unforgivable. Whenever this memory re-surfaced in his mind, he would always feel guilty for it. Regret. Sleep had been lost because of this specific scenario lodged deep into the coding of his brain. The smaller boy's look of pain and surprise when he turned around, like he was used to Katsuki picking on him, but that was just too far. It stuck with him for years to come.

Many times, he found himself asking the question: Why doesn't he hate me for that? How is he able to call me a friend if he still remembers the past between us? He supposed that must be Izuku's forgiving nature. But that didn't mean he was ever able to understand, nor accept it.

Images of a corpse dressed in a middle school uniform, distorted and motionless at the foot of the school building, with lifeless blank eyes staring up at Katsuki as if to say, "you did this to me." These thoughts haunted his dreams from time to time, and they still haunted him now. The thought of a pale-faced Izuku, pooling blood into the grass from the lethal blow to his head, self-inflicted after taking Katsuki's words to heart. Even a brat like Katsuki would've been messed up for life.

As he thought of these uncanny images, a familiar feeling started to make his heart pound a little harder. Adrenaline coursed through his veins, and his breathing started to speed up. Seeing that image of Deku in his head, lying stiff and broken and lifeless at his feet—he was afraid. Katsuki was afraid.

Losing Izuku was the worst-case scenario. Losing Izuku would be like losing his will to persevere.

So many times, Izuku had been one of Katsuki's reasons to go on fighting. During villain fights, when all hope seemed like it was lost, and there was nothing left to do but give in; Izuku was always there to remind him of who he is, what he stands for. He would remind Katsuki of how badly he wants to win. Izuku was there, and then Katsuki would be able to keep fighting, even in the face of a villain who he was sure to lose against. There was no doubt that on multiple occasions, he and Izuku were keeping each other alive. 

Their relationship had always been choppy. As kids, there was a power difference between them—even when neither of them had a Quirk. And now, if Izuku were here, there would still be challenges. Katsuki's inability to communicate would always pose a problem, and Izuku's lack of will to counter it would remain the same as well. And both of them were pretty oblivious to the idea of feelings and emotions. But that didn't change the fact that they rely on each other. Katsuki wouldn't be able to live with himself if Izuku died.

Soon, his dream faded into darkness, and before he knew it, the next morning was rolling around. He woke up early because of the uncomfortable position he was lying in. When he came to, he was on his stomach, face damp with sweat and plastered to the pillow, and arms aching because he'd slept on them crooked. He groggily sat himself up. It was quiet in his room, and the curtains were parted just enough to let in a streak of soft blue light. Upon realizing that his shoes were still on, Katsuki kicked them off and scowled at the dried dirt on his blanket. After his jog yesterday, all he could do was collapse on the bed and pass out. He regretted not taking his clothes off because they'd resulted in some fitful rest. He was damp with the cold sweat that soaked his body. 

With his dreams still fresh in his mind, twisting his heart with guilt and bitter regret, he figured he should get started with the day—despite the clock reading 5:28 A.M. The sun was rising, but it hadn't yet peaked above the horizon. Katsuki groggily removed his clothes before hopping in the shower and waking himself up with some hot water. Once clean, he dressed in a black hoodie and sweats to combat the morning chill. He was going out for another walk.

While heading towards the exit, Katsuki passed Mr. Aizawa, who was already up with a cup of coffee in the common area. He was sitting at the island in the kitchen, just staring down at the counter. Katsuki considered stopping to talk to him, but honestly, he didn't have any reason to. He was just so sick of hearing the same things over and over from him and All Might. Talking to Mr. Aizawa right now seemed pointless.

Katsuki exited the building and pocketed his hands upon emerging into the chilly morning air. The temperatures must've dropped after the rain yesterday. He started walking, listening to the merry chirps of the tiny birds flitting around the tree branches above. As he walked the stone path toward the school's exit, he counted three nests visible in the trees. In one of them, he could even see a few chicks sticking their beaks out, begging for food from one of the parents with a worm in its mouth. A rare display of nature’s beauty. Once off school grounds, he took a right—the same direction he'd gone yesterday. While on his jog, he'd passed a cute-looking park that piqued his interest and was mentally marked for later. He'd always been able to appreciate nature once in a while, and now that he was already awake so early, he might as well busy himself with going out.

At the park, he found a bench and sat down. A hundred feet to his left, there was a tall, old-looking fountain themed with fish designs and birds, where water would pour out of the sculptures' open mouths or trickle down their russet-colored scales and feathers. The gurgling of the water paired with the go-lucky songs of the early birds was enough to get Katsuki to relax a little. He put his hood up and laid back on the bench. Looking up at the sky, he noticed it was another pretty sunrise. The sky was lit with soft blue and purple hues.

Katsuki lay there for a while, trying not to let his mind wander too far. He kept his focus on the soothing sounds of the empty park. Surrounding himself with nature was always a good way to relieve some stress. 

A breeze tousled his clothes, and he could smell the lingering tinge of rain along with the morning-time scents of brewing coffee and baked goods. His fingers were laced over his stomach, which was terribly empty. Yet the thought of eating was somehow still unappetizing. Something was definitely wrong with him, he realized. But getting help for himself was the last thing on his mind right now. 

Before he knew it, the sun had risen above the treetops, and his phone started blowing up with messages— "where are you"s and "we're looking for you"s. The same old crap. Eventually, though, the park started to fill out with people, and the constant sound of footsteps and talking in the distance was enough to get him to leave. He walked back to the dorm and was prepared to greet his classmates with the usual head nod before retreating up to his room. But before he could get the chance, Aizawa was there to stop him.

"Hey," Aizawa said, stepping in front of his path to the stairs.

Katsuki stopped. "Aizawa," he replied in a somewhat cold tone. He didn't mean it to come out as cold as it did, but Mr. Aizawa didn't seem to notice as he continued with what he was about to say.

"You and all of your classmates need to suit up. Endeavor, Hawks and I have decided that we'll take our forces to the island in order to get a base set up before the attack, which will take place as soon as the boat arrives tomorrow afternoon. Call it a rescue mission," the teacher spoke deliberately, understanding that Katsuki wasn't in the mood for small talk. The blond's eyes widened fractionally as Aizawa finished speaking.

"So we're actually getting a plan in order, after six days of doing nothing? Great." He turned away from Aizawa before he could get a look at the teacher's frustrated expression. "I'll get my suit. You better believe I'll be the first fucking guy on that boat."

He was seconds away from just leaving it at that before he started to feel a smidgen of remorse for Aizawa. He knew their teacher was working hard to get Izuku back, and even though the loss hadn't seemed to affect him visibly as much as it did All Might, Katsuki knew they were both taking it just as hard. Before Katsuki could get out the door, he stopped in his tracks. He didn't need to look back at Aizawa to know he was watching him.

He stood there for a few seconds before speaking. "It's not your fault," he said finally, making his voice loud and clear so Aizawa didn't mistake him. Katsuki let those words hang in the air for a few seconds. Mr. Aizawa was no doubt blaming himself for Izuku's kidnapping; because he was their teacher, and because he was the one who came up with the idea of the mission in the first place. He'd seen the weary, desolate shade in Aizawa's eyes when he spoke sometimes. He was definitely putting the weight all on himself—just like Katsuki sometimes did in his own mind, though he never actually realized it.

"Deku getting kidnapped... it wasn't your fault," he repeated, staring down at the ground. "Sometimes I might act like it was you who did it, but I don't actually blame you. And... I'm sorry." He paused, thinking, trying not to grimace after what he just said.

Saying sorry left a bad taste in his mouth, but he knew Aizawa needed to hear it. As their homeroom teacher, the man who'd protected them and befriended them and trained them for years so they could pursue their dreams, he deserved an apology. Especially after all the disrespect and unwarranted anger that Katsuki had been throwing his way lately, all because he had no better way of channeling it. Aizawa had been eating all of his B.S. just because he knew Katsuki was having a hard time. 

"I'm sorry for being such a dick. You don't deserve that. It's the hero system that's fucked, and that's not your fault. You're just doing your job and protecting us, 'cuz that's what teachers do," he continued, scuffing his foot awkwardly on the ground. He hoped Aizawa didn't think he was some kind of fucking baby after this confession. "We're gonna get him back today. I know he will." 

And that was Katsuki's finishing statement before he really walked away, leaving Aizawa speechless at his sudden heartfelt statement. Katsuki, himself, was pretty startled by his own actions. But evidently, his care for their teacher got the best of his judgment.

He walked to the main building of the school and got to the changing room, where his suit was being stored in his designated locker. He pulled it out and dressed, talking intermittently to Kirishima and Sero, who were standing in the corner of the room waiting for him. Nobody mentioned his absence this morning, and Katsuki wondered if Aizawa told them not to talk about it. If so, he was grateful.

The three of them met up with the rest of the class outside the building, where a large U.A.-labeled bus was rolling across the pavement and coming to a stop in front of the group. Mr. Aizawa instructed everyone to board, and Katsuki sat near the middle beside Kirishima. Some other teachers—including Midnight, Cementoss, Present Mic, and All Might—sat at the front, keeping their distance from the students, who were chatting and giggling to pass the time. 

But Katsuki wasn't chatting, nor was he giggling. For the most part, he was anxious. Excited to fight, yet nervous about what they might find on that island and on that boat when it docks. He didn't sense anyone else's nervousness, aside from maybe Todoroki, the teachers, and Kirishima (because Katsuki's energy was rubbing off on him). 

They'd been waiting for this for days. This is the moment that Katsuki was fighting for. This is the result he was wanting two days ago. Now, here it finally was—and yet, he'd never felt more nervous. Was Deku still alive? Was he being tortured, tormented, starved, beaten? Katsuki's nightmares pretty much covered all the bases, but there were so many options of what the villains could be doing to him, it wasn't even worth trying to consider them all. And to be perfectly honest, he was scared to find out.

He had no idea what he'd find there. He had no idea what to expect. And so, he was pretty much just telling himself to expect the worst, and go from there.

They arrived at the aircraft, one of those cargo-type ones where the back opens up to a row of seats on each side, and Katsuki boarded along with his classmates. The heroes were quick to get them on and seated, and since the belly of the plane was pretty large, Katsuki had some space to distance himself from everyone. He sat as far away as possible, keeping his thoughts to himself and trying not to make it known how nervous he was. With every step that got them closer to the island, he found himself growing more and more uneasy.

After some time of getting everything ready, the plane took off. Katsuki sighed and rested his head back on the seat, closing his eyes for some much-needed rest. The ride was supposed to be an hour, so he could get some shut-eye in the meantime. He blocked out all of the sounds around him and tried to relax some of the stress in his shoulders—but even though his eyes were closed for the entire rest of the time, he didn't sleep a wink.

Izuku's eyes were fixated on the door from where he knelt down on the concrete, butterknife clasped tightly in hand and teeth clenching with anticipation. He'd been sitting in this exact position for so long that his legs were starting to shake with the effort. He liked it. The strain helped him stay alert. 

He was ready. He was so ready to get out of here. It'd been silent and still for so long, and that's why he knew this was going to work. Because every time the villain took a break from torturing him, he felt his strength coming back inch by inch. Even now, he could feel the strength slowly but surely returning to his body. It really wouldn't have been noticeable unless he kept track of it, though. The drug in his system was slow-moving enough that it took more than a day for the effects to start fading.

To reiterate his plan, the idea was to wait for the villain to open the door, then plunge the butterknife into one of his eyes when he's least expecting it. It likely wouldn't kill him, but it would at least debilitate him long enough for Izuku to get away and hide. The last few times the villain came to get him, Izuku had been acting like he was tired and dejected—like he'd given up. This was all part of his master plan to catch the villain off guard. One last effort to escape. If this plan failed, his only option would be to sit and wait for the heroes to rescue him. He hated the thought of being a liability, but if it came to that, he'd just have to accept it.

He sat there for maybe fifteen minutes longer before he started to hear something outside the door. It sounded like a shuffling noise, and though the door was thick, after a few more seconds he could recognize it as the sound of footsteps coming closer. His body tensed and his eyes flew open. He was gripping the plastic butterknife so tightly that his fingers were starting to numb, while he shifted his feet on the ground so that he was ready to spring up at any second. Time seemed to slow down as the adrenaline kicked in and his heart started racing. This was the moment. It was coming. The villain was coming. 

A few more seconds passed before there was another sound, the sound of clicking. Izuku knew the guy needed a key to be able to open the door, so what he was hearing was probably the key being shoved into the lock. Izuku's heart was pounding in his ears, and the room was so silent he was almost sure the man could hear it from the outside. Was he shaking, or was it the room? It must've been him. He was trembling in anticipation.

Izuku grit his teeth as there was a louder clicking noise, and then the sound of the door parting from the wall. It was cracking open. A wave of cool air rolled into the room and bathed Izuku's face from where he crouched, though he wasn't paying attention to that. He was holding his breath from behind the wall out of the villain's sight, watching the door with wide eyes as it seemed to open in slow motion. Now with the door slightly opened, he could actually see the knife in his hand. He took a moment to glance down and appreciate the glint of the plastic in the new light.

With the door swinging open, the only thing left to do was wait for a sign of movement. Izuku stared, forgetting to blink. His eyes were the size of saucers. He stared at a spot on the wall where the villain's head would be, and he waited. And he sat like that for a span of about two seconds. 

And then, at the slightest hint of a face poking in, Izuku's body reacted.

He lunged. Jumping out from behind the wall and grabbing a fistful of the man's shirt all within the span of a second, his reaction time was quicker than it's ever been. Izuku grabbed the man's shirt and yanked him forward. He raised the butter knife above his head. And then he reveled in the flash of shock across the man's face as he plunged the knife deep into his left eye.

The eye was squishy like a sponge as Izuku plunged the knife into it, and he couldn't help but feel slightly grossed out. A scream shattered the quiet air and seemed to bring the world back to speed as Izuku held the knife there for a second, diving it deeper and deeper until he lost momentum and it wouldn't budge any further. The man sputtered and cursed and scratched at Izuku's forearms with his fingernails, shouting incoherent sentences that Izuku couldn't comprehend—possibly because of his adrenaline high, but probably because the man was in shock.

Izuku was quick to shove the man away to avoid his wild thrashes, which were unaimed and sloppy because both of his eyes were screwed shut. Blood oozed from the wound and made a dripping noise as it splattered on the floor. His screams rattled the tiny room.

"Fuck!" he screamed, both eyes shut. Tears welled up and spilled down his face from the good eye while crimson blood mixed with some egg-white fluids spurted from the other. "You goddamn filthy brat! What the fuck did you do to me!" The man shrieked, along with a series of other profanities that Izuku didn't care to listen to. The villain was whipping his arms around, trying to make a grab for Izuku to not let him escape. But his flailing was pointless as Izuku realized it was about time to get the hell out of there. He easily dodged the man's outstretched hands and darted away, eyes wide and breathing heavy. He ran down the hallway toward the cafeteria at full speed, bare feet pattering against the concrete ground with every step. 

His gaze was constantly flitting around for signs of danger while he ran, like a mouse navigating a maze. The man's screams of hatred and pain slowly faded to echoes as he got to the cafeteria. He immediately looked to the kitchen to see if the cook from before was there, but just like always, the boat seemed utterly empty. There were no villains in sight, no traps in which to catch him, and nothing too worrisome to think about yet. He ran confidently to the door that led outside. He'd been internalizing this plan for a while now, so it had become ingrained into his brain where to go.

He flung the door open and submerged himself into a wind-chilled, stormy deck. There was no rain, but the seaspray carried by the whipping wind was enough to dampen his clothes immediately as he stepped out. Izuku squinted against the salty wind and pushed through the husky air, only now noticing just how much the boat was rocking with the waves. He practically leaped down the stairs, and he couldn't explain how good it felt to finally use his legs again. Running and jumping, even just walking without a knife to his back was freeing.

He tried to keep a low profile, keeping his head down and staying close to the wall, as he scanned for the closest door possible. He didn't think the villains were aware of his escape yet, because the man he'd stabbed had seemed pretty disoriented when he ran away, but it was good to find a hiding spot sooner rather than later. 

Izuku bolted to the first of five doors in his sight, but when he scrambled to turn the knob, he realized it was locked. Unlucky, he thought before moving on to the next door, making sure to be quick and efficient. He tried not to make a noise, but the doorknobs were loud when he tried to open them. His heart was in his throat. His eardrums were pumping with adrenaline. His feet were numb from the freezing cold cement, but he didn't notice any of that. He was practically frantic as he got to the next door and clutched onto the handle like it was his lifeline.

When he turned it, it didn't budge. Izuku clenched his teeth and exhaled sharply through his nose in frustration. Two of five: locked.

The next one was only a few feet away. When he grabbed the cold doorknob and turned to the left, right, left again, right again—it was locked. All three, locked. This is when Izuku started to get a little nervous. He kept on glancing over his shoulder, expecting the villain to be there at any moment, holding the bloodied knife and promising to plunge it through Izuku's eyes as a return gift. But nobody was there. He was still alone, though it wouldn't be for much longer.

Izuku took a deep breath and told himself to focus. He ran to the next door, and he was pretty sure his eyes were watering with dread. Because somehow, he knew it would be locked before he even turned it. Four out of five doors: locked.

He was already starting to plan what he would do if this fifth door was locked. He'd run back up the stairs and make a run for the closest hallway, where he'd just have to hope to find a door that actually opened. If not, he could run for the kitchen and re-compose himself behind the counter.

As he made his way to the next door, moving a little slower because of the stone of dread growing in his stomach, he gulped down the lump in his throat. His entire plan was hindering on this one lock. Without the power of One for All, and with his body as weak as it was, there was no way he'd be able to break down one of these heavyweight doors—and even if he did, that would be a great way to get himself caught by the villains. No, breaking down doors wasn't exactly keeping a low profile.

Izuku gingerly wrapped his fingers around the smooth handle, moving slowly as if he'd be burned at the touch. He turned it, holding his breath. What would it be? Locked or unlocked? And if it was unlocked, what would be on the other side? A staircase, maybe? Or maybe a hallway leading to more rooms he could explore.

As he was pondering this and just as he was about to open the heavy door, probably the worst possible outcome halted him in his tracks. He felt a force on the other side of the door and heard a voice. A man's voice. A villain's voice. There was a villain on the other side of this door.

Izuku panicked and threw his weight against the door, slamming it shut right in the villain's face. He heard an exclamation of surprise and anger from the other side as he fumbled for a lock—but alas, there was none. Panic struck. He figured in the back of his mind there were about two seconds before the man behind the door got mad and kicked this door down, whether Izuku was guarding it or not. He was weak, and these villains were strong. He was about to get caught.

So, thinking quickly, Izuku dove to the side right as a rugged-looking man came barreling through the door, spewing profanities and eyes flitting around with an almost wild rage as he searched for his target. He had a bloody nose, and Izuku supposed that was the result of him throwing his entire weight into the door. He realized pretty quickly that this guy was a lot bigger than him. There was no way he was going to win this fight one-on-one with solely muscle. 

"The fuck are you doing?" The man demanded as Izuku backed away from him, eyes wide and hands up in defense. Every escape option was running through his brain, but the fear was so overwhelming that it was starting to block everything out and take over his actions. He was cornered. Unless he could somehow outrun this man, he was in dire need of a new plan. 

The new guy continued to look confused until a look of realization washed over his face and he gave a grunt. "Oh. You're that boy, aren't you? The one the boss was keeping in the closet. What, did you somehow escape?" He asked, then wiped the blood from under his nose with the back of his hand. He sounded angry, but his demeanor was cold. Izuku was getting bad vibes as the guy took a few steps closer. 

Izuku continued to keep his distance as the man started walking towards him. He had a sinister look creeping up in his eyes that Izuku didn't like, and he especially didn't like it as the man started chuckling. "Well, I think you broke my fucking nose," he said darkly before cracking his knuckles. "And I've been looking for someone to beat on. Looks like you made a wrong choice coming here, kid."

Before he could finish, Izuku was diving to the side. He made a run for the staircase to go back up to the cafeteria, hoping, praying that nobody was there. But his hopes were thwarted when two steps up the stairs, the door to the cafeteria flew open. A gruesome scene met Izuku's raw eyes as the shadow man stepped out from behind the door, wind whipping his clothes and dark blood dripping down his face and shirt. His one good eye was flaming with rage, while the other was pouring blood.

"Grab him!" The shadow man shouted with a voice that frightened even the wind. Sensing what was coming, Izuku immediately ducked to the left, and ended up narrowly avoiding the arms of the muscular villain as he tried to make a snag from behind.

He turned and sprinted across the deck in the opposite direction of the two villains. The soles of his feet were bleeding from running on the ragged concrete, and his lungs were ablaze with exertion after the previous five days of doing nothing. He was running blindly now, hardly thinking, just moving. His new goal was to stay away from the villains for as long as possible. He was terrified. How could the plan have gone so horribly wrong? All because of those damn doors. Who just locks doors for no reason!? He cursed himself for not planning better, but what could he even do in this type of situation? There weren't exactly many options.

Izuku ran until he'd cornered himself against the edge of the deck. There was a set of waist-high bars keeping him from accidentally falling off the ledge, and when he looked over the side and saw the thrashing current below, he was glad for that. His two options right now were to either jump off the edge and hope for the best—which would probably result in his death—or stay up here and take his chances with a fight.

The thought took a few seconds to ponder in his head. He looked back at the villains, who were almost upon him, and then back at the current, which was equally as dangerous. Jumping into the water in the middle of an ocean probably wasn't the best idea, and he would almost certainly die if he decided to do so. Was that a better option than staying up here and facing the wrath of these two angry villains?

He pressed the small of his back against the side of the bars, looking back with fearful eyes. Like a cornered animal. Seaspray pelted his face and whipped his hair in the wind. He wondered if the storm was getting worse, because the boat seemed to be rocking harder than it was before. 

The dark water below was looking pretty tempting for a moment, but as Izuku was looking back and forth between his two options, he found himself coming to realize something. He wanted to live. And jumping over the edge of the boat right now would almost certainly result in his death. So he made up his mind, and decided to take the hero's way out. He was going to fight.

At this point, the villains had the chance to call for backup. Reinforcements were spilling out from every door and surrounding Izuku, blocking every possible escape he could think of. He wondered faintly where all those villains had been hiding this whole time, because he sure had never seen them until now. They were probably living below deck, he realized. That was unfortunate. Now he really had no chance to escape. But this was still better than taking the coward's way out.

"Get away from me!" Izuku shouted, even though none of them were even really coming towards him yet. He tried to add power to his voice but it was hard when he was so scared. He clutched onto the railing with one hand while the other was clenched into a fist in front of his face, as if he was preparing to fight. He knew there was no way he'd win against all these guys—but it was worth it to try, right? There were probably twenty or thirty of them, and a few were even carrying guns. 

Let's face it. Izuku was so out of luck, his brain couldn't even fully comprehend it.

The shadow man emerged from the crowd and Izuku's dragged his gaze to meet his. The man regarded Izuku with a cold, murderous stare. He'd removed the knife from his ravaged eye to reveal a dark, bloodied socket in its place. Blood was still oozing out and dripping on the ground, but the villain didn't even seem like he cared about that. He was too busy staring at Izuku with his one good piercing-blue eye.

"Damn you," the guy spat while he got closer to Izuku, who was still pressed against the railing, eyes wide and wild, ready to flee or fight or dodge an attack at any given moment. He didn't know what to do. He couldn't think. "You see what you did to me, brat? Do you see this!?" He demanded while pointing shakily at his gouged eye. He was trembling with rage. "I don't know how you got the fucking knife, but it doesn't really matter now, does it. Because you're gonna regret every second of what you just did." He looked crazy. A lunatic. Izuku backed away along the railing, breathing heavily, acutely aware of every movement. He was ready to fight. The villain didn't have any weapons.

The villain lunged in an attempt to grab hold of Izuku's exposed forearm, but before he could get close, Izuku ducked under his hands and landed a punch to his gut. Though it was weak, it caught the villain off-guard and he stumbled, still continuing to try and grab at Izuku as he rolled to the side. Izuku's hand-to-hand combat training came flooding back to him at this moment. Thank you, Mr. Aizawa, he thought as he turned on his knee to face the villain once more.

The shadow man whipped around to face him, clutching his gut where Izuku's punch had landed. It was nowhere as strong as a One for All Smash, but it was enough to catch him off guard for a moment and give Izuku an opening. But now, to Izuku's alarm, the man just looked angrier—if that was even possible. He was glancing at his men, who were watching him get owned by a Quirkless boy with no weapons. Izuku could imagine he was feeling pretty embarrassed.

"You little..." the man muttered, and lunged for Izuku again. But his depth perception was off, and Izuku was able to dive to the side once more, avoiding his grip entirely. Then, with the speed and precision of a snake, Izuku leapt up and socked him in the jaw. This new strength was sure welcomed as Izuku sent him reeling backwards with that punch, leaving him to hold his jaw and stretch it as if he was in pain. He looked somewhat surprised by Izuku's sudden capability, but mostly just angry.

He cursed again and lunged once more, but this time he had something in his hand. Did he pull it out of his jacket? No, Izuku realized it'd been up his sleeve. It was a syringe. And he was aiming to inject Izuku with it. 

With wide eyes, Izuku dodged to the side—but the man was beginning to pick up on his fighting style, and dove to the same side Izuku was going. He cried out in alarm as the man grabbed his arm and was inches away from sticking the needle in. "No!" Izuku cried before ripping his arm away with all his strength. He managed to pull himself out of the man's icy clasp, noticing the determined look on the shadow man's face. Determination and fury.

Izuku threw himself to the opposite side and crashed to the ground, narrowly avoiding another grab because the ground's slick component allowed him to slide across the surface. It was slippery with sea water in some places, and he was happy to use that to his advantage. The boy quickly scrambled to his feet and stood up, now against the railing once more. His breath was heaving and ragged, but he was somewhat confident. He'd never felt more capable. He was actually fighting this guy right now... and winning.

But... there was just one thing that he hadn't accounted for while fighting this man. And that one thing was: just because Izuku was winning in a fair fight, that didn't mean the villain considered it to be fair. He was glowering at Izuku with a kind of hatred that Izuku never would've thought possible until seeing it for himself. In one hand he clutched onto the syringe, while in the other he was holding nothing. But all it took was a second for him to utilize the greatest weapon at his disposal.

"Get him," the man said, just loud enough for a few of the nearby villains to hear. Izuku had noticed them slowly creeping closer while he was fighting, but with just one word from their leader, they were jumping forward with bloodlust in their eyes, eager to help.

Oh no, Izuku thought with flaring panic as one villain grabbed his arm and his skin immediately began to burn with pain. Smelling the nasty scent of burning flesh, Izuku looked down and noticed his first few layers of skin smoldering and turning to ash before withering away. This guy's Quirk must be fire or coal or something of the like. Izuku swung a fist and it connected with the guy's cheekbone, which sent him reeling back—but he was quickly replaced by another, a familiar face that made Izuku's gut churn with fear.

It was the muscle guy he'd spoken with before. His nose was still bleeding and he had an especially malicious look in his eyes as he grabbed hold of Izuku's wrist with a bone-crunching grip. Izuku let out an involuntary choking noise as his entire forearm felt like it was splintering into pieces, coupled with the burning sensation in his right. He felt hands grab other hand, ankles, and even his shirt as the mob grew closer, overwhelming him in a matter of seconds. 

But Izuku's attention was focused entirely on the muscle guy's face as the guy grinned and, with one swift motion of his large, calloused hands, snapped Izuku's wrist in a direction it most definitely wasn't supposed to go. Daggers of fire shot up his arm, all the way into his shoulder and across his collarbone. Pain blinded him for a moment as he was too stunned to even scream. This man just snapped a bone like it was nothing more than a small twig. Shivers ran up and down his body—out of pain, and out of fear, too. This guy could probably snap every bone in his body if he wanted to.

Finally, Izuku's shock wore off enough to let him scream. He shouted and thrashed, tears springing to his eyes as he realized how horribly hopeless this all was. Villains were lifting him off of the ground now, but because of all his fighting, they ended up dropping him. He collided with the ground right on his shoulder, which sent another jolt of pain through his body—but it was nothing compared to the pain of a broken bone. He'd felt that kind of pain before, but this was worse because it wasn't his own actions that inflicted it.

He willed up the courage to look down at his wrist and was greeted with the sight of a hand bent so far back that the knuckles could brush against his forearm. Brilliant white bone stuck out the base, while blood was pouring directly from his severed veins. That definitely wasn't good. Adrenaline was kicking in enough that he couldn't feel the pain anymore, but the sight of it was enough to make him light-headed.

Izuku was on the ground now, thrashing and hitting with his good hand, shouting for the villains to get back. But they were unimpressed. The muscle guy snatched his good arm and pinned him down with it, bending the joint at an awkward angle that immediately silenced a terrified Izuku. Another broken arm would not be welcomed.

"You better stop fighting, or else the arm comes clean off," the man muttered. He sounded indifferent, as if what he just said wasn't absolutely psychotic and disgusting. Izuku grit his teeth and prepared to be lifted again—but instead of that, he felt his arm continuing to bend. His elbow was being pressed inwards, putting immense pressure on his entire arm. He stopped thrashing. He stopped screaming. Just like the villain wanted him to. And yet, his arm continued to bend.

"S-Stop! I won't fight!" Izuku exclaimed despite his inner hero telling him to remain silent and endure the pain. But the man seemed to ignore him as he continued slowly pushing Izuku's elbow inward as if he was enjoying the excruciating pain it put him in. He had one foot on Izuku's back, keeping him flattened and unable to move, while one giant hand was holding his arm in the air and the other was wrapped around his elbow, pushing it inward. This guy was probably quadruple the size of Izuku—like, almost to All Might size. He was huge. To this guy, Izuku was just some tiny kid. A bug beneath his shoe.

Again, Izuku found himself feeling weak and helpless without his Quirk. With One for All, he could easily Smash this guy into the sky and probably capture all of these villains in the blink of an eye. But without it, he was just some Quirkless nobody. Just like before.

A scream escaped Izuku's parted lips as his eyes screwed shut into a contorted look. The pain was unbearable. It felt like his bones were splintering like old wood, cracking and tearing and bending and stabbing in all the wrong ways. The man was purposefully going slow so that adrenaline wasn't even enough to mask the pain. It took another few seconds before his socket popped out of place and Izuku thought he might pass out. He didn't even have enough lucidity to beg the man to stop.

The man made one final push, and Izuku felt his bone snap. So much pain engulfed him, he couldn't fight back even if he wanted to. Then the man hoisted him into the air by his newly-broken arm and sneered at him. "Good job. If you fought back, I would've ripped it off."

Izuku was never one to believe in the concepts of good and evil. There was almost always a reason behind peoples' actions, and Izuku was usually able to figure it out and help them. But hearing that man's voice in that pain-dazed moment, he realized for the first time that after all those years of believing the same thing, he was wrong.

Some people are just evil. Plain and simple.

The villains carried Izuku back inside, and he didn't even have the strength to fight back. He groaned in pain every so often, but mostly his head was just spinning and he couldn't do anything except hang there, limp as a ragdoll. He was fading in and out of consciousness as a few villains carried him through doors, down a hallway, and into a room. He blinked the bleariness from his eyes and realized with a near sob of despair that this was the torture room. Standing in the corner was a dark figure—no doubt the shadow man, waiting to be able to torture him again. He was already in so much pain, he didn't want to feel anymore. He wished he would just pass out and never wake up again. Maybe then the villains would just leave him alone.

They sat him on the torture chair and Izuku laid back, panting, tears streaming almost involuntarily from his eyes. He couldn't take it. He just wanted to break down and cry; he didn't want to deal with this anymore. His plan had failed. The shadow man was alive and currently injecting himself with a serum which Izuku could only assume was a healing mixture, so all of Izuku's hard work was going down the drain. His arms were broken. He couldn't move. His head hurt, his body hurt, he was in a hopeless position. There was no way he was making it out of here on his own accord.

He was helpless.

So damn helpless.

The shadow man waved his hand for the others to leave, and within a matter of seconds, it was just him and Izuku, alone. He didn't speak for a solid minute while he sorted through things on his table, facing away from Izuku and leaving him to writhe and silently cry in pain. He looked down at his mangled arms. Sure, they'd been broken before. He'd seen his own arms in shambles countless times when he first got his Quirk and didn't quite know how to use it. But this time felt different.

Izuku had seen some pretty tough times in his past. Whether that was fighting his nemesis Shigaraki, or struggling with his own self-image as a Quirkless child, or leaving his class to go on a vigilante spree and try to save everyone by himself. He'd fought so many villains he could hardly remember them all, and he'd been in so many life-threatening situations that the feeling had become almost second nature to him. But never had he been in a situation as bad as this.

After a short period of silence, the shadow man finally turned to look at him. Izuku's watery eyes immediately jumped to look at his eye and see if he healed himself. And the answer was yes. The villain's eyes were perfectly back to normal, only leaving behind some dried blood on his clothes and chin. Izuku's feeling of dread only grew as the man advanced toward him with an uncharacteristically straight face. Usually, he'd be grinning or joking or insulting Izuku while he walks over to him—but this time, he only looked angry. And his silence was somehow even scarier than if he'd been yelling.

He was holding a syringe in his hand while he walked over to Izuku, who was sitting motionless in the chair, even though he wasn't tied down. He seemed to be paralyzed with fear because no matter how badly he wanted to move, he just couldn't. He was trembling. The man didn't have a hint of pity on his face as he grabbed Izuku's broken wrist and stuck the needle in, injecting without hesitation. Izuku watched numbly. He recognized that pinkish color as the hallucination medicine.

Immediately when he finished administering the drug, there was a sound of the syringe clattering to the floor. The villain had dropped it. Izuku's eardrums seemed to comprehend it before his brain could catch up. And before Izuku could get the chance to understand what was happening, he felt pain flare in his cheek and was immediately thrown off the side of the chair by the sheer force of the blow. His brain rattled in his skull, his eyes screwed shut, his ears rang. The room was silent aside from his collision with the ground as he landed heavily on his broken arm. The scream of pain caught in his throat before he could let it out.

The man had punched him. As he was just starting to realize what was going on, the guy was already advancing on him, silent and forceful as before. He took a fistful of Izuku's shirt and lifted him up, shoving him against the wall with such force that it crushed the breath from his lungs. He punched Izuku again. No questions, no demands, no way out. The man's fist hit his face again and again until blood and saliva were pouring from Izuku's parted lips and his swollen eyes were trickling tears. He couldn't hear it, but gurgling noises were coming from his throat with every punch. There was no sign of slowing down.

Izuku's legs suddenly felt too weak to stand and he slumped to the ground, trying to raise his broken arms in order to protect himself, but the effort was fruitless. The man started kicking him—in the ribs, his already-broken arms, his legs, face, anything that was exposed—which was essentially everything. Izuku just tried his best to protect his head, which is where the damage would really matter in the long run.

He was gritting his teeth through the pain, but eventually, his head was starting to get pretty fuzzy. He imagined the blood loss, along with the constant abuse his body was going through, was exhausting him. He could feel himself fading into unconsciousness until the man eventually slowed down, seeming to realize that Izuku was about to pass out. He stood there hovering above Izuku for a while, breathing heavily, until he walked away and went to his table. Izuku heard him sigh, though his hearing and vision were both haphazard. He could feel himself fading out. "Midoriya Izuku," the man said from afar. He was messing with something on his table while Izuku, almost on auto-pilot, started trying to crawl his way to the door. It was a futile attempt, he knew—but all he wanted in that moment was to escape.

It only took a few seconds for the man to grab something and then walk back over to Izuku, wearing something of a smile on his face. Like he was about to crack a joke, or do something that he thought was funny. The shadow man grabbed Izuku by the hair and dragged him so he was sitting against the wall. Izuku was too dazed to even cry out in pain as a good chunk of his hair was ripped out.

"I can't have you passing out on me, now can I?" The man asked as he stuck the needle into his neck. Izuku felt a burning spread through his body as the drug was injected. He winced, and then suddenly he could feel some of his strength coming back. The villain was... giving his strength back? He still couldn't use his Quirk. Only... wait, something felt wrong. This wasn't right. Something in his arm was tingling, and he looked down at his elbow, which only seconds prior had been in almost excruciating pain. He watched with a sort of awe—and terror—as the awkwardly-bent portion of his arm slowly started creaking back to normal.

His arm was healing itself at an irregular pace. He looked down at his wrist and realized the same thing was happening there. All the bruises on his body, the cuts in his mouth and on his lips, the pain in his lungs and head. It all faded away within the span of a minute. A minute. His broken elbow was fixed within the span of a minute. Was he going crazy, or was this real? Did he really just see that happen right in front of his eyes? He hesitantly moved his arm, expecting to feel pain as he flexed his joint. But it was healed completely. No pain, no soreness. It was a little stiff, but otherwise... back to normal.

The villain stood back for a moment, as if admiring Izuku's newly healed body, before dropping his syringe and letting it clatter to the floor. He seemed more careless than usual, and Izuku guessed that was because he was still angry. He'd relieved some of his anger by punching Izuku, but he looked like he wasn't done yet.

"Have you figured out how the serum works yet?" The man asked smugly, watching Izuku's facial expressions as he examined his own body, mesmerized and appalled by the villain's capabilities. His own vision was becoming wonky as the hallucination serum also started to kick on. The shadows in the corners of the room looked like they were coming towards him, wielding sharp talons and teeth like daggers that they would use to tear him apart.

The shadow man grabbed Izuku's arm and hoisted him to his feet before practically throwing him down onto the medical table and beginning to tie his hands down using the straps. Izuku winced and tried to fight back, but the man was quick to punch him square across the cheekbone and shut him up. "Anyway, it seems like you haven't, so I'll just tell you. It took me years to come up with a concauction that was so efficient. The healing serum is sort of like a spinoff of Overhalu's daughter's Quirk, which he allowed me to test while he was still alive. I think U.A. took the girl, right? Eri was her name. I never liked her much."

Izuku listened faintly, though he wasn't really connecting with the words. He was too busy staring at the shadows coming closer. His brain was spinning. He couldn't think.

"The constraints of the medicine are this: any injury acquired fifteen minutes prior to the serum's injection will be healed immediately. It's a little too complicated to go in-depth, but that's really all you need to know anyway." The man spoke while he strapped Izuku's ankles down to the chair. Izuku wasn't sure why he was telling this to him, but it was making him nervous. Every fifteen minutes? That means the villain could torture him as much as he wanted... and Izuku would never die.

"Blood loss, broken bones, even brain damage—it works on everything. Missing limbs have even grown back in some of the experiments I've done, but not all. Most of the relations correlated with blood type. Type O usually worked the best, while type B and A were less efficient," he continued.

The man strapped him in tight before flashing a thin smile and walking over to his table. Izuku watched with a growing sense of doom as the man grabbed a knife—the same silver knife he'd grabbed before. It was clean and newly sharpened. A knife of this sort could cut through skin and muscle like butter, and it could even slice through bone with enough force applied. Where was he going with this?

"So," the man wasn't finished yet, "I did my research. Your blood type is O, Izuku. Am I correct?"

Izuku grit his teeth.

"That means I'd be able to take off your limbs... and they'd just grow right back."

Izuku shook his head numbly, suddenly very aware of where this was going. 

The shadow man looked indifferently at the blade, ignoring his display of alarm. "Today is a bit different than all the other days," he said in a bit of an off-topic way. "Today, I don't really have any questions to ask you... actually, today I think is just payback for what you did to me. I think I forgot to mention that stabbing me in the fucking eye is actually something you don't want to do." He sighed. "I thought we were making progress. I mean, you've been so well-behaved over the past few days—I just assumed you were giving up!" 

He clucked his tongue. "Guess that was all just part of your plan, huh?" He turned his icy glare to Izuku's frightened eyes. "You know something, Izuku?" The boy winced at his name. "I hate your guts," the man finished, all traces of a smile now gone from his face. He'd been pacing around before, but now he stopped and the room grew incredibly silent with the absence of his footsteps. "Your kind of... people... are the kind that anger me the most. You heroes. It really just pisses me off how you'd do anything to save people, even letting yourself be tortured and beaten before you tell me the first thing about how your Quirk works."

He paused as if thinking. "I can't really tell if that's selfish or selfless, but nonetheless, it makes me mad. In the name of 'saving people,' you tricked me. You tried to deceive me. And in the name of 'saving yourself,' you tried to kill me. And you know what? You would've been better off jumping off the side of the boat when you had the chance."

The villain walked over to Izuku and crouched down behind his chair so that his face was at Izuku's ear level. He slowly reached out and placed the edge of the knife on his skin. "You have such nice skin," he said as he dragged the knife across, cutting through skin and slicing easily through muscle. The entire edge of the blade buried itself in Izuku's arm until it came out the other side, leaving a sizeable gash in its place. Izuku watched blood pump from his slashed veins. He didn't have the strength to scream. Actually, watching his arms be slashed was becoming a daily occurrence at this point—so he was used to it.

But that didn't mean he didn't feel the pain anymore. Actually, as his arm was cut, the pain felt more intense than ever; almost like all of his nerves were targeting that one spot, and his brain was hyper-focused on making his pain as blinding as possible. It's easy for someone to imagine being cut with a knife, and it's even easier for someone to imagine what it feels like. But it's a whole different thing when you're the one actually experiencing it.

Izuku watched with a clenched jaw as the man decorated his arms with glittering red marks. He was starting to look like mincemeat when he felt himself starting to pass out from blood loss and the man finally gave him the healing serum to keep him alive. He watched as the cuts healed themselves, mending back together as if his body was turning back time. It was sickening—so much so that when it was done, Izuku turned and retched over the side of the chair, eyes screwed shut and watering at the vile taste. He hadn't eaten in more than a day, so the taste of his stomach fluids passing over his tongue was extra unpleasant.

"Agh, disgusting," the man laughed at him from where he was standing back at his table, cleaning his blade with a rag and getting some new tools ready for use. "That smell is horrid. I guess it's from all the drugs rotting your stomach away," he mused. Izuku spit the taste from his mouth and looked up at the ceiling, dazed. In his puke, he'd seen thousands of tiny bugs, squealing and skittering and shining in the dim light. He tried to tell himself that it was all his imagination, but it was hard when the visions seemed so real.

"You're sick," Izuku choked out, the first words he'd spoken in this room for days. The man didn't even look at him.

"Of course I am," came the response after a moment. "Who else would act the way I do? I'm sick in the head. That's something you heroes never account for, is it?" He walked back over to Izuku carrying the knife in one hand and pliers in the other. "Who else finds enjoyment in doing things like this?" He dropped the pliers on the ground and stepped closer, holding the knife in a menacing way. Two seconds later, he was driving the knife deep into Izuku's stomach, blowing his eyes wide open. Izuku gasped. He shuddered. Pain flared in the area, and he tried to recoil, but couldn't move because of the restraints. 

The room was silent until the man took the knife out and then stabbed him again, this time a bit higher, near his ribcage. Izuku coughed, and when he did, blood dribbled from his lip. He watched the man, and all he could do was tremble with fear. The sound of blood splattering on the floor reached his ears, but all he could hear was static.

"I've never stabbed a patient like this before," the man muttered before ripping the knife out again. He turned the handle in his palm, watching blood trickle from the glistening red blade and drip to the floor. His eyes shone with the wonder of a kid catching sight of an All Might action figure. Izuku rested the back of his head against the chair, panting as the air in the room felt thinner with every passing moment. He was having trouble finding enough oxygen to keep himself conscious. Every breath caused an aching pain in his chest. His guts felt like they were being ripped apart. He would've passed out within a few moments if the man hadn't grabbed a syringe filled with healing serum and injected it straight to his stomach, where it began working instantly, mending his skin, muscle, internal bleeding, and anything else that was damaged.

All except for Izuku's mind. Mentally, he was more damaged than anything.

The man stood back and watched the process, still holding the bloody knife. "Fascinating," he muttered. Izuku coughed, but the blood was gone. He hung his head, feeling tears swell in his eyes and drip down to his bloodied shirt. How many times did this man have to hurt him before he passed out? Before he died?  Six days' worth of torture, starvation, and beatings started catching up with him at this moment. Was this his new normal? Being in constant pain, constant despair, constant fear for his life? He didn't want to live like this. If this was his new life, he'd rather just be dead.

Next, the man took a pair of pliers and started ripping out his fingernails. Kind of a cliché form of torture, but Izuku was beginning to understand why so many movies did it. The first nail hurt terribly. Pain danced in his vision. It was almost worse than the cutting because he could feel his skin cells being torn and ripped, not to mention how there was barely any blood loss, so the man didn't feel the need to heal it very quickly.

The second and third nails hurt, too, but it was the third and fourth where Izuku started to really freak out. "Stop," he croaked, straining against the restraints, hand pulsing with pain. The man mercilessly ripped out his final nail—the pinkie—before letting it fall to the floor. Izuku glanced down at his mangled hand, wincing at the places where nails used to be. The glaring black-and-red wounds on his fingers made him want to retch again.

"You're looking as little pale, there, Izuku," the man said with almost a sense of amusement, "but that's not even the worst thing we're gonna do today. Open wide."

He pried open Izuku's mouth before proceeding to wrench free a few teeth. Canines, molars, even one of his front ones. Izuku's eyes watered—he couldn't help but cry. He'd been tortured before, but this was a whole new level. It was like the man was doing everything he could to make sure Izuku was in the most pain humanly possible. Knowing that the man was going to grow them back gave him a sense of relief, but that didn't mean he wasn't still in pain.

After ripping out a few teeth and standing back to let Izuku assess his new wounds, the man smiled at him. "You know, it's so easy for me to just...heal your wounds. You watch me do this over and over, and then you watch the injuries heal a minute later. It's taxing, isn't it? Emotionally. Mentally. Because no matter how many times I inject you with this healing serum, it won't heal your mind. No, your mind will stay damaged after this—and even if you somehow make it out of this place alive, your brain will be scarred forever. Your physical body may be flawless and heal over time. But your brain will never be the same again."

Izuku swiped his tongue over one of the new gaps in his mouth and spat out blood. The man's words were hardly registering in his brain. He wondered what was next. Breaking his fingers? Stabbing him some more? Or maybe he'd go all out and start sawing off one of his legs. Whatever it would be, Izuku didn't want to know. He was growing tired now. Tired from all the pain, tired from all the hopelessness in his heart and the fogginess in his brain. The hallucination serum was taking a toll on him at this point because he couldn't form coherent thoughts and his vision was showing him things that weren't really there. He knew they weren't there. But he was terrified of them all the same.

He just wanted it to be over. He wanted to be done. Everything was so hopeless, he was useless, everything was just so meaningless. It was pointless to be alive, pointless to keep going. Izuku was getting sick of it. He was sick of it. 

If he didn't get out of here soon, Izuku was afraid he'd lose his mind.

Two hours later, the villain dumped him back in his little room, leaving him to mutter and cry to himself after what seemed like an eternity of pain. They'd explored many different methods and techniques of what the villain called "torture." Though Izuku just called it psychological abuse. Because it was true—his wounds were healed. His body was smooth and flawless, and his heart was still pumping drug-tainted blood into his legs, his arms, his brain. But that didn't mean he was better. He would never be better after that.

He curled up into a tight ball in the corner of the room, farthest from the door as possible. He closed his eyes but that didn't stop the tears from flowing. "This isn't real... this can't be real..." he muttered, holding himself, wishing there was someone else to do it for him. He didn't want to be alone. He was so alone. Back in this room again, with nobody to comfort him. He cried. 

"I'm... gonna wake up in my bed... A-And I'll be home... please, I just wanna go home." He grimaced at the weakness in his voice, but now that he was alone, at least he could let it out. He couldn't show weakness in front of the villain, so after all that pain and suffering, all the time forcing himself to stay silent, now he could let himself cry.

And cry he did. He broke down. 

Izuku buried his face in his hands and tried to stay quiet, not wanting the villain to hear. He remembered vividly the feeling of the hacksaw cutting through his forearm, eating through the bone like it was nothing more than a cut of meat. The feeling of raising his hand and not being able to move his fingers because half of his arm was gone. And then watching the villain stick them back together right as he was about to pass out and heal it all up, perfect and scarless as if it never happened in the first place.

He remembered how the villain snapped his fingers back one by one, even going so far as to cut some off and then re-attach them. He called it "experimentation." Apparently, Izuku's blood type worked perfectly with the healing drug, so the villain didn't hesitate to go all-out. Izuku would never look at his hands the same after seeing every finger snapped backward, like his bones were nothing more than glowsticks and instead of neon colors it was Izuku's blood pouring out. Sure, he'd seen his fingers broken before, and sure, he'd seen his hands in some pretty messed-up situations. But some of the scenes after today were a little too graphic to even describe. He hoped to whatever god out there that his brain would make the decision to block those memories out.

Finally alone, Izuku could enjoy some silence. Enjoy some peace. Because he knew a few hours later, the villain would be back for more. And he wouldn't be ready for whatever's in store for him. 

It only took a few minutes for him to pass out, clutching himself for a sense of comfort and silently crying into his shirt. He was exhausted. Later, his consciousness was haunted by nightmares and terrifying visions of the villain doing those same things to his friends and family. 

Katsuki and the others arrived at the island in less than an hour, thanks to the pilot's speedy flying. There'd been some turbulence along the way, so Katsuki wasn't able to get any rest—not like he would've been able to fall asleep, anyway—and the co-pilot announced over the intercom that the rough flying was because of a storm passing through. Great, Katsuki thought saltily while listening to the man speak. Add it to the list of shit for me to worry about. 

They made it to the island as the sun was starting to go down. By then, the storm had passed, to Katsuki's relief. Heroes, teachers, and students all did their part in contributing to the camp's build-up. The island was pretty remote, with few signs of human inhabitance. Katsuki found out after Endeavor did a little investigating that the island had been abandoned years ago because this area was a hotspot for storms, including hurricanes, giant waves, and sinkholes. He prayed that the squad didn't have any problems while they set up their makeshift campsite at the edge of the woods.

They didn't have tents, but they did have sleeping bags—so Katsuki walked around, helping people set up. "Make sure you find a flat, dry spot to lay your sleeping bag, or else you'll sleep like hell all night," he instructed his classmates, who for the most part didn't know the first thing about how to camp. He used to camp and hike a lot as a kid, so he knew more than the average person about how to make yourself comfortable enough to sleep in the wilderness.

"You're so knowledgeable about camping, Bakugou!" Kirishima exclaimed from where he knelt on the sand, about to set up.

"Make sure you smooth out the sand before you lay your sleeping bag down, or else you'll be sleeping on lumps the entire night," Katsuki advised almost subconsciously. Kirishima looked at him wonderously before following directions and smoothing out the sand. Katsuki kept walking.

"I just don't understand why we couldn't have waited until tomorrow to fly here," Denki complained as Katsuki passed. He was in the process of lying out his sleeping bag on a patch of grass, but looked like he was struggling with getting it out of the pouch. "Ugh, this is stupid!"

"Because if we left in the morning, the villains might see us coming, dipshit," Katsuki snapped back. "And quit your complaining. Try pulling the velcro."

There was a begrudging sigh. "You sound like my mother," Denki quipped while obediently pulling the velcro.

"So you've been hearing the same thing your whole life, and still haven't changed? That's real telling."

"Shut up!" 

Katsuki clicked his tongue and kneeled down beside his messily-strewn sleeping bag. "If you're gonna set up your sleeping bag on a hill," he said, "then the least you can do is make sure your head is on the more elevated side. Otherwise, all the blood will rush to your skull, and you won't sleep properly. Idiot."

Denki glared at Katsuki as he stood and turned away from him. "Smart-ass," Denki muttered before re-positioning his sleeping bag.

"Hey, that reminds me—why are the villains even coming to this island in the first place?" Katsuki overheard Mina asking Endeavor from afar. "If this place is so remote, why would they want to bring their whole operation here? That just doesn't make sense," she continued. Katsuki walked over to hear Endeavor's response, feeling curious himself. Why was this island, of all places, the villains' target?

"Good question," Endeavor replied, glancing at Katsuki as he approached. "Some of the more soundly-structured buildings are still intact, so we believe the villains were planning on re-building and re-enforcing the area to be less affected by the climate. I've been informed that these villains have some cash up their sleeve. The construction of a base here would be an effective way of flying below the radar, even if they do have to travel a longer distance to trade with Japan's villains. Camping here would be a very tactical way of escaping the heroes for a while."

Katsuki nodded. "So what you're saying is that if we didn't find out where the villains were going, it's likely we wouldn't have been able to track them down?" He reiterated.

Endeavor turned to him. "Essentially, yes. It would've been very difficult to track down an unidentified boat all the way to an unidentified island."

"So it's a good thing we found that phone, then."

The hero's gaze hardened. "Yes, it is," he said a little more darkly. But Katsuki had no intention of starting an argument.

"Good," he said sounding a little smug. "I'm glad we went, then." And then he walked away.

Later that night, after Shoto and Endeavor lit the fires and everyone was starting to settle in to relax, Class 3A was sitting around a campfire socializing before sleep. Katsuki got dragged over by Kirishima, but the blond was mostly just laying off to the side and listening to the conversations with no intention of actually joining in.

"I'm so nervous for tomorrow," pink cheeks was saying, while Todoroki and frog girl were comforting her. "I just can't imagine what they've been doing to Deku... it keeps me up at night," she confessed, watching the fire dance as it crackled and popped, bringing depth to the cooling night air. Katsuki stared up at the sky, indifferent as he listened to her talk.

"Don't worry, Uraraka," Kirishima replied. "Midoriya's strong, and probably one of the manliest guys I know. Whatever they're doing to him, I know he can hold out until we rescue him. Plus, he's got One for All on his side! I'd be more scared for the villains' safety than I am for his."

Everyone was nodding in agreement until Shoto was quick to pipe up, "Actually, they had lots of drugs, including Quirk tranquilizers. It's likely that the villains have been keeping his Quirk dormant for this week because they're scared of what might happen if they let him loose." The class went silent at this, but he continued. "You're right—Midoriya is strong. He has one of the strongest Quirks of our generation. But when you take that away from him, he's just a kid. A kid who needs to be saved."

Katsuki pinched his nose bridge and wondered why he allowed himself to be dragged over here in the first place. "Way to lighten the mood, Icyhot," he said, sitting up suddenly. "I'm going to bed. You guys are giving me a headache." And then he stood and walked to his sleeping bag without another word.

Later that night, after everyone had gone to bed and the flames of the fire were starting to die out, Katsuki was, of course, still awake. He glared up at the stars, wishing he could just fall asleep already. But his anxiety for the coming morning seemed to be keeping his mind afloat. He listened to the gentle lapping of the ocean waves and the sweet symphonies of the nighttime crickets and frogs while he let his subconscious wander.

But when you take that away from him, he's just a kid. A kid who needs to be saved. Todoroki's words echoed in his head. He wished it would shut up, but no matter how many times he tried to stop thinking about the phrase, it would end up coming back bolder than ever. He wasn't sure why those words specifically were so... off-putting to him. Was it because he'd always idolized Deku as the guy saving people, so hearing that he needs to be saved sounds... strange? 

Stop being a jerk to Midoriya. He really takes what you say seriously, so you shouldn't be so hurtful to him. One of these days he won't be so forgiving. More of Todoroki's words came flooding into his head. Fuck—since when did quotes from Icyhot become so meaningful? He huffed and rolled onto his side, forcing his eyes shut. But still, they wouldn't stay closed for more than a minute at a time.

Deku was always the one trying to save people. No matter his physical or mental condition, no matter what crimes the person in danger has committed, Deku makes it his job to save them. Even if he breaks and kills himself in the process. That's how he wound up captured, Katsuki thought back. 

The blond rolled over angrily. "Shut up," he muttered to his churning brain, hoping nobody around him was still awake to hear him say that. He'd chosen a spot to sleep relatively isolated from the rest of the group, but that didn't mean someone like Jiro or Shoji couldn't still hear him. They'd probably think him crazy if they did. He didn't care. He was crazy.

He tossed and tumbled for another thirty minutes or so, unable to shake the nervousness from his mind, before realizing his mind probably wasn't gonna turn off anytime soon. Getting up was probably his best option. Katsuki sat up and rubbed his tired eyes, muttering curses while he slipped out of his sleeping bag and stood up. The chilly air was a shock to his warm body. If he hadn't been fully awake before, he definitely was now.

Their last-minute camp looked sort of pitiful as he cast a look around. Sleeping bags filled with sleeping bodies and dying fires strewn about, with no real rhyme or reason to the chaos. With not so much as a tent for shelter, they were lucky the storm had already passed through—or else they would've been screwed. 

Katsuki first gathered some dry twigs and sticks from the edge of the woods to rekindle the fire, and once that was done, he scavenged some bigger chunks of wood to feed it once the smaller branches ran out. He set them beside the flames to heat up and dry out while grabbing his sleeping bag and moving it closer to the fire. He didn't need some damn Todoroki to build up the fire again. He'd learned how to survive all on his own.

When Katsuki was a kid, maybe eight or nine years old, he'd been obsessed with being a survivalist. That was a time where he didn't really have many friends. He scarcely hung out with anyone outside of school. He spent most of his free time training his body to become a hero, but when he wasn't in the mood to work out, he needed a hobby. So his mom suggested a summer camp where he'd be sent off for a week and taught how to survive.

"It will be good, Katsuki. You need something to do other than sit in that backyard all the time—and with such a lone-wolf mentality, I think camping would be a good thing for you. You don't really need friends in order to be a survivalist."

Hearing that, Katsuki was immediately down. He got shipped off to some tropical island (he couldn't remember where) and over the course of the week, the instructors taught them some basics on camping. How to start fires. Setting up tents. How to pick a campsite. What to look for while trapping animals. Different methods for fishing. Essentials to bring on a long hike. 

That was one thing he really found himself loving. Hikes. Setting out on a long journey, with nobody but yourself to keep you company, and nothing but your own skills to rely on. There were some thrills that came with hiking, too—sometimes he'd encounter a wild animal and be forced to remember how to deal with it, and a few times while hiking a narrow trail he'd find himself almost slipping over the edge for a most certainly painful plunge. But aside from the dangers, Katsuki loved it. He always felt the most freedom while out on a day-long hike, where he could just navigate the quiet forests in silence and not have to worry about pleasing or offending anyone else. Because that's what it always came down to when he interacted with people. He'd end up saying something hurtful or pushing them away somehow—so it was just easier to not worry about that.

And so, with that summer camp, it sparked his year-long obsession with the art of camping. He bought himself a tent, sleeping bag, firestarter, an axe, and some other survival tools. And though his infatuation had fizzled out slightly over the years, especially when he started at U.A., that didn't mean he no longer had a love for the sport. He still had a section of his closet dedicated to his camping gear, and usually once a year—during the summer—he'd go on a week-long hiking trip or something similar. It was a tradition at this point. He didn't even think any of his friends knew about it.

Katsuki built up the fire and then laid on his back beside it, folding his arms beneath his head and looking up at the vast sky. It was a nice night. Quiet. Being enveloped in nature felt good. He listened to the satisfying pops and crackles of the fire while trying to count all of the glittering stars, but he only got to 150 or so before he felt his mind slipping away and he started to lose focus. Finally. 

Katsuki eventually drifted off into a light, fitful rest—something which, at this point, had become normal for him.

The next morning, everyone woke at an early hour to thoroughly clean up the campsite, leaving zero evidence that they were even there in the first place. It was important for the villains to be completely unaware of their presence when they arrived. Hawks said the boat would be arriving in an hour or so. While Katsuki cleaned up, stomping out the fire and rolling up his sleeping bag, his stomach continued to tie itself into tighter and tighter knots. He was nervous—not just to fight the villains, but to find out about what they'd been doing to Izuku all this time. Were the heroes too late? Would he even still be alive? Katsuki just had to believe that he was.

Endeavor directed them to a spot in the forest where they could still see the beach, but they'd be hidden from the sight of anyone approaching from in that direction. Katsuki crouched down in the bushes with his gauntlets tucked neatly beside him, ready to be secured to his wrists at a moments notice. He kept his eyes fixated on the horizon, waiting for the slightest hint of a ship approaching. Salty wind blew in from the ocean's surface and buffeted his face. His shoulder was aching from a strange position he'd woken up to this morning, but it was nothing he couldn't roll out. However, most of his attention was diverted to the ocean, where the clear blue sky connected with dark water and the sun had barely risen to start the day.

He could hear some of his classmates talking to the side of him. They were all positioned in a line abreast to be able to see the beach from their own position, but some of them had grouped up and were having conversations. Some conversations buzzed with excitement, while other talkers just seemed worried. In the worried group, there was pink cheeks, Todoroki, Iida, and a few of Deku's other close friends; and in the 'excited' group, there was Denki, Kirishima, Mina, basically all of Katsuki's group. He wondered why that was—and if there was even a reason. Why did Katsuki's friends seem less concerned? Maybe he was overthinking it.

A few minutes passed of quiet chatter until Hawks walked by and instructed them to focus up. "The tracker I placed on the boat is telling me that it's roughly an hour from here. Make sure you suit up and are ready to fight," he said while passing, walking towards Katsuki. The groups obediently ended their conversations and split up to retreat to their designated positions. Katsuki looked up at the hero as he approached. "How's it going?" Hawks asked.

"Fine," Katsuki replied, looking back at the ocean. "Sounds like the boat will be here in an hour."

"Yep," Hawks confirmed before crouching at Katsuki's side. "Did you sleep last night?"

The blond gave him a side-eye. Instead of replying, he just asked, "Why?"

"I was keeping watch last night, and I noticed it looked like you were having trouble. The time was around 1AM when you moved to sleep beside the fire," Hawks replied, looking at the ocean now, too. "It seems like you're pretty worried about your friend. Even more worried than the others." He said the last part quietly so nobody would overhear. 

Katsuki clicked his tongue and shifted his footing. "I'm not." It was his instant reaction to deny, deny, deny it all. "I just couldn't get comfortable. Too damn cold."

"It was seventy degrees," Hawks pointed out. "Not exactly cold."

"Whatever," Katsuki dismissed. "What do you want, anyway?"

Hawks looked at him. "I just wanted to check on you. I've known you for a few years now, whether you wanna admit that or not. I've seen you fight, and I've seen you work with Midoriya. You guys have known each other for a while. Since childhood, right?"

"How do you even know that?" Katsuki snapped unintentionally fast. "Just because you've known someone for a long time doesn't make you friends. And since you say you're 'checking on me,' I'm fine. What part of me gives you any indication that I'm not?"

"I don't know, maybe the fact that you intentionally distanced yourself ten feet away from all of your classmates, and the fact that you were the last to fall asleep last night, and oh don't let me forget, the fact that when I was scouting out the boat yesterday, you stole the headset from your teacher just to yell at me. Your head isn't screwed on right. I'm exceptionally good at reading people, and I've picked up on some things," Hawks quipped. Katsuki stared at him incredulously for a moment. He wasn't expecting a genuine response. Since when did this guy have the time to worry about him?

He turned away. "Well, you're not my teacher, Hawks. You don't need to worry about me."

"Yeah, but I am a hero. It's a hero's job to care about his subordinates."

The blond turned his head to scowl at the guy. The thing he disliked most about that was the fact that it was true. "Alright, then," he said dryly. "You've checked on me. Good, great. Now you can leave."

Hawks chuckled and cuffed him in the shoulder like they were buddies or something. "You know, you are probably one of the most frustrating kids I've ever met," he mused while repositioning his yellow glasses on his nose. "It'll be a real treat to work with you when you get older."

Katsuki gave him a sour look. He popped the 'p' as he said, "Yep."

Hawks shook his head with a grin and looked out at the ocean—where quickly his grin faded into a serious look. "Oh, man," he muttered, staring at something on the horizon.

Katsuki instantly followed his gaze, scanning for boats. But he couldn't see anything. "What is it?" he asked with a quickening heartbeat, grip tightening on the handle of one of his gauntlets, ready to put them on at a moment's notice.

The hero squinted, then gave a nod to himself. "Yep, that's it. You should be able to see it in a few minutes. It's just that I have better eyesight than you." He was referring to his Quirk, which gave him large red wings along with ridiculously good eyesight. Traits of a hawk.

"Good," Katsuki growled despite his growing nervousness. "I've been itching to get back at those damn villains."

"That's right," Hawks agreed before patting him on the shoulder again. "I've gotta go talk with your teacher. Cya, Bakugou."

But there was no response from Katsuki as the hero got up and walked away. He was too busy staring at the edge of the water, scanning for a sign of the approaching boat. 

Two minutes later, he could see it. A tiny black dot sticking out against the brightening sky, hurdling towards them at a brisk pace. It would be here in less than forty minutes, no doubt. Izuku was on that boat. And so were the villains that kidnapped and tortured him. They were on their way here, completely unaware of the heroes or the ambush that was awaiting their arrival. A wave of apprehension washed over the area as the rest of class 3A caught sight of it, too. Everybody seemed to realize what was coming. They all seemed to finally understand the weight of what would take place here today. 

Katsuki put on his gauntlets. It was time to prepare for battle.

Izuku felt like he hadn't gotten a moment of rest before the villain was back for more.

"Get up," he heard the rough words before he could comprehend what was happening. The comfortable darkness was broken as light bled into his vision and rugged hands gripped his arm. Sounds filled the room, footsteps and shuffling as Izuku was dragged to his feet and a needle was stuck in his arm. The Quirk eraser, he figured. He didn't struggle. He didn't even look up. Because he knew what he'd see if he did. The man's angry face scowling down at him, getting him ready for another nightmarish hour of pain and psychological torture. 

Izuku was brought back to the torture room in a blur. He didn't even need to be cuffed at this point because he couldn't even be bothered with trying to fight back. It was hopeless—he knew that now. The villain seemed to realize he wasn't fighting back because he gave a chuckle as Izuku let himself be strapped into the chair. "So I've finally broken you, huh," the man said as he buckled his left ankle. The boy didn't respond. He just stared down at his shirt, exhausted. Defeated. He felt useless and weak. His only wish was for this all to be over.

"Do I even really need these anymore?" The man asked sounding pleased with himself, referring to the straps which he was finishing buckling to Izuku's wrist. "I think you'd let me do anything to you without so much as a complaint. To be quite truthful, I never thought we'd reach this point, Izuku. It really is remarkable what a week of torture can do to someone's mind. Even the strongest of heroes can be broken—with the right drugs to aid, of course, and the right methods of dehumanization and brutalization to go along with it. Do you know how many heroes I've beaten and broken until they tell me what I want to know?" 

The man paced over to his table and rearranged a few things in silence as if waiting for Izuku to respond. Izuku just hung his head, expressionless. He was preparing for whatever pain was surely coming next, trying to ready his damaged mind and hoping that maybe if he stayed still and quiet enough, the villain would just forget about him and leave.

"Honestly, too many to count," the man finally answered his own question. He walked back over to Izuku carrying a knife, which apparently he wasn't going to use quite yet because he set it on his lap after sitting calmly in his chair facing Izuku. He had a placid expression on his face, but Izuku couldn't see it because he was too busy looking at his shirt. He didn't want to look up. He didn't want to move. Maybe nothing would happen to him if he just didn't move.

"I've killed a lot of people, Izuku. Doesn't that invoke any emotions in you?" he asked calmly. More silence. "Aren't heroes supposed to get angry whenever they hear about innocent people getting murdered? Or are you too broken to feel anger anymore?"

Izuku didn't respond. It would only make things worse.

The man sighed. "You know, out of all the people I've killed, I will say this. You held out the longest. Nobody's ever lasted a week with me—actually, the longest was six days before you came along. I've worked with people of all ages—people old enough to be grandparents, adults ranging from early to middle age, and even some kids like you. All people who've either pissed me off, or knew something that I wanted. Most of them didn't even do anything to deserve it. And yet, I tortured and killed them anyway."

He paused. "That's what I'm gonna do to you, too. I'll torture you, and one way or another, I'll get the information I want. And then I'll turn you into another one of my experiments— maybe one of those freaky-looking monsters that you fought at my old lab," he thought for a moment, "or maybe a terrifying mutant hybrid that I can release into the city to wreak havoc before the heroes shoot you down. A fitting end for a young aspiring hero. What do you think about that?"

Izuku closed his eyes as the man continued. "We will be arriving at our destination soon, so I think I'll do it there. Experiment on you, I mean. It will be fun—especially since I haven't had the opportunity to work with many patients lately. I've been trying to lay low, you know, because of all the heroes squirming around Japan in places they don't belong. I really wasn't planning on taking anyone on this boat with me. So how lucky was I when on the night I was about to leave, I watched three heroes come snooping around in my lab, just begging to be caught?"

He scoffed. "That's right. I knew you were coming from the moment you stepped within the vicinity of the building. You weren't sneaky at all. I let you come in. And then when you got down into the lab where I kept all of my instruments, I watched as you stuffed your pockets full of drugs and took all of those pictures to send to your sensei back at home. I watched as you easily beat my guard dog, and I watched you realize your body would soon be paralyzed at the touch of its acid blood."

"And then when I got to fight you face-to-face, imagine my amazement when I recognized you as U.A. students—and you, Midoriya Izuku, as the same kid who captured and killed my dear friend, Overhaul. Imagine how pleasantly surprised I was when I realized I'd get to capture you, of all people! I could finally get revenge for all the damage you'd done to our program. I could finally avenge our leader!"

He sounded for a moment like he was getting worked up, but Izuku listened as he spared a moment to take a deep breath and compose himself. "That's when I knew I had to capture you. I knew I couldn't let you go. And to my astonishment, you fell right into my trap. I'd honestly been expecting more from senior students at the top hero school in the country—but alas, it worked out in my favor. I captured you. And I've been torturing you for information every day since then. Crazy, isn't it? It's been a full seven days, and I still don't know anything about you or how to get your Quirk. You've been holding out on me, and I don't like it."

"So today, I plan on actually getting some information. You're gonna tell me how to get your Quirk. And then when we get to the island, I'll take it from you; and then turn your weak, Quirkless body into a monster before setting it free on the streets of your hometown, where your eyes can watch your body tear apart all the people who helped raise and take care of you." He smiled. "Because that's the kind of villain I am. You hurt me, so now I get to hurt you. That's just how it works, Izuku, and there's nothing you can do about it. You're far too inferior. Weak. Powerless. Is that why All Might decided to give you his Quirk? Because he felt bad for the pathetic, Quirkless kid who couldn't do anything but feel bad about himself? Because that's all you are now. Just a feeble, fragile, worthless little bug for someone like me to step on." 

He paused for a moment at Izuku's lack of response. The words hurt, but it was nothing Izuku hadn't heard before. He was silently enduring it. "You had two friends with you when you infiltrated my lab. I recognized them, too—the spiky-haired one was Bakugou Katsuki, and the red-and-white haired one was Todoroki Shoto, Endeavor's son. Isn't that right? Well, they were right to abandon you. Without your Quirk, you're worthless. Completely powerless, even against a weak villain like me. It's not a surprise that they would want to leave you behind. You were only slowing them down, after all."

Izuku looked off to the side, clenching his jaw. He knew it was true. He'd become a burden as soon as his Quirk was lost, so he was glad they'd left him. Or else those two would've been captured and forced to experience the same pain and misery that Izuku was going through. And he would never want something like that. 

"It's good they left you, anyway, because I would've been forced to kill them if they tried to save you. You were all I wanted, really. I just wanted to ask you some questions, which I actually still haven't gotten my answers to. So in case you've forgotten them, I'll go ahead and ask again. What exactly is your Quirk? Does it have multiple parts? And most importantly: What's the best way for me to get it?"

There was a long period of silence as the man waited for Izuku to give him an answer, but the latter had no intention of actually speaking. He kept his head lowered and gaze averted, focused on the uncanny perfection of the skin on his hands, which was still unsettling even after all the minutes he spent staring at them. 

"Izuku," the man prompted. Izuku found himself growing to hate his name because of how often the villain said it.

A few beats of silence ensued before the man abruptly stood from his chair. He grabbed Izuku's chin and forced him to look up, while leaning over the chair so far that Izuku was afraid he was about to climb on top of him. But the man didn't do that. He just stared emotionlessly into his eyes, and Izuku was again surprised by how lifeless and detached those blue eyes were. He began to wonder if this person even had a soul at all.

"You have lovely eyes," the man said suddenly, but there was no warmth behind his words. No affection whatsoever. "I've always been told that I have a piercing gaze. Is that true?" He smiled something frigid. "Answer me," he added.

Izuku stared at him. He didn't feel afraid, he didn't even feel strongly enough to be defiant. He had no energy left to feel anything.

"Cat got your tongue," the villain said while he thumbed Izuku's lip, as if trying to look inside his mouth. "Let me see."

Izuku turned his head away as the man tried to pry open his teeth using his thumb. But the second he moved, the man just grabbed his chin again, more roughly the second time. Angry lines drew themselves between his bunching eyebrows. "Don't turn away from me, brat. You're not in any position to defy me right now." Despite the creepy situation, Izuku couldn't even bring himself to feel weirded out. He could only feel empty. 

"I could do anything I want," the man muttered, "and you wouldn't even mutter a complaint. Isn't that what I said?" He continued to stare down at Izuku with a devilish look. The boy closed his eyes, not wanting to see anymore, but that didn't stop the man from doing whatever he was about to do. He managed to get a calloused finger between Izuku's teeth and pry open his mouth. "Look at me," he said. Izuku kept his eyes closed.

"Look at me, damn it," the man said with more force to his tone. "Or I'll cut those eyelids right off your face."

A shiver ran down Izuku's spine and he opened his eyes. The man provided a smile, but again, it was a lifeless look. Then he grabbed something he'd set to the side of Izuku's leg. Izuku was quick to realize it was the knife. 

"You have lovely eyes," the man repeated again, but this time his words had an entirely different meaning. He raised the knife to Izuku's face. "I think I might just cut them out."

Izuku watched with growing horror as the man brought the knife to his right eye. Izuku's eyelids screwed shut and despite knowing the consequences if he moved again, he couldn't help himself. He jerked his head to the side as the sharp edge of the blade touched his brittle skin. His heartrate began to quicken for the first time since coming here. He pulled against the restraints. Because no matter how unafraid he wanted to feel, the threat of having his eyes taken out was always going to be terrifying.

The man grabbed a fistful of his hair and straightened out his head before digging the knife deep into his eye socket. Izuku panicked as pain shot deep into his skull. A cry of pain escaped his lips. He was acutely aware of every excruciating movement, every touched nerve, every ounce of blood and fluid running down his face as the man cut out his eye. He didn't scream. He knew that would only make the villain mad. 

"This is what it felt like," the man said in a malicious tone before burying the knife even deeper. Izuku choked. He shuddered and tried to turn his head away, but the man held him firmly in place. The movement made a squelching sound before more warm, metallic-smelling blood poured down his face in thick streaks. Izuku's body was rigid with the pain that was shooting through his skull. His eye was savaged at this point. This wound was irreversible... unless the man used his healing serum, which Izuku was sure he would do. He always did.

After a few more seconds of screwing things around in there, the villain removed the tip of the knife from Izuku's eye and wiped the bloodied blade on his t-shirt. "That's one," the man said as if he was doing nothing more than marking tallies on a board. "Having second thoughts about my questions?"

Izuku clenched his jaw. There were a lot of nerves in the eyes, so the pain was bad—but he could manage it. He could hold out. At least, that's what he was telling himself. The man took his silence as an answer, so a few seconds later, he was raising the knife to Izuku's other eye. "Pretty hard to be a hero if you don't have either of your eyes," he said heartlessly, and Izuku wasn't quite sure what that meant—but his confusion was short-lived as he began feeling pressure on his eyelid from the blade pressed against it. He shivered and jerked his head, but it was to no avail. Moments later, the sharp edge was breaking skin and penetrating the soft eyeball, and suddenly vision in both eyes was lost. He was completely blind.

He whimpered at the pain and strained against the straps on his hands and ankles, but he could stand it knowing the man was just going to heal this all in a few minutes. He could hold out. The man turned the knife around a few times just to be sure Izuku's eye was fully destroyed before removing the weapon once again. More blood gushed down his face and soaked into his shirt, but it was fine. It was okay. Izuku could last. He had to. 

"By the way," the man said after a moment. Izuku couldn't see his expression, but he was sure by the way his voice sounded that he was smiling. "I just wanted you to know that I'm not healing your eyes until you answer my questions."

Horror seized Izuku's body. He froze. He's not healing them? What did he mean? He's not going to heal Izuku's eyes... until he answers the questions. He's not going to... heal his eyes... 

Izuku would've cried if he had any tear ducts left. This was hopeless. Izuku was running out of options—he either stays silent and loses vision, or he tells the man about One for All and gets healed. He figured out pretty quickly what option he was going to pick. But that didn't mean the decision was any less heartbreaking. Because yes, the man was right. If he somehow managed to get out of here someday, he'd be visionless forever. He'd most likely need to give up his Quirk to someone else, because who's ever heard of a blind hero becoming the Number One? There was no way he could ever live his dream from here on out.

But on the other hand, if he told this man—this terrible, cold-hearted villain—about how to get One for All, he would be losing his Quirk regardless. And he'd be giving it to a heartless lunatic who would most certainly use it to hurt people.

Izuku was going to lose either way. But he knew the more heroic option. He was gonna have to keep his mouth closed, no matter what this guy did or said to him.

He faced away from the villain, lip trembling. His head was splitting. His eye sockets were still gushing blood. He was about to lose his eyes, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. He prepared to say goodbye to his dream of becoming the Number One Hero... forever.

"Still not talking, huh?" The man asked in an audibly-bored voice. Then he scoffed. "I knew you wouldn't. That's why I've been trying to come up with things that will make you talk," he confessed after a moment. "I thought this might do the trick, but obviously, physical torture isn't enough to work on you. You're far too self-sacrificial for that. Even after all I've been doing to break and humiliate you, you're resolve is just too strong—which is really quite annoying, because nobody else I've ever tortured has been like that. Most people would give up after I remove their eyes. But not you, Midoriya Izuku. Not you."

"And so I've been thinking..." he leaned closer to Izuku and whispered, "what if I captured one of your hero friends and tortured them, instead? Would that make you talk, do you think?"

Izuku held his breath and faced even further to the side. No, no, no, he thought, and he realized he was shaking his head. Don't you dare... don't... 

Though Izuku couldn't see it, the man was grinning as he watched Izuku shake his head and turn to the side. That was the reaction he was expecting. "It's exactly as I thought," the man said with an edge of satisfaction in his voice. "Your fatal flaw. You care about your friends more than you care about yourself."

Footsteps echoed away from him, and then Izuku heard a light scraping on the table across the room as the man picked something metal up. He brought it over to Izuku, and the latter was expecting to be stabbed or slashed or something of the like, but instead, the man just injected something in his arm. Izuku was realizing quickly just how terrifying it was to not have the ability to see. He never knew what was coming, and he never knew what to expect. This villain was a loose canon, after all.

Shortly after the injection was administered into his arm, Izuku's already-splitting headache became twice as worse. His mind turned into a bowl of mush as many of his thoughts immediately turned into gibberish. That serum must've been the hallucination serum—but because Izuku had lost all ability to see, it was now only working on his brain.

"Your family and friends are your weak link," the villain stated. He watched as Izuku's demeanor began to turn from stoic to afraid. "Your mother. Your teachers. Your classmates. They all matter to you, don't they? More than your own eyes. More than your dream of becoming a hero."

Izuku felt like the man was reading his mind. He continued. "Those two friends I mentioned earlier. How much do you care about them?" he asked calmly, but there was something sinister about the way he said it. "Katsuki Bakugou. What about him?"

Stinging hot fear pierced Izuku's mind. It took over. "No..." Izuku said aloud, the first word he'd spoken today. Not him.

"It'd be easy for me to track him down," the man persisted, taking note of Izuku's reaction to that name. "I know what he looks like, and if I do enough research, I'm sure I can find where he lives. There's no way he'd come to me on his own, but maybe if I threatened something he loves... his parents, maybe... he'd be more inclined to let me capture him. To let me torture him."

"Is that what you want, Izuku? You want me to capture your friend and do this same thing to him? Because that's what will happen if you don't tell me how to get your Quirk. And believe me, I'll put him through a lot worse pain than I ever put you through."

"It'd be pretty selfish to not just tell me what you know. Just tell me how to get your Quirk, and your friend's suffering can be avoided. Or, I could just bring him here, and break his body in the worst ways imaginable—I'll break him until there's nothing left in his heart but hatred for you. Hatred because you let this happen to him. And then I'll kill him, right in front of your... well, your sightless eyes. And I'll do that again and again, to all of your loved ones until there's nobody left. Is that what you want?"

"Would you really rather I kill everyone you know? Or is the better decision to just tell me how to take your Quirk?"

"Come on, Izuku. I think you know what the right decision is."

Izuku was shaking. His mind was reeling. No... he's going to torture... he bit his lip to keep from crying out loud. "I..." Izuku said. His stomach was in knots. He could feel a lump growing in his throat. His body was telling him to remain silent, but his mind was saying otherwise. The hallucination serum was prompting him to respond, and the effect was stronger this time than it had ever been before. Maybe it was the threat of torturing Katsuki that was making him want to talk, maybe it was his inability to see, or maybe it was just because he was so weak after seven days of brutal torture, wearing down on him in this moment. Whatever the case, he couldn't take it anymore. His voice, his mind, was betraying him.

"That's it," the man cooed, nodding slowly and leaning forward. "What is your Quirk, Izuku?"

The boy couldn't hold back a tiny sob from escaping his throat. "M-My Quirk..." he repeated. "It's called One for All. I-It's an accumulation of Quirks over generations of wielders... muh-meaning there are several different Quirks connected to one. I'm the ninth user."

The villain gave a hum of approval. "So there are eight other Quirks inside your body?"

Izuku nodded. It wasn't exactly true, but he didn't see any sense in correcting the man.

"Great," he encouraged in an almost gentle tone, urging Izuku on. "Keep going. How can I get your Quirk?"

Every fiber in Izuku's body was screaming at him not to say. Revealing All Might's secret was one of the highest offences in Izuku's eyes. By telling the villain this information, he was betraying his teacher. He was betraying his entire country. He was putting everyone in danger by giving One for All, one of the strongest Quirks in the world, to a villain like this. Especially a villain as cold and evil as this man was.

But the thought of Katsuki... of his friends being tortured and killed in front of his eyes... that was an even greater offense. 

Izuku opened his mouth.

And he told the villain how to take his Quirk.

"It's passed on through DNA," Izuku said, voice nothing more than a whisper. His skin crawled with heavy, life-sucking guilt. All that holding-out just to reveal his secret at the very end. He felt pathetic. But with the image of his friends being tortured dominating his mind, along with the hallucination serum making his tongue slip, he continued. "Meaning you would have to ingest some of my DNA... a strand of hair, for example... and I would have to willingly pass it to you. But that's the only way One for All can be given to someone else."

He hung his head with shame, while the villain was grinning with triumph. He was eyeing Izuku's hair now, inches away from the Quirk he'd been hungering over for years. But he promised he'd wait until tomorrow. And after all, what was the rush? He'd be arriving at the island soon, where he'd be able to unpack his lab and carry out whatever experiments he could imagine. 

For now, he had another promise to fulfill. He checked his watch—five minutes. Five minutes had passed since he took out the boy's eyes. He still had time before the serum's limit.

"You've done good, Izuku. That was the right decision," the man praised as he turned and walked over to his table, grabbing one of the healing serums. He flicked the barrel, gathering all of the tiny air bubbles at the top before squeezing them out. He'd never been in such a good mood as he inserted the serum into Midoriya's arm and squeezed the trigger. "Tomorrow, we find out if you're lying—and I promise that if you are, it will be the biggest regret of your life. Your friends will be punished in the worst ways you can imagine."

Two minutes after the serum was fully administered, Midoriya's eyes were healing themselves back to normal. The boy blinked his freshly-healed eyelids and his gaze flitted around, but he didn't look relieved to have his vision back. He just looked miserable.

The villain unstrapped him and then silently led him back to his room. The kid didn't even need handcuffs anymore. He was too broken to even think about trying to escape. When they arrived at the small concrete room, the boy just walked himself into the corner and curled into a ball before beginning to cry. The man observed him for a few moments before shutting the door tightly and walking back to the torture room. He still needed to clean up. 

Usually, he'd just tell one of his subordinates to do it, but he was in such a good mood that he decided to just do it himself. There was a loose smile on his face as he scrubbed dried blood off the metal chair using a dirty rag. Wish I would've figured out his weakness three days ago. Would'a saved me a lot of trouble, he thought, but in the end, it didn't really matter. His goal was to find out the boy's Quirk before they reached the island—and he completed his objective with only about ten minutes to spare.

The phone in his back pocket suddenly began to ring, so he took a break from the blood-scrubbing and reached back to grab it. He clicked the green button and held it to his ear. "What is it?" he asked into the microphone, sounding like he was in a worse mood than he really was.

"We've reached our destination, sir," one of his subordinates said in response. "We will be coming to a stop in a few minutes."

"Good," the villain said before hanging up. He gave a contented sigh. "Just in time," he muttered with the hint of a smile still on his face. He got back to cleaning. 

Two minutes later, he felt the boat slowing down fast, and a minute after that, it shuddered to a stop. At that point, he finished scrubbing the dirt from the chair and was getting ready to mop the surrounding floor. While he cleaned, he busied his mind with imagining all the disgusting types of creatures he had the ability to turn that boy into. Maybe a giant mutant canine? Or a lizard? Or maybe he could use the snake genes he already had stored up. Either way, it had to be something that could do a lot of damage—and it had to be something dangerous. Something that would terrify and appall even the strongest minds that caught sight of it.

As the man was standing up to go get the mop, he was halted by a jolt in the floor. The table rattled across the room. It seemed the entire room rattled for a moment, and then went still. What the hell was that? he thought. 

Suddenly, he heard yelling outside, and the voices were accompanied by exactly three gunshots before another huge jolt rattled the room and there was a booming echo from outside—even bigger than the one before. Closer. Whatever it is, it was coming closer.

It only took him another second to realize with widening eyes what that noise was. "Shit," he muttered, and his good mood was suddenly tainted with foreboding as he realized what was going on.

Those noises he was hearing—those were explosions. 

Chapter Text

As soon as the boat came shuddering to a stop, Katsuki was on his feet, booking it across the beach with his arms pumping and feet digging into the soft sand deeper with every step.

"Bakugou!" somebody called out with an angry edge. He thought it was Endeavor, but wasn't quite sure because his heart was beating so loudly in his ears he could barely pay attention to anything else. He was far too focused. He didn't even stop to make sure the others were following before he was already flinging himself upward.

Katsuki positioned his arms behind his back before igniting the sweat on his palms and sending himself soaring up to the boat's deck with a well-positioned explosion. He landed heavily, but his breathing was even heavier. Days' worth of anxiousness and unease caught up to him in that one moment as his feet touched the floor and he looked around with an almost crazed intensity. Here he was, finally on the boat. He was on the boat where Deku was being kept—he was really here.

He was finally here to save him.

Katsuki's gaze flitted around instantly in search of villains, but the deck was empty. Not a soul in sight. He noticed a few concrete doors—five of them, to be exact—but the one that really caught his attention was a glass door that was up some stairs and to the right. All the other options seemed pretty boring, so he started running for it as Endeavor, Hawks, and and the other Heroes along with a few of his classmates landed behind him, having finally caught up.

"Hey, don't go running off on your own! These villains are dangerous!" Aizawa called to him sounding agitated. 

"We have to stick together. None of us know what to expect!" said someone else, but again, Katsuki's head was rushing too quickly to even care who it was. 

"Keep up, then," Katsuki muttered under his breath as he ran. A flight of stairs was cleared in an instant before he was throwing open the door, relieved when he could open it without a struggle. It wasn't locked. The inside air was cold as he submerged himself in the building—a cafeteria—and looked around warily at the new quiet environment.

He knew what to expect. He knew exactly who these villains were. They had artillery. They had weapons, including guns, and probably some freaky fucking experiments that they use to guard all their shit. They probably had a whole operation of people, whether they were Quirkless or not, strong or weak. But the one he really had to worry about was the head of it all—the shadow guy. If he could just get to that guy before he has the chance to inject himself with that Quirk-enhancing drug, then he should be able to take him out pretty easily.

Katsuki picked the nearest hallway and started running. He figured most of the villains didn't know he was here yet because he'd entered relatively quickly, but his theory was quickly proven wrong as the sounds of shouting echoed down the hallway and he rounded a corner to be met with three villains running towards him at full speed. The one in the front looked like he had some kind of fireball Quirk, because when he cupped his palm, a ball of light started pooling into a sphere and growing larger. Katsuki narrowed his eyes when he caught sight of the malice on his face.

"Another kid, huh? Eat this!"  The villain shouted before flinging his arm like a slingshot and hurling the ball of magma straight at Katsuki's chest. The blond saw it coming from a mile away and dropped to a slide, letting the attack soar right above his head. But he was more focused on the villain's choice of words.

Another.

Katsuki grit his teeth and popped up just as the second villain's attack reached him, a wave of sizzling black goo with the consistency of molasses. He was sure he'd get acid burns if he let himself be touched by that, so he used an explosion to blast himself into the air, and then used another to fling himself directly at the trio of villains, feet-first. He drove one boot into the front guy's nose and toppled him over, which, in turn, led to the others falling like dominos. Because of the second's messy attack, two of the three villains fell straight into a pool of acidic liquid.

Shouts of pain and curses filled the hallway as Katsuki kneeled down on the fireball-Quirk-guy's chest and squeezed the air from his lungs, making sure to avoid touching the goo. He then used a larger explosion to blast the other two away, leaving him alone with the first guy. He had a blaze of glowing red anger in his eyes as he stared the criminal down.

"What do you mean by another?" He demanded as firecrackers sizzled in his palms. "I'll fucking end you here and now. What do you mean by another?"

"Get off me, get off me!" The villain exclaimed breathlessly, looking nervous as he was so suddenly pinned. He was a chubby guy. Didn't look like he'd ever done a hard day's work in his life. There was a period of struggling as the man tried to wriggle out of his grip, and he ended up grabbing Katsuki's shoulder in a blur. Katsuki felt his skin starting to burn and he ripped the guy's hand away with an exclamation of pain and anger. But the man just continued to stutter, "I—I—I don't know—"

"Shut the fuck up and answer me!" Katsuki shouted in his face. He balled his hand into a fist and let it soar across the villain's cheek, definitely cracking something in the process. The villain screamed like a sissy. "Tell me! Tell me where he is!"

The villain looked up at him with a gaping red mouth and eyes wider than the ocean itself. His skin was still sizzling and popping from the acid which was burning into his back. He looked terrified. Katsuki had no idea how intimidating he looked as he put his hand on the ground beside the villain’s head and rattled the floor with a series of small explosions, hoping to scare him into giving the information. But the villain just cried out in terror.

"I don't know, I don't know, I don't know!" The man started repeating, shaking his head like he was about to cry. Katsuki growled in frustration as he realized this coward wasn't gonna tell him anything. He was useless. 

"You know what? Fuck you." Katsuki stood up and took a step deeper into the hallway before turning and positioning his gauntlet above the villain's head, making a grab for the trigger and stabilizing his feet in preparation for impact. He didn't for one second think about what an explosion that size would do to the man. It would likely kill him. But all Katsuki could think about was the man's words before, so merciless as if he had no problem with hurting a kid before. Another kid, huh? Eat this!

Another kid that most certainly had to be Deku.

This guy had most certainly hurt—or at least tried to hurt—Deku at one point or another.

Katsuki was so angry he could feel his vision start to go blurry.

Mere seconds away from pulling the trigger and ending this man's life, somebody appeared to stop him. Katsuki's clothes tightened around his arm and when he tried to move his hand to activate the gauntlet, he realized his fingers were immobilized. He looked down to see strings of fabric wrapped tightly around his fingers, holding them firmly in place. There was only one guy with the ability to do that. Katsuki looked back to see Best Jeanist standing at the end of the hallway, holding his hands up as if to tell Katsuki 'wait.' His eyes were slightly widened with surprise.

"Dynamight," the hero said, calling him by his hero name, as they were within earshot of the villains now. But despite his formal appearance, Katsuki could still hear the hint of superiority in his voice as he spoke from a teacher to a student. "Don't."

He seemed to understand what Katsuki was about to do. He's seen Katsuki use his gauntlets before, and he knew the power within those weapons. Best Jeanist knew that Katsuki was about to kill that man.

"Jeanist," Katsuki spoke dangerously, struggling to remove his fingers from the hero's grip. But the threads only tightened as he tried. "Let go."

"Are you really about to kill that man?" Best Jeanist asked. At this point, other villains and heroes were entering the fray and fighting off to Katsuki's sides in all directions. He caught sight of Todoroki and Endeavor running side-by-side toward a growing mob of battles. Katsuki pulled at his hand again, and Best Jeanist's fingers twitched as he used more of Katsuki's clothing to against him as a restraint. Hearing that Katsuki was about to kill him, the villain cried out in fear and tried to scramble towards Jeanist, looking back fearfully.

"Don't let him kill me! He's crazy!" the guy shouted, but Jeanist was quick to gag him and wrap his hands behind his back before he could say any more. 

"Be silent. You're still going to jail, villain," Jeanist spoke in his direction. Meanwhile, Katsuki was seething with anger, taking a few steps back and gritting his teeth as he tried to pull his hand away from the stupid fabric that refused to let him go.

"I—I wasn't gonna kill him! I was just gonna teach him a lesson," Katsuki shot back, glaring at the guy who was now sitting against the wall, staring at the blond with fear in his eyes. Real fear. Fear that Katsuki had invoked.

Was he about to kill him?

"And anyway, it doesn't matter. You can have him. Just let me go so I can find Deku," Katsuki added, trying to force his voice to sound calmer because he knew it was the only way Jeanist was gonna let him go. He had to convince the guy that he wasn't insane.

Best Jeanist stared at him for a few moments before reluctantly letting him go. "Okay. I know how long you've been waiting for this day, so I'll let you go. But please, I advise you to be more aware of your actions. You don't want to end up killing somebody. It will weigh down your mind forever."

A triumphant grin twitched at the corner of Katsuki's mouth as his hand was released and he could move freely again. His clothes went back to normal as Jeanist stepped down. "Go now," he said. "I'll cover you." Katsuki noticed a few more villains running up behind him, but before he could even breathe a warning, Jeanist was already taking care of them. Their clothes bound to their bodies in an instant, leaving them incapacitated within a few seconds. The blond turned and continued running down the hallway, leaving Jeanist to handle himself. He was plenty capable.

"Deku!" Katsuki shouted, running to the nearest door and trying the handle. It didn't open, so he used an explosion to blow off the lock—and when it flung open, he was immediately met with a gun pointed at his face. 

"Sto—" the wielder of the gun tried to shout, but before he could even get the chance to utter a threat, Katsuki dove to the side and blew him up with an explosion so large it threw him into the ceiling and knocked him out. Three gunshots reverberated throughout the room, but luckily none of them came into contact with Katsuki's body. He used another large explosion to light the rest of the room and knock out any remaining threats. He was satisfied as three men crumpled to the ground, groaning and clutching their bodies from where they'd been flung against the nearest wall. 

Katsuki did a quick look around, hoping to spot a mop of green hair somewhere in here, but it was empty aside from the four men and an open door leading to a huge armory. He was lucky his explosion didn't hit any of the ammo, or else he would've had a bigger problem on his hands—being blown to pieces.

He exited the room and called over his shoulder, "Four in there! Found the armory!" before continuing down the hallway, leaving the others to take care of it. He didn't have time for arresting small fry villains like that. He had a much bigger, more important agenda.

The next three doors he opened led to empty bunkers. Moving on from that hallway, he opened a door that led to a staircase, then a bathroom, and the door after that led to a closet stuffed with cleaning supplies. He growled and left the door open, getting frustrated already. This place was huge. Where the hell was Deku? Where was the shadow man? How the hell was he supposed to find them with all these doors and hallways and huge rooms all around? He cursed under his breath. "Deku!" he yelled with a straining voice. He turned in a circle, scanning for the next door he should open. 

He ran to the closest door—a large, heavy-looking, windowless slab of steel with a metal handle and no signs of actually being occupied. He was expecting it to be locked, so when he turned the handle and the door swung open with a rather heavy dragging sound, he was surprised. He looked inside and was further surprised to see the room dimly lit, which was different than all the other rooms he'd entered, which had been completely dark. Katsuki prepared to enter the room and take a look around when the sounds of vicious snarling reached his ears and sharp, powerful teeth dug into his boot.

"Ack!" He exclaimed, eyes blown wide as his foot was dragged out from under him and he collapsed to the ground with a grunt. He recognized those snarls. Dread filled his stomach, and a lump of fear lodged itself deep in his throat—not because he was necessarily afraid of being injured, but because his mind was instantly reverting back to the first time he'd been attacked like this. Images of glowing eyes and glittering teeth flashed in his mind as he remembered the feeling of fangs digging into his legs, tearing his skin like paper, ripping through his muscle like a slab of meat about to be devoured. The villain's cold, uncanny eyes flashed in his vision, and he remembered exactly what he felt that day. 

Terror. Katsuki had been terrified.

He wasn't going to be terrified anymore.

When he could get a good look at the beast, he realized it was darker than the night sky he'd been looking at last night—configured out of shadows. This was the shadow man's doing, meaning he was close. Composing himself enough to regain control of his actions, he kicked the mutt straight in the nose and sent it reeling and yelping for a moment, giving him enough time to stand up. A movement drew his gaze to the side as he noticed two more wolfdogs appearing from the shadows, snarling menacingly as they advanced on their target. But unlike last time, Katsuki wasn't afraid. He knew what to expect. And he was ready for it.

Katsuki positioned his hands in front of him as hot anger continued to pool in his gut. The shadow man was near, and he most likely knew where Deku was. "Fuck you!" Katsuki shouted at the three wolves, who were growling and snapping, pacing back and forth as they searched for a good opening. But Katsuki got to it before they could get the chance. He ignited his palms in two explosions so loud and so large that they filled up the entire room. The wolves' yelps of pain were abruptly cut off as their bodies got hurled into the wall with such force that he heard their skulls crack. Everything continued to shake for a few moments afterward until Katsuki's explosions wore off and he was sure there were no more wolfdogs in sight. His ears were ringing from the impact, but he couldn’t care less.

He was too focused on the shape of a man huddled in the corner of the room, groaning and holding his hands above his head as if to protect himself from the blasts.

And as he noticed that, he additionally came to realize exactly where he was. And possibly the most disturbing thing about this room was the fact that he recognized it. 

Over the past four, five, however many days, Katsuki's sleep was plagued with nightmares that all took place in the same spot. In the same room, with a chair where his arms and legs were strapped to the sides, prohibiting his movement; and there was be a light directly above his head, shining in his eyes whenever he tried to look up. Every night, Katsuki would be hurt in some way while in that chair. On the first night, his arms were slashed while the rest of his body was unable to move. On the second, he was beaten until his vision went dark. On the third, it was stabbing; on the fourth, it smashed his head into the back of the chair until he fell unconscious; and on the fifth, it took a knife to his eyes and gouged them out. 

All that time, Katsuki had somehow managed to convince himself that it was just his imagination trying to play tricks on him. He just figured it was a recurrent dream—something devilish and heinous, but nonetheless, nothing to worry about. He'd managed to push the thought of it away to the back of his head, where it stewed and developed, but usually never came to the light. He'd managed to ignore it. Categorize it as 'nothing to be concerned about' and throw it in the 'worry later' pile. All until now.

All Might's words suddenly echoed in his head. Do you think these nightmares are somehow connected with young Midoriya? Katsuki had refused to think about it until now, when he was forced to see it for himself. This was the same place as in his dreams. The same chair, the same light, the same straps for the wrists and ankles, the same... oh, no... there was even a table in the corner filled with knives, wrenches, pliers, syringes. He even noticed a hacksaw. Katsuki was going to be sick.

He stared at the chair across the room. He stared at the dried blood on the floor at its base. He stared at the leather straps worn with use. And somehow he knew that bad things had happened in this room—very bad things. He could almost feel the heavy weight of despair seeping out of the corners of the room, and almost hear the agonized screams buried in the stone walls. A sick feeling grew in his stomach as the man in the corner got to his feet, and he realized it was, indeed, the shadow man. He still had that scruffy beard and eyes piercing blue, boring into his soul and extracting any remnants of calm he had left. The coldness of the room was starting to seep into Katsuki's head, weighing him down. Was this the same thing Deku had to go through?

What exactly happened in this room?

He found himself asking that question. What did the shadow man do in here? Do to Deku in here? He caught sight of the malicious glint in the villain's eye and suddenly felt his horror melting away into something sharper, something more dangerous. Into anger. Just as everything did. With Katsuki, everything always turned back to anger.

The man was moving ever so slightly, and Katsuki noticed he was shuffling towards a knife at the base of the chair. A knife that still had blood on it. He could see the dark crimson liquid glistening in the dim light. 

Was that Deku's blood?

Katsuki stared the man in the eye for a second or two before one of them finally spoke.

"So you're back for more... huh, kid." The villain spoke in his cold monotone voice. Katsuki noticed the hint of a smirk on his face, like he was almost happy to see the boy again. That voice—just like before—never ceased to run a chill down his spine. That was the voice of a malicious, heartless killer.

Suddenly, the man made a dive toward the knife, startling Katsuki out of his trance. Panic flared as he cursed himself for not snapping out of it sooner. He'd been too focused on the dread settling in his gut.

There was a new sort of liveliness to the room as they both jumped into action. The man grunted as he dove to the floor, still wearing a few sizzling burns and smoldering clothes from Katsuki's previous explosion. But he wasn't about to let the villain get a weapon that easily. He jumped forward and used a precision explosion to knock the knife away, sending it clattering into the nearby wall just behind the villain's feet. And just like that, he was grabbing the villain by his shirt, hauling him upright, and slamming him into the wall with as much strength as his body would allow him.

Muscles strained in his arms and he felt a vein bulge in his forehead as all the previous anger, resentment, impatience, annoyance, burning-hot hatred caught up with him all in one moment. A shaky breath escaped his lips as he shoved the man into the wall and the villain coughed, doubling over as the air was knocked from his lungs. They were about evenly-matched height-wise, but Katsuki outmuscled him by about ten pounds. Just that small amount of mass made a difference at a time like this.

The villain was gasping for breath over the next few seconds as Katsuki just held him there, shaking, breathing, waiting. Waiting for the blinding wave of anger to pass over his body like they always did. Waiting for his churning mind to regain the ability for reason. Waiting... so that he wouldn't end up killing this man in the process of questioning him.

But for some reason, his anger wasn't fading. It wasn't ebbing, or retreating, or doing any of the things it usually did when he got this mad. In fact, it only seemed to be growing larger as the man glared down his nose at him, breathing heavily, hands gripping Katsuki's forearms as he tried to pry them away. He was struggling, but Katsuki could barely feel it. His eyes were wide, body tense, pupils locked on the man's face as if scanning for something to latch on to. Finally, he settled on locking gazes with the man.

"You seem angry," the guy said, noticing Katsuki's stiff movements and rage-filled eyes. "I didn't remember you being this strong before."

"Where is he," was all Katsuki could respond with. It was the only thing running through his mind. "What the hell did you do to him?" His words were slow and dangerous, uttered through a clenched jaw. 

"I don't know what you're talking about," the man responded with a hint of innocence in his voice. He turned his head to the side and took a deep breath as if to calm himself. "Why don't you just take a deep breath? I mean, it's been a full week since I last saw you, Bakugou—why don't you have a seat, and we can talk about things."

Katsuki blinked as the man motioned to the chair. The torture chair. Anger flared so blindingly in his vision that for a second or two, he thought he was going to lose control of himself. But he managed to stay composed as Best Jeanist's words repeated in his head—the same words he'd been replaying in his head for the past five minutes or so. But please, I advise you to be more aware of your actions. You don't want to end up killing somebody. It will weigh down your mind forever. 

So he was trying to keep himself composed. For his mentor's sake.

"Why don't you tell me what you've done with him before I break your fucking jaw," Katsuki responded, tightening his grip on the man's collar and shoving him into the wall again. "Tell me right now, or I promise you'll regret it."

"Oh, so you're making threats now, huh? You're a hero. Is that really how heroes are supposed to talk?" the man growled hauntingly in response. Suddenly, Katsuki noticed a shadowy figure growing out of his left leg, and realized pretty quickly that he was trying to make another one of his wolves. Katsuki shut that shit down immediately by exploding the growing shadow and destroying half of his leg in the process. The man grit his teeth as the smoke abated and revealed his burning clothes and skin charred black. Katsuki didn't even care. He just shoved the man into the wall again as a way of saying I'm not fucking around.

"Don't avoid the damn question!" He shouted in the man's face, and he felt indifferent as anger continued to swell in his chest, filling his mind and body quickly. It wouldn't be long until it started taking control of his actions, so he tried to get some answers now before all hell broke loose. "Where is Deku? What the fuck did you do to him, you goddamn monster?"

"Izuku Midoriya?" The man inquired, and Katsuki's heart skipped a few beats. His knuckles were gripped so tight he was sure they were losing circulation. 

"Yes," he growled in response. "I know you took him. So tell me where he is, and maybe I'll let you out of here with a face still attached to your head."

"Idle threats," the man replied, and his grip tightened on Katsuki's forearm as the blond continued to push him harder into the wall. "But anyway, it wouldn't matter even if I told you where he was. You can't save him. He's dead. He died a long time ago—before we even left Japan. He died on that night you left him, where you abandoned him to fend for his own life against my wolves. He died long before you ever came back to save him."

Katsuki hesitated for a moment as the man's words tried to snake their way into his ears and sway his mind like poison, but soon he was able to shake them out. "That's bullshit!" he exclaimed, and he was full-on trembling with fury now. "If he's dead, then what's with the chair? The table in the corner? The syringes? The bloody fucking knife on the floor, huh? What's the point of all that if he's dead? Huh?" 

And that was when Katsuki started to lose himself. He took a semi-step back and swung his arm as hard as he could, letting his gauntlet connect heavily with the man's unprotected skull. It swung through and the man collapsed to the ground as a cracking noise, followed by a sharp cry of pain, filled the air. Katsuki fell in beside him and took another fistful of the man's shirt while he was still disoriented. He clicked the button on his gauntlet which allowed him to remove it before tossing the dangerous weapon carelessly to the side, too focused on the writhing villain as he threw his first punch. The gauntlet would only get in his way.

Katsuki's fist soared through the air and connected with the man's cheekbone, which was already red and bleeding from where the gauntlet had connected. He punched and then let the man's skull fly back and hit the ground, making that knocking noise again. There was a choking noise as the villain's body shuddered before beginning to struggle again. He tried pushing Katsuki away, but the blond was stronger than him, especially in this disoriented state. He dragged the villain along the ground and sat him against the wall before punching him again, this time right in the jaw. He watched that satisfying flash of pain cross the villain's face as his jaw was nearly knocked out of the socket with that direct hit.

The truth was, Katsuki knew exactly how to break this man's jaw if he so chose to do that. But he was playing nice—for now. It alleviated some of his anger to become physically violent, but that blinding rage still threatened to spill over the rim and take control if he made just one wrong move. Katsuki kept it under wraps for now, but he wasn't sure how much longer he could contain himself if the man continued to avoid his questions.

"I'm not joking, asshole," Katsuki said, but his voice was growing louder now. "Tell me where he is. This is your last fucking warning."

The man spat blood from his mouth and glared at Katsuki. "I don't have him. I'm not lying."

"Yes you are." Katsuki punched him again, hard, right in the gut. "Is he here? Did you send him somewhere else? Tell me!"

"I don't have him!" The man shouted loud, and that sudden loud voice snapped some kind of barrier in Katsuki's subconscious because, for a brief moment, something inside him took over. He punched the man again with a new force building behind his movements. He didn't care as the villain's face started looking like something out of a horror movie. He didn't care that he himself was starting to look like a villain as he punched this guy again and again, repeating the same words over and over, something along the lines of "Give him back, give him back you piece of shit, give him back or I'll kill you"— but he couldn't quite hear himself because of the blood rushing so loudly through his skull. It was warm. It was blinding. And it was taking control of him.

He'd always had an anger problem, and there was no denying that. Throughout his childhood, his mother tried countless ways of calming him down. She sent him to anger management classes. She sent him on week-long solo camping trips that would've, could've, should've had an effect, but still somehow failed at cooling his temper. Hell, she even sent him to therapy a few times in attempts to get him to open up about it. They'd always ask him the same damn questions. Why did he always act so mad? Why did he always refuse to open up about it? And of course, the biggest one—why did it seem like every emotion in Katsuki's body somehow reverted back to anger?

Though Katsuki had always been an angry person, he'd always been able to somewhat manage it. He tried not to let himself snap. He was usually able to control his tone while talking to the people he cared about—classmates, teachers, parents, etcetera—because he wanted to hold at least a semi-good image for himself. Even if they somehow managed to make him so angry he lost his cool, he could usually remind himself of the consequences of a meltdown, and was able to talk himself down before somebody ended up getting hurt. Sure, he had his outbursts, and sure, he'd gotten into some pretty big fights over the years. A few times he'd gotten so mad he thought he might never calm down again. But he always did.

All of those fights, all of those outbursts, all of those times he lost his ideology and never thought he'd be able to find himself again—those times all paled in comparison to what he was feeling right now.

As Katsuki let his fist come down on the man's cheek for the eight or ninth time, he finally stopped for a moment to catch his breath. "I know you're still conscious, dipshit. So tell me where the fuck he is." Anger pulsed through his brain, it controlled his hand, it told him to just keep punching and punching until the guy's face was nothing but a bloody crater and he wouldn't be able to hurt anybody else ever again. But he stopped himself. If he could get some information out of this guy, that would be preferable.

The man blinked open one swollen eye and looked at Katsuki as a thin, bloody smile stretched across his face. The movement of his facial muscles was clearly painful, but he still forced himself to grin up at Katsuki in probably the most disturbing way possible. Blood, stringy with saliva, dripped from his chin and coated Katsuki's hand from where it was still gripping his shirt. His stupid fucking eyes still stared so eerily into Katsuki's as he opened his busted-apart lips to speak.

"Would you rather know where he is? Or would you rather know what I did to him?"

Katsuki paused, momentarily startled into interest. Up until this point, it was always the same pitiful group of answers: either "I don't have him" or "he's dead" or something stupid like that. So when the man finally had something different to say, Katsuki was interested by default—even if he didn't necessarily want to know what the man has been doing to Deku all this time.

"It all started with the drugs," the man began, though his voice was slurred and slow with daze. "I'd inject him with medication to give him intense hallucinations... and then I'd torture him for hours at a time, cutting his arms, breaking his limbs, shattering the structure of his mind over and over until he couldn't take it anymore. I could heal his body with drugs, but his mind will forever be damaged. And it just kept piling and piling up... until eventually, I got what I wanted."

Katsuki stared at him, eyes widening as he continued with his story. Was it true? Could he trust anything that comes out of this man's slimy mouth? He found himself breathlessly asking the next question anyway: "And what did you want?"

At his question, the shadow man chuckled, but it soon turned into a cough as he ended up choking on some of his own blood. "I wanted to break him. And though it might've taken longer than some others, in the end, I finally did it. I broke Izuku Midoriya."

Katsuki grit his teeth so hard that a piercing jolt shot through his skull, sending the anger flooding back in to replace the momentary distraction. "Damn you," he cursed through his teeth before punching the man in the gut again—but suddenly punching didn't seem like enough. Katsuki's gaze flitted to a knife on the ground and instantly his hand darted to pick it up before he realized it was the same one from before. The one he'd exploded so that the man wouldn't get it, the one with Deku's blood still drying on the point. He held it up to the man's throat with little intention of actually using it. 

"I'll slit your throat," he hissed, and he was sure he looked crazy as he sat there, crouched on the floor with a bloody knife held up to a beaten man's neck, threatening his life with a snake-like voice as he glared hatefully into uncertain eyes. "So he's still alive. I'll give you one last chance before I end your goddamn life for you to tell me where you're hiding him. So fucking tell me." He pressed the blade in deeper to prove his point, "Because I am not afraid to use this."

The man gulped painfully, but he still wore that airy grin on his face that told Katsuki he wasn't really afraid. "Do it, hero," he rasped, narrowing his right eye, as the left one was already swollen shut. He glared at Katsuki. "You wouldn't do it. Kill somebody. You're just a student; a kid. An aspiring hero, just like your friend. Killing me now would ruin your image forever, and you know it would. So would it really be the best option to do so?"

A sinister smile spread itself wider across his face as he continued, "Even though... that's the exact same knife I used to cut up and torture Midoriya?"

Katsuki gripped the knife tighter. His eyes went wide, even though his vision was bleaching out into a warmer sort of reddish-gold color. He'd already been able to semi-guess that this was the same knife he'd been using to hurt Deku, but in that instant, as the man spoke it aloud, a series of memories came flooding back to his brain in a tidal wave of overwhelming previously-suppressed emotions.

The first night he had a dream about being tortured, where his arms were being slashed against his will, he'd woken in a cold sweat with one overwhelming emotion seizing his body; terror.

While on the mission that got them into this mess, he remembered that intense feeling of fear and astounding horror as he felt Izuku's grip on his shoulder begin to weaken and then, finally, slip away completely. He remembered the uncanny amount of panic that ensued as he watched his childhood friend be torn to pieces right in front of him, right as they'd been about to escape, right out of his reach, right out of his control, right at the point where he became utterly helpless. 

He remembered these conflicting feelings all at once; fear, helplessness, disbelief, sadness, anger, regret, regret, regret—

He regretted not killing the man in the first place. He regretted ever going on that mission in the first place. 

He remembered the feeling of those hot tears sliding down his face as he sat on Izuku's bed regretting ever letting go of him on that day. Regretting not going back for him, even if it would've led to his death. Regretting every harsh, selfish thing he said to Izuku up until that point. Regretting all the unrequited anger he threw Izuku's way. Regretting all the pain he ever caused him.

As Katsuki plunged the knife deep into the villain's stomach, he didn't feel regretful. No, he didn't regret it at all—even as the wound made a sickening squelching noise and blood began to spurt all over, coating the nearby wall and making sure to paint a few thick streaks across Katsuki's expressionless face, which in his current state, didn't even spark a reaction. He didn't regret it even as the man's breath hitched in his throat, he took a few shuddering breaths, and then he began to scream. The man, who'd been bluffing that entire time, hadn't expected this kid—even with his crazed eyes and cold, demanding threats—to actually stab him. To actually try to kill him.

Screams filled the room, and Katsuki wondered faintly if this was the same thing the man had been forcing Deku to go through. Every. Fucking. Day. He cranked the knife to the side, listening to the distant sounds of the man's incoherent shouting, watching vacantly as the man wriggled and struggled, trying to kick and punch and shove Katsuki away, fighting like a dying animal to escape, to run; because even if it went against his stone-cold morals, it's the brain's instinctive reaction to try and escape during a life-threatening situation.

Katsuki stared at the man's contorted face as he ripped the knife out and the man began to choke, coughing red on his own blood. Katsuki hovered the dripping knife above his chest for a moment before driving it down between the ribcage, where he was sure it would do some decent damage. The man gagged and then coughed out blood as he grabbed a bloody hold of Katsuki's arm, hoping to pull the knife out and somehow salvage whatever lifeforce he had left. He looked defiant, but Katsuki could feel him weakening. He could hear it in his voice as the man realized he was about to die.

"You goddamn... bastard..." the man choked out as his screams were already beginning to dwindle. Blood dribbled from his mouth as one of his lungs was punctured and the blood started to overflow. Katsuki took the knife out once again, glancing down at the gaping cavities he'd gouged into this person's body. A living, breathing, once-functional body. And Katsuki had done... that.

"Is this what you did to him?" Katsuki asked. Compassionless. He dug the knife deep into his stomach again, feeling it pass through muscle and then into soft organ tissue, feeling it bring this villain one step closer to defeat, one step closer to death. The man spat blood in Katsuki's face. Katsuki ripped the dagger out and plunged it in again as the villain continued to weakly try and grab at his hands, his face, his arms—desperately trying to get him to stop. He was rasping now, as if unable to come up with a word to say. Katsuki let the man smear blood all over his face, his arms, his neck. He was running out of oxygen. He was running out of life.

I bet you didn't think you'd die in the very same room you tortured and brutalized your victim, Katsuki thought, and though his mind still felt distant, it was slowly coming back to him. He re-positioned his grip on the slick handle of the knife. And I bet you didn't think I would be the one to do it.

"You deserve this," said Katsuki in a voice scarcely more than a whisper. He ripped out the knife and stabbed him again, then again, and again. Until the man's cries faded out and his hands finally grew still. Until his eyes, still emotionless as ever, fixated on Katsuki's face and remained open—though now, as death took his body, they looked somehow even more soulless than before. Until his head rested back on the wall and his throbbing pulse grew silent; until the blood stopped pumping from his savaged stomach and the puddle of crimson liquid on the floor ceased to continue its expansion.

Katsuki drove the knife in one final time—this time right above his heart. The man's body didn't react. His arms were limp. His eyes were lifeless and beginning to pale. His skin was turning a sort-of pasty white while the holes in his chest and stomach remained a darkish-red color. Katsuki looked into those eyes, the ones that had flickered lifeless, that would never be able to hurt anybody—never again. He slowly let go of the knife, leaving it embedded in the man's chest, and sat back as the daze slowly passed over him. He'd been aware of his actions that whole time, it's just... for those last couple minutes or so, his brain felt clouded with something. Something even stronger than anger. Something even deeper than just rage itself.

Something like hate. Pure, undivided, perpetual, mind-numbing hatred.

A few moments passed while Katsuki simply gave himself time to really take in what he'd just done. The blood on the walls, the blood on his face, drying in his hair. He looked down at the blood, slick on his fingers, completely coating his hands. He didn't even remember taking off his gloves. Must've been when he started punching. For a few moments, he just stared at his trembling hands; emotionless. Thoughtless. He wasn't in disbelief, and he wasn't in denial. He was just taking in what he'd done.

That was until he heard a noise at the door and he looked back to see two figures standing there, barely outlined against the darkness. Katsuki stared at them for a few moments, trying to let his eyes adjust and mind catch up with itself. At first he thought they might've been villains, but he quickly realized those were two figures he recognized. It was Todoroki and Endeavor. And they were staring at him with wide eyes and bated breaths, as if trying to convince themselves that what they were seeing wasn't real.

That Katsuki wasn't... he couldn't be...

A murderer?

Katsuki drew himself to his feet and turned away from the stiffening body, looking at Todoroki and Endeavor with detached eyes. "He's dead," Katsuki said matter-of-factly, wiping his bloody hands on his pants. "You might wanna call someone to get that cleaned up." He didn't feel anything. No residual anger, no lingering regret; not even any of that bothersome fear. He felt like he was floating on a cloud as he slowly bent down, picked up his gauntlet, and walked over to the door. Upon catching Todoroki's eye, he realized that half-and-half looked horrified.

"Bakugou..." Todoroki muttered before looking back at the scene where Katsuki was leaving. "Did you just..."

"I'm going to find Deku now," Katsuki said as he set both gauntlets on the floor, intending to leave them. They'd only be dead weight from this point on. After all, he'd already taken out the operation's strongest villain. "Just cover for me."

"Wait," Endeavor said, putting a hand on his shoulder to stop him. Katsuki paused and looked up at the man. He had wide eyes as he spoke, "...Bakugou. That was... against... protocol." Even the Number One Hero seemed to be struggling for words with the teenager's actions still in mind.

"Was it?" Katsuki asked, sounding genuinely confused for a moment. "I think it depends on the villain's crimes, actually."

Endeavor looked back at the bloody scene, then back at Katsuki's face—which was also painted with blood, masked with an emotionless expression. He opened his mouth to say something, but the words died on his tongue as he probably realized that was the wrong thing to say. The hero looked unsure until finally, he decided on something. "What could he have done to deserve that?"

Katsuki's gaze instantly hardened and he looked at Endeavor with eyes glowing with fervor. Did he really just say that, knowing everything this man had done? Creating drugs and incorporating them into Japan's population of villains. Kidnapping Deku. Torturing Deku. Making a whole joke out of it, like Deku's life was meaningless. Katsuki's expression began to heat back up with emotion as anger ebbed back into his conscience with the presence of Endeavor's ludicrous question. What could he have done? He could've done anything.

"He's done a lot of things, as I'm sure you know," Katsuki said with more of an edge to his voice. He turned away from Endeavor and shook off his hand before starting to walk in the opposite direction. "He deserved what he got. I'm just the only one around who was willing to do it."

And not another word was spoken between the three of them before Katsuki was out of earshot.

He started at a walking pace, but soon he was jogging down the halls. Even though he knew they weren't true, the villain's words kept repeating in his head—the ones about how he killed Deku already, and Katsuki was too late. The idea was hard for him to imagine, and even harder for him to believe was actually true. It troubled him. And it made him want to find Deku just that much faster. 

"Deku?" He called into the still, fragile air. Most of his anger had left him after taking it out on the villain, so his voice had less of a ring to it than before. The hallways were dark and hard to navigate, and every door he opened seemed like it was an exact replica of the one before it. Everything seemed like it was looping around. Was he going in circles? How big was this damn place? It hadn't looked this vast from the outside. He checked another room by poking his head and an arm in, lighting the space with a few small-scale explosions, and then leaving when he didn't see any signs of existence. 

Where could he be? Maybe a room below the deck. After all, Katsuki hadn't dedicated much thought to which floor he would be on when he burst in here. He'd just picked a hallway and started running. Did he already pass the room that Izuku was in? No, that was impossible. He made sure to check every door he stumbled across. So unless there was some kind of secret opening or fucking magical door he was missing, that wasn't the case.

"Hello? Deku?" he called into an empty room, repeating that name for what seemed like the hundredth time. It echoed. After looking around and realizing it was a bathroom, he cursed. "Damn you," he muttered, though he wasn't sure if that was directed at the bathroom itself, or its emptiness. He stepped into the small, condensed room. It was all tile—floor, ceiling, and walls. All the same kind of little smooth white tile. No grain. No diversity. The simplicity of it was almost unsettling as Katsuki took a few steps in and crouched down to look under the stalls for dangling feet. But the room was, to the best of his knowledge, empty.

"Fuck," he said before standing back up and running a hand through his hair. This was the first time he'd stopped for a break, and he planned on getting back to work in a second—but as he ran his fingers through the hair above his forehead, he realized it was crunchy. He winced as he pulled his hand free and a few strands tugged out with it. He looked at his hand. The fingernails, along with the lines of his palms and cuticles, were encrusted with dried blood. "What the..." he said, and cast his gaze to the mirror. What he saw there was almost enough to frighten him.

Katsuki was standing there, looking in the bathroom's one small mirror, but the image before him wasn't quite... himself. It was dirtier. Darker. When he looked at the reflection of his face, and maybe it was just the lighting, but... he looked almost... to Katsuki, something about the reflection just looked a little wicked.

There were streaks of red across his cheek, his jaw, his eyebrow. He could see a few splotches beneath his eye, even. There was drying blood on his neck, in his hair, and there were smears on his arms and chest where the man had tried to grasp on to him and get him to stop. Katsuki stared at that picture for a moment, as if stunned by it. Sure, he remembered killing the guy. But he didn't remember himself ever getting so... bloody.

He went to the sink and turned on the faucet with the back of his hand, suddenly hyper-aware of the lingering blood on his palms and fingertips. He rinsed with cold water, scrubbing quickly away at the blood caked to his skin, intent on getting back to the search, but still... he couldn't go out looking like this. He had enough sense to know that. Katsuki scrubbed all the remaining blood out of his hands before splashing his face a few times, scratching at the dried parts with his fingernails and removing some of the more prominent blood marks. The sounds of the faucet running and water splashing echoed throughout the tiny room.

Katsuki finished and wiped most of the water from his face before wringing out his hands. Better, he thought as he looked at himself again. But still, he noticed, giving his reflection a squint... that wasn't the same guy he'd seen in the mirror yesterday when he went to the bathroom. This wasn't the same Katsuki he'd seen a million times before, whether that was passing a mirror in his bedroom, tidying up in the restroom, or catching a glimpse of himself in the clear reflection of the glass at U.A.'s doors. No, something in his reflection had changed.

Maybe it was because he just killed someone, but the shadows on his face were starting to look a little darker than usual.

"Tch," he released a small click of his tongue before turning on his heel and exiting the room once more. Again, he found his brain repeating Best Jeanist's words like they were on a broken record. You don't want to end up killing somebody. It will weigh down your mind forever. Were his words actually true? Was Katsuki going to be repeating that man's final breaths in his mind for the rest of his life?

Whatever, he thought crossly while making his way briskly down the nearest hallway. Even if Jeanist's words weren't bullshit, he still wouldn't regret it. Even if his mind did end up weighed down forever because of his actions just a dozen minutes ago, he would never regret what he just did. Killing that man... it had to be done. Letting him live was out of the question. Not after everything… not after Deku. But also because of what he could still do. Even the deepest cell in Tartarus couldn't keep that man locked up forever, and he knew it. Katsuki knew if the shadow man was still alive, he'd find a way—any way possible—to escape and make his enemies' lives as painful and filled with fear as possible.

So to be honest, it was easier to just kill him and get it over with.

"Deku? Deku! Hello? Where the fuck are you?" Katsuki was shouting down hallways now, flinging open every door he came across and giving the room a quick check before moving on. He had to be close. Katsuki was getting frustrated, not to mention frantic. Is he here? Did they throw him off the side of the boat? Or maybe they killed him and fed him to those snakes I saw a few doors back? Oh, fuck—I wasn't too late, was I? After nearly five minutes of searching, he still hadn't found the nerd. Of course, his brain was jumping to the worst conclusions, but still... there was no telling what these sadistic villains were capable of.

Hearing noises ahead, Katsuki passed another group of brawling heroes and villains, and after doing a quick assessment, he realized the heroes were winning. Mina, Kirishima, and Aizawa were a few distinguishable faces among them. The fight was nearing an end, Katsuki realized. Everywhere he looked, villains were being apprehended. Arrested. This whole sick operation was coming to a successful close. And he couldn't be happier about that.

Katsuki passed the noisy fight and continued searching. Usually he would jump in and help out, but right now, he just couldn't focus on anything else besides what he was already doing. He couldn't explain it, but the closest way to describe the feeling was as if some impending doom was about to fall over him, and the only way he could stop it was by finding Deku. Like the only way he could avoid his own demise is by locating his target. Oh—and if somebody else found him first, it would have the same outcome as if Katsuki didn't find him at all.

He reached a tall, steel, windowless door, very similar to the design of the door to the villain's torture room. Katsuki put his hand on the doorknob and impatiently turned and tugged before realizing the door was actually locked. At this, Katsuki's eyes widened fractionally and he paused for a moment. None of the doors before this had been locked, and more importantly, none of them looked like this one did. This door looked heavier, more sturdily built. The edges were studded with bolts and the handle was pretty hefty itself. So why was this room in particular so guarded? Why was it so different than the others?

Katsuki held his breath as he turned the handle again, slower this time. He pulled at it, and then he pushed, but it was locked up tight. Katsuki then slowly got his mouth closer to the door and tentatively called out, "Deku?" to whatever was inside. He wasn't even sure that if there was someone on the other side of the door, they'd be able to hear him. This door might lead to just another bathroom, or maybe some tiny closet stuffed with mops and brooms and other cleaning supplies. For some reason, however, that little voice in the back of his head was telling him otherwise. 

He pressed his ear to the door and listened, but there weren't any noises from inside. Even if there was, he wondered if he'd be able to hear it through the thick steel that separated them. After a moment of listening, Katsuki took a step back and aimed his hand at the doorknob, getting ready to blast it off. "Hey, if someone's in there, get away from the door!" He shouted in the direction of the wall before counting to three in his head, planting his feet firmly on the ground, and blasting the handle with an explosion that lit up the whole hallway.

Metal clattered to the floor and Katsuki looked down to see the handle at his feet, steaming and vibrating after the burst of heat and light. He kicked it aside before turning his attention back to the door. It was still planted firmly shut, even after Katsuki removed the handle. He planted both hands into the hole where the doorknob used to be before starting to pull, muscles straining with the effort. But he was satisfied as the hunk of metal actually began to move in his favor. It was opening.

Katsuki's heart was hammering with nerves now for what he would find behind the door as he tugged it open. As light spilled into the room, he took a look at whatever was visible. The first thing he noticed was the small size. He could only see one corner from this angle, but it was enough to tell him that the room was pretty tiny. Like, closet-sized, only without the stuff you usually would find in closets. From what he could see at first, this room was empty.

Only, as the door continued to drag open and he could get a good look at everything that was in the room—he realized that wasn't the case. This room wasn't empty.

As his gaze rested on the green-haired boy sitting curled up in the corner of the room, face buried in his knees and arms wrapped loosely around his legs, Katsuki froze. His breath caught in his throat. His heart stopped beating, his head stopped working. Everything around him seemed to grow still at that moment as he caught sight of what was in front of him. Was he... was that really... Deku?

He wasn't moving. Deku wasn't moving. But Katsuki couldn't make a move, either—at least, not for a solid few seconds. All he could do was stare. His eyes were wide, but he didn't know it. His heart was racing, but he couldn't feel it. All thoughts left his head as he stared down at the boy, trying to decide what to do, what to say, trying to figure out if this was real. Deku wasn't looking at him. Surely he'd heard Katsuki coming in, right? After all, the door had been pretty loud. Was he asleep? Was he...

Katsuki blinked as that idea suddenly snapped him out of his minor trance, the word dead flashing through his mind with staggering ferocity. He caught sight of a crimson hue staining Deku's white t-shirt and realized it was blood. Along with that, he came to realize that Deku wasn't wearing any pants, either. Something like uneasiness, anger, and fear all mixed together upon realizing these things, and Katsuki released the breath straining in his chest. He took a step towards the boy.

"Deku," he whispered, entering the room with caution. He stared at Deku with wide eyes, expecting the boy to look up at him with shining eyes and a casual smile—but even upon hearing his name, Deku didn't look up. Even as Katsuki got closer to him. The blond was confused by this, but mostly it just made him nervous. If Deku was this unresponsive to his voice, the villain must've fucked him up pretty bad. "Deku," he tried again, regaining back some strength to his voice as he took another few steps closer. "I'm... We're here," he continued, hardly aware of what he was saying. "To bring you home."

He took a knee, still keeping a few feet of distance in case this was some kind of villainous trick. It was strange how Deku hadn't even glanced him yet. Was this some kind of trap? He checked over his shoulder quickly before shaking the idea. No, this wasn't a trap. The villains had no way of knowing the heroes were going to ambush them. So then... why wasn't he moving? Was something wrong with him?

"Hey," Katsuki said in a voice barely more than a whisper. "Are... Are you here?"

And then finally, something happened. Deku didn't look up, no—but he spoke. A raspy, distressed voice reached Katsuki's ears as Deku wrapped his arms tighter around his legs, compacting himself into an even smaller position and keeping his face buried in his knees. "You're not real...you're not real...please, please just go away..." he was whispering at a volume scarcely loud enough for Katsuki to hear. And that was when he realized it. 

Deku wasn't ignoring him. He wasn't dead, and this wasn't a trap. He was just too broken to even believe that Katsuki was really here.

He didn't know what to say as Deku continued muttering the same things over and over, "please just go... I can't do this anymore... I know you're not real, so just leave me alone...please just leave me alone..." between weak snivels and cries of what sounded like real pain. Katsuki just stared at him. He'd never been good with this kind of stuff, so he was speechless. Of course, he was relieved—unbelievably relieved—to see him again. He wanted nothing more than to get him out of here as quickly as possible. But more than that, it hurt to see Deku like this.

Just as he suspected, and just as he feared—the villains had done some horrible things to him in order to get him into this state of mind. He remembered the villain saying that he'd been 'broken,' but hadn't really stopped to think about what that actually meant. Deku, who was once so eager and happy, the light of their classroom, the optimist to brighten even the ugliest of days—was now the one who needed comfort. The emotional, hopeful, stable rock that Izuku used to be had now been battered, broken and overcrowded with despair. He needed help and support. And Katsuki didn't have the slightest idea of how to give that to him.

Now, just to get this clear, Katsuki was 1000% willing to jump in here and risk his life for Deku. He was fine with killing people if that meant getting him back. He was good at fighting, and he was especially good at blowing shit up. He expressed himself best through actions rather than words. To be honest, this emotion-type stuff was just way out of his league.

He looked down at his feet, listening to Deku's soft cries, feeling a pit of sorrow carve itself into his own chest as he realized that he was helpless. Maybe if that damn pink cheeks was here, despite how much Katsuki couldn't stand her—maybe she could do something to help Deku when he was like this. Or maybe Todoroki, despite his awkwardness and stupor at times, maybe he could say something that would make Deku believe he was really here. Believe that this wasn't just another torturous hallucination. That this was real.

What would All Might do? he found himself thinking after realizing that he had no idea what to say or do. What would Auntie do? She always knew how to calm him down. What would Todoroki do? What would pink cheeks do?

As Katsuki tried to figure out what to say next, Izuku was still crying into his knees. "I can't do this again, I really can't. Juh-Just leave me, Kacchan. Just leave me." 

Katsuki's eyebrows pinched together and a bleak scowl grew on his face upon hearing that childhood nickname once again. He didn't want to hear that name spoken with sorrow. It stabbed painfully at something deep in his chest, buried under tons of walled-up defenses, but somehow reachable all the same. His heart.

He didn't want to hear it. That desolate tone of voice, that shadowy edge of disbelief. Katsuki opened his mouth and the words died on his tongue a few times before he could muster up enough courage to actually speak. "Deku... I'm—I don't know what to—or how to—ugh." Katsuki nearly bit a hole through his tongue as he tried to speak and it ended up sounding like he was having a seizure. He scooted closer to Izuku before dropping to his knees. Hesitantly, he put his hand on Izuku's shoulder, noticing how the boy stiffened at the touch. Katsuki gripped his arm. After all, he expressed himself best through actions rather than words.

It wasn't much, but Izuku stopped crying, and the room grew quiet with the absence of his tears. Katsuki opened his mouth again, figuring something—anything—was better than nothing at this point.

"I'm real," he said finally. Is that what All might would say? He thought distantly. After years of evacuation training and watching his classmates help civilians, he was still pretty dense when it came to this kind of thing. He kept going. "I'm real, okay? I'm not fake. See, my face is right in front of you," he said. But he made no move to try and force Deku to look at him. He figured that would be a little too far, especially in his current state. At the very least, he could get Deku to look at him willingly before he tried to evacuate him out of here.

"I, uh... I came all this way to get you, so you're pretty fucking lucky," Katsuki continued with a glance off to the side. "Actually, I shouldn't have said that..." he reflected, looking down at the ground. "What I meant was that everyone's here to rescue you. And the villain has been... apprehended. He can't hurt you anymore."

Deku sniffed, but still didn't respond. Katsuki shook his arm lightly. "Could you get up? There might still be some villains outside, so we really oughta get going before they try to find you. I've got no doubt that these assholes have been doing some shit to mess you up, but you gotta, you know... I mean..." He stared at the side of Deku's head for a few moments before sliding his hand off his shoulder and grabbing his forearm. He made an effort to be gentle, but the motion still came across as a little shaky. "Come on," he said. "Just... I'm real. Look at me."

Izuku didn't move, and honestly, Katsuki wasn't expecting him to. Part of him was just trying to fill the silence with words until things seemed right and Deku felt comfortable enough to look at him, or at least speak intelligibly. Katsuki tilted his head to the side and tried to catch a glimpse of Deku's face, but it was well-hidden under locks of unkept, unwashed-for-a-week green hair. He wondered what Deku was thinking; if anything at all. There was probably a lot going through his mind.

"Listen," Katsuki said after a moment as he righted himself, still unsure of the best thing to say. "Everyone's been worried sick about you, so they'll be super happy to see that you're still alive. There's, uh... Uraraka," Katsuki began, calling her by her real name for the first time in, like, years. "There's Todoroki, Mr. Aizawa, Iida. All Might..." Me, he thought but refused to say that out loud. He paused before continuing. "Did you know a few of us actually went out looking for you a few days ago? Almost got expelled for that," he scoffed, nodding as he recalled the evening spent on the dock searching for evidence. Keep talking, he thought, noticing how Izuku was still motionless.

"I guess you still think I'm all part of your imagination, so I should say something that only I would know. Well, let's see..." he thought for a moment, tonguing his cheek. "Oh," he snapped his fingers, and Izuku flinched slightly at the noise. "A couple of days ago, I saw a website for a new Limited Edition All Might trading card that's only on sale for seven days. It was hella expensive, but I doubt that matters much to you. I know you still have that collection under your bed, so I figured you might wanna know," he said. Immediately afterward, though, he pursed his lips at how stupid that sounded. Of course he doesn't wanna hear about a fucking All Might trading card right now, you idiot! Think of something else.

But to Katsuki's surprise, Deku stirred a little. He didn't look up or anything, but it was relieving to know that he wasn’t dead. Katsuki remained still as he watched Izuku's back rise and fall with each breath following for almost a minute. All until the latter finally spoke. "I..." Izuku muttered, and Katsuki waited patiently in silence. His hand was still on Izuku's forearm, though to be honest, he wasn't quite sure why. Hopefully it was a comforting gesture. 

"I..." Izuku repeated, and then he took a deep breath before continuing. "I have that card... marked on my calendar."

Katsuki stared at him for a moment, processing those words, before a small smile crept its way onto his face. "Of course you do, nerd," he said with some form of relief. It was a good start, getting Deku to talk again—even if it was just about All Might stuff. That topic never failed.

"What else..." Katsuki skimmed his memory for something to talk about, searching for something that might get the boy talking again. "Your mom's been worried, and not only about you. She's texted me every day asking if I'm doing alright. I think I respond the same way every time. "Yeah, Auntie, I'm okay, thank you. Have a good day."  I swear, that woman is the only person I just have to answer whenever she contacts me—even if it's the most basic ass response you've ever heard."

Izuku stirred as he mentioned his mom. "She's... doing okay?" he asked gently, so quiet that Katsuki almost didn't hear. 

"She's doing about as well as any mother would be in her situation," Katsuki replied frankly. "She's been sleeping at my house, I think. The hag's taking care of her. So at least she hasn't been alone," he said, recalling the message his mom sent a few days ago about how "Inko is staying at our house, so feel free to stop by any time and say hello."  Unfortunately—but not so surprisingly—Katsuki hadn't been able to make time for that.

A slight head nod came from Deku as he moved again. "Okay," he muttered. It seemed like he was warming up to the conversation. And then unexpectedly, he moved again, this time towards Katsuki, who remained curiously still. Izuku leaned to the side until his head—his ear—rested against Katsuki's chest. And then he just sat there for a few moments, as if waiting for something—or rather, listening for something.

"Uh... Deku," Katsuki said as the silence continued to stretch longer than a minute. He remained motionless, waiting for the other to say something, to move, to explain what the hell he was doing. But Deku stayed put like that for another half minute or so until finally, he very slowly sat back up. His hands dropped from where they'd been wrapped around his legs, so Katsuki's grip on his forearm dropped, too. And then as Katsuki watched this unfold, Izuku finally looked at him.

Izuku revealed his face and looked at Katsuki with large, sunken, dark-circled eyes—void of that familiar light they always used to have. There was evidence of smeared blood on his cheeks and neck that Katsuki couldn't help but notice. His cheeks were hollow and hungry. His hair was grimy and unkempt. His entire face was layered in dirt and grit, and his lips were so chapped that they were bleeding in multiple spots. For a few seconds, all Katsuki could do was stare at him. This was nothing like what he last looked like. No, this was an entirely different version of Izuku—different than he’s ever seen before.

Katsuki could almost see the trauma ingrained into the aspects of his face. He saw it in the little things—that fearful, prey-like hint in his eye. The uneasy jerkiness of his movements, and the way his gaze was constantly flitting off to the sides, searching for danger, scanning the environment—even with Katsuki sitting there right in front of his face to protect him. Izuku looked weak. He looked tired. Katsuki couldn't help but think he looked broken.

Izuku seemed to be doing a look-over of Katsuki's face, too, so for a short period of time they just stared at each other. It would've been awkward if Katsuki really cared that much. But to be honest, he was too relieved to see Deku's face again that he couldn't bring himself to feel anything else.

Once they got a good look at each other, Izuku was the one to break the silence. "...So you're not lying?" He asked quietly, and Katsuki noticed the lingering rasp in his voice. Part of his eyes looked wild, frightened—unhinged, even—and yet, Katsuki realized with some relief, he could still make out that same-old shiny glow to them as time went on. Like the life was flowing back into him. "I could hear your heart. It was really beating. So if your heart is beating...does that mean you're real, after all? Am I...are you really..."

"Yeah, I’m real, Deku. Like I said, we're taking you home," Katsuki repeated. He watched the boy's eyes widen fractionally as his gaze bore deep into Katsuki's, searching for answers there, scanning for lies. Is he telling the truth? Is this some sort of trick? Or am I actually being rescued right now?  Katsuki could imagine those or similar questions running through his brain at that moment. He gave Izuku some time to process before he opened his mouth to talk again. "I'm gonna get you out of here, but you have to cooperate, alright? It should be easy enough to escape, but there might be some remaining villains, so be ready for that. Can you stand?"

Katsuki positioned his feet on the ground and prepared to stand up, but before he could get the chance, Izuku was reaching out and grabbing his arm, stopping him. Katsuki glanced down at the hands gripping tightly to his forearm before dragging his gaze back up to meet Izuku’s eyes. “What is it?” he asked quietly and grew further confused as Izuku stared into his eyes with wide, fearful ones. He looked confused and shocked. Scared, even. Katsuki raised an inquisitive eyebrow at him as Izuku just continued to stare.

“What? Are you really that surprised I came to get you?” Katsuki asked, but Izuku just shook his head slightly. Katsuki stared at him, wishing he could tell what the other was thinking. Why did he look so anxious? Was something wrong with him? Was the villain up to this—like maybe brainwashing?

Katsuki was two seconds from asking him what the hell was wrong before Izuku took a breath to speak. “You’re real,” he muttered, wide-eyed. “Kacchan, you’re real,” he repeated like he just couldn’t believe it. 

There was a moment of silence before Katsuki responded, ”Yeah, I thought we already established that,” while still confused. Izuku seemed like he was in a pretty distant state of mind, going off of how dazed he was. Were there drugs in his system? His pupils looked dilated, but that could just be because they were in a dark room. Katsuki looked him dead in the eye, in need of getting his point across. “I’m fucking real, okay? Now let’s get the hell out of here.”

But instead of standing up or nodding like Katsuki was hoping he’d do, Izuku just shook his head slowly and looked at him some more while muttering to himself. “I’m really not imagining it. You have your hero suit. You have your boots, and your mask on. You’re not a part of my imagination.”

”Mhm,” Katsuki murmured as he stood up and looked over his shoulder out the door. He didn’t quite understand what Izuku was going on about with his boots and mask talk, but it didn’t matter anyway. He could hear shouting down the hallway and knew the heroes and villains were growing closer. Only the strongest villains would be remaining after this long. “Okay, Deku, we have to get going. If they end up catching you again, I think I’ll—“

But his words were cut off as a sudden force threw itself into him, wrapping arms around his torso and startling him so bad he jumped a little. His first thought was, Deku, why the fuck are you tackling me right now—but after a few moments passed and he wasn't on the ground, he realized it was something other than that. Katsuki paused what he was saying and looked down to see Izuku squeezing him tight, forehead rested against his collar bone, face averted, and body... trembling. Izuku was trembling. His shoulders were shaking. It took about ten seconds of silence before the first sniffle was made audible and Katsuki realized he was crying.

As Izuku hugged him, Katsuki didn't have the first clue of what he should do. He just stood there semi-awkwardly, hands hovering at his sides as he waited for Izuku to be done. Should he hug him back? No, that wasn't even an option. Katsuki never gave people hugs. That was silly. But as Izuku continued quietly crying into his chest, obviously in need of someone to care for him, Katsuki felt his mindset begin to waver ever so slightly. He looked down at the top of the boy's head, forcing himself to breathe slowly and calmly, despite every muscle in his body telling him to say something crude, push him off, and tell him to get going. They were wasting time; he knew that. The villains were coming closer; he knew that, too. But for some reason, he just couldn't get himself to stop Izuku. He couldn't get himself to move. He felt frozen in place, similar to how it feels when you're so terrified that your body feels paralyzed. Only this time, he wasn't scared. His heart might’ve been racing, but he wasn't scared.

Whatever choice Katsuki made at this moment, he knew he should make it quickly. Izuku was still sniffling off to the side with his temple rested against Katsuki's clavicle, arms wrapped around his sides and hands gripping his back, shoulders trembling with emotion—whatever complex emotion he was feeling now. Does it even matter what I do? he thought for a moment, but he was quick to decide that yes, it does matter. Of course it matters. Right now, Deku needed him—well, maybe not him specifically, but he needed somebody to be there for him. Katsuki asked himself that question again, What would All Might do? 

All Might would've hugged hug him back without hesitation. Even after all that time spent searching for him, losing sleep over him, slaving over the work of his rescue; why didn't Katsuki feel the same way? Why was it so hard to just hug him back? It was a simple act, really. A brief hug before continuing with the mission. If he hugged Izuku, the boy would probably be just that much more willing to get out of here. It would probably make the process quicker. It would help the mission. So why the hell was it so hard for Katsuki to just lift his arms, wrap them around Deku, and gently hold him for a little while?

Katsuki remained motionless. It was because he didn't do that kind of stuff. Katsuki was never the type of person to show affection towards other people—not his parents, friends, teachers, not any of the above. He never gave hugs, friendly words, or sympathetic smiles. He never told people he appreciated or loved them—not to his father or even his own mother. When it came to that kind of stuff, he was always silent. It was hard for him to admit those things out loud, and even if the feelings were there, it was hard for him to pick them out from each other. Differentiating between condescension and support, for example, was a difficult one.

Part of it probably stemmed from his parents, who never really taught him how to do that; but mostly this trait came from Katsuki's own personality and past experiences. He'd never been a particularly easy kid to be around, so he didn't have many friends. Not many real ones, anyway. There were those who took interest in his strength with no intent of actually getting to know him. And in middle school, there were some kids he "befriended" for a time, but they never really had his back.

He could recall clearly the day he was attacked and almost killed by a criminal known as the sludge villain. At that time, Katsuki had been walking with those two friends. They ran like cowards at the slightest hint of danger, leaving Katsuki to fend for himself, to get absorbed by the villain's Quirk and nearly meet his own demise. Katsuki never looked at those guys the same way after that. Even now in High School, he was still getting used to the idea of having real friends.

And so, he never learned exactly how to be affectionate toward people, even if those were some of the most basic human functions. He just couldn't understand them. Their purpose. He figured, what's the use? It doesn't change anybody's life to give them a hug. It doesn't make a difference whether you smile or not. So why bother? Sometimes he wondered if something was going wrong upstairs to be thinking that way—so differently than everyone else—but was usually quick to brush it off as his isolation as a kid. Then after he accepted it, the only thing left to do was start living with it. 

So live with it, he did.

Eventually, his family stopped trying to give him hugs, knowing he'd just brush them off as "annoying" and "stupid." They stopped saying "I love you" because they knew he wouldn't say it back. His mom stopped trying to kiss him on the cheek because she knew he'd only duck away. His dad stopped asking about Katsuki's day at school because his answer every time would be "It was fine. There's no need to ask."

He started living in more of an isolated environment, and he liked it that way. People didn't get too close; he didn't let them. Even now as Izuku stood here hugging him, Katsuki couldn't remember the last time he let someone wrap their arms around him for more than two seconds. What the hell's gotten into me? he thought incredulously—but he didn't move. No, he didn't move away from Izuku. He just let the boy embrace him. It was probably the closest thing he'd ever get to a real hug.

A short span of quiet ensued before Izuku moved again, lifting his head from Katsuki's chest and wiping his nose with the back of his hand as he took a small step back. "S-Sorry, Kacchan," he said in a small voice, but he already sounded better after the good cry. He sniffled again, eyes averted. "I know you don't like hugs," he added.

Katsuki shifted on his feet and cleared his throat, looking down at Izuku, who was still standing rather close. His body radiated warmth in the small, cold room they were hidden in—Katsuki could feel it rolling off of him in waves. He looked back over his shoulder again, suddenly feeling like something was missing in his gut—he just couldn't tell what it was.

"It's... fine," Katsuki said quietly before looking back at the shorter, who was wiping tears from his cheeks with his palms. "We should go now, though. Can you walk?" He asked, quickly changing the subject. Thankfully, Izuku nodded.

"Sure," he said, sounding a little stronger than before, but still pretty shaky.

Katsuki gave a nod before moving toward the door, leaving that small shared space of warmth between them. "Good. I thought I heard some villains out here earlier, but I guess they could've been apprehended already. Just be ready to run if I tell you to," he said while looking out the door, checking up and down the hallway in search of villains. The halls were eerily empty as Izuku walked up behind him.

"Okay."

"Ready?" Katsuki asked, looking back to see Izuku finally looking at him again. His eyes, though rimmed with a rather dark shade of red and encased by dark, unhealthy circles, had that shine in them that told Katsuki he was ready before he could even give the nod of confirmation. But once he was sure they were both prepared, Katsuki led him out of that room and back in the direction of the exit.

To be honest, he had no idea which direction he came from, so for a while he didn't recognize any of the halls and they were just wandering. He thought about asking Izuku if he knew the way out, but decided against it after looking back and noticing the guarded, wide-eyed-with-fear look on his face. His arms were crossed and he looked like he was shivering, so Katsuki decided not to bother him. They walked silently for a while, navigating a few hallways and trying to get back on the right path before Katsuki recognized a series of doors—a closet, a staircase, and a bunk—that told him he was heading in the right direction.

They only walked about a few hundred paces past that landmark before Katsuki's attention was drawn to a growing noise behind them. He stopped and turned towards it on high alert, instantly trying to figure out what those noises were. It sounded like something thumping methodically on a wall—or no, it sounded like footsteps. Heavy footsteps, coming closer. His eyes narrowed and he glanced at Izuku, who was looking back, too. That didn't sound good.

"Let's run," Katsuki suggested before turning and starting to jog, then run in the other direction of the footsteps, looking back every few seconds to make sure Izuku was keeping pace. For now, he was following orders, and his legs, though weak, seemed to be working just fine. That was relieving. It gave Katsuki some time to strategize.

He knew that fighting right now would not be ideal. If a big monster villain came rushing around that corner, the first thing they'd do would be to go for Izuku. They'd likely try to capture him. Of course, Katsuki wouldn't let that happen, but it gave rise to another question: who would protect Izuku while Katsuki is preoccupied with fighting? What if another villain came by and snatched him up while Katsuki was distracted? Without One for All, Izuku was essentially just another civilian in need of protection. Katsuki could most likely deal with it himself, but the stakes were too high to rest it all on his confidence alone. He should call for backup.

As he was pondering that, he wasn't thinking so much about looking back at Izuku to make sure he was keeping up. In only about thirty seconds of a quick running pace, Izuku was starting to lose his stamina and fall behind. Katsuki didn't notice until he was already twenty yards in the dust, gasping and stalling for breath, leaning against the wall as his consciousness started to flutter.

"Kacchah—hah—" came his shaky breaths as he leaned against the wall, clutching his shirt and blinking up at the ceiling to keep from passing out.

Katsuki whipped around, eyes wide, before running back to retrieve him. "You're worse than I thought," he said, crouching with Izuku as he slid down against the wall, panting shallowly. Katsuki looked at him, suddenly realizing just how pale and colorless Izuku looked. His head rested back against the wall while his eyes started rolling back into his head, which definitely was not a good sign. "Fuck," Katsuki cursed, gripping Izuku's shoulder tightly to keep him awake. "You're extremely dehydrated. And when's the last time you ate?" he asked in a hushed tone, still keeping an eye out for the approaching villain. He could still hear those pounding footsteps coming closer.

"I'm sorry," Izuku breathed in response, blinking furiously up at the ceiling, chest heaving as he fought for oxygen. "I think it was," he panted, "two days ago," Izuku stuttered out between breaths, closing his eyes with pain on his face. "But it's been three since they last gave me something to drink."

Katsuki's gaze snapped to look at him, hoping he was lying—but just as he suspected, Izuku was telling the truth. "Three days?" he repeated in disbelief, then once more with anger. "It's been three fucking days since they've given you water?"

Izuku nodded and Katsuki grit his teeth while looking off to the side to avoid cursing again. Three days. It’s a wonder he hasn’t fucking collapsed yet. Katsuki knew that if the body didn't get enough water, it would start to break down. Fatigue, headaches, and in severe cases, even organ failure can result from not getting enough water—and three days was pretty much the body's limit. He looked back at Izuku, whose face had contorted into a look of pain as he took breath after breath. “It hurts,” he breathed through a whimper, clutching his chest. “Why does it hurt to breathe?”

Katsuki racked his brain to think of a way to make 'Your organs might be failing' sound better than it really was, but soon he realized he couldn't come up with anything. “You might be in shock, I guess,” he lied as Izuku groaned and rolled to the side, breathing shallowly with his eyes screwed shut. Katsuki grit his teeth, wishing he knew what to do. He wished someone would come and help them. Where the hell was Aizawa when he needed him? Best Jeanist? Endeavor, who was supposed to be the Number One? Even floaty girl would be welcomed at the moment if she could help get Izuku out of here faster.

"Okay, time to go," Katsuki muttered as he heard those large footsteps getting closer. Was it a monster, like the one they'd fought down in the drug lab? Was it some kind of unstoppable being that Katsuki couldn't fight on his own? He didn't plan on sticking around to find out.

He hooked one arm under Izuku's knees and snaked the other one behind his back before scooping him up and getting to his feet, straining slightly to balance the new weight with his own but not struggling too much. Izuku felt about ten pounds lighter than he'd been the last time Katsuki held him like this. "You've lost weight," Katsuki murmured as he turned and started running in the opposite direction of the villain as fast as his legs would carry him. Izuku shuddered and writhed in his arms, looking worse than Katsuki's ever seen him. He might've been having a minor stroke because of how dehydrated his body had become.

"I've... been through worse," Izuku muttered in response, sounding slightly slurred. Katsuki glanced down at him, but his eyes were closed. The skin around his eyes looked dry and flaky, maybe from crying, but probably just because of the lack of water in his system. And despite the shivers and goosebumps running down his body, there wasn't a single bead of sweat on his face. That's what happens when your body doesn't get enough liquid. It starts conserving the remaining water for much more necessary functions, like keeping your brain alive.

"You sure about that?" Katsuki asked between breaths while keeping alert for any signs of movement where villains might be waiting for an ambush. "'Cuz I think this one might take the cake."

Izuku suddenly cried out in pain and raised a hand to his forehead, wincing as if Katsuki had just stabbed him in the skull. "Ah—" he choked before rolling to the side and almost getting dropped. "Oh, god... could we stop moving so much?"

Katsuki huffed and looked over his shoulder, catching sight of something moving in the darkness back there. The creature—or whatever was following them—was probably catching up now. He couldn't run as fast with Izuku in his arms and the fact that he was anxious about every corner he went around definitely wasn't making him move any quicker. "Damn nerd. What do you think this is, a charity ride? Shut up," he shot back, but despite his harsh words, he made an effort to be a little less bouncy with his steps. He looked back again and saw the outline of a man coming towards them—a man with roughly the same muscle mass as All Might.

"Not good," Katsuki murmured under his breath, alarmed. That guy was following them for sure, and the fact that he hadn't said anything to try and stop them yet made his presence just that much more terrifying. Which meant Katsuki was probably going to have to fight him. This then meant he was going to have to leave Izuku somewhere to try and protect him, which then also meant that Izuku was going to be getting off this boat just that much slower. He needed medical attention now, because Katsuki didn't know how much longer his body could survive like this.  

"Get the hell away from us, or I'll fucking kill you!" Katsuki shouted over his shoulder in a last-ditch attempt to shake this guy. But just as he thought, their pursuer wasn't swayed at all.

"Is someone following us?" Izuku asked weakly from his arms. His body felt like it was weakening, while his face was tucked against Katsuki's arm. Katsuki held him closer subconsciously.

"Don't worry about it," he said in response. "Just focus on staying awake." Izuku murmured something in return that Katsuki didn't quite catch because his attention was drawn to a pair of voices coming from up ahead. He thought he recognized one saying his name.

"Hey—Hey!" Katsuki shouted down the hall, and he rounded the next corner to be met face-to-face with Todoroki and Aizawa. Both of their eyes blew wide as they caught sight of what—or rather, who—Katsuki was holding. He stood there huffing and puffing for a moment, looking over his shoulder nervously as the seconds ticked by and he struggled to regain his breath enough to speak. Izuku was no longer moving. He must’ve passed out. 

"Bakugou," Aizawa said, eyes wide. He was frozen, as if the last thing he expected to see was Katsuki rounding the corner with his long-time rival Izuku held carefully between his arms. “You… found him,” their teacher continued, stunned. “He’s alive.” As he said this, Todoroki took a step closer with wide eyes and mouth hanging open.

"Oh my god, Midoriya!" he exclaimed, but Izuku didn’t look at him. He reached out a hand and walked forward to touch Izuku's shoulder. But before he could, Katsuki jerked back, holding Izuku out of his reach. 

"Don't," he warned before he even knew what he was saying or doing. Todoroki paused and looked at him with eyes still wide, though he didn't make any move to come closer.

"What?" he asked, sounding confused and a little shocked. "Is he okay? I mean, is something—"

"Just don't touch him," Katsuki snapped before realizing what he was saying. After a second, though, he realized: Why the hell would I say that? Todoroki was Izuku's friend. Why was Katsuki's instant reaction to do...whatever the hell he just did? He shifted awkwardly for a second as he tried to mouth words that refused to come out, glancing between Aizawa and Todoroki, who both looked confused with some lingering shock and concern to see Izuku again. They were staring at him expectantly as if waiting for him to explain himself.

"I just mean we don't have time for that right now," he said quickly while pushing past Todoroki and Aizawa and positioning them between him and the coming villain. "Call for backup, do whatever the hell you need to do. There's a big villain coming. But I need to get Deku off this boat right the fuck now, or he's gonna die," he said with urgency.

"A big villain?" Todoroki echoed, looking back at the darkness from which Katsuki had come.

"Bakugou, what is wrong with Midoriya?" Aizawa spoke at the same time Todoroki did. And only now did a new booming voice echo throughout the hallways, shaking the ground and even startling Katsuki. He, Todoroki, and Aizawa all faced the end of the hallway now where an eight-foot-tall unit of absolute muscle came rounding the corner, grinning from ear to ear like a kid on Christmas day about to rip into one of his presents. The villain was upon them.

"Found you!" he exclaimed with a booming voice that rattled Katsuki's eardrums. Katsuki stared at the villain, slightly concerned. He was stunned by just how much this build reminded him of All Might.

"A big villain," Katsuki restated while taking various steps back. For the first time in his life, he was leaving Todoroki and Aizawa to do all the fighting for him. He was squeezing Izuku tight, mind set entirely on keeping him out of the villains' reach. That was his goal. He wasn't about to let this villain's daunting presence scare him away from that.

"What did yo—" Todoroki began before the villain was already swinging a deadly fist at him, aiming a punch that would surely knock out his lights for a few days if it landed. Half-and-half managed to duck out of the way just in time and the fist went sailing above his head to bury itself deep into the concrete wall as if it were nothing more than a sheet of drywall. Dust exploded in a cloud from the punch and bits of debris crumbled to the floor, but the villain wasn't interested in Todoroki, who was at the moment trying to scoot out of range, looking stunned and caught off-guard. No, the villain didn't care about him at all.

He pulled his fist out of the wall and continued at a sprint towards Katsuki and Izuku, who were backing up as quickly as Katsuki could possibly move while still keeping his eyes on the fight. If you've never seen an eight-foot-tall, 600lb hunk of pure muscle rushing at you at top speeds, looking murderous and psychotic through the darkness, with giant hands outstretched as if to grab your arms and tear them limb from limb, you've never been truly terrified.

"Stop!" he heard Aizawa shout, and Katsuki watched as ropes wound themselves around the villain's legs and shoulders, halting him in his place. But that wouldn't stop him for long. Despite all of Aizawa's strength, there was no way he'd be able to hold this guy back for more than a few seconds. The villain grunted and strained and tugged against the ropes, veins in his neck and forehead bulging and feet digging into the cement ground as he fought the teacher. He tried to make a grab for Izuku, but Katsuki was turning and running in the other direction.

"I'll call for backup!" he shouted over his shoulder as he ran, knowing that's what Aizawa would want him to do. He looked down at Izuku as the boy's body suddenly kicked to life and he took a series of panicked breaths, eyes fluttering open and gaze flitting around, looking terrified. His chest heaved as his eyes landed back on Katsuki.

"Kacchan," he breathed, gripping onto Katsuki's arm as if he would drop him. "Where are we? What happened?"

"You passed out," Katsuki said between breaths. "I told you to stay awake!" 

Izuku blinked rapidly and looked like he was about to say something in response before a massive wince took over his expression. His eyebrows pinched together, drawing lines across his forehead and under his eyes, while his jaw clenched so hard that Katsuki could see the tendons bulge in the temples of his head. "Ugh... my head hurts so bad..." he muttered, and he was clutching onto Katsuki's arm so tight that he thought his grip might leave bruises.

Katsuki looked over his shoulder as a series of shouts reached his ears. Down the hall, Todoroki and Aizawa were both fighting the muscle man now. Katsuki watched as Todoroki called out one of his special moves, Heaven-Piercing Ice Wall, and a giant wall of glittering ice grew from his right side and enveloped the man entirely. The ice broke through the ceiling and surrounding walls, enclosing the man in an icy prison. Katsuki knew it wouldn't last for long, though.

"Was that Todoroki?" Izuku asked through closed eyes. "Oh, my head is throbbing..."

"Yeah, that was Icyhot. He’s here, too," Katsuki replied, trying to help focus Izuku's attention on something other than the pain. "How's your breathing?" he asked.

Izuku looked a little confused as he paused to ask, "My breathing? What do you mean?"

Katsuki sighed. "Three minutes ago, you were complaining about how it hurt so much to breathe. I take you're feeling better, then."

"I don't remember that," Izuku said, and Katsuki frowned. Well, that wasn't good—he was forgetting things that happened only minutes prior. Was his brain shutting down? No, he had to have more time. But this interaction made Katsuki wonder just how much of this Izuku was going to remember in the future. "Anyway, did you say Todoroki is here? Is he okay? I haven't seen him in forever."

"Yeah, Deku, he's fucking fine. He and Aizawa are back there, fighting that villain that was chasing us. Me and you are about to get out of here—just hold on a little longer." It was true. Katsuki could see the exit up ahead—the cafeteria. They'd almost made it. He could almost taste the sweet seaside air as he pushed open the door to get to safety.

"What villain?" Izuku asked, trying to look over Katsuki's shoulder and see for himself. 

"No, don't look," Katsuki tried, not wanting him to worry about whatever was going on back there.

But Izuku was gasping in terror.

"Look out!" he exclaimed a second too late. Katsuki didn't even have time to look back before a desk-sized chunk of ice flew through the air and hit him directly, right in the vulnerable spot between his shoulder blades and the small of his back. His spine.

Both boys were sent flying to the ground as the chunk of ice crashed into Katsuki and threw him off his feet. Pain exploded throughout his back—his shoulders, mostly—and the only thing he could see was black spots in his vision as he was sent tumbling across the floor, body bruising and gear breaking in the process. That piece of ice hit him with the velocity of a fucking truck. He lost sight of Izuku for those few moments as he came cluttering to a stop in a heap of his own broken hero gear, groaning and heaving for breath, his entire body flaring with pain. His ears were ringing, so he couldn't hear Izuku calling for him. For a few moments he couldn't move at all, and was terrified he'd been paralyzed—but luckily the shock wore off in a few seconds and he could rigidly move his arms again.

Katsuki slowly pushed himself into an upright position as life flowed back into his body. He wasn't dead—that was good. For a moment there, he was afraid he might be. Katsuki blinked his eyes, but his vision was still dark and spinning. He felt disoriented; he didn't know where he was. "Deku... Deku?" he shouted, though his own voice sounded muffled and slurred. He tried putting his feet on the ground and pushing off his knee to stand up, but he just ended up toppling back over. The room was spinning too fast.

"Kacchan!" he heard distantly, and a few moments later he felt hands on his arm, trying to pull him to his feet. Katsuki blinked vigorously as he was tugged upwards. He couldn't see, but he knew those were Izuku's hands that were trying to guide him. The nerd was saying other things that he couldn't quite hear. Did he hit his head? He couldn't remember. Katsuki made it a few steps before losing his footing again and falling to his knees, groaning at the pain in his spine every time he extended his left leg. Was he hurt?

"Kacchan, we have... need to get up... coming... up now!" Izuku's words faded in and out. Katsuki squinted as color started bleeding back into his vision and he caught sight of Izuku's face. He looked terrified as he tugged on Katsuki's arm, trying to get him to stand up and go towards the exit, but Katsuki's body wasn't functioning properly. He was stunned. His brain wasn't working. The ice had hit him hard, and though he wasn't dead, he definitely wasn't fully aware of what was going on. He didn't quite understand the stakes of the situation.

Izuku was staring at something behind him, eyes wide, face pale, mouth moving even though Katsuki couldn't hear what was coming out of it. Why did he look so scared? Katsuki tried to tell him to calm down, but he couldn't get his mouth to work. Izuku tugged at his arm a few more times, trying to get him to stand up—but Katsuki wouldn't budge.

Suddenly Izuku let go of his arm and stumbled backward, tripping and falling before trying to crawl away, obviously terrified by something. Still in a daze, Katsuki looked up and over to see the villain stalking toward Izuku, completely passing and disregarding Katsuki. His eyes were trained on the green-haired boy who was shaking his head and crying for help, backing himself against a wall and covering his mouth out of fear, looking even more helpless and broken than he'd looked when Katsuki first laid eyes on him today.

Where the hell are Todoroki and Aizawa? Did they get beat already? he thought as the villain advanced on Izuku, and as the audio came streaming back into Katsuki's eardrums, he could finally hear what he was saying.

"...ome with me, boy," the villain was saying in a voice unnaturally deep. Katsuki wondered if the reason this guy was so strong was that he'd managed to get his hands on one of those Quirk-enhancing drugs. Little by little, Katsuki's subconscious started coming back to him as he watched the scene in front of him unfold. At the moment, he could do nothing but watch—but he was recovering quickly from the shock.

"Get away from me!" Izuku exclaimed with real panic in his voice. "Kacchan—Kacchan, get up!"

"Shut up, or I'll break your fucking arms again!" the villain shouted, voice booming. Katsuki stared at the back of the guy's head from where he was still kneeling on the floor, senses still returning and mind still spinning. But he was fading back to reality as the dizziness started getting devoured by his anger, which was spreading quicker than wildfire in his head. Break his arms... again?

"No, get away, stop! Not again, not again..." Izuku cried as he crawled back along the wall, trying to stay out of the villain's reach.

"Don't make me kill your friend over there. All I need is to grab you and run. It's what he would've wanted!" the man replied menacingly, and Katsuki knew he was referring to their leader—the guy Katsuki already killed. "That way, I can take your Quirk for myself, and kill all these damn heroes before they can inflict any more damage."

Izuku paused at the threat against Katsuki, but that didn't change the terrified look which remained on his face. His lip trembled. He'd been so close to freedom... and now this? Tears threatened to spill over his waterline and he bit his tongue to keep from sobbing. "Stop it... please..."

Katsuki stood up.

"Come here, you damn brat. And if you try to struggle, I'll rip off your limbs one by one until you're nothing left but a sorry sack of skin and guts," the man said as he walked closer and leaned down to wrap giant hands around Izuku's forearms.

Katsuki took a step closer.

Izuku cried out in fear, but then he caught sight of Katsuki walking over with his hands stretched out in front of him, face blank, vision and brain numb with so much anger that he was far from the point of being able to communicate properly. Izuku's cries died out as he realized what was about to happen. And as he did, a look of relief, then understanding, and finally, determination crossed his face—completely different than the terrified expression he'd been bearing only seconds before. Izuku pulled his feet in and planted them on the ground before diving off to the side with all the remaining strength in his body.

The action confused the man for a moment, especially as he noticed the boy's gaze fixated on something behind him. Was the teacher back again? I thought I took care of him already, the villain thought irritably. But then he started to hear the sound of sizzling—no, popping. The sound of popping was coming from behind him.

He turned around and was met with an explosion large enough to kill a man on impact.

Katsuki put both feet on the ground, extended his palms out in front of him, and let every ounce of usable sweat, every grain of obtainable strength left in his body—every angry memory and recollection of all the pain these sick fucks caused Izuku—he gathered it and let it out all in that moment. Power surged in his gut as the burning hot fire continued to grow, controlling his body, taking over his mind; and it didn’t cease even as it reached the top. The pressure continued to build up like a volcano preparing to erupt. All he could see was the villain at that moment. And all he could hear was his brain telling him to destroy that torturous, murderous, evil son of a bitch.

Light crackled between the palms of his hands, which he'd linked together for a larger effect. Fire sparked in his eyes, and less than a second later, the room had gone from utterly silent to so loud he thought his eardrums might blow out. Vibrant white, to yellow, to red crackles of light extended from his hands, where they connected to ignite into something larger—an explosion so large that it filled up Katsuki's entire field of vision. It stretched above the ceiling, it enveloped the villain in bright hot blinding fire. Windows shattered. Walls collapsed. The floor in front of him caved in. His explosion was directly aimed at the villain—anything that got in the way of that would be destroyed, too.

Katsuki’s arms shuddered and pulsed with a twisting, tearing pain as he let loose this monstrous explosion—but he didn't care. The veins bulged in his arms, and he knew his blood vessels were bursting with every second that went on—but at the moment, he didn’t give a fuck. He could hear glass shattering and decorating the ground outside with a million tiny pieces, he could hear the boat aching and creaking as its support was obliterated and torn apart in front of him. All he could see was hot ribbons of bright, destructive light—some reds, some yellows and oranges, but mostly just blinding whites. And all he could feel throughout his body was the heat on his palms and the energy that was still surging through him, rapidly diminishing. There was no reason not to go all-out. After all, this was probably one of the last villains remaining.

The explosion itself was done in less than ten seconds, but the destruction left behind was shocking. Once the waves of devastation stopped rolling out from his hands and the smoke was given a few seconds to clear, Katsuki was met with a perfectly clear view of the outside deck and the island beyond. Below him and off to the side stood a group of classmates and Pro Heroes holding some villains captive. Everyone had paused what they were doing upon hearing the explosion and most were now staring at Katsuki, some looking shocked, while others looked confused. Nobody moved to help him.

The entire deck was littered with debris. Katsuki was breathing heavily and his arms, still extended in front of him, were trembling. Daze clouded his mind, his head was splitting and spinning, and not to mention the terrible ache in his back. It felt like torture to even be standing right now—but he could manage. First, he had to make sure the villain was taken care of.

Katsuki took a step forward, slowly lowered his hands, and peered over the edge of the damaged floor to look at the deck below. There on the ground about twenty yards away was a body, charred beyond recognition and unmoving. It was the villain. And he was dead.

"We need a medical team in here ASAP," Katsuki shouted hoarsely down, not bothering to check if anyone heard him before he was turning away from the ledge and scanning the ground for Izuku. His eyes landed on the green-haired boy, who was sitting against the wall near the devastation, looking outside with wide, stunned eyes. Katsuki nearly sighed out loud with relief; he was a sight for sore eyes. And seeing that he was okay—seeing that he was safe—was all Katsuki really wanted in that moment.

The blond walked over to him. "You good?" he asked nonchalantly, but secretly his heart was thumping after all that exertion. He’d been using his Quirk all day, and his body felt weak because he’d forgotten to eat beforehand. To be truthful, that villain had been really making him nervous.

In response, Izuku turned his eyes to look up at Katsuki before giving a timid nod. Then, he just looked back outside. Katsuki followed his gaze, but there wasn't anything special out there to look at. After a moment, he asked, "What is it? Are you scared or somethin'?"

The boy shook his head—but again he didn't say anything. Katsuki huffed. "What is it, then?" he asked with an edge of impatience as Izuku continued to stare outside without looking at him. Not like he was expecting a ‘thank you’ or anything, but he did expect the guy to actually acknowledge he was there. Sometimes he wondered if Izuku was even awake while his eyes were open, or if he was just moving without being conscious. That’s how it seemed sometimes, anyway.

Finally, Izuku looked at him again, and Katsuki watched as he gave a small smile. "I just haven't seen the sun in a while," he said softly. Only when he said that did Katsuki look outside and realize the sky above was cloudless, vibrant with colors of blue and warm yellow as the sun rose above the treetops. It was still relatively early, so that nighttime chilliness was trying to cling onto the air, but was quickly being overpowered and chased off by the growing heat. The sight was peaceful. Katsuki hadn't even stopped to consider the fact that Izuku had been locked up indoors, so hasn't seen the sun in over seven days.

He looked back at Izuku as a beam of sunlight hit his face, illuminating those bright aspects of his personality once again. He still had a lingering smile as he looked out across the horizon, hair blowing slightly with the soft wind, back leaned against the wall and hands placed at both of his sides for stabilization against the previous explosion. Even he looked peaceful. For a moment Izuku squinted at the new light on his face, and Katsuki thought he was about to enjoy it—until he suddenly winced and ducked away as if the light was causing him pain. Katsuki's decent mood instantly switched back to a concerned one as Izuku screwed his eyes shut and ducked down so far that his chin hit his chest. His shoulders tensed. Izuku cried out in pain while Katsuki ran over to him, ignoring the unsteadiness of his own movements. 

He crouched down at Izuku's side. "What's wrong?" he asked urgently, scanning him for injuries—but again, he looked unharmed. At least, as far as visible injuries go. He supposed there could be some internal issues that he wouldn't be able to see. When Izuku didn't answer, Katsuki grabbed his shoulder and shook him once, hard. "Izuku, I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong!" he practically yelled, but his anger just stemmed from his worry. He'd been under the impression for a moment there that Izuku was finally starting to feel better, but his whimpers of pain and trembling body now were telling him otherwise. Did this nightmare ever end?

"I—I don't know," he replied shakily, clutching his shirt. "The sun...when I looked at it...my head, and now my stomach...it feels like it's twisting in knots..." he choked, and that was all Katsuki needed to hear in order to know that Izuku needed medical attention stat. Those doctors he ordered better be on their fucking way. 

"That's why you don't look at the sun, you fucking idiot," Katsuki replied as he kneeled down and hooked his arms around Izuku's body, intending to pick him up again. However, the boy felt about a hundred times heavier than he did before, probably because of Katsuki's weakened state. He tried pulling him up, but Izuku's weight wouldn't budge. He pulled again and got the same effect. A flash of anger passed his face as he realized he was weaker than he originally thought.

Izuku noticed his struggles and offered weakly, "Kacchan, it's okay, I can wait..." but Katsuki cut him off with a harsh "No." I can do this. Don't start fucking doubting me now, he thought before managing to scrape up enough strength to pull Izuku bridal-style into his lap. With that milestone reached, Katsuki was able to slowly push himself all the way to his feet. His entire body strained with the colossal effort of holding the boy, and his ravaged muscles screamed at him to stop, but he couldn't possibly do that. He was determined to get Izuku off this boat. So that's what he was gonna fucking do.

The first few steps were the hardest, but he quickly got back into the groove of things and started walking. He found the nearest staircase and descended with difficulty before coming out on the other side, where there were still no medics to help him. He grunted and continued waddling across the deck, heading towards a group of classmates that had gathered at the edge of the area. They were surrounding a large pile of incapacitated villains, who were all tied up and gagged so they couldn't make a sound. Katsuki glared righteously at them as he approached. They deserved it.

A few seconds after he emerged from the door his classmates caught sight of him—and more importantly, they realized who was with him. He heard a few "Oh my god"s from the affected as two figures instantly abandoned their posts and ran towards him with wide, terrified eyes—of course, it was Iida and pink cheeks. The rest of their classmates stayed put to watch the villains while those two ran over to help Katsuki.

"You found Midoriya!" Iida shouted as he arrived before Uraraka due to his speed. Before Katsuki could stop him, he placed a hand below Izuku's back as if to help carry him and Izuku reacted with a tiny flinch—but as he looked over his shoulder and saw that it was Iida, a pained smile grew on his face. 

"Iida... Uraraka..." he muttered in greeting.

"Oh my god, oh my god—Izuku!" Uraraka exclaimed as she came approaching with open arms, and Katsuki was preparing to be tackled before Iida reached out a hand to stop her from doing so. 

"Hold on, Uraraka, he looks hurt," Iida said knowledgeably while Katsuki continued to walk toward the side of the boat where he knew he'd be able to find some kind of a medic down below. "Bakugou, what's happening?”

Meanwhile, Uraraka was making sure to be as useless and humanly annoying as possible. "Izuku, oh my gosh, are you okay? I've been so worried, I mean, I thought we'd never see you again! Please tell me you're okay. Why is Bakugou carrying you? Did you hurt yourself?" she spammed questions, completely disregarding that Katsuki was there and could answer her questions just as well. She was now talking to Izuku, and only to Izuku. The blond couldn't help but find that really fucking annoying. Does he fucking look okay? Why the hell would you ask him that question? he thought with a scowl that she was too distracted to notice.

Izuku opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, a wince took over again and he ducked his face away from the sunlight and back into Katsuki’s arm. He grumbled something that none of them could hear before Katsuki snapped a response for him.

"How about you make yourself useful, round face, instead of asking all those useless damn questions," he told her, but the reason he was so irritable was because his entire body was throbbing with pain and stress after carrying Izuku so restlessly. "He'd be a lot easier to carry if he didn't weigh a million pounds.”

Uraraka paused for a moment, finally dragging her gaze away from Izuku to look up at Katsuki. "W-What can I do? Is he hurt?" she asked nervously.

"Yes, he's fucking hurt, and he's gonna die soon if we don't get him some medical attention. Make him float so I can carry him to the edge of the boat, and then when we get there, make us both float down to the ground. That's where Aizawa told us to go if we got hurt, so that's where the medics will be. Now hurry!" Katsuki exclaimed the last part through his teeth as his arms felt like they were about to give out. Uraraka quickly put a hand on Izuku's arm, and immediately the weight began to lift from Katsuki's shoulders as the boy grew weightless with her Quirk. He sighed in relief.

"Are you sure you don't want me to carry him? You look pretty beat up, yourself," Uraraka said before pointing to his face. Katsuki scowled.

"There's nothing wrong with me," he said, but she narrowed her eyes in contradiction.

"You have blood all over the back of your head! Can't you feel that?"

Katsuki couldn't feel it, and he didn't care to. He wrapped his arms around Izuku's body to keep him from floating away before continuing towards the side of the boat. "Don't care. This is more important."

"I offered to carry him," Uraraka reminded, and Katsuki craned his neck around to glare at her.

"And I said no! It doesn't matter who carries him as long as he gets to the doctor as quickly as possible. Can't you just shut up already?"

Uraraka frowned. "I know that! I was just saying it'd be easier for me to do it because—"

"Fuck, pink cheeks, just drop it already!"

She sighed heavily and Katsuki took her silence as finally letting it go. They approached the rest of their classmates Katsuki and took note of their shocked faces as he passed to get to the edge of the deck.

Tokoyami stepped forward as he passed. "Is that Midoriya?" 

"It is!" Tsu exclaimed happily from the other side of the ring as the rest of their classmates gave gasps of surprise and relief.

"Bakugou, you found him!" Mineta cried. “And what was with that explosion? It was the size of a baseball field!”

Katsuki didn't reply to any of them, so after a few seconds of awkward silence, the class rep stepped up for him. "Uh—yes! Bakugou has successfully retrieved Midoriya and they are heading to get him medical attention now. Uraraka, why don't you go with them while I stay here with the villains."

"Good idea," Uraraka agreed before Katsuki turned to stop her, eyes widening fractionally.

"No—shit, I just remembered. Todoroki and Aizawa are still in there, and they might be hurt. One of you needs to go and get them," he said quickly. How could I have forgotten? he asked himself. I hope they aren't too injured. The villain must've hit 'em pretty hard to knock them out of commission like that.

Iida looked surprised. "Did the villain hurt them?"

"Obviously," Katsuki replied. "That guy was a menace. I had to take him out."

Uraraka looked across the deck to see the man's motionless body, completely charred and still steaming in some places. Thankfully the wind was blowing in the other direction so they couldn't smell the scent of burning flesh that it was emitting. "So, Todoroki and Mr. Aizawa were trying to protect Izuku, and they ended up getting hurt?" she asked while turning back to the others.

Katsuki nodded. "They were trying to keep him busy so I could carry Deku off the boat, but the villain must've beaten them because he managed to throw some of Todoroki's ice at me, which is how I got hurt. Then the villain was trying to take Deku, so I was forced to take action—and I guess my anger got the better of me because I ended up using a little too much power," he admitted as he swung one leg over the edge of the railing with the floating Izuku still in his arms, preparing to jump down to the ground once Uraraka activated her Quirk on him. As he looked over the edge, he scouted for places where he might be able to find medical attention and spotted a little white tent on the sand with a tiny woman standing outside that he recognized as Recovery Girl. 

As he was looking out at the beach, Katsuki also noticed a little black dot in the distance above the horizon; some kind of aircraft coming from the same direction the boat had. Hopefully, it was some kind of air ambulance that could get Izuku back to the mainland for some quick medical attention.

"I can get them," Iida offered. "But it would be helpful if you could come with me, Uraraka. Your Quirk is quite useful in these situations, especially if they're trapped under any rubble."

Pink cheeks looked from Iida, to Izuku, to Katsuki, and then back to Iida again. She looked like she wanted to stay with Izuku—but after a few seconds of deciding what the heroic decision would be, she sighed and nodded at Iida. "Okay, I'll go with you." She turned to Katsuki. "Take good care of him."

The blond scowled at her. "I know what I'm fucking doing. Now lower me down there."

Uraraka tapped Katsuki's shoulder with her fingertips. Immediately after, his body started floating, and he made sure to keep his posture straight up and down to avoid toppling over. He'd done this a few times, so he knew how to not make a fool of himself. He stepped off the edge and slowly started lowering to the ground while Iida and Uraraka watched cautiously to make sure he made it down safely. Once his boots reached the sand, Uraraka released her Quirk and Deku's weight fell into his arms once more. He grunted but refrained from dropping the boy, despite how it felt like he was trying to carry a ten-ton sack of rocks.

He started walking towards the medical tent, feet dragging through the sand and pulse pounding in his ears. Just a couple hundred more feet. Almost there, he thought tenaciously. Don't give up. Don't you fucking give up.

"Deku, how you doing?" he asked under his breath, half to keep his mind off his own pain and half because he was worried. Izuku moved in his arms. He'd been awake for that whole interaction, but apparently just decided to leave all the talking to Katsuki.

"I'm fine," Izuku replied, but the strain deep in his voice said that he was lying.

"Don't lie," Katsuki replied all-knowingly.

Izuku peered up at him through squinted eyes, and Katsuki noticed just how sickly he looked when they were submerged in natural light. His skin was pale and gray-looking while the bags around his eyes were dark and blueish. Like a zombie. "Well, let’s see... it feels like I'm getting stabbed in the brain whenever I open my eyes, I'm pretty sure my organs are failing because of how dehydrated my body is, I haven't been able to get in touch with One for All for more than seven days, and now I don't know if my friends are okay because they were trying to protect me from a villain that I normally would've been able to beat in two minutes. I feel pretty shitty right now, Kacchan," he said.

Katsuki couldn't tell if that was distress or attitude in his voice, but he decided to be kind and take it as the former. “Well, we came all the way here to bring you home, so you better not die on us now, got it? Recovery Girl will give you some water, and your Quirk will come back whenever that guy's drugs wear off. You're gonna be just fine."

Izuku silently doubted Katsuki's words for a few seconds before responding. “And what about you? When the villain threw the ice block at you, I thought…well, I didn't know what to think. I was just so... scared. For a second, I thought your spine broke because of how hard you got hit. Are you sure you’re okay?" Izuku asked, carefully changing the subject.

Katsuki snorted. “What, that little snowball? It barely even affected me," he replied with a touch of arrogance.

“Don't lie," Izuku replied in the exact same tone Katsuki had used only a minute before. He glanced down at the boy with a frown before looking back at their destination, which was approaching fast. Recovery Girl was going in and out of her little tent as she set up a place outside for Izuku to lie.

“I'll be fine, too," Katsuki replied bluntly. 

“Just make sure to get your injuries checked after me," Izuku continued with an edge of worry. “Your hair has blood in it."

Not knowing how to tell him most of that blood was actually the villain's, Katsuki just nodded. “Sure," he said. “Whatever."

They got to the tent and Katsuki kneeled down to set Izuku on the bed. "So you found Midoriya," Recovery Girl said as she put her hand on Izuku's forehead. He winced at the touch and laid his head back on the mat, looking terrible. Katsuki stayed by his side and watched as she took his temp before he noticed a water bottle sitting beside her leg. He pointed at it. "He needs water," Katsuki said. "He's severely dehydrated. Said it's been three days since he's gotten any water."

"I know," Recovery Girl replied as she grabbed the water bottle and unscrewed it for him, and Katsuki didn’t even want to know how she knew that already. Izuku's eyes were still tightly shut, so she grabbed his hand and placed the bottle in his palm. "Here, Midoriya, drink this. Small sips, please," she said gently, and Izuku's hands were shaking as he lifted the bottle to his chapped lips and started drinking in big gulps.

She stopped him, instructing, "Small sips, please, or your body might not react properly. You'll need to take this recovery very slowly. Trust me—I know what I'm doing." Izuku gulped down his greed and nodded so that she would give him back the bottle.

As he drank, Recovery Girl looked at Katsuki. "He's running a high fever and from the looks of it, he's going to need some serious medical attention when we get back. I'm talking about constant supervision. There's something wrong internally that even I won't be able to fix, and though I'm not sure exactly what that may be from, he's going to need treatment. I called for a chopper, so it should be arriving soon. See anything?" she asked, pointing out towards the horizon. 

Katsuki followed her motion. He'd been hearing the approaching beat of the helicopter's blades for almost a minute now, so he wasn't surprised when he looked up and saw that it had almost arrived. It was only a thousand feet off the beach now.

"Yeah, it's here," Katsuki replied as the whirring grew louder. “You called for that? So what, U.A.'s got helicopters now?” he asked to nobody but himself.

When it got closer, the chopper began to lower itself on the beach a good distance away, though not far enough that he couldn't feel a bit of a breeze on his face. The sand around him even started to kick up. Izuku coughed as Recovery Girl patted his face with a cool towel.

“Let’s see, fever, dehydration…I should bring fever reducer…an IV bag…” she muttered to herself. “We’ll need to get him ready,” she said a little louder to Katsuki.

"So, we should get him on the helicopter?" he asked as Recovery Girl rummaged through a fanny pack. She didn't respond, but he assumed that’s what she was referring to when she said get him ready.

"Kacchan, what’s going on?" Izuku asked, looking dazed. He clutched the half-empty water bottle in his hand.

"Finish your water," Katsuki told him while still staring at Recovery Girl, who was now pulling something out of her fanny pack. A syringe.

"We need to sedate him," Recovery Girl said as she uncapped the needle and flicked the barrel to get rid of the air bubbles within. "I might not be able to do it myself when we're alone."

Katsuki stared at her blankly, failing to notice how Izuku had gone stone-cold and stiff as a board at the sight of the needle. "How is sedating him gonna help him recover? Wouldn't that only make things worse?" the blond demanded. “What if he never wakes up? Isn’t it a bad idea to put people under when they’re in bad condition?”

Just as Recovery Girl was about to respond, Izuku was speaking up—muttering. "N-No," he half-whispered, body stiff and face somehow even paler than before. Katsuki looked at him and immediately realized something was wrong; even wronger than before. 

"What?" he asked, but Izuku wasn't talking to him. He wasn't even looking at him. He was staring intensely at the syringe in Recovery Girl's hands, eyes growing wider with each second, arms slowly moving to sit himself up. To escape. He needed to escape. The needle—the drugs—it was all flooding into his mind, all coming back. He could remember the hallucinations. He could remember the pain. 

Izuku wasn't in control of himself as he made a move to stand up, but Katsuki grabbed his arm to stop. "Izuku, what is it?" he demanded, but part of him already knew. This is what the villain did to him—the syringes, the drugs. This was his PTSD. 

"This is what I was afraid of," Recovery Girl sighed as she reached out a gentle hand towards Izuku, who in turn cried out in fear and turned to flee. Katsuki dove and wrapped his arms around Izuku's legs before he could get away, and they both collapsed into the sand. Izuku was writhing in fear and shouting incoherent sentences while Katsuki tried to yell at him to snap out of it. "You'll have to restrain him!" Recovery Girl shouted just loud enough for Katsuki to hear through the sand in his ear.

"Put the damn needle away!" Katsuki yelled back, but the old woman had no plans of doing so. She was standing now, looking down at Katsuki and Izuku who were tussling in the sand, as if waiting for the right opportunity to strike. The needle was concealed behind her back, but even Izuku's muddled head wouldn't be fooled that easily. He continued to struggle and cry as if forgetting who he was and all about who was here trying to help him. Katsuki grit his teeth and tried to squeeze Izuku's legs shut to stop from kicking him, but unfortunately, if there was one day of the week Izuku never missed, it was leg day.

"Ah—damn!" the blond snapped as Izuku's leg pulled free and he got kicked square in the nose. Blood immediately gushed from his nostrils and he squeezed the tears from his eyes as a reaction to getting hit. "Jesus, Deku, it's fine! Calm down!"

"Let go of me! Let go of me, let go!" Izuku screamed in response as he grabbed at sand, rocks, and just about anything else in his attempts to drag himself away. Katsuki spat sand from his mouth and cursed again before scrambling to his feet so he could get some better leverage. Izuku immediately started trying to get up and run again, so Katsuki had to forcibly jump on top of him so he could pin his arms and legs against the ground. Izuku was breathing heavily and his gaze was darting around in terror as if trying to scan for every possible route to escape. "G-Get off of me, Kacchan! You have to let me go!"

"Deku, I'm not trying to hurt you!" Katsuki growled in response, struggling to hold down Izuku's wriggling body while also being mindful of his own blood, which was about to drip directly onto the boy’s face. He wiped his bloody nose on the side of his shoulder, but it stubbornly continued to flow. 

Izuku whimpered and continued trying to rip his arms free while tears brimmed at his waterline. “The drugs…the hallucinations…please, don’t make me...!”

"Recovery Girl isn't trying to hurt you, you delusional idiot," Katsuki said. “And it’s not a drug, it’s just something that will put you to sleep. Now will you…quit…squirming, already?” he demanded as the boy fought. Then he exclaimed over his shoulder for Recovery Girl to hear, "I've got him pinned."

"No, no!" Izuku shouted as the woman came to kneel at his side. 

"It's for your own good," she said as she stuck the needle in his forearm without hesitation. And then Izuku screamed, and Katsuki knew some real, serious shit had gone down in that boat over the past week. Because never in all of Katsuki's years of being around Izuku, never had he heard him scream like that.

"Jesus," he muttered, wide-eyed, as Izuku let out the most terrified-sounding scream he's ever heard. Thankfully the tranquilizer was fast-acting, so in less than ten seconds, Izuku was calming down and his body was starting to go lax. In five more seconds, his eyes were rolling back into his head and his screams and mumbles were fading into silence; and in five after that, he was completely unconscious.

Katsuki stared down at him while Recovery Girl pulled out the needle and stood up. "I figured he'd fight one way or another, so I wanted to put him under before getting on the helicopter. We don't know exactly what his triggers are, but that's definitely PTSD we're looking at. Thanks for your help, Bakugou," she said as she walked towards the tent. Katsuki gazed at Izuku's calm features for a few moments, almost in awe at how quickly he could go from screaming in agony to perfectly still. He could feel something like anger fluttering in his chest as he slid off of the boy and grabbed his limp arm where Recovery Girl had stuck the needle. What kind of abuse did that evil villain put him through?

"We need to get that boy on the helicopter!" the old woman suddenly shouted, snapping Katsuki out of his near-minute-long stare at Izuku's motionless face and body. He hadn’t even realized he was looking at him for that long until the time had already passed. Katsuki craned his neck to look back and saw two men dressed in white uniforms running towards him with a stretcher held between them. With quick and efficient movements, the men set the stretcher beside Izuku and started gently lifting him onto it.

"Hey—what are you doing?" Katsuki asked, and he hadn't realized how dazed he felt until he was trying to stand up and follow them as they took Izuku back towards the chopper. Neither of the paramedics responded. Katsuki stumbled a few times as he pursued, making it about a hundred feet until Recovery Girl noticed and turned around to shout for him to stop. They were near the helicopter now, so it was harder to hear and see because of the chopper's loud blades and the sand pelting into their faces from all angles.

"Bakugou, you need to stay here! There's no room!" she shouted sternly. Katsuki just stared at the backs of the paramedics' heads, knowing they were taking Izuku away with them. And at that moment, he couldn't imagine letting the boy out of his sight.

"I need to go with you," he said, but apparently not loud enough for the woman to hear because she continued as if he hadn't spoken.

"Look, I see Endeavor over there—he can help you. They're loading all of the villains on the plane, so why don't you help with that? The mission is over!" she exclaimed over the wind. Katsuki finally looked down at her and blinked sand out of his eyes. 

"I'm going with you!" he shouted before pushing past her to get to the plane. But Recovery Girl wasn't having it. She jumped in front of him and put her hands out, and despite being a small old woman, she looked intimidating as she glared at him. 

"No you're not, young man! Don't make me call your teacher! I will take care of Midoriya myself, so you don't need to worry. Please go back to your classmates before you make me use force!" 

Despite how interested Katsuki was in seeing what kind of "force" this frail-looking lady had to offer, Katsuki stopped himself. He recognized that he was acting irrationally, so he didn't take another step. And although he really, really didn't want to take his eyes off Deku after finally just getting him back again, he knew it was undoubtedly the best option. So Katsuki, albeit hesitantly, remained in his place.

Recovery Girl sighed at his sign of resignation. "Thank you," she said, voice barely audible over the whipping winds. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'd like to get back to the hospital as quickly as possible. He needs medical attention." And then she turned around to leave.

Katsuki watched them go every step of the way. He watched them load Izuku into the belly of the aircraft, he watched Recovery Girl climb in the other side and seat herself beside Izuku's head, and then he watched them close the doors when everything was situated. All while the helicopter blades continued to spin, kicking up sand and water which showered and coated Katsuki in layers of sticky grit and salty water.

He kept his feet planted firmly on that spot even as the helicopter's blades sped up substantially and it lifted off the ground, a little uneasy at first before it quickly straightened out. And then he watched as it continued to raise in the air, higher and higher, until it was clear to turn and start heading back in the direction of the mainland. And even then, Katsuki watched it for a while afterward, not really thinking anything of it, and not really caring who looked at him and wondered what the hell he was doing. All he could think about was the fact that he finally got Izuku back—and now he was leaving without him again.

Yeah, but it's fine. That was Recovery Girl. She wouldn't let anything bad happen to him, Katsuki thought to comfort himself as the helicopter slowly became a smaller and smaller dot in the sky. But still, for some reason, he couldn’t be so sure. It was like the only way he’d be able to guarantee Izuku’s safety…is by staying with him at all times.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of standing there listening to the waves lap at the shore, watching the tiny black dot on the horizon fully disappear, Katsuki's attention was drawn by a shout from behind him. He blinked and slowly turned to find the source of the voice. The villain boat was pretty far away, but he could clearly see who was yelling for him. It was Todoroki. Thankfully, he didn't sound injured by the villain Katsuki fought earlier. He must've been trapped under some rocks or something.

"Bakugou, come over here! We're getting ready to leave!" Todoroki shouted across the quiet shoreline. His voice carried well, but to Katsuki it still sounded distant. So much had happened in that past hour, he barely knew how to handle it all. His mind was having a hard time processing it. For one, they got Izuku back, and he was heading home safe and alive. For two, the head villains were dead and the rest were captured, and to the best of Katsuki's knowledge, they hadn't lost a single hero in the process. And for three, they'd done it all before lunch.

Izuku would be home before lunch. He'd be able to see his mom, All Might, and all of his classmates who had worked so hard to get him back—he’d be able to sleep in his own bed again, and hang out in the common area during the evenings, and he’d be available if Katsuki ever asked for an hour in the training room. Izuku was back. He still couldn’t quite believe it.

As Katsuki started walking back towards the boat, finally enjoying a moment of silence after all the chaos that had been following him throughout the day, he thought about how he didn’t have to worry anymore. The seed of anxiety and apprehension had rooted itself deep into his chest, so he knew it would take some time to get it out. But for now, it was a good start.

He didn’t have to think about getting Deku back from the villains anymore. He didn’t have to feel concerned about what they might be doing to him. And to be honest, it felt like a ton of weight was being lifted from his chest as he came to realize that. Even with after killing two people, he wasn't worried. In fact, it didn't even cross his mind.

His mission was complete. He really did it.

The only thing left to do now was to get back to the hospital as soon as possible, make sure Deku was okay—and most importantly, never take his eyes off of that shitty nerd ever again.

Chapter Text

The plane ride home was probably the longest sixty minutes of Katsuki's life. 

Everybody was talking, celebrating, trying to congratulate and comfort him about apprehending the villain and finding Deku—but all he could think about was that terrified, desolate tone in Deku's voice each time he spoke. All he could think about was that far-off, dazed, anxious look in his eyes. And then he could remember Deku's screams as Recovery Girl tried to inject him with medication; he remembered just how utterly terrified and distressed the boy had sounded. And all he could think about was how he wanted to get home faster, make the plane fly quicker, because all he wanted was to see the nerd again and make sure he was gonna be okay. 

"So how exactly did you catch the villain?" Kirishima asked at one point, as he was the one seated right beside Katsuki. The blond continued staring at his hands while Kirishima continued, "Endeavor told us that you were the one who caught him. Is that right? Is he in jail?"

Katsuki blinked. Didn’t Endeavor tell them that the villain was dead? He wondered why not. He wasn't ashamed of killing the guy, even if that's not necessarily how heroes are supposed to do things. Did Endeavor think his classmates would think differently of him because he’d killed not one, but two people today? Well, even if they did think differently of him, he didn’t care—so he might as well just tell the truth. “No, he's not in jail," Katsuki responded flatly after a moment. "He's dead."

Shitty hair looked at him. "What?" he asked, though Katsuki knew fully well that he'd heard him right.

"He's dead. I killed him," Katsuki replied with no emotion on his face or in his voice. He was indifferent to it. Kirishima stared at him for a few moments before looking around at the other classmates that had overheard what he said, Mina and Todoroki among them. Everybody looked equally surprised—all except for Todoroki, who already knew. Icyhot was looking at the floor as Katsuki's classmates continued to question him.

"So...how'd you do it?" Mina asked curiously, voicing the question in everybody's head. "If you killed him, wouldn't that make you a..." she paused, and she didn't need to finish that sentence for Katsuki—and everyone around him—to know what she meant. A murderer.

Katsuki glanced at her before sighing and leaning his head back against the seat. "I'm not gonna tell you that," he said. "But let's just say he deserved everything he got." He glanced over and noticed the strange look that Todoroki was giving him.

Everyone left him alone for the rest of the ride.

They touched down thirty minutes later and as everybody started getting up to exit the plane, Katsuki couldn't ignore the pain flaring in his back as he unbuckled his seatbelt and stood up. He'd already taken some pain reliever before they took off, but even that wasn't enough to completely diminish the ache in his spine. At least his head didn't hurt anymore, thank god. Maybe he could talk to Recovery Girl once they get to the hospital, but part of him suspected he was just badly bruised.

Katsuki and his classmates filed out of the aircraft and onto a bus that would take them back to the high school. As everybody got themselves seated, Katsuki stayed near the front of the bus where Aizawa and the other teachers were sitting. He had no intention of socializing at the moment, but he had some questions that only a teacher could answer. Hawks, Best Jeanist and Endeavor had already taken off back to their agencies, so they were nowhere to be seen. The blond sat himself down behind Mr. Aizawa.

"Hey," Bakugou said as he slowly lowered himself down and leaned against the window, hiding the pain in his movements with a blank expression. "You’re not looking too good, Aizawa."

Meanwhile, the teacher didn't look stoked to see him. His head was wrapped in bandages and so were both of his arms. Katsuki knew it was his own fault for getting their teacher hurt, and that was because he'd led that big, powerful villain right to Aizawa and Todoroki just so he could try to get Deku out of the building without a fight. Well, that plan didn't exactly work out the way he thought it would.

Aizawa sighed. "And neither do you," he said flatly. Then, with a sharper edge, he continued. "You know, I should suspend for all the trouble you caused today. Running off on your own without supervision, killing villains, disobeying direct orders when I told you to stay together. And then putting me and your classmate in danger by leading a powerful villain straight to us without warning. Haven't you learned anything at this school about the importance of teamwork?" he demanded.

Katsuki sighed and looked down, hiding his scowl. "Yeah, I know," he said. 

"Do you?" Aizawa asked dubiously. "Because it's becoming a trend lately where you go off and disobey the rules, even if I tell you specifically what not to do. I'm starting to think you can't be trusted at all, Bakugou." 

The blond looked at him with a wrinkled nose. "Well, I found Deku, didn't I?" he demanded bitterly. "That's the reason we went there in the first place, so that's what I did. To me, it seems like a trend for the heroes to spend all their time sitting around while there's work to be done. Maybe you guys should try keeping up instead of taking your sweet time whenever we're in a crisis!" he exclaimed under his breath, not really wanting everyone in the back to overhear him—but he needed to get his point across. He didn't come here for a fight, but apparently Aizawa wanted to pick one.

The teacher narrowed his eyes at him. "For every mission, there's a process we heroes need to go through in order to get the mission done well. There's a reason for our movements, and even though you might call them stupid and slow, they're necessary. When you decided to go rushing in there today, you took away almost every other option we had aside from following you in and risking or own lives. It was stupid and arrogant!" 

He continued. "Yes, I won't deny that you found Midoriya, but you also got your classmate injured in the process. Todoroki has a concussion from when the building fell on him. I, myself, nearly had my arm broken. And the only reason the villain had the advantage on us was because he was given the opportunity to get his hands on a Quirk-strengthening drug, which if we'd done the invasion our way, would never have happened. Do you see what I'm trying to say here? Your way was brash and irrational, while our way would’ve made more sense.”

Katsuki looked at Aizawa as he spoke, and when he finished speaking the blond looked away. “Tch,” he clicked his tongue, but part of him knew that Aizawa was right. He muttered, "I guess so," though he didn’t really see the point in getting mad now. He found Deku. He rescued him alive. That was the only important thing, he thought.

Aizawa sighed. "Good," he said, and though he still sounded a little frustrated, he was deciding to drop it. "You can go sit with your classmates now, Bakugou. I need some quiet for a while."

But the blond wasn't entirely done yet. "Hold on, I have a question," he said, and Aizawa raised his eyebrows slightly so Katsuki knew he could continue. "Which hospital is Deku being treated in?"

"Central Hospital," Aizawa replied. "We're heading there now to drop off any injured students before heading back to the school. Recovery Girl has decided to stay with Midoriya because of his condition."

Katsuki nodded. "Alright," he said as he stood up and exited his seat. That was all he needed to know. Katsuki moved back a few seats so they both could have some quiet, and as he sat back down, he sighed with something like relief. That made his life easier. Central Hospital was within walking distance of U.A., so it would be easy to travel back and forth if he so chose to do that. All he wanted right now was to see Deku. He had to make sure he was okay. He prayed that they found him quickly enough that his body wasn't too damaged from the drugs and dehydration. 

It took fifteen minutes for them to get to the hospital. As the bus rolled to a stop outside the clinic, Katsuki was already out of his seat and making his way down the aisle toward the exit. Aizawa glanced up at him as he walked past. "Make sure to get your injuries checked," Aizawa reminded, and Katsuki gave him a brief nod before exiting the bus. His other classmates were hot on his tail as he started walking toward the building, the midday sun hot on his back.

"Bakugou, did Mr. Aizawa happen to tell you where Deku is?" Uraraka asked from behind him. Katsuki wasn't going to respond until she added, "I've been worried about him—I want to make sure that he's okay."

Something about the way she said that just ticked him off, and he snorted. "He didn't tell me." But I'm gonna find out. 

"Okay, I'm sure the front desk lady will tell us," Uraraka said to Iida, Todoroki, and a few other people who were walking in a group with her. They all murmured their agreement. Great. So they’re going to see the nerd, too, Katsuki thought irritably. He supposed Deku had always been a popular guy, so it wasn’t too out-of-the-ordinary to have a bunch of classmates visiting him, but the idea of not being able to see him alone was somewhat disappointing to Katsuki. He wasn’t sure why, but he’d been expecting to talk with him... without the eyes of a bunch of other people around. But something was telling him that he wouldn't be able to do that now.

Katsuki reached the building and pushed roughly through the glass doors to get inside, immediately being hit with a fresh wave of air conditioning as he entered. The atmosphere of the lobby was calm and quiet as he walked with purpose to the receptionist and knocked on the counter twice. The middle-aged woman looked up from her computer with a smile that soon faded as she looked him over. A confused and slightly concerned look washed over her face as she noticed the blood in his hair, broken hero gear clinging to his battered body, and masked face smeared with dirt and blood.

Katsuki, however, had no idea what he looked like, so he just started speaking. "I'm here to visit a patient," he said flatly, oblivious to the bewildered look on her face as his classmates continued to stream into the room, most of them looking beat-up, too—but not as badly as Katsuki—as they got in line.

"Uh..." the woman uttered. "Are you sure you aren't here as a patient?" she asked.

"Yes," Katsuki replied. "Midoriya Izuku. He should've been admitted earlier today. Tell me what room he's in."

"You're here to see Izuku, too?" Uraraka asked from behind as she poked him in the arm.

"Shut up, pink cheeks," Katsuki replied over his shoulder as he watched the receptionist type something into her computer.

The receptionist hummed to herself before looking back at Katsuki. "Uh, okay...what's your relation to the patient?" she asked.

"I'm his classmate," Katsuki replied.

"So are we. And all of us want to see him, too," Uraraka piped up as she came to stand beside Katsuki. He side-eyed her but didn't say anything else.

"A-All of you?" the receptionist echoed, looking at all of the teenagers gathered before her. "So you guys are from U.A., I'm guessing. Where's your teacher?"

"I'm right here," Aizawa spoke up as he pushed through students to get to the front. "You can let them pass. It's okay."

The lady looked at him hesitantly. "Some of your students look injured. Should I schedule an appointment?" 

"No, that's fine, thank you. I'll have someone check them over when we get there," Aizawa replied.

The woman nodded. "Okay," she said. "You guys will need visitor passes, and also we don't allow masks anywhere past the lobby, so you'll have to take yours off, please," she said to Katsuki. He wordlessly took it off his face and slipped it into his pocket, while with his other hand, he grabbed a pen out of a small apple-shaped cup with his other hand and wrote his name on a little sticker titled VISITOR PASS. He peeled off and slapped the little sticker on his chest before looking at the lady expectantly.

"Room number," he said.

"Three o-two. Have a nice visit."

Katsuki gave her a nod before walking away, leaving his other classmates to get their own visitor passes and follow him. He briskly made his way down the hallway, checking every passing sign or board on the wall for a hint as to where the stairs might be. After a minute or so of searching the vast hallways, he found a staircase and began climbing the steps two at a time, ignoring the screaming ache in his back and the soreness of his legs. Deku had been in a helicopter, so he was likely brought straight to this building (there was a helipad on the roof that Katsuki knew about). Which meant that he was already getting treatment, and could be waking up any minute now. Katsuki wanted to be there when he did.

Uraraka, Iida, and a few others were following straight behind him on the elevator, so everyone arrived at the third floor at the same time. Katsuki caught sight of them down the hallway as they emerged from the elevator and started scanning the room numbers for 302. Not that it was a race or anything, but Katsuki found it first.

He jogged to the door and peered through the window, but it was blocked by a clipboard. He knocked on the door and then put his ear to the wood, fingers on the handle as he waited for a response from within. His heart was racing even though he wasn't sure why. 

"Is that the room?" Uraraka asked before looking at the sign on the wall. "Oh. Yeah, it says three o-two."

"Midoriya should be in there," Iida said from where he stood beside Uraraka. "Bakugou, can you hear anything?"

"No," Katsuki replied. Todoroki came to stand beside him. 

"Did you knock?" Icyhot asked.

"Obviously."

"Do you think anybody's in there? Should we just go in?"

"Just wait a minute," Katsuki snapped, narrowing his eyes as he listened. "I think I hear someone coming."

Just a few seconds later, the door clicked and swung open to reveal All Might facing them in the doorway with wide, weary eyes. A smile grew on his face as he caught sight of all his students. "Welcome back, class," he said with pride in his tone. "Aizawa told me all about what happened with the villains. The mission was quite the success! I congratulate you all on a job well done."

"All Might! It's good to see you, but more importantly, Is Deku in there?" Uraraka asked before Katsuki got the chance. The teacher nodded.

"Yes, he's in here—but he's unconscious. The nurse said he'll wake up today, but the doctors are still running tests to find out exactly what's wrong with him. They said he was severely dehydrated to the point where his organs were beginning to fail. But with the power of Recovery Girl and the top-notch Healing Quirks at this hospital, he should be able to make a full recovery," All Might replied with a more somber tone. Katsuki was hit so hard by a wave of relief that he nearly let it show on his face.

"Can we see him?" asked Todoroki after a moment of letting that sink in, and All Might nodded. Katsuki was the first one to enter the room and when he got a look at the scene before him, he couldn't help but let out a little breath. Izuku was laying on the bed with an oxygen mask taped to his face, two IV drip bags on each side supplying him with water, and a heartbeat monitor strapped to his chest. His heartbeat was irregularly fast despite his calm appearance and even though he had four bags of liquid being slowly administered into his body, his face still looked unbelievably colorless and dry. 

Izuku's mom was sitting at his side with her hands on his arm, but when she caught sight of Katsuki she immediately stood up. She stared at him with wide eyes rimmed with red, even as more of his classmates came entering the room and took their places behind him. "Katsuki," she said softheartedly as she looked him over. "Oh, honey, are you okay?"

The blond blinked at her. "What? Yeah, I'm fine, Auntie," he replied, remembering the blood in his hair and on his chest. "This isn't mine," he said, pointing to it.

She sniffed, and that's how he knew she'd been crying. "Good," she said as she nodded, wiping the moisture from under her eyes with a tissue. Then she looked at the rest of the class. "Are you all here to see Izuku?" she asked, glancing from face to face. Katsuki imagined she could recognize most of them by now, especially after all the times Izuku ended up hurting himself over the years and they'd come to visit him. 

"Yes. It's nice to see you, Ms. Midoriya," Uraraka said with a smile and a cordial wave. "I'm so sorry about your son...but now that he's back, he can receive the proper treatment to make a recovery in no time," she added.

"Yeah, we're all worried about Midoriya," Todoroki added. "It was a good thing that Bakugou got him out of there when he did, or else he might not have been able to get treatment as fast. We should all be thankful for that."

Katsuki snapped him a look. Since when did you become so damn mushy-gushy, Icyhot?  he wanted to ask, but his words were cut short as Inko put her hands over her mouth and her eyebrows scrunched together, telling Katsuki that she was probably about to cry again. If there was one thing he knew about Inko Midoriya, it's that she had always been an emotional person. That's why Izuku used to be such a crybaby.

"You...You were the one who did it, Katsuki? You saved him?" she asked softly from behind her hands, staring at Katsuki. He shifted awkwardly on his feet, not appreciating all of the attention that Todoroki had brought to him with that one small comment. He could feel each of his classmates' eyes boring into the back of his head like lasers. I'll get you back for that, he thought sorely in Icyhot's direction.

"It was a group effort," came Katsuki's reply, contrary to something he would've normally said. Usually he'd be all like, Hell yeah, I did everything myself! but right now didn't seem like the time to boast. Not to her. Not in front of everyone. Izuku's mom was one of the few people that Katsuki had never stopped respecting—and whether or not that was because she was always kind to him in his childhood, or because she was his mom's best friend, he didn't quite know. But even when Izuku and Katsuki were going through their "enemies" phase when they were younger, she'd still always act sweet to him if they ever passed on the way to school or bumped into each other someplace in town. It always made Katsuki wonder if she even knew about all the bullying he'd put her son through during middle school.

She was also one of the people who'd never stopped trying to be affectionate towards him, no matter how obviously uncomfortable it made him or how many times he told her he didn't like hugs. She always said something like, "Oh, everybody likes hugs," and then she'd give him a quick little embrace and be on with her day. So that's why Katsuki wasn't too surprised at this moment when she started walking towards him with her arms opening for an embrace. Katsuki's eyes instantly darted around the room in search of an escape, but even if there was one, he knew he couldn't dodge this. Inko had always been like a parental figure to him. He couldn't just ignore her now—no matter how much he felt like he wanted to.

She wrapped her arms around him, sniffling, and Katsuki held his breath like always. He found himself wondering when the hell he started letting the Midoriya family push him around like this; hugs left and right, always crying into his sleeve without giving him a say in any of it, acting like he was some kind of emotional support that they could utilize at their will. There was no doubt about it: Katsuki didn't like hugs. In fact, he hated them. But apparently Inko—and Izuku now, too—were okay with simply ignoring that fact.

Or maybe Katsuki was just getting softer than he thought.

Katsuki patted her lightly on the arm, trying to twist his face into a thin smile and make it look like he wasn't dreading the moment he had to turn around and meet the eyes of his classmates, who were no doubt laughing at him right now. After a solid ten seconds of silent hugging, Inko let him go and smiled tearily up at him. "Thank you, Katsuki. Thank you," she said, and he could hear the pure gratitude in her voice as she spoke. Nothing but warm, glowing appreciation.

For her sake, he flashed her a smile. "It was nothing," he said as he glanced off to the side, even though that wasn't true. It was everything.

Inko looked at his classmates and smiled at them, too. "Thank you for bringing my Izuku back," she said as she wiped the tears from her face.

Uraraka walked forward and smiled sweetly. "We're all glad to see him home safe," she said gently while putting a hand on Inko's shoulder and starting to guide her back toward the chair at Izuku's side. As Katsuki watched, he noticed there were two chairs there now—but before he could even get the chance to think about sitting beside Inko, Uraraka was already seating herself there. The two jumped into quiet conversation while Katsuki was just left standing in the middle of the room, looking stupid.

A stab of annoyance twitched on his face as he realized he was gonna have to take one of the chairs completely across the room from them. Uraraka had taken the last one that was near Izuku. Damn you, he couldn't help but think Uraraka's way. She'd done that on purpose.

Resentfully, Katsuki turned around and walked to the nearest chair—and just as he expected, he was met with the goofy smiling faces of a few of his classmates reacting to what just unfolded. Most of them looked heartfelt and glad to see Izuku was back home safe, but of course, Denki, Mina, and Kirishima just had to give him crap about it. 

"I didn't know you had such a soft spot for Midoriya's mom! Letting her hug you like that," Denki was the first one to mutter while Mina giggled.

"Yeah, Bakugou, I've never seen someone try to do that without getting blown up," raccoon eyes agreed with a smile. 

"I thought it was sweet! Midoriya's mom sure is brave, though. If I tried to give you a hug, I think I'd end up six feet under," Kirishima added, and they all snickered at that last comment. Katsuki sighed as he collapsed in a chair and closed his eyes, hoping that if he just ignored them, they'd go away. Obviously, they didn't mean anything by it—they were just teasing him and poking fun like usual—but Katsuki wasn't really in the mood for banter. He was exhausted.

"Will you idiots shut up," he grumbled while pinching the bridge of his nose. "I really don't wanna hear it."

For once, they actually took him seriously and stopped the teasing, although their conversations continued. The whole room came to settle as the people who planned on staying took their seats, and those who needed to get their injuries checked followed Aizawa to a room a few doors down. There came a point within the next thirty minutes where it was time for Katsuki to get his checkup, and after a thorough investigation of the disks in his back and a few X-Rays, it was determined that he'd fractured his spine in two places. 

Initially, he'd been shocked hearing this. Breaking your spine—couldn't you fucking die from that? But the doctors were quick to explain his problem. Both fractures took place in his thoracic spine (the middle part) and thankfully, the fractures were small enough that he wouldn't need surgery. They explained that these kinds of fractures are most commonly seen as a result of automobile accidents, and he was lucky that they hadn't extended to his spinal cord. He shouldn't have any long-lasting damage, but he was expected to wear a back brace for the next one to two weeks to avoid further damage.

Katsuki begrudgingly let them put the brace on him and listened as they told him he wouldn't be able to do anything which might further his injury for the next two weeks. That meant no training, running, or pretty much anything else Katsuki liked to do in his spare time. Upon hearing this, Katsuki couldn't help but roll his eyes in the doctor's face. That was annoying. What the hell was he gonna do if he couldn't train?

Once the doctor's visit was over with, he returned to his spot in Izuku's room wearing the brace wrapped tightly around his shoulders and middle-back. If there was one thing for sure, his spine was gonna be straighter than ever fucking before after this. He could barely breathe in it. 

"What's that?" Kirishima asked as he walked over. "Some kind of brace? Did you hurt your back?"

"I have two fractures in my spine," Katsuki huffed as he sat down. "But this shit is gonna take some getting-used-to."

"Fractures?"  Mina repeated incredulously. "What the hell happened?"

"A bus," Katsuki replied in his most deadass tone. He watched as each of Mina, Denki, and Kirishima's faces dropped in disbelief. They all stared at him wordlessly for a few seconds before Denki's mouth twitched in the direction of a smile and he blinked at Katsuki.

"A bus? So you're telling us that you, the great Katsuki Bakugou, got hit by a bus?" he asked.

"Sure," Katsuki replied before closing his eyes and leaning his head back in the same way he was doing before he went to get his checkup. "Gotta problem with that?"

"You're funny," Mina said before they all started laughing at him. If Katsuki had actually been hit by a bus, he would've been offended—but because it was a lie, he found it funny as well. A smile hinted at the corners of his mouth as he listened to them snicker and giggle. Of course, they then tried to get more information out of him about it, but he took a vow of silence and pretended to be asleep. So eventually they decided to just leave it at that—though he knew it would come up again sometime in the future.

Thirty minutes passed of quiet, and in that time, most of Katsuki's classmates decided to leave to get lunch. Katsuki, Uraraka, and Todoroki were the only ones left at this point, and the room was quiet—with the exception of the heart-rate monitor, and the nurses coming in every so often to make sure Deku was doing okay. They said they didn't know when he would wake up, but it should be soon. Katsuki had long since changed out of his hero suit and gotten some food provided by the hospital, so he was pretty comfortable. The biggest problem was proving to be the brace, which felt like it was slowly crushing his ribs. He was wearing a black t-shirt to cover it up.

Katsuki was absently scrolling through his phone, head resting in his palm and eyelids drooping with weariness, until his attention was drawn by a nurse entering the room followed by a doctor. The nurse was carrying a clipboard as the doctor told her things to scribble down. They walked over to Izuku's side and checked his pulse and temperature before muttering a few things between each other and looking at Inko. 

"Your son will be waking up soon, ma'am. Please give us a call when he does," the doctor said. Katsuki sat up. Inko's eyes widened. The doctor then pointed to a red button on the wall. "Just press that button and we will be alerted. Thank you," he said, and then both medical professionals exited the room without another word, leaving the five remaining visitors—Katsuki, Uraraka, Todoroki, Aizawa, and Inko—to take in the news.

Inko stared wide-eyed at Izuku's face, as if expecting him to open his eyes at any moment. "Oh, Izuku..." she said quietly as she gently rubbed the back of his hand. "Please wake up..."

Katsuki watched curiously from where he was leaning forward in his seat. He stared at Izuku's hollow face, and though he still looked like he was in pretty bad shape, some of the color had returned to his cheeks and lips. He looked less like a skeleton now and more like a terminally ill zombie—so Katsuki supposed that must've been a good thing.

"I'm surprised you stayed here and didn't go back to your dorm for some sleep," Todoroki said in a low voice from beside Katsuki after a minute of him just staring at Izuku's unmoving face. The blond turned to look at him, slightly confused because the two of them had gone this entire time without speaking a single word to each other. Shoto was finally deciding to break the silence.

"Why the hell would I do that?" Katsuki replied while sitting back in a casual manner. "I'm surprised you didn't head out with the rest of the class for lunch. I heard they got soba."

"I don't care about that," Todoroki said. "All I care about is making sure that Midoriya wakes up okay. And I assume that's why you're here, too?" he asked in a matter-of-fact tone. 

Katsuki sniffed. "I'm here 'cuz I have nothing better to do. The doctor said I'm not allowed to train for two weeks, so I figured I might as well stay and make sure he comes out of this alive. After all, I put way too much time and effort into getting the nerd back for him to go and die immediately when he gets home," he said—though that was only half of the truth. The other half, though he'd never admit it out loud and was barely even aware of it himself, was his actual worried half. He was worried about Izuku.

And not only that, but he wanted to be one of the first people he sees when he wakes up. After all, he was the last face that Izuku saw before being put under—so it would make sense for him to be here now.

"That's true," Todoroki agreed, though he sounded dubious. A few moments of increasingly awkward silence stretched between them, and Katsuki knew there was something on Shoto's mind based on how he was constantly glancing over at him in a not-so-subtle way. Katsuki could see it out of his peripheral.

Finally, the blond got fed up and turned his head sharply to look at him. "What is it?" he demanded. "Is there something you wanna ask me? Or are you just gonna keep pussying out."

Todoroki fixed him with a stare. "Bakugou—Midoriya's mom is right over there."

"Not like she hasn't heard me swear before," Katsuki quipped. "Now ask the damn question. I know there's something you wanna say."

Some more silence ensued and Todoroki looked away. Part of him looked troubled. His feet shifted and he sighed. "It's just..." he said, and Katsuki waited. What was he on about that was so troubling? Usually Todoroki was never one to stutter. "On the boat," Todoroki continued, still looking away. "You... stabbed that man to death."

Katsuki paused, as if waiting for him to continue, but Todoroki just looked at him expectantly as if waiting for an answer. Katsuki shrugged his hands. "And?"

Todoroki blanked. "And?" he repeated in disbelief. "So you're telling me you have zero problem with brutally murdering someone?"

"I wouldn't call it murder," Katsuki replied. "More like...justice."

"Justice," Todoroki stated, wide-eyed. "Wow. I mean, that's just...wow. Even from you, Bakugou, that's pretty fucked up."

"Even from me? What the fuck does that mean?" Katsuki retorted. "And did you not see how much ugly shit that guy put Deku through? Put all of us through? You were one of the more-effected people, Todoroki, so I was expecting you to want justice."

"Does so-called justice really mean stabbing a man ten times in the stomach?" Todoroki demanded under his breath. They were trying to keep it down so Inko and the others wouldn't hear from across the room, but it was pretty quiet in here, so Katsuki was almost sure they were trying to eavesdrop. His gaze was sharpened with venom as he stared Todoroki down.

"If that's what it takes to keep him away from us, then yes," the blond said darkly. Todoroki stared at him, and they both stared at each other for a while until Katsuki asked, "So you're telling me you wouldn't do the same fucking thing? You wouldn't kill a man to prevent him from taking out one of your friends?" he asked in a low, weighted tone. 

Todoroki's expression went dark and his jaw clenched. "Not like that," he said. And that was the end of their conversation.

Katsuki rolled his eyes and slouched in his seat, staring at the wall across the room with a resting scowl on his face. He hade it his mission to ignore Todoroki's presence as much as possible. Katsuki cracked his knuckles to de-escalate after the conversation before looking back at Deku and mustering a sigh. He was still asleep. The quicker he woke up, the quicker Katsuki could get out of this weird-as-shit situation. Why did Todoroki have to bring that up? Why was he so bothered by Katsuki's actions? He should be worrying about himself.

Sure, it might not've been the morally correct thing to do, but that thought wasn't exactly running through Katsuki's head at the time—and even now, he didn't really see a problem with it. That man was a menace who needed to die before he could cause any more suffering. And Katsuki had no problem whatsoever with being the one to do away with him.

Five minutes passed of little conversation as everybody waited forbearingly for something to happen. Seconds ticked by; Katsuki counted them. Todoroki didn't say a word about anything else, and while Inko and Uraraka exchanged a few dispassionate words, their attention was focused mainly on Izuku. Aizawa watched quietly from his spot in the corner. Katsuki tried not to make it look like he was anxious, but in the end, he was.

That was all until a subtle movement came from Izuku's bed—his foot twitched under the blanket. Katsuki's gaze snapped to look while Todoroki stood up, and Inko gave a little gasp. Everybody watched with bated breath, waiting for Izuku to do something else. Inko's hand was now hovering above the red button on the wall and her other hand was squeezing his arm. The same thought was running through all of their heads: is he waking up? 

Katsuki watched as Izuku's face twitched—his eyelids, and then his mouth. Life flooded back into his still body all at once as his head rolled to the side and a raspy groan emitted from his throat. Inko pressed the button while clasping his pale hand tightly between her own. "Izuku, oh, Izuku—can you hear me, sweetie?" Inko asked gently and Katsuki could hear the tears building up behind her words. Todoroki walked closer to the bed and stood wordlessly beside Uraraka while Katsuki hung back, just watching.

Izuku's eyelids fluttered and he opened his eyes, revealing his once-expressive mossy green eyes. Only now, they just looked foggy. His lips were parted, but no words came out. Inko started softly crying while Uraraka and Todoroki muttered their greetings. Everyone was smiling and cooing him awake—all except for Katsuki, who stood in the center of the room watching with a stony expression.

In truth, he was convicted. Should he go over there? Those were Izuku's closest friends and family, he knew. Katsuki didn't fit into either of those categories, at least he didn't think he did. He had no idea what to say or do. As he just stood there silently, nobody paid him any mind. So he just watched as Izuku took in the faces of his mom and closest friends, looking disorganized and even a little confused about what was happening. He definitely wasn't all there; some parts of him were still reconnecting. Katsuki could practically see the wires buzzing with electricity in his head as he struggled to make sense of what was around him. The last thing he probably remembered was fighting unconsciousness.

Once he looked cognitive enough to maybe start comprehending words, Uraraka was quick to start explaining. "You're in a hospital, Izuku, with lots of good doctors that are gonna fix you up. Just trust us—you don't need to worry," she said with a wide, warm-hearted smile and emotional voice. Katsuki could see tears of joy running down her face as she gazed at the waking boy. Wow, Katsuki thought almost absently as he observed. She must care a lot about him.

Izuku's gaze traveled lazily from Uraraka, to Todoroki, then back to his mom, where it rested for longer than the others. "Mom," he rasped in a dry, exhausted voice. Inko wiped away her tears and nodded at him.

"I'm here, hon," Inko replied as she tightly gripped his hand. Izuku blinked a few times, fixating his gaze on her before looking at Uraraka and then Todoroki again. A look of confusion passed over his face and he looked to his other side, seeing Aizawa standing a few feet back with a rarely sighted smile on his face as well.

"Hey, kid," Aizawa said. "It's good to have you back."

Izuku's expression, though still dazed, continued to grow more confused until he looked at his mom again. "Mom," he said in a voice a little stronger, but not by much, and everybody seemed to lean in to hear what he was about to say. Did he need something? Was he uncomfortable? There were a thousand worries running through everybody's heads before Izuku finally was able to voice his concern—and when he did, everyone instantly became uniformly perplexed. "Where's...Kacchan?"

The room grew quiet and Katsuki froze upon hearing his name. Everyone turned their attention to him, and as he looked at the faces of Izuku's mom, his two best friends, and his mentor—he felt himself grow even more bewildered. What the fuck, Deku, he thought in disbelief. You have your four most important people standing right in front of you, and yet you still feel the need to ask for more?

...And to ask for Katsuki, specifically, of all people?

Slowly the blond walked forward, eyeing everybody who was staring at him. Inko was the only one who didn't look entirely perplexed, and that was probably because she knew of Izuku's affinity for Katsuki when they were younger. Was that the reason? However, none of them knew exactly what happened on the boat—not even Todoroki.

Izuku squinted his eyes as Katsuki approached to stand at the foot of the bed, putting his hands on the bedframe and leaning against it. The room was agonizingly quiet as Katsuki stared at Izuku's face, waiting for him to say the next thing—but of course, the nerd decided to be a dick and leave it all up to him. Katsuki cleared his throat and regarded Izuku with raised eyebrows.

"Well, here I am," he said flatly. Inko continued rubbing circles into Izuku's shoulder while Uraraka looked at Katsuki with a blank expression. He ignored them all and instead focused his attention on Izuku, intending to get it out of him just why he was being asked for. "What do you need from me, you damn nerd."

Izuku's eyes were wide, searching for him as anything too far away was blurry. "You're...too far away. Come closer," he said, voice barely a rasp.

"Honey, do you need some water? The doctors should be here soon—you should try not to talk, okay? Don't overexert yourself," Inko said gently while rubbing his arm. But Izuku was staring at Katsuki—or at least, he was trying to. The bleariness seemed to be making his eyes extremely near-sighted. 

The whole time Katsuki was making his way around the bed to stand at Izuku's side, he was asking himself why the hell he was doing this. Firstly, he was confused why Izuku was calling for him specifically—and secondly, he was confused why he was listening. Since when did he let Deku, of all people, boss him around? Since when did he become such a pushover? 

Maybe it was the desperate edge to Izuku's voice. Or maybe it was the clouded urgency in his eyes that was drawing Katsuki near. He wasn't quite sure, but all he knew was that it didn't happen often. It likely would never happen again. But right now, it would be pretty hard to just ignore Izuku's words when his mom and friends were all watching so damn intensely.

He stood at Izuku's side and looked down at him, face emotionless as usual. Izuku's head rolled to look up at him and Katsuki met his gaze, noticing from up close the layer of haze that was coating his eyes. Was that some kind of reaction from the fluids they were putting in him? Or was it just the result of all the hazardous drugs his body was forced to absorb over the last few days?

"Okay," Katsuki said a little quieter. He was talking only to Izuku now—the people around them ceased to exist. "It's me."

"Kacchan..." Izuku said faintly as he slowly lifted one hand. "Is it really you?" he asked carefully. "This isn't some sort of...trick?"

Katsuki watched as Izuku's hand lifted off the bed and started to reach out toward him. He kept a guarded expression, unknowing of what to expect—but even farther into the land of the unknown is what Katsuki should do. Was Izuku expecting him to take his hand? Because that sure as fuck wasn't gonna happen. Was he trying to reach for something for Katsuki to give him? He had no idea what that could be. So what the hell was he trying to pull?

The blond remained confused until Izuku's hand weakly floated up to touch his face, tenderly resting two fingers on his cheekbone and giving him a shock with the sheer chill in his fingertips. His hands were colder than an icicle. But despite the particularly galling touch, Katsuki didn't pull away as Izuku's hand continued to trace a line along his face. He didn't move as Izuku held his face for a moment, both staring at each other—an impassive expression from Katsuki and an inquisitive one from Izuku. And he didn't break his stare with the boy even as the seconds ticked away and the stares of everybody in the room began to laser-engrave themselves into the side of his head.

"Yeah," Katsuki finally responded to his earlier question, noticing how even Inko's steady sniffles had quieted as a result of this bizarre interaction between the two boys. "It's not a trick, Deku. I already told you that."

"But...you could've been lying," Izuku said in a state of dubiety.

Katsuki scoffed, letting some air out for the first time since Izuku had touched him. He realized he hadn't been breathing. "I'm not lying," he said. "Lying is for idiots."

Izuku's expression hinted at a smile. "That's something Kacchan would say."

"Like you would know."

"I would."

"Oh yeah?" Katsuki narrowed his eyes and Izuku slowly lowered his hand from his face, looking slightly more at ease to know what was happening right now was, indeed, real. "You didn't even know your left hand from your right until last year."

Izuku pursed his lips and closed his eyes. "Yeah, well, you..." he struggled for a comeback and Katsuki found that amusing. "You..." he sighed, "You should get me some water, because my throat feels like it's on fire."

Katsuki looked up to see Inko was already handing him a glass. Where did she get that from? He wasn't sure. But her motherly senses were off the charts and her responses were at top-notch speed as she helped him bring the glass to his lips. 

"Here you go, 'Zuku," she urged. Izuku leaned forward to take a hesitant sip, and within the span of the next few seconds, he was emptying the rest of the glass with large, greedy gulps. Katsuki pulled up a chair in the meantime, not intending to continue standing. His feet hurt like hell.

"Is that better?" Inko asked.

Izuku nodded, already looking a little more aware after the addition of water into his system. "Could I have some more?" he asked, still raspy.

"I got it," Todoroki volunteered before taking the glass from Inko and hustling to the water fountain to refill the cup. Almost immediately as he walked out, two nurses and a doctor came bustling into the room through the other door, carrying with them multiple clipboards and a fat stack of paperwork.

"Hello, everyone. Midoriya. It's nice to see you awake—my name is Dr. Machiya," the head doctor said as he walked to the foot of Izuku's bed and nodded at each of the visitors in the room. The nurses took their places at each of Izuku's sides, one of them handing the stack of paperwork to Inko, and the other one beginning to slowly and carefully unhook the drip bags from where they were buried in Izuku's arms. They were lucky that Izuku wasn't in a clear state of mind right now, or else he might've started freaking out about the needles.

"How are you feeling?" the doctor asked.

"Fine," Izuku gave the impulsive, dazed response.

"Headaches? Any numbness? How's your stomach feeling?"

"No, no, good," came Izuku's reply. Basic.

"Alright." The doctor scribbled a few things down on his clipboard before dipping his head courteously. "That's all I need to know for now. The nurses will take your temperature, blood pressure, and pulse. Please let me know if you find anything unusual," he said before exiting the room just as swiftly as he'd come. Wow, Katsuki thought. Some real great medical treatment around here. As if you can really take Deku seriously when it comes to his own health.

The nurse beside Katsuki finished taking out the needles before they both rolled the IV stands out of the way. The woman on the other side of the bed, though, struggled a little bit because of the two chairs lined up there. Inko and Uraraka tried to move out of her way, but the damage had already been done and the nurses decided to ask them to leave. "Sorry, everybody, but we're going to need an empty room while we take these few tests. It's just easier to maneuver around that way—however, you'll be able to return in a few minutes after we do what we need to do."

Uraraka and Inko exchanged hesitant glances while Katsuki just rolled his eyes. He wasn't doing any harm in sitting here, and they knew it. "Are you sure we can't stay? I don't want to leave my boy," Inko said unhappily, but the head nurse shook her head. 

"No, sorry. Just for a few minutes please, ma'am," the nurse said. "We'll take good care of him."

Inko and Uraraka stood up to leave, though they looked unhappy to be doing so. Katsuki watched them make their way to the door before he dragged his gaze back down to Deku, who was for some reason staring at him. The nerd looked uneasy as he glanced at the two nurses, then at his mom and Uraraka, and then back to Katsuki. "Kacchan, don't leave," he said quietly, so quietly that Katsuki barely heard him. He sounded tense. 

Katsuki looked down at him. What the hell was he afraid of? Did he think the nurses were gonna betray him and try to take him away, just as the villain had done? A fair assumption, Katsuki realized. He was on guard. That was to be expected after all the trauma he'd experienced.

A sigh passed Katsuki's lips and he glanced at the nurse, secretly a little glad for the excuse not to leave. "The nerd wants me to stay," he said. The lady looked down at Izuku's nervous expression, then back at Katsuki. After a moment, she sighed. 

"Fine, just don't get in the way," she said. Izuku relaxed visibly.

Inko looked back before exiting the room her eyes met with Katsuki's. He was retaining an emotionless face—while her eyes, on the other hand, showcased every possible emotion that passed through her mind at that moment. Confusion. Interest. And the biggest one—surprise. She looked surprised that the nurses would let Katsuki stay, and she looked surprised that Izuku would ask for his childhood friend (and middle school bully) to remain in the room with him rather than his own mother.

It was probably a change for her. But the thing she was surprised about the most, which Katsuki wasn't aware of, was the fact that the blond would even agree to stay alone with her son in the first place.

When Inko was done giving him that curious look, Todoroki returned with the glass of water and handed it to one of the nurses to help feed Izuku. He, too, gave Katsuki a puzzled look before being ushered out of sight by the lady. Katsuki didn't mind them. He just observed the nurses moving about the room, sitting Izuku up in order to take his blood pressure, pulse, and other things. He wasn't planning on even talking until the nerd spoke up.

"So...on the night of the attack," Izuku began, and Katsuki looked at him from where he'd been staring at a poster across the room. "I remember we were taking pictures and samples of the evidence...and then this creepy-looking bug monster showed up and paralyzed me through my leg because I touched its blood. Right?"

Katsuki looked at him. "You really wanna talk about this right now?" he asked, definitely surprised by his willingness. Here? Now, with the nurses listening? That was unlike him. "Why don't we talk about something else. Tell me about an All Might figurine or something."

Part of him figured Izuku was just trying for something to fill the silence, but the other part of him questioned if the boy just really wanted to know. Was this the reason he'd asked Katsuki to stay?

A hum came from Izuku in acknowledgment before he spoke again. "Well...the thing is, my memories after that get a little hazy. I figured there was no better time to talk about it than now, and I...I just don't want to forget any of it," Izuku said. Katsuki noticed how his voice was becoming less raspy and more confident with each drink of water he took. The glass was in his hand and he was now able to drink it by himself.

Katsuki scoffed. "Well, I do," he grumbled. "That was a shitty night—a shitty situation. Why the hell would you wanna remember?" 

For the span of a few seconds, Izuku didn't have a response. Katsuki watched as his mouth opened, then closed—and opened, then closed again—before he could figure out his own reasoning. "Because...it's important," he finally concluded, looking down at his hands. Katsuki narrowed his eyes and tongued his cheek.

"That doesn't even make sense," the blond said. "I figure the only important thing in this whole situation was finding a way to track down the villains and put an end to 'em. I couldn't care less about how we got into the situation, or why we were there. It was stupid, and there's no reason to be thinking about it now when you should be trying to heal."

"Yes, there is," Izuku insisted. "We have to remember it so that we don't make the same mistakes again. That's how people learn, and that's why you should tell me what happened." When Katsuki shook his head, Izuku sighed in exasperation. "Kacchan, why can't you just do this for me? What happened on that night that resulted in me getting captured?"

"Deku, I don't want to talk about it," Katsuki shot at him a little harsher than he'd intended.

Izuku hesitated for a moment, but unfortunately for Katsuki, he was used to being cut down with his words. "Why?"

Katsuki rolled his eyes and sat back in the chair, prickling with annoyance. "That's none of your business, nerd. Drop it."

"Kacchan, I want to know. I deserve to."

"Well, maybe you shouldn't know."

"Why? What happened that you're so scared to admit?"

"I'm not scared to admit anything," Katsuki snapped back, leaning forward to accentuate his point. Izuku stared at him meaningfully. With each second, that haze was fading from his eyes and being replaced by its old liveliness. He was slowly waking up; re-entering the world. Usually, Katsuki would be glad to see that, but at the moment, all he could think about was how annoyed he was. "You know, Deku, I didn't stick around just for you to order me around and try to make me say shit I don't want to. If you wanna know so damn badly, ask Icyhot. He was there. He knows."

"But not as well as you," Izuku stated. Katsuki narrowed his eyes. He figured he was gonna have to tell Izuku the details someday, especially if what he said was true and he didn't remember. But right now, he just really didn't want to fucking talk about it. Over the course of the past week, those moments had been on repeat in his head almost 24/7. Images of teeth tearing through flesh, bullets shredding through skin, the feeling of Deku clinging on to him for dear life—and then finally, feeling him let go and watching heaps of bloodthirsty animals drag him away. Thinking he was dead. Fighting to go back for him. The thick, gripping guilt that ensued. It was all fresh in his mind. Today was actually the first day where those horrible events weren't flashing through his head like a broken record, but of course, Izuku just had to go and stir them back up when he'd finally found some peace. It was near infuriating.

"Listen," Katsuki said, grabbing the bed frame and staring directly into Izuku's eyes. He was aware that Izuku didn't know of his struggles, and he wouldn't know unless he told him—but alas, if there was one thing he hated more than having emotions, it was telling people about them. Their faces were inches apart as Katsuki glared to make sure he knew that he wasn't fucking around about this. "Now's not the time. Ask me another day, whatever. But there's no way in hell that I'm gonna be living through that shit again today."

Izuku remained still, but at that moment, Katsuki could see something like realization pass over his face as he began to understand that Katsuki actually had an ulterior motive than just being an asshole. He dropped his gaze and Katsuki slowly sat back in his chair, relieved that he would drop it but also still feeling a little angry. He huffed a sigh as Izuku said, "I'm sorry, Kacchan. I didn't realize...you were hurting, too."

After he sighed, Katsuki grew silent on that. He didn't know how to respond. So for the next few minutes until the nurses were finished, the two of them just sat in silence, neither really knowing how to start up a new conversation, and neither really trying to. It took All Might walking into the room with a big pitcher of water, a bento box, and a wide, relieved smile on his face for any liveliness to re-enter the room.

"Young Midoriya!" the teacher exclaimed as he rushed to Izuku's side and looked him over, passing the nurses, who held their mouths at the extra visitor upon seeing it was All Might. "How are you feeling, young man? I am aware of your condition and just wanted to say that I feel incredibly shameful that we heroes weren't able to rescue you sooner and stop this madness. As one of the people who approved you for the mission, I take full responsibility for what happened that night. I'm so very sorry, young Midoriya," All Might said as he bowed his head deeply as a sign of remorse.

Izuku sat bolt upright and shook his head. "All Might, please don't feel sorry!" he exclaimed seeing the teacher look so distraught. "What happened wasn't your fault at all. I'm grateful for everybody that went out of their way to help me," he replied earnestly. "I feel no resentment for anybody after what happened. The last thing I want as a result of this is for someone to blame themself."

All Might stood to his full height and smiled at the boy, but it would take more than that to convince him to forgive himself. "Thank you. I can only hope that over time, I will someday make it up to you for all the trauma my decision caused. But as of right now...I'm just terribly glad to have you back," he said before beginning to empty his hands onto the nightstand beside Izuku's bed. They were both smiling as a sort-of easiness settled over the room. All Might was able to bring a smile to almost anybody's face. "I brought some bento and water, so hopefully you're hungry," the teacher added, holding up a box.

Izuku, however, was already eyeing the steamy bag with an eager expression. "I am, actually," he said, and accompanying his words came a loud growl from his stomach. He smiled sheepishly.

"That's good to hear. It's all yours," All Might said before handing him the box and a pair of chopsticks. As Izuku began to eat, All Might pulled up a chair to sit at his other side. Katsuki looked up from his phone, recognizing this circle of people. Izuku, Katsuki, and All Might—they'd often meet up, just the three of them, and talk about One For All back in the day. A part of Katsuki missed those days, when things weren't necessarily easier, but he'd been one of the only people who knew about Izuku's secret. Talking with the two of them in secret—behind everyone else's backs—well, there was always something exhilarating about it.

"The surviving villains have been apprehended and are now being held for questioning. As it turns out, most of them were working under Overhaul's shadow to pay off various amounts of debt. To think that even after his death, these people were terrified of what might happen if they didn't finish the job," All Might told them.

"Exactly how many did you catch?" Izuku asked while stuffing his face full of food.

"Thirty-two," All Might replied while watching him. "Three deceased, twenty-nine incapacitated. It was a successful mission," he nodded.

Izuku was chewing loudly, so Katsuki asked the next question. "So, do we have a name for the guy running the operation or what? All this time, and I still don't got an idea of what to call him," he said. "You know, Overhaul's right hand. Do we even know?"

"We don't," All Might replied. "Unfortunately, he died before we could figure it out, and any records of his DNA were wiped clear of the system long before we could get ahold of his body."

"And his associates? Do even they know? I mean, he has to have some kind of profile."

"None of them have been questioned yet, but that's some of the information that we're hoping to obtain. Some of them seem pretty open to giving up information," All Might said while nodding.

"Wait, wait—he's dead?" Izuku backtracked, eyes wide, as he finished swallowing what was in his mouth. He looked at the teacher, then at Katsuki. "The villain is dead? The same one who kidnapped me?" He looked shocked. "Kacchan, did you know about this?"

Katsuki tongued his cheek and looked down. "Yeah, Deku. I knew about it."

A beat of silence followed before All Might said hesitantly, "I'm surprised nobody's told you yet, young Midoriya." He was looking at Katsuki. Obviously, Endeavor already filled him in on what happened, so he was slightly uneasy to be bringing it up in front of the student. Katsuki, however, was indifferent as he shrugged back. "Maybe young Bakugou should be the one to tell you," the teacher added upon seeing Katsuki's lack of response.

Izuku looked at him, one eyebrow quirked. "What is it?" he asked with a mouth already stuffed again with pork and rice, so his words came out more as "Whar ezzt?"

Katsuki rolled his eyes and pointed at a pile of napkins on his knee. "How about you wipe your face and quit talkin with your mouth full, then I'll tell you."

"Orry," Izuku mumbled, and he knew that was meant to be a 'sorry.' The boy quickly chewed and swallowed what was in his mouth before wiping his chin with a napkin and looking at the blond expectantly.

Katsuki stared at him blankly for a moment, as if trying to gauge what kind of reaction he would have, before giving up with the mindset of fuck it. "I killed him."

Izuku paused, not breaking eye contact for a solid few seconds before looking at All Might. The teacher just gave him a nod, as if to clarify that Katsuki was telling the truth. Izuku truly looked like he didn't know how to respond as he looked back at Katsuki, eyes wide and lips parted, not confused, angry, or disturbed—just stunned. "You...You did?" 

"Yeah," Katsuki affirmed. "I killed the guy."

"Oh..." Izuku hesitated for a moment, looking unsure of how to proceed, before asking, "How?"

"Don't you think that's a bit of a personal question, Deku?" Katsuki asked, slightly taken aback by just how accepting he was about it. Wasn't he at all concerned? The Deku that Katsuki knew would've been all like, "Oh my gosh, you murdered somebody? That's terrible, Kacchan!" But apparently after enough time spent being tortured by someone, you forget to care about who killed them—you focus entirely on the fact that they're finally dead. And for that, Katsuki actually agreed with him.

"Well, yeah, maybe. Sorry," the nerd replied looking down, but he still had that curious look in his eye as he focused his attention back on the bento box and started leisurely picking through clumps of rice for his next bite. Katsuki remained quiet for a short portion of time, thinking, before deciding to go ahead with it.

"You really wanna know?" he asked, and All Might eyed him warily—like a parent watching an older sibling about to share a dirty secret with the innocent, younger one. Izuku, however, looked at him with complete interest as he gave the offer.

"Yes," he replied almost instantly. And that was enough of an answer for Katsuki.

"I stabbed him," he reported before adding slightly quieter, "...ten times." His words brought silence to the room heavier than if two tons of stone and rock had come crashing down on their heads. Izuku stared. All Might closed his eyes. Katsuki just held an even gaze with the boy, whose face had dropped. That was the reaction he'd been expecting. He felt maybe a little bad for his lack of respect regarding the deceased, but when it came to the shadow man, it was hard to feel remorse.

"Um...Kacchan," Izuku said in a voice quieter than before. His eyebrows harrowed slightly with distress and he even looked a little queasy to imagine such a thing. "You...stabbed someone to death?"

Katsuki nodded, deciding that owning up to it was the best decision. "I did."

"And...you're okay with that?"

Katsuki hesitated for a moment before responding, putting thought into his words. "It just sort of happened. But I don't regret it," he answered. He'd already gone over his answer about a hundred times in his head over the past few hours. "He's put everyone through so much pain. Not only us, but the people he's experimented on, too. He was the one putting drugs on the streets. He was the one who tortured you. When I was trying to question him, he was telling me about all the terrible things he's done, and all of my anger caught up with me. I thought the only thing to do was to kill him so that he can't hurt anybody else."

Izuku was nodding slowly as he spoke, though he still had a bit of that queasy look remaining as he started talking. "I mean..." he hesitated, "I think so, too. Even though stabbing him to death might not have been the best option...I still think you did the right thing."

"Young Midoriya!" All Might exclaimed. Izuku looked puzzled as he cocked his head at the teacher, and Katsuki narrowed his eyes at the incredulity in All Might's voice. "That is not the appropriate response in this situation, not as a student nor a hero. What young Bakugou did was unacceptable, and you shouldn't be reinforcing something like that."

""Unacceptable?"" Izuku and Katsuki both repeated at the same time, Katsuki sounding angry and Izuku sounding confused. Katsuki rolled his eyes at All Might's words while Izuku explained. "With all due respect, All Might, that man did some...terrible things. To me. And to my friends, too. Things that I'd...rather not remember," he said, looking down. The mood of the room suddenly shifted into a tone of seriousness as Izuku hinted at his chilling past. The past which All Might—and the majority of everybody else, Katsuki realized—was still oblivious to.

All Might cleared his throat and caught sight of the opportunity to ask, "Do you feel comfortable sharing some of those things? It could be useful later as evidence against their operation." Katsuki watched in real-time as Izuku's eyes screwed shut and the color drained from his face in an instant. He timidly shook his head. To both of the boys' relief, All Might decided to leave it at that.

"Still though, Deku," Katsuki broke the silence and hoped to break some of the thickening ice throughout the room, too. "I was not expecting that kind of reaction outta someone like you. Usually you're all, 'Murder is bad! Justice without killing! Heroes shouldn't kill, it's not morally right!'" he imitated Deku in the most offensive voice he could muster. Izuku looked up, brow creasing as he was teased.

"Someone like me? What does that mean?" he asked, but that was beside the point. "But, I mean...I've never thought about killing someone. Actually, for the most part, I've always found the idea disturbing. When it comes to someone who's pure evil, though...I guess that's where I make my exceptions," he said. The comment came in passing, but Katsuki couldn't help but find it a little strange. Izuku had never been one who believed in that good and evil type crap—he always believed there was good in everybody. Sometimes it was infuriating just how often the nerd would try to find justification for people, despite how heinous their actions might've been. So when he spoke now of pure evil, Katsuki knew for sure that the man had deserved everything he got.

While Katsuki went on this little mental tangent, Izuku continued speaking. "I am sorry that you were the one to do it, though, Kacchan. Having blood on your hands...it definitely can't be easy. And I mean, I'm sure there's gotta be a more humane option out there of getting rid of someone, but..." he trailed off, lost in thought. "Well, I guess all I can say is that I'm glad that monster is gone. So...thank you," he finished, looking at Katsuki.

Never in Katsuki's life would he have thought that Izuku-the-nerd-Midoriya would be thanking him for murdering somebody.

Two minutes later, the doctor came back to inform them of the test results. Inko was allowed back into the room to hear what the doctor had to say, so she sat at Izuku's side after a quick glance at Katsuki and a courteous dip of her head to All Might.

"Midoriya's blood pressure came out unnaturally high, but should go back down within the next few days as the abnormalities flush out of his system. Although his body might visibly seem unharmed, internally he wasn't looking too good when he arrived. His kidneys had already begun to fail as a result of the dehydration, while oxygen levels in his blood—as well as the level of blood circulation to his brain—had dropped dangerously low, which may have resulted in a stroke. When he arrived, we were able to speed up hemoglobin production and re-introduce O2 to his dying blood cells, effectively saving his life. As long as he keeps up with his fluids, Midoriya should be on his way to a full recovery—though that process alone could take over a month."

Inko and All Might released collective sighs upon hearing that Deku was okay, while Katsuki simply nodded. He remembered while on the boat, Deku had been complaining about headaches and stomach pains, and he'd been feverish and weak. And when you add the memory loss to the equation, Katsuki was almost sure that he'd suffered a stroke. 

"That's so great to hear that he's sure to make a full recovery!" Inko exclaimed, stroking the side of Izuku's face gently with the back of her hand. He smiled into her touch and nodded, while they all looked up as the doctor began to speak again.

"Yes, I couldn't be happier with how the operation went," he bowed his head. "However, we were looking at the test results and decided that you may have some lingering side effects, though hopefully, it doesn't amount to anything too severe. If you experience small bits of memory loss, don't panic; that's normal. However, if you find yourself forgetting lengthy periods of time—longer than a few days, for example—I want you to tell me right away. As of right now, your body is still at risk for paralysis and long-term cognitive impairment. You need to take it easy for the next one to two weeks and let your body heal. Staying here at the hospital would be ideal," he said while looking at Inko at the last part for confirmation.

She nodded fervently. "Yes, whatever it takes."

The doctor smiled. "Well, then, all you need to do is make sure you're drinking at least five of those glasses per day," he said, pointing to the half-empty drink in Izuku's hand.

In turn, he gave a nod. "I can do that. But, um, doctor—if you don't mind me asking, when do you think my Quirk will return? I haven't been able to use it for the past week because of the serum he was injecting me, but I was hoping it would be back at this point because a full twenty-four hours has passed since my last dosage. Did the test results, by any chance, tell you when it might be returning?"

"Oh, yes, I almost forgot. The paperwork said your Quirk will be back in full effect within the next seventy-two hours. However, it is highly, highly recommended that you don't use it for at least two weeks, as the effect might be too strenuous on your body. It may be tempting, but please do not engage in any form of training or physical activity during that time. You can go for walks, that's fine, but cardio and weightlifting should be off limits."

Izuku nodded. "Understood," he said. A look of relief settled on his face as the doctor told him that his Quirk would be returning safely, and Katsuki couldn't help but feel a little relieved to hear that, too. Deku being Deku isn't the same if Katsuki can't beat him up in the training arena.

Once the doctors and nurses were done, Izuku's classmates were allowed to visit him. Uraraka and Inko took their respective seats while everybody else, when they returned from lunch, just sort of formed a ragged circle around the bed. For about an hour, the whole class hung out—reconnecting with Deku, telling him how worried they were, and overall just taking the time to socialize with him. Conversations left and right, some of which Katsuki joined in on. He made it his personal goal, however, to death glare anybody who tried to ask Deku about what happened. If the nerd didn't want to talk about it yet, they should all respect that—Katsuki took it upon himself to tell them because he knew Izuku wasn't gonna do it himself.

Throughout the entire hour, Deku didn't join in on many conversations—he just sort of listened, sipping his water, chiming in whenever he saw fit or whenever a question was aimed at him. Throughout the exchange, Katsuki noticed that really, Izuku just looked happy to be there.

The next two days went by rather slowly. After Deku woke up and the socializing was done, Katsuki was one of the last people to leave. He was one of the last to say goodbye. And since that day, he hadn't returned to visit Deku.

Maybe it was his stubbornness holding him back. Or maybe it was just the fact that he was trying to keep the nerd out of his head for once. But with each day that passed, he started to feel more guilty—more selfish—for not going. He was torn because he knew he wasn't obligated to go. It wasn't necessary that he visit Deku, and nobody should think that he was indebted. Deku was being cared for now. He didn't need Katsuki anymore, he never did. And Katsuki wasn't his friend, either—so why should he visit more than once? One time was good enough. One time was all he needed. At least, that's what he was trying to convince himself over the past 50 hours.

At the same time, though, he was finding himself more and more curious about what was going on over there. Was Deku recovering fine? Had his Quirk returned yet? He thought about texting, but figured that would come off insincere. Plus, he didn't want to make it look like he was worrying—because it was very obvious that he wasn't.

Katsuki spent most of his time in his room, because what the hell else was he supposed to do? Every time the word 'training' passed his mind as an idea, he would be painfully reminded of the doctor's words to "remain inactive" by the tight brace wrapped around his ribs. Sure, he could go on walks and drive to the store—and he'd done his fair share of that as well—but mostly he found himself sitting on his bed, scrolling through his phone, reading, or sleeping. Doing boring shit. Until classes started up again in two weeks, he didn't have much going on. And today was only Tuesday.

No matter how hard he tried to keep the idea out of his head, it always ended up coming back. Heading to the hospital. Visiting Deku and checking up with him. It couldn't hurt, right? All Might, Inko, Aizawa, and probably even his own mother were surely there, keeping him comfortable and surrounded by company. He'd received a few texts over these past 48 hours from his classmates—Denki, Kirishima, and Todoroki mostly—asking if he wanted to join them for a visit, but he never ended up replying. The thought of visiting on his own had him stumped, but the idea of visiting him with Denki or with Todoroki was enough to make his stomach churn.

Anyway, it started getting around that Katsuki wasn't visiting Deku or responding to anyone's' messages. People started to worry, and people started to talk. That's what people do best, isn't it. Talk, talk, and talk some more. Katsuki always hated gossip—it brought nothing but lies and unnecessary attention, both of which he loathed with a steaming passion.

Unbeknown to Katsuki, others around him were taking notice of how he hadn't visited Izuku lately—and at U.A., word spreads faster than you can say "stay the fuck out of my business."

"Have you heard that Bakugou hasn't even visited Midoriya yet, even though he was the one busting his ass more than any of us to get him back? I wonder what's up with that!" Mina half-whispered to Kirishima and others while sitting at a bar that day, voices masked by the daytime chatter around them. Even though they technically weren't of drinking age, there was this bar in the city where they served alcohol to anybody eighteen or older. It was illegal, but as long as they didn't push it too much, it wasn't likely that they'd ever be caught.

Denki took a sip of his drink and leaned forward to speak across the table, narrowing his eyes slightly in thought. "Yeah, I noticed that, too! Wonder if he's depressed or something. He's been sitting in his room all the time," he added.

"I mean, you gotta feel bad for the guy. I don't know exactly what happened on the boat, but...it must've been pretty bad to affect him in such a way. I mean, I can barely get him out of his bed," Kirishima muttered, sounding troubled as he stared down at his glass. "I hate feeling helpless when it comes to him, but I think it's impossible to really understand what he's thinking. If only he'd open up to me once in a while," he continued.

Mina put her hand on his arm reassuringly. "Come on, Kiri, I think you're forgetting who we're talking about here. This is Bakugou, remember? Nothing affects him. Trust me, I've tried—but it's insanely hard to get into his head. Ever since I was a kid, I've always been good at reading people; but that five-mile-thick wall of steel around his dome makes his actions pretty hard to translate."

Denki scoffed in agreement, but he had his own two cents to add. "Yeah, I get that, but it still doesn't change the fact that he barely leaves his room. I get that he and Midoriya are rivals or whatever, but you'd think he would've at least visited by now—especially if one of us is with him. After all, he almost murdered me that one day for suggesting we go home before finding the evidence," he said, shuddering at the memory.

"No, he almost murdered you because you called Midoriya's case a lost cause. You're still an idiot for that," Mina said as she leaned across Kirishima and backhand-slapped him hard across the shoulder. Denki hissed, rubbing the spot tenderly as she continued. "Whatever his reasoning, we won't know for sure unless he tells us. And you know how bad he is with emotional talk."

Kirishima sighed. "Terrible," he chuckled, and they all had a laugh at that. Afterward, the conversation flowed into something a little more casual—but those questions were still there, and they were felt by everyone who knew of Katsuki and Izuku's current situation. Which was...pretty much everybody.

Those two had always been a subject of conversation, even during their first year when Katsuki practically hated Izuku and they spent all of their days competing with one another. As two of the strongest kids at the school, there were lots of eyes on them, even class 3B and the school's underclassmen. Everybody knew about Izuku's kidnapping, and everybody knew how Katsuki had practically killed himself trying to get him back. Everybody was initially confused by that, because, "Wait, didn't Bakugou practically hate him?"

Current events were starting to prove those ideas wrong. Right now, because Izuku had finally returned, there were a lot of whispers and murmurs floating around about him and Katsuki, unbeknownst to either of the two. Questions about what would happen. How they would proceed. Were they sure-to-be friends now? Or would their relationship continue to strain, even now that Katsuki had shown his secret caring side?

The answer to those questions was unknown. But it should go without saying that everybody was seriously interested to find out.

Katsuki rolled onto his side, letting one arm hang limp over the side of the bed as he stared through his eyelids at the ground. It was quiet in his room. A little peaceful, even. He liked the peace, but when the silence got to be over a few hours, shit started to get boring. Ideas rolled through his brain once more of what he could do to ease his troubles. Working out? No, that was off the table. Going for a walk? He already did that today. Driving someplace? He had nowhere to fucking go.

He checked his phone for the nth time in these past thirty minutes, but it was still only 4:32. He felt like those were the exact same goddamn numbers he'd seen on his screen fifteen minutes ago. The only explanation was that Katsuki had somehow figured out how to warp time, likely tapping into the space-time continuum and bending matter itself.

A groan escaped his lips as he sat into an upright position and rubbed his eyes, biting back a yawn. Since when had slacking off become something he did? He rolled out of bed and walked to his curtains, pulling them back and letting light flood the room and bathe his face. He soaked up some Vitamin D for a few moments before spinning around on his heel and walking to the bathroom. 

While he was taking a piss, the thought crossed his mind once again of visiting Deku. He hadn't seen him in two days at this point—mostly because he just needed a break from thinking about the nerd, but also because he wanted to let the commotion die down a little bit before he goes visiting. With classmates, teachers, investigators and doctors constantly going in and out of there, he didn't want to get caught up in everyone's way—least of all Izuku's. He should be taking this time to heal. And the last thing Katsuki wanted to do was get in the way of that.

He washed his hands, rinsed his face, and then took a second to lean against the sink and look in the mirror. His own appearance had improved exponentially over the past couple of days, with the color returning to his formerly-white-washed skin and eyes gaining back their usual vibrance—without the presence of large, unsightly eye bags. His appetite had returned, too, so that was helpful. He just overall felt a lot better. 

Leaving the bathroom, Katsuki threw on some white sweats and a black tee before tying on his shoes. He wasn't entirely sure of where he was going yet, but he definitely was in need of some air. He grabbed his phone and keys on the way out of the room. Upon exiting the building, he took a deep breath of fresh air and looked off in the direction of the hospital. It couldn't hurt to stop by, he thought as he started walking.

He arrived in twenty minutes—as he said before, it was a short walk—and got his visitor pass before heading up to level three via the elevator. He didn't recognize anyone in the lobby, so he wondered if anyone was here at the moment. Katsuki made his way leisurely down the hallway towards room 302, hands in his pockets and movements casual; but as he approached the door, he found himself growing nervous. His heart beat a little faster and he hesitated to knock. Would Deku be angry that he hadn't visited earlier? Was he enjoying his time away from Katsuki? Maybe he was busy at the moment and wasn't taking visitors. What if he wasn't even here, or what if he was having a private conversation with a doctor or something? Suddenly, Katsuki found himself doubting whether he should even go in. He stood there dumbly outside the door, one hand in his pocket and the other hovering above the wood. What should he even say if he goes in?

Eventually, Katsuki got out of his head and knocked on the door—three hard raps of his knuckle. He waited in silence, but it didn't take long for a response to sound from the other side. 

"Come in!"

That was definitely Deku, and he sounded...normal. Katsuki put on a confident face as he grabbed the handle, turned it, and let himself in.

The first thing he noticed about the room was the temp—Deku obviously had the heater on. That made sense, Katsuki supposed, considering the boat in which he had lived for a week was damn near torturously cold. The second thing he noticed was the inebriating wave of sweet-smelling perfume that washed over him, the scent of fresh flowers. He soon realized that was because of the various—no really, numerous—sets of vases and bouquets surrounding the bed. There was an entire table beside the window overflowing with sets of polychromatic blossoms and petals, lovely and vibrant-looking in the evening light that was spilling through from outside. An elegant array of delicate colors.

There had to be at least eight, maybe ten sets of flowers in here. Katsuki was surprised—not because he didn't think Izuku was gonna get flowers, but because, what the hell, I have never in my fucking life seen someone get this many. Izuku had always been a popular guy, sure, but this was almost on a whole new level. He definitely hadn't been expecting it when he walked in. It begs the question: Who exactly is bringing him all of these?

He stepped into the room and drew his gaze from the flowers to look at Deku, who was currently sitting cross-legged under his blankets, a book in his lap. Beside his bed to the left, there was a pitcher stuffed with some of the freshest, reddest roses Katsuki had ever laid eyes on—and to his right, there was a little table with a ceramic vase holding a handful of fresh-picked blue daisies. Katsuki took a moment to admire all of the floral work in here, because wow. He had a fair share of knowledge about plants and shit, so he knew when to appreciate something like this when he saw it. Izuku looked at Katsuki from where he sat between the two sets of flowers, wearing a surprised expression as he stared at the blond. He was acting like Katsuki had ambushed him or something.

"...Hey, Kacchan," Izuku offered after a few moments as Katsuki shut the door and walked deeper into the room, gaze floating around as his footsteps were audible due to the quiet.

"It looks like a fucking forest in here," he said rather than responding with a greeting like a normal person would. He slowly paced around, looking from vase to vase, keeping his eyes on anything but Deku. “Who brought you all these?” he asked as he drifted over to the roses and lifted his hand to rub a delicate petal between the pads of his thumb and pointer finger. He always thought roses smelled the best out of any other flower.

He could feel Izuku’s eyes on him the whole time as the boy opened his mouth to respond. “Uraraka brought me those, actually,” he said. “But the rest are from the class. Denki, Mina, Kirishima, Todoroki, and...uhm…” he paused for a moment as if trying to remember. “Oh. Sero, Shouji, Koda, and Tsu. They went to the flower shop down the street and bought a whole bunch…it was really sweet of them.”

Katsuki plucked the petal off of the rose and flipped it into his palm. "She did, huh," he said, eyeing it.

"What?" 

"Nothing." Katsuki turned his hand over and let the petal drop to the ground, landing on the tile with a soft plop. "So where's Auntie? She go home?"

"Ah, she had to work," Izuku replied, sliding a piece of colored paper between the pages of his book and leaning over to set it on the nightstand, the one that wasn't covered in flowers. "Aunt Mitsuki was here earlier, but you just missed her." 

"Oh, so the hag's been visiting you?" Katsuki asked, still looking at the roses. Finally, he dragged his gaze to look over at Izuku. "She must love you or somethin', cuz she sure as hell hasn't been visiting me."

"She hasn't?" Izuku repeated, and he sounded genuinely confused about that. Katsuki walked to the nearest chair and slowly sat down, facing the bed with his legs comfortably extended and expression well-guarded. He was aware, the entire time, of Izuku's eyes following him—trailing after him, staring him down. He was probably surprised to see him here after two days of not showing up. Izuku hid it well, though, as he continued speaking. "She didn't mention anything about you when she visited, so maybe she's just waiting for you to take the first step. After all, she knows that if you wanted to see someone, you would probably just stop by."

Katsuki narrowed his eyes at him. Was he referring to the fact that Katsuki hadn't come to see him in the past two days? He tried to search Izuku's expression for answers, but the green-haired boy had a perfect poker-faced as he looked out the window, hands folded neatly in his lap as if waiting for Katsuki to say something in response. Unreadable. The blond rolled his eyes and slumped in the chair, letting his head roll back behind the seat. Of course he is.

He sat like that for a few moments before lifting his head and meeting eyes with Izuku again. "What, are you mad I didn't come see you? Jesus, Deku, the whole world doesn't revolve around you, you know," he grumbled.

"No, I wasn't—and I'm not! I'm not angry, not at all. But I was just..." Izuku pursed his lips and sighed. "I just...wasn't expecting you to visit. But I'm glad you did."

"What, so you were convinced I just didn't want to see you?" Katsuki asked, remembering what he said only moments before. After all, she knows that if you wanted to see someone, you would probably stop by.

Izuku held an even gaze for a few seconds before shrugging and looking away. "I dunno," he mumbled.

Katsuki stared at him. He was obviously distressed about something, but what could it be? Was it the fact that Katsuki hadn't come to see him? Maybe he was angrier than he was letting on.

As he stared, Katsuki came to realize that over the past couple of days, Izuku's health had improved drastically. He'd cleaned himself up and was now wearing a fresh hospital uniform. The color had returned to his face—his cheeks, nose, and lips especially—and those sunken eye sockets had filled back out so he finally looked healthy again. His cheeks didn't look so hollow anymore, Katsuki noticed, even though his facial structure did look a little slimmer than before. So he still had some pounds to gain back. But most notable of all, he'd regained that old shine to his eyes that he's always, and always will be known for. 

When Katsuki was done noticing all of this, he drew a snort. "I figured you were busy, so I stayed home. But I'm here now. Happy?"

"Busy?" Izuku repeated with a slight head shake. "All I do is sit in this bed all day, read books, and sleep. I wouldn't exactly call that busy."

"Okay, well, you said it your fuckin self. Classmates sticking their noses all up in your business all day, doctors runnin' in and out to do their little tests, Auntie sticking herself to your bedside like paper on glue. Ya know. Busy," Katsuki explained, emphasizing each reason with his hands. "And besides, I've been off doin' my own shit, so thanks for asking. I wouldn't have time for you even if I wanted it."

Izuku sighed. "That's fine, too—but I still don't understand how you could think that I wouldn't want to see you just for that. Sure, I had visitors, but that doesn't mean you couldn't stop by," he reasoned. "Also, they weren't sticking their noses in my business, Kacchan, they were trying to help. I mean, look around! All these gifts were really thoughtful and pretty, and now my room smells amazing. It really makes living in a hospital easier when I know I have good friends who care about me."

Katsuki huffed. "Deku, if those morons were your real friends, they'd know that one single All Might plushie would've been just as meaningful as all of this combined."

Izuku brightened up. "You bought me an All Might plushie?"  

A scoff. "You wish."

A disappointed frown. "Well then why'd you bring it up?"

"Just proving my point. One little toy versus all of this crap. How well do they know you again?"

"Why do you have to say that kind of stuff? " Izuku's eyebrows knit together at him. Katsuki opened his mouth to snap a response, but Izuku continued before he could get a word in. "They do know me. In case you never realized, Kacchan, I really like flowers. And even if I didn't, I would still appreciate any gift. Have you ever heard of the saying, 'It's the thought that counts?' Because I think you could really take wisdom from that," he said with a serious expression.

Katsuki barked out a laugh. "Ha! If someone brought you a banana peel out of the fucking dumpster and called it a gift, you would still appreciate it."

"Okay, your point? Again, it's the thought that counts. Say it with me, Kacchan. It's...the..."

"I'm not fuckin saying that," Katsuki scowled, but he persisted.

"...thought...that...Okay, you're not saying it. Counts."

"You're an asshole, you know that, Deku?"

"Wha—I am not!"

"Are too. I didn't think it was possible for someone to be a nerd and a fucking asshole, but here you are, proving me wrong. The biggest asshole of them all. Good for you. I come here to try and, I don't know, be a little nice for once? But when you talk to me with that condescending-ass voice, Deku, it really just makes me wanna fucking go."

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry," Izuku said, holding his hands out to de-escalate the situation. "I didn't mean it like you're wrong for staying away—that's not it at all. I'm sorry, Kacchan, just...don't go." He really did sound sincere about it.

Katsuki looked at him for a few seconds, deciding whether to stay mad or not, before just sighing and bringing his hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose. "Whatever," he said. "So...did you get your Quirk back, or what?"

Izuku looked thankful for the change of subject as he let himself visibly relax a little. "I'm not fully in control of the power yet, but the good news is that I'm able to communicate with the past users again. The doctors say that it might take up to a week for One For All to return in full."

"Well, good. At least I'll be able to kick your ass in the arena once we're both healed up."

"You've never kicked my—wait, hold on Kacchan, does that mean you're injured? Where? How?" Izuku asked, sitting forward to try and look at the whole of his body. He wasn't wearing any visible casts, so Izuku only looked more concerned as he met eyes with Katsuki again. "Is it...an internal injury?"

"Fractured my spine," Katsuki explained, and he watched as Izuku's eyes grew wide upon hearing that. Realizing he was gonna need a better explanation than just blatantly stating the fact, Katsuki stood up and lifted his shirt to his collarbone so Izuku could see the brace wrapped tight around his chest and back. He turned in a short circle, making sure the nerd could see it all, before dropping his hands and plopping back down. "Doc said I don't need surgery, but I gotta wear this damn brace for a week or two. It sucks the most when I'm tryna fall asleep."

"Yeah, that would be annoying," Izuku agreed, averting his eyes for a fraction of a moment. Katsuki noticed his bashful response but decided not to comment on it. He worked hard to keep his body in such good shape, so it was only natural for others to feel a little self-conscious while looking at him. But when Deku was the one looking at him, though... Katsuki couldn't deny it was a bit of a different feeling than it was for everyone else. 

Different how? Well, he didn't know how to explain it, but he just felt...for lack of a better word, Katsuki felt a little more conceited. He felt a little bit better than everyone. Honestly, that wasn't too far off from how he felt on a day-to-day basis (he doesn't feel like he's better than everyone, he just thinks he can do things better than they can), but at this moment it felt different. He decided to push it off and ignore that feeling for now. Not like it mattered, anyway.

"Annoying as shit. But you know what else is annoying as shit? The way Denki, Mina, and Kirishima have been trying to get me to go day-drinking with them for the past, like, two months. Ever since they found that damn bar in the city, they won't shut up about it."

"Oh—the Havana bar? With the old-fashioned theme?" Izuku recognized.

Katsuki raised an eyebrow. "You've been there?" he asked, a little surprised. He hadn't exactly taken Deku for the drinking type, especially not while underage and all. "Since when?"

"I went with Todoroki, Uraraka, and Iida once. It was...an experience."

"No fucking way the class prez, the biggest hard-ass about breaking the rules, went along with that," Katsuki deadpanned, but Izuku shrugged.

"He had a drink, actually, which surprised us all—but only one. He was the driver."

"So this was, what, this year? When?"

Izuku tapped his finger on his chin, humming in thought. "It was last year. Wait, no, it would've been after he got his car...so when was that?" He started counting on his fingers. "January, February, March...he got it in March. Wait, or was it May? No, no, it was definitely...but maybe not..." Izuku groaned in frustration. "I hate this. I used to be able to remember so clearly, but now...everything is just so mushed together, like there's some kind of fog in my head or something."

Katsuki tongued his cheek, hiding his interest. He zoned out when Izuku started muttering, but his sudden exclamation of irritation brought him back to reality. "The doctor said it's normal for your memory to be a little hazy, right?" he tried to recall what the guy had said two days ago. 

Izuku nodded, "Mhm, that is what he said. But it's so weird. I've always had a good memory when it comes to dates and times and things like that, so not being able to remember is really throwing me off. Yesterday, we were testing the limitations of my memory loss, so my mom asked me when her birthday was. I couldn't even tell her that until she reminded me what month it was in. I just felt terrible for not remembering."

"You couldn't remember, huh?" Katsuki narrowed his eyes with a sly grin. "Okay, then, Deku. What's my birthday."

There was a beat of silence before, "...That's an unfair question, Kacchan."

"Do you need a hint?" Katsuki teased in response.

"No, it's unfair because I already know your birthday. April twentieth."

Katsuki just sort of sat there with a half-stunned half-amused expression before letting out something between a scoff and a chuckle. "Oh, wow, I am so gonna tell Auntie," he mused, but he had to admit that he was a little surprised Izuku would remember his birthday over his own mother's. "So...you remember mine, but not the person who raised you. Uh-huh. Your stalker side is showing, nerd."

"Hey, no! First of all, I never stalked you—and second of all, don't tell her! What if she gets mad?" Izuku frowned.

Katsuki was pleased with himself, however. "I'm definitely using this as blackmail in the future, so you better watch out the next time you piss me off."

"Kacchan," Izuku sighed in an exasperated tone, and eventually Katsuki dropped it.

They spent the next thirty minutes talking, Katsuki sitting in the chair and Izuku sitting cross-legged under the covers. Conversation was surprisingly fluid, with the exception of a few awkward silences where the discussion died out or a new one took longer to get started. Katsuki never thought he'd be spending so much time with the nerd, but every time he thought about leaving, they'd find something new to talk about and he would forget about the notion. It was honestly so...refreshing. Talking to Izuku again without the worry of escaping or protecting him from villains. Hearing about their shared experiences from his perspective, and even just keeping his company without the presence of anybody else in the room. It was freeing, in a way. Katsuki would never say that he liked it, but...he did.

Eventually, though, his attention was averted when Izuku's stomach gave a hungry growl and Katsuki's excellent storytelling was interrupted. "Was that your damn stomach?" he inquired. He was in the middle of telling Izuku about how he and the others had almost gotten expelled for sneaking out, but he paused the story to ask.

"Oh, uh—yeah, but I'm fine. You can continue," Izuku said, waving his hands as a signal to show that he didn't need to worry. But Katsuki's thought process had veered off track and he narrowed his eyes.

"You're hungry? Don't they feed you around here?" he demanded, sitting up.

"They do! It's just that, well, I sometimes have a hard time, um...keeping it down. The doctors say it's normal since I underwent such a drastic change in my eating schedule. To go from eating one meal per two or three days, to eating three meals a day...it's a big adjustment for my body. But I'm getting used to it! So I'm okay," he was quick to add.

Katsuki's movements slowed and he looked at Izuku with eyebrows slightly creased. One meal per two or three days? That was barely enough to sustain a person. And not to mention his level of dehydration when Katsuki found him. He was getting angry all over again.

"I see," he finally responded, suddenly feeling guilty as he looked away. Even though he knew it wasn't his fault that Deku got captured, he still felt guilty hearing all the things that happened to him. All that torture, all that pain he'd endured—it all happened while Katsuki was home sleeping soundly in his own bed, surrounded by classmates and teachers, safe and cared for while he was given time to recover. It all happened while he was an ocean away, with no real idea of what was going on and no way to help. Katsuki sometimes found himself wishing that it had been him instead of Deku that made it on that boat, but most of the time he just felt guilty for letting it happen in the first place.

"It's okay, Kacchan. I'm fine, really," Izuku said with a smile, noticing his distress. 

"Nah," Katsuki said before standing up. "Actually, you're not."

"No?"

"No. As a matter of fact, this entire time I've been here sitting with you, you haven't taken a single drink from that water glass on your table. How many cups have you had today?" he asked in an accusatory manner. 

Izuku bit his lip. "Uh..." he faltered, glancing at the half-empty water glass. "I think...two?" he said as he looked back at Katsuki guiltily.

The blond shook his head in a mixture of disappointment and anger. "Not enough. What are you, a fucking idiot? The doctor said that if you wanna get better, you have to drink five of those suckers a day. Am I gonna have to force it down your throat for you to listen?" he demanded.

"N-No!" Izuku exclaimed tempestuously as Katsuki made his way around the bed to snatch the cup. "Thanks, but you don't have to worry about me, Kacchan. I know how to take care of myself, you know."

Katsuki laughed dryly. "Sure you do. Let the water glass speak for itself," he snapped.

"You know what, you should let me speak for...my...wait, what are you doing?" Izuku asked, watching as Katsuki dumped the remaining liquid into one of the flower vases and turned towards the door, holding the glass upside down to shake the residual water. 

"You'll see," he grumbled before exiting the room, leaving Izuku confused and slightly dismayed at his sudden mood change.

He returned five minutes later with a pitcher of ice water and a newer, taller glass to drink from. He handed those to Izuku before immediately turning to leave again. "Wait—I mean, thank you—I mean, where are you going? Kacchan?" Izuku asked, sounding a little bewildered and overwrought as Katsuki was rapidly making his way back towards the door. 

"Relax, nerd. I'll be back," Katsuki said over his shoulder before shutting the door behind him.

He walked home. It was about 5:30 now, so the sun was starting to set. It was a nice night. Chilly, but nice. He got to his room and pulled out the veggie drawer of his fridge before grabbing a stick of zucchini, some carrots, broccoli, a bell pepper, a clove of garlic, and a couple of tomatoes. He liked to cook for himself, so he'd gone to the store yesterday for some fresh produce. He grabbed all of that along with a package of chicken from the bottom drawer of the fridge. 

Once the food was acquired, he went downstairs to the kitchen and sprawled everything out on the counter. Before he started cutting the vegetables, he grabbed a pot and filled it with about 1/3 water and 1/4 chicken broth before setting that on the stove, high heat. Grabbing a cutting board and a butcher knife, he diced the tomatoes and bell pepper; crushed and minced the garlic; cut the broccoli, zucchini, and carrots into bite-sized pieces; and then put all of that in a pile. Once that was done, he grabbed his favorite sautee pan and greased it while turning on the stovetop to cook the chicken.

The chicken was cleaned, cut, and seasoned within five minutes, and then Katsuki was putting that on the searing pan to cook. The process of cooking the chicken took about seven minutes. Somewhere in between all that, the broth in the pot started boiling, so he dumped in the vegetables and added seasoning to that as well. That would make a nice vegetable soup, while the side would be chicken. 

Once everything was done and cooked, Katsuki portioned the soup into two lidded bowls, packaged the chicken into a couple of small glass containers for transport, and grabbed some eating utensils and napkins to eat it with. He put all of that into a bag to make it easier to carry. And then he put the dishes in the dishwasher, cleaned up his mess on the counter, and made sure everything was sorted away neatly. The entire process took upwards of fifteen minutes.

Katsuki walked back to the hospital with his bag of food, noticing how the temp had dropped probably about five degrees since he'd last been outside. The sun was going down now that it was almost 6:00. He entered the building and passed the front desk lady, giving her a curt nod as he walked to the elevator and pressed the button labeled 3 for the second time today. Once he got to room 302, he knocked—three knocks like before.

"Come in," the voice came softly from inside, though the tone lacked the brightness it had when he'd knocked before. Katsuki opened the door and was immediately met with the overwhelming fragrance of flowers, all while being bathed with a surge of warm air as it came spilling from the room. He stuck his head in sideways and looked at Izuku, who once again, had his book resting between his hands. When he looked up and saw the blond poking through the door, his eyes widened like before. "Kacchan?" he said, sounding only a few short notes from completely shocked. 

For a second or two, Katsuki relished the astounded look on his face. "What, d'you think I wouldn't come back?" he asked with a hint of smugness to his tone. He held the bag of food purposefully out of sight while stepping about halfway in the door and leaning against the wall. "If you don't want me around, you could just say that."

"No, I do want you around! I mean, I knew you'd come back eventually, but...I didn't think that'd be today," Izuku answered truthfully while bookmarking his spot and setting the book on the nightstand, just like he'd done before. Katsuki noticed he'd turned on a light since the sun had started to go down, so now the room was brimming with pleasant amber light. "I thought you went home to sleep or something."

"Psh. I've done more than enough sleeping over the past couple of days," came Katsuki's reply, though secretly he was minding the words "I do want you around" as if they were a strip of caution tape at a crime scene. He paid careful attention to them. "I'm back, but I swear—if you haven't drank at least half of that pitcher of water, I'm gonna turn around and leave again."

Izuku grabbed the pitcher and proudly held it up so Katsuki could see. "More than half!" he exclaimed with a smile. "I knew that even if you went home, you'd want me to drink it. Plus, I felt bad after what you told me earlier. I have to take care of my health so that others can be happy, right?"

Katsuki grunted with approval. "Yeah, sure, whatever. Just don't make me remind you again, or I'm gonna get fucking mad," he said while fully entering the room. Izuku's gaze instantly dropped to look at the paper bag swinging at Katsuki's side as he closed the door behind him. 

"What's that?" Izuku asked with mild interest.

"The reason I left," Katsuki responded before walking over and dropping the bag at the foot of the bed beside Izuku's feet. "Dinner."

Izuku's eyebrows creased with uncertainty as the blond started unpacking the food, and it took Katsuki passing him a bowl filled with warm soup for Izuku to realize that the dinner was for both of them—not just for Katsuki. "Kacchan, you made me dinner?" Izuku asked as his uncertainty and confusion slowly melted into a glowing smile. Katsuki tossed him a pair of chopsticks and a spoon, while he set the chicken and a pair of napkins on the bed beside his feet.

"There was extra," he lied while Izuku gaped at the food with wide eyes and a delighted expression. "Vegetables have lots of fiber and are good for digestion, while the broth is healthy for your gut and should go down easily. The chicken should be easy on your stomach, too, but don't eat too much of it," he offered monotonously while sitting down to eat his own portion. "Oughta be better than whatever processed junk the hospital's been feeding you."

Izuku had a smile on his face as he pried the top off the bowl and looked at the soup Katsuki had made for him. “Definitely,” he agreed before raising the bowl to his lips and taking a sip of the broth. He gave a hum as he tasted it. “It’s delicious,” he said genuinely, looking over at the blond, who was already chowing down on his own food. “Thank you, Kacchan.”

"Whatever, nerd. I already said there was extra," Katsuki replied, not even bothering to look up. Izuku's gaze lingered on him for a moment longer before he began to eat as well.

The two of them sat in comfortable silence for a while, enjoying their food, enjoying the silence. Once the food was gone, Katsuki put the dishes back in the bag and set it by the door. “How’s your stomach?” he asked as he sat back down.

“It feels pretty good, actually,” Izuku replied. “Usually after eating I feel nauseous, but right now I’m holding up. Thanks for asking.”

Katsuki grunted. “Vegetables are good for you. You should try eating them more.”

“It’s not exactly my choice what my mom brings me,” Izuku mused. “But I guess I could ask for more veggies.”

“You always hated broccoli,” Katsuki remembered.

“I got over that!” Izuku replied. “I like it now.”

Katsuki scoffed. “So all those tantrums you threw as a kid were for nothing?” he asked, and Izuku palmed his forehead while Katsuki snickered.

“…You remember those, huh.”

“Like yesterday.”

Izuku sighed and looked back up. “Not my proudest moments.”

“Your poor mother had to practically force-feed you,” Katsuki continued. “Then she made me go home. Remember that?”

“Okay, okay, yeah, I do—”

“What was the other one you hated? Carrots? No—it was those damn brussels sprouts. I hated them, too. Still do. Remember how the hag tried to get us to eat ‘em every Saturday? God, I can’t stand those things.”

“Oh, I remember that, now!” Izuku exclaimed with a light laugh. “I’m surprised you remember. That’s impressive.”

“Only ‘cuz I hated them so much. I’m surprised you don’t remember. Every time you came over for dinner and we smelled ‘em cooking, we’d sit down at the table and make a plan. I remember one time we lied about not being hungry, and then we had to sell it by not eating for the rest of the night. I think they call that winning the battle, but losing the war.”

Izuku laughed. “Oh, yeah. And then another time, we tried to stuff them in our pockets and run, but Aunt Mitsuki caught us. We got in so much trouble.”

“I don’t know why she kept trying to feed them to us. We obviously hated them,” Katsuki said.

“Neither do I,” Izuku chuckled. The room faded into a light silence as that conversation ended, and a minute later Izuku brought up the next subject.

"Do you think the villain destroyed my phone?" he asked with an inquisitive tone as he looked out the window. It was approaching dark outside, Katsuki noticed. 

"Probably," the blond replied, though he was a little confused why Izuku would bring it up. "I mean, it would've made tracking you a hell of a lot easier if your phone was on. I'm guessing they either destroyed it or took out the battery. And either way, there's no way you're getting it back now. Everything on that boat is evidence that I doubt they'll be handing out any time soon."

"Hm, I suppose you're right," Izuku agreed with a sigh. "It's a shame. I had a lot of cool pictures on there."

"Weirdo. Like what?" 

"Like pictures of my friends," Izuku told him, and Katsuki shrugged indifferently.

"You don't need pictures of 'em if they're right there in front of you," he said. "I have, like, two pictures on my phone. And that's being generous."

Izuku chuckled lightly. "Two pictures, Kacchan?" He sounded doubtful. "Don't you want to remember things? What if you forget the good memories you have with your friends?"

A shrug. "I never forget," Katsuki insisted. "If it's important, I won't forget it. That's just how shit works."

"Oh...yeah," Izuku pursed his lips into a thin smile, but it looked a little sad. "I guess you're right. I just don't want to forget the little things, either—even if they aren't necessarily important. After spending so much time away, and now with this dumb memory loss thing, I'm really starting to realize that. I don't want to forget even just the casual days where I'm not doing much other than hanging out with our classmates. To me, even those days are worth remembering." Izuku paused for a moment. "Actually, those ones might be the most important to remember of all," he added in a lower tone.

Katsuki lost him a little bit, so he squinted his eyes as if that would help him understand. "...So you want to remember the boring days?" he repeated. "And you wanna, what, take pictures of them so you don't forget?"

Izuku shrugged, looking down. "I know, it sounds stupid. I'm just scared of forgetting the good times. Times where it's...easy. Times where I don't have to be thinking about anything other than the people I care about," he said. Katsuki listened. "When I was on the boat, I was having a hard time keeping my head up. I won't lie; sometimes it was hard to even think about trying to keep going. It was difficult to remember all my friends while I was locked away in that cell, rotting away. So...well, I guess I just want to make sure that if I ever go through something like that again, I'll be ready. That's why I want the pictures. It helps me remember."

"Why the hell would you ever go through something like that again?" Katsuki asked distastefully after a moment. Something about the way Izuku worded that was leaving a bad taste in his mouth. "You don't need to worry about that ‘cuz it’s never gonna happen. It won’t.”

Izuku looked at him. “Really?” he asked, sounding hopeful.

“Obviously,” Katsuki snorted. “Everyone’s gonna be watching you like a hawk moving forward. Plus, the villains are all dead or incapacitated now—they won’t be hurting you anymore.”

“That’s true,” Izuku agreed, “but…anything can happen, Kacchan.”

Katsuki grit his teeth. “Don’t talk like that. Just—go back to talking about the fucking pictures or something,” he snapped. He was sick of Izuku sounding so pessimistic. “You’re supposed to be the optimistic one,” he added dryly after a moment, sounding almost accusatory. “I get that you’re still recovering or whatever, but you don’t need to be talking like you’re planning to get kidnapped again. It’s never gonna happen. So shut up.”

Izuku went silent and Katsuki avoided his eyes. He didn’t know why he was so passionate about that, but the thought of Izuku being kidnapped again was hurting his brain. The thought of going through all of this again was incredibly objectionable. It made him angry.

“Sorry,” Izuku mumbled after a while. “I mean…I wasn’t trying to sound despondent, but I’m just trying to consider all the options. It’s not that I think I’ll get captured again. I just want to remember all the important people in my life. I want to remember all the little things about them. And all the days I spend with them. You understand that, right?” he asked cautiously.

Katsuki sighed. “Yeah, I get it,” he grumbled. “You’re scared that you’ll have trouble remembering because the doctor said you’ve got memory loss. That’s it?”

Izuku nodded.

“And that’s why you want a new phone?”

He nodded again, more hesitantly this time.

Katsuki thought about it for a second. “Huh,” he said. “Your brain works in freaky ways, nerd.”

Before Izuku could respond, there was a knock at the door and their attention was diverted to the noise. They exchanged glances before Izuku called, “Come in!”

It was Uraraka and Iida. Pink cheeks opened the door and stepped inside, wearing a smile as she looked at Deku. “Hey, Izuku!” she exclaimed. When her gaze landed on Katsuki, he noticed her smile drop ever so slightly to be replaced by confusion. “And…Bakugou?”

“The one and only,” Katsuki grumbled.

“Kacchan brought me dinner!” Izuku beamed. “And I’m actually holding it down this time.”

Uraraka entered the room and Iida closed it behind her. “What a kind gesture, Bakugou!” Iida praised as he walked to the nearest chair. “Unexpected surprises are the best kind.”

“Who said it was unexpected?” the blond snapped in return.

“I’m just saying it’s rare for you to do nice things, especially in Midoriya’s regard…”

“And you haven’t visited him yet, so Iida’s just saying it was unexpected for you to buy him dinner. That’s all,” Uraraka explained while walking over to Izuku’s bedside and pulling something out of her purse to hand to him. Katsuki realized it was a book.

“Thanks, Uraraka…” Izuku said, but he was looking at Katsuki as he spoke. The blond was scowling at the ground.

“No problem!” pink cheeks replied before squeezing his shoulder. “You’re a fast reader, Izuku. It’s hard to keep up.”

“I wish this place had a library, or I’d get the books myself. Sorry for making you run my errands all the time,” Izuku replied with a smile, meeting her eyes now. She grabbed a chair and sat beside him.

“It’s really no problem at all—U.A. is filled with books. Though I’m sure you already knew that since you’re such a bookworm.”

“If Midoriya could live in the library, he would,” Iida added, and the three of them laughed.

Meanwhile, Katsuki stood up and grabbed his stuff. It was time to go.

“Wait—Kacchan, where are you going?” Izuku asked as Katsuki walked towards the door. He grabbed the handle and pried it open, looking over his shoulder before stepping out. Izuku’s smile had dropped and his eyebrows were creased as he watched the blond leave.

“It’s getting late. I’m heading to bed,” he said coldly before leaving and not looking back.

The next morning was just about as bleak a morning can get. Katsuki woke up, got himself some cereal, and ate while sitting on the floor looking out the sliding glass door. It was another nice day. His head was empty, and for a while, he wanted to keep it that way. But after laying on the floor with nothing to do as the time approached noon, his boredom got the better of him and he got up to start the day.

He showered, threw on a tank top and sweatpants, and finally left his room. He had no plans for what to do. On his way out, however, he ran into Kirishima coming out of his room with Mina tailing behind him. They were alone. The two were whispering to each other before Kirishima turned around and noticed that Katsuki had witnessed the whole thing. Katsuki raised an eyebrow at Kirishima as they both stood there, staring at each other for a moment.

“Oh, uh…hey, Bakugou!” shitty hair finally exclaimed. He palmed the back of his neck with a grin and Katsuki noticed he looked flustered. “Uh… Mina and I were just…”

“I don’t give a fuck if you two had sex,” Katsuki replied, starting to walk away. “Just leave me out of it.”

“Woah, woah, that’s not it at all!” Kirishima exclaimed while Mina started giggling. They both followed him. “But just in case it was…please don’t tell Aizawa.”

“Nothing to tell,” Katsuki replied looking over his shoulder while pretending to zip his lips.

Kirishima sighed and Mina ran forward so that she was walking beside Katsuki. She hummed, unbothered. “So, do you think you could bring us to the store and then drop us off at the hospital? Everybody’s planning on meeting up there for a potluck. If you want, you could come with us,” she said with a beaming smile.

Katsuki looked down at her. “Uh, I’m good.”

“Oh, good idea, Ashi. You’re not busy, are you Bakugou?” Kirishima asked as he caught up. They were all walking down the hallway towards the stairs now, Katsuki and Mina beside each other with Kirishima behind Mina. “I think a day out would do you good, and plus you’re, like, one of the only students with a car. Could you please bring us to the store at least? We’re buying dessert,” he continued.

Katsuki continued walking, but he didn’t immediately deny the request. He had nothing to do. He had no reason to deny them. Why shouldn’t he go along? After some more convincing from the two, Katsuki finally caved. His willpower to avoid this particular request was never strong to begin with. “Fine, but only ‘cuz you won’t shut up about it,” he growled. Then he led them to his car and they got in the back, giddy as if Katsuki had just agreed to take them to Disney World.

He drove to the closest store and parked his car before heading in with them, not really planning on buying anything but also not intending on sitting alone in his car while they shopped. Kirishima and Mina headed towards the dessert section holding hands, which made Katsuki wanna throw up. He wasn’t exactly caught up in the school’s drama—he tried to stay as far away from that shit as humanly possible—but he wouldn’t be surprised if they were officially dating now. They’d been off and on for the past couple of years, so maybe it would actually stick this time. Kirishima had talked to Katsuki loads of times about how much he liked Mina, how much he wanted to date her, how much he wanted to blah blah blah with her—but whenever the time came, he was usually too chicken to actually do anything about it. Katsuki pitied him for that. How the hell is he supposed to know whether she likes him or not if he's content with staying in the dark?

In the end, though, they found out about each other’s feelings and inevitably started going out. That was last year, though. They’ve had their ups and downs since then, so Katsuki wasn’t sure of their relationship status now—but if he were to base his assumption on their PDA levels recently, the assumption would be that they’re together. Kirishima rarely spoke to Katsuki about it because he knew that the blond would largely just ignore him. He never cared for that romance shit.

Katsuki wandered aimlessly for about twenty minutes, and he was planning on leaving empty-handed before he came across an item that seized his attention. He stopped walking, stared at the thing for about a minute, thought to himself for a while, and then finally picked it off the shelf. He stared at it some more, turning the thing in his hands and weighing the decision of whether he should buy it or not. It was stupid. It was so stupid. But a conversation he had yesterday was prompting him to do so.

Long story short, he bought it.

Later that afternoon as the class was gathering in Izuku’s room, Katsuki put his contribution on the table—a small plate of meat, cheese, and crackers that he’d bought from the store—before taking his seat in the corner. He got up a few times to have conversations or fill up his plate with food, but mostly he just sat quietly and observed.

Others in his friend group migrated towards his corner with time, so he was able to just listen and chime in every so often when necessary. They talked about a plethora of subjects, such as what hero agencies they wanted to apply to when they graduate, what they wanted to do after graduation, and of course, what happened over the past couple of days that Katsuki missed. Kirishima filled him in while the others listened.

"Two days ago, Midoriya started having one of those panic attack things—"

"The doctor called it a PTSD attack," Mina corrected.

"—and everybody was forced to leave," Kirishima finished. He was looking at Katsuki, but the blond was looking at Izuku, who was sitting on the edge of his bed across the room surrounded by the rest of their classmates. He looked happy enough as he talked to everyone. It seemed that since the last time the class had gathered up like this, Izuku had opened up more and was more willing to talk. It was good to see him re-gaining those social skills back.

"The doctor said it was triggered because he looked at a syringe. But yeah, he was screaming, crying, really just freaking out for about ten minutes. They had to bring some security guards in and hold him down because he was trying to escape. Luckily he didn't use his Quirk, or else the whole building might've been destroyed," Kirishima continued.

"Didn't the doctor say that he can't use his Quirk when he's having one of these episodes?" Sero asked.

"Oh yeah, I think you're right, Sero," Mina agreed. "We overheard the doc telling Ms. Midoriya that he can't use his Quirk very well when he's having one of these PTSD episodes. I guess that's good, or else he'd pretty much be unstoppable," she mused.

"Oh my god, and do you remember how he kept forgetting my name? I swear I almost cried," Denki broke off into a side conversation with Sero, but Katsuki overheard. "He kept asking me to repeat my name. As if a week is long enough for him to forget who I am!" he exclaimed while pretending to be upset.

Sero laughed, "Well, if it makes you feel any better, he forgot my name for a few seconds, too—but then he remembered. Maybe it's because of all the..." he lowered his voice "...torture he went through. I heard that the villain did some pretty messed up shit to him over the course of that week, so I guess forgetting our names for a few seconds is a pretty laid-back aftereffect."

"I heard the villain used drugs on him. He was even having hallucinations and stuff," Denki added in an even lower voice. Katsuki had lasered in on their conversation, even as Mina and Kirishima continued with their own conversation, paying no mind to the other two. Katsuki was getting angry. What right did Denki and Sero have to be having this conversation here? What if Izuku overheard them? How the hell did they even know this shit, anyway?

"Hey, that's enough," Katsuki finally snapped with a glower as they continued talking. Denki and Sero both looked at him before apologizing with resigned expressions. Katsuki wanted to continue telling them off about how stupid they were for bringing that up—here, of all places—but he kept quiet solely because he didn't want to make a scene that resulted in Izuku overhearing. He figured the nerd had enough on his plate without having to worry about his classmates blabbing all about what kind of mind-altering torture he'd been through. 

About an hour passed, and within that time, most people finished their food and left. Katsuki stayed put even when Mina, Kirishima, Sero, and Denki all left, talking about heading to the bar. He had no reason to go with them. 

At this point, Uraraka, Todoroki, Iida, Tsu—Izuku's closest friends—and Katsuki were the only ones left in the room. Katsuki scrolled through his phone while listening to their conversation. He was still sitting in the corner, as he had no reason to join them. He wasn't really a part of that friend group.

"Yeah, my mom said she wants to meet you, Izuku, so she'll probably come by either today or tomorrow. Is that okay with you?" Uraraka was saying while Katsuki listened on. With each passing minute she spent sitting next to Izuku, the more affectionate her tone became towards him. The more her hands reached out to lightly hit him, or pinch him, or grab him. And the more contact they made, the more Katsuki started to notice it. He usually wasn't one to pick up on that kind of stuff, but the way she spoke to and about him made it obvious. She was flirting with him.

"Tomorrow my mom will probably stop by around noon to drop off lunch, so maybe she should come around then!" Izuku suggested brightly. "I'd love to meet her as well. I can't believe that after all this time of being friends, I haven't formally met your mom yet," he continued.

"I know, right?" Uraraka giggled. "I've already told her all about you, so you'll hardly need to introduce yourself. Plus she's seen you on TV during the sports festivals and stuff. But yeah, she's never met you formally, huh?"

"Not that I can remember," Izuku said. "Oh, that reminds me—Iida, how's your mom doing? I remember the other day you said she was coming down with something. Has she recovered?"

"Yes, she's doing fine now. Thanks for asking, Midoriya."

Izuku smiled. "I'm glad she's doing okay." After a second he added, "On another note, would you...um..." Izuku pointed at Shoto and squeezed his eyes shut for a moment as if trying to remember something. After a few seconds, he perked back up. "Todoroki. Todoroki, I'm so sorry—would you mind handing me that glass of water? Thank you."

Katsuki looked up. Was that him forgetting Todoroki's name? Denki and Sero had mentioned something about him forgetting their names for a brief moment—had that been true? The blond forced himself to look back down at his phone, not wanting to get caught looking at Deku's group. He didn't really want them to know that he was listening to their conversation, but that had caught him off guard. But how the fuck did he forget Todoroki’s damn name? Izuku had never forgotten anyone's name before, least of all his best friend’s. In fact, he was always the one reminding Katsuki of what peoples' names were. The blond always had trouble remembering them.

With the moment gone, Katsuki didn't let it bother him. Izuku was still fine even if he was more susceptible to forgetting things. He was still the same old Deku, just a little dimmer than before. Hopefully that would fade away with time. If Izuku started forgetting Katsuki's name every time he wanted to talk to him, it would get annoying real quick.

While Katsuki was thinking about this, there were a few break-off conversations happening between Ochaco, Tsu and Iida while Todoroki continued speaking to Izuku. "It's good that you've been keeping up with your water intake, Midoriya. The doctors seemed really adamant about the fact that it would help your recovery.”

The boy smiled as he handed Todoroki the glass to set it back on the table. “Oh…yeah. The doctors have, definitely,” he agreed. But what Katsuki didn’t know was that he was looking at the blond while he said it.

“Do you know when you'll be able to leave the hospital yet? Or are they still running tests and such?" Todoroki asked, not noticing where Izuku's eyes had drifted to.

"A couple more days," Izuku replied. "On the day I arrived, I relapsed twice; the day after I got back, it was six times; and the day after that, another seven. Yesterday it was five, but the doctors say they want to keep an eye on me until that number reduces to two or three," he said. "Funnily enough, most of the relapses occur at night. Sleeping with the lights on doesn't even help."

Todoroki took a few seconds to find a way to reply to that. Meanwhile Katsuki stared at his phone, face remaining stoic while his mind floundered. How could Izuku just say that so casually? He was relapsing every few hours—and nobody knew about it? "I'm...I'm sorry to hear that, Midoriya," he said finally, voice heavy with sincerity. "That's terrible."

"Wait, what? What's terrible?" Uraraka asked upon hearing the heaviness in Todoroki's voice. She broke from the conversation she'd just been in with Tsu and Iida and listened as Izuku re-explained to everyone what he'd just told Todoroki. 

"So that's why I probably won't be able to go back to the school for a few days," he finished. "Sorry, guys."

"Six or seven times?" Uraraka echoed, and Katsuki imagined her with wide eyes as she stared at Izuku. "Oh my gosh...I'm so sorry to hear that," she said gently. "I didn't know...I mean, I've only ever seen you have a panic attack once..."

"Yeah, like I said, I usually have them during the night. My nightmares are..." Izuku paused for a moment, and the entire room was silent. "...bad."

"Would it help if one of us stayed with you overnight?" Uraraka asked. Katsuki internally recoiled at the thought of her spending the night with him.

Izuku had a smile in his voice as he responded, "I don't think so, sorry. I have nurses who watch over me, but nobody can really reach me when I get to that state. Whenever it happens, it just feels like I'm dreaming, and I can't control my actions. It's like passing out, except you can still kind of feel what's happening to you. I can't control myself when it happens, either. So it's weird."

"I used to have low blood pressure when I was younger, so I've had more experience with passing out than the average kid. But...it doesn't sound at all like what you're explaining," Tsu contributed. "For me, it felt like turning off a light switch—and when I woke back up, I couldn't remember anything that happened. But you say you can still feel what's happening to you in the moment?"

Izuku nodded. "Sometimes it's triggered by something, but other times it just...happens. Nobody knows. I'm not sure when they'll start to go away."

"Well...what if they never go away?" Todoroki asked the question on everybody's mind.

Everybody paused for an answer, including Katsuki. The question might've been a little inappropriate, but it was a reality. What if Deku's PTSD attacks never go away? The doctors were required to let him go someday, so what if they never found a proper solution for him? Hopefully they would just go away on their own, but the possibility was always there that he'd be suffering from this problem for the rest of his life. However unfortunate that might be, Katsuki supposed it could come true.

"Well, then..." Izuku frowned and looked down at his hands. "I guess I'll just have to live with them."

Twenty minutes later, Uraraka, Todoroki, Tsu, and Iida decided it was time to leave. Before she left, Uraraka cast a glance over her shoulder at Katsuki, who was still sitting in the corner. She raised an eyebrow at him, but unsurprisingly, he didn't look up from his phone. "Oh...Bakugou!" she said. "I didn't know you were still here. I thought you would've gone to the bar with Kirishima and the others."

Katsuki grunted. "Maybe you should be more observant, then, pink cheeks," he replied.

She chuckled. "Maybe you shouldn't sit in the corner so silently, then. What have you been doing this whole time?"

Katsuki motioned to his phone.

"Oh, I see," she said, though she still looked confused. "And you're still here...why?"

He glared at her. "None of your damn business," he shot back. "And even if it was your damn business, I wouldn't tell you."

"So, long story short, you don't have a reason."

Katsuki was about to get up and shove her out the door before Izuku inserted himself. "Okay, guys—no need to argue," he said, looking pointedly at Katsuki. The blond shrugged with a scowl.

"Yeah, Ochaco—there's no reason to pick a fight with Bakugou. I'm sure he has his reasons," Iida added, hand on Uraraka's shoulder.

The brunette smiled sweetly and shrugged. "I was just wondering," she said innocently. "No hard feelings, right Bakugou?"

"Tch," Katsuki responded with an eye roll.

Uraraka laughed and then waved goodbye. "I'll see ya later, Izuku," she said before leaving with the rest of them.

Immediately as the door closed, Katsuki got to his feet and pocketed his phone. He ran his hands through his hair with a sigh. "Jesus, Deku, why do you have the most insufferable friends?" he demanded while starting to pace around.

Izuku walked over to the table with the leftover food and grabbed a chocolate chip cookie. His classmates had left the rest of the food for Izuku to keep in his mini fridge in the corner. "They're not insufferable, Kacchan, and you shouldn't say that," he said before taking a bite of the cookie. After chewing a few times, he added, "Maybe if you tried a little harder to get along with them..."

Katsuki cut him off with a groan. "Don't even try that with me, Deku. I try just as hard to get along with them as I do with Kirishima and the others, and they like me fine. I think your group has something against me," he growled.

Izuku scoffed. "You really think Iida has something against you? You're friends with him!"

"Okay, not Iida, and not Icyhot," Katsuki admitted.

"And Tsu? You really think Tsu has something against you?"

"Fine, not Tsu, either! But Uraraka hates me. And I hate her, too."

Izuku gaped at him. "Uraraka. You think Uraraka hates you."

"Yes, she fucking hates me! Did you not hear what she just said? She always thinks she can stick her nose all up in my business. I can't stand it."

Izuku leaned back against the table as he took another bite of his cookie. A frown crossed his face. "I don't think she hates you, Kacchan. I don't think she even dislikes you. I think you confuse her, maybe—but you confuse all of us sometimes. It's because they have a hard time understanding your intentions when you say something."

Katsuki stopped pacing and met eyes with Izuku. "Oh, yeah? You think you can tell my intentions?"

The boy shrugged. "Well, yeah. Most of the time. Like if you say, "Die!" for example, you don't really want the person to die. That's just something you like to say a lot—especially when you're angry."

Katsuki was angry only moments before, but Izuku's statement made him bark out a laugh. "You're wrong there, nerd," he said. "When I tell you to die, I mean it."

Izuku laughed. "That's a lie."

"No, it's not."

Izuku narrowed his eyes while slowly chewing his cookie, and he looked like he was about to argue further before Katsuki changed the subject—something he'd been keeping in mind ever since Izuku mentioned it a while back.

"Anyway, you didn't tell me that you've been relapsing every few hours, Deku. What the hell's up with that?"

Izuku paused mid-chew and looked at him. "Oh...you were listening?"

"Obviously I was," Katsuki replied. "That's fucked up. Why didn't you tell me that yesterday?"

"I-I don't know. Why would I tell you?" Izuku asked with a shrug. "It doesn't really seem like something to just bring up. And it's not like you can do anything about it, so telling you would just cause needless worry. I didn't even want to tell the others, but it came up in conversation."

Katsuki sighed. "It's just stupid," he said. "If you don't stop relapsing, I'm gonna have to pry you away from the damn hospital bed myself. Are the doctors seriously not letting you leave until the numbers go down?"

"Yeah," Izuku pursed his lips. "But it'll be fine. They were talking to Recovery Girl and she said that I might be able to move to the nurse's office at the school, even if the numbers don't go down within the next couple of days. She said she can take care of me just as well as any doctor here can."

The blond grunted. "That's good, I guess," he said. "The sooner I can get back to beating your ass in the training arena, the better."

Izuku smiled. "Is that all you wanted to say to me?" he asked. "’Cuz you already said that."

Katsuki paused, and then he hesitated. He swayed ever so slightly where he stood. He remembered the real reason he'd stayed, and it wasn't just so he could talk to Deku. He actually had a reason for waiting all this time for everybody else to leave.

When he'd been at the store, he saw something that reminded him of a conversation he had with Izuku yesterday. Deku, if those morons were your real friends, they'd know that one single All Might plushie would've been just as meaningful as all of this combined. Katsuki reached into his pack pocket and pulled out an All Might plushie, no bigger than the palm of his hand. He tossed it to Izuku, who caught it with one hand and a wide-eyed expression. His chewing ceased as he looked at the small object, the cookie in one hand and the little toy in the other. Katsuki looked away. It was so stupid—he knew it. But to Izuku, that little All Might plushie probably made his whole day.

He liked to tell himself that he didn't know Izuku that well. He liked to lie and say that he hated the boy. He put on a hell of a convincing show to hide it—or at least, he thought he did—but at the end of the day, Katsuki probably knew Izuku better than any of those other morons combined.

Chapter Text

The next four days went by at a surprisingly stable pace. There were no more humdrum days spent wasting away in his room, and he didn't find himself in any situations where he thought he would die of boredom. Actually, for the most part, he found himself outside of his room more than in. He socialized with Kirishima, Mina, and the others—he even attended a class gathering or two. He went on walks. He did the stretches that the physical trainer told him to do to help his spine heal faster. He went to the store, he cooked himself meals, and he overall just felt pretty productive.

He did all of these things, sure—but where did he spend most of his time? 

The nerd's room.

Katsuki found himself gravitating towards Deku's room more and more with each day that passed. He didn't know what the hell was the big idea—why was he spending so much time with Izuku? What was so great about his room that Katsuki didn't have in his own room? The honest answer is nothing. There is absolutely nothing that Deku's room does better than his own. The fridge was smaller, the chairs were uncomfortable, and the scent of fucking flowers was almost nauseating at times. And plus, the room was almost never quiet—there were always doctors, classmates, or parents coming in and out, visiting Izuku or running tests on him. So that was annoying, too. There were plenty of annoying things about Izuku's room, and yet, Katsuki still decided to hang out in there—even more than in his own room.

At first, there was a max of two hours per visit before Katsuki would want to leave and do something that didn't involve Izuku. The next day, he spent even more time around—and now, on day four, he was spending the majority of the day in the hospital. Whether that was getting lunch from the cafeteria, sitting in the corner of the room listening to Izuku and his friends talk, or playing a board game with the nerd to pass the time, he was spending a lot more time in that room than he originally planned.

He was doing this because he felt bad for Izuku. He felt bad after what happened. Izuku getting kidnapped and suffering a bunch of trauma before Katsuki could reach him; that was the biggest one. But he also felt bad for ignoring Izuku for two days after he got back, he felt bad for not knowing about Izuku’s nightly panic attacks, and he felt bad for a cartload of other shit that he'd done in the past. Bullying, for example. He still felt bad about that from time to time. And so, Katsuki was spending this time with Izuku partly because he felt bad, and partly because he wanted to keep track of his recovery. The other part, he figured, was because he had nothing better to do with his inability to train and go to classes—but it was mostly for the former two reasons.

He's learned a few card games over the past few days, including solitaire, poker, and a funny little game called rummy. All of which Izuku taught him how to play. Apparently, Izuku had joined a game club in middle school, so he was nothing short of a master. Katsuki still owed him twenty bucks from when they played poker. He wasn't a fool enough to try that again.

Though it did hurt his ego to get smoked time and time again when he played the games, it was amusing to see that mischievous look pass over Izuku's face each time he was about to play the game-winning card. His eyebrows would scrunch all together and his lips would curl up as if he was trying to pull off the look of some evil mastermind. And then he'd play the card—or hand of cards—and throw up his arms in exclamation. "Beat you again, Kacchan!" he'd say, and then he'd laugh, do his little dance, and hold out his hand for a sportsmanlike handshake.

Katsuki, of course, would slap his hand away each time. He was endlessly competitive, so losing was really beginning to humble him in the card-playing department—not like he ever considered himself good at it to begin with. But they'd always end up playing again, anyway. Either that or Katsuki would storm out and come back five minutes later with a new game to play from the hospital's game room. At the end of the day, they always had a stack of used games beside the bed that he had to put away. They were gonna run out of new ones soon, he thought.

Yesterday they were playing checkers—just about the only game Katsuki actually knew how to play—and he'd actually won. "Checkmate, bitch!" he shouted after slamming his final piece on the board, the move that wiped out Izuku's remaining pawn. He grabbed a handful of pieces on the side of the bed and threw them at the unsuspecting Izuku. "Eat that!"

"You wouldn't say checkmate, Kacchan. That's for chess," Izuku corrected, lowering his hands from where they'd been shielding his face. A few of the small wooden pieces were still clattering to the ground from when Katsuki had thrown them at Izuku's head. "And that's not very good sportsmanship!"

"I don't give a fuck, Deku. I finally beat you," Katsuki said, flaunting his middle fingers. "That's right. I am the fucking master of checkers."

Katsuki was acting cocky, but part of him knew that Izuku let him win.

They played a few more games of checkers—Katsuki and Izuku both won twice—before the blond was getting hangry. He almost flipped the board when Izuku was beating him for the second time, so he decided to put that on hold and make dinner. He went back to the dorm, grabbed dinner's ingredients to cook it in the kitchen downstairs, and then brought it back for him and Izuku to share. On this particular night, it was pork chops and asparagus. He always made sure to keep it healthy so Izuku didn't get sick.

Uraraka came by later for her nightly visit—no really, she came by every single night—and she and Deku struck up some flirty conversation before she left again. Katsuki noticed she and Izuku seemed to be growing closer every day, and though he held his tongue about it, he didn't exactly like it. Not like it matters at all about who Deku decides to date, befriend, fuck, and all the rest—but Katsuki's dislike for Uraraka got in the way of his better judgment. She didn't like him, and he didn't like her. That was that. He knew he didn't have any say in it, so he kept to himself.

To everyone's relief, Izuku was relapsing less and less every day. In the past 48 hours, he'd averaged about three panic attacks per day, and they only happen at night. Katsuki had never actually witnessed him having a panic attack, and he found that somewhat relieving. He wouldn't know what to do if Izuku started doing all of the things he described during one of the attacks.

"According to the nurses, I sit straight up and go really pale, and I have a really blank look on my face. Depending on the severity of the attack, sometimes I'll pass out or start seizing, and other times I'll just sit stiff as a board for a while until it passes. On a few occurrences, though, I've actually gotten out of bed and tried to run out of the room. They'd be forced to call the security guards to restrain me. Once, they had to put me to sleep because I just would not stop trying to run."

"Usually when I wake up, I remember everything that happened—but sometimes I'll just be having a nightmare, and when I wake up I'm being restrained. It's really confusing until I can figure out what's going on. And then I always feel horrified, because, like...what if I accidentally hurt somebody?"

Izuku had told all of this to Katsuki yesterday in the midst of their go-fish tournament. Katsuki had listened curiously, and though it was unfortunate for Deku to be going through all of these things, it also made Katsuki feel incredibly guilty. He knew he had no reason to feel that way, and yet the guilt clung to him like a hateful shadow. It gripped his body whenever he heard about all of these atrocious things that Deku was being forced to go through, even after he'd been rescued. He felt guilty even though there was nothing he could do about it. 

All of this gratuitous guilt just fed into Katsuki's anger, as everything seemed to do. It was all stacking up in his head over time. And the worst part was that he couldn't even utilize training as an outlet for his frustration, all because of his stupid fucking spine injury. And that just made him even angrier. Though he was successfully managing his anger for the most part, he knew it was only a matter of time before it would all come spilling out.

Today, though, was not the day for that. He was sitting on the foot of Izuku's bed with a hand of Uno cards, staring furiously at his three blues and one green. Izuku had just changed the color to red for the third time in a row, so he was getting pissed.

"Jesus, pick a different fucking color!" Katsuki seethed while reaching down to the pile of cards to draw from. He picked up another blue. "Damn it!"

"Kacchan, I'm gonna win," Izuku sang as he discarded another red card from his hand, a grin on his face and green eyes shining with amusement. He only had two cards left while Katsuki had five. They'd eaten lunch only half an hour ago, so Katsuki didn't have the excuse of being hangry—and yet, he was furious. This was the seventh game they've played today, and this was the seventh game he would've lost. He hated losing.

"You're a goddamn snake, you know that?" Katsuki grumbled as he picked up another card. "How many more reds you got in there, huh?"

Izuku took a card from his hand and played it down. Another red. "Well, if I told you, it wouldn't be—"

"Uno!" Katsuki shouted before he could finish whatever he was saying. "That was a trick question, nerd. Now you gotta draw four." He knew that if the opponent called out 'Uno' before the player of the card could do so, the latter was forced to draw four.

Izuku stared at him with his mouth open. "Uh—since when?"

"Since, I don't know, the fucking rulebook? If the other player says Uno before the first person can say it, they have to draw four. Didn't they teach you that in your fancy little game club?" Katsuki demanded, thumbing four new cards into his palm and tossing them face-down to Izuku so he couldn't see. "Pick 'em up. I'm about to beat you now."

"Wait, that's not how I learned to play!" Izuku exclaimed, ignoring the cards Katsuki had just tossed him. He stared incredulously at the blond while Katsuki rolled his eyes. "I've never heard of that rule in my life, Kacchan. Who taught you how to play?"

"My mom, Deku," Katsuki replied. "Do you think she would lie to me about something as stupid as that?"

"Well, no, but I'm just saying that rule is a little ridiculous," Izuku replied stubbornly. "How am I supposed to say it before you if you said it the instant I played my card down? That doesn't make any sense, and it's not fair, either."

"That's because I distracted you with a question before you played it, and then I was able to say it before you," Katsuki shot back with narrowed eyes. "That's pretty fucking obvious, and it's pretty fucking fair. What, is that too strategic for you, Deku? Is that what you're sayin'?"

"Oh my— no, Kacchan, that's not what I'm saying. I'm just saying I've never heard of that rule before. That doesn't mean you're wrong, that just means I haven't played Uno the same way you have."

"Okay, nerd, then go get the rulebook."

Izuku stared at him. "The Uno rulebook?" he deadpanned. "I don't think that exists."

"Yes, it fucking exists!" Katsuki quipped. "Actually, it's in my pocket."

He pulled out his phone.

"Hey Siri, is there a rule in Uno about saying Uno before the other person?" he asked, staring contemptuously at Izuku all the while. Meanwhile, the boy was looking at him curiously as he waited for a response.

The phone processed the question for a moment before the robotic voice answered: "According to the web, to play the game fairly, the official rules of Uno state that if someone calls out Uno before the person that has one card, the player that has one card has to pick four cards."

Katsuki smirked and tilted his head at Izuku. "You gonna argue with the robot?"

Upon hearing that he was wrong, Izuku sighed heavily and picked up the four cards Katsuki had already passed him. "Ugh...and I was about to win, too." They both had five now.

"I think you've won your fair share of games, you greedy bastard," Katsuki jeered while picking up another card. The color was still red, and his hand was full of blues and greens. He drew a red that time, though, and played it as his turn. "It's pretty fucked up that you'd try to cheat even though you've already beat me a hundred times today. To believe that all these years, I thought you were a nice guy."

"It's not my decision what I was taught!" Izuku defended himself while playing a red card. "You can't cheat based on something you don't know."

"Still cheating," Katsuki said before drawing his next card. A smirk almost bloomed on his face when he realized it was a Draw 4. You're in for it now, he thought while bringing it to his hand, beginning to strategize a plan for when to use it.

Just as he was about to play the Draw 4 and change the tide of the game, there was a knock at the door and he paused, waiting for Deku to answer. They both looked at each other and Katsuki shrugged indifferently. "Come in," Izuku called after a moment of hesitation, and a few seconds later the door clicked and swung open. In came Uraraka, Shoto, Iida, and Katsuki's friend group, too. They all broke into exclamations of happy greetings and 'how are you's as the room suddenly teemed with life. The new additions walked over to see what was going on while Katsuki couldn't help but feel a little annoyed. 

"Hey, Izuku! Whatcha doing?" Uraraka asked as she walked past Katsuki to stand beside Izuku at the head of the bed and look over his shoulder. "Oh, Uno. I used to play that game a lot as a kid. Fun!" Katsuki noticed how she made a point not to look at him.

"Bakugou, we thought we might find you here!" Kirishima said as he walked over and clapped Katsuki on the shoulder. "How's your day been?" he asked, but he ended up answering himself when he caught a glimpse of what the two boys were playing. "Uno with Midoriya? Jeez, you guys must really be bored."

"It's actually a pretty good game!" Izuku replied. "We're sort of running out of games to play, so this was actually a last resort...but fun regardless."

"Yeah, I mean, you guys have been spending a lot of time together!" Mina agreed while pulling up a chair to watch the game. "Well, I wanna see who wins! How about you guys?" she asked Kirishima, Sero, and Denki, who were standing behind Katsuki now.

"As long as we don't get blown up if he loses!" Denki replied, and everyone broke into laughs while Katsuki craned his neck around to glare at him.

"I've got an explosion with your name on it, Dunce face."

"Yikes!"

Katsuki and Izuku continued, keeping each other in the game using Draw 4's and Draw 2's. It was a tight match. Katsuki was saving one Draw 4 for the end as his finishing move. A strategy that had won him many games before, and something he would need if he wanted to beat Izuku, the self-proclaimed 'Uno master'.

Each time Katsuki played a good card or his number of cards started to dwindle, the four watching him would cheer him on—and each time the same thing happened with Izuku, his three friends would cheer him on. The stakes flourished as tension levels in the room quickly skyrocketed with all the new eyes. Katsuki was getting a little more heated than he thought he would, and Izuku had a concentrated look on his face as he struggled to beat Katsuki in this game of wits. 

The irony was that the game didn't even involve wits. Actually, it was all luck. Uno is all about luck, but so far, it seemed they were both getting roughly the same amount. So in the end, it all came down to bluffing abilities—and, of course, playing your cards at the right time.

"Let's see...do you have a green or a red, Kacchan?" Izuku asked as he stared at Katsuki's face, trying to read something from his reaction. The color was red and Katsuki's final card was the Draw 4—but he couldn't let Izuku know that. This was the second time he'd gotten down to Uno, but Izuku always seemed to have just the right cards to keep him in.

He put on his best poker face and shrugged. "I don't know, Deku. Depending on what card you play, you're about to find out."

"Ooh, snap," Kirishima grinned.

"Oh yeah? Well, now that makes me think you have a red," Izuku said, mostly just muttering to himself. "If you have a red, then you're going to go out...but if I don't play my red now, then it might be a full rotation before I get the chance to play it again. But more importantly, I should be accounting for what color you have, since you'll be playing directly after me. This could very well be the last move of the game...hm..." Muttering like an idiot. 

He surveyed his three cards, a thoughtful look on his face. "Yeah, maybe I should play that..." Izuku gently pinched his bottom lip between his forefinger and thumb, a habit he'd picked up whenever he found himself deep in thought. Katsuki let it play out, holding his card close to his chest so that there was no chance for Izuku to see it. If Izuku didn't make him draw, it wouldn't matter what color he played. Katsuki would go out regardless.

"Alright, I've made my decision," Izuku said, and then he played a Draw 2.

Katsuki's group let out long-winded exhales and sighs of disappointment while the blond begrudgingly picked up two cards. "Damn it, Deku, how many fucking Draw 2's do you have? Jesus, this game will never end."

"I guess we'll never know," Izuku cooed, looking pleased with himself for making the right call. 

“That was a good one, Midoriya,” Todoroki agreed as he watched, sitting on the edge of the bed beside the cross-legged Izuku. Katsuki snapped up his gaze to look at the half-and-half bastard.

“Icyhot, what the hell?” Katsuki demanded. “Why are you on his side, anyway?"

“You have your own fans,” Todoroki answered with a shrug, motioning to Kirishima and the others. 

"Yeah, Bakugou, you have us! We're amazing cheerleaders," Denki agreed, leaning over the side of the bed. "You don't need that guy when you have me."

"I don't need him anyway," Katsuki replied, pushing Denki's face away before looking back at Todoroki. "Just remember you said that when I beat this nerd into a fuckin' pulp."

Izuku opened his mouth, looking like he was about to respond, before Uraraka got to it first. "You could never beat him. Izuku is practically a genius!"

There was a chorus of laughs and hollow bickering between each side, but Katsuki found himself staring distastefully at Uraraka, off-put by that comment. The way she was calling him 'Izuku' all the time was getting on his nerves—that was, like, the fifth time she'd called him 'Izuku' within the past five minutes. Did nobody else notice how damn repetitive it was getting? And since Katsuki was never one to hold back, he just straight up decided to ask her, not caring whether everyone was listening or not.

"Why the hell do you always call him Izuku?"

A beat of silence ensued while Katsuki and Uraraka stared at each other. She looked slightly confused while Katsuki had a frown on his face. It was, for the most part, a genuine question. Why did she feel so intimate with him that she thought she could call him by his first name? Not even Todoroki called him that, and Katsuki was pretty fucking sure they were best friends. So why did Uraraka feel so entitled?

"Uh... is that a real question?" Uraraka asked, glancing around with a confused expression in search of someone who would show her some empathy. But nobody gave her any. They were all looking at Katsuki, confused and surprised by his sudden change of mood. Why was he asking that? Why did it matter? Things were getting pretty awkward pretty quickly as the seconds passed and nobody had any idea of what to say.

"Kacchan," Izuku interrupted finally in an attempt to diffuse the situation, "don't do this now."

"Do what now? It was just a question," Katsuki replied offhandedly, playing another card to act casual. In reality, though, irritation was rolling off of him in waves. Don't act all reserved. Come on, let's hear it.

"Um, okay... why do I call him Izuku?" Uraraka repeated the question, looking at Deku. His eyes spared her a glance, but then they flitted to land on Katsuki. The blond, however, was looking at his cards, waiting for him to play something. Their game seemed to be on halt until Uraraka gave her response. Everyone else seemed to notice that this was a conversation between the three of them, so they remained quiet in anticipation.

"I guess I call him Izuku because he's a really special person to me," Uraraka replied, looking away. With a sick feeling growing in Katsuki's stomach, he glanced up and realized she was blushing. "He's really helped me come out of my comfort zone over the past couple of years, but more than that, he's helped open my eyes to what's great about life. I really appreciate him a lot, and... well, it just wouldn't feel right calling him anything other than Izuku. Losing him for a week really made me realize that I need him," she said honestly.

Everybody gave awws and happy little hums of approval upon hearing her heartfelt confession, while Katsuki just looked down at his cards. "Thanks, Uraraka, that's really nice of you to say. I need you, too," Izuku replied amicably, and Katsuki didn't need to look up to know that he was smiling at her. He held his breath and grit his teeth to keep from saying something else. That was a helluva lot better response than what Katsuki was expecting her to say, and it was so fucking sincere that he could feel his teeth starting to rot. Something like anger clenched his gut as he listened to the rest of their warmhearted conversations peter out.

"Does that bother you, Bakugou?" Uraraka asked after she and Deku finished their conversation, and Katsuki had to look up because he'd been completely zoning out for the past thirty seconds. He looked at her and noticed she was frowning. Maybe she really was bothered by his concern for the subject—or maybe she was just pretending like she cared. Whether or not she was faking it, her face looked sincere—and it made Katsuki feel all the more sick to his gut.

"No. Why would it bother me?" he replied simply.

And the game continued.

Izuku and Katsuki continued the game, but that hunger to win had deserted Katsuki. Conversations went back to how they'd been before, and even though Katsuki didn't join in on any of them, they didn't seem to notice his change of heart. He kept quiet as they played out the rest of the game—but what he didn't notice was that Izuku was staying largely quiet, too. The conversation between Katsuki and Uraraka had thrown the both of them into a sort of uncomfortable silence. Izuku couldn't quite figure out what was bothering Katsuki, while the latter just felt annoyed by it all.

Uraraka's reasoning had been perfectly sound—that was the first thing that miffed him. She actually had a normal reason for calling him Izuku, and though it was true that the first-name basis was not reciprocated, it was true that Izuku was at least okay with her calling him that.

That was the first most annoying part of this conversation—but to be truthful, the second most aggravating thing was his own bother with the subject.

Why the hell was it Katsuki's problem that Uraraka, as much as his own personal opinion said she was annoying, felt intimate enough with Izuku to call him by his first name? It shouldn't matter to him. It didn't matter. It never has before. Besides, she and Izuku were friends. If Izuku liked her enough to be friends with her, then Katsuki should be able to man up enough to at least withstand her. Act friendly towards her. He should be able to control himself enough not to lash out at her simply because of the way she referred to Deku.

And yet, he just couldn't.

He couldn't stand it when she called him Izuku, and he couldn't stand it when she spoke affectionately toward him. He couldn't stand it when they flirted. He couldn't stand it when they talked about each other like they were the only other person in the room. Because that's what people in fucking relationships do. It made Uraraka seem like she was the closest person to Izuku, it made her seem like she knew everything in the world about him. It made Katsuki question his own judgment, and that, in turn, was beginning to confuse the fuck out of him.

He told himself he didn't care about who Deku dates, befriends, or fucks. He doesn't give a shit about who Izuku associated himself with, and that's a fact. That's what he will continue to tell himself. But at the same time, it seemed that part of him—his weaker half, it appeared—was starting to care, at least a tiny bit. Enough to make him feel a twinge of, what...resentment? Antagonism? Whatever it was, it was annoying as fuck, and it nagged at him more and more every time he caught her acting that way toward him. And at the end of the day, all that feeling did was make him even angrier than he already was.

The game came to a close with Izuku taking the win. He celebrated with his friends after placing down his final card, and Katsuki, realizing he'd lost, tossed his final card onto the pile—the Draw 4. He would've won if not for his own stupid antics. But in the end, his head just wasn't in it.

After ten seconds or so of celebrating, Izuku broke away from the group and looked at Katsuki with a smile. "Good game, Kacchan," he said, sticking out his hand for a handshake to show sportsmanship—just like he did every other time he beat Katsuki.

But if there was one time the blond was absolutely not going to take one of his handshakes, it was now.

Katsuki backhand smacked Izuku's palm out of reach. "Sure, Deku," he muttered. "Just great."

He turned to Kirishima, Denki, Mina, and Sero, who were giving him encouraging words and pats on the back. "It's alright, bro, you'll get him next time," Kirishima said with a grin. It wasn't exactly a new occurrence for him not to show sportsmanlike behavior, so everybody was pretty much used to it—including Izuku.

"It was a fun game to watch," Denki agreed.

"Don't go acting all sore now," Mina added, winking at him. "I know how much your Uno games mean to you."

"Just shut up, guys," Katsuki grumbled, eyes rolling so far back into his head that they almost tumbled into his brain. "What the hell did you idiots come here for, anyway?"

They all laughed until Kirishima said, "Oh, well, it might seem stupid, but we were going to see if you wanted to go..." he coughed, "...day drinking with us." He murmured the last part under his breath, shielding his mouth as if there was anyone around who would want to eavesdrop. Katsuki's nose wrinkled at the idea—he'd never been a fan of day drinking, nor drinking in general—but for some reason at this particular moment, he found himself considering it.

He looked back at Izuku and wasn't shocked to witness Uraraka finish whispering something in his ear, giggle, and then look at Katsuki. Izuku looked up at him, too, though he wasn't smiling. And as the two looked at him in one synchronized movement, he knew almost immediately that what she said had been about him.

"What is it, pink cheeks?" Katsuki asked nonchalantly, cutting through the conversation between Iida and Todoroki and bringing silence to the room once again. It seemed that every time he spoke to her, everybody wanted to hear what they had to say. "You wanna tell it to my face?" The fire had long fleeted Katsuki's actions, let alone his words. If she wanted to whisper shit about him in Izuku's ear, he would let her—but now that she's been caught, he wanted to hear what she had to say. He looked at her, letting Izuku stare at the side of his face. He could feel the nerd's gaze boring into his skin hotter than if it were a laser.

Uraraka shrugged, then chuckled. "Just that you're a bit of a sore loser," she said innocently with a benevolent smile. "But I didn't mean anything by it. Sorry." And yet, there wasn't a hint of remorse in her voice.

Katsuki narrowed his eyes at her but didn't say anything more. It was true—he was acting like a sore loser. But it wasn't entirely because he'd lost the game.

"Uraraka's kind of right, you know," Denki interjected, and Katsuki turned around to face his four friends. He couldn't fucking look at her anymore. He couldn't look at Izuku anymore—not that any of it was his fault. He just wanted to get out of here.

"I could go for some drinks," Katsuki said after a moment of thought. "Let's go."

"Shit, really?" Kirishima exclaimed, eyes wide and shining as he looked at Katsuki, then at Denki. "I didn't think he'd come along!" Katsuki pushed him and Denki towards the door.

"Me neither!" Denki agreed, and the two of them rowdily made their way out of the room. Mina and Sero followed, laughing in a more resigned manner. Katsuki trailed after them, one hand in his pocket and the other at his side. There was an almost nauseating feeling in his stomach that would take some time to go away, but the first step to getting rid of it was getting the fuck out of this room.

"Wait, Kacchan," came Izuku's voice when he was already about halfway out the door. In spite of himself, he paused. He didn't look back—but he spared a few seconds for the nerd to say whatever it is he wanted to say. "You...I mean..." Izuku sputtered for a moment, and Katsuki counted the seconds as he waited. "You don't have to leave," Izuku finally said.

Katsuki clenched his jaw and grabbed the door. "Cya later, Deku," he said. Then he left.

An hour and a half later, Katsuki was slouching in the corner of the U booth with one leg drawn to his chest and the other extended lazily beneath the table. Kirishima and Mina were arm-in-arm to his right sharing a beer, while Sero and Denki were damn near wasted to his left. Their alcohol levels had started getting a little out of hand at only an hour in, so Katsuki was making sure those two didn't fly off the handle. Thirty minutes ago, he'd cut off Denki and Sero from any more drinks in hopes that they might sober up by the time it was time to leave, but with the way things were going, it didn't seem like that was happening. They were currently in the midst of a heated singing competition that didn't sound like it was gonna be ending any time soon.

It always amazed Katsuki just how easy it was for those two to get drunk. Two shots, and they were tipsy—give it five, and they were already slurring their words and stumbling around like idiots. He supposed it most likely had something to do with the time frame in which the alcohol was ingested, but still, it was a little pathetic. Denki didn't have a mature bone in his body, and though Sero made an effort to be a little more cognizant, he still ended up getting dragged into chaos whenever sparky was involved.

It made Katsuki wonder why he even agreed to come along in the first place. He reckoned that even though it was exhausting chasing after those two all the time, at least it could distract him from what happened in the hospital.

That's all this was, if he was being honest with himself. A distraction.

Not a healthy one, obviously. Destroying your liver was never a good way to go about distracting yourself from real-life problems. Katsuki didn't really like drinking, and even if he did, he wouldn't do it much. He was striving to be a hero—the Number One Hero, at that. And even though getting caught drinking underage wouldn't exactly inhibit him from doing that forever, it would probably knock him back a few years. At the very least, it would end up on his record—Katsuki Bakugou detained for underage drinking, age eighteen. Something like that wouldn't look good, so let's just say he didn't do this often.

But on the off-chance it did happen...he knew how to make the most of it.

After more than a few drinks, he was definitely feeling the heaviness of the alcohol—but it was a nice, floaty heaviness. As if he was drifting across the surface of a dark, metallic lagoon. His chaotic mind was fuzzy with slush and his restless thoughts had been put to sleep. It was the most relaxed he'd been in a while, and it was nice. He didn't normally let himself drink this much, but Kirishima already volunteered to drive everyone home, so he just figured what the hell.

Katsuki's arm was extended out atop his knee with a Crown and Coke in hand, while his other arm was sitting loosely on his other thigh. The bar was bustling with energy and music, while the lights were dim and the atmosphere was somber and warm. His brain was focusing entirely on the music while his eyes drifted across the ceiling, studying all of the beams, boards, and piping systems.

He lifted the drink to his lips and took a sip of the fresh iced liquid, letting it slide smoothly down his tingling throat and pool like fire in his stomach. It felt good, he thought, before taking another swig. He wondered if this was his eighth or his ninth drink, but knew it didn't matter. All that mattered was that he was enjoying himself. The music that the bar was playing kept him grounded as he blocked out the noises from everything else and just lasered in on the song, and the voice of the guy singing it. Could you tell where my head was at when you found me? 

He leaned his head back against the cushion and sighed.

Me and you went to hell and back just to find peace

The lights looked fuzzy as he blinked slowly, the audio in his ears fading in and out as if he were being dunked underwater.

Man, I thought I had everything, I was lonely

Now you're my everything, I was lonely

He wasn't exactly paying attention to the lyrics, and he had no idea what the song was called, but the beat was rhythmic and lulled his head into following along. Everything just sort of went strangely calm for a while, and as he stared up at the ceiling with warm eyes and a completely relaxed body, he couldn't have felt freer. He was floating on a cloud high above the sky, or he was levitating on a bed of air itself. Nothing could've made him feel more weightless than what he felt in those few moments.

At least, that was until he had to come back to reality—just as everyone must always do. A certain noise cut through the indistinct chatter coming from everywhere around him, a noise he recognized as his name.

"Bakugou," Kirishima repeated for the fourth time, and then a hand waved in front of his face to get his attention. Katsuki opened his eyes and peeled his gaze off the ceiling to look at Kirishima, who was staring at him with raised eyebrows. Mina was laughing from beside him, and it was likely that she was laughing at him. Katsuki's hearing returned in a rush and he was suddenly back in the crowded bar with his friends on a Friday evening, no longer floating on a cloud in outer space like he'd been only moments before. How unfortunate.

"Oh man, Bakugou's wasted," Mina teased as Katsuki sat up normally on the booth with both feet on the floor. He blinked and stretched his jaw, feeling like he'd just slept an hour.

"Are you drunk, man?" Kirishima asked with a hint of worry as he watched Katsuki's lackadaisical movements. "You never get drunk."

"No, I'm not fucking drunk," Katsuki shot back before running his hands roughly over his face to wake himself up fully. He'd been drifting off there for a minute or two, but now he was back to reality. He lifted his drink to his lips only to realize a moment later that there was no drink in his hand. He stared at his empty hand incredulously—it was even shaped into the form of a glass. It'd been there only moments before. What the hell? Katsuki blinked furiously and looked around before noticing it on the table, empty with just some water from the ice cubes left at the bottom. Hold on...when did I put that there?

"Sorry bro, I haven't exactly been keeping track of how much you're drinking...was I supposed to?" Kirishima continued while Katsuki had this small existential crisis. "Me and Mina were just talking, and you looked like you were bored, but I didn't think you had that much, and... did you just try to drink the air?"

"Jesus, no, I didn't," Katsuki responded quickly. "I'm not drunk, okay?" he blinked at Kirishima meaningfully. "I don't get drunk. Everybody knows that." But what Katsuki didn't know was that to Kirishima, his words were slurred and he sounded like he was speaking in slow-motion. Mina giggled and Kirishima rolled his eyes—they'd only split a few drinks and some french fries, so they were doing fine enough to know that Katsuki was, indeed, a little drunk.

"Okay, fine, you're not drunk. I'm gonna close your tab, though, because I'm a good friend. Can you give me your card?" he asked, holding out his hand.

After a moment of thought, Katsuki grabbed his empty glass from the table and put it in Kirishima's hand. "No, your card," Kirishima reinforced, stifling a chuckle unlike Mina who blatantly laughed. "Card, as in your credit card?"

"Fuck. I knew that." Katsuki reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet before fishing out the card and handing it to Kirishima. "Just don't spend all my money, got it?"

"That's all up to you, my friend," Kirishima said with a laugh. "My guess is that your pin number is the same as it was the last time we were here?" he asked, but Katsuki shrugged. He had no idea. Kirishima shook his head with a light scoff before following Mina as she scooted out of the booth so they could find the bartender to pay. The group's evening was coming to a close.

Katsuki looked over at Sero and Denki to see them slouching over the table, sleeping. When the hell did that happen? Just a minute ago they'd been singing like idiots, and now they were passed out? He scoffed. It really didn't take them long to get blackout drunk, did it? Great, he thought. Now he and Kirishima were gonna have to carry them to the car.

But to Katsuki, something wasn't adding up. Even in his drunken mind, he could sense it. Why had his drink been on the table when he thought it was in his hand? And why were Denki and Sero suddenly passed out over the table, when the last thing he remembered was watching them sing and dance like goons in their seats? Something was awry. Had Katsuki passed out? He couldn't remember ever closing his eyes, and yet here he was. Either he was misremembering, hallucinating, or he'd passed out. And none of those options sounded very...like him.

He looked at the clock on the wall and his jaw almost dropped when he read the time. The group had arrived here at 3:00 and drank for an hour and a half before they started slowing down. That means if Katsuki passed out, he would've passed out around 4:30 or 4:45.

So why the hell was it almost six o'clock? 5:52, the clock said. Five fifty two. No fucking way.

Katsuki had passed out for more than an hour.

"What the shit," he muttered, staring at the hands on the clock to make sure he was reading them right. He was. "What..."

How did nobody notice he'd been asleep? What kind of fucking conversation had Mina and Kirishima been having to ignore him for that long? He had no idea. All he knew was that alcohol was some terrifying shit and he'd probably overdone it. Definitely shouldn't do that again, he thought as he waited for Kirishima and Mina to return from the bar.

Now that Katsuki was finally being forced back into reality, he was unwillingly brought to remember his reason for coming here in the first place. Izuku's face flashed in his head and he closed his eyes. No, it wasn't Izuku that had driven him here—it was that damn Uraraka. The way she touched him. The way she looked at him, talked about him, talked to him. The way she felt intimate enough to call him by his first name, and buy him beautiful roses, and fucking whisper things into his ear behind Katsuki's back. It wasn't even the fact that she felt comfortable enough to make fun of Katsuki, it was the fact that she was whispering shit in his ear to begin with. In front of everybody—in front of Katsuki himself.

The more he thought about it, the more he started to realize it. Maybe she was a good match for him. Maybe Uraraka made Izuku happy. Maybe they were best friends and Katsuki was getting in the way of that. He had no idea what was going on between the two of them, but whatever it was, it was confusing as hell to try and figure out. He didn't know why he could even be bothered in the first place—he had no reason to be sticking his nose in Deku's business, or even to be pretending like he was affected by the goings-on in Deku's life. Now that he thought about it, he shouldn't even be here right now. He shouldn't be acting so damn afflicted.

Katsuki should leave. He wanted to leave—he shouldn't be acting so damn weak. What was wrong with him? Thinking about his reasons for coming here was really starting to put things in perspective. Was he really here, drinking his ass into oblivion, because pink cheeks was Deku's friend? Was he seriously here because she did nice things for him, as any friend did for another? Was he seriously here because of that?

Or was he here because he might've been wrong about Uraraka. Because maybe she was a good person for Deku, and maybe they got along better than he was ever willing to admit.

Maybe he was here because he thought Uraraka was a better friend than Katsuki could ever be.

She never made fun of him, or pushed him around, or hurt him. She never did any of the terrible things that Katsuki had done to him in the past. She was kind, elegant, and talkative—a social butterfly, a center point of attention in the class. Everyone had their eyes on her, whether they were willing to admit it or not. It'd be foolish to turn her down if she told you she was interested. And with the way things were pointing lately, the way she was presenting herself...she was definitely interested in Izuku. So what the hell was stopping them from getting together?

Five minutes later, Kirishima and Mina returned to the table and started packing everything up to go. Katsuki had snapped himself out of his reverie in the meantime and started helping stack cups. He realized there was no reason to be thinking about any of that shit, and consequently scolded himself for being so stupid. Getting himself wrapped up in school drama right now was all but what he needed.

Once all of their drinks were paid for and they somehow managed to wake Denki and Sero, the group started making their way to the car with Kirishima and Mina doing most of the heavy lifting. The outside environment was refreshing and quiet in comparison to the loud, lawless realm of the bar. Katsuki was wavering slightly in his step, but that was nothing compared to the other guys, who practically needed to be carried if they wanted to make it home.

"Denki, you weigh, like, a million pounds," Mina huffed as she struggled under his weight. He was leaning across her shoulder heavily.

"Yeah, I think Sero put on about ten pounds worth of liquor," Kirishima added with a chuckle and, in turn, a few indignant grumbles from Sero.

"Hey, I can help, too, you know," Katsuki insisted as he trailed behind the others, but Kirishima and Mina were both quick to politely refuse.

They crossed the parking lot and arrived at Katsuki's car, where thankfully he'd parked in a relatively obvious place. "Can you unlock it?" Kirishima asked over his shoulder, and Katsuki fumbled with the keychain for a moment before he could press the unlock button. Kirishima and Mina spilled Sero and Denki into the backseat while Katsuki languidly took the passenger. Mina looked like she wanted to argue, but since it was Katsuki's car, she bit her tongue and got in the backseat with the guys.

Kirishima got in front and Katsuki handed him the keys. "Drive good," the blond said before resting his forehead against the window and looking out at the afternoon sky, wincing at the evening sun. Not even sunset and 60% of their group members were already buzzed.

"I swear, if one of you guys throws up on me, I will freak," Mina told Denki and Sero, who were struggling to remain sitting upright.

"D'worry, I am completely sssober," Denki, who was sitting directly beside her, assured with a thumbs-up. Mina groaned fearfully.

"I swear, if one of you throws up in my car, you won't taste another lick of alcohol for the rest of your damn lives," Katsuki added as he pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to focus. He felt like he was spinning. As Kirishima backed out of the parking spot, Katsuki looked out the window and tried not to feel too disgusted with himself.

"This is what we get for going day drinking," he grumbled as the car pulled out of the parking lot.

When they got back to the housing unit, Kirishima and Mina had to face the daunting task of waking Denki and Sero back up and bringing them to their rooms. Meanwhile, Katsuki started making his way to his bed. He just wanted to sleep. "Kirishima, gimme back my keys in the morning," he called over his shoulder, not caring whether Kirishima heard him or not before he was pushing through the doors to enter the school. Luckily, there weren't any teachers or staff members in the common area, so he could just make his way up the three flights of stairs and down the hall in peace.

Upon getting to his room, he stumbled inside and was glad to be met with cold, comforting darkness. His curtains were pulled shut and his bed was made, so all he needed to do now was kick off his shoes and climb into bed. He had some trouble with the shoes because his depth perception was warped, but once they were off, he crawled under the covers and heaved a heavy sigh of relief to be in the comfort of his own room again. As the breath spilled past his lips and his lungs decompressed, he felt his body immediately begin to unwind and relax, melting into the bed as if he were made of wax.

That dizzy feeling was starting to fade now as the alcohol was beginning its long process of wearing off, but he still felt woozy and tired. His last thought before drifting into an untroubled sleep was that he hoped he didn't have too bad of a hangover in the morning. 

When Katsuki woke the next day, he was blessed with only a mild headache and a bone-dry mouth as his hangover. He couldn't complain. He rolled out of bed and rubbed his eyes, still a little woozy as he got to his feet. Nothing a shower couldn't fix. If he hadn't been completely sober when he woke up, he definitely was after a hot shower and a few bottles of water. Already feeling loads better and no longer experiencing that vertigo he'd felt when he'd awoken, Katsuki checked his phone and groaned upon reading the time. 1:13, his home screen informed him. It was already past lunch. He'd usually be at the hospital by this time.

He re-tightened his back brace after taking it off for the shower and threw on a black tank-top and sweats. He tried not to think about yesterday; it was making him angry. Everything made him angry, but the events of yesterday were especially bothersome. Katsuki was quick to leave the room with his basic necessities in pocket, his phone and wallet. His keys were on the table, and he assumed Kirishima had brought them back last night after dropping Denki and Sero off at their rooms.

Katsuki walked to the hospital—but before he entered the building, he stood outside for a while and just thought to himself. On his way out of the dorms, he'd taken note of a group of classmates talking in the common area. Uraraka had been among them. So at least she wouldn't be here to bother him. But did Izuku even want to see him right now? Was he angry after Katsuki left yesterday? 

The blond pushed that out of his mind with an outward sigh. Even if he was, he had no reason to be. Nobody could stop Katsuki from doing what he wanted to do. Yesterday, he'd wanted to leave. He wanted to throw drinks. There was nothing wrong with that—if Izuku had a problem, that was his own fault.

Having convinced himself that he was right, Katsuki pushed through the heavy glass doors and entered the building, being hit for the 100th time with a fresh wave of AC as he stepped inside. They liked to keep the place cold for some reason, though Izuku's room was always warm.

After getting his visitor pass and beginning his way toward Izuku's room, he decided to swing by the cafeteria and grab some food to take the edge off his grumbling stomach. He bought a couple of egg, sausage, and bagel sandwiches, and though he knew they wouldn't be as good as if he made them himself, it was better than nothing. He was hungry. 

While waiting in the elevator to get to level three, Katsuki unwrapped the parchment paper around his first sandwich. He was unimpressed with the flavor when he took a bite, but at least it was warm. He wondered if Izuku had eaten already. Probably, he decided—but just in case he was hungry, Katsuki didn't touch the second sandwich.

He continued taking bites out of the sandwich even when he reached level three. As he made his way down the hallway, he was almost halfway done with his meal. He approached Izuku's door; 302, the same room he's been in for the past week. Huh, that was strange to think about. Izuku had already been back home for almost a week. It didn't feel that way, he thought. But then again, maybe that was just because he'd been locked up in this hospital room the whole time. The blond found himself more eager each day for a time when Izuku could live back in the dorms again. It would make keeping tabs on him a hell of a lot easier if he didn't have to walk half a mile to get to him each day.

It would also be a lot easier if he would just get a fucking new phone, too. Even if Katsuki just wanted to tell him something small, he'd have to walk all the way out here and pay him a visit. Apparently, though, that was already taken care of. The school had somehow found out that Izuku's phone was destroyed and decided to buy him a new one because they felt bad about what happened. Katsuki figured it was something like an "I'm sorry" gift. They were also to replace his hero suit for him, another item that had been destroyed because of that frightful mission. But the shipments hadn't arrived yet, so Izuku would be phoneless until then. Katsuki wondered if Izuku knew when they would arrive. He figured he could ask when he saw him.

Katsuki neared the door. He was almost there. He lifted the sandwich up to his face and opened his mouth to take another bite while nonchalantly lifting his other hand, the one still holding the second sandwich, to knock on the door. He was standing just outside. And he was about to knock—until he heard it. He was confused at first, but it only took him a second of listening to realize what it was—a sound coming from behind the thick wooden door and dense walls. A sound that he couldn't have heard from down the hallway, but now that he was near the room, he could pick up on it.

His eyes widened. His heart skipped a beat, or maybe a few. Forget knocking. Forget the damn sandwich. Coming from the other side of the door, he could hear screaming.

Katsuki dropped everything and lunged for the door, throwing caution to the wind. Those screams—they were the same kind he'd heard when Recovery Girl was trying to inject Izuku with that tranquilizer on the beach. Agonized. Terrified. A surge of adrenaline so strong that it could've passed as fear washed over Katsuki as he heard that sound again. He was immediately reminded of all the terrible things Izuku had gone through; all the trauma he'd alluded to, and all of the panic attacks he still battled because of that villain. Why was he screaming like that now? What was going on? Is he hurt? Are they fucking hurting him? 

All of these thoughts raced through Katsuki's mind within the span of a second as he shoved open the door and stumbled inside, eyes wide and frantic and darting to the nearest movement. In the corner of the room, Izuku was on the ground backed up against the wall, swinging his arms and defending himself from a horde of white-coated doctors. He was writhing and scrambling to get farther away from them, but his back was pressed up against the wall as far as it could go. He was surrounded—and they were trying to get him.

Izuku's voice was clear now that there was no door to separate them, and Katsuki could again hear and recognize the pure, unadulterated terror in his screams. His cries and pleas of fear filled the room, but they were accompanied by the shouts and ushered voices of a group of doctors surrounding him, trying to get a hold of him for some unknown reason. Whatever reason they had, there was no way it granted all of this terror they were causing him.

Katsuki watched as one tried to grab him and got a hold of his wrist, but Izuku snatched his arm away screaming before the guy could drag him out of the corner. "We're trying to help you, honey! It's okay!" a woman was trying to speak to him gently. She was holding a syringe. "I'm not trying to hurt you, I swear! But you need to snap out of it!" She continued to try reasoning with him, but Izuku was long past the point of being reasoned with. He kicked and floundered, trying to escape and failing with nowhere to go. Katsuki could see tears rolling down his color-washed cheeks.

"Get away from me, get away!" he shouted. His voice was growing hoarse and he looked increasingly frantic with each second that passed as Katsuki took in what was happening. "I won't let you do it! No, get away from me—get away! I won't! I won't!"

That did it. That was enough to push Katsuki over the edge.

"Hey—Hey, get the fuck off of him!" he finally snapped himself out of whatever trance he'd just been in and took a purposeful step forward. Anger surged throughout his body and he had to refrain from using his Quirk on these doctors who were only trying to help. White-hot anger buzzed in his ears and fueled his movements as he walked over and grabbed the nearest guy's coat before jerking him back. The older man gave a few stinging complaints as Katsuki threw him with enough force to make him stumble.

Not even thinking, Katsuki seized the next doctor's collar before yanking her backward by the neck, sending her stumbling back into the center of the room with a yelp; and for the next doctor he got a hold of, he grabbed the guy by the arm and flung him, hard, away from Izuku. He didn't care. He was blind to the immorality of his actions—all he could think about was the terror infused in Izuku's screams only moments before, and all he could see was the tears rolling down his face as he tried to fight away the people who were hurting him. He couldn't think about anything else.

"Get the fuck—off!" he snarled as he grabbed another by the clothes on his back and pulled him away from Izuku. At this point, the other doctors realized what he was doing and backed away from Izuku, eyes wide. Some looked confused, others looked angry. But they all remained in stunned silence as Katsuki inserted himself between them and Izuku, blocking their view of him and making sure they couldn't try to get to him anymore. Fury bubbled in his veins. "What the fuck are you doing?"

The head doctor, the woman holding the syringe, pocketed the medical equipment and faced Katsuki with slanted eyebrows, face wrinkled with anger. She pointed accusingly at him. "What are you doing? You never interrupt medical professionals when they're working—never!" she hissed.

"What the hell are you talking about? He's in recovery right now, you can't be shoving fucking syringes in his face when he's obviously in distress!" Katsuki shouted, livid. Who did these people think they were? They obviously had no idea how to treat Izuku in his current state. "What kind of medical professional tries to shove a fucking needle into someone non-consensually? Is this what you do when a patient is obviously not in their right goddamn mind?"

The doctors hesitated. Katsuki's fiery gaze flitted around to glare at each and every one of them. "Go on, get out of here! Go!" His tone was still loud enough to be considered a yell. He was still teeming with emotions. Izuku had stopped screaming, but Katsuki could still hear him sniveling on the floor behind him. He wasn't even trying to escape. Why were they trying to inject him with that shit in the first place?

"We were trying to sedate him," the woman explained with an effort of lowering her voice, still recovering from the disorientation of Katsuki's fierce arrival. "He started having one of his fits and tried to run away, so we were forced to take action. I wouldn't inject someone without consent unless absolutely necessary," she continued at a more authoritative level.

"I don't give a fuck. He's fine now. So leave," the blond spat. He was backing towards Izuku now, still keeping his eyes trained on the doctors as if they would try to lunge at any moment. He was treating them like villains. Katsuki could hear whimpers and sniffles coming from below and glanced down to see Izuku had his chin on his chest and was looking down at his lap, hands covering his ears. Katsuki's anger started to fade as the situation de-escalated and he looked down at the boy, though his heart was still hammering against his chest from the whole ordeal.

There were a few moments of silence before the doctors began to silently file out at the signal from the head woman. She had a distasteful look on her face, however, as she stared at Katsuki. "I should have you thrown out for this," she shot at him—but with a glance down at Izuku, she eventually sighed. "But...he does look like he's doing better," she admitted. As the last of the doctors began to leave, those who Katsuki had thrown casting him resentful glares, the woman began tailing towards the door as well. "We'll leave, but I'm posting two nurses outside in case something happens. I'll be back in twenty minutes when he's calmed down."

With that, she turned around and left, shutting the door behind her—and leaving Katsuki and Izuku alone in the room together once more.

Katsuki crouched beside him. He looked pale and clammy, while tears were still trickling down his face from his hazy, tear-reddened eyes. Something about the way he looked now reminded Katsuki of the image he'd seen on the boat. The way he'd found Izuku alone in that room, desolate, isolated, ready to die. He hoped he'd never see that expression on Izuku's face again. And yet, the face he was seeing now was reminding him of that moment with startling accuracy.

It hurt to see him like this again. It hurt to be reminded that this part of Izuku still existed—it had not yet been wiped away with the good times, no matter how many hours he spent surrounded by his friends and family; and not enough time had passed yet for Izuku to have moved on or forgotten. He was still scarred, and he was still vulnerable. Susceptible to relapse, defenseless against whatever flashbacks might find him. Katsuki had to remember that even if Izuku was able to act normal in their day-to-day life, these things were still true. Izuku was still just a traumatized kid. 

"Deku," Katsuki began, anger melting away more and more with each passing second as he looked at the other. The room was silent aside from Izuku's soft cries and sniffles. He was shaking. Katsuki felt something like compassion kindle in his chest, mixing with bitter regret for leaving him in the first place. Izuku never had these kinds of attacks with other people around. Maybe if he'd been here, maybe if he hadn't been so careless, it never would've happened. 

He didn't know what to say, so he just slid down against the wall so that he was sitting beside Izuku. They were close enough now for their shoulders to be touching. It was a little uncomfortable for Katsuki to be this close to someone—anyone, but most of all Deku. However, he didn't know how else to be comforting, and he didn't want to hear the guy cry anymore. Though Izuku was the one with the PTSD, Katsuki couldn’t deny that it sent his brain into a sort of frenzy when he'd seen Deku acting the same way as he'd acted while on that boat. Hearing him scream and beg to be left alone as if his life depended on it…it was jarring, to say the least.

A long span of silence passed. Katsuki remained there, still and quiet, listening to Izuku’s breathing as it softened and his breaths eventually grew steady. His trembling eventually stopped, too, and the tears dried from his eyes. Katsuki was a firm believer in letting people calm down on their own, so he was glad when it finally worked out and Izuku seemed like he was at peace again. The room grew incredibly silent as the two of them sat next to each other, shoulders touching, eyes facing straight ahead.

Katsuki wondered what he was thinking about. He wondered if he was okay. But after spending so much time in silence, he didn’t know how to ask. And besides, ruining some perfectly good silence with words didn’t seem appealing to him.

After another minute, Izuku leaned his head against Katsuki’s shoulder. A silent gesture of gratitude, maybe. He wouldn’t have known, because Izuku remained silent. They both did. Katsuki kept his gaze locked straight ahead, wondering whether he should despise the touch or accept it. He wondered what he should do—what he would normally do—if Deku rested his head on his shoulder. Would he shove him off? Tell him to sit up? Or…would he just let him be?

It depended on the situation, he supposed. Right now, he didn’t move a muscle. He didn’t shove him off, or stand up, or do any of those things that he might “normally” do. He didn’t even look over. He just let Izuku lean on him. It felt like the right thing to do considering everything Izuku had gone through, as well as the traumatic situation he’d just been in. Katsuki just couldn’t bring himself to be rude after something like that.

Instead, he started to pick up on a few things about Izuku that he hadn’t got the chance to pick up on before. He couldn’t help but notice the feathery texture of Izuku’s hair as a few delicate strands tickled his neck and shoulder. Izuku’s hair had always been fluffy, but Katsuki had never realized just how soft it was until his head was pressed against his arm. He also noticed how Izuku’s hair, to his near dismay, smelled of something ivory and sweet; coconut and vanilla. Probably some new shampoo or something. It was to Katsuki’s near dismay because he’s never been a fan of the smell of coconut. It always made his nose wrinkle. But for some reason, in this case, the scent was appealing.

He noticed the balance in which Izuku took his breaths; he inhaled for four seconds and exhaled for four as well. And no, he wasn’t counting. He just happened to notice. He observed just how warm Izuku’s body was, leaned against him; and he took note of the way his shoulders rose and fell with each breath. It was rhythmic. Easy to get lost in. Katsuki lost track of minutes just listening to the way Izuku drew each breath, astutely noticing each detail about him, never looking yet never looking away, never moving yet never remaining still.

Katsuki forgot all about how mad he’d been only minutes prior. All he could think about now was the new closeness that Izuku had brought to him—and how astronomical such a small interaction between the two of them could be. Izuku hadn’t leaned his head against Katsuki like this in probably thirteen years. They haven't shared this amount of contact with one another since, what…age five? Back when they’d been good friends, spending every moment with one another doing nothing but adventuring and dreaming about what their futures might bring.

Never, in all of those thirteen years, did Katsuki ever think that he might be spending another moment like this with Izuku. A casual touch to some people, a meaningless one to others. But to Katsuki, it was different. To him it was unheard of. Impossible, even, for someone to get this close without him blowing them up or shouting their ear off. Even Katsuki’s closest friends wouldn’t dream of leaning their heads on his shoulder like this. He wouldn’t let them.

Maybe it begged the question: What changed? Why was Katsuki suddenly letting Izuku hug him, and beat him at cards, and lean his head on his shoulder, and spend time with him, and do all of those things they’d never done together before? In the moment, he was able to accept these things casually; but now that he was thinking about the moments all together, he was starting to realize just how much he’d changed personality-wise. Since his middle school days, for example, he’d changed dramatically. Back then, he wouldn’t even let Deku touch him without getting an earful.

Maybe these changes came with maturity, but even then, it’s not like Katsuki would let anyone do these types of things. He couldn’t even imagine letting someone like Denki give him a hug. That just wouldn’t happen. With Deku, though, everything just seemed to keep adding together—and he still wasn’t sure why. Why is he changing? What…happened?

Katsuki didn’t know. He figured the only way to find out would be to just sit back and watch everything play out. He’s never believed in destiny or that type of shit—hell, he didn’t even know what he believed in. He liked to think that his fate was in his own hands. Living life that way just seemed more meaningful. But whatever the case was, he still didn’t know when things would start to make sense, if they ever would at all.

He just hoped that his questions didn’t remain unsolved forever.

Later that day, after the doctors checked up on Izuku and he was fit enough to talk and move around again, he and Katsuki didn’t speak of those twenty minutes spent leaned against each other in the quiet, empty room. They didn’t even mention it. It seemed that whatever happened in those twenty minutes would never be known by anybody but themselves, and would likely never be brought up again. Katsuki preferred it that way.

They spent their time playing a stupid board game, a game well-known for how gruelingly long and unbearably frustrating it is. Monopoly.

Katsuki knew it is the game that almost got Izuku killed.

Rules of Monopoly are about becoming the wealthiest player by buying, renting and selling property. Players take turns by rolling dice and moving their tokens to different spaces on the board. Some spaces require actions like buying property, paying rent, drawing cards, or paying taxes. If a player lands on an unowned property, they can buy it or it goes to auction. If a player lands on an owned property, they must pay rent to the owner, unless the owner forgets to ask before the next player rolls. The game ends when one player has all the money or the players agree to stop.

They’d been playing for more than an hour, and things were getting heated.

“Are you fucking kidding me right now!?” Katsuki demanded, burying his hands in his hair and tearing a few strands out because of how angry he was. His eyes were bulging and his mouth was ajar as he stared at the fifth, the literal fifth ‘go to jail’ card he’s received this game. Five! How was that even fucking possible?

As Katsuki got to his feet and started pacing around the room cursing about how unfair that was, Izuku was sitting on the bed laughing his ass off, arms clutched tightly around his stomach and eyes brimming with tears. The room was filled with noise as they both made a ruckus out of it. It was an ongoing joke at this point about how many times Katsuki had gone to jail, so receiving his fifth was the straw that broke his back.

“This is absolutely impossible. Did you set this up?” Katsuki demanded, pointing an accusatory finger at Izuku as he made his way back towards the bed after a good cursing session. “I am not going to fucking jail again. No way!”

“And for the fifth time!” Izuku shrieked between bouts of laughter. He’d been laughing for so long now that he was beginning to wheeze. Katsuki climbed back atop the bed and retook his spot beside the board. He had an angry face on, but really he was amused by just how funny Izuku found it. “Oh my god, Kacchan, that is so funny,” the boy spoke again as his laughter abated, though he was still breaking into residual chuckles and bouts of trailing laughter here and there. He wiped the tears from his eyes with the back of his hand. “I cannot believe that.”

“Yeah, me neither, nerd. That’s why I think you planted them there,” Katsuki scowled at him through narrowed eyes.

“I would never!” Izuku defended himself with a big smile still on his face.

As Katsuki took to the board to reclaim his jail cell, he couldn’t help but grumble, “Fuck, that’s another two hundred dollars that I’m missing. Damn it.”

“Hey, at least you get to visit your buddies back in the slammer,” Izuku said as he grabbed the die and rolled it across the board.

About ten minutes later, Katsuki was out of jail and they were going around the board again, paying mortgage at their estates or leveling up their houses. It was a very intense game. Katsuki owned boardwalk while Izuku owned park place, so they were constantly trying to bribe one another for it. If you owned boardwalk and park place at the same time, you made a lot of bank if the other player’s token landed on it. Plus, it was just more fun to make it a competition.

They were far enough into the game now that Katsuki couldn’t move his token without landing on Izuku’s property and vice versa. Katsuki was gunning for the railroad stations while Izuku wanted to own all of the orange-colored properties. He said something nerdy about how “players are most likely to land on the orange spots because they’re six, eight, and nine spaces from jail,” but Katsuki just wanted his damn railroads. For him, there was no strategy. He just locked his gaze on whatever properties sounded the coolest, and whatever he thought he could make the most money from.

“Ha! You landed on another one of my railroads,” Katsuki jeered as Izuku placed his token down on Pennsylvania Avenue for the third time this game. “I’ve got the best strategy here, obviously.”

“I hate Pennsylvania,” Izuku said as he fished out his pay. “Here.”

Katsuki took the money and sorted it into his piles before rolling and landing on a light blue property that Izuku owned. Begrudgingly, he gave back about half of the money that Izuku had just paid him.

Two rolls later, something tragic happened. Izuku rolled a 6 and landed on a railcar—the final railcar. The one that Katsuki had been trying to buy for the past four rounds. He already owned ¾ of them—and Izuku just landed on the final one.

He shot a deathly glare at Izuku. “I swear,” he growled. If Izuku bought his final railcar…he was about to strangle him.

Izuku smiled impishly as he pulled out his money. “It’s two hundred dollars for a railroad, right Kacchan?” he asked.

“Deku, I swear to god!” Katsuki exclaimed as Izuku put $200 into the bank and then fished out the railroad car from the stack. He put the card in his personal pile before smiling at Katsuki, who watched the whole thing unfold with a simmering anger growing in his chest. He was feeling murderous.

“I own your railroad, Kacchan,” Izuku said. “Wanna make a trade?” Katsuki knew he was talking about the boardwalk. They’ve been competing for the dark blues for the entire game.

Katsuki glared daggers at him. “Absolutely not,” he snarled, and the game continued. For a while afterward, he weighed his options. Trade the railroad for the boardwalk? It was probably a mistake to let Deku get both of the dark blues, but he really wanted that fucking railroad. After a while of thinking about it, he decided to make the trade.

He kissed the face of the final railroad card and put it alongside the other three. “Finally,” he said. “My collection is complete.”

“So is mine,” Izuku agreed as he tucked the boardwalk card under park place on the bed. “Time to start buying some hotels.”

The game continued for a whole hour longer before they called it quits. Katsuki went down and bought some snacks in that time because they were both getting hungry. In the end, they called off the game because Katsuki and Izuku both owned about the same number of properties and weren’t making any money off each other. It was looking like another hour of gameplay until being done, and three hours spent on a boardgame was pretty ridiculous. So they just gave up.

At the end of the day, Katsuki went home after making sure that Izuku had a decent meal and the directed amount of water. When he got back to his dorm, he didn’t have anything to do, so he just went to sleep. He reflected on the events of the day and how vastly different some parts were. One hour he was battling a group of doctors to get them away from Izuku, and the next he was playing Monopoly with him. What a strange order of events.

As Katsuki drifted off to sleep that night, he told himself that he wouldn’t be so careless anymore, in reference to all the drinking he did last night. He hated feeling guilty, and all the drinking he’d done had made him feel exactly that. Guilty. He also thought about how Uraraka hadn’t made her nightly appearance at Izuku’s room, and wondered why that was so. Maybe she’d forgotten about him already, Katsuki mused to himself. But he doubted that was the case. Whatever the reason, it didn’t matter to him, and he had no reason to care. So he didn’t. Their relationship had no matter to him. He shouldn’t even be thinking about it in the first place.

The next day, Katsuki was allowed to take a walk with Deku—outside of the hospital. “You can go, but just make sure you’re with him at all times,” the nurse said to Katsuki as they were getting ready to leave. “And if he starts relapsing or panicking or anything of the sort, call this number right here and we’ll come get him.” She handed him a small white card with a phone number scribbled in black ink.

“Got it. Babysitting duty,” Katsuki said as he pocketed the number, and the nurse left the room. Izuku was tying on his shoes as Katsuki spoke to her. He stood up when he was done.

“Let’s go!” he exclaimed with bright eyes as he practically ran out the door, obviously eager to be going outside for the first time in, like, more than two weeks. Katsuki followed at a brisk pace to keep up with his energy.

“Alright, nerd, but the nurse said you can’t leave my sight. Don’t make me put a leash on you,” Katsuki said as Izuku jumped in the elevator and pressed the ‘Lobby’ button.

“I won’t, I won’t,” Izuku promised. He was practically buzzing with excitement as the elevator went down. Katsuki could feel the energy rolling off him in waves. “I haven’t been outside in forever because they said I wasn’t fit enough to leave, but now that I’ve only been having a couple of panic attacks per day, I’m allowed to go!” he reiterated what he’d already told Katsuki about five times.

“Yep,” Katsuki agreed impassively, hands in his pockets as he leaned against the wall of the elevator. “But I still gotta babysit.”

“It’s not babysitting, Kacchan,” Izuku said as the elevator dinged and they could exit. The duo began making their way towards the exit. “I asked you to come.”

“That’s not what the nurse told me,” Katsuki quipped.

Izuku pouted his lip. “Okay, fine, but don’t call it babysitting, call it watching over me. You’re watching over me while we go on our walk. And you’re gonna enjoy it, too—because it’s gonna be fun, and I haven’t seen the sun in basically years, so you’re doing me a favor. So yeah. And also thank you,” he rambled with a smile over his shoulder, leading Katsuki out the doors and into the outside world.

“Yeah, whatever,” Katsuki replied as they were submerged in sunlight upon exiting the building.

They quickly realized that it was perfect weather to be walking in. The sun was high and brightly shining, warm enough to feel it on your skin but not enough to feel hot; there was a slight breeze drifting through the city that picked up their hair or clothes at times and chilled any gathering sweat; and most importantly of all, the time was two hours after noon. That meant that the streets were filled with food carts, portable ice cream shops, and endless entertainment in the form of street performances as they prepared for the best time of day—evening. Never-ending things for Izuku and Katsuki to do.

Izuku was enchanted as they walked, passing people selling street food, musicians trying to make a buck by playing on the side of the road, and many more interesting yet ultimately forgettable things. The sun was beaming on their faces, as they decided to walk towards the sunlight, and Katsuki caught him with his eyes closed and a smile on his face more than a few times as he tried to soak up as much sunlight as he could during their time out. A funny little habit he had. Katsuki found it amusing.

At one point they came across a Katsudon food cart that Izuku just couldn’t bring himself to pass up on. “Kacchan, can we get some? Please?” he begged, hands pressed together in a praying motion. “I’ll pay you back, I swear. But we have to get some! I mean, come on, it’s Katsudon!”

Katsuki narrowed his eyes, through he had no intention of actually saying no. He was getting hungry, himself. “You really want street Katsudon?” he deadpanned, eyeing the line to get the food. “I guess there’s a line, so maybe it’s good…”

“It’s gotta be good. I can smell it,” Izuku said, sniffing the air and blissfully sighing at the scent. “Can you?”

“Yeah, yeah, I've got a fucking nose,” Katsuki said before wordlessly getting in line. Izuku gave a little hop as he followed the blond, sticking by his side. He seemed to be thoroughly enjoying himself.

“I wonder why there’s so many people around,” Izuku said after standing in line for a couple of minutes, passing a sideways glance at a group of guys making their way rowdily down the sidewalk, taking up about three lanes worth of space. The sound of something like jazz music could be heard from somewhere down the road, while the constant chatter of people around them pretty much masked his and Katsuki’s conversation.

“Where we are right now would be considered the downtown part of the city,” Katsuki explained. He stepped forward as another person got their food and walked off, giving room to the next customers, a family of five. He groaned inwardly, knowing it would take a while to get food to all of them. 

“So?” Izuku inquired, looking up at him.

“So, that means it’s always busy around here,” the blond continued. “Lots of people. Lots of shops. Tourists, travelers, and even locals. Plus, it’s a Sunday, so everybody’s trying to get their fun in before the weekend’s over.”

“Oh,” Izuku replied. “That makes sense.” But he could barely get that final in word before he was abruptly shoved into from behind by the group of guys he and Katsuki had noticed earlier. Some frat group, he presumed, based on their matching black coats and slicked-back hair. They had careless smirks on their faces as they made their way rowdily down through the crowd and people stepped pointedly out of their way to avoid conflict. Izuku, however, hadn’t noticed they were walking up behind him, and as a result, he got shoved into by a couple of the more rambunctious ones in the back.

Izuku stumbled into Katsuki, bumping into the side of his body and giving a little “Hey—” of indignation. Katsuki instinctively grabbed him to pull him out of the way of getting shoved again. Anger flared in his chest and Katsuki’s head snapped to look back at the guys, who were paying no mind to the people they’d just run into. It wasn't just Izuku—a family of four had been shoved out of the way and were staring at the jocks with angry faces, though it looked like the parents weren't willing to pick a fight over it. Behind the family, there was a woman rubbing her shoulder as if she'd been shoved, too. Katsuki scowled. It looked like the jocks were arguing over something, paying no mind to their surroundings. They were about to move on before Katsuki sharply called them back.

“Oi,” Katsuki barked, drawing the attention of a few of them with the sheer demand in his voice. “Watch where you’re going, dipshits.”

A beat of silence passed as the nearest guy, an obvious jock with a square face and wide shoulders, paused to look him up and down. He had a jutting chin and angry eyes; a soccer player, maybe. He looked at Katsuki, then at Izuku, who had grabbed on to Katsuki’s forearm in a silent way of saying “don’t pick a fight.” But Katsuki was too busy staring at the guy who’d carelessly ran into them. These idiots couldn't just go around bumping into everyone on the street without so much as a sorry.

“Or what?” he asked, stepping forward. Obviously nobody else had been daring enough to try and challenge this guy, so he looked pretty confident. At this point, a few others had noticed the interaction and were watching, backing up and giving them space as if they were expecting a fight to break out between the two men. Katsuki had no intention of fighting. But he also wasn’t just gonna let this guy go without saying something.

“Either that, or I’ll kick your ass,” Katsuki replied offhandedly, slowly turning his body to face the guy now as a show of intimidation. They were about the same height, but the other guy had a significant muscle advantage. Not that Katsuki was small in any means, but this guy was probably some kind of bodybuilder. His muscle mass obviously had done wonders for his ego. “There are plenty of damn places to walk without being everyone’s problem. You’ve been shoving people around like ya don’t got a care in the world,” he snapped.

“You're gonna kick my ass, huh?” the guy demanded, starting to raise his voice as he began the process of squaring up. Katsuki stayed rooted to the ground with no intention of moving. Why so worked up? He thought contemptuously. Must’ve hit a nerve.

“Kacchan,” Izuku muttered, squeezing his arm. “Come on, let’s just go. Forget the Katsudon.”

“Absolutely not,” Katsuki shot back, keeping his eyes locked on the approaching threat. “This guy’s acting like an asshole. He’s the one who picked the fight.”

“Are you really going to fight a civilian right now?” Izuku demanded. “Seriously, it’s not worth it. I mean, you might hurt him…”

Katsuki couldn’t help but smirk at Izuku’s confidence in him. Of course Katsuki would win, and Izuku knew it. But if this guy wanted a fight, he wasn’t going to refuse him one. “It all depends on what he does,” he replied under his breath before addressing the stranger once more. “So what’s it gonna be, big guy? You wanna pick a fight?” he asked.

Murmurs and whispers were floating around them now, and amongst them he could hear his own name. “Bakugou Katsuki…that’s Bakugou Katsuki…U.A. students…Midoriya Izuku…” he heard among other things. People were starting to recognize them, he realized; whether that was from one of the sports festivals, or an interview, or from just watching them fight on the news. They were well-known around here, after all.

Eventually one of the guy’s buddies realized what was going on—and recognized who he was up against. Another jock with a similar build as the first ushered himself forward and put a hand on the guy’s shoulder. “Dude,” he said, eyes wide as he stared at Katsuki. “That’s the guy from TV.”

The jock hesitated, then squinted, as if trying to take in Katsuki’s features and remember what he looked like. After a few seconds, his eyes widened fractionally and he took a small step backwards. A look of realization passed over his expression as he recognized Katsuki’s face and demeanor as the guy who won the sports festival during the first-year. A third-year at U.A. high school with years of hand-to-hand combat under his belt. If he wanted to knock this guy on his ass, there was nothing stopping him from doing so, aside from the fact that it maybe wasn't worth his time.

The guy’s chin jutted out as he tried to act angry with what residual confidence he had left. “Oh. You’re…that explosion guy, right?” he asked, unsure. “You won the sports festival a couple years back.”

Katsuki languidly raised his hand and let a few small-scale explosions bounce around his palm, eyeing the guy expectantly. “Why, is that a problem?”

The guy backed up some more. He looked uncertain. “Uh…” he said.

Katsuki smirked, taking a partial step forward and deciding to act cocky. “Oh, so you don’t wanna fight now?”

“Sorry. Never mind,” the guy said, taking another few steps back. He turned around to shove his buddies in the opposite direction, away from Katsuki. He looked almost nervous as he realized what he was about to get himself into.

“Yeah, go on,” Katsuki muttered. He watched them scurry off, making sure they didn't bump into anyone else, before turning back to Izuku and wiping the smirk from his face. “Get back in line,” he said casually. Just a short ten minutes later, the incident was completely forgotten. 

They spent nearly three hours walking around; enjoying the sunlight, watching street performances, buying treats or little trinkets as they made their way further downtown. They didn’t run into any more asshole frats, but they did meet their fair share of idiots along the way. They almost witnessed a guy get hit by a car as he ran around with tin foil glasses over his eyes, and Katsuki almost lost his shit over a woman who wouldn’t stop trying to sell him pineapple pizza, even after he refused her three times. This part of the city was a crazy place.

After buying a pair of candied apples from a nice old woman on the side of the road, Katsuki and Izuku decided to take a break on the nearest empty bench to enjoy the treat. They sat facing the sun, and Izuku did that thing again where he tilted his head up towards the sun and closed his eyes, smiling as if just the warmth was enough to make him happy.

Katsuki studied his face for a few moments, taking in the way the sun made his skin look like it was glowing. He examined the length and volume of his eyelashes, he noticed the faint pinkish color in his cheeks and nose. His eyes followed the curve of Izuku’s lips as they stretched up into a smile. And, of course, his freckles that brought it all together.

It took Izuku opening his eyes and catching him staring for Katsuki to even realize he’d been doing so. His heart jumped with surprise and he quickly looked down at his apple, a scowl growing on his face in something like embarrassment. He lifted the candied treat to his lips and chomped a bite out of it, nearly breaking a tooth in the process.

Izuku licked his apple and gave a pleased hum at the sweet flavor. Even if he'd noticed Katsuki was looking at him, he didn't say anything about it. After a while of silently eating and enjoying the sun together, Izuku said something aloud that to Katsuki, seemed completely out of the blue. “Thanks, Kacchan,” he said softly, sounding a little too sentimental in his words, as if he'd just been deep in thought. Katsuki looked at him and realized he’d stopped eating the apple and was now looking up at him, showcasing every emotion that could’ve possibly crossed his mind through his eyes. The biggest one Katsuki could see there, however, was appreciation.

Katsuki lowered his apple—which was already half gone—and ran his tongue over the sweetness still clinging to his teeth. “For what?” he inquired after a moment. He was leaning against the bench, one arm slung over the back and the other arm holding the stick attached to his apple. Izuku was sitting straight up with his legs together, one hand in his lap and the other holding the stick as he looked at Katsuki. The casual nerdy position.

“For…a lot of things,” Izuku said, looking ahead. There was obviously a lot on his mind. “For coming with me so I could go on a walk. And for buying me all of these things,” he said, motioning to the apple in his hand. “For spending so much time with me when I wasn’t allowed to leave the hospital. And for playing games with me, and making sure I drank enough water. For making me dinner. And for sticking around, even when everyone else decided to leave.”

Izuku looked down at his hands. “And for saving me from the boat, and for helping take care of me when I’m not in the right...mental place. And…”

“Okay, okay—fucking stop,” Katsuki interjected, cutting him off. Izuku looked at him.

“Why?”

“Because you don’t have to thank me for shit like that.”

Izuku looked at him and shook his head, “No, I do. You’re doing all of these things that you wouldn’t normally do…and it’s out of your comfort zone, right?”

Katsuki narrowed his eyes…because Izuku was right. It was out of his comfort zone. Spending so much time with him—with anyone—was out of his comfort zone. He’s never done something like that before, not for anybody. It was different. But Katsuki couldn’t even ignore that he didn’t at least enjoy it, because part of him, what he would call the "weaker" part of him, irrefutably did.

“I can tell that it is,” Izuku answered himself cautiously, seeing that Katsuki wasn’t going to say anything. “It’s uncomfortable for you to spend so much time with somebody. You’ve never really done that before, so I can tell…” he said, practically voicing Katsuki’s thoughts, “…but especially since I’m the one you’ve been spending so much time with, I can tell.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Katsuki asked.

“Well, you know…” Izuku jumped to explain better. “Me and you haven’t always had the best of relationships, and…and you’ve always said that we aren’t friends, so…”

“Just because I’m hanging out in your room doesn’t make us friends,” Katsuki pointed out.

Izuku bit his lip. “Well, yeah. You’re right about that. Sorry, I shouldn’t have brought it up, but...what I really wanted to say was thanks. For everything.”

Katsuki met eyes with him, then looked away. He didn’t know where this was coming from, and he didn’t know exactly how to respond. Izuku had brought up a genuine topic and Katsuki didn’t know how to respond with a genuine answer. ‘You’re welcome’ sounded arrogant, but ‘no problem’ sounded too heartfelt. So, Katsuki was forced to resort to his usual answer.

“Whatever.”

They spent another thirty minutes roaming around before deciding to return home. It was evening now, nearing 6 PM, and the sun was starting to go down. This was around the time when the food trucks and stands were set away for night and the city transitioned to dark. Where darkness and unidentified shadows come out to play and any semblance of the loud, touristy town goes to sleep. It was an entirely different place when the sun disappeared, and Katsuki wasn’t quite ready to explore that on Izuku’s first day out of the infirmary.

When they got to the hospital, Katsuki dropped him off at the entrance. It had taken them almost an hour of brisk walking to get back because of how far they’d wandered. They had but a few tiny souvenirs and aching legs from the day-long trip, but Katsuki was glad for something to do to pass the time. Soon enough, these injuries would be taken care of, and they wouldn't have to act like bums any longer.

As they approached the building, Izuku leaned against the frame of the door and looked at Katsuki. “Well, I had fun,” he said happily. He was smiling as the light from inside the lobby spilled out around him, shadowing his face and illuminating his hair.

Katsuki grunted, shifting on his feet to mitigate the pain in his legs from so much walking and standing. “Better than sitting in that stuffy room all day,” he found his own way of agreeing.

“Mm,” Izuku agreed before adding, “We should do this more often!” with a bright expression.

Katsuki clicked his tongue. “Maybe we could take a less crowded route next time,” he reflected, drawing a brief laugh from Izuku.

“Yeah, there were lots of people,” he agreed. “But it was fun anyway. Remember the guy with the tin foil glasses?”

Katsuki scoffed. “He was definitely on something. Crack or coke or something worse.”

Izuku laughed, “And then he ran in the road, and that car almost hit him! Thank goodness they were going slow.”

“I know,” Katsuki couldn’t help but chuckle in retrospect. Weariness after a long day as well as this foreign feeling of comfort around Izuku had broken down his walls enough to let him laugh a little.

They continued for a minute or two reminiscing about their day before the conversation reached its end and Katsuki took a step back into the dying sunlight, intending to head home. He was tired and needed a shower. Izuku followed him with his eyes but didn’t make a move to leave his spot by the door. He looked bittersweet as their day of adventures was coming to an end.

“Well, I oughta go,” Katsuki said. “Gotta go wash all the damn sweat off my back. And arms. And face.”

“Oh—yeah, I should, too,” Izuku agreed. Even though he knew the moment was approaching when Katsuki would have to leave, he didn’t sound any less disappointed when the blond made a move to walk away. He was terrible at hiding the emotions in his face and voice—always has been. But ever since he returned from the boat, it was like he wore his heart on his sleeve at every moment of the day.

Katsuki was about to walk away when Izuku called, “See you tomorrow?” as more of a question than anything else.

The blond didn’t even turn his head to look at Izuku as he let out a scoff. “I’ll be around, Deku." He had nothing better to do than sit in that stuffy room with him, playing cards until their fingers fall off. "Maybe if we’re lucky, the nurses will let us leave again, and we can find a park or something.”

Izuku instantly brightened, though Katsuki wasn’t looking at him to see it. “That sounds nice!” he exclaimed, pleased. “I’ll see you tomorrow, then, Kacchan.”

Katsuki started walking, raising a hand in goodbye without looking back. “Try not to miss me, nerd.”

Back in his room, he cleaned up and mindlessly watched TV for a while before eventually drifting off to sleep. Today had been a productive enough day that he felt sleepy upon climbing into bed. For Katsuki, that was a blessing. 

The next day felt strangely similar to the last one, though there were a few key differences that made it completely different in the end. Katsuki arrived at the nerd’s room around 8 to find him still asleep. He knocked, but at this point, he didn't even bother with waiting for a response anymore. However, when he opened the door and didn’t see a pair of green eyes staring expectantly at him from across the room, he knew something was different.

To be fair to Izuku, Katsuki was a morning person. Waking up early was a great way to start a productive day, and he found that the earlier he woke up, the better. Of course, he usually works out in the mornings, so recently he hasn’t had much use for waking up before 8 o’clock—but today, his internal alarm insisted that he get out of bed at 7 AM sharp.

With nothing better to do, he’d absentmindedly walked over here; but in his haste to get out of the dorm, he forgot to consider, or even remember, that Izuku was absolutely not a morning person. In the summers, Izuku was the one staying up ‘til 3 in the morning and sleeping until noon the next day. Katsuki had no idea how he could stay up that late, but it was most likely an aspect of their childhood that had carried over to adulthood.

Katsuki entered the room, minding his noise level now that he realized Izuku was still asleep. His eyes were immediately drawn to a new set of flowers perked up on his nightstand, replacements for the roses. Many of the original flowers from Izuku’s classmates had wilted away within the span of the past week and ultimately got tossed out, but apparently, there were still a couple of people bringing Izuku flowers recurrently. Katsuki could guess who it was. He didn’t think he even needed to spell it out.

Inko was probably one of them, while the other was most likely Uraraka.

Izuku’s room seemed to have hollowed out over the last couple of days as many of the old flowers got thrown out, and a lot of the color had drained from the place, too. At least the room still had a window that faced westward, meaning that every evening, the room would be lit with amber evening sunlight. Even without the flowers, though, this room was definitely characterized by Deku. Katsuki could tell solely by the All Might plushie displayed on the windowsill (the gift from Katsuki). Of course, Izuku would set it out for everyone to see. It was sentimental, in a way, to enter the room every day and be reminded of the gift. And it was rewarding to know that Izuku at least appreciated it. Katsuki didn’t usually do stuff like that, so it was a constant trophy of his generosity.

Katsuki walked closer to the bed and got a good look at the new flowers. White lilies, he realized, and they were in mint condition. Firm, full petals, thick stems, nice green leaves. Just gorgeous. He scowled at the sweet-smelling petals that, to anyone else, would’ve put a smile on their face because of just how thoughtful it was. But all it made Katsuki feel was repulsion. The entire thing screamed “round face.”

When he was done looking at that, Katsuki turned his gaze to look down at Izuku. He was sleeping on his side, curled up into a C shape with his hands tucked against his chest and mouth open. He was drooling on the pillow, which Katsuki found hilarious enough that he scoffed. He thought about taking a picture to use as blackmail before realizing how weird that would be to take a picture of Izuku sleeping.

After reaching his threshold of about five minutes waiting for him to wake up, Katsuki stood up from his chair and walked over to Izuku before grabbing his shoulder and ruggedly shaking him awake. “Holy shit, holy shit, Deku, it’s an emergency! Emergency! A fake emergency!” Katsuki shouted into the brittle morning air, breaking the silence in the room and startling even himself with how loud he was. He shook Izuku’s shoulder vigorously.

Izuku woke up screaming. “What!” he shouted, sitting up so fast that Katsuki was sure he got whiplash. “Kacchan?! What’re you…what?” he exclaimed, failing to notice the key word ‘fake’ in Katsuki’s sentence. He had wide eyes and a severe case of bedhead as he looked around the room frantically as if searching for a threat, bewildered and dazed. “What’s the emergency?”

Katsuki could barely contain his smile. “…I just wanted to let you know that you were getting drool on the pillow.”

A few moments of silence passed as Izuku stared at him with wide eyes and an open mouth. He looked stunned. In disbelief. Katsuki was holding his breath to keep from laughing. That had been totally cruel; and yet totally worth it at the same time.

Finally, Izuku stopped gaping at him and began to compute what just happened. He wiped the drool from his chin with the back of his hand, all while shaking his head slowly at Katsuki. His eyes began to narrow and he put a hand over his heart. “You did not just scare the ever living shit out of me…” he paused dramatically, “…to tell me…that I was drooling.”

Katsuki pinched himself to keep from laughing. He knew what was coming. “I just thought you should know,” he said. “It was an emergency.”

Izuku stared at him for another moment before lunging. He shoved Katsuki off the bed and dove after him, shouting incoherent sentences and not entirely making sense with his words. At this point, Katsuki couldn’t take it. His laughter exploded from his chest in long, hearty guffaws, and as Izuku wrangled with him across the floor, it only drew his laughing fit out longer.

“Kacchan, you’re so stupid!” Izuku shouted, but his voice was muffled because Katsuki’s hand was in his face, trying to shove him away. “That was mean! That was cruel! I thought something was really wrong!”

“Oh my—Oh my god, Deku, I wish you could’ve seen it! I wish you could’ve seen your face!” Katsuki replied between erratic bursts of laughter. “Holy shit, that was so mean, but so worth it. That was so fucking funny, so fucking funny!”

“That was not funny at all, Kacchan! No it wasn’t!”

On the surface level, Izuku was trying to strangle him; but he wasn’t giving it nearly his best effort. At the end of their scuffle, Izuku was grinning, too, and the two of them were panting after trying to fend each other off on the hospital floor. They were tangled up in blankets from the bed and had somehow scattered pillows all over the room. When all was done, they both lay spread out on the floor, regaining their breath and looking up at the ceiling.

Katsuki was still chuckling to himself here and there as he remembered the order of events exactly after Izuku had woken up. Funniest shit he’s ever seen—but it was definitely too early on a Monday morning to be laughing that hard.

“So, you find amusement in scaring the crap out of me, then,” Izuku said after a while. He was a few feet to Katsuki’s right. Their legs were wrapped up in the same blanket after tussling around in it. At this point, they were both fully awake.

Katsuki sighed contentedly. “Very much so,” he confirmed. “If you saw what I saw, you would’ve been laughing, too.”

“Yeah, well, if I did that to you, I don’t think I’d be alive afterward to laugh about it,” Izuku replied. “Hence why it’s unfair.”

“You get a free pass now. That’s how these things work. Since I did something that scared the shit outta you, now you get a pass to do the same to me. But…” he shrugged, “I can’t guarantee that you won’t get your face blown off in the process.”

Izuku chuckled. “Alright, I’ll make you a deal, then. You buy me ice cream later, and I’ll forget this ever happened. Fair?” he asked.

Katsuki sat up and looked at him. “Deal.”

They cleaned up the room and called in a nurse to tell her they were leaving. “Oh, but…so early?” she asked, glancing at the clock on the wall. It was only 8:30.

“We’re getting breakfast,” Katsuki explained with a glance at Izuku, who was trying to tidy his hair in the mirror. There was one strand on the top of his head that was sticking up and just refused to be tamed. It was entertaining to watch him get frustrated.

“Oh…well, I suppose that’s fine, then,” the lady said. “Do you have our number for if anything goes wrong?” It was a different lady from yesterday.

Katsuki reached into his pocket and pulled out the small white card with the phone number scribbled on the back. “Right here,” he said.

The nurse smiled. “Great. You two have fun, then!” she said before turning and briskly exiting the room. Katsuki slipped the card back into his pocket and looked at Izuku, who was groaning as he repeatedly tried to flatten this one piece of hair to his head. It stubbornly continued to stick up as if the hair itself had a mind of its own.

“My hair always does this!” Izuku exclaimed, nose scrunching up and eyebrows narrowing out of dissatisfaction. He looked about ready to chop his hair off entirely. “Stop defying me!” he commanded, but the hair ignored him again. “Ugh. This is what I get for going to sleep with wet hair.”

“That’s a nice cowlick you’ve got going there, Deku,” Katsuki said as he walked over to watch. “The bed must’ve attacked you while you were asleep,” he said as he crossed his arms.

“Maybe I should just wear a hat today,” Izuku frowned at himself in the mirror. “I hate when it does this.”

Katsuki scoffed. “Come on, it’s not that hard of a fix.”

“Oh yeah? I bet you’ve never had to deal with a bad hair day,” Izuku retorted, meeting his eyes through the mirror.

“What the hell does that mean?”

“It means your hair always looks good,” Izuku sighed. “If you’re so confident that you know how to fix it, what do you suggest I do?”

Katsuki uncrossed his arms. “Fine. Watch this.” He walked over to Izuku’s nightstand and grabbed his half-full glass of lukewarm water. He grabbed it, carried it over to Izuku, and then dipped three of his fingers in. Izuku watched him quizzically as he raised his hand above Izuku’s head.

Using his wet fingers, he seized the tuft of hair and pulled at it a few times before rolling it between his thumb and forefinger. When it was fully damp, he dipped his fingers in the water again before raking them through the tuft and some surrounding hair. This effectively flattened it down by sticking it to the surrounding hairs. Izuku stared at him as he did this, and Katsuki was pretending he couldn’t see his eyes. He was pretending he couldn’t hear the silence of the mere inches between them. And he was pretending he didn’t, to some level, enjoy the way he was playing with Izuku’s hair.

Once the strand of hair was successfully tamed, Katsuki took a step back and let him look in the mirror. “See?” he said. “That wasn’t so hard.”

Izuku looked in the mirror. “Oh, wow, it really worked,” he said, sounding pleased. “Thanks!”

“Of course it worked,” Katsuki replied as he put the glass back on the nightstand. “I’m a fucking genius.”

Five minutes later, they were ready to leave. They got outside and realized it was another nice day like yesterday, though it was a little cooler because it was early in the morning. Izuku and Katsuki started walking with Katsuki leading the way. He had a place in mind for breakfast.

“So, it’s within walking distance?” Izuku asked when Katsuki told him he had a plan.

“You’ll see,” Katsuki replied over his shoulder as he walked back towards U.A., where his car was parked. A few minutes later as U.A. approached, Izuku realized what he was doing.

“Are we eating at the school?” he asked, sounding confused.

“No.”

“So, why are we going this way?”

“Jesus, Deku, I said you’ll see!”

They got to the school and made their way inside. Izuku looked confused the whole way. “I need to grab something,” Katsuki said to Deku when they entered the common area. “Stay here.”

“Um…okay,” Deku complied reluctantly, and Katsuki left him, heading towards the stairs. He climbed the stairs two at a time and got to his room, where he pressed inside and grabbed his keys that were sitting on the counter. He hadn’t thought he’d be needing them when he left this morning, but he had a place in mind that wasn’t within walking distance.

He returned to Deku, who was standing in the exact same place, undisturbed. His hands were laced together in front of him and he was rocking slightly back and forth where he stood, looking off into the distance. When he noticed Katsuki coming, he gave the blond a strange look as he approached. “Alright, let’s go,” Katsuki said before brushing past him towards the door.

He walked to his car, juggling his keys in his hand, while Izuku followed behind him. “Oh, that’s why you went into your room. You wanted to grab your keys,” Izuku finally pieced together as they reached Katsuki’s car, a white 2020 Toyota Camry with a black interior and tinted windows. Katsuki got in the driver’s side while Izuku made his way around to get in the passenger.

“Obviously,” Katsuki said as he slammed his door shut. Izuku sat down and closed the door with care, looking around in admiration. Katsuki kept his car neat and washed, while inside, it smelled of woodsy air fresheners and leather seats. It was a gift from his mother for his 18^th birthday, so the car was still relatively new.

“Wow…” Izuku muttered under his breath as Katsuki started the car and the lights flashed on. He buckled his seatbelt, and Izuku followed suit. “You have a nice car, Kacchan.” He ran his hand along the dashboard in awe. “I’ve never actually been inside…”

“It’s nice,” Katsuki agreed. The interior was black with a red accent around the trim and steering wheel. It wasn't anywhere close to a luxury car, but he treated it as one. He put the car in drive and pulled out of the parking spot before driving onto the main road heading north. The streets were relatively calm, as morning rush hour had passed.

He drove for twenty minutes, not telling Izuku where they were going. They talked about nothing important. Most of the drive was silent. Music was playing quietly on the radio, nothing he recognized, but it was nice to not drive in complete silence.

The city of Musutafu was never too crowded. The buildings; ashen gray, white, pastel blue; all looked the same, and started the blend together the deeper into the city they got. Yesterday, Katsuki and Izuku had traveled south, which led to the downtown, tourist attraction areas. Buildings down there were sandy orange and beige. The population was more rural, while the air smelled of food and evening time celebration. Like a distraction.

The northern part of the city was completely different. North led them past hundreds of small business buildings, color-washed offices, and architecture too large for the amount of people actually living here. Lots of new buildings—and that was because all of the destruction that happened a year or two prior. Villain attacks and such.

This part of town used to be filled with people, but ever since all the villain attacks, population only continued to go down. Katsuki wondered if this place would someday re-populate, but he suspected not. A lot of people around here had moved to the neighboring cities hoping to avoid conflict with villains, and for that, they were smart. With U.A. being the most prestigious hero school in the country, it was like a magnet for big villains.

Katsuki drove the quiet streets, glancing at Izuku every once in a while to see him looking out the window, seeming to enjoy his time. Even if they weren’t talking, the environment wasn’t awkward. He wondered if Izuku knew where they were going. This was a diner they’ve visited before—although, it was more than twelve years ago that they’d gone together.

It took him pulling in to the parking lot for Izuku to realize. “Oh, this place!” Izuku exclaimed in recognition. “Wait, wait—I remember going here as a kid!”

“Yeah?” Katsuki asked as he easily located a parking spot in the half-empty parking lot. He was honestly surprised the place was still open. It was about a ten-minute drive from Katsuki’s house, fifteen from Izuku’s, but somehow he hadn’t eaten here in more than ten years. Maybe it got better business that he thought. After all, the parking lot was half-full on a Monday morning.

It was a cute little breakfast place; The Sunny Diner. A bit of a cliché name, but it matched the vibe of the place. Beyond the diner, he could see ocean and a beach where, if you walked about ten miles to the left, you’d find Katsuki and Izuku’s neighborhood. As Katsuki and Izuku got out of the car, he was hit with a nostalgic feeling upon looking at the old place.

The shingles on the exterior were painted yellow and the paint was chipped with age, while the parking lot and just about everything surrounding it was cracked and overgrown with vegetation. But Katsuki knew not to be misled by the look of the place. Inside, you’ll be served with the best breakfast food known to man. To anyone who was lucky enough to know this place, this little shack was as priceless as gold.

“The Sunny Diner,” Izuku read the name aloud. A cool breeze was blowing in from the ocean, while the bright morning sun was warm on their backs. “We used to go here as kids.”

“So you remember,” Katsuki said before making his way across the sidewalk to get to the diner. “I didn’t think you would, but I’ve been meaning to eat here again for years now.”

“Of course I remember,” Izuku said, sounding sentimental. “How could I forget the most delicious pancakes I’ve ever eaten in my life?”

“Naw, it's the French toast.” Katsuki licked his lips. “The best.”

They got inside and were immediately seated at their own booth and handed menus. Katsuki however, already knew what he wanted. A stack of French toast, fried eggs, and some smoked summer sausage. Izuku said he wanted pancakes, scrambled eggs, and bacon. They argued for a while about which meal was better before the waitress, a nice old lady, came by to take their orders.

Katsuki got orange juice along with his meal, and Izuku got apple juice. Yet another thing for them to argue about.

“It’s way too tart; always makes my tongue hurt,” Izuku argued against orange juice.

“Yeah? Well, apple juice has more sugar, just to taste fucking worse. It’s gross.”

“What about the pulp? Its’s such a gross texture!”

“The pulp adds nutrition!” Katsuki argued. “There’s nothing bad about it.”

“Okay, well you can’t exactly be drinking orange juice on a warm fall afternoon, can you? It’s just not right!” Izuku replied. “With apples, you got apple cider, apple sauce, apple juice; and it’s just overall a tastier drink.”

“Orange juice is healthier for you. And that’s been scientifically proven.”

“By who?”

“Fucking scientists, who else.”

The argument continued for a while as they ate, but it was lighthearted, and ended without consensus. They made other conversation once their apple vs. orange debate died out. The food was amazing, even better than Katsuki remembered. Izuku looked like he was enjoying his plate, too. When their food was eaten, Katsuki paid for everything—after a lot of arguing from Izuku—and they stepped outside. The sun was high now, as it would be noon in about an hour. As they walked to the car, Izuku asked, “Did you enjoy your food?”

“Hell yeah,” Katsuki replied. “I don’t know what kind of special sauce they’re putting in there, but that shit was amazing.”

“Mine was, too! It was every bit as good as I remembered,” Izuku added with a smile. “Thanks again for paying. This just about covers the ice cream.”

Katsuki waved his hand in dismissal. “I’m surprised you enjoyed yours, nerd, ‘cuz on how much syrup you drenched those pancakes in. Seriously, they were drowning in sugar.”

“That’s what makes them good!” Izuku proclaimed, and of course, Katsuki had to argue with him by telling him what sugar does to peoples’ bodies and how Izuku probably took a year off his life after all the maple syrup he ingested today.

They got in the car and Katsuki started driving home with the windows down. It was now warm enough outside to enjoy the fresh air without getting cold. He draped one arm comfortably out the window and steered with his other atop the wheel.

They got back to the hospital, where Katsuki dropped Izuku off at the entrance. When Izuku got out of the car, Katsuki rolled down the window and said, “Alright, I’ve just about reached my limit of ‘Deku time’ for one day. I’m going home,” he said carelessly as Izuku peered at him through the open window.

He watched as something changed in Izuku’s expression and suddenly he looked a little sad. “Oh,” he said, obviously caught off-guard by that sudden statement. “Oh, um, okay…”

Meanwhile, Katsuki gave a snicker and put his car back into drive. “Just pulling your leg, nerd. I gotta go park the car.”

A smile grew on Izuku’s face as Katsuki peeled away and found the nearest parking spot. After turning off the car and making sure it was locked, he walked back to Izuku, who was exactly where he’d left him. As he approached, Izuku gave a smile so sweet that it was almost sickening.

“You really tricked me there,” Izuku said. “I didn’t know there was such thing as ‘Deku time.’”

He began walking toward the doors to enter the hospital, but Katsuki called him back with an, “Oi, where’re you going.”

Izuku turned back to look at him, confused. “Going inside…?”

“On a beautiful day like this?” Katsuki demanded, then clicked his tongue. “Absolutely not. There’s a park nearby, and we’re walking. Maybe they even have ice cream,” he said as he started walking in the opposite direction. Izuku gaped at him for a moment after before running to catch up.

“We’re leaving again? Don’t you think we should check in with the nurse first?” he asked as he caught up to walk beside Katsuki. “Also, I already said that you don’t owe me ice cream anymore after breakfast…”

“The nurse can kiss my ass,” Katsuki said, and Izuku gasped and struck his arm lightly in her defense.

“Kacchan! She was nice to us!”                                                        

Katsuki rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I know. For fuck’s sake, do you not know how to take a joke, Deku?”

Izuku sighed and ran his hands over his face. “Ugh…I’ll never understand you, Kacchan.”

The walk itself took about fifteen minutes, but the total time it took to get there was almost thirty. This was because Izuku caught sight of a stray cat on the side of the road and insisted on trying to follow and “rescue” it. He followed the poor cat all the way onto someone’s doorstep before realizing in the end that it was not, in fact, a stray.

“I just always have to make sure they have a home,” Izuku explained when Katsuki asked about it.

The blond stared at him strangely for a moment before shaking his head and looking away. “That is the most ridiculous shit I’ve ever heard,” he deadpanned. “So you’re telling me you just randomly follow mangey ass cats on the street until you can make sure they have somewhere to live?” he repeated.

Izuku nodded. “Whenever I have time,” he confirmed. “Usually when I’m on patrol. The animal shelter had been getting an influx of stray cats ever since I started working there.”

“You’re working there?” Katsuki repeated in disbelief.

Izuku waved his hands and shook his head. “No, no, not literally. I don’t get paid or anything. I just can’t live with myself if I ever see a cat that doesn’t have a home. And they always seem to like me, too, so that helps when I’m trying to capture them. I think they can tell that I’m trying to help.”

“So what are you, some kind of Disney princess?” Katsuki teased.

“No, just someone who loves cats,” Izuku replied after giving him a dirty look at that last comment. Katsuki pretended to be judgmental, but really, he found it a little admirable. That was 100% something that Izuku would do. Saving random ass cats off the street. His love for animals hadn’t wavered at all over the past decade, Katsuki realized.

They got to the park and started wandering around, following dirt paths surrounded by trees or making fun of old, nefarious-looking water fountain sculptures. “Every fountain tells a story,” Izuku said when they got to the second fountain of the day. So when they got to the sculpture of a naked lady riding a giant fish, Katsuki just had to ask him what the hell her story was all about. Izuku didn’t have an answer.

Cherry blossoms, birches, oaks, pines—this place had all kinds of nature. Katsuki had visited this particular park before, but at that time, he hadn’t paid much attention to the actual trees and shit. Back then, he’d been more focused on his own issues. But now that he was here again, he could really appreciate just how nice-looking it was. The cherry blossoms were in bloom, too, due to it being mid-May. It was impossible not to appreciate the scenery, actually, because Izuku refused to shut up about how pretty the trees were.

They spent an hour walking around before Katsuki heard something that made him stop dead in his tracks. An ice cream truck. His eyes widened and he almost cracked a smile as Izuku turned to look at him, asking why he’d stopped walking. “Deku, you hear that?” he asked, lifting a hand to cup his ear. He squinted skeptically. “That’s the sound of the ice cream man,” he said ominously, wiggling his fingers in a spooky way.

Izuku put a hand to his ear, too, to listen. “You make it sound as if he’s some kind of urban legend,” he laughed as Katsuki made ghostly noises.

“That’s because he is,” Katsuki confirmed earnestly. “Some say he goes around selling ice cream to unsuspecting kids, and that’s how he chooses his next victims. Then he kidnaps them, eats their souls, and turns their bodies into ice cream, which he uses to attract new victims. Really scary shit, Deku.”

Izuku’s mouth fell open at the ridiculousness of Katsuki’s story, and the two started walking again, heading in the direction of the sound. “Are you serious, Kacchan?” he asked with a laugh after a moment. “That is the most sinister story I’ve ever heard. And definitely not real,” he added with a shake of his head.

“I’m not making that shit up, Deku. Why would I make a joke about kids’ souls getting eaten?” Katsuki demanded, offended that Izuku wouldn’t believe him. “That’s pretty fucked up, you know.”

“Um…because you’re Kacchan,” Izuku explained with a grin. “Now quit trying to gaslight me.”

They located the ice cream truck and Katsuki bought a pair of All Might popsicles. The man behind the counter gave them a bit of a strange look as he handed the treats to Katsuki and Izuku, two full-grown adults with no children around, to eat for themselves. But neither of them noticed, because they were too busy talking about how so and so happened at so and so and, well, the conversation wasn’t even important enough to remember, but they’d been so wrapped up in each other that they hadn’t noticed the curious look from the guy.

“You know, I’m gonna go into debt soon ‘cuz of how much I’ve had to spend on food for you, broke-ass nerd,” Katsuki poked fun at Izuku after taking the first lick of his All Might popsicle. The popsicle itself was red, white, and blue, and had two creepy-ass eyes on the front that were supposed to be All Might’s. The fact that the pupils were looking in two opposite directions was a little off-putting, but Katsuki could care less because he was gonna be eating it within the next couple of minutes anyway.

“Why’d you buy it for me, then!” Izuku cried, sounding genuinely concerned. “I-I mean, I’ll pay you back, for sure; the only reason I don’t have my wallet it because it’s in my room, and I haven’t had a chance to get it because I’ve been in the hospital—well, I guess I could’ve grabbed it today when we stopped by, so maybe I should’ve done that, but anyway, I’ll just have to try to remember the price of everything you’ve bought me so far so I can pay you back! Maybe I should’ve been writing it down…let’s see, today’s breakfast cost was…no, it was eleven seventy-five; yeah, that’s right…oh, and the candy apple as well as the souvenirs from yesterday, I can’t remember how much those costed…as well as the snacks you’ve bought me from the hospital, they probably weren’t too expensive, but I need to add them to the total, anyway…”

“Oi, Deku,” Katsuki finally cut him off, “stop muttering, or I’ll be forced to double the tax.”

Izuku slapped a hand over his mouth with wide eyes. “Oh…was I talking out loud?”

Katsuki rolled his eyes. Izuku had a habit—or at least he used to have a habit—of going on a mental tangent and then accidentally speaking everything in his brain out loud. Though it didn’t happen often anymore, it was almost refreshing to see that nerdy side of his was still around. He’d matured a lot over these past couple of years, sure; but deep inside, he’d always be the same, nerdy Deku.

“You don’t owe me any fucking money,” Katsuki told him, “but I do expect you to at least try not to piss me off with the muttering. I thought you knew that it annoyed me.”

“Oh, yeah. I know. Sorry,” Izuku said. “But, uh…are you sure I don’t owe you anything? Was that sarcasm that you were using just now?”

Katsuki palmed his forehead and groaned. “No, it wasn’t sarcasm, you idiot. But you know what was sarcasm? Me saying that I’m gonna go into debt for some stupid snacks and a couple of meals. That’s just ridiculous,” he was forced to explain.

Izuku laughed nervously and said, “Ohhh. It’s kind of hard to tell with you sometimes, you know,” he said under his breath.

“Hah?” Katsuki demanded despite hearing him perfectly fine.

“Ah, nothing!”

Later that day, when the sun was starting to go down and they had nothing better to do but walk back home, Katsuki thought about the few days and just how…different they felt. Almost every day, he was spending time with Izuku, even if it was only for an hour or two. It was to the point where even their densest classmates were starting to notice (Kirishima and Denki being among them).

Almost every day, Katsuki felt himself leaving his comfort zone a little more. Spending a few extra minutes in a place he never thought he’d be. Saying something semi-nice that a few weeks ago, he never would’ve said. Laughing at a stupid joke that he would never have found funny if it weren’t for the circumstances. And laughing at one of Deku’s jokes, of all people. Go figure. It was as if Katsuki was a whole different person.

To be honest with himself, he’s never been very social. Actually, a lot of people might’ve considered him anti-social. He rarely attended group functions, even if he was invited personally by his friends. He hardly spoke to people, even the people who had interest in speaking to him, if it wasn’t necessary for schoolwork or a mission. And probably the biggest difference of all was that he never, ever, ever, hung out with people one-on-one if there was no benefit for him to be doing so.

Katsuki couldn’t even remember the last time he’d hung out with someone outside of school. Kirishima? He thought back and remembered a few times they’d walked home together, but that had been during the first year when the U.A. dorms hadn’t been built yet. Was it really that long ago? Two fucking years? He tried to remember anything other than that, but unless he’d blacked out and forgotten the event entirely, he couldn’t remember any other instances where he hung out with someone—not even Kirishima—in a one-on-one. Katsuki was an introvert, as some would say; but he wasn’t a fan of labels, so he just liked to call himself dedicated.

He was so dedicated to becoming a hero that he didn’t have time to hang out with people. He didn’t have time to build friendships or socialize. None of that shit was important, anyway, so why should he even bother with it? If it wasn’t going to help him in the long run, he shouldn’t waste his time. He decided that at a very early age, and since then, not much had changed.

That was, at least, until now. At the age of eighteen, Bakugou Katsuki was, for some reason or another, spending time with Deku again. His longtime rival, childhood friend. Midoriya Izuku, the same guy he’d considered his mortal enemy since the later stages of elementary and all throughout middle school. And Katsuki was…hanging out with him.

He knew it was because they were both injured and Katsuki had nothing better to do, and he also knew it was because of the lingering shock that they were even able to get Izuku back in the first place. No matter how badly he wanted to deny it, he’d been worried about Izuku when he was on that boat, and worried to the point of being quite literally sick. Unable to eat, barely able to sleep, and incapable of focusing on anything other than getting Izuku back. Experiencing something like that was bound to make anyone want to spend time with Izuku, at least for a few days afterward, to make sure he was going to be okay.

Long story short, this stretch of ‘hanging out’ would not last forever. Eventually, they’d get over this period of wanting to see each other, and things would go back to normal with classes starting back up and Katsuki and Izuku returning to their respective friend groups. Their paths may have crossed now, but it would only last until they could heal their bodies and minds and resume their training as heroes. That was the whole reason they both decided to come to U.A., and that had been their goal for as long as Katsuki could remember.

That was his priority. Not friendships, relationships, or any of that type of crap that didn’t matter. Katsuki could live without friends. He could live without a partner. And that’s exactly what he planned on doing.

But part of Katsuki thought that, from here on out, things might be changing for him. He could feel anticipation growing in the air like how you can feel your hair standing up before being struck by lightning. He could smell the ozone clouding the atmosphere like a pungent chlorine, growing stronger with every passing day; and he could detect with more and more abundance the metallic taste flooding his mouth, reminding him that whatever happens was not about to pass through without tragedy.

It was right in front of him. Something is changing. Things can’t always stay the same. Be ready, be ready, it whispered. Somewhere within the depths of his subconscious, he could hear it. A tide was coming in, which meant that before things got better, they were gonna have to get worse.

Katsuki was defenseless to this change. It was bound to happen at one point or another, and he just had to accept that. But when all was said and done and the water began to recede, there were only two options for what might result from it.

The first option, Katsuki would be a changed man. He’d be stronger because of the difficulties, and he could learn and grow because of them. He’d be open to change, and would be taken in a new direction; one that he would never have been able to experience if he took the alternate path.

The second option, Katsuki rejects the change. He sees the storm coming, but instead of embracing it, he hides. He doesn’t want to change, as he sees no benefit in taking the ulterior path. He still has his head on his shoulders, sure…but he’ll never be exposed to this opportunity again, and he’ll never experience what could’ve been because he was too scared to open his eyes to what was right there in front of him.

Both of these options involved pain, but only one of them entails becoming something better.

Wildfires are something you would call a ‘natural disaster’. When a wildfire comes and devastates a forest, the trees, after spending years upon years of building themselves up, are burnt to the ground. The flames will lick away at every living thing until there’s nothing left but a barren wasteland, barely recognizable for what it used to be. However, the terrain will remain the same, and so will the opportunity for life to grow back…if you give it time.

The sun would continue to shine, and the rain would continue to fall. Eventually, the grass would start to peek through the ashes, and the trees would start to re-grow. With time, the forest would rebuild itself to be even stronger and more beautiful than it was before. People wonder how this is possible, but really, the answer is simple. It’s because forests have roots. Not even the hottest of fires can burn away a tree’s hidden roots. It was the same thing with people. Though times might be tough for a while, in the end, things might work out better than you thought they would.

Katsuki considered all of this as he walked back to the hospital with Izuku by his side, watching as the sun set and the city began to quiet. Izuku was rambling about something the whole way back, but Katsuki couldn’t seem to pay attention because he’d been too wrapped up in his own thoughts. The more he wondered about the future, the more he realized that he had no idea what was coming. It was exhilarating, yet terrifying. When Katsuki was falling asleep that night, he came to a messy but satisfying conclusion within himself. It was true that he didn’t know what would happen, and he wouldn’t know the severity of the damage until it was already done.

All he knew was that he was determined not to spend the rest of his days living in the dark; no matter what he had to go through in order to get there.

Chapter Text

The very next day, Izuku was deemed well enough to move out of the hospital to the nurse’s office at the school. His panic attacks and blood pressure, the doctors said, were going down more every day and he was on track to a full recovery. And though he still wasn’t allowed to use his Quirk, they said he would likely be fully healed by the time classes started back up, which was next week.

Katsuki was with him when the doctors told him, and Izuku was elated. Katsuki literally watched his face light up with joy as the doctor delivered the news. “It’s about fucking time,” Katsuki said as the doctor left the room and Izuku jumped up, beginning to pack up his things to move. He didn’t have much, but the nurses gave him a few plastic bags to help carry all his books, clothes, and leftover food in the mini-fridge. Katsuki was tasked with putting all their games and decks of cards away in the game room.

“I’m so excited to finally live with everyone again!” Izuku said as he tucked the corners of the blanket under the bed and smoothed out the top, making it look neat. Technically he didn’t even need to make the bed because the nurses were going to change his sheets, anyway—but Izuku was weird like that. He couldn’t leave a room uncleaned. “This nightmare is finally passing.”

“It’s not like you get to sleep in your bed or anything,” Katsuki pointed out from where he was sitting, boredly watching Izuku as he tidied up the home he'd been inhabiting for the past week. “But yeah, I get why you’re eager to get out of this shithole,” he added.

“I may not get to sleep in my bed, but at least I get to have a bit more freedom—even if I’m being forced to sleep in the nurse’s room,” Izuku said. “Here, they don’t even let me go outside without having someone with me. I mean, do they think I’m gonna try to run away or something?”

“Maybe that's not too far-off,” Katsuki said mildly, and Izuku threw a pillow at him before he could explain. “I mean,” Katsuki batted down the pillow before adding, “didn’t you try to run away during one of your episodes or some shit? I thought you said something or another about trying to escape.”

Izuku hesitated, thinking. “Well, yeah, but it’s different during the day. The really bad episodes I have are at night. All my other ones are triggered when I see syringes and knives. So unless they’re growing syringes on trees now, I think I’d be good.”

“And what if a villain tried to attack you with a knife or something?” Katsuki asked.

“What are the chances of that?” Izuku reasoned. “Like, a million to one?”

Katsuki rolled his eyes, disliking how smart-ass-y that tone sounded. “Actually, there’s been a shit ton of crazy villains running around recently. Didn’t anyone tell you about that? While you were gone, villain attacks increased by almost seventy-five percent, and even the biggest hero agencies were spread thinner than a fingernail,” he said, holding up a finger and pointing to his fingernail to emphasize his point. “My point being, anything could happen.”

“Okay, but Mr. Aizawa said that the villain numbers were going down again now that the Quirk-enhancing drugs aren’t being produced anymore,” Izuku replied. He walked over to the center of the room to grab the pillow that Katsuki had defended himself against. “My point is that there probably wouldn’t be anything to worry about. Especially not if I just walk around the backyard for a little while and then come straight back. It would just be nice to have a little bit of freedom.”

Katsuki thought about the severity of some of Izuku’s panic attacks and wondered how he could even consider the risk of being put in a situation where one might be triggered. He couldn’t even use his Quirk yet. “It’s a whole different thing when I’m with you,” Katsuki said, “but when you’re alone, at least for this next week, it’s just not a good idea. You can’t even go a fucking day without relapsing, Deku, and we don’t fully understand what your triggers are. We never will know until something happens, and then it might be too late.”

Izuku frowned as he picked up the pillow and fluffed it between his hands. He didn’t look happy about it, but Katsuki was making good points. The blond didn’t know why he was worrying so much about Izuku’s safety in the first place. Probably because he just didn’t wanna have to deal with saving the nerd from some villain again. Izuku was probably the strongest member of their class, but in his state of recovery right now, he needed someone to watch over him—especially if he refused to watch over himself.

After a few moments, he sighed. “I guess you’re right,” he said to Katsuki, glancing at him. Then he smiled playfully. “How nice of you to be worrying about me, Kacchan,” he said sweetly while placing a hand on his heart and hugging the pillow to his chest with his other arm. “I’m touched.”

Katsuki immediately got up and lunged, snatching the pillow from under his arms with a scowl on his face. “I’m not worried. Do I look fucking worried?” Katsuki demanded as he grabbed the end of the pillow. Izuku held fast to the other end, grinning. “Maybe I’m just sick of saving your sorry ass all the time, you dumb fuck.”

Izuku laughed as Katsuki pulled harder on the pillow and Izuku yanked it back as if they were playing tug-of-war. “No, I think you were definitely worried!” the shorter practically sang as Katsuki tried to rip the pillow away from him.

“Wow nerd, you’re doing a great job of reminding me of how much I hate you,” Katsuki stated.

“You don’t hate me!” Izuku proclaimed. “How could you worry about me if you hate me?”

“Because I wasn’t worrying about you,” Katsuki snapped, yanking harder, “never have, never will.” He had fake anger in his voice as he pulled Izuku off balance because of how hard he was yanking on the pillow. When he did that, though, they heard a rip in the fabric, to the mini tug-of-war game came to an end and Izuku finished making the bed with a few lingering laughs at the incredulity of the argument.

But was it even an argument? Or is that just how their interactions always seemed to go? One of them says something, the other disagrees, and it just spins them down another rabbit hole of something petty to disagree about. That’s just how their exchanges always went, Katsuki reflected. On one hand, there was nothing necessarily wrong with that; but on the other, it was a friendship completely different from all Izuku’s other ones.

Katsuki had noticed his interactions with people like Iida, Todoroki, and Uraraka were never the same as the ones he had with Katsuki. When he was with Katsuki, they would poke fun, argue, and seem to disagree about something around every corner. But at the same time, it was almost…enjoyable. Lighthearted at best. If Katsuki had a meter for how many times he caught himself smiling every hour, the meter was definitely at its highest whenever he was around Izuku. And whether that was for better or worse, he didn’t know. It almost felt addicting to be around him.

They finished packing up the room in less than ten minutes. Before long, Izuku was standing at the door with his belongings in hand, looking over his shoulder at the room he got to call home for little more than a week. Hopefully, he’d never have to visit this dreaded hospital again, but the time had been well-spent. He was now on his way to a full recovery because of the hospital’s care.

“Goodbye, room three-o-two!” Izuku said as he waved the room goodbye while walking backward, following Katsuki down the hall toward the elevator. “Thanks for being so…roomy! And comfortable! And…for smelling good!”

“You are so embarrassing,” Katsuki said after Izuku got done waving goodbye to a literal room. He’d somehow gotten talked into carrying Izuku’s flowers, and he could barely see through their leaves and petals as he walked. He was gonna fucking trip or something. “You know the walls can’t answer, right? Hospitals don’t have ears, idiot."

“Yeah, and they don’t have mouths, either,” Izuku agreed, spinning around to walk normally behind him. “And yet, I said goodbye.”

“Cuz you’re a fucking weirdo,” Katsuki decided.

“Am not!” Izuku defended. And so, the arguing continued.

They bickered all the way down the elevator, entailing Izuku calling him a meanie—such a childish nickname, Katsuki informed him—and Katsuki bringing up how he’d been kind enough to carry Izuku’s smelly fucking flowers for him, so the nerd should be a little more appreciative. Izuku was only silenced for about five seconds before he came up with a comeback and Katsuki threatened to drop the flowers because he refused to shut up.

The walk back to the school was a little more peaceful, as they were outside now. Being in public never stopped them from arguing before, but the sweet outside air was enough to lighten their moods and transition the topic of conversation to something more at ease. The sun was shining and a slight breeze was blowing; the same weather they’d been having for the past few days now. But Katsuki wasn’t complaining. Nice weather like this never gets old.

They arrived at the school and Katsuki had to swallow his pride walking through the U.A. doors with two bouquets of flowers in his hands. While he and Izuku had been walking, he managed to maneuver the vases so that they were on either side of his body and he could see clearly forward, but that didn’t mean that he wasn’t still carrying flowers—and not just any flowers, but Izuku’s fucking flowers—into the building. He knew the implication that someone might get upon seeing that. It was annoying.

With a silent prayer that the two wouldn’t be spotted, Katsuki’s hopes were thwarted when a large group of classmates that had been conversing in the common area looked over and saw the two emerge through the front doors. The group immediately jumped up, calling out both of their names in surprised, friendly greetings. They were mostly saying Izuku’s name, however, since they were surprised to see him out of the hospital.

“Oh, Midoriya! What a pleasant surprise!” Iida said as he came rushing over. “Why do you have those bags? Would you like me to carry them for you?”

Izuku beamed. “Hey, Iida!” he exclaimed in greeting, “and no, thanks. I’ve got them.”

“You can take these, four eyes,” Katsuki huffed as he unloaded the two vases, heavy with flowers, into Iida’s hands. The class president stumbled for a moment before righting himself, holding the vases precariously.

“Of course! And I will carry them with the utmost care!” Iida said, facing Katsuki. The blond didn’t even have a chance to respond before everyone was swarming around Izuku, greeting him warmly or asking what he was doing here with all his stuff. Everyone looked so excited to see him, and Izuku looked happy, too. Katsuki was again reminded of just how popular Izuku was as they all came over to welcome him back.

Though some may find themselves jealous of how beloved Izuku was, Katsuki understood why he was so renowned. He was strong. Smart. Good-looking. Optimistic, agreeable, sympathetic. Bright. He’s the guy you go to when you’re feeling sad and need someone to rant to, and he’s the guy who makes you feel validated and appreciated with every conversation you have. He was a dazzling source of light, lighting the way with his brilliance and guiding everyone else along the way. Katsuki had come to realize after all these years of knowing him that Izuku was like the sun; that was the best way to describe him.

Although Katsuki and Izuku had a common goal and a few common traits, that didn’t mean they got along. In fact, their personalities were such polar opposites that they often ended up clashing together in disastrous, cataclysmic, even tragic ways. Some say that might’ve made them good for each other, but Katsuki just saw it as all the more reason to stay the hell away from Izuku.

Because who the hell knows. Maybe this boy—the sweet, considerate, green-haired, freckle-faced boy with nothing but kindness in his heart and a personality so different from Katsuki’s that it was almost paradoxical—might actually be the one to change something in him.

As the class welcomed him back, Katsuki became surrounded by his own friend group and suddenly everybody was roped into some sort of conversation for a while. Some classmates came and went, a few even fetching Aizawa and All Might so that they could get the chance to see Izuku home again, too. Everyone had easy smiles and welcoming arms as Midoriya Izuku made his first appearance back into normalcy.

The only thing Katsuki found somewhat amusing throughout the exchange was the way Izuku kept forgetting peoples’ names for a second or two before remembering them and then apologizing profusely. The class was already used to it and was very understanding, telling him he didn’t need to apologize. At the same time, a few people were making a tally chart to keep track of which names he forgot in order to see who was the ‘least memorable classmate.’

Initially, Katsuki was wary of the idea. It sounded like they were making fun of Izuku, and that was fucked up, especially considering that it wasn’t even his fault. But after a bit more observation, the blond realized that Izuku was laughing about it, too, so it wasn’t a problem. Denki currently had the most tallies with a total of nine, which was pretty sad for him, considering that Denki didn’t even hang out with Izuku that much.

“I can’t believe this!” he wailed, making sobbing noises as he shook Izuku back and forth by the shoulders, acting like a deranged, floundering mess. This was after the tallies had been counted and he realized he was in 1^st place to be the ‘least memorable classmate.’ What an honor. “I can’t believe it! How could you forget me, Midoriya! Just how!”

He and Izuku were the center of attention while everyone else was surrounding them having a good time, some patting Denki on the shoulder sympathetically or just pointing and laughing. Everyone had grins on their faces as Izuku shook his head wildly, trying to talk over Denki, who was still crying, along with the voices of those around them, who all seemed to constantly have something to say. “No, no, no, it’s not that! I’d never forget you, Kaminari!” Izuku assured quickly, and everyone else laughed again as he went into a rant about how he could ‘never forget his classmates’ and ‘would never want to forget anybody’ and a bunch of other things it seemed like he was repeating a thousand times.

Katsuki watched from the rear of the group, and he didn’t realize there was a small smile on his face until his self-awareness suddenly returned. As soon as he caught it, he wiped the look away with a harsh scowl and did a quick glance around to make sure nobody had noticed. Nobody was looking at him—they were all looking at Izuku, who was now initiating a conversation with Sero, the guy holding the list, about who was in second and third place. Katsuki relaxed his shoulders and returned to normal when he was sure nobody had seen. Catching him with a smile on his face was like catching him with his pants down. Things got awkward.

On the list, Iida and Uraraka were tied for six tallies, which made sense because of how much time they spent with Izuku. And the numbers only went down from there. Todoroki had four, Tsu and Kirishima both had three, and everyone else was in the ones or twos. Katsuki didn’t even think to wonder how many times Izuku had forgotten his name. It must’ve been a lot, based on how often they were hanging out together in the hospital.

As the class gathering progressed, Katsuki noticed more profoundly the way Uraraka was sticking close to his side the entire time. The look on her face when she looked at Izuku was filled with nothing but affection, and the way she took every opportunity possible to reach out and touch him, grab his arm, hug him, whatever made it so painfully obvious that she was into him. Whether or not Izuku was aware of that, however, was completely out of Katsuki’s knowledge. The nerd was so fucking dense when it came to relationships that it wouldn’t be surprising if he didn’t even notice Uraraka’s behavior at all.

It was still annoying as fuck to watch, though.

When the conversation started to dwindle and interactions seemed to be more small talk than anything else, only a few classmates stuck around to see Izuku to the nurse’s office. Iida, who was still carrying the flowers; Todoroki, who Katsuki had never seen smile so much; and Uraraka, who was stuck to Izuku’s arm like a wood tick. Izuku’s inner circle, it seemed. It was annoying that they insisted on coming along, but Katsuki couldn’t really say that out loud. They were Izuku’s friends, after all, and he had no say over what they did, or when they hung out with him.

But that didn’t mean he couldn’t be pissy about it.

Katsuki was walking behind the group when he noticed, for the hundredth time, Uraraka was leaning into Izuku as she laughed, pressing her body against the side of his arm as they continued walking in synchronization. She would always touch him—god, it was like watching a crappy teenage romance film. Katsuki’s stomach churned with disgust at the blatantly obvious PDA she always felt the need to show off. But, he wasn’t going to say anything. He had no right to say anything. He convinced himself he didn’t care. I don’t.

It made him wonder how Todoroki and Iida could even stand to be around them when they acted so sickeningly all the time. It was getting on Katsuki’s nerves. Everything had been fine until the stupid class had to come and take all Izuku’s attention away.

When they were almost to the nurse’s office, Katsuki was still trailing a few yards behind the group, basically just watching Izuku and Uraraka interact. He didn’t realize it, but he was glaring at her. She was already on his nerves, even though she hadn’t done anything wrong. But when she did one of the things that Katsuki hated most—she stood on her tiptoes and leaned over to whisper something all confidential-like into Izuku’s ear—something in Katsuki snapped, and suddenly, he didn’t feel like self-preserving anymore.

“Hey, fucking pink cheeks,” he nearly shouted to draw her attention, “I think if you get any damn closer, he’s at risk of tripping and falling on that big-ass forehead of his.”

It pissed him off whenever she did that. It made him feel like they were on a date and he was now third-wheeling—even though there were technically others present, so he wouldn’t be considered a third. More like a fourth or fifth. However, he got his fair dose of that shit every time he hung out with Mina and Kirishima, the bastards. Fucking relationships. It was as if they were in on some big secret, and Katsuki was always on the outside with nothing to say to contribute.

Immediately once Katsuki said this, she craned her neck around to look at him, and so did Izuku. He looked attentively at Katsuki while Uraraka just smiled. Katsuki almost visibly winced. A person’s smile was supposed to be reassuring, he thought as he looked at her. But Uraraka’s smiles toward him always seemed to come across as a little fucking condescending.

“Is that your way of saying you want to join us?” she asked, and the worst part was that she didn’t sound mean about it. She sounded like she was genuinely wondering. And that just made the question even more perturbing. “Seriously. We don’t want you to feel unincluded, Bakugou.”

“Yeah, Kacchan, you don’t have to walk in the back…” Izuku added, sounding genuine. He looked like he wanted to say more before he saw Katsuki’s expression. The blond was sneering in repulsion.

“I don’t wanna be grouped into your lame-ass conversation,” he snorted. “I’m fine right where I am.”

“It’s okay if you want to join us, Bakugou,” Todoroki said over his shoulder in an almost joking manner, and it was a little jarring just how different his mood was when he was around Izuku and his other friends. He never would have spoken in such a laid-back way two years ago. Even the other week, while he was working with Katsuki to try and rescue the nerd, he’d never actually teased him. “That’s why you followed us, huh. Because you wanted to join in on our super cool conversation,” he continued with a ‘cool’ flash of his eyebrows.

At that, Katsuki paused. His eyebrows creased in confusion. He’d never stopped to think about that, and he wondered now:

Why the hell am I still following Deku around?

The nerd was with his stupid friends now. Why didn’t Katsuki just go back to his room instead of following them all the way to the damn nurse’s office? He’d been following Izuku almost on instinct. He wasn’t even carrying anything of the nerd’s that he needed to bring to his room. Why…am I even here?

“That’s not the reason,” Katsuki growled as he realized this.

Todoroki shrugged while lightheartedly saying, “Your loss, then.”

“So what’s the reason for coming, then?” Uraraka asked, casually following the topic of conversation. Katsuki dreaded that question. “What, you don’t trust his friends with a simple thing like walking him across the building by ourselves?” she laughed.

“Shut your damn mouth,” Katsuki berated while Izuku looked at her, surprised that she would mock him so openly. It wasn’t really mocking because she was just making a joke, but when it came to Katsuki, it was definitely some form of making fun of him. Maybe she had noticed all the time Katsuki was spending around Izuku, and it was clear that she thought the only reason the blond was sticking around him was because he wanted to make sure Izuku didn’t get put in a bad situation again.

To be fair, she had no reason to believe anything else. In all the time she’s known the two of them, they’ve been rivals, enemies, and in the best case, teammates. Katsuki had no reason to be around Izuku except to make sure that he wasn’t getting attacked by villains. There was no merit of friendship, companionship, or any of that shit whatsoever. And apparently, she was willing to just point that out—right here in front of him.

“Hey, Uraraka, don’t say that. Kacchan has other reasons to hang out with me, too,” Izuku pointed out. Katsuki nearly bit a chunk out of his cheek in abhorrence for having to be advocated for. Defended. It made his stomach churn—enough so that he wasn’t able to hold his tongue from saying something sour.

“No I don’t,” he stated bitterly. “I got no reason to hang out around you other than to make sure you don’t somehow get your ass in trouble again. The round-faced-bitch is right about that.”

Katsuki stopped walking and Izuku continued to look at him over his shoulder, stuttering slightly and slowing to a stop after a few more steps. His friends noticed his change of pace and just sort of stood uneasily around as he and Katsuki stared at each other. Katsuki, who’d just said something rude and, for the most part, untrue; and Izuku, who was confused why he would say something like that in the first place. He looked slightly offended and even a little hurt to hear that Katsuki had no better reason to hang out with him than to ‘protect him.’ As if he’d been under the impression that Katsuki was there for any other reason.

Honestly, Katsuki didn’t even know why he was saying that, either. Maybe it was the embarrassment of being called out like that—it’d been ignorant of him not to expect his other classmates to notice the abnormal amount of time that he and Izuku were spending together—but the other part of it ran deeper than just embarrassment.

Katsuki had no fucking idea why he was spending so much time, willingly, around Izuku. He’s been trying to figure it out ever since it started, but still hasn’t come up with an answer. Was it the fact that he never felt judged when he was around Izuku? Or the fact that the nerd, not even once while hanging out with him alone, had put him in an uncomfortable situation where he felt like he wanted to leave?

Naturally, he’s confused by his. Katsuki had never done this with someone before, so he had a valid reason to be confused. There was just something about hanging out with Izuku that seemed a little…deeper…than a spur-of-the-moment decision while fighting alongside him in a battle. It was almost as if part of Katsuki was trying to be friendly towards Izuku again. Friendly…like when they were kids. A friendship. Katsuki couldn’t believe it, but that’s what it seemed like. It was one thing to see Izuku as a rival—an equal, even. But it was a whole different level to start considering him as a friend.

Katsuki didn’t want to think that's what's happening, but a part of him could see the truth. Katsuki’s attitude, his disposition, was changing again. It had changed before—just enough for him to start seeing Izuku as more of a rival than an actual enemy. But this time, the change was different. He felt like he was growing closer to the boy, even if all they were doing was spending a couple hours a day playing shitty board games in a secluded, quiet hospital room. Because even just a few weeks before, he never would’ve done that.

In a way, it was like his entire perspective on life was undergoing a shift just because of this one stupid nerd. He’d always seen Izuku as this unreachable person with goals that just happened to line up with his own. As a kid, he’d been afraid of Izuku’s save-to-win nature and ended up pushing him away. All throughout middle school and even some of high school, he’d only grown more and more afraid—until he reached his breaking point. He and Izuku had a fight at Ground Beta, All Might came to intervene, and Katsuki realized that day that Izuku wasn’t his enemy. He was his rival.

They had opposite views on what it means to be a hero, but they could use that to make each other better. Katsuki came to terms with that long ago, so that wasn’t the problem. It was the fact that after all this time, even after all these changes he’d already gone through involving Izuku, he still wasn’t done. He still had more to explore with Izuku, whether he liked that or not. Something out there—whether that was God, fate, or some random asshole behind the keyboard pulling the strings—was pushing them together. And whatever the journey ahead, it was sure to change Katsuki’s outlook on Izuku—on his entire life, even.

Dragging himself back to reality, Katsuki looked at Izuku with an indecisive, confused feeling in his gut—and an emotionless expression to hide it. For now, he believed what he said to be true. It was true that he had no better reason to hang out with Izuku except to make sure he didn’t somehow get himself into trouble. At least, that’s how it was at first. He wasn’t sure if that was changing, too—but it definitely looked like Izuku believed so, because he was looking at Katsuki as if he'd just been rejected.

“Kacchan…?” Izuku said. He looked like he wanted to say more, didn’t know where to begin. Do you really mean that? Katsuki could envision the words coming out of his mouth before Izuku even thought to ask them. Katsuki remained impassive. If he was gonna talk now, he wanted to be truthful—but with these other extras hovering around, he didn’t want to. Especially when he didn’t even have his own thoughts sorted yet. The last thing he needed was to run his mouth and have these morons getting the wrong idea about their status.

So, Katsuki just stayed silent. After giving Izuku a few more seconds to ask or say whatever he wanted to say and the nerd kept quiet, Katsuki walked away. He had nothing left to do here. Izuku could be supervised by his friends, he didn’t need Katsuki there. That was just a fact.

Izuku watched him go for as long as he could before Katsuki turned a corner out of sight. Then, his friends gave him a few reassuring words about how Katsuki rarely meant what he said, and the nerd continued with a forced smile and a fake cheerful attitude. They went to the nurse’s room, unpacked his stuff, and then spent a couple of hours in the common room with the rest of the class, socializing and catching up.

Izuku was his usual bright, lively self for the remainder of the day, but to the keenest eye, you would’ve seen that he was troubled. From the pauses between conversations where his eyes would drift off to the empty stairwell, to the thoughtful look on his face that he would let show only when he was sure nobody was looking. It was obvious to anybody with the ability to read between the lines. He was distressed, and there was only one explanation as to why. Bakugou Katsuki.

The only reason he’s hanging out with me is because he thinks I can’t handle myself on my own. Izuku couldn’t stop repeating the words in his head. The truth was hard, and part of it was hurtful, but what else could he expect? It should’ve been obvious. Katsuki had never been like that; one to just spend time with someone for no reason. Least of all Midoriya Izuku, of all people.

It didn’t make any of their experiences together any less memorable, and he refused to let it taint any of the fun things they’d done together over the past few days. The only thing it did was change the context. Izuku still appreciated whole-heartedly everything that Katsuki had done for him, and he still made it an objective to remember all these things that they were doing together; because this hanging-out phase between them would not last forever. As much as he may be enjoying their time together, he and Katsuki weren’t friends. What was happening now was not normal for them. And the saying, nothing good lasts forever, was a saying known to Izuku better than to anyone else.

Meanwhile, Katsuki spent those same few hours locked up in his room, sprawled out atop the blankets with his hands folded behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling. He, too, was deep in thought; and he had no reason to try and hide it. A couple of times, his friends came by to ask if he wanted to go down and join everyone, but Katsuki would refuse each time. The only thing he had in his mind was that Izuku was down there, and he wasn’t ready to see him again right now. He needed to get his head sorted out. And the only way he could do that was by spending time alone.

For the next three days, he and Izuku didn’t hang out once. Katsuki figured that when Izuku used to be in the hospital, he’d been more inclined to visit because he didn’t trust the doctors there not to do something stupid—but now that Izuku was back in the nurse’s office just a few floors below him, Katsuki didn’t need to be around as much anymore. Recovery Girl was a reliable provider who he didn’t have to worry about messing up, and to add on to that, he had his classmates and friends always just a few doors away. If need be, one of them could jump in to help at any given moment. And that was enough to convince Katsuki that he had no reason to be spending time with Izuku anymore.

They caught each other’s eye a few times in passing, and sometimes, they would even hang out in the common area concurrently; albeit on opposite sides of the room. They rarely spoke, and even if they did, it was never about what Katsuki said. It was never about what they did before. Only small talk. They weren’t growing any further apart than they had been three, four months ago. And yet, somehow it felt like they were more estranged than ever before.

Maybe Katsuki had been more acclimated to hanging out with Izuku daily than he originally thought, because now that they’d stopped, things between them were starting to feel a little strained. Sometimes Katsuki would catch Izuku staring at him from across the room while the class was having social time, and other times, Katsuki was the one being caught. Even before Izuku got kidnapped, the silence between them had never been so loud. He knew that at some point, they were going to have to confront each other about it—but until that time came, Katsuki tried his best to push it out of his consciousness.

He focused almost obsessively on getting himself healed. Seeing his physical therapist whenever possible, doing his twists and stretches for hours at a time, eating nothing but foods that would keep him healthy, and doing any workouts possible that wouldn’t strain his back. He lasered in on working to better himself. As soon as he could get back to training, he’d have that option again; an outlet for his emotions, a way to relive his stress, and most importantly, something to focus on. He believed that training was the best way to work out his emotions, so the sooner he could get back to that, the better off he would be.

On his second day of visiting the trainer, he was X-rayed and assessed by a professional. Afterward, he was told that his body was on a fast track to a full recovery, and he was praised for everything he'd done so far to recover. He was given the go-ahead to remove the brace and start strengthening the muscle around the fracture so that it wouldn’t break again. Katsuki was shown three workouts that would strengthen that muscle group, and then sent home to do them himself. He spent three hours stretching, warming up, and then doing the workouts that the doctors assigned. His back didn’t hurt at all without the brace, and he took that as a sign to keep going until it did.

At the end of the day, he was tired and sore, but it felt good. He hadn’t been sore in far too long, and it was relieving to know that his back was almost fully healed. When Katsuki got up off the floor and walked to the fridge to grab a protein shake, sweaty and breathing hard, he was annoyed to find that he didn’t have any left. The shelf was empty where he would usually keep the shakes, and he didn’t have any fruit left to make one. He had a bag of protein powder and there was a blender downstairs, but it wasn’t edible on its own. He needed some kind of fruit to make something out of it.

As Katsuki stood there with the mini fridge door open, letting the cool air spill over his bare feet, he remembered that there was a pack of protein shakes downstairs that Kirishima and Sero split the money on. Neither of them had room in their mini fridges because of all the damn soda, beer, and other nasty shit they kept in there, so they kept their protein shakes in the big fridge that the class shared. Katsuki kicked the mini fridge door shut and grabbed the nearest shirt he could find so he’d look presentable. He figured he could just pay them back or something, but it’s not like they drank protein shakes all that much, anyway. They probably wouldn’t even notice if he took one.

Katsuki made his way down the hall and descended the stairs uninterrupted. It was getting dark now, so it was time to relax. Everybody was most likely getting dinner or hanging out in their rooms, which was great for Katsuki because he didn’t really feel like interacting with anybody right now. He was tired, he was hungry, and he wanted his damn protein shake.

When he got to the kitchen, however, he was dismayed to find out that it was not as empty as the hallways or the stairs. Of course, there had to be just one person there—the person that Katsuki didn’t want to see more than anyone. Izuku was in the kitchen.

He was leaning back against the counter with a glass of water held lightly between his hands, wearing a pair of All-Might-themed PJs. His hair was just as wild and unruly as ever, but instead of looking cheerful like he always did, there was a thoughtful, almost pouty expression on his face as he looked—no, stared at the floor. When Katsuki caught sight of him from the base of the stairwell, the blond sighed slightly and rolled his eyes. Of course. It just has to be him, doesn’t it.

Izuku’s presence wasn’t enough to make him leave behind a good protein shake, so he continued forward with an unaffected expression, deciding to ignore that he’d even noticed the boy’s presence in the first place.

As he approached, Izuku noticed his footsteps and dragged his gaze off the ground to look up, probably expecting to see pink-cheeks or Todoroki or something. When he realized it was Katsuki, his eyes widened fractionally and his lips parted in surprise. He seemed to shift a little on his feet, as if uncomfortable, as Katsuki walked closer. Katsuki wondered what he'd been thinking about to look so red-handed.

The blond was staring impassively at the fridge—his target—but he couldn’t resist sneaking a look at Izuku to evaluate his reaction. He was standing beneath a light fixture which spilled out a warm orange hue all around him. This was the only light that was on in the area, so the rest of the space was dark. His face and hair glowed in the light, casting hard shadows down his neck. His eyes, wide and giving off a forest-green luminance because of the lighting, were trained on Katsuki as he walked over. Izuku was standing, of course, right beside the fridge.

“Hi, Kacchan,” Izuku tested, looking a little hesitant to even speak. Katsuki wondered why. Did he think he was mad at him or something? Or was it just because they hadn’t really spoken in over three days?

Katsuki didn’t know he was going to respond until he did. “Hey, nerd,” he said, reaching nonchalantly for the fridge and pulling it open. Izuku was to his right, so the fridge door blocked his line of vision when he opened it. Izuku walked a few paces to the side so he could continue to stare at Katsuki, which the latter found somewhat irritating, but didn’t say anything about it. It seemed as if Izuku was working up the courage to try and talk. After three days of getting avoided, maybe he had something to say.

As Katsuki reached into the fridge and rummaged through a few paper bags of leftover takeout to get to the back, Izuku asked his first question. “Why’re you all sweaty?” He sounded curious and a little timid, and Katsuki recognized that as an icebreaker question. He leaned into the fridge and scoured blindly for a drink, knowing Sero and Kirishima kept them in the back left corner. The fridge was currently full of takeout bags because the class had gone out to dinner last night, an event that Katsuki did not attend.

He looked over his shoulder at Izuku to answer the question. “I get sweaty sometimes,” Katsuki replied gruffly from the strain of trying to grab a drink in this awkward position. Finally, his fingertips brushed across a bottle and he wrapped his hand around it before pulling it out and looking at the front. Bingo. A protein shake.

“Were you working out?” Izuku continued to inquire. “You couldn’t work out before because of your back injury, so does that mean it’s getting better? Are you healed?”

“Maybe.” Katsuki didn’t feel like giving him a straight answer. He had a hint of a smirk on his face as he rolled his shoulders back and turned to face Izuku, fridge still open. “Maybe not.”

Izuku sighed, looking away in exasperation. Obviously he wasn’t in the mood to dance around Katsuki, trying to get an answer out of him. “I’m just trying to make conversation, you know. It would be nice if you could at least give me a yes or no response.”

Katsuki swung the fridge door closed and clicked his tongue, regarding Izuku with narrowed eyes. “And why’s that?”

“It’s hard to talk to someone when they’re giving me a bunch of cryptic responses,” Izuku said, obviously annoyed for having to explain that. “Just talk to me.”

Katsuki took a step forward, displeased at that self-important tone in his voice. Three days of not talking, and now this? “You don’t tell me what to do, Deku. Just because I spent a few days in the hospital with you doesn’t mean you’re the boss of me suddenly. I can do whatever I want.” This interaction between them seemed very strained.

After he took a small step backward, Izuku’s eyebrows raised slightly at his mention of the hospital. This was the closest they’d gotten to a real conversation about it. Those days they spent playing games and going on walks, hanging out with no actual reason to be doing so. It seemed big at the time. But even while they were doing it, they never actually brought it up out loud.

“You can do whatever you want,” Izuku repeated, acting petty now. “Is that why you’ve been avoiding me for three days? Because you’re trying to prove that you can do whatever you want?”

“Don’t sound so damn entitled,” Katsuki told him.

“Entitled to what? To you?”

Katsuki corrected, “To my time.”

Izuku pursed his lips. “Well, I don’t. And I’m not. I just…I would’ve thought that you might come around to see me, is all.”

“What for?” The blond shrugged. “Your dumb friends are there to watch you now, so I don’t gotta waste another minute sitting around with your dumb ass doing nothing. I can focus on myself now, something I’ve always been good at.”

Izuku looked troubled. “I know that it’s not normal for you to hang out with me, but don’t try to pretend like the time we spent together was all for nothing,” he said in a reasonable tone of voice. It sounded like he was getting a little frustrated. He was looking up at Katsuki with the water glass clutched tightly between his hands, eyebrows furrowed. “It meant something to you, I know it did. Or else why would you keep coming back every day? Why would you stick around me so much?” Even as he asked these questions, he must’ve known that Katsuki didn’t have any answers, because he kept going. “It doesn’t make sense, so stop trying to convince yourself that it meant nothing to you.”

Before Katsuki could say something in defense, Izuku jumped to add, “We aren’t friends, and I’m not trying to say that we are. Things don’t just work out like that. I don’t know your reasons for staying, and sometimes it seems like you don’t even know them yourself.” He drew a breath. “All I’m saying is that those things we did together, the memories, all of it—it wasn’t a waste of time, so don’t say that it was. I know we probably won’t ever do those things again, but they were nice while they lasted. I know you think so, too.”

Katsuki opened his mouth to respond before realizing he had no idea what he wanted to say. Maybe hit him with a straight-up, ‘you’re wrong’ or maybe a, ‘shut up and fuck off’? No, he couldn’t. Izuku was right, at least partly. Katsuki was just too stubborn to directly agree.

He took another step forward, maintaining eye contact with Izuku as he inched closer. “You know that, huh?” Katsuki repeated, lowering his voice. Izuku walked backward as Katsuki advanced. “You think you know everything, don’t you, Deku. Well, let me just tell you something right now. You don’t know shit.”

Izuku blinked up at him. “So you’re saying I’m wrong?” he asked, voice remaining level. “You’re saying those things we did together meant nothing to you?”

“I never said that,” Katsuki replied. He felt like he was toying now. “Don’t put words in my mouth.”

“Are you even taking me seriously right now?” Izuku asked, glancing at their feet as Katsuki kept walking slowly towards him even as the countertop behind was approaching. “Y-You’re not even addressing my side of the argument. I’m trying to have a conversation,” he repeated himself.

Katsuki’s nose wrinkled. “A conversation. I, for one, didn’t ask for a conversation,” he pointed out.

“Do you have to be so ignorant?”

“I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.”

“Ugh,” Izuku breathed incredulously, “you’re impossible.”

Izuku backed himself all the way against the countertop. When the back of his foot hit the base of the counter, his hands dropped from his front to rest on the edge of the marble stone slab. He set his glass down—or rather, it slid out of his grip onto the counter—to use his hands as props to keep his body upright as Katsuki walked closer.

The blond put his hand—the one not holding the protein shake—on the cabinet that was directly beyond Izuku’s head. He leaned over the boy, who in turn, had to lean slightly backwards. His eyes were wide as if he were nervous. Meanwhile, Katsuki was staring at him as a show of intimidation. Their bodies were hovering only inches apart. If anyone walked into the room and saw them right now, they’d most definitely get the wrong idea. Katsuki couldn’t care. He was too wrapped up in his own thoughts, too engulfed in these things happening in his life that he was powerless to stop.

Partly, he was angry. He hadn’t been expecting to have this conversation right now, and he hadn’t been expecting Izuku to make good fucking points in the conversation. It was annoying. But most of all, it was a slap in the face. Because he was just now forced to come to terms with the fact that hanging out with Izuku wasn’t a big waste of time. It wasn’t meaningless to him, and it wasn’t all for nothing. It served a purpose. It was a little…enjoyable, even. Katsuki had done something enjoyable…with Izuku.

A realization like that, it didn’t happen often. So Katsuki was trying to play it off as cool by doing whatever the hell he was doing right now.

“Let me tell you something about me, Deku,” Katsuki said, leaning forward even more, pushing their proximity boundaries further than he thought possible. “Listen up.”

Izuku peered up at him uneasily, listening quietly.

“I don’t make friends with people,” Katsuki began with an ounce of spite in his voice. “I’m not like any of those idiots who you hang out with every day. I’m not like four eyes or round face, or even that damn Icyhot bastard. I’m not like any of them, Deku. And if you think that I am, you're fucking stupid.”

“Well…what are you like, then, Kacchan?” Izuku asked quietly. When he spoke, his mouth was so close that Katsuki could feel the warmth of his breath. “Why are you saying this?”

The blond leaned down closer to Izuku’s ear and lowered his tone. “I don’t get along with people,” he repeated angrily. He could feel Izuku’s hair tickling his face. “Least of all…you.”

Izuku let out a breath, and when he did, it was shaky. Katsuki stood up straight and took a step back, lowering both of his hands to his sides. He looked at Izuku, who was leaning back against the table, hands on the countertop, eyes wide and lips parted in bewilderment. He looked stunned, though Katsuki didn’t think what he’d said had been very stunning. He simply told the truth. Though he supposed the closeness by which told said it may have been a little strange.

“Do you get it now?” Katsuki growled, tossing the protein shake between his hands as he looked down his nose at the still-recovering Izuku. “Do you get why this…” he motioned back and forth between himself and Izuku, referring to a friendship between them, “…would never work out?”

Izuku blinked a few times, shuffled his feet, and then crossed his arms, still leaning his back against the counter. He stared at Katsuki meaningfully. “Do you really believe that, Kacchan?” he asked softly, some residual whisper lingering in his voice. “Or are you just saying that because you’ve boxed yourself in for so long that you forgot that there’s a way to climb out of it?”

Katsuki stared at Izuku for a solid half-minute, both saying nothing, before he thought of something civil enough to respond with. “What, exactly, do you mean by that?”

The nerd bit his lip and looked away for a moment, as if he knew it wasn’t his place, but decided to continue anyway. “I mean… you always isolate yourself from the rest of us, but maybe that’s not always the best way to do things. It’s okay to have alone time, and it’s important that you have your own personality. That’s what makes you you. But…now, this is just what I’ve picked up on, but sometimes it seems like you’ve convinced yourself that you’re…I don’t know…too good to have friends. Or maybe…maybe that you’re not good enough to have them. When in reality, you are.

“You can have friends. In fact, people seem to be lining up just to talk to you. You’re an amazing person, and a great motivation to the rest of us. The only thing stopping you from getting closer with people, and calling a person your friend, is yourself.”

Katsuki’s lip curled, but it was mostly to hide his surprise at what Izuku just said. Amazing person? The only thing he was amazing at was beating shit up. Katsuki was dedicated to one thing in his life, and that was becoming the greatest hero. He was never one to step on others to get there, but he also never did anyone any favors. And he wasn’t exactly the most kindhearted person, either. Nobody thought he was amazing.

“Tch,” he shook his head, “ask one person in this building if I’m a good person, they’ll let you know that I’m the biggest asshole on the list. I know I am. That’s just how people view me.”

“You’re wrong,” Izuku insisted almost immediately. “Stubborn, yes. Blunt, maybe a little. Impolite, sure…” he paused at the glare from Katsuki. “…But along with that, you’re also one of the strongest-willed, most determined people I know.” He gave a small smile. “You’re incredible, Kacchan—and I wouldn’t be saying that if I didn’t really believe it’s true.”

Katsuki’s eyes narrowed in confusion as Izuku continued. “You never show fear even in the toughest scene, and even though you’re stubborn, you never give up. You fight hard, and you’ve always been determined—even when everyone else has lost hope or stopped fighting to win, you don’t falter.” He paused to chuckle a little, while Katsuki frowned. “It gives those around you the courage to continue, and even if they’ve never said it to you, they admire you. Your strength, and your passion…those are some of the most admirable things about you, and anyone would be lying if they said they couldn’t see it.”

Now, it was Katsuki’s turn to be bewildered. He stood there dumbfounded, in disbelief, even further confused after all the twists and turns this conversation was following. First they were talking about how Katsuki had basically abandoned Izuku for three days, and now Izuku was complimenting him about a bunch of things that Katsuki had never even thought were noticeable about himself. What the fuck was happening. For a few moments he had to just stand there processing it all, eyes narrowed and gaze locked on Izuku.

As the boy continued to stare at him with those wide, honest eyes, Katsuki couldn’t help but feel a little spark of…contrite. Here Izuku was, saying all of this to him after Katsuki, what, ignored him for three days for some unidentified judgment? Gave him a hard time just for trying to start a conversation? The rational part of Izuku’s brain must’ve been lost on that boat, because Katsuki didn’t deserve any of this. He didn’t deserve his kindness, or his empathy. Hell, he didn’t even deserve his camaraderie.

Suddenly, Katsuki felt disgusted with himself, even though he knew that wasn’t Izuku’s intention. His mind was inquietude, running with self-loathing. Izuku didn’t mean it. He was only saying those things to be nice, or to get on good terms with him, or to change the direction of the conversation. That’s what Katsuki wanted to believe.

But when he read between the lines and saw the genuine look in Izuku’s eyes, noticed the meaningful smile on his face, realized the informational tone in his voice rather than a sympathetic one—he began to think that maybe Izuku meant it.

The next day, fate seemed to draw them together once again. After Katsuki and Izuku’s conversation the previous night, he’d retreated to his bed with an exhausted body and a restless mind. If you’ve ever been in his kind of situation, you know how frustrating it is to be tired but not sleepy. Such an aggravating feeling. What makes it worse is the fact that it becomes near impossible to sleep under such conditions. Katsuki spent what felt like hours tossing and turning in his bed, even getting up to do a few workouts that the doctor recommended just to put his mind at ease.

Finally, he ended up drifting off at around 3 AM—which to Katsuki, made quite the dent in his sleep schedule. He was used to hitting the sack at around 8 or 9 PM. Delving into the ones, twos and threes was completely out of his comfort zone.

Still, he managed to roll out of bed the next day at around 9 o’clock and go downstairs for some coffee and a breakfast sandwich from the café. Kirishima, Mina, and a few others were sitting in the common area, so Katsuki decided to join them, sitting off to the side to enjoy his drink and breakfast. There was something nice about not having to rush to class every morning, though he knew this calmness wouldn’t last forever. He was eager for classes to start back up, anyway. Without them, he had too much free time on his hands—so much that he didn’t know what to do with it all.

Unsurprisingly, not all his other classmates had the same feelings as him on the subject. As Katsuki sat there eating his sandwich and sipping on a cup of steaming coffee, he listened to Kirishima speak from the couch beside him. “I’m dreading the day that classes start back up,” the redhead grumbled, leaning his head back against the seat of the couch he was lounging on. Mina was on his right, sprawled across the cushions with her legs in his lap. Tokoyami, Iida, Todoroki, Tsu, and Yaoyorozu—the early risers of the class—occupied the other couch spaces and chairs.

“Why the hell are you up so early, then,” Katsuki asked between bites. “Damn crybaby.”

Kirishima grumbled, “Ask her,” as he pointed at Mina.

Pinky smiled, “The early bird gets the caterpillar, or however the saying goes.”

“I think it’s, ‘The early bord gets the worm,’” Iida corrected, and Mina waved him off.

The conversation continued, returning to the main subject. Tokoyami, who was at Kirishima’s left, spoke, “Anyway, you’re attending U.A. High School. How can you possibly complain about having class?”

“That’s right,” Todoroki agreed from across the room. “You should appreciate your time at such a prestigious school. We’re all lucky to have been accepted in the first place.”

Kirishima quickly explained, “I know, I know. And I do appreciate it! It’s just that, now that we’re eighteen, some of the classes seem a little…superfluous. You know?”

“That's a word,” Mina commented. “You’re right, though. It’s nice to just lounge around sometimes. I figure after everything we’ve been through as a class; with the wars, the kidnappings,” she motioned at Katsuki, “and the stupid villains that just don’t seem to leave us alone, we deserve a break once in a while. Right?” She glanced around to see if anyone agreed. Almost everyone was nodding—all aside from Katsuki, of course.

Another minute or two went by of others sharing their opinions on the matter before Yaoyorozu asked, “Bakugou, what’s your opinion?” She’d apparently noticed his reserve on the matter. Katsuki looked up. He’d been staring at the ground with his empty coffee mug in hand, but when asked his opinion, he figured he’d share.

“We don’t get time to rest,” he said in his usual gruff tone, but it was lackluster compared to his regular speaking voice. His sleeplessness last night was enough to make him feel drowsy, and that was enough to slightly lower his tone of voice. He continued, “As heroes, we can’t afford to waste time relaxing, let alone sitting on our asses doing nothing. That gets you nowhere. I say if you’ve got the ability to put in the extra work, do it. If you have enough energy to put in an hour at the training facility, get your ass up and go. Even if you’re still recovering, or everyone else is taking the time to rest, we don’t get that luxury as heroes.”

“You gotta push yourself to the brink in order to make yourself better, because that one hour of extra training might be the difference between saving someone’s life and not being strong enough to reach ‘em in time.” He spoke that last part with someone in mind. Had Katsuki been just an hour later to infiltrate the boat and find Izuku locked up in that cell, who knows what that sick villain could’ve done to him. All Katsuki knew was that he was glad he never stopped advocating for a quick rescue, or else things could’ve gone a whole lot worse.

Everyone around him seemed to agree, and soon after, the conversation switched to something else. Just an hour later, many of Katsuki’s classmates were heading off to the training facility for some early-morning sparring sessions. Katsuki didn’t go with them because he wasn’t allowed to use his Quirk yet, but once his injury was healed within the next few days, he’d be back in business.

He didn’t want to think that his words had contributed to his classmates leaving, because that would mean that what Izuku said last night would’ve been right. It gives those around you the courage to continue, and even if they’ve never said it to you, they admire you. Your strength, and your passion…those are some of the most admirable things about you, and anyone would be lying if they said they couldn’t see it.

Izuku’s words echoed again throughout his head, even after all that time and energy he spent trying to ignore them last night. Every word was so damn foreign that he could barely recognize it as a sentence. He didn’t know how to take it. So, for now, he just pushed it out of his mind and focused on whatever interesting thing he could find on his phone.

For a while, Katsuki was left in the common area alone. People came and passed, including Uraraka, Denki, and the other late risers of the day. Katsuki realized that one person never showed up—and though he had no reason to notice, or to even think about it, he found himself doing so, anyway. Izuku was nowhere to be seen. Supposedly, the nerd was only allowed to leave the nurse’s room under the supervision of a U.A. guard, but still, he was allowed.

Why hasn’t he come out yet? Is he fucking lazy or something? Katsuki thought, but that wasn’t nearly enough to get him to go look for the nerd. In fact, he didn’t pay too much mind to it until another hour passed and there was still no sign of the green-haired boy. Since when did he become so damn anti-social? he thought while glancing over the couch at the hallway that led to the nurse’s room.

After last night's conversation, he and Izuku weren't on any better of terms, but that didn’t mean their conversation hadn’t been at least a little bit meaningful. Maybe it shouldn’t be—maybe those things Izuku told Katsuki were just a few throwaway lines that he didn’t really mean. But still, Katsuki couldn’t stop replaying the conversation in his head. It was short, and it was a little awkward. But for some reason, Izuku’s words were really resonating with him.

He'd given it a lot of thought while lying in bed last night, unable to sleep. He thought about how Izuku’s words seemed to affect him so much. All those nice things Izuku said…it’s not like Katsuki deserved them. That wasn’t him. An amazing person. After all these years, he knew he wasn’t a very good person—he was self-aware of that. And now here Izuku was, coming along and telling him that after all this time, he’s been wrong.

The weirdest part about last night’s conversation was the fact that Katsuki wasn’t even mad at him for saying those things. One sentence in particular was sticking to his mind, especially after he just got done interacting with a few of his classmates. The only thing stopping you from getting closer with people, and calling a person your friend, is yourself.

Katsuki still hasn’t moved on from that sentence. Initially, he’d just brushed it off as Izuku trying to be a smartass, but now he wasn’t so sure about what he thought.

Of everybody Katsuki’s known in all his life, he’s never called someone, out loud, a friend. He always put on a straight face and just blocked out those feelings before they even got a chance to bloom. He didn’t need friends, and he doesn’t want them. Partly it was because he was pretty sure he couldn’t have friends, even if he wanted them. He was always so angry, and he didn’t know how to treat people right. Becoming friends with someone just put too much weight on his shoulders to be ‘nice’. Katsuki’s personality was probably the hardest challenge to overcome in his life—more difficult than any Quirk, villain, or training he’s ever had to overcome. His personality was his biggest flaw.

It's way easier to just say someone’s not your friend and then act how you want in front of them. Katsuki didn’t want to act nice, and he didn’t want to attract attention. He was rude. It was easy that way. And he could continue to do that by pushing everybody away.

Of course, there were consequences to this lifestyle, too, but Katsuki convinced himself that he could live with them. Things got lonely. That was undeniable. And he could tell himself over and over again in his head, I don’t need them, I don’t need them, I don’t fucking need them; but sometimes, he began to wonder if that was really true.

Katsuki was the definition of a do-it-yourself type guy, and thus, had a very independent personality. He might’ve worked well with some people in the past, but the person he got along with best was himself. He didn’t need anybody else there to help him along. If he could do it all by himself, he preferred it that way.

Thinking back, that’s probably one of the reasons why he hated Izuku so much growing up. As he matured, he began to realize just how much better he did while on his own; and as a result, he began pushing everyone away, even his closest companion at the time. No matter how hard he tried to push Izuku down, or how many times he tried to beat-up, shame, or degrade him, Izuku always got back up and kept following. As a kid, that was humiliating for Katsuki; but even more so, it was infuriating. All he wanted was to be left alone, and yet, Izuku kept pressing him and pressing him until he just couldn’t take it anymore.

And Izuku was still doing that today, even if it was inadvertently. They ended up at the same school, in the same class, in the same power range. They often found themselves training together because of their Quirk compatibility, and thus, were often sent on the same missions, too. Their paths just keep on intertwining, like some kind of curse. It used to be aggravating. But with time, Katsuki was honestly starting to get used to it.

He's never really thought about it, but once they graduate high school, they’re probably gonna go their separate ways. Katsuki paused to think about that. The realization was very profound, and it was almost surprising that he never thought about it until now. Once they graduate, Izuku and Katsuki would start the process of building their own hero agencies. Katsuki had no plans for leaving Japan, but it was possible that Izuku did. It was possible that he would be put in a completely different jurisdiction. It was possible that they might not ever see each other again.

Well, actually, no—that wasn’t possible. Even if they were in completely different parts of the country, they would both be top heroes. They’d likely have team-up missions, even in the future, against big villains or problems that needed a lot of power. Izuku and Katsuki worked well in battle together, so they’d probably still get paired up, even as Pro Heroes.

But it would be different. It will be different. Izuku won’t be there all the time—they won’t be living in the same building, or eating in the same room, or training in the same facility. Izuku wouldn't be able to follow him around anymore once they made it out of high school. Katsuki would finally be left completely alone.

He should be happy about that, right? He should be glad that in a few months when they graduate, Izuku would finally leave and their paths would separate, no longer intertwined. He should be celebrating that change. A step in a better direction, right? But for some reason, a part of Katsuki was not happy about that. In fact, a little part of him dreaded it.

Part of him didn’t want Izuku to leave. He was so used to him being around, even if they weren’t friends, that it would be different to not have him constantly in Katsuki’s corner. He didn’t like the thought. It was disturbing to think that when Izuku was gone, Katsuki would be completely and utterly alone; which, at the same time, was exactly what he said he wanted.

Sometimes, Katsuki wished all of these thoughts would just go away, especially the ones about Izuku. It’s like they were taking over and he had no way of stopping or approving it. His own mind was against him.

Eventually, when the thoughts in his head were getting a little too loud to just ignore, he decided to get up and go for a walk. He stood, stretched his back—which gave a series of cracks and groans in the process—and walked to the door, unfazed. Katsuki had accepted the fact that he’d probably always have back issues in the future, as a spinal injury is something you never fully recover from. Hopefully he didn’t have any big problems down the road. That was the only thing he worried about.

Katsuki considered going to see his parents. He could hardly remember the last time he visited home other than for basic reasons like holidays or his birthday. His mom hardly came to visit him, though he knew she’d visited Izuku while he was in the hospital. She always had a very straightforward personality, often coming across as boorish when she was around Katsuki alone. There was a lot of anger in Katsuki’s household growing up that definitely helped shape him into the rough, crude person he was today.

As he got to the door and stepped outside, he took a breath of fresh air. The sun was shining and the sky was clear, and it almost felt hot with no breeze to cool his skin off. Nice enough, he thought, as he began walking.

Whenever he thought about his mother, he was again reminded of his own personality. It was something he couldn’t change—not that he wanted to—but he always found himself to be a bit brusque and rude, among other things, because of how he was raised. There was a conversation to be had about the whole nature vs. nurture thing, and there was probably some Psychology course out there that would explain it better than Katsuki could. But part of his personality surely came from his lineage. He was told stories of his grandfather’s temper and the borderline abuse his mother had to endure because of it.

Whenever his mom let something slip about her past, Katsuki made a mental note about it, and over the years, he’d pieced together that the verbal and physical abuse she experienced as a child had been far worse than anything Katsuki went through. As a kid, Katsuki resented his mother for the times she would slap him a little too hard or say something a little too hurtful; but over time, he came to understand and try to accept her. She was doing her best—better than her parents—and that’s all a parent can do. Try to do better than the generation before. Evolution and shit.

He started walking with his hands in his pockets, glancing up and gauging it was about noon from where the sun was in the sky. He went in the direction of the park that he and Izuku had wandered around just a few days ago. It wasn’t the most efficient way to spend his afternoon, walking aimlessly around some random park, but at least he could clear his mind this way.

At least, that was his plan until he ran into somebody that he was definitely not expecting to see.

Katsuki was just walking down the paved path that led to the exit off school grounds when he noticed a figure rushing in this direction, coming from the entrance. From afar, he didn’t recognize this person, but he could see that whoever it was had long dark hair and was wearing heels, so it was probably a woman. When she got closer, he could hear heels clicking against the path. He made out that the lady had green-tinted hair, big eyes, and a round face. Huh. That was familiar.

When this person got within fifty feet of him, he realized who it was. Midoriya Inko, the last person Katsuki was expecting to see, was rushing towards the school at high speeds—in heels. Of all the footwear she could’ve chosen to be running around in, this genius of a woman chose to wear heels.

Just as Katsuki was about to call out to her and ask what the hell she was in such a rush for, she got to it first. “Katsuki?” she puffed, still shimmying her way forward in the uncomfortable shoes. She was on a mission. Breathing hard, arms pumping, hair in her face. She was running in that awkward way women run when they’re trying to balance in heels. Like she was about to teeter over at any moment.

“Auntie,” Katsuki returned, stopping in his tracks and staring at her as she continued to run, looking like she planned on passing him and running to the school. “What’s the deal?”

She was carrying a box under her arm that Katsuki immediately determined was some sort of meal, maybe her lunch or something. There was a heavy-looking bookbag slung over her other shoulder, adding to her unbalance. However, even though she looked like she was on her way to disarm a bomb, she gave Katsuki a warm smile and slowed down a little to greet him.

“Katsuki, I thought that was you!” she said between breaths, and when she smiled, Katsuki could clearly see the resemblance in her smile with Izuku’s. The same crinkles around her eyes, the same smile lines around her mouth, and they even had similar facial structures with their low cheekbones and small noses. Every time he looked at Inko he was reminded of where Izuku got his bright, cheerful side. Inko was just about the sweetest woman on Earth.

When she was about ten feet away, she was slowing down a bit, but suddenly her footwork looked off and Katsuki recognized almost immediately that she was about to trip. It was bound to happen at some point. When she changed directions slightly to go towards Katsuki, one of her heels caught on a groove in the pavement and she stumbled, losing her balance and tripping, about to go face-first into the pavement.

She was in for a few nasty scrapes and bruises if not for Katsuki’s quick reaction time. He lunged forward and, firing off an explosion to quicken up his momentum, was able to catch her in time to take off the worst of the fall. He grabbed her forearm and lifted her up, but in doing so, started a chain reaction where the lunchbox-looking-thing she’d been carrying under her arm clattered to the ground and broke open, spilling out everything from inside.

“Shit,” Katsuki said as he witnessed the ramifications of his actions. He was right—there was food in the box. A whole bowl of dumplings and soup went flooding out onto the ground, immediately becoming unsalvageable as it painted the white pavement a darker shade of gray. He helped steady Inko as she stared at the lost meal, looking like she cared more about that than the fact that she’d almost just taken a slab of pavement to the mouth.

“Oh,” she said in a small voice, smile gone as she wiped the hair from her face. “Oh, no—clumsy me. I’m sorry, Katsuki,” she said, patting him on the arm lightly and looking up at him as she took a few small steps back. “Are you okay?”

He scoffed. “Don’t ask about me, Auntie. Sorry about your food,” he said, motioning to the dumpling crime scene on the ground. He was a lot sorrier than he let on.

“That’s okay, honey, it was my fault for tripping,” she said, shaking her head slightly and re-adjusting the strap on her other shoulder. She was still holding the empty box with her other hand, though the food had all spilled out of it. She looked like she didn’t know what to do. “I was just trying to bring some lunch to surprise Izuku, since I haven’t seen him in a few days…but I have to be at work in about twenty minutes, so I was in a rush,” she explained.

Katsuki knew that the Midoriya family didn’t have a car. Inko had been making the daily commit to her workplace by foot for years now, and the only reason he knew that was because he overheard Izuku talking about it with his friends a while ago. He was talking about how he wanted to make enough money someday to buy her a new car. Even though Izuku’s family was wealthy enough to not be considered poor, they never had luxury items like vehicles, a house, or other things that Katsuki sometimes took for granted. His parents both had well-paying jobs, and Katsuki was an only child, so his family had always been financially well-off.

Working as a single mother, Inko made enough money to support herself and Izuku with an apartment and food enough to keep them both satisfied. She was always working hard just to get the bare minimum in return. Thinking back, that’s probably why she and Izuku were invited to so many dinners at the Bakugou household growing up. Mitsuki was a generous woman, and smart enough to recognize Inko’s struggles and try to help mitigate them.

So now, seeing her struggle this much just to bring Izuku a bowl of fucking dumplings, it made him angry. He felt guilty for not finding a better way of catching her. He should’ve taken it into account that if he lifted her arm, the food would come spilling out. He cursed himself inwardly as he looked from Inko, to the soiled food, back to her again. She was wiping down her skirt and re-situating herself after the near-fall. Her outfit said that she was about to go to work.

“But it’s okay!” she exclaimed after a few moments, and Katsuki was again impressed by her optimism. “I would’ve skimmed up my knees quite a bit if not for your quick thinking, so thanks for helping me out there, Katsuki. You’ve firmed up quite a bit since you were a little boy!” she said with the smile returning to her face as she looked at him. “I’ll bring Izuku lunch tomorrow instead. But really, I’m in a bit of a time crunch, so I should get going.”

“Hey, Auntie,” Katsuki said as she was turning to walk away. She turned back to look at him as he walked over and reached out his hand, “gimme your bag.”

Her eyebrows knit together in confusion. “My…purse?” she asked, motioning to the bag slung around her shoulder. “Why?”

“Give it to me,” Katsuki repeated, and she ambivalently slid it off her arm to hand it to him. “Let’s go,” he said before turning around and walking back towards the school. Inko hesitantly followed.

“What’s this about, Katsuki?” she asked, and the confusion was eminent in her voice. “I have to go to work…”

“I have a car,” Katsuki told her. “And I’ll buy lunch for Deku and tell him it was from you. I was the reason why you spilled it in the first place.”

Inko immediately began trying to dissuade him. “Oh, no, I couldn’t expect you to do that! Really, it’s fine. I only work about fifteen minutes away if I walk fast, and it’s no problem for me to just buy Izuku lunch tomorrow! Please, I would feel bad making Mitsuki’s son do all this for me…”

“You’re not making me do anything,” Katsuki provided, glancing over his shoulder at the shorter woman. “Obviously I can’t just let you go after watching you trip like that. If you tripped and hurt yourself on your way there, I’d be guilty for not helping. My mom would kill me if she found out,” he continued. Inko and Mitsuki were good friends, so assuring her like this was the right way to go.

After a few seconds of walking in silence, Inko sounded hesitant when she asked, “Are you sure you don’t have anywhere to be? I wouldn’t want you to miss out on anything because of me,” she said. Always worrying about others—Izuku got that from his mom, too. “You don’t have class or training or anything?”

Katsuki shook his head, “I’m on mandatory leave since I got injured, but I’ll be back in training by the end of the week. And we only got classes on Wednesdays and Fridays now ‘cuz of all the internships and hero missions going on. At this point, since were all third-years, the school is focusing more on preparing us for our future as heroes instead of teaching us about worthless general crap like science and math.”

“Oh, how interesting! You and Izuku have always been so dedicated to becoming heroes. You know, Izuku takes a lot of motivation from you—he always has, even since he was a little kid. It’s amazing for me and your mom, watching you two grow up together! I couldn’t have been happier when you two ended up in the same class in high school.”

She continued talking about Izuku and Katsuki; how they used to hang out with each other all the time, how she loved seeing Katsuki mature and grow over the years, and other mom-like praises as they walked to Katsuki’s car. It was a pleasant reminder of what Katsuki used to have as a kid. She was always a motherly figure to him, especially when he was younger and Izuku’s apartment was like a second home to him.

They got to his car right when she was in the middle of a story about how when Katsuki and Izuku were kids, one of their favorite things was venturing into the woods and coming back hours later covered in mud and dirt. Katsuki let her talk, mostly just glad he didn’t have to answer any more questions. She was happy to go ahead and remind him of all the fun he and Izuku used to have together. Because every time Katsuki tried to not think about Izuku, there was always something—or someone—there to stop him from doing so.

“I remember one time, he came home with so much mud matting his hair that it took me nearly two hours to get it all out.” She sighed happily in retrospect. “That was such an innocent time in his life. Of course, the world is a dangerous place, but I always knew he’d be safe when he was with you,” Inko continued. There was an easy smile in her voice, but Katsuki couldn’t see it because he was facing the other way, leading her towards his car. He had a wry look on his face as he listened to her say that. Despite how lovable she was, Inko had always been rather…sentimental.

Katsuki cleared his throat. “We’re here,” he said, motioning to the car as he fished the keys out of his pocket and pressed the button on the keychain to unlock it. The lights flashed on and it made a clicking noise as the doors unlocked. “You can get in,” he said as he rounded the car to get in the driver’s side.

“How nice,” Inko said in admiration for the car. “I don’t remember you being such a gentleman, Katsuki!”

He almost laughed as he got in the car and was quick to start the engine, still mindful that she was on a time crunch. “Alright, woman, that’s enough. Now where do you work?”

Katsuki drove Inko to her workplace and left her at the door, but not before she thanked him about a hundred times and promised she would pay him back for the gas and lunch that he told her he’d buy Izuku. “Thank you so much again, Katsuki!” she said as she bowed, standing outside his car and talking to him through the window. “It was great to catch up with you! Say hello to Izuku for me, would you?” she asked.

“Sure, Auntie. And don’t forget your bookbag,” he said, gesturing with a nod toward her purse that he’d left in the backseat. “I’d suggest taking a few dozen boulders out of there before trying to carry it around again, though. Jeez, I think it dislocated my shoulder…” he said, rolling his left shoulder with a wince and pretending to be sore. Inko laughed and opened the backdoor to reach over and grab the purse, thanking him again and apologizing for almost forgetting it. Katsuki waved her goodbye and drove off to take a U-turn back to the school.

Remembering his promise to buy something for Izuku, Katsuki pulled into the nearest convenience store where he could buy at least semi-decent dumplings. He bought a meal similar to what Inko was bringing him and then left. On his way back, he drove with the windows down, blasting some old music on the radio. He was always a fan of the older songs, eighties and nineties stuff especially, because that’s what his parents always listened to while he was growing up. But there were a few newer songs that he liked, too.

He even sung a little under his breath, patting one hand against the steering wheel along with the beat. He was terrible at singing, but sometimes—when he was exclusively alone—he let himself murmur along to the words.

Katsuki got back to the school, parked his car in the usual spot, and made his way back inside. The little adventure with Inko had taken a total of about thirty minutes, whereas if he’d gone on a walk, he would’ve been gone for another solid two hours. As he pushed through the U.A. doors, he figured he could just leave again once he dropped off Izuku’s food.

The common area was empty, and he guessed that everyone was still out training. Katsuki walked to the nurse’s room and knocked three times on the door, which was sort of like his signature knock at this point. He always did the exact same beat. A tap tap-tap.

Not bothering to wait for a response, Katsuki opened the door and stepped inside, looking over at Izuku’s bed. When he saw what was sitting there, or rather who was sitting there, he almost walked right back out. Sitting alongside Izuku on the bed with her head on his shoulder was Uraraka, and they were watching TV together like this was some kind of domestic fucking romance novel.

She lifted her head in confusion when she saw Katsuki, while Izuku sat up with an instant smile spreading across his face. “Kacchan!” the boy exclaimed in greeting, the same greeting that Katsuki usually got when he came to visit. The blond tried not to let his irritation show as he surveyed the two of them. Sharing a blanket. Watching some random show on the TV that Recovery Girl had on the wall. Her head comfortably resting on his shoulder, though it wasn’t anymore. Fuck. It became more obvious every day, didn’t it. Katsuki wouldn’t be surprised if these two were dating by the end of the fucking week.

Katsuki walked deeper into the room, holding up the plastic box which had a bowl of dumplings in it. “Auntie was outside,” he said, hiding his scowl as he glanced between Izuku and Uraraka. “She ordered me to bring you this.”

“Oh, she was?” Izuku asked, quickly sliding out from under the covers and padding over to Katsuki. He was wearing normal clothes again, no more of that monochromatic hospital shit that they always forced him to wear. ‘Normal’ for Izuku consisted of t-shirts, shorts, and sometimes sweatpants if it got too cold. He was wearing a white t-shirt and black shorts today. The ultimate boring look.

Katsuki was still trying to hide his scowl as Izuku walked up to him, a resting smile on his face as he looked up at the blond. “You should’ve called me while she was still here. I could’ve said hello,” Izuku said, and Katsuki all but shoved the box into his arms. He’d been in a good mood before, but that mood suddenly felt tainted.

“She was in a rush,” Katsuki told him. “Honestly, Deku, that woman shouldn’t be wasting her time bringing you meals anymore. You’re a grown man. You should very well be doing it your damn self,” he added with a click of his tongue.

“I told her not to worry about me!” Izuku exclaimed, looking towards the window as if he’d see her outside. He sighed unhappily, “I hope she isn’t stressing herself out because of me. Did she seem stressed, Kacchan?” he asked.

“No. Just excited to give you this damn lunch box. So you better fucking enjoy it,” Katsuki threatened, pointing at the box. 

Izuku assured, “It smells good, so I’m sure I will. She’s always so thoughtful.”

“Hasn’t changed a bit since we were kids,” Katsuki agreed gruffly, hooking his thumbs in his pockets now that he had nothing to hold. “She’s always too nice to you. I dunno why. It’s not like you deserve it or anything,” he added just to be mean.

“Kacchan,” Izuku sighed, “you don’t need to be rude. I think you’re just jealous that she bought me food instead of you.”

At that, Katsuki nearly barked out a laugh. If only Izuku knew that the food he was holding was paid for with Katsuki’s money, he wouldn’t be saying that shit. 

“Yeah, sure. And you’re delusional,” the blond rolled his eyes and sarcastically agreed.

Izuku smiled, “If I’m delusional, you're even worse.”

“Maybe they should send you back to the hospital, 'cuz I don’t think your brain’s done cooking yet,” Katsuki said, making the ‘you’re crazy’ motion by spinning a finger in a circle around his ear. “Actually, a mental institution might better suit your needs.”

“Thanks for the recommendation, but there’s hope for you, too. It’s not too late if you come with me. They can still fix your anger issues,” Izuku teased.

“Yeah? And maybe they can teach you some damn manners,” Katsuki sneered, poking Izuku roughly in the chest. “You’re supposed to thank someone when they do you a favor. Not mock them.”

“Thank you," he said to appease Katsuki. "But I’m not mocking you, I’m giving a genuine suggestion.” Izuku blinked innocently, but it was a petty lie. “They could maybe even teach you how to be nice in this hypothetical mental institution. Would you like that?”

“I’d hate it,” Katsuki quipped sharply. Though he sounded angry, he really wasn’t, and he was sure Izuku knew it, too. This was the only way they knew how to talk to each other. Taunting. Teasing. It was playful in a way, but to the faint-hearted, it might've looked like they were insulting each other. Katsuki only meant around half of what he was saying to Izuku, while Izuku, on the other hand, meant none of it. "The world will have to end before I willingly act nicely towards you."

"Oh, that'll be the day," Izuku agreed lightly.

"The end of days," Katsuki corrected, and Izuku chuckled.

When the conversation was over, Izuku waved him off with a big smile and a thank-you while Uraraka said an awkward "Bye" of her own. He found it amusing how Izuku didn't try to include her in their conversation at all. She just kind of sat there awkwardly the whole time, even though moments before, she and Izuku had been "cuddling" on the bed. And now, Izuku was eating the lunch that Katsuki bought for him, whether he even knew that or not. It was amusing to him.

For the rest of the day, Katsuki spent his time either outside walking or in his room with the windows open, working out. For dinner, the class all worked together to make stir fry, and with Katsuki's guidance, it turned out okay. Izuku hung out with his friend group for the majority of the time, and Katsuki kept to his own little click as well. It turned out to be an evening well spent with the rest of the class.

Once all was said and done, Katsuki returned to his room where he spent the next three hours doing nothing. He folded his laundry and sorted through a particularly cluttered desk drawer that he'd been meaning to get after, and that was just about it. The rest of the time he spent lying on his bed, looking at his phone—feeling bored and not getting any sleepier as the time passed. Katsuki had never been happy while doing nothing, but usually during the evenings, he felt satisfied enough to relax because he had nothing better to do. Well, not tonight. He felt like he wanted to get out and do something. At 11:00 PM, of all times of the day, Katsuki felt like going out.

At first, he figured he'd take a walk. Pretty boring, but better than nothing. He could listen to music, enjoy a nice walk, and then come home and go to bed. Yeah, that's what I'll do.

But the more he thought about it, the more he realized just how fucking boring these walks were getting. He'd go to the same place every fucking time—either the park or some other damn suburban road near this school. It was getting repetitive. So he thought about going elsewhere. He did some research on his laptop: "interesting places nearby," and he only now realized that was a pretty broad search he should've narrowed down a bit. Anyway, there weren't many options within walking distance aside from some rollerblading alley down the road a bit, which wasn't really what he was looking for. Katsuki had nobody to do it with, so why should he go.

At least, that's what he thought until he heard his phone vibrate on his desk and glanced down to see a message from 'stupid nerd' pop up on his home screen. What are the fucking odds of that.

Ever since Izuku got his new phone, he hadn't messaged Katsuki once except to send a "testing" message to make sure he'd typed Katsuki's number in right. It was a requirement for all students in the class to have each others’ phone numbers in case of emergency, so Katsuki was forced to give it to the nerd along with everyone else. Since then, however, Izuku didn't have any reason to contact him.

He stared at the message for a few moments, deciding whether to even look at it, when he remembered the rollerblading alley. As the idea suddenly came to him, Katsuki scoffed aloud. Rollerblading with Izuku? Depending on what he was messaging him about, he might consider it. He was bored, after all. And if the circumstances just happened to line up, well...Izuku could've been anyone.

He picked up his phone and used the face ID to show what the message said. 

You up?

Katsuki found himself scoffing again at the incredulity of it all. What a stupid message. But what's stupider is that he was considering the idea of actually doing this.

In response, Katsuki typed, no, im sleeping.

The three-dotted-bubble popped up, indicating that Izuku was typing. For a few seconds, Katsuki tapped his foot lightly on the ground, thinking, before a new message popped up. Ha, ha, very funny. I don't suppose you've picked up a new skill that involves typing while your eyes are closed?

that's exactly what im doing, actually, Katsuki typed back. Seconds later he sent a double message, what do you want, nerd.

Izuku replied, I was just going through my phone looking for something to do, but I realized I don't know how to download apps. Can you help me?

Katsuki scoffed aloud before texting his response, you're such a fucking dumbass. downloading apps is like the easiest thing to do on a phone.

I'm not dumb! It's really confusing, okay? You wouldn't understand because you don't have one of these newer iPhones.

new enough for me to know how it works, Katsuki typed back.

Izuku said, Okay, perfect. I need help. 

Moments later, Can I call you?

Katsuki stared at the message for a few seconds, then glanced up at his laptop, reading the rollerblading alley address. He had an idea in his mind of what he wanted to do but wasn't quite sure how to pitch it. After about a minute of quiet contemplating, Katsuki closed his laptop and stood to grab his things. He was currently wearing a white tee and shorts, so he grabbed a black sweatshirt so as not to get cold. Grabbing his phone and wallet, Katsuki was out the door in under a minute. 

As he passed through the quiet hallways to get downstairs where he knew he'd find Izuku in the nurse's room, he looked down at his phone to answer Izuku's message—only to stop himself. Izuku didn't need to know what the plan was. He decided this as he slipped his phone into the side pocket of his shorts. Let it be a surprise.

When Katsuki got to the common area, he noticed a few teachers sitting at one of the tables—Aizawa and All Might included—playing what looked like poker and sharing a bottle of Sake. They were quiet about it, and Katsuki didn't think they were going to say anything to him until Aizawa caught his eye from across the room. The teacher called out, "Hey," just as Katsuki was about to turn the corner into the hallway which led to Izuku's room. Katsuki halted, feeling he was caught when he hadn't even done anything wrong yet. He looked at Aizawa questioningly. How the hell am I supposed to get Izuku out of here if these damn teachers are here to watch our every move?

He didn't exactly want any of these teachers to see him and Izuku leave together late at night—in fact, he didn't want anybody to see them. Because he knew what they could infer. That he and Izuku are "friends" or something when Katsuki really just needs someone to blade with. So he quickly began plotting up strategies to get out of this without any implication that he and Izuku were going out. He needed a plan to sneak out.

Katsuki began secretly thinking about this as he walked closer to Aizawa and the other teachers to appease them with a response. "What," Katsuki said. Aizawa, All Might, Midnight, Mic, and the class B teacher were all sitting around a table with cards in their hands, and they were all looking at him because Aizawa decided to be an ass and call him out. 

"Where are you going?" Aizawa asked. His tone didn't sound accusatory, but curious as to why Katsuki was leaving at 11 PM with no apparent reason.

Katsuki shrugged, "Couldn't sleep, so I'm going on a walk. Why."

Aizawa narrowed his eyes slightly, "At eleven at night? Are you planning on staying on school grounds?" he asked.

"Tch," Katsuki shook his head, "No. But I'll stay close." Usually he wouldn't be so tolerant of such stupid questions, but right now he wanted Aizawa not to send him back to his room, so he needed to do a bit of ass-kissing in order to make that happen.

The teacher considered that for a few moments before rolling his eyes and returning to his card game. “Alright, whatever. But if you get attacked by villains, don't expect me to feel sorry for you."

"If I get attacked by villains, the only thing you need to worry about is cleaning up the bodies," Katsuki replied mostly as a joke. He left before he could see Aizawa's jaw drop.

Once outside, Katsuki veered off the path and into the grass, traveling in the shadows along the side of the building. The nurse's room was down the hallway and to the left, so it should be just up ahead. He knew the exact layout of the room because of how many times he'd taken visits of his own, so he distinctly remembered a window on the West side of the building, which is where he was now. The only problem, then, would be opening the window...but he was pretty sure he remembered the nurse opening it once, so maybe this was possible.

Katsuki got to the window, and he knew it was because he could see light filtering in through the blinds. He stood beside the window for a moment, looking over his shoulders a few times to make sure nobody was looking, before knocking on the glass. Tap tap-tap.

About ten seconds went by and nothing happened, so Katsuki knocked again. Tap tap-tap. For another few seconds, there was nothing again, and Katsuki began to wonder if he had the right room before he saw a hint of movement from behind the shades and knew someone was in there. If it was Izuku, then he was taking his sweet time. When ten more seconds passed and the blinds didn't move at all, Katsuki knocked again. Only this time, he added in a low voice, "Open up, Deku."

Finally, a finger poked through the blinds and bent a couple of the plastic sheets down, and Katsuki was faced with Izuku's widened eye peering through the small opening. Katsuki looked at the eye and winked. Just a moment later, Izuku was yanking down the cord which, in turn, pulled up the blinds and exposed Izuku and the room. He had wide eyes and a gaping mouth as he stared at Katsuki, who was just standing outside the window like a creep, looking at him. "Kacchan?" Izuku's lips moved and he could faintly hear the nerd say his name through the glass.

Katsuki grinned. "The one and only."

Izuku fumbled to open the window, quickly flipping a hatch that unlocked it and then pushing it open. It was one of those windows that opens from the bottom rather than from the side, which would actually be easier to crawl in and out of. Now that they could hear each others' voices clearly, Izuku asked, "Oh my—wow. What are you doing here? Did you sneak out?"

"I walked out," Katsuki replied nonchalantly. "But I'm sneaking you out so that the teachers don't get suspicious."

"A—wha—" Izuku was at a loss for words, looking like he had more questions piling up by the minute. "A-Are you here to help me with my phone? I mean, you definitely didn't need to come all the way here for that. I offered to call, you know. Calling is much easier."

"I know, idiot, I'm not here for that," he said with a roll of his eyes. "Move aside."

"What?" Izuku panicked. "You're coming in?"

"Well, I'm not just gonna stand out here waiting for someone to see me!" Katsuki snapped before ducking his head under the open window and beginning the process of climbing inside. Once his head and shoulders were in, he grabbed the ledge and jumped up, hauling himself in. Izuku backed up, giving him room to climb in fully, and once Katsuki was in, he closed the window behind him and looked at Izuku, all in one swift movement. "Well, if there were any alarm systems set for patients trying to sneak out, they're obviously not very effective."

Izuku still looked like he was trying to process the fact that Katsuki was here. In his room. At night. Sneaking him out. "I-I'm still trying to understand exactly why you're here," Izuku told him, scratching the back of his neck. He looked somewhat flustered. “I mean, we were texting one minute, and the next you're at my window. I'm so confused, Kacchan."

"We're going out," Katsuki told him. "Me. You. Rollerblading." He pointed at Izuku. "You in or out?"

Izuku stared at him dumbfounded for a moment before moving his hand up to pinch himself. "You're not dreaming," Katsuki assured him, and Izuku stopped. But he didn't look any less confused. 

"So, what I'm gathering from what you just told me—correct me if I'm wrong, but...what you're saying is that you want to go...rollerblading. With me. At..." he glanced at the clock on the wall, "Eleven twenty-two at night."

Katsuki stared at him blankly. "Do you not want to?"

"No, I do! I mean—sure. Yes. But this is just kind of coming out of nowhere," Izuku said, nonplussed. "I mean, I was about to go to bed, and I thought you were going to help me with my phone apps thing. Is there even a rollerblading alley around here?"  

Katsuki nodded, "Down the street."

"What if we get caught?"

"Doesn't matter. Who do you think is gonna care? Aizawa? He can't penalize us for doing something fun. We're grown-ass adults, Deku, and he's only got a say over us during school hours. Even if he somehow finds out, there's nothing wrong with rollerblading."

"I can't believe this," Izuku mused, shaking his head suspiciously. "You're, um, sure this isn't all some sort of ploy to get me on my own? I still can't use my Quirk, so it wouldn't be a fair fight if you're trying to kill me," he joked.

Katsuki hit him with the, "If you keep asking me stupid-ass questions, I will kill you. Now are you fucking coming or not? I could always get someone else if you're too much of a pussy. You're completely replaceable, you know," he added just for good measure.

Izuku blinked rapidly and immediately started moving, grabbing his phone and a hoodie from off the bed. He was wearing an oversized t-shirt and comfy shorts, similar to what Katsuki was wearing except the t-shirt was dark beige and the shorts were white. Sleeping clothes. Katsuki supposed that made sense because this was such a spontaneous decision. Fifteen minutes ago, he had no idea he'd be sneaking out with Izuku to go rollerblading at 11:30 in the fucking night. 

He knew it was strange, and he knew there might be a future problem in the way he found things like this so easy to do with Izuku. Sneaking out, going on walks, playing board games—it all felt the same. Easy. And in a way, it was almost relieving, too. That's what he just couldn't seem to figure out.

When Izuku was ready, they turned the lights off, threw a few pillows under the blanket to make it look like someone was sleeping there, and snuck out of the room. It was exhilarating, even though he knew they probably wouldn't get caught—and even if they did, the teachers likely wouldn't care. Izuku and Katsuki were both strong individuals who could handle themselves against most villains; and even if they did somehow get into trouble, the school was just a block away. They'd be fine.

As they started walking, heads down and hoods up in order to be discreet, Izuku asked, "So why are we doing this? Anything specific? Or did you just really feel the urge to go rollerblading for some reason."

Katsuki scoffed and replied, "I wanted to go on a walk, but I've already walked every single fucking road in this neighborhood. Twice. So, I figured it's time to spice things up."

"Yeah, but I mean...why'd you decide to invite me?"

Katsuki paused to think. That was a tough one. Why invite Izuku? Well, it must've been just because Izuku had been in the right place at the right time. He'd texted Katsuki right at the perfect moment for Katsuki to get the idea of inviting him. An impromptu idea. Nothing more, and nothing less. 

"Like I said, you could've been anyone, Deku," Katsuki told him. He shrugged and added, "Right place, right time."

Izuku hummed. "Oh," he said. And that was that.

They got to the rollerblading alley in a fifteen-minute walk. Right away, the exterior of the building was rather unimpressive. It looked like a literal warehouse. Run-down rusty white paneling on the walls, crooked windows with dusty blinds on the inside, and a porch that looked like it had a carrying capacity of about two. Katsuki made his way up the stairs first, wincing as the boards creaked under his weight.

Izuku followed, letting out an airy chuckle. "Uh, what is this place?" he asked rhetorically.

“Looks a little run-down," Katsuki agreed, stepping cautiously on a board that bent under his weight. “All I know is the better have curly fries. I love that shit."

“You're really thinking of curly fries right now?" Izuku asked, and Katsuki glanced back to see his was following slowly behind him. "I think I'm about to fall through this deck."

"So it's a little old, nothing to worry about," Katsuki said, reaching the door and opening it hastily. "But just to be sure... let's get inside quick."

Izuku did as he was told. Inside, it was a completely different environment. The place they had submerged themselves into was like a waiting room, a small room with chairs lined up all around and a desk shoved in the corner. Pretty squished. There was an open door to where Katsuki could see the main part of the building, a large open lobby filled with lunch tables, arcade games lined up along the walls, and party lights flashing off every which way. Past that, he could see the actual rink, and it was pretty big—about the size of a basketball court. The outside might've been unsightly, but the inside looked promising.

"Oh!" Izuku said pleasantly as he glanced around, "This place doesn't look too bad. I guess you should never judge a book by its cover, right?"

Katsuki tsked, "Don't ever say that cringey shit around me again, Deku," he said, but Izuku was right. This place wasn't half bad.

They were met seconds later by a girl with a clipboard, looking like she was on the final hour of a twelve-hour shift and running solely on caffeine. She asked for their names and shoe sizes, then asked for fifteen dollars each as a price for admission for the rest of the night. As it turns out, this place stayed open until 2 in the morning, so they were good on time. Two hours would be more than enough time to work off some steam and maybe even have a good time.

She walked them around a corner to the front of the room, where the guy behind the counter handed them rollerblades in the sizes they asked for. Izuku and Katsuki were then given free rein. They walked to the nearest open table—there were a lot more people here than Katsuki expected for how late it was—and sat down. Some 80s music was playing in the background, and the vibe of this place was unmatched. There were disco lights flashing everywhere, whether they were coming from above the rink, or just in the main area of the building, and the entire format of the place was very old-fashioned. 

The carpet was a deep ultramarine blue with design patterns of little rocket ships, solar systems, and other space shit. The lunch tables were straight out of a 1980s high school drama, with chairs that folded down and old wood patterns etched into the surface. The arcade games, he noticed, were all old-timers as well. A lot of Pac-Man, Centipede, Donkey Kong, and Defender. And they looked vintage, too. Katsuki was gonna need to try those out later.

As he was putting on his rollerblades, he was eyeing the menu in search of curly fries. Finally, he spotted them. "Hallelujah," he said, nudging Izuku with his elbow. "They got curly fries."

Izuku smiled, "Yeah? What about slushies?"

Katsuki pointed at the running slushie machine in the corner. "Looks like it. I want a red."

"I like blue," Izuku replied. "It's sweeter."

"They're both made of sugar, Deku, so I sure hope it's sweet," Katsuki retorted as he tied the laces on his right shoe. "Let's go for a while and then get some food, yeah?"

Izuku nodded, finishing tying his shoes before Katsuki. "Sounds good!" he agreed. "But I really should warn you, I haven't gone rollerblading in about ten years. So…I hope you weren't expecting me to be good or anything," he said sheepishly. Katsuki noticed he remained sitting on the chair, even though he'd finished tying his rollerblades first.

Katsuki glanced at him, amused. "Oh, I see. You're saying you're gonna be clutching onto my arm the entire time, bitching about how terrified you are of falling and busting your ass."

Izuku’s eyebrows furrowed indignantly. "I'd never!" he proclaimed. At that moment, Katsuki finished tying his shoes and stood up, balancing atop the wheels and taking a moment to adjust to the new distribution of weight. He felt like he’d just grown three inches taller—which he had. It was a quick adjustment to the new weight because he’d always had a balanced equilibrium, meaning he didn’t fall over easily.

“Alright,” Katsuki said, smirking at him. “Prove it.”

Izuku blinked. “Prove it?” he repeated.

“Yeah. Stand up,” Katsuki told him, motioning to Izuku’s feet. “Your wheels are on. Stand up.”

“Oh, um, okay,” Izuku complied after a moment of hesitation, and he slowly began propping himself up on the table, starting to put his weight onto his rollerblades. Katsuki watched.

Izuku had a white-knuckled grip on the table as he started rising to his feet, only for one of his shoes to start sliding out from under him, forcing him to pull it back. He was struggling for a solid ten seconds, and Katsuki had to refrain from laughing at him.

Instead of laughing, Katsuki said, “You look so fucking stupid.”

“A little help would be appreciated,” Izuku said, giving Katsuki a ‘you’re mean’ look. He was leaning heavily back against the table, feet on the ground with his body bent awkwardly back in a curved C shape. He wouldn’t be able to get up like that.

“Nah, you can do it. Unless you can’t. That would suck.”

Izuku huffed, “Does it bring you joy to watch me suffer, Kacchan?”

“Very much so,” Katsuki confirmed sarcastically, but as he said that, he begrudgingly leaned forward and reached out his hand for Izuku to take so he could help him up. “Come on. You won’t be able to get up from that position.”

Izuku looked hesitant as he looked at Katsuki’s hand, then met his eyes. “Don’t let me fall, okay?” he asked as he slowly shifted his weight so that he could take Katsuki’s hand. When he did, Katsuki pulled him firmly up, and Izuku had a concerned look on his face as his weight was suddenly pulled upright. His breath hitched and he grabbed on to Katsuki’s forearm tightly with both hands, looking like he was holding on for dear life.

“Balance your weight, and don’t lean too far forwards or backwards,” Katsuki advised, letting Izuku use him as an anchor point to adjust for a few moments. Katsuki began to slowly back away from the table, bringing Izuku with him. It would be easier to get going with no obstacles in the way. “Geez, Deku, you look terrified,” he added in an amused tone. “It’s really not that difficult.”

“Okay, well, I have trouble staying balanced even without rollerblades on,” Izuku told him humorlessly, but Katsuki found it funny enough to scoff. “Don’t laugh!” he scolded.

“Why? It’s funny.”

“You only ever laugh when it’s at my expense,” Izuku pointed out. “Have you ever noticed that?”

Katsuki pretended to think about it for a moment before replying indifferently, “No.”

“Yeah, I can tell,” Izuku mused, taking tiny steps with his skates as if he was planning on shimmying around in them instead of gliding. It was like trying to teach a baby how to stand up. After a minute of trying to coach him, he was still clutching on to Katsuki and refusing to let go, so the latter had to literally pry his hands off—earning an earful in the process—in order to get him to do it on his own.

“Alright, you’re standing on your own now, so that’s a start. Lets get to the rink, where it’s not as cluttered,” Katsuki said, motioning towards the entrance to the roller rink and waiting for him to go first.

“Okay, okay, okay,” Izuku muttered to himself, focusing on going forward. He looked like a clumsy toddler going on his first waddle, slowly scooting forward a few inches at a time. Katsuki stayed right behind him, one hand hovering above the small of his back in case he lost his balance. It was kind of cute, watching Izuku struggle with something as elementary as rollerblading. It really goes to show that even with all Izuku’s sublimity, he was still just a human. He was imperfect, just as everyone was. Katsuki found that kind of refreshing.

They got onto the rink and Katsuki showed him how to get going. “Push off with your other foot, and then just sort of glide forward, letting your momentum take your body weight. Then when you have to turn,” he demonstrated, “just sort of curve your feet to the side, and your body will follow.”

Izuku did so, though his movements were a lot choppier than Katsuki’s had been. “This is hard,” he said, but he didn’t sound like he was complaining—he sounded like he was in awe. “How are you so amazing, Kacchan?”

Katsuki shook his head, “I’m second-rate at best. The only reason I even remember how to do this shit is ‘cuz I’ve got a pair of rollerblades at home I used to take around the neighborhood. It’s been a few years, but I still got the hang of it,” he answered, glancing down at his wheels, which were gliding smoothly under his feet. Izuku, on the other hand, was unsteady and slow, so Katsuki had to slow himself down to make sure the nerd didn’t fall.

They did a few laps around the rink, Izuku almost falling twice. Both times, Katsuki was able to catch him in the nick of time, and each time, Izuku would thank him with a face red with embarrassment. But despite his falters, Katsuki could tell Izuku was determined to get the hang of it, and he was learning quickly. He wasn’t as unsteady as he gave himself credit for.

As the time continued to pass, the number of people in the rink began to dwindle. However, Izuku and Katsuki’s energy didn’t dip when the place became less populated. Actually, they only seemed to have more fun. With the absence of other people, they were able to race up and down the court—Katsuki obviously winning every time—and Izuku didn’t have to worry as much about running into someone because of his clumsiness. He was still unsteady on his feet at times, but after just thirty minutes of skating around, he was getting the feel for the wheels under his feet.

Once they’d both worked up a sweat and were starting to get thirsty, they retreated from the rink and bought two large slushies—one red and one blue—along with a basket of curly fries. At their table, Izuku sat across from Katsuki and they took some time to cool off. “Fly-day Chinatown” by Yasuha was playing on the speakers, a song fitting for the intense old-fashioned vibe of this place. Even the curly fries tasted old-fashioned, if that was even possible. Katsuki wondered how long this place has been here as he slathered a fry in Ketchup and chomped down on it, absentmindedly watching Izuku nod his head along to the beat of the song and slurp on his drink.

After a minute or so, Izuku took a stab at a conversation. “Hey, have you noticed just how old-fashioned this place is? I wonder how long it’s been here.” Katsuki was so taken aback he almost dropped the Ketchup-covered fry in his hand.

“Okay, that’s creepy,” Katsuki said, narrowing his eyes mistrustfully as he tossed the fry in his mouth and pointed an accusatory finger at Izuku. “You got some mindreading Quirk you never told me about, Deku?”

“Oh, so you were thinking the same thing?” Izuku laughed. “No, I just like the aesthetic in here. It’s like some kind of 80s rendition. I can’t believe I’ve never heard of this place.”

“I can,” Katsuki said, offendedly pushing the basket of curly fries away. “The fries aren’t seasoned.”

Izuku picked a fry out of the remaining pile—Katsuki had already eaten around half of them—and popped it in his mouth. He chewed for a few seconds, then said, “They taste fine to me. Do you not want them?”

Katsuki waved his hand dismissively, showing that he didn’t. Izuku smiled and started eating the rest.

Ten minutes later, their drinks were finished and they decided to do some more rollerblading. Katsuki was in the middle of trying to recreate a rollerblading move he used to do, a trick called a crossover where you put one skate in front of the other and sort of walk backwards while in motion, when he heard a yelp and a thud come from where Izuku was skating. He paused and looked over to see Izuku immediately groaning and rolling around on the ground, both hands clutching his tailbone as if he’d just fallen on it. The thud had been loud. Katsuki skated over to see if he was alright.

They were the only two left in the rink, and Izuku was across the room from him, so there weren’t even any obstacles in his way that he could use as an excuse for falling. Katsuki skidded to a stop next to him and looked down, wondering if he was really in pain or just milking it. “Alright, what’d you do,” he demanded.

Izuku groaned again and rolled onto his back so that he was splayed out across the ground. He had a smile on his face, so Katsuki knew he was fine; just being a wuss about it. “I was trying to copy you,” Izuku confessed after a moment before giving an airy laugh, “but it didn’t work out.”

Katsuki rolled his eyes, but part of him was relieved he wouldn’t have to carry Izuku out of here with a broken tailbone. “You’re a beginner, idiot. You shouldn’t be trying to do complicated moves like that yet. You should first go for some jumps and practice making sharp turns, but even that’s a stretch for someone who just started rollerblading today.”

”I know, I know. You just made it look so easy,” Izuku said before sitting up and pushing off his knees to stand up. “Can you teach me?”

”No.”

”Please?”

”Deku, I’m still re-learning it myself,” Katsuki told him with a snort as he began skating again. “Do what I told you, and I might think about it.”

Izuku beamed as he began following Katsuki, watching his feet and preparing to do what Katsuki had told him. “Okay!”

They continued skating for a while, Katsuki re-mastering the crossover move and even trying to teach Izuku how to do it after a while. Izuku fell on his ass a few more times attempting to copy Katsuki’s movements, so eventually they both gave up and Izuku resorted to just trying to skate really fast.

Eventually they got sick of skating, so they returned their rollerblades and Katsuki bought ten dollars’ worth of change so he could play a few of the arcade games. Izuku did the same. This resulted in a highly-competitive Pac-Man tournament that ended up stealing all their money because it was a dollar per round. A rip-off, some would say—but Katsuki found it worthwhile. Those old-fashioned games were fun as hell.

When that was over with, they were starting to get tired. Katsuki checked his phone and realized it was nearing 2 AM, the time this place would be closing. So he and Izuku packed up their stuff, left a sizeable tip as a thank-you to the workers for not kicking them out despite them being the only two left, and exited the building. At this point, Katsuki was aware that he was hanging out with Izuku…without having any reason to be. He didn’t have any motives; he wasn’t here to protect him, or escort him somewhere, or because he was feeling sorry for him. He was here because hanging out with Izuku was easy—way easier than it was hanging out with Kirishima, or Todoroki, or anybody else Katsuki had ever known.

When he was with Izuku, he wouldn’t scold or reprimand him for being himself. Actually, most of the time, Izuku found him amusing. That was a feeling that Katsuki didn’t get when he was hanging out with many people. It was like Izuku actually enjoyed spending time with him. It was fun. He used to think that he hated hanging out with Izuku, and maybe he did. But something must’ve changed in one of them—or both of them—because now he was starting to find it just a little bit enjoyable.

He liked hanging out with Izuku. The more he spent time with the nerd, the more he was starting to realize it.

As they were walking home, seemingly quiet with their own thoughts, Izuku suddenly spoke up. “Kacchan,” he said softly to draw Katsuki’s attention. The blond had been staring at the ground, hands stuffed in his pockets and hood pulled above his ears to combat the chill of the night. When Izuku spoke, Katsuki looked up at him.

“What?”

Izuku was looking up at the streetlamps passing overhead as they walked. The nighttime was dark, but the street lights were there to light their way. The moment they were sharing right now was quiet compared to the loud, stimulating environment of the rollerblading rink. Izuku’s eyes shone in the luminescent glow of the overhanging lights as the two continued to walk, passing under one. He looked sentimental as he spoke, “Remember how things used to be when we were kids?”

Katsuki was initially caught off-guard by the question. Why was Izuku thinking about that? Katsuki took a moment to think about it before kicking a rock and responding, “Of course.”

Izuku gave a hum, and Katsuki glanced at him again to see a smile resting on his face as he continued looking up at the lights. “Nights like these always remind me of when we were kids,” he continued, but the thing he just said sounded more like a confession than a statement. Katsuki remained silent, interested to hear what the hell he was getting at. Izuku continued. “We would do whatever we wanted,” he said with a chuckle, and Katsuki knew that ‘we’ meant ‘me and you.’ He was talking about memories with Katsuki.

“You were such a bad role model on me,” Izuku said affectionately as he thought of their little-kid selves, with their stupid ideas and youthful innocence. “On nights like these, sometimes you would come to our apartment when my mom went to sleep, and I was able to sneak out with you because she’s such a heavy sleeper,” he mused, thinking. “Without any money, we never had anything to do, so we would just walk around the neighborhood—passing under streetlamps just like these. I remember all we were doing was walking, but as a kid, moments like those were the most exhilarating of my life. Leaving the house when I wasn’t supposed to. Walking around at night without an adult present. It was so stupid, but…I remember it being really fun, too.”

He recalled, “Sometimes we’d sit under a streetlamp and wave at cars when they passed—which, looking back, was probably the stupidest thing we could’ve done. But we’d sit there and wave at the cars, betting on whether we think the driver will wave back or not. Usually they didn’t. But on the off chance they did, we’d celebrate our win and then wait for the next car to come by.”

Izuku thought for a moment. “We’d run from weird noises in the bushes, and laugh until our stomachs hurt. We never went home until we were literally too tired to stay standing. I remember the following day I’d always be exhausted, but it didn’t matter; it never did. All I wanted was to do it again the next day. I don’t think I ever wanted to stop doing those things.”

At this point Izuku paused to look at Katsuki, and at that moment, they were both feeling entirely different things. Izuku was reminiscing on the memories while all Katsuki could feel was regret. He did remember all those things he used to do with Izuku—and he used to love them, too. At that time, he never wanted to stop, either. And yet somehow, he’d ended up pushing that all away because of his misunderstanding of himself and of Izuku, and his unwillingness to change. He hated how blind he’d become to friendship all because he was too self-centered to care about anybody but himself.

Next, Izuku said, “What we did tonight, it reminded me of how we used to act as kids.” He looked ahead once more, smiling. “It was fun, Kacchan. We should hang out again sometime!”

And to that, Katsuki didn’t know how to respond.

Later that night, after he dropped off Izuku at the nurse’s room and quietly snuck back into his dorm, Katsuki laid in his bed thinking about what Izuku said. We should hang out again sometime! Was Izuku really so willing to forgive him, even after all that time Katsuki spent pushing him away? He just didn’t understand how Izuku could be so damn accepting all the time.

Once he drifted off, his mind fell into a sort of dark, peaceful bliss for a while before he was eased into a dream. A foggy memory, really, where the lights were too bright and the world around him seemed fuzzy and warm. And as the world continued to build itself and he became more self-aware, he realized he was a child again.

Beside him was Izuku, and he was a kid again, too. They were both sprawled out on Katsuki’s driveway scribbling on the white pavement with large sticks of chalk. In this memory, they were about four years old. The summer sun was hot on his back and the memory was so vivid that he could feel a bead of sweat trickle down his face and drip on the pavement. He and Izuku had been drawing with chalk for nearly an hour now, so they were hot, sweaty, and needed something to cool them down.

That’s when they heard it: the sweet, melodic sound of an ice cream truck rolling down the road. Because this was Katsuki’s dream, the music had an echoey effect. The two boys immediately jumped up, ran inside to get some money from Katsuki’s mom, and began following the noise—only to realize they’d have to catch up. The ice cream truck was already down the road, and would soon leave their neighborhood if they didn’t stop it. So they began running.

Katsuki was faster because his legs were a little longer, so he left Izuku in the dust, pumping his little arms and willing his legs to move as fast as possible. He was clutching the money desperately in one of his chalk-coated hands, breathing heavily, eyes narrowed against the intense brightness of the sun as he ran down the suburban road with only one goal in mind: ice cream. As a kid, when you want something, you’ll do just about anything to get it.

Finally he managed to flag down the ice cream man, where he bought both himself and Izuku All Might popsicles. It was a bit of a hassle to get there, but once he could unwrap the popsicle and stick it in his mouth with that childish greed, all that anger quickly melted into relief. The ice cream was cold and sweet on his tongue, helping to cool down his body and releasing a flood of satisfying dopamine. He sat on the curb beside Izuku and enjoyed the delicious popsicle, laughing and boasting about how fast he’d been. Izuku agreed, of course, and when their popsicles were finished, they walked back to Katsuki’s house and resumed drawing with chalk on the driveway.

It was such a simple life back then, and as Katsuki thought about it, he remembered exactly how he’d been feeling at that time: happy. Katsuki was really fucking happy when all he did all day every day was hang out with Izuku. In fact, he’d never been happier. It made him realize just how much he missed having fun. Going to a prestigious hero school, never doing anything but train, work out, eat, and sleep all the time—there was nothing wrong with that. In fact, Katsuki was satisfied with his achievements and wanted nothing more than to keep developing himself and his Quirk. All that was fine, and a healthy way to live.

Only…he never had fun. Doing fun things had never been very important to Katsuki, so now that he was hanging out with Izuku again—having fun again—it was weird. It reminded him of how different life could’ve been if he just stayed Deku’s friend. Maybe he wouldn’t be such a detached, offensive jerk if he had a real friend growing up. But then again, maybe he was just born that way; incapable of keeping friends.

The thought of being ‘incapable’ made him angry. The only thing Katsuki couldn’t do, or the only thing he had trouble figuring out, was something that seemed to come so naturally to everybody else. Izuku made friends everywhere he went. Katsuki never understood how he did it, and he supposed that was another cause for the resentment Katsuki had for him during their first year of high school. Eventually that jealousy faded away when he came to understand just why everybody seemed to flock to him. He was so damn perfect, it would be hard for someone to not want to hang out with him.

No, Katsuki had to remind himself, he isn’t perfect. Izuku had flaws, too, and it was unfair to put him on a pedestal like that. Izuku was considerate to a fault, he was a nerd, and yeah, he sucked at rollerblading. At least, he sucked until Katsuki taught him how to do it. And there were probably other things, too. But it was hard to see such things when all Katsuki was reminded of every time he looked at Deku, talked to him, or even thought about him, was how utterly perfect he was.

It made him wonder why such a perfect guy—someone with endless possibilities, endless friends, and endless kindness to give—would even think twice about sparing any of it for someone like Katsuki.

Chapter Text

Izuku had been trying to figure out how to download apps for about thirty minutes now. At this point, he’d tried everything—typing in his password, resetting the phone, and even looking up tutorials on the internet that did nothing to help. Why was it do hard for no reason? He’d never been very savvy with technology, but downloading apps was supposed to be easy. He felt pretty stupid not knowing how to do it. Why do they have to make the new stuff so confusing?

As a last resort, he knew he was going to have to ask someone to help. He tried to think of anyone who might know how to do it. The first person that popped into his mind was Katsuki, and that was because the blond had always been pretty good at technology stuff. He was smart; he’d probably know how to do it. Of course, he would. But that didn’t make it any less embarrassing for Izuku to ask him.

He thought about it for a good long while. Text Katsuki and ask him? What if he was asleep and Izuku accidentally woke him up? He’d be in for an earful. He could just wait until tomorrow, but he was bored, and he was determined after trying to figure it out for more than thirty minutes. Eventually his boredom got the better of him and he texted Katsuki.

Something simple at first; he didn’t want to seem desperate, even though he totally was. He texted a quick, You up? before throwing his phone down on the blanket and waiting, eyes wide, for a response. He rarely texted Katsuki, so this definitely felt weird, even if he had a reasonable motive for doing so. He had no idea how Katsuki would respond, if at all. He could totally just get ignored. That would be even more embarrassing than if he said no.

Izuku was surprised when two minutes later, he got a response. Katsuki was awake, and he was feeling nice enough to reply to Izuku’s text; even if the response was pretty cryptic. no, im sleeping, the text said. Izuku stared at it for a solid ten seconds, smiling even though he didn’t realize it, silently celebrating the small win.

The conversation continued, which ended with Izuku revealing he needed help downloading apps, Katsuki making fun of him, and then Izuku hesitantly asking if Katsuki would be willing to call and help him out. When five minutes passed and Katsuki still hadn’t responded to that final question, Izuku realized he’d gone too far. But hey, at least he received a response in general. Normally, Katsuki would ignore all any texts and he’d be forced to ask in-person to even get a response. This was progress.

So imagine Izuku’s surprise when five minutes later, he heard a knock at his window and peeked through the blinds to realize it was Katsuki. He hadn’t been expecting that at all—he would’ve sooner expected a ghost to be haunting him before he expected to see Bakugou Katsuki. He was wearing a casual white shirt, black shorts, and a black sweatshirt over the top. When Izuku looked at him, he winked. And when Izuku, stunned, finally let him into the room, he realized suddenly that it was real. It wasn’t some sort of dream, or hallucination, or figment of his imagination. Katsuki, the guy who’d always wanted absolutely nothing to do with Izuku, was here in his room at eleven thirty at night—spontaneously making the decision that he wanted to go rollerblading with him.

When Katsuki told him they were going rollerblading, Izuku was initially confused, because of course he was. While in the hospital, Katsuki claimed that he only hung out with Izuku for three reasons, and three reasons only. One, to protect him. He didn’t want Izuku getting in trouble again because he didn’t want to worry about saving him. Two, because he pitied him. This was the toughest pill to swallow because Izuku hated when people did things just because they felt sorry for him. And three, because he was forced to by some outside source; though he’d never explained who or why, so Izuku wasn’t so sure about the truthfulness to that one.

The reason Izuku was so confused was because right now, it didn’t seem like Katsuki was there for any of those reasons. Right now, it seemed like Katsuki was there only because he wanted to hang out with Izuku. Izuku was extremely happy about that. For the first time in twelve years, Katsuki was growing closer to him without denying they were. At least, that’s what he hoped at first, but he was quick to realize that it’d been foolish to think that way.

Upon asking why Katsuki had invited him, the blond was confident as he said, “You could’ve been anyone, Deku. Right place, right time.” And Izuku immediately knew that he’d been wrong. Katsuki was right. He shouldn’t have gotten his hopes up; that was his first mistake. Izuku wasn’t special just because Katsuki decided to go rollerblading with him. If Kirishima had texted him at that moment instead of Izuku, the blond would be going with him instead. The only reason Izuku was here right now was because he texted at the right moment to catch his attention.

When it came to Katsuki, this realization was nothing new, but it still hurt a little, especially considering how excited Izuku had been just a moment ago. For a brief moment, he really believed that Katsuki wanted to go with him—that in a room full of people, Izuku was picked out of anyone else. But obviously, that wasn’t the case. It never was. There was always some outside reason for Katsuki to be hanging out with him, and even though that reason was different now than it ever was before, that much was still true.

Izuku swallowed his disappointment and responded, “Oh.” And so, they continued.

The rest of the night was a blast. The rollerblading rink was old-fashioned and really just had a great vibe, and though the whole thing was a last-minute decision, Izuku wasn’t surprised by Katsuki’s unforeseen behavior. He was always such a wild card that Izuku never knew what to expect with each coming day—all he knew was that he enjoyed hanging out with Katsuki and sometimes found himself wishing they did it more.

Katsuki, of course, was a natural talent at rollerblading—as he was with most things—and Izuku was the complete opposite. He was a klutz. Katsuki was forced to re-teach him as he didn’t even know how to stand properly, and Izuku wouldn’t lie by saying that it wasn’t a strange new feeling to be clutching on to Katsuki’s arms in a non-life-threatening situation. Sure, there were times in the past when Katsuki was forced to carry Izuku in a battle or vice versa, but other than that, they usually tried to avoid physical contact. Izuku wasn’t exactly sure what was changing, but that night just felt a little bit different than all the other times.

Every time Izuku stumbled on his feet or was about to topple over from his own imbalance, Katsuki would be there to grab a hold of him, steadying him and reminding him each time of just how strong and dependable he was. Izuku had always known that Katsuki was muscular—after all, Izuku was far from light, and the blond had no problem carrying him while running for minutes at a time—but it was a whole different thing experiencing it without the threat of villains at their every move. And it was a colossal difference from how Katsuki would usually treat Izuku in these types of scenarios.

A few times, Izuku was full-on expecting Katsuki to just let him fall, laugh at him, then keep on going. That’s how Katsuki would normally act if they ever hung out like this. But every time, he’d be proven wrong when Katsuki caught him, made sure he was steady, and then kept skating right at his side, keeping a close eye on his movements to be sure he didn’t make the same mistake again.

It was a little embarrassing, but more than that, it was reassuring to know that Katsuki cared about him enough to not let him fall. Izuku was excited to see Katsuki expanding his comfort zone enough to spend time with someone one-on-one, even if Izuku was here solely because of a one-chance text. And though Izuku would never admit it, he found himself captivated each time he wound up in Katsuki’s arms; it made him want to drink up every moment possible, as if that would somehow make the seconds last just a little bit longer.

Needless to say, Izuku had a big smile on his face for the entirety of the night.

On the way home, Izuku couldn’t help but remember how things between him and Katsuki used to be. When they were kids, they always hung out like this. Some of those days spent with the blond he would remember for the rest of his life. He brought it up to Katsuki, but he seemed reserved on the matter when Izuku was talking about the things they used to do. He wondered if Katsuki remembered them in the same light, or if he regretted them now. Whatever the case, Izuku knew better than to continue the conversation when Katsuki obviously looked estranged to it.

Katsuki dropped Izuku off outside his window and he was able to climb back in with ease. The room looked exactly how he’d left it, with the pillows under the blanket and lights off, meaning they were in the clear for not getting caught. Izuku shut the window and re-situated the blinds, making it look like he never left, before changing into some fresh clothes. As he climbed into bed, he expected himself to fall asleep instantly because of how late it was; but despite his body telling him to close his eyes, his brain was restless. Tonight’s pleasant and somewhat bizarre interactions with Katsuki were leaving him wide awake.

He was extremely happy to start becoming included in Katsuki’s life again. Even if the blond acted like he disliked Izuku’s presence, he knew him better than that. He could see it every time they were lost in the moment—in the middle of a heated card game or chasing each other around a roller rink, yelling each other’s names—that Katsuki enjoyed being around him. At least, he enjoyed being around people.

Katsuki painted himself as this sort of untouchable, invincible guy with nothing to lose and nobody he cared about. He always acted like he was better off alone. Izuku could see it in every time he avoided a class gathering, or stood in the back of the group, or turned a cold shoulder when someone was trying to help him. Bakugou “I can do it myself” Katsuki, that’s what everyone knew him for.

Though it was sad for Izuku to always see him like this, there was never anything he could actually do about it. Katsuki never let him get too close—never let anyone get too close. If Izuku ever tried, he’d only get pushed away further and he’d lose another portion of what he and Katsuki used to have together. A friendship.

It hurt worse than anything, but Izuku soon realized that in order to conserve whatever margin of friendship they had left, he would have to back off. He let Katsuki do his own thing. He stopped trying to force whatever it was that Katsuki was so afraid to accept. Izuku was so afraid of losing his connection with Katsuki that, for a while, he ended up becoming just another stranger watching from a good distance away. Never growing closer, but never losing sight of one another. At least that way, he’d remain somewhat in Katsuki’s life; for losing him entirely was probably one of the biggest fears in the back of his head.

After Izuku realized this, he and Katsuki went their separate ways with their own friend groups and goals. Although they always kept the same long-term destination in mind and usually ended up in the same group because of their similar power ranges and goals, they were entirely different from one another, and everyone knew it. For a while, they were strangers; but they soon became a form of rivals. They made each other stronger.

Izuku was happy because the closer he could get to Katsuki, the better—even if all they were doing was arguing and, at times, physically hurting each other. In the end, they always sorted it out and ended up stronger because of it. Keeping a close proximity to Katsuki was always an objective, so whenever they hung out or did any sort of training together, it was always a win in Izuku’s book.

That’s why recently, with Katsuki opening new horizons and showing Izuku more of his friendly self, he couldn’t be happier. It felt like after all these years of doing as Katsuki wants and staying away, after all this time of Izuku changing, Katsuki was finally starting to open up, too. Maybe he was realizing that he wasn’t actually better off alone. Or maybe he was just coming to terms with the fact that Izuku was no longer some clingy, foolish kid who’s going to follow him around everywhere and cause a problem.

They’ve both changed a lot, but the change in Katsuki was truly beautiful to see. Just hanging out once or twice a week was a big difference, and though Izuku wasn’t expecting more, he sure was always hoping for it. Those brief, sparse moments where Katsuki revealed his caring side were always a reminder of what Izuku had been waiting for all this time; not only that, but they were a reminder that Katsuki wasn’t as mean or selfish as he always claimed to be.

It made Izuku all the more grateful that he’d never given up on Katsuki. Not even when all his other friends, teachers, and even his own parents gave up on trying to understand him, Izuku never did. He knew his potential, so he stuck with him—even at the cost of their friendship. And every day, no matter how many people questioned him or told him he shouldn’t forgive Katsuki for his misdemeanors, he would never regret it.

He didn’t think he’d ever stop pursuing Katsuki, no matter how naïve or foolish that may seem. Maybe that’s just because of Izuku’s strong-willed personality, or maybe it was because he saw something in Katsuki that nobody else did—and he wanted nothing more than to see him let it out.

Izuku thought about all this as he lay in his bed that night, replaying the evening in his head to the point it was becoming tedious. The more he thought about it, the more one moment in particular kept resurfacing in his mind—and the more he found himself questioning just why his mind was being pulled towards it. It was that moment where he was trying to stand up from the lunch table, wobbly in his new rollerblades, and Katsuki had extended a helping hand to support him. Izuku took his hand and was pulled into his arms, and that was the moment he just couldn’t get over. That one fleeting moment.

It was everything—from the muscle he could feel through the clothes in Katsuki’s arms and chest, to the warmth in the breath on his face, to the scent of his cologne rubbing off on Izuku’s body, to the difference in their height when they were holding each other—Izuku simply couldn’t stop thinking about it. He didn’t know why he felt the need to remember it so badly, but soon realized it was probably just because he was so happy about spending time with Katsuki again that whenever they touched, his brain was just making a point to remember it. Yeah, that’s it. That’s the reason.

Once he was sufficiently convinced, Izuku rolled onto his side and closed his eyes, intending to actually fall asleep now. Staying up late wasn’t new to him, but he didn’t want to be grumpy in the morning. After a few days of experimenting as a kid, he found out that anything past 3 AM would make him moody the next day. One of his most comfortable sleeping positions was on his side with a pillow between his legs, so he tried that, and it worked. He drifted off sometime within the next ten minutes, happier than he’d felt in a long time.

The next morning he woke feeling more refreshed than ever, and he realized that was because he didn’t have any nightmares. Most nights, his slumber was riddled with flashbacks from the boat, or just other memories that he didn’t care to relive. Some were worse than others, but almost all of them ended in the same way—Izuku’s death. Sometimes he woke with a start in the middle of the night, crying or yelling, but sometimes, he’d just open his eyes, roll over, and fall back asleep again. He was getting used to the nightly ritual, as awful as that may seem. To Izuku, it was just another daily occurrence.

It was refreshing to finally have a good rest with no nightmares. He just didn’t know why last night of all nights was the time his brain decided to be nice. As he got up and started his day, he forgot all about it and decided to just be happy that he got good rest. Once he was showered, checked-on by Recovery Girl, and dressed, he met up with Ochako, Tenya, and Shoto at a nearby cafe for breakfast. He didn’t tell them about his meet-up with Katsuki last night, even when they asked why he was in such a good mood. He just told them it was because he slept well.

There was a U.A. guard sitting at a table near them, discreetly watching Izuku’s behavior and making sure he didn’t start freaking out or having an episode. Izuku hadn’t had an episode in over three days now, but the nurse said it was better to be safe. Izuku didn’t mind, aside from the fact that he hated being a nuisance. The guard surely had better things to do than watch over some kid going about his day. But hey, he wasn’t one to question Recovery Girl’s wishes. Getting on that old lady’s nerves was not something on his bucket list.

He was in the middle of a conversation with his friends when Ochako remembered, “Hey, so did you ever figure out how to download apps on your phone?” She giggled. “I know you asked me, but I couldn’t seem figure it out.”

“Oh, yeah. Your phone is bugged or something,” Shoto agreed from Izuku’s other side. “Not even Iida could figure it out.”

“It was offensively confusing!” Tenya defended himself, hitting a fist on the table and sitting up rigid. “I can’t believe how rotten technology has gotten these days. They make it so complicated just to download an app!”

“I still have to figure it out,” Izuku laughed, “but I think I’ll ask Kacchan for help. He’s always been good at technology stuff.” They never actually got around to it last night, so he still had to ask.

His three friends all looked at him then, and he wondered if he’d said something wrong. “What?” Izuku looked at them all, confused. “Is there something on my face?” he asked, wiping his chin to see if he’d gotten any crumbs from his tamagoyaki on there.

“No, Izuku, it’s just that…” Ochako glanced at Tenya and sighed. “Bakugou didn’t really seem like he wanted to talk to you the last time we saw him. Remember what he said? That he had no reason to hang out with you other than to protect you? To be honest, that’s an outrageous thing to say, especially considering the fact you could probably beat him in a fight.”

Izuku laughed nervously, “I don’t know about that…”

“You could,” Shoto stated bluntly.

“No, I just mean he had a different reason for saying that. It’s because I’m not allowed to use my Quirk yet, doctor’s orders. That’s why he wanted to stay with me,” Izuku explained, even though he knew it wasn’t true, not after last night. Katsuki’s actions last night not only told him that he cared about Izuku more than he let on, but also that no matter how many times he tried to deny it, he enjoyed hanging out with other people. Izuku, fortunately, just happened to be one of them.

“But that doesn’t change the fact that he’s been acting hostile towards you for, like, days. Are you sure you want to ask him?” Ochako continued. Izuku knew she was saying this with his best interests in mind, but she didn’t have the full picture. She didn’t know about the conversation Katsuki and Izuku had two nights ago in the kitchen, and she also didn’t know about last night’s occasion, either.

Izuku couldn’t really defend Katsuki without telling her about their hangouts, but he also knew that Katsuki probably wouldn’t want him to say, even though it wasn’t really a secret in the first place. So, Izuku kept his mouth shut—but that didn’t mean he couldn’t covertly defend him.

“Yeah,” Izuku said with a smile. “He didn’t mean any of that, I’m sure.”

Everyone looked at him, all feeling not so sure, before Tenya asked, “Why, did you talk to him about it?”

Izuku shrugged. “Something like that.”

“Something like that,” Ochako repeated. “I’m sure he had just a fantastic explanation for hurting your feelings.”

Izuku looked at the three of them, starting to feel a little cross. “Guys, I don’t know why you’re trying to get so involved in me and Kacchan’s relationship, but if I’m not mad at him, you shouldn’t be, either. He has reasons for everything he says, so do I, and so does everyone else. That’s just his personality, so you shouldn’t criticize him for it.”

He paused and gave a smile, not wanting to come across as angry. “I’m lucky to have such great friends that worry about me, but really; when it comes to Kacchan, you simply don’t need to. Okay?” he asked, keeping his voice polite but making his words firm so that they understood his seriousness. Shoto and Tenya nodded, looking like they understood. Ochako was the only one who hesitated.

“I just don’t want him hurting you,” she said with a frown before putting her hand friendlily on Izuku’s. “You’re always so bright and happy…I mean, I just don’t want his constant irritation rubbing off on you and making you bitter. It really looked like he hurt your feelings that day. I guess he might not care if he hurts you, but I do.” She paused and sighed slightly upon seeing the displeased look on Izuku’s face.

“Just be careful for us, ‘kay? You know how he can be. Just don’t let it bother you,” she brightened up, giving a smile. “Right?”

Izuku couldn’t agree with her. Not at all. Her saying this was exactly why Izuku wanted to show everyone that Katsuki was not a bad person; because to him, it seemed like all they could see about him was his antagonistic qualities. In reality, Katsuki would never hurt him. He’d never purposefully bring him down, or negatively affect him, or any of those things that everyone seemed to think. Sure he joked, and sometimes the jokes were rude or vulgar, but Izuku could almost always tell the difference between a mean joke and an actual derogatory statement. And with how things were going recently, it was rarely the latter. Katsuki was genuinely just a good person with a rough exterior. Izuku wished others could see that.

Ochako’s tone sounded genuine, and Izuku had no doubt that she was saying this with Izuku’s well-being in mind, but on another note…some of the things she was saying just sounded a little paternalistic. To be honest, she was reminding him of his mom. Inko would always worry about him in the exact same way. And though there was nothing technically wrong with having a friend that worries about your welfare, it was a different thing when she was saying those things about Kacchan.

“He would never hurt me,” Izuku said after a few seconds of taking in everything she told him. Izuku wasn’t getting defensive. At least, he wasn’t trying to. But he couldn’t just let her say that. “I don’t want you to get the wrong idea about Kacchan, but he’s not a bad person, and he wouldn’t do something if he thought it would really hurt me—or anyone else. He speaks his mind, but he’s always mindful of peoples’ best interests. Even though the things he says might be crude or a little hurtful in the moment, in the end, he only says what he thinks is right.”

Izuku looked at her meaningfully, willing her to believe and trust him. “Hearing those kinds of things from others is what makes him feel boxed up. But I guarantee that if everybody started treating him like he was a good person, he’d start acting like it, too. So please—don’t say those kinds of things anymore, Uraraka. I really won’t stand for it.”

Ochako held eye contact with him for a few seconds, looking like she didn’t believe him, before dropping her gaze and pursing her lips. “Alright, Izuku. I trust you. But you know how Bakugou feels about me, and honestly, I feel the same way about him. Sometimes, I just really can’t like him.”

At that, Izuku was satisfied. Obviously he couldn’t make people like Katsuki—the blond was going to have to do that himself. However, he was still capable of putting in a good word once in a while.

Ochako and Katsuki had always had a nonexistent relationship. They had a mutual respect for each other’s strength, but that’s only when on the battlefield. In day-to-day life, it was no secret that Katsuki and Ochako didn’t really get along. Nobody really knew why, including Izuku. But he could see it in every interaction they had with one another.

It was troubling for him to see Katsuki, the guy he looked up to the most, getting into arguments with Ochako, one of his absolute best friends. He didn’t like it. But again, there was nothing he could do to change Katsuki’s personality, nor Ochako’s. They’d have to sort it out themselves.

Conversation between the four of them continued until it was time to go back. Izuku always had a good time with his friends; that conversation about Katsuki was probably one of the few disagreements they ever truly had. He didn’t know why he felt the need to defend the blond in that moment, but it was a recurrent feeling that he got whenever someone—even his closest friends, apparently—had something to say about him that wasn’t good. Izuku had always prided himself on being a loyal friend, so he supposed that was why. It just made him angry whenever anyone spoke badly about Katsuki.

When he and his friends got back to the dorms, everyone was sitting in the common room, talking in groups and eating leftovers for lunch. Izuku scanned the room and found Katsuki sitting on a chair across the room, head propped up using the armrest and eyes trained on his phone, which he was holding with his other hand. He looked bored. Izuku wondered if he would mind Izuku asking now, or if he should wait until later when they could figure his phone apps thing out alone. He stuck with Ochako, Shoto and Tenya for a few minutes, indulging in casual conversation, as he thought about his decision.

Eventually, Izuku decided that it was better to try. He excused himself from the conversation and walked over to Katsuki, who was still on his phone, looking unbothered. To Katsuki’s left, Kirishima, Mina, Denki, and Sero were sitting on the couch talking; and to his right, there was a couch filled with a few other classmates. As Izuku approached Katsuki, holding his phone gingerly between his hands, he could feel everybody’s eyes on him. But only when Izuku reached Katsuki’s chair and cleared his throat to get his attention did Katsuki look up at him.

Izuku smiled, and he wasn’t sure why, but he felt nervous as Katsuki’s crimson red eyes glared up at him. He half expected Katsuki to roughly tell him to fuck off and be forced to come back later, when nobody was around. After all, Katsuki only seemed to want to hang out with him when nobody else was present. Approaching him out in the open like this, when everyone else was there to watch them, might be a step too far.

So when Katsuki roughly said “What?” instead of ‘go away,’ Izuku’s smile only seemed to grow.

“Hey, Kacchan. Um, I was having trouble with my phone, so I was wondering if you could help me,” he said, holding out his phone for Katsuki to take. He didn’t know whether he should pretend they haven’t had this conversation before. The blond’s gaze dropped to look at the phone, then back up to Izuku’s eyes. He didn’t take it.

“What’s in it for me?” Katsuki asked, tilting his head to the side slightly. Izuku should’ve known he’d be difficult.

He shrugged, shifting slightly on his feet, aware that he was being watched by almost everyone around him. It was honestly a rare occasion for Katsuki and Izuku to interact without one getting mad at the other, so most didn’t know how this would go.

“I don’t know,” Izuku said. “What do you want?”

Katsuki pondered it for a few moments, stroking his chin as if he was thinking hard. Izuku could tell it was just a display of control. If there was one thing Katsuki enjoyed, it was having control over people.

Finally, the blond decided on something and gave a hum to let Izuku know. “Alright, nerd. I’ll do it, but you owe me a bag of those cookies you keep stashed away like a greedy pig in your room. And don’t try to tell me they’re all gone, because I know damn well you save those things for special occasions.”

Izuku’s mouth dropped open. He knew exactly what Katsuki was talking about. His mom made these delicious homemade mochi cookies every once in a while, and they were so tasty that he had a bag of them hidden in his room for special occasions. How Katsuki was aware of that, he had no idea—but he honestly found it hilarious.

“Wow, Kacchan,” Izuku said after the initial surprise wore off, and he laughed, amazed. “And you call me a stalker!” he teased.

“It’s called being observant, damn Deku,” Katsuki insisted before kicking him, causing Izuku to laugh again. “You’re the stalker. I’m just the one who always overhears your giant mouth blabbing all the time.”

“I can’t remember ever talking about my mom’s cookies,” Izuku said thoughtfully, unable to hide his unbroken smile as Katsuki took his phone and began trying to figure it out.

“I bet you couldn’t even remember what you ate for breakfast, let alone something you said in a throwaway conversation two fucking years ago.”

“Two years? How’d you remember something for that long?” Izuku asked, sitting down on the armrest of his chair. They could probably both fit on the seat if it weren’t for Katsuki’s outstretched legs, but he wasn’t daring enough to ask him to move. And even if he did, there was no way Katsuki would let him.

Katsuki snorted. “I’ve got a razor-sharp memory,” he boasted, and Izuku noticed him typing something on his phone, though he couldn’t see what it was because of the angle in which he was sitting. “Unlike you.”

“Obviously,” Izuku agreed, hands in his lap. His feet didn’t quite reach the floor from where he was sitting, so he swung his legs absentmindedly. “But I actually do remember what I had for breakfast, so you’re wrong about that.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. I had tamagoyaki, thank you very much, and it was delicious.”

“So you didn’t have pancakes, bacon, and scrambled eggs?”

“Stop remembering everything, it’s creeping me out!” Izuku exclaimed lightly, understanding Katsuki’s reference to their breakfast a few days ago. Apparently, Katsuki remembered exactly what Izuku ordered. “Real stalker behavior,” Izuku added, knowing it would make Katsuki mad.

“Again, observant,” Katsuki replied simply. “How the hell were you so confused by this, Deku? It’s easy as fuck.”

“No way,” Izuku proclaimed, trying to lean over and look over Katsuki’s shoulder to see if he’d done it. “You figured it out already? No way.”

“Yes, it’s fucking easy. You just have to type in your password here, and enter the verification code here—”

“I can’t even see it, Kacchan,” Izuku interrupted. Katsuki was holding the phone angled away from him, not even trying to let Izuku see what he was doing. “How am I supposed to learn if you don’t even show me what you’re doing?”

Katsuki tongued his cheek and looked up at Izuku, looking like he was losing his patience. “Fuck, Deku, I wouldn’t have agreed to this if I knew you were gonna be so damn needy.”

“Needy!” Izuku repeated incredulously. “So I’m needy for asking to see what you’re doing?”

“Utterly,” Katsuki growled before begrudgingly sitting up and moving his legs to one side, making room for Izuku to sit beside him. “Sit down.”

Izuku stared at him warily for a moment, wondering if this was some kind of trap, before dutifully sliding down into the seat beside him. There was barely enough space for two, so their legs were touching all the way down to his knee. He glanced at Katsuki timidly, but the blond looked unaffected by the contact. He was still looking at the phone. The only difference in his expression was the slant of his eyebrows, which was slightly more than their usual resting position. He looked slightly uncomfortable, but if he was, he didn’t draw attention to it. Izuku appreciated that.

As he began explaining how to download apps, it made Izuku feel like a complete idiot. It was so obvious, he had no idea how he didn’t figure it out on his own. Katsuki explained it with the ease of a trained iPhone professional, and Izuku was once again impressed with how smart and well-spoken he was. Even though ‘nerd’ was Izuku’s nickname, he privately thought of Katsuki as a bit of a nerd, too. He was just too intelligent to be anything else.

At one point, Izuku was just staring at the side of Katsuki’s face, really taking it in. It was such a small moment, yet such a big step forward. He was really sitting beside Katsuki in the common room with a bunch of classmates around to see them, so close that they were pressed against each other, so nonchalant that Katsuki was talking to him in a normal tone of voice, so friendly that he was explaining to Izuku—without cussing him out even once—how to work his new phone.

It was at this point that Izuku started feeling something similar to last night when Katsuki was holding him on the rollerblades. Like an intense happiness in his chest, so much that it was making his heart beat faster, and so warm that it was making his face feel a little hot. As he continued to look at Katsuki—with his intense ruby-red gaze; his sharp, masculine jawline; his thick blond hair, spiky and jagged yet somehow so soft-looking—he couldn’t stop it. It was just so euphoric to be with Kacchan, to even be next to him, that he couldn’t stop this feeling in his chest. The feeling of total happiness.

Eventually Katsuki caught him staring and demanded, “What?”

Izuku snapped out of his rapture and quickly looked away, embarrassed now, too. “Nothing.”

“Did you hear anything I just said, nerd?”

“Mhm,” Izuku replied cheerily, which was a complete lie. He hadn’t been listening to Katsuki. He’d gotten sidetracked. “I heard.”

“What’d I say, then,” Katsuki called him out.

Izuku pursed his lips and gave a wild guess. “You were…” he paused to look at his phone for clues before realizing it displayed the words ‘enter password here’ across the screen, and said, “asking me what my password is.”

Katsuki scoffed, but when Izuku looked at him, he looked appeased. “Well, what is it.”

“My birthday,” Izuku replied. Katsuki thought about it for a moment, then typed in the correct password, and Izuku was pleased that he remembered. It was even a little sweet.

“What do you even wanna download so bad, anyway?” Katsuki asked, sounding uninterested as he leisurely scrolled through the app store on Izuku’s phone. “Wait—let me guess. I bet it’s some kind of spelling game that you had a streak in, so you wanna get your streak back.”

Izuku was again surprised by Katsuki’s guessing abilities. It was almost scary sometimes. “No…” he lied, hiding his smile and looking away.

“Bullshit. You’re such a fucking nerd,” Katsuki jabbed before harshly poking him in the ribs and making him laugh, “I can tell you’re lying based on the cheeky fucking grin on your face.”

“Hey, don’t!” Izuku exclaimed, batting his hand away. “Those spelling games are fun! I’ll bet a million dollars that you have at least one on your phone, too.”

“A million dollars, huh?” Katsuki repeated, pulling out his phone from his pocket. “Well, then I’m about to be a millionaire.”

“You’re bluffing,” Izuku told him, watching as he unlocked his phone—he now had a phone in both hands, Izuku’s in his left and Katsuki’s in his right—and went to his home screen. Once it was there, he shoved it in Izuku’s face.

“Look. No fucking spelling games,” he stated, and Izuku took it from him, searching for himself. It was true, Katsuki didn’t have any spelling games. In fact, he barely had anything on his phone. It was all very minimalistic. “Now where’s my money.”

“Oh, the money? Well, about that…” Izuku then went on to come up with the dumbest excuse possible as to how he didn’t have a million dollars. Katsuki bantered with him about it for a while, demanding for the money to be delivered ‘by next Tuesday,’ berating him for making a bet he couldn’t follow up on, etcetera. It was stupid, but Izuku found himself laughing more often than not. Banter with Katsuki was always fun, especially when it didn’t turn into an argument. And this time, it didn’t.

When everyone’s groups started breaking up and going their separate ways for the rest of the day, Izuku and Katsuki took a quick trip to Izuku’s dorm so he could give him the cookies he’d promised. As Izuku entered his room, he felt a wave of longing wash over him as he caught sight of his bed and all his personal belongings. It had been nearly four weeks since he last slept in his own private room, and he missed it.

“Miss your bed, huh,” Katsuki noticed as Izuku took a few moments to look around, a feeling of yearning in his chest. Izuku glanced over his shoulder at Katsuki, who was standing in the doorway, keeping it propped open with his foot. Izuku nodded.

“I miss having my own room,” he confessed before walking over to the cabinet where the cookies were stashed away. They were in an air-tight container, so hopefully they weren’t too stale. “The nurse’s room is nice, but I can’t wait to sleep in my bed again. It’s been too long.”

“I get why they’re keeping a close eye on you, but honestly, what’s the fucking difference between sleeping in your own room and sleeping in a room two levels down? There is none. They could just post a guard outside your room at night and have the same effect as sleeping down there.”

Izuku agreed, but he didn’t want to question any of Recovery Girl’s decisions. She was probably right that Izuku should be close by during the nighttime, which is the time he seemed to have the most PTSD attacks. But that didn’t mean he was necessarily happy about it.

He gave the entire container to Katsuki, who immediately opened the Tupperware and grabbed one of the cookies, beginning to inspect it. “If this is stale, I’m gonna steal all your All Might merch,” Katsuki said before taking a bite. He chewed with a thoughtful look on his face before nodding in satisfaction, turning to exit the room, and saying, “You’re fucking lucky.”

“So they’re good?” Izuku asked in relief, following him.

“Mm. Auntie makes the best cookies,” he said before popping the other half of the cookie in his mouth. The outside crust was buttery and crisp, while the inside mochi was chewy and sweet. This batch was peanut butter flavored, which Katsuki and Izuku both favored. Katsuki let Izuku have one of the cookies after enough begging on their way to the nurse’s room.

Katsuki dropped him off, and Izuku ignored the voice in the back of his head saying he wanted him to stay. They wouldn’t have anything to do in here, anyway. All Izuku ever did was read, sleep, and sometimes watch TV. And Katsuki surely had better things to do. Sure, part of him wished the blond would stick around—but the other part knew it was illogical to even be thinking that.

The next time they hung out was two days later. Izuku was laying on his bed, reading, when he found himself hungering for something a little more exciting to do. It was like a craving, and it was something he’d never felt before. At least, not until he started hanging out with Katsuki. It was like even the things they did together that were supposed to be boring—like going on a walk, or playing a stupid board game about buying houses—somehow turned into something fun and exciting.

Izuku had never experienced a feeling like this before, at least not at this volume. None of his other friends gave him that; the same rush of adrenaline whenever their eyes met, or the same clench of disappointment whenever they left the room. Izuku had always known his fondness for Katsuki came from his childhood. After all, they were best friends back then, and Izuku had a problem with letting things go. Even while Katsuki was bullying him in middle school, Izuku secretly harbored a feeling of high esteem for him. He’d always been impressive with his Quirk, mindset, even his body—how could Izuku not admire him?

Now that they were starting to hang out again, it was fun, but most of all, it felt like he was getting a part of himself back. And so, it couldn’t be helped that Izuku seemed to be spending at least a fourth of every day thinking about what he could be doing with Katsuki. Where they could go. What they could see. Some might call it daydreaming, but Izuku called it planning.

Finally, he dropped his book on his stomach and sighed. He’d just read an entire page without actually reading the words. His eyes were here, but his mind was in a different place. He was wondering if Kacchan was up.

Glancing at his clock, he realized it was only 8 PM, so unless Katsuki decided to go to bed early, he’d still be awake. Before he could talk himself out of it—or let himself question why he was doing it—Izuku dropped out of bed and grabbed his phone and wallet from the nightstand. He gave himself a once-over in the mirror, trying unsuccessfully to tame his hair but quickly giving up, before going to the nurse’s office and telling her he was going out.

She assigned a guard to follow him before telling Izuku to be careful. Once Izuku was out, he began ascending the stairs to get to Katsuki’s room, climbing the steps two at a time with a barely-suppressed grin on his face. There were a lot of words that could describe what he was feeling as he got to the top of the stairs and started walking down the hallway with Katsuki’s door in sight, but the best word to describe it was exhilarated. He was exhilarated, even though he knew the most exciting thing they do tonight might be sitting on Katsuki’s bed watching a movie and throwing popcorn at each other.

When he got to Katsuki’s door and knocked, he was stumped when a minute passed and he didn’t get a response. He knocked again, and a few times more. Still no answer. Katsuki was either ignoring him or he wasn’t home, and Izuku, being the optimistic person he was, decided to believe it was the latter.

After figuring out that Katsuki wasn’t here, he thought about all the other places he might be. The obvious answer was training, so Izuku decided to try the training room next. When he got there, he realized he’d been right. As Izuku stealthily slipped through the entrance into the room, he was first greeted with the smell of burning nitroglycerin and the sound of an explosion somewhere far-off in the room, and immediately he knew Katsuki was here.

Izuku inhaled the smell he’d been exposed to so many times before; nobody really talked about it, but the smell produced from burning nitroglycerin was like a burnt caramel smell. Sometimes it even smelled like bananas or burnt sugar. That smell always reminded him of Katsuki because whenever he used his Quirk for a long period of time, the area would start to smell like it. For that reason, Izuku began to relate sugary smells to Katsuki.

He walked deeper into the large room, passing large piles of rock and thick walls used as obstacles to make the room more lifelike. Katsuki was deep in the room when Izuku found him, and he was using one of the newer additions to U.A.’s training—a simulation. To get it to work, you have to scan your Student ID before it asks you what level of difficulty you want. Depending on what you choose, the simulation will generate fake villains that will either try to kill or capture you.

Izuku used it a lot. It was a great way to train, especially because of how realistic they made it. As time goes on, the challenges get more difficult, with the simulation adding more villains or new weapons revolving around how well you do. A few times, Izuku got some nasty injuries that he had to see Recovery Girl about. It was a demanding training method, but good if you need a lot of experience in a short period of time. Just another example of how high-tech U.A. can be.

As Izuku rounded a corner and caught sight of Katsuki, he was immediately in awe. The blond was riding through the air on a group of angry red explosions, hands extended out in front of him and pointing at one of the simulation’s holograms, which was also flying. In an instant, Katsuki released an explosion that zipped through the air and burst upon hitting the hologram’s chest, exploding into a ball of fiery light and causing the hologram to plummet to the ground, steaming and charred.

Katsuki then dropped to the ground, breathing heavily and glistening with sweat. Izuku could see his training uniform was matted and sticking to his chest in multiple places, meaning he’d been here for a while. The fans overhead had kicked on to rid the place of the smell of explosions and the ground was littered with battered holograms. Yep, Izuku thought, knowing Katsuki. He’s been here for at least two hours.

The blond stared fiercely at the last of the holograms in this session, still unaware of Izuku’s presence because he was standing still and observing silently, half-hidden behind a rock. He didn’t want him to know that he was there, at least not yet. He wanted to see Katsuki train as if nobody was watching.

Eventually Katsuki caught his breath enough to walk over to the pedestal where he could control the simulation’s difficulty level. Izuku watched as he turned the dial up one, meaning the next round would be even harder, even though it looked like he was getting tired already. Even though this was one of his first days back at training, he was already training on just about the hardest level it can go, pushing his body to the limits and doing so for hours at a time.

Obviously Katsuki was trying to make up for how many training sessions he lost because of his injury, and that made Izuku want to get back to normal just that much more. As the simulation kicked up and Izuku could hear the familiar whurr of the machines as they started building up holograms, he’d never wanted to get back to training more in his life. Seeing Katsuki in all his determination and resolve motivated him more than anything.

Katsuki walked to the center of the training space and stood there, clenching and stretching his hands, all while glancing around with an alert, narrow-eyed expression on his face. Izuku watched and was surprised when even from here, fifty feet away, he could see the tendons and veins bulging in Katsuki’s forearms from all the strain he was putting on them. Of course he would always be impressed with Katsuki, but that didn’t mean the blond had never taken it too far. He just hoped he didn’t hurt himself.

A red-colored hologram suddenly emerged from around a boulder, wielding a pair of scythes which were alight with fire. Katsuki immediately exploded himself into the air just as the villain threw the scythes with terrifying strength and the weapons sliced through the air, spinning so fast he could barely see them and changing direction with the twitch of the villain’s finger. The villain seemed to be controlling them. Izuku hadn’t seen that rendition before; maybe it was new. Whatever the case, it looked deadly.

Katsuki dodged the weapons seemingly with ease and, after some dodging and weaving, managed to hit the opponent with an explosion directly in the face. The digital villain crumpled to the ground only to be replaced with three more just like it, all with the ability to manipulate the trajectory of their scythes midair. All three villains threw their scythes into the air and suddenly the arena was filled with burning scythes, enough to look like dragonflies buzzing above a field on a hot summer afternoon.

Izuku heard Katsuki mutter “Fuck,” as he began a new game: try not to get beheaded by a flying scythe. Each time he tried to blast one of the weapons away, a different one would zip up behind him and he’d be forced to defend, blasting himself out of range of the deadly blade. It was a dangerous game. A few times over the next two minutes as Katsuki tried to come up with a plan for defeating this level, Izuku heard clothes tear and knew one of the blades had grazed him, hopefully not too cutting deeply. He watched with wide eyes and clenched teeth, willing Katsuki to succeed—and to not get hurt.

Everything was intense for the next ten minutes—intense dodging, intense explosions, intense cursing from Katsuki, and an intense heartrate from Izuku—until finally, he seemed to come up with a plan. Katsuki managed to corner himself against two boulders, which worried Izuku for a moment, but it was all part of the plan. Using the rocks to protect his back, Katsuki could lure the spinning blades close for a moment, even letting a couple get so close as to cut his arms. Izuku could see the deep red gouges from here. Then, right at the last second, he dove to the ground and used an explosion to travel across the arena in the blink of an eye.

Within seconds, he’d taken out two out of three blade-wielders, and soon he took out the third. The spinning blades clattered to the ground, finished—but unlucky for Katsuki, the level wasn’t over yet. He was faced with three more adversaries, both of which had shields this time, and he was forced to come up with something entirely different to take them out. It took another fifteen minutes. Izuku couldn’t take his eyes from the fight for even a second, worried but in complete awe. Katsuki was phenomenal, never giving up and never complaining, even as villains seemed to crawl out from every corner and face him with a challenge more difficult than the last.

At the end of the twenty-five minutes, even when Katsuki was covered head to toe in blood, bruises, cuts, and shredded clothes, he didn’t look discouraged. He didn’t even look tired. He looked like he could keep going for hours, even though Izuku could tell from his labored breathing and bleeding cuts that he couldn’t.

Finally, when holograms stopped spawning and the projector’s whirring slowed to a stop, Izuku emerged from the corner and began jogging toward Katsuki, smiling despite how worried he was and how beaten-down and exhausted Katsuki looked. Because he’d won, just like he knew he would. Katsuki was still standing, with his hands balled into fists above his head and a triumphant smirk on his face. Even as blood streamed down his forearms and splattered to the ground, even as his clothes smoldered in several places from where they had been cut by the burning scythes, even as he was panting and gasping for air after the brutal, arduously demanding exercise—he was smirking. Because of course he was. Katsuki loved winning.

Izuku’s footsteps eventually drew Katsuki’s attention and he looked over, chest still heaving and hands above his head in a show of great achievement. When the blond looked at him, Izuku couldn’t help but bubble over and give a little skip of excitement, still high on adrenaline after the thrilling spectacle. He let out a laugh as he got closer. “You did it!” he exclaimed, beaming at Katsuki, who was slowly lowering his arms, looking confused as to why he was here. “That was amazing, Kacchan!”

“Deku?” Katsuki replied, staggering a little on his feet but quickly righting himself as he turned to look at Izuku. He glanced over Izuku’s shoulder, as if expecting to see more people coming, before asking, “You’ve been watching the whole damn time?”

“Yeah!” Izuku replied, breathless despite not having done anything as he got a look at Katsuki up close. His face was glistening, coated in a layer of sweat, blood, and dirt. His ruby eyes were glowing with intensity. Almost his entire chest and stomach were exposed because of how ripped-up his shirt had become, and Izuku soon realized the same goes with his pants—just a little less so, thank god.

Without even meaning to, Izuku was doing a scan of his body in search of injuries when he found his gaze lingering a little too long on the sculpture of his abs, chiseled and defined, shining with sweat and decorated with delicate red lines; cuts from the blades. Without even realizing, his eyes were trailing up and down the veins in Katsuki’s rugged arms, then following the curves and arch of his collar bone and chest as it rose and fell with each breath; and finally, with fleeting innocence, glancing down at the bulging area of his pants where he definitely should not be looking.

Immediately as he realized he was doing this—literally checking him out—his face flushed hot and he snapped his gaze up to look at Katsuki’s eyes. No, no, no, I didn’t mean to do that, he thought immediately, panicking a little, thinking himself inappropriate and weird. And he was about to criticize himself even further before he realized…it was really only weird if he made it weird. He was making a big deal out of nothing.

It was just Katsuki’s body; they’ve seen each other half-naked plenty of times before. Of course, those times were always in a setting with the rest of their classmates involved, like the hot springs, or a shower, whatever…but it shouldn’t be any different now. It shouldn’t. Izuku knew that. So he wasn’t sure why, but, well, shit. His face was heating up, his head felt fuzzy, and his stomach was doing that weird thing where it ties itself into knots. All because of how long he was just staring at Katsuki’s incredibly defined—he wouldn’t deny it, his incredibly attractive physique.

Izuku knew it shouldn’t feel different, and he was telling himself that it didn’t. But for some reason, at this moment, something inclined him to feel like it was.

Luckily, Katsuki didn’t catch him staring, or else it would’ve made for an incredibly awkward conversation. The blond was busy examining one of the slashes in his forearm from when the blades had him cornered. It was deep; maybe an inch. Izuku could see the red, raw muscle showing through, pumping out blood. Katsuki was wincing as he pinched the gash as if to stop it from bleeding, only to cause more blood to gush out. Suddenly Izuku began to feel a little queasy.

After the boat, he had become queasy around blood, while even just the sight of knives, syringes, or pliers sent him into one of those PTSD attacks. But despite how the blood was making Izuku want to turn away, he wouldn’t. He didn’t want to. Not when he could be helping.

“Damn,” Katsuki muttered, looking displeased as he pinched the irritated skin around the gash. He shook his head as if disappointed. “I’m out of shape.”

Izuku took a few steps closer, minding the blood but not letting it show on his face. “Not from where I’m standing,” he replied, taking a closer look at the gash. He couldn’t tell if his heart was racing because of the blood or because of the situation. “I thought you were incredible.”

“You’re always fucking saying that, Deku. Your opinion doesn’t matter,” Katsuki replied matter-of-factly before beginning to walk toward the first aid station in the corner of the room.

“But you were!” Izuku defended, following quickly and watching as Katsuki wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand. He noticed how Katsuki’s fingers were all bent awkwardly as if he couldn’t fully close his fist. He wondered how much pain the blond was in that he wasn’t letting show. “That was one of the hardest levels, and you completed it in record time. You deserve to be impressed with yourself. Even when you started, it looked like you’d been training for a while…”

“Two hours,” Katsuki confirmed. “I’ve been here for two damn hours, and it’s still not enough. I won’t be satisfied until I complete the level without getting my body all torn up. My reaction time was delayed, I’m guessing it was ‘cuz I’ve been out for two weeks. Fucking injury,” he growled, but his words were backed with thought.

“Well, I’m sure you’ll re-adjust in no time,” Izuku said optimistically. “I mean, think about how I must feel. I’ll need to do some serious training to catch back up with you.”

Katsuki grunted, glancing over his shoulder at Izuku. “Catch up quick, damn Deku. I’m tired of waiting for you.”

At that, Izuku smiled.

They reached the first aid station—a few tables filled with medical supplies—and Katsuki reached for a packet of gauze before Izuku stopped him, saying, “Wait, Kacchan.” Katsuki paused to look at him and Izuku picked up the gauze. “Let me help.”

Katsuki immediately looked like he was going to refuse, so Izuku quickly added, “You can barely move your hands, okay? Just don’t argue with me. You’re bleeding all over the place.” He knew Katsuki didn’t like accepting help, especially not from the likes of him. But he knew he could be of use—if only he allowed him to.

Without waiting for an answer, Izuku peeled open the gauze packet and pulled out the thick white square of fabric-like material, not meeting Katsuki’s eyes because he knew he was getting glared at. Izuku grabbed his forearm gently, making sure he didn’t touch any cuts, to make sure the biggest laceration was visible. Surprisingly, Katsuki didn’t pull away from him.

Izuku ignored the queasy feeling for being so close to an open wound—a blade slash, nonetheless—and very gently pinched the outside of the cut before pressing the wad of gauze over the top. It needed enough pressure to stop the bleeding, but not too much that it worsens the injury. Izuku knew the ropes because the class was required to take a semester-long first aid course last year.

Katsuki grit his teeth and his muscles tensed, but still, he didn’t pull away. Izuku looked up at him, swallowed the bile rising in his throat, and smiled shakily, intending for it to be reassuring. “See? I know that I’m doing,” he said lightly, looking back down at the gauze, which was already turning red. He needed more.

“Hah,” Katsuki overcame the pain and scoffed, watching Izuku unwrap another patch of gauze and press it to the cut. “You look like you’re about to pass out, nerd. You’re pale as a sheet.”

Breathing slowly, Izuku said, “I’m fine. It’s just…” he swallowed the excessive saliva accumulating in his mouth, “Ever since the boat, I’ve gotten pretty nauseous around blood.”

“Well, don’t fucking throw up on me,” Katsuki said harshly, but there was some concern hidden in his voice. “I don’t wanna have to deal with a bunch of shitty vomit.”

“I won’t,” Izuku promised. “I don’t feel like I’m going to throw up. And even if I do, I’ll aim it that way,” he said, pointing to the side.

Katsuki tongued his cheek, studying Izuku for a moment as if deciding whether or not to trust him, before looking away. “Whatever,” he said. “Do what you want.”

Izuku spent a few minutes dressing the worst of Katsuki’s wounds. They needed to see Recovery Girl to get him healed, but for now, he couldn’t walk across campus looking like he just got out of a chainsaw fight. Izuku was his temporary solution—wrapping his worst cuts with gauze and adhesive tape to keep it secured in place, dabbing the blood from his forearms and face using a rag, even finding a fresh training uniform and helping him change out of his ravaged, sweaty, bloody shirt. He didn’t mess with the pants. Katsuki could do that later.

Even as he was helping lift the shirt over and off Katsuki’s head, the blond didn’t look like he was at all affected by the occasional contact Izuku’s hands would make with his skin. Izuku was surprised that he didn’t even have an angry expression—he just looked like he was accepting it. Maybe it was just because he was so tired, he didn’t feel like arguing. Or maybe it was because he was starting to warm up to a little bit of physical contact. Regardless, he took Izuku’s help without complaint, and Izuku was just glad to see a slightly less guarded side to him in that moment.

When Izuku was almost done dressing his wounds, Katsuki asked why he was here in the first place. Izuku explained that he went to Katsuki’s room but he wasn’t there, so he knew this was the second most likely place to find him.

“How did you know I wasn’t just ignoring you when you didn’t get an answer?” Katsuki asked, scratching absentmindedly at the dried blood on his collar bone as Izuku rinsed a dirty rag under the sink. He looked over his shoulder, figuring Katsuki was joking, only to see him with a serious look on his face. He was genuinely asking.

“Well…” Izuku chuckled, going back to washing the rag, “I didn’t.”

Katsuki blinked. “And you came here anyway?”

With a smile, Izuku said, “I guess I was feeling optimistic. And hey, you were here, so in the end I was right! Lucky, huh?”

Katsuki didn’t respond.

On the way to the nurse’s office, they talked about all the other levels of training Katsuki had been doing for the past two hours, and Izuku asked if he’d overused his Quirk. Katsuki said no, of course, but Izuku could tell by the way he was hiding his hands in his pockets. He’d overdone it, but Izuku didn’t press. The blond had always been sensitive about ‘pain’ and ‘getting help from others,’ so Izuku wasn’t going to make him angry by overstepping. He was lucky enough to have helped dress his wounds.

They got to Recovery Girl and she started grilling Katsuki with questions about how he could’ve possibly gotten this beat up, so he explained the difficult training and the villains he fought. She looked displeased as she was forced to heal him this extensively at 8:30 PM, but it really wasn’t such a strange occasion for him to turn up at odd hours with fresh injuries from training. If Katsuki wanted something to do, he’d head to the training room.

It only took about five minutes to get Katsuki healed, which led to him removing all the bandages Izuku had just put on. It was a little sad seeing all his hard work be thrown into the trash bin, but he was glad Katsuki was feeling better. He could now move his hands normally again and his cuts were healed as if nothing was there in the first place. As they left the nurse, they made a pit stop at the locker room so Katsuki could change—a white tee and black shorts, the casual outfit. Once that was done, Izuku remembered something he saw online earlier that day about a hero convention, so he pitched the idea to Katsuki.

“A hero convention?” Katsuki repeated boredly, glancing at his phone for the time. “Isn’t it past your bedtime?”

“You’re the one who always goes to bed early,” Izuku replied, walking alongside him. “Isn’t it past your bedtime?”

Katsuki sniffed. “Maybe. That old woman’s Quirk is making me tired,” he said before exaggerating a loud, overextended yawn to make Izuku chuckle. “But anyway,” Katsuki asked normally afterwards, “why’s she letting you out of the room, anyway? Aren’t you supposed to have a guard always watching you cuz you’re such a damn nuisance?”

“I’m surprised you haven’t noticed,” Izuku said, glancing over his shoulder at the woman following about a hundred feet behind them. He pointed back at her and Katsuki followed his gaze. “That woman has been following us the whole time.”

After looking at her for a moment, Katsuki grunted and looked ahead. “And you expect me to do shit with you when our every move is being documented by U.A.’s guards? I don’t think so,” he growled.

Izuku frowned. “So, that’s a no, then?” he asked, hiding his disappointment. He should’ve known that Katsuki wasn’t going to agree every time he asked. If he didn’t want to hang out, he wasn’t going to. But surprisingly, after a few moments of thinking about it, Katsuki said, “No.”

“What?”

“I said no,” Katsuki snapped, and for a moment Izuku didn’t know if he meant ‘no’ as in ‘I’m not going to the hero convention with you,’ or ‘no’ as in telling him that his assumption was wrong. Katsuki was confusing. But after a moment, he explained, “Listen, Deku. I’ll go to the convention with you,” he said, and immediately Izuku was about to celebrate before Katsuki stopped him.

“But,” the blond cut him off, and Izuku looked at him, wondering what he could possibly ask him to do. Katsuki narrowed his eyes and smirked a little, so Izuku knew whatever he said next was about to be ominous. “We have to run away from the guard.”

Izuku’s eyes widened. “Kacchan!” he said, incredulous. “Are you serious?”

“Sure am.”

“No.”

Katsuki rolled his eyes. “You’re the one who wanted to go, asshole. It’s the only way I’ll agree to it.”

“Kacchan, do you know how much trouble we could get into?” Izuku asked, but he was hiding the excitement sparking in his chest as he secretly considered the idea. It would be fun—he knew that. But Izuku didn’t like breaking the rules unless it was for a greater cause. However, as Katsuki smirked confidently down at him, Izuku found his morals beginning to waver. His eyes just had that sort of effect on him.

“Come on, Izuku,” Katsuki said slyly, surprising him by using his first name. Whenever he did that, it was because he was trying to get on his good side, either to convince him to do something or because he was in a vulnerable moment. A real dick move, Izuku thought crossly as he looked away, hiding his eyes and warm face which he knew would tell Katsuki his real opinion.

“We shouldn’t…” he muttered, biting his lip to keep from smiling. All it took was a little more convincing and he’d do it. He knew he probably shouldn’t be so easily persuaded, but with the promise of hanging out with Katsuki...it was hard to resist.

“You want to,” the blond told him, sounding like he already knew what Izuku was thinking. “We won’t get in trouble. After all, they let you go out with me before, right? Nothing ever fucking happened then, and nothing will happen now.” He got closer to Izuku’s ear to whisper, “The lady’s a hundred feet behind us. If we start running right when we get around the corner, we’ll make it out the door and out of sight before she can catch up. She’ll be looking for us, though, so we’ll have to go fast to avoid her. Think you can do it?” he asked lowly, mouth so close that his lips were nearly touching Izuku’s ear.

Izuku pretended to think about it for a few seconds, refusing to look at Katsuki as they kept walking beside each other. He wanted to. His heart was racing with anticipation for what was coming next; breaking the rules, running away with Katsuki, possibly getting in trouble. It was probably a bad idea, but at the end of the day, Izuku wasn’t perfect. He wanted to live a little, too.

Finally he looked at Katsuki, a mischievous smile on his face and eyes shining. “Alright,” he breathed, feeling like he just agreed to sell his soul or rob a bank—something illicit. But it wasn’t that deep. They were just two teenagers doing something stupid. And even though Izuku knew it was against the rules and probably not in his best interest, he just couldn’t bring himself to say no.

Katsuki grinned, looking pleased and a little surprised at Izuku’s willingness. He chuckled before shoving his hands in his pockets and glancing back at the lady, who was still about a hundred paces behind them. “Damn. I wasn’t expecting you to actually agree,” he said as he looked ahead. “I didn’t know I was so convincing.”

“You’re not convincing. Just a bad role model,” Izuku told him, but he was pleased, too. Anything he could do to surprise Katsuki had to be something out-of-the-ordinary.

In fifty more paces, Izuku and Katsuki would reach the end of the hallway, where it opened up into the lobby of U.A. with doors they could use to get outside. They kept up casual conversation the whole time so the lady wouldn’t get suspicious. When they were about five steps away from the corner, they both went silent, harboring impish grins on their faces for what they were about to do.

They reached the corner and Katsuki asked, “Ready?”

Izuku didn’t even have to respond; he just gave a little half-suppressed giggle to tell Katsuki he was. The blond scoffed. Two seconds later as they were out of sight of the woman, they broke into runs, heading towards the door. It took every ounce of strength for Izuku to not laugh as they sprinted across the empty lobby, dodging chairs and tables and large pots of plants as they ran side-by-side, aware of their stupidity but refusing to care. Izuku’s heart was pounding in his ears, but he didn’t stop. Neither of them did.

They pushed quietly through the doors and made their way outside into the cool, fresh nighttime air, before dashing at a full sprint across the pavement, needing to make it off school property before the lady caught up. Now outside, Izuku couldn’t help but laugh. Light spouts of exhilarated laughter bubbled out between breaths as he ran, determined to keep pace with Katsuki, even though he had longer legs and was in a lot better shape. Part of him wondered if Katsuki was slowing down on purpose so as not to leave Izuku in the dust.

“Shit. We're really doing this,” Katsuki puffed, and Izuku glanced at him to see he was smiling, cursing furiously as they ran.

“Run!” Izuku exclaimed giddily, pushing himself to go faster and pull ahead of Katsuki. He felt like he was flying, feet barely touching the ground and arms pumping fiercely. This was the first good run he’s had since being rescued from the boat, and damn, it felt good to get his blood pumping again.

“I know that, idiot,” Katsuki replied between breaths, but when Izuku started laughing, he let out a few laughs of his own. They were about halfway between the school and the exit now, making their way rather quickly down the brick path with blossoming cherry trees whizzing by on both sides. The air smelled amazing and the temperature was perfect, maybe just a little on the cool side, but that was okay. To Izuku, it was perfect. Everything was perfect.

Katsuki ran faster to catch up with him and quickly pulled ahead. Izuku tried to catch up, but he was starting to run out of steam. The adrenaline coursing through his veins was the only thing keeping him from slowing down. That, and his competitiveness to keep up with Katsuki, which was getting harder and harder to do by the second. But he refused to give up. He gave a vivacious, “Get back here!” and strove to maintain his quick pace and to go even faster.

Finally, they reached the gates to exit U.A. and Katsuki tried opening them even knowing they’d be locked. “Damn it,” he huffed, trying to catch his breath.

“Over here, we can jump it,” Izuku breathed, running to a nearby concrete wall without bars at the top.

Katsuki followed. “Jump that?” he demanded, pointing to the ten-foot wall that Izuku was claiming they could get over. “We shouldn’t use my Quirk, or she’ll hear it and know we came this way.”

“We don’t need your Quirk,” Izuku said quickly, beckoning Katsuki closer and pointing to the ground beside him. “Here, help me up. Quick!”

The blond didn’t argue; they didn’t have time. “Fine,” he grumbled as he jogged over and kneeled down, lacing his fingers together for Izuku to use as a foothold. Izuku didn’t know exactly how they were gonna do this, but they didn’t have too much time to think about it. He placed his shoe in Katsuki’s hands and grabbed onto his shoulders to stabilize himself, leaning forward and getting ready to lifted. For a brief moment, Izuku looked into his eyes, heart racing and breathing hard. Katsuki met eyes with him for a moment before saying, “On three.”

Izuku prepared himself as Katsuki counted down from three. When he got to zero, Izuku put all of his weight into Katsuki’s hands and the blond hefted him up, standing to his full height and lifting, practically throwing Izuku over the wall. Izuku yelped as he suddenly found himself ten feet in the air, laying across the top of the wall, surprised again by Katsuki’s sheer strength. “Kacchan!” he cried uneasily, clutching onto the thick wall with wide eyes. “You almost just threw me over!”

“You’re fine, now gimme your damn hand!” Katsuki replied, and Izuku hastily repositioned himself so that he was straddling the wall, legs hugging either side for maximum balance and chest pressed against the concrete. He extended his hand down for Katsuki to grab, but even with the blond standing on his toes reaching up, they were a few inches short. “A little more,” Katsuki grunted, and Izuku leaned over as far as he possibly could without falling off, wincing with the effort. But even then, they were still an inch short. Izuku’s arm wasn’t long enough.

Katsuki said, “I gotta jump.”

“Do it,” Izuku told him, but he didn’t know how well his body would fare catching Katsuki’s full weight when he was already slightly unstable. He held on tightly to the other side of the wall as Katsuki jumped, catching Izuku’s hand and grabbing tight. Izuku’s eyes screwed shut and he grit his teeth as Katsuki’s weight dangled on his singular arm, but it was fine. It worked. They could make it.

“Climb up,” Izuku muttered through clenched teeth, entire body straining to stay atop the wall while holding Katsuki’s heavy-muscled body. Katsuki began pulling himself up using Izuku’s arm as a sort of rope, grunting with the effort. “Ow, ow,” Izuku complained as his shoulder felt like it was about to dislocate.

“You're fine,” Katsuki growled as he took a fist full of the shirt on Izuku’s back to use as a hand hold, causing Izuku to hiss that he was being inconsiderate of his clothing. He clambered up enough that he could get an arm over the top, and gradually was able to heave himself all the way up and the pressure on Izuku’s arm and shoulder was released. He gave a sigh of relief, watching as Katsuki hauled himself over to the other side and jumped, managing to tuck and roll as he hit the grass to avoid injury.

Izuku followed suit, and as he hit the ground, the smile returning to his face as he realized they’d done it. They were off school grounds. He stood and brushed off his knees, still breathing heavily, before looking at Katsuki. The blond seemed to have realized the same thing. He held eyes with Izuku for a moment before giving a chuckle and lightly shoving his shoulder, beginning to jog down the street in the direction where most of the lights were coming from. Izuku followed, blissful laughter filling the quiet night air.

They walked for about ten minutes before coming across the hero convention on the side of the road. There was a large dirt lot filled with canopies, tents, tables and large signs advertising merchandise on a bunch of popular Pro Heroes. The place was filled with lights and all kinds of people milling about, sharing laughter and good-smelling food. Izuku and Katsuki naturally got drawn in, attracted by the good-natured mood of the place. Katsuki made a mistake and confessed he’d never been to a hero convention as a kid, so of course Izuku—the guy who forced his mom to go to about a hundred of them when he was younger—just had to show him around.

“There’s the Hawks tent over there,” Izuku said, pointing across Katsuki to get him to look at it. “When I was younger, they always had these special pens with red feathers glued to the end, so it was like you were drawing with, I don’t know, a feather pen or something. Isn’t that cool?”

“I bet you ate that shit up,” Katsuki commented, following Izuku’s gaze. “Sounds cheap.”

“Hey, as a little fanboy, those pens were my favorite,” Izuku said, scanning around for something else exciting to point out. He felt like a little kid again. “Oh, and there’s the Mirko tent! They always sold bunny ears. I bet you’d love if I bought you some,” he teased, poking Katsuki in the arm.

“I’d fucking kill you,” the blond informed him before jabbing his ribs in response to getting poked. Izuku coughed, flattening his arm to his side to avoid getting jabbed there again. Whenever he struck, Katsuki always struck back harder—even if the strike was only a friendly little poke.

“You’re mean,” Izuku told him once the danger had passed.

“And you’re annoying as shit. Move on.”

Izuku went on to tell him about the Endeavor tent, which always sold mini lighters and sparklers, and the Best Jeanist tent, which sold…jeans. “That’s a real fucking marketing strategy right there,” Katsuki snorted upon hearing that, glancing at the Best Jeanist tent which was, in fact, selling jeans. He applauded a few times. “Jeanist selling jeans. What do you expect from that guy.”

“What would you sell if you were a Pro promoting yourself?” Izuku inquired, though he suspected he already knew the answer.

“Fireworks,” Katsuki replied almost instantly. “Firecrackers, smoke bombs, those roman candle things, you name it. That’s definitely my niche.”

Izuku smiled at his passion on the subject. “That’s what I thought you might say,” he said. “Fireworks suit you for sure.”

Katsuki gave a hum before asking, “Yeah, and what about you? I bet you wanna promote some fuckin’ books or something, you damn nerd.”

“Well, you’re not wrong, but you’re also not right,” Izuku said, thinking for a moment. “I think I’d want to promote some kind of self-help book, or maybe like a booklet…a diary? I don’t know. It’s not that I haven’t thought about it before, it’s just that I want to come up with something that would be helpful to people, but also not condescending, you know? Not just one of those things where it spits out some overused quote every day telling you about how happy you should be, but something that will actually help people. That’s what I want to do.”

Izuku looked away, feeling embarrassed because Katsuki had been so sure in his answer while Izuku felt like he had no idea. “I know it’s not something I should really be worrying about yet, but still…I don’t know. I just want to be helpful. That’s all I want,” he confessed, rubbing his arm. He and Katsuki continued walking for a ways, passing tents and carts selling street food, walking through crowds and lines of people, all while avoiding looking at each other. It seemed as if Izuku had just said something that Katsuki didn’t agree with, for he was remaining silent.

Eventually he said, “You don’t have to do all that just to be helpful. It’s helpful enough to save peoples’ lives than to make ‘em some damn self-help book. You’re good enough just being a hero.”

Izuku didn’t think that was true. If he wasn’t doing everything possible to help people, he wasn’t worth the title of being a ‘hero.’ Not even if he was saving lives. Because Izuku had been a Quirkless kid that was given his power by All Might, he always struggled with his own self-image and self-worth. He figured that because he’d been gifted with a powerful Quirk, he needed to do everything in his power to save people. Even if that meant hurting himself in the process.

It was something he was always trying to work on, but even now, in his third year of High School, he was still struggling with it. Sometimes it got to the point where he was damn near killing himself to make sure the other guy made it out alive. It’s happened plenty of times. Some called him self-sacrificial, and Izuku couldn’t disagree. He was aware of his self-sacrificial nature, and he knew it wasn’t exactly a healthy way to live. But he just couldn’t stop himself whenever the moment came. Ten times out of ten, he’d save the innocent bystander rather than himself. 

The odds were never exactly in Izuku’s favor. He was always at risk. And even though his friends and family were constantly trying to convince him to worry about himself rather than everyone else, Izuku could never heed their advice. It was hard to see his closest friends and teachers get disappointed in him because of his decisions, but it was a cycle he just couldn’t break. Not when there were others at risk. Not when he should be valuing their lives before his own.

So when Katsuki told him he was ‘helpful enough just being a hero,’ Izuku didn’t believe it—not even coming from him. It would take work for him to ditch this unhealthy mindset, and he didn’t know if he’d ever find the motivation to put the time in. Plus, he didn’t even know if he wanted to change.

Katsuki continued speaking even as Izuku thought about all this. “Maybe you could sell smoke bombs since that’s kinda like your Smokescreen Quirk. Or even better, sell little lightning bolts cuz whenever you use One for All, your body gets covered in ‘em,” he said thoughtfully.

“And how would I sell lightning bolts?” Izuku inquired, privately finding it considerate that he was trying to come up with things pertaining to Izuku’s Quirks. "That seems dangerous for little kids."

"You know those little glass balls with the electricity inside that’s attracted to your fingers every time you touch it?" Katsuki asked, and Izuku stared at him blankly, unsure of what he was referring to. Katsuki snapped his fingers, trying to remember the name. "Ah...fuck. I'm trying to remember..." He rubbed his temples for a moment before snapping his gaze open and saying, "Plasma globes, the fuckers. That’s what they’re called."

"Plasma globes?" Izuku repeated. "I've never heard of it."

"Here, I'll show ya," Katsuki said before pulling out his phone and looking it up. He showed Izuku a picture and Izuku realized he did know what Katsuki was talking about.

"Oh!" Izuku exclaimed. "I remember now, yeah! Our teacher used to have one of those in the classroom in first grade, right?"

Katsuki nodded. "I used to have one in my room, too, but I think I broke it. Anyway, you could sell those."

Izuku thought about it. "If the electricity was green-colored, it could look like my Quirk. That's a cool idea, Kacchan. Thanks."

"Sure," Katsuki said before shrugging. "You could sell the books, too, but you don't need to. Just sayin', there are other cool things out there, too."

Suddenly, Izuku knew he was right. 

They walked around for a while longer, stopping at the All Might tent to buy trading cards. Even with All Might retired, he was still one of the more popular heroes at the convention. The whole thing was almost sold out when Katsuki and Izuku each bought one. It might've seemed silly, but it reminded them both of when they were kids, doing chores for their parents throughout the summer in order to buy All Might merch. It was a sweet moment that Izuku enjoyed, and he could tell Katsuki enjoyed it, too.

Song suggestion for this next part: “Video Games” by Lana Del Ray.

After they saw everything there was to see, Katsuki and Izuku left the convention and walked a few blocks more to get to the park they'd visited last week. On the way there, Izuku enjoyed just how calm and quiet the environment was. The atmosphere was cloudless, exposing a beautiful sky full of glittering stars and a full moon. The air was still and cool, but not enough to be cold. Izuku enjoyed himself the whole time, listening to the crickets and the frogs and the sounds of his and Katsuki’s footsteps on the path.

The thick woods around them had a completely different vibe at night, but the mysterious darkness that might’ve made others uneasy only filled Izuku with wonder. He loved nighttime; it was his favorite time of day. To him, the darkness was comforting, and the creatures that notoriously came with it—the frogs, crickets, fireflies, owls, bats, wolves—had always struck him.

It was nice to be able to walk quietly with Katsuki, neither feeling obligated to fill the silence but feeling comfortable enough to speak their mind whenever. Together, they walked down the winding paths for a while before coming across a water fountain illuminated by dazzling blue and gold lights. Izuku sat on the edge of the fountain, watching the water dance in the air as the fountain spouts swayed and twirled, lights fading and blinking at times to create an alluring display. It was an elegant waltz of water and light, and Izuku was surprised that in all his time living at U.A., he'd never come here to see it.

“Nice night,” Katsuki said suddenly, breaking the silence and drawing Izuku’s attention from the fountain to look at him. Katsuki was sitting on the ground leaned against the stone fountain coping, looking up at the sky with his head rested back against the stone. The light reflecting off the water created a shimmering effect on his blond hair, while the light from the moon was glowing on his face, making his skin look like porcelain and lighting up his eyes to become a vibrant ruby red.

In that moment, Izuku just wanted to stare. Not in a weird way, but just because he looked so ethereal in that moment. Almost as if he was some intangible object, maybe a figment of his imagination, or some kind of angel. Too perfect to be real. He wasn’t looking, so Izuku took the opportunity to study him in a way he never got to do in any other instance because he’d immediately get snapped at.

He studied the sharp angle of his jawline, the straight bridge of his nose, and the curves of his firm lips—all his side profile, which was borderline perfect, unmatched by anyone Izuku had ever seen before. He sometimes couldn’t believe how faultless Katsuki’s face was—how faultless he was in general. He wondered if he was even aware of his attractiveness, or if he even cared. He’s never had any girlfriends that Izuku knew about. So if he was aware of how handsome he was, he wasn’t exactly acting on it.

Izuku would’ve stared longer if Katsuki hadn’t turned to look at him, still waiting for a response to the last thing he said. Izuku had never looked up at the sky so fast. “Uh…yeah,” he agreed quickly, softly, awkwardly. His cheeks were heating up out of embarrassment as he cleared his throat. “It is a nice night.”

To draw Katsuki’s attention off himself, Izuku pointed at the moon and said, “I’ve always liked nighttime more than day. It’s more peaceful. And the moon is beautiful, especially when it’s full like this.”

He could feel Katsuki’s gaze lingering on him a few moments longer before he, too, looked at the moon. He remained silent for a few moments before saying, “That’s bull. I like the sun better.” Then, slightly quieter, he added, “It gets too quiet at night.”

Izuku released a silent breath and relaxed his shoulders, relieved that the awkwardness had cleared, before wondering if Katsuki’s words ran deeper than they seemed. He wondered if Katsuki ever got lonely. Always going to bed early, avoiding class gatherings, doing nothing but train and sleep. In fact, he often wondered this about Katsuki, and sometimes he worried for him. A life of social deprivation was a life of sadness and desolation, and Izuku didn’t want that for anybody, least of all someone like Katsuki. He was, and would always be, capable of making friends. It was all his mindset and his outlook on life that was stopping him from doing so.

But, because he knew Katsuki didn’t like having what he would label as ‘sappy conversations,’ he kept that to himself. It was enough that Katsuki was spending time with him outside of school hours. He didn’t need to ruin that peace by bringing something up that Katsuki didn’t want to talk about.

“That makes sense,” Izuku said. He could feel spray from the water fountain forming a sheer layer his face and arms the longer he sat beside the fountain, but he wasn’t planning on moving anytime soon. “I suppose the moon gets lonely up there, too, after everyone’s gone to bed.” Later, even after they were off the topic of the moon and loneliness, Izuku kept the conversation in the back of his mind.

They talked about various things while sitting in those two spots by the fountain, never growing tired or bored, seeming like they could go on talking forever without running out of things to say. Well, okay. To be perfectly honest, Izuku was doing most of the talking, and Katsuki rarely actually opened up about anything other than surface-level topics—but it was still nice. He was a naturally closed-off person, so Izuku couldn’t expect him to talk much about stuff that he wouldn’t normally tell others. But it was a step in the right direction when, not once for the rest of the night, did Katsuki tell him to stop talking.

At one point they ended up talking about the night Izuku got kidnapped, and when Izuku asked, Katsuki finally explained what happened in detail. He’d asked once before, right after he woke up in the hospital, but Katsuki didn’t want to talk about it then. Now, he went over everything again with Izuku, to his relief. He could remember everything up until the poison entered his bloodstream, but from there, everything started to get a little foggy.

As Katsuki spoke, his body language started to give away his distress as the story progressed—tense shoulders, slanted eyebrows, clenched fists. Izuku could see unease in his eyes as he described some of the events for Izuku. Running from the shadow wolves, facing off against the villain, and finally, passing out in the hallway as he ran away. Izuku felt a pain of remorse in his heart as he explained some things like getting shot and watching Izuku get ‘torn apart’ by the creatures, because those are both things that would emotionally scar any person. He wished there was some way to comfort Katsuki as he seemed to relive all those terrible moments in his head, but Izuku figured silence was the most comfort he could provide.

When he was done, Izuku thanked him, and Katsuki remained silent. He hoped he didn’t just ruin the night by making him repeat all of that, but soon they were off to new conversations.

“Who would you say was the most worried about me when I was gone?” Izuku asked, genuinely interested.

Katsuki thought about it for a few seconds before saying it was probably All Might and Uraraka. Izuku, however, was a master of reading Katsuki's mannerisms. He noticed he looked a little withdrawn when he said that, which could mean one of two things. One, he wasn’t telling the truth, or at least not the full truth; or two, he was displeased about whatever he was saying. Izuku couldn’t tell which of the two it was, but he was definitely picking up on something.

Izuku pressed, “What about you?”

For a moment, Izuku was afraid Katsuki was about to push him into the fountain, for the glare he gave was murderous. “Yeah right. You wish, nerd,” he growled before shoving Izuku in the leg. Izuku just laughed, because he was picking up on the same mannerisms Katsuki was just giving off before. And this time, he could tell it was because he was lying.

Eventually, once their mouths were dry from talking and their bodies were officially damp with mist, they decided to go home. The walk back was peaceful, too, aside from the fact that Izuku was cold because of the dampness of his clothes and the continuously dropping temperature. When they got back to the school and hopped the gate, using Katsuki’s Quirk this time because they had nothing to lose, they were greeted at the front door by an angry-looking U.A. guard and an even angrier-looking Recovery Girl.

“You boys,” she muttered with anger thick in her tone, and Izuku could tell she wanted to say something worse but couldn’t because, as a teacher, she had to remain respectable. “It’s been three hours, you two. Three hours! Where have you been?”

“We went on a walk,” Katsuki said simply, shrugging. “Not a big deal.”

Recovery Girl looked like she wanted to slap him across the face. “Right. Not a big deal, hm? I’m assuming this was your idea, Bakugou Katsuki. Breaking the rules once again. How would you like me to tell your teacher that two of his students went running away from their escort and disappeared for three hours before coming back? Should I call him, or would you like to go to his room and tell him yourself?”

“We didn’t get injured, we came back before midnight—hell, we didn’t even use our Quirks. I get you want Deku to be safe and all, but I was with him the whole time and he didn’t show any signs of a panic attack or anything else. We’re fine. I’m eighteen, Deku’s seventeen—we’re grown adults who don’t need to be ushered around every moment,” Katsuki said evenly, but even if he was right, Izuku still felt bad for going against Recovery Girl’s wishes. He had fun, that much was certain—but still, he felt bad for worrying them.

“Your point?” Recovery Girl demanded, looking cross. She was usually a sweet woman, but once she got angry, it was like flipping a switch. “If you knew Midoriya was being watched, why would you run away? You could’ve gone on a walk with the guard and had just as good of a time.”

Maybe she was right, but Izuku couldn’t say he regretted his decision. He had fun with Katsuki while alone. Still, he figured he should apologize. “You’re totally right, Recovery Girl. We’re sorry for worrying you. I promise it won’t happen again,” he said, bowing in respect and hoping Katsuki would do the same. “We just wanted to have fun,” he added, hoping to utilize some of the good-natured relationship he’d built up with her over the past few days.

It took some more convincing and a lot more apologizing, but finally, Recovery Girl let them off with a warning and they settled on not telling Aizawa until tomorrow. Izuku didn’t get in much trouble; it was Katsuki that took the worst of it because he was the ‘instigator.’ He seemed okay with that, though, because he knew the punishment wouldn’t be severe. The teachers couldn’t really do much now that they were old enough to make decisions for themselves. And something as insignificant as a walk, with no fighting or Quirks involved, would breeze over easily.

Izuku and Katsuki didn’t have time to wish each other goodbye because immediately when their conversation with Recovery Girl was over, she grabbed Izuku and began making her way back to the nurse’s office while Katsuki got escorted back to his dorm by the other woman. When Izuku was getting dragged away, he looked over his shoulder and flashed a smile of amusement at Katsuki, who was watching. And when he got back to his room, he sent a little ‘Goodnight Kacchan! :)’ text just because he knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep until he did. Katsuki didn’t respond, but that was okay. He hadn’t been expecting him to.

As he was taking his shorts off to shower, he found the All Might card buried deep in his pocket and took it out for a moment to reminisce on the night he just shared with Katsuki. Although it may have ended with them getting in trouble, it was so worth it. He had a smile on his face as he thought about the new memories they’d made. Izuku set the card precariously in his nightstand drawer before closing it gently and undressing. Once he was showered, his teeth and hair were brushed, and his pajamas were on, he climbed into bed feeling fresh.

He drifted off after a long while of laying on his back, staring up at the ceiling with his earbuds plugged in, listening to music. He wasn’t necessarily thinking about anything; just couldn’t get to sleep for a while. But when he did, his dreams were weightless and calm, devoid of any horrible flashbacks or freakish nightmares.

Seven hours later, Izuku was awoken by a knock at his door. He drearily opened his eyes and rolled over, movements sluggish and tired as he called, “Come in.” Sunlight was shining through the blinds of his window, casting light into the room, while the air was stagnant and warm. Izuku rubbed his eyes as the door opened and Shoto walked in, carrying with him a neat little plate of onigiri to offer Izuku for breakfast. Upon seeing him, Izuku quickly sat up, unable to deny how in his delirious, half-asleep state, he’d half-expected to see Katsuki walking through the door. He was surprised—but no less happy—to see Shoto instead.

“Todoroki, hi!” Izuku exclaimed, blinking the blurriness from his eyes after rubbing them a little too hard. He was still a little tired after last night. “Sorry, I was still asleep.”

“Oh, did I wake you? My apologies,” Shoto said as he walked over to Izuku’s bed and handed him the plate of onigiri. “I was bringing you breakfast.”

“Wow, thanks! These look delicious,” Izuku said before setting them on his nightstand so he could stretch out his arms. “Just give me…a minute to wake up.”

“Sure. Want me to open the window?” Shoto asked, and Izuku nodded through a yawn. As he pulled up the blinds and cracked open the window to let some airflow in the room, he asked, “Nightmares keeping you up again? Or did you just go to bed late?”

“Ah…” Izuku thought about whether he should tell Shoto that he and Katsuki went out late last night, and after a moment, decided there was no reason to keep it from him. “Actually, I was up late because Kacchan and I went out together last night. We went to a hero convention and then took a walk in the park just down the road. It was really fun!”

Shoto looked a little confused as Izuku got done telling him this story. “You and Bakugou?” he had to confirm, eyes narrowed a little in bewilderment. “Are you sure this wasn’t a dream?”

Izuku laughed. “It wasn’t a dream,” he assured, shaking his head. “I watched him train and then we, uh, ran away from the guard who was supposed to be watching me. But it was fine in the end,” he added quickly after seeing Shoto’s perplexed, and slightly concerned, expression. “We didn’t get in too much trouble. But we do have to tell Mr. Aizawa at some point today, so I’m a little nervous about that.”

“So you snuck out together?” Shoto asked.

Izuku hesitated a moment before nodding. “Something like that.”

Shoto grabbed a chair and pulled it up to Izuku’s bedside so he could sit down and talk. “That’s a little weird,” he said candidly, and Izuku couldn’t blame him for being honest. It was a little weird—especially for him and Katsuki, of all people, to be doing things like this. Naturally, Shoto was the kind of person who would point that out.

“It is,” Izuku agreed softly, smiling a little. “But I love it. We haven’t spent this kind of quality time together in years.”

Izuku went on to explain how they used to do similar things during their childhood. He also, albeit indecisively, told Shoto about the other things they’ve been doing together—the walks, the secret rollerblading adventure, and just some other genuinely nice things Katsuki has been doing for him, like buying him meals or holding the door for him or actually answering his texts (for the most part). The more he thought about it, the more Izuku realized just how much Katsuki’s attitude towards him was developing in just a few weeks.

Shoto nodded along as Izuku spoke, and it looked like he was noticing the same thing: Katsuki was changing, or at least he was in the process of change. When Izuku finished, Shoto sat back in his chair and said, “Well, now that I think about it, he was probably the most worried when you were kidnapped. I mean, I’ve never seen him as distressed as he was in that week you were gone.”

Izuku looked at him, not really comprehending what he’d just said for about five seconds before asking, “What?”

“Yeah,” Shoto flashed his eyebrows, “I know. Everybody else was confused, too. He was freaking out—a few times, I was worried he’d work himself to death because he was so relentless about rescuing you.”

Something about that just didn’t click. He’d always known that Katsuki was at least semi-worried, especially after he asked him last night and got a response that was obviously a lie. But he hadn’t been expecting Shoto to say he was the most worried. That was a whole different kind of extreme.

“He was more worried than you?” Izuku asked. He considered Shoto as his closest friend, so to hear him admit that Katsuki was more worried than him—and all the others, too—was a new level. “And…And Uraraka? Iida? All Might?” he continued listing names, baffled.

Shoto just nodded. “I know it sounds crazy, but from what I could see, Bakugou was the most worried out of all of us. He tried to hide it, sure, but it was obvious to anyone with eyes. And now that I think about it…I didn’t see it then, but I definitely see it now.” He looked convinced that what he was saying was true. “He acts like a jerk, but deep down, I think he really cares about all of us. And based on how he was acting when you were gone…” he pointed at Izuku in an almost accusatory manner, “…I think he might care about you the most.”

“W-What?” Izuku exclaimed as a jolt of shock and, for some reason, elation shot through him. He began shaking his head immediately, shifting awkwardly under his covers, hoping it was true but also not believing it. “No, no, you’ve got it all wrong,” he said, but he wondered if he was only saying that out of habit. Maybe what Shoto said was the truth—and Izuku just wasn’t seeing it.

Shoto looked confused again, suddenly unsure of himself. “I am?”

“Yeah. There’s no way Kacchan cares about me the most,” Izuku stated firmly, but that seed had been irreversibly planted in his brain. He’d likely be thinking about what Shoto said for the rest of the day—the rest of his life, even. I think he might care about you the most. There was absolutely no way.

It was too good to be true.

“Besides, he cares about his other friends more than me. Kirishima, Mina…they have a stronger bond with him. He cares about them more,” Izuku added almost to convince himself.

Eventually, Shoto shrugged and agreed with him. “You know him better than me,” he said passively, and that was the end of it. But even as their conversation carried on detailing other things, Izuku couldn’t help but let his mind linger on Katsuki.

At one point Shoto was in the middle of telling him a story while Izuku was completely lost in his own mind. We’re hanging out now, but I hate to say it, it’s probably just a phase. Maybe he was worried when I got kidnapped—that’s probably why he’s agreeing to hang out with me so much now. But once this phase passes, we’ll go back to our usual friend groups and become rivals again like before.

As much as he hated the thought of that, he had to be real with himself. It was unrealistic that Katsuki would continue hanging out with him so often going into the future.

But then again, Izuku wasn’t sure of this at all. He only speculated to prepare himself for the possibility that he might be forcibly distanced from the blond again. It would be a rather painful ending, but not abnormal for Katsuki. He just had to be ready.

“But yeah, that’s why I’ll never go skateboarding again. What about you, Midoriya?” Shoto asked, snapping Izuku out of his little mental tangent. He looked up guiltily, not having heard anything his friend just told him.

“Oh, uh—what was the question again?” he asked with an embarrassed chuckle.

Shoto repeated the question about whether he’d ever gone skateboarding and Izuku gave his response, deciding he’d pay more attention to what Shoto was saying from this point forward. It was rude to not listen to people when they were speaking. Sometime later, after he’d eaten the rice balls Shoto brought and changed into some normal clothes, they decided to walk to a nearby coffee shop to get Izuku a caffeine kick for the rest of the day.

Before he could leave, Recovery Girl stopped him and retrieved what looked like some kind of digital watch from in her office. She presented it to Izuku, letting him look at the small black screen. He could see three sets of blinking zeroes; the numbers on top were red, the middle green, and the bottom blue. Recovery Girl then explained that what Izuku had originally assumed was a broken watch was actually a vitals monitor that he was to strap to his ankle.

“This piece of equipment is directly connected to my computer, so I’ll be given minute-by-minute updates on your heartrate, blood pressure, and respiratory rate. After your little escapade last night, I realized this is a better option to keep track of you, anyway,” she said as she handed it to Izuku, expecting him to put it on. The boy took it and obediently kneeled down to strap it tightly around his ankle, making sure his skin was flush against the sensors on the bottom.

Just a few seconds after he put it on, the little machine blinked and the numbers that were previously zeroes lit up with new numbers—his heartrate, blood pressure, and respiratory rate, he presumed. “Wow, cool!” he said, staring at the new numbers for a few moments. “So now I don’t need a guard to follow me?” he asked.

Recovery Girl nodded. “There’s a tracker in there, too, so I’ll always know where you are in case of emergency. Based on your previous breakdowns, these numbers will spike just before you lose control, so I should be able to send someone before anything bad happens.”

Izuku stood up and glanced at Shoto. “Todoroki will be with me, too,” he pointed out. “But yeah, it’s a neat little gadget. Convenient, too. Thank you very much, Recovery Girl!”

She waved her hands dismissively. “No problem, honey. Now go have fun,” she told him with a kind smile. Izuku thanked her again before leaving with Shoto. He was happy that his relationship with her had been restored. He would’ve been upset if she was still angry.

They walked out of the building and immediately Izuku was struck by how cold the weather had become; much windier and cloudier than yesterday. He considered turning around to grab a sweatshirt, but he didn’t want to inconvenience Shoto, so he didn’t say anything. The coffee shop was only a fifteen-minute walk, so he’d be fine until then.

As they walked down the path to exit school grounds, Shoto told him stories about recent gatherings with his family, and Izuku was grateful for his open, talkative nature. He wasn’t a very chatty person usually, but when Izuku asked how his family was doing, he was happy to fill him in. However, Izuku was finding it a little hard to focus when only three minutes into the walk, relentless waves of goosebumps were already rolling up and down his arms.

He was wearing sweatpants, but his t-shirt was doing little to guard his arms from the cold weather. He glanced up at the sky as another gust of wind made his teeth chatter. The storm must’ve rolled in overnight. It was an abrupt change in scenery from the clear, cloudless evening he’d seen yesterday with Katsuki.

Shoto told him about how a month or two ago, he’d gone on a fishing trip with his siblings and father, which didn’t exactly go according to plan. “I ended up accidentally freezing a good portion of the water. Maybe there’s a good reason why my family’s never been out together on a boat,” he said thoughtfully while Izuku laughed.

They got off school grounds, and for Izuku it was the second time in the last twelve hours. He couldn’t help but notice the difference between Katsuki and Shoto’s presence and their effects on his actions and mood. When he was with Katsuki, it was like a constant rollercoaster ride—he never knew what to expect, and he was constantly excited for what was coming next. Jumping the fence, running down the street, seeing things he never would’ve experienced if he was with any of his other friends—all of that was exhilarating. Katsuki was exhilarating.

Izuku loved hanging out with Shoto, too, but he just didn’t get the same feeling. Time with Shoto was more like a game of bowling. A little slower, a little more predictable. It’s fun, but nowhere near as exciting or erratic as a rollercoaster ride. Somewhat of a strange comparison, but that’s the best way Izuku could explain it.

He and Shoto went left instead of going right like yesterday. Five minutes later, as they walked down the sidewalk heading into the more industrialized, professional part of town, Izuku told Shoto about his increasing yearning to be back to normal.

“I miss training with you guys, and going to classes with everyone, and working hard to make myself stronger. I miss all of that. I just wish I could get back to normal quicker, because I feel myself growing weaker every day while everyone around me is only getting stronger. I just…” he paused, chewing on his lip, “I feel sort of helpless.”

Shoto nodded in understanding. “I get it. But that will all come with time. You went through something horrible and traumatic. And even though it’s good that your mind is ready to go back to normal, that doesn’t mean your body has entirely caught up yet. Give it time, Midoriya. You can’t be impatient with this sort of thing.”

“Yeah…I just feel like I should be doing more,” Izuku said, but he agreed with the majority of what Shoto was saying. He just couldn’t stop thinking about how Katsuki was back to training and he wasn’t. It was basically his lifelong goal to keep up with the blond, so seeing him pull ahead while Izuku remained stationary was a difficult pill to swallow.

“Why’s that?” Shoto asked.

Izuku looked at him for a moment before confessing, “Well…I guess it’s because of Kacchan.”

“Did he say something?”

“No,” Izuku assured, “I’m just so used to competing with him, and doing pretty much everything else with him when it comes to training, so it’s hard for me when he’s back at training and all I can do it sit around all day and watch.”

“He only just got cleared yesterday,” Shoto told him flatly. “You’re not going to fall behind because of one day of training.”

“I agree with that, sure. I guess my point is just that—”

Suddenly Izuku was cut off by a shrill scream coming from somewhere down the road. They both immediately looked up, hero instincts kicking into gear after several years of training for situations like these. Down the road about two blocks, there was a woman desperately clutching on to her purse as a villain dressed in all black clothing was pulling viciously on the other end, trying to steal it. The woman gave one last cry for help before the purse was pulled out of her grip and the villain took off, disappearing behind the back alley of a building and carrying the purse with him.

Shoto and Izuku immediately jumped into action. Shoto sped off on a sheet of ice and Izuku was about to use One for All, only to remember he wasn’t supposed to use his Quirk because the doctors said his body wasn’t ready yet. Recovery Girl, too, had specifically told him not to use it unless absolutely necessary; so he left this villain in Shoto’s hands. As his friend wordlessly sped around the corner to begin following the villain, Izuku ran to the aid of the woman, who was crying and panicking after the frightening situation.

“Hello, ma’am,” Izuku puffed as he ran over, peering down the alley to see if Shoto had caught the villain yet. He couldn’t see either of them—the villain must’ve escaped, and Shoto was tracking him down. It might take a few minutes depending on how fast the villain was.

“M-My purse, he took my p-purse!” the woman cried hysterically.

Izuku assessed the situation—a woman, probably in her mid-forties, getting robbed by some guy dressed in all black in broad daylight. That was an immediate red flag, so he asked, “Did you recognize him, by any chance? Do you know the man who just took your purse?”

“All my m-money, oh my god, I have all of my money in there—my…my family’s savings, it’s all gone—it’s all gone,” she sobbed, and Izuku realized that must be why she’s so distraught. Down the road a few blocks, there was a bank, and she looked like she was heading in the direction of it. She must’ve been depositing a large sum of money. That was another red flag in Izuku’s head which told him the man who just robbed her might be someone she knows.

“Ma’am, calm down. It’s going to be okay. My name is Midoriya Izuku, and I’m a student at U.A. high school. One of my classmates is tracking the villain down right now. We’ll find the man who took your purse,” he promised, looking into her eyes and trying to get her to listen. She was still breathing heavily, eyes wide and streaming with tears, tracing lines of black mascara down her face.

She stared frantically at Izuku as she told him, “You don’t understand. I have all my money in that purse—for my kids, my husband—we were going to move out of this damn city, so that’s why I had it all in there, but that guy…that guy, he took my purse…” She looked like she was on the verge of breaking down, “Everything is in there. Everything!”

“I understand. We’re going to get it back for you, okay?” Izuku told her, grabbing her hand and squeezing. He gave a reassuring smile. “Please calm down. I promise we will get you that purse back—and if we don’t, I will personally make sure every dollar is returned to you and your family. You don’t need to worry, ma’am. Leave that to us.”

The woman blinked a few times and squeezed his hand in return, looking like she was trying to decide whether to believe him. Luckily, he’d gotten through to her before she could freak out any worse. After a few more seconds of sniffling and lip trembling, she nodded. “Okay,” she said, continuing to nod and clutching onto his hand as if he were the only thing she could trust. “Okay,” she repeated. “Okay. Okay.”

“Good job,” Izuku said, smiling again. “See? You’re okay.”

“Th-Thank you,” she said, trying to smile through the tears and nod at him at the same time. She looked truly grateful. “Thank you so much.”

“Of course,” Izuku said. “That’s what we do at U.A., we help people. Now how about we sit down until my friend returns with your purse? Then we can get this all figured out,” he said, urging her gently toward a nearby bench where she could sit and calm down completely. She nodded and followed alongside him, allowing Izuku to sit her down and buy her some water from a vending machine. Only once she was sitting with the water bottle clutched tightly between her hands, no longer crying and beginning to catch her breath, did Izuku pull out his phone and contact Mr. Aizawa.

“There’s been a robbery on seventy-first street. The culprit is unknown and Todoroki is currently tracking him down. I’ve sat the victim, a woman, down on a bench at the corner of the street to keep her calm. Everything’s under control, but you should probably send some backup just in case,” Izuku told the teacher.

“Is anybody hurt?” Aizawa asked from the other end of the line. “I’m sending out a message now.”

“No, nobody’s hurt,” Izuku assured. He was rubbing his arms to rid himself from goosebumps as he spoke. “And I didn’t use my Quirk, either, if that’s what you’re wondering. I know Recovery Girl doesn’t want me to, so I let Todoroki take care of it.”

“Good call. He’s plenty capable of taking care of some street villain,” Aizawa praised. “Alright, I sent out the message. Your classmates should be there soon to back you up. You said seventy-fourth street, right?”

“Seventy-first,” Izuku corrected. “I’ll be here waiting. Thanks, Mr. Aizawa,” he said, and after some more back-and-forth, he hung up. He felt good now that everything was being taken care of. All that was left was for Shoto to return with the thief in cuffs.

Izuku pocketed his phone and was about to walk back over to the woman when he felt a chill run up his spine. Not just a chill because of the cold, but one of those nasty, eerie chills—like what you get while watching a scary movie. Izuku paused where he stood, eyebrows furrowing as another gust of wind caressed his skin and sent shivers down his entire body, not just his arms. Goosebumps raised on his arms, legs, back—even the hairs on the nape of his neck stood straight up. His blood ran cold.

He didn’t know why, but suddenly he didn’t feel so sure that everything would work out.

His body ran cold with terror.

Izuku blinked a few times, unease and confusion making his heart race. His body was tense as if he was getting ready to run. For a solid few seconds, he didn’t move from that spot. He didn’t even know why he was scared—all he knew was that something was terribly wrong, and he was in danger. Everyone on this street was in danger. The temperature around him felt like it was dropping. Izuku’s bones were beginning to feel heavier. He hadn’t felt this type of fear since he was on the boat, under the gaze of that psychotic villain whose only intention was to harm him.

And then suddenly, Izuku realized it. He understood why his body was reacting this way—even when his mind wasn’t fully aware of it. Somebody was watching him. Somebody was behind him.

As Izuku slowly forced himself to turn around, eyes wide and heart pounding in his chest, he caught sight of it. His eyesight blurred. His breathing became shallow and rapid, and his heart felt like it was on fire because of how quickly it was beating. Izuku’s face contorted into one of absolute dread, and he let out an involuntary cry of anguish after seeing who—or rather, what—what was looking at him from across the street.

A man. The man. A pair of vivid blue eyes and stubble-like facial hair, dressed in a black outfit and a vest, staring at him. An emotionless, lifeless face. A man who radiated evil. A man who he thought was dead.

A man who was walking closer to him.

Izuku did a double take and confirmed that he was, indeed, walking closer. And when he looked at the guy’s hands, he realized he was holding a knife. The same knife he used to almost kill Izuku all those times on the boat. The same knife he’d used to torture him relentlessly, mercilessly, viciously—the same knife he was holding—the same knife…he was going to…

Izuku didn’t even have time to finish that thought before he was whipping around and taking off frantically in the other direction. Tears sprung to his eyes. He felt like he was going to throw up as the fear overwhelmed him, not even letting him think, not even letting him breathe. He didn’t think about fighting, he didn’t think about calling for help. All he could think about was escaping from that man; and getting as far away from him as possible.

He was supposed to be dead. Kacchan, All Might, Mr. Aizawa, they all told him so. He was dead. Katsuki was the one who killed him, and he wouldn’t lie. So was it all a fake? Some kind of allusion? Did he somehow fake his death? Izuku looked over his shoulder fearfully, breathing heavily as he ran, only to see the man was sprinting after him, knife glinting with each pump of his arms. He was chasing Izuku. And he’d soon catch up if Izuku didn’t go faster, run harder, escape. He had to escape.

“No…No, no. Oh my god—this isn’t possible,” he cried as he ran, arms pumping and legs flying underneath him, but he felt as if he was going in slow motion. A sob caught in his throat but couldn’t quite escape. He sprinted down the sidewalk, weaving around pedestrians and crossing streets whenever one side got too crowded. He almost got hit by a car at least twice. But no matter how hard he tried to lose the man, he just kept following, running silently and steadily, wielding the knife and flashing a malicious grin whenever he caught Izuku looking back at him.

There was no doubt about it—the man’s intention was to kill him. If Izuku let himself be caught, if only for a second, he would be killed. All he could do to save his life was keep going and hope to run into someone who could help him.

He was hyperventilating. His eyesight was blurry. His brain felt like it was in a daze, and his whole body was geared into running. He cleared three, five, ten blocks; he took turns that he didn’t think the villain would expect; he ran until his breathing became ragged and his whole body began to sore. But even when his body felt like collapsing, he didn’t stop.

Not even when the people passing by tried to ask what was wrong, or tried to stop him to see why he was crying, he didn’t spare them a second. Every time he looked back, it seemed like the villain was getting closer. If people got in his way, Izuku would scream and shove them away, hardly aware of what he was doing, hardly in control of himself. He was getting close, now, to the edge of the city—but he knew he couldn’t run forever. Soon, he’d need to find a way to really escape.

Eventually he turned a corner and caught sight of a bridge a few blocks down connecting two sides of a bay. If he got to the bridge, maybe he could jump off and fall to safety. He wasn’t thinking clearly, but this was the best option he could think of. The odds of survival were greater than if he let himself be caught by the man. So, Izuku began running desperately in that direction.

Cold wind buffeted against his face. He couldn’t feel his nose, ears, or the tips of his fingers, and yet his whole body was on fire from all the running. He must’ve been sprinting relentlessly for at least ten minutes now. He wouldn’t know. Time was slipping away from him, and so was everything else. All except for the thought of escape. His brain had switched completely to survival mode; like a rabbit escaping a fox. He was the prey, and the villain was the hunter.

Two minutes of running later, Izuku reached the bridge. As soon as his feet hit the light-colored cement of the bridge sidewalk, he exhaled sharply in relief, breath still coming in jagged gasps and fitful sobs. He continued sprinting, checking over his shoulder once again to see that the man was indeed still running after him, seemingly tireless even though Izuku was struggling just to keep going. His body would collapse soon; he couldn’t do this any longer. And with the man looking like he wasn’t even tired at all, Izuku knew this bridge was his only option. He had to jump.

Izuku put on a final burst of speed to reach the middle of the bridge. Glancing over the edge as he ran, he could see the water was further down than he was hoping it would be. The bridge was maybe six or seven stories tall, while the water below looked dark and lethal with large, crashing waves created by the wind. Izuku couldn’t use One for All; he’s been trying to get into contact with it this entire time, but it was like the doctors said. He couldn’t use his Quirk during one of his PTSD episodes. Though that might’ve been beneficial on some occasions, right now, it definitely was not.

He pumped his arms a few final times before he reached what he gauged to be the middle of the bridge. Breathing heavily and with distorted vision, he grabbed on to the railing, feeling the cold between the palms of his hands but not truly registering what he was about to do. Izuku was about to jump off the side of a seven-story bridge into dangerous waters, without a Quirk, without so much as even telling his classmates where he was.

Somewhere in the back of his head, Izuku knew that falling anything higher than fifty feet had the possibility to be deadly—and he was about to fall from seventy. If the impact didn’t kill him, it would knock him unconscious—and falling unconscious into those perilous waters would surely bring an end to his life.

Still, Izuku couldn’t stop. He couldn’t risk being caught by that man—he’d be torn apart. So he did the only thing he could do in this hopeless situation. He swung his legs over the edge.

Freezing wind pelted his face, and his body shivered from the excessive cold and overbearing fear. His eyes were wide and his ears were ringing as he clung to the railing, one wrong move from slipping and plunging to his death. He was so high up. Even in his terrified state, he didn’t want to die. But he’d convinced himself that this was his only option. This was his only means of escape, no matter how slim the chances were that he survives.

Even in his last moments, he didn’t look back. All he could do was stare over the edge, stare down at his fate, stare at the churning, thrashing waters that would soon engulf him. All he could see was gray clouds and black waters. He began to realize this situation was scarily similar to the boat, where he had the choice to either jump off the bow or be taken back into captivity. Suddenly he was there again, trying to make the smartest decision. Should he stay and possibly be murdered viciously by the villain—or jump and plummet to his death?

Izuku trembled and began to sob because of how unfair this was, all in the span of a few seconds. He knew the villain was catching up, but he couldn’t force himself to jump just yet. Tears flowed down his face and got caught by the wind. He thought the nightmare was over. He thought he could finally be safe, finally be happy. He thought he’d finally escaped from that boat. But as it turns out, he never did.

He never did escape. And he never really would.

Maybe jumping now would finally set him free.

Izuku closed his eyes and let his grip go slack, leaning head-first into whatever outcome this decision had for him. He was ready to risk death as long as it meant getting away from that villain.

As he began to fall, he thought about his friends and family, and how sorry he was for letting himself die this way. It was pitiful, and there was nothing heroic about it—but it was the only thing he could think of. He just prayed that his mom wasn’t too heartbroken after he was gone, and he prayed she found someone to talk to when Izuku wasn’t around. He prayed All Might would take care of himself, even with the death of his One for All successor. And he prayed Katsuki—he prayed Kacchan would—oh, no, he couldn’t think about Kacchan right now. The thought of leaving him…Izuku didn’t want to…

It took him a few seconds to realize he wasn’t actually falling. His body was limp, and he could still feel the wind whipping against his face, but he wasn’t falling. His body was being held tightly in place by something around his waist; something firm and strong, something that was trying to lift him up. Arms. Izuku was being held in place by someone’s arms.

Immediately his mind drew the conclusion that the person behind him was the villain trying to hoist him up, so he began trying to escape, prying and scratching at the arms, crying and hitting, trying blindly to lean and fall forwards. His body was fully just dangling there. But the arms held fast, strongly pulling him backwards and preventing him from jumping.

In Izuku’s weakened state, he couldn’t escape. He couldn’t even turn his head enough to see who was behind, grabbing him. He could yell and fight, but even then, it wasn’t very fierce. He was weak with exhaustion, and all he could really do was beg for the man to let him go. He couldn’t do that all again; go through all that pain. The feeling of a knife slashing through his arms, gouging out his eyes, cutting through his wrists, his legs, his mind. Screwing him up. He couldn’t go back.

Eventually, after enough fighting and struggling, the person managed to wrestle him back over the edge to safety and they both fell to the ground. Izuku’s eyes were screwed shut and his ears were still ringing, the result of his body preparing him for the agony ahead. Preparing him to feel a knife penetrate his stomach, stick through his lungs, carve out his guts. Preparing to feel the fiery pain that would likely come with this villain getting his hands on him again. He knew he was about to be hurt; no amount of crying or begging would change that. He needed to prepare for pain, because the villain was ruthless. The villain was merciless. The villain was…the villain…

Izuku felt an arm wrap around his shoulders and another around his waist. He felt a body lay itself on top of him, shielding him from the bitter wind, pinning him from trying to escape. He could feel the person’s head bury itself in the crook of his neck, their warm breath spilling across his shoulder and collar bone. Hair tickled the side of Izuku’s face; he could tell the texture was somewhat coarse. Whoever this was, they were holding him tight, preventing him from running away—but not harming him. Izuku was being held down, but he didn’t feel any pain. He didn’t even sense any hostility from the person that was laying on top of him. All he could feel was strong arms and broad shoulders cradling him close, a hand cupping the back of his head, and the weight of the person keeping him in place. Everything else just sort of faded into the background.

After a few seconds of laying like this, Izuku realized there was no danger and he began to open his eyes. His other senses came flooding back to him one-by-one. First was his sense of smell and taste; he couldn’t taste anything but blood after his long-winded exertion a minute ago, but he could smell something familiar emitting from this person’s body. It was a cologne scent he recognized, even though he wasn’t sure how. In his deranged state, he still couldn’t think clearly; he only knew that it was a scent familiar to him. Something sugary and sweet.

Next to come back was his sense of sight. He opened his eyes and looked at the body on top of him, and even though he couldn’t see the person's face, he immediately recognized the build. It all started to piece together after a few seconds. The broad shoulders, powerful arms, and coarse hair; the warm, amber-like cologne scent he recognized but couldn’t quite pinpoint; the way he was cradling him instead of hurting, the way he dragged him back over the edge of the bridge, the way he saved him. And finally, as sound filtered back into Izuku’s ears, he recognized the voice, too; husky and low, heavy, shaken.

“Stop,” Katsuki muttered, cheek pressed against Izuku’s neck as he squeezed him, making sure he stayed in place, unallowed to get up and try to jump off the bridge again. “Stop, damn it. Please, just stop.”

Izuku stayed in place. He didn’t move an inch—he didn’t even breathe. As the coldness and fear from the chase began to melt out of his system, it was rapidly replaced by a blooming warmth and a sense of security. There was no villain. There was no danger. There was only Katsuki, and he was holding Izuku, keeping him safe. Katsuki hadn’t let him jump off the bridge. Unless his body was dying and this was some kind of last-minute hallucination so he could pass on peacefully, this was real. Katsuki was real. And he just saved Izuku.

Katsuki continued muttering, telling Izuku not to ‘do it’ or saying things like ‘this is why you can’t leave on your own.’ Izuku just listened, trying to figure out if this was really real. It felt real. He didn’t feel like he was dying. But then again, if his brain’s intention was to make it realistic, then he would have no way of figuring that out on his own. The only thing he knew for sure was that the villain was gone—or perhaps, he’d never been there in the first place—Katsuki was here, and he was safe.

He also knew that, regardless of whether it was a hallucination or not, he never wanted this moment to end.

After a while, Katsuki seemed to realize that Izuku wasn’t trying to hurt himself anymore, so he lifted his head from Izuku’s neck and propped himself up enough so they could meet each other’s eyes. Izuku was silent as he looked up at him, still trying to figure out for himself what was real and what might be an allusion. Was Katsuki real, or was the villain? Izuku stared into those striking red eyes, wanting badly to decipher them. With their faces so close, he could make out every ounce of vibrant color in the irises of Katsuki’s eyes—every shade of red, variant of orange—he could even pick out some speckles of yellow or beige here and there. He’d never noticed that before.

Katsuki seemed to be staring at him just as intently, with a serious face and knitted eyebrows. Izuku had never seen him look like that from such short of a distance. Usually if their faces were ever so close, it was because Katsuki was trying to intimidate or yell at him. Right now, he was doing neither of those things. To Izuku, he just looked worried.

They stared at each other like that for longer than Izuku was expecting. He was soaking up every moment, but that didn’t change the fact that he was a little confused why Katsuki was here in the first place. Now that his brain was starting to run comprehensively again, he was able to question just why Katsuki was here, saving him. Why he was laying on top of him like this even though Izuku wasn’t showing any strive to hurt himself. And why he had been holding him so gently, cupping his head with protective hands, softly muttering into his ear—comforting him.

Bakugou Katsuki never did things like that. And yet here he was, proving himself—and everyone else—wrong. He cared about Izuku, and that was clear now. It was so clear that Izuku was still having a hard time believing it to be real.

After an extended period of silence, Katsuki was the first to speak. He took a slow breath before asking, “Are you here?”

Izuku took a shaky breath of his own. His cheeks were still wet with tears as he looked up at Katsuki. “Yeah,” he whispered, giving a small nod of reassurance. He felt his lip begin to tremble again. He couldn’t believe he just made Katsuki do that. He felt like he was going to cry again as he realized he’d probably just scared the shit out of Katsuki by making him think he was going to jump off a bridge. As Izuku’s eyes began to well up with tears again, he added, “I…I’m sorry, Kacchan. I’m sorry…”

“Hey, don’t fucking do that,” Katsuki said, and before Izuku realized it, he was shifting his body weight so that he could run the pad of his thumb along Izuku’s face. His thumb was warm as he wiped the tears from Izuku’s cheek, encouraging him wordlessly not to cry anymore. “It’s not your fault. After the damn old lady told me your blood pressure was going up, I knew something was wrong. Fuck, it’s lucky I got here in time. You were about to…” Katsuki clenched his jaw and looked off at the side of the bridge where Izuku was about to jump. He looked troubled, and Izuku wanted to apologize again for making him worry before he realized that was exactly what Katsuki didn’t want him to do.

“What did you see?” Katsuki asked, looking back at him. For the time being, he made no move to get off of Izuku, and he was secretly glad for that. The pressure of Katsuki’s weight on his body was strangely calming. He knew it wouldn’t last for much longer, but he was privately enjoying Katsuki’s closeness while it lasted.

“I saw the villain,” Izuku told him. Immediately Katsuki understood who Izuku was talking about and his eyes widened in disbelief, but Izuku quickly explained that he was now pretty sure it was only a figment of his imagination. “I think the cold air triggered it. One minute I was calm and in-control of myself, and the next, it was like my brain switched entirely to ‘fear’ mode. I could barely control myself. All I could think about was running.”

Katsuki thought for a moment before saying, “That must be what the nurses were trying to prevent when you were in the hospital.” Next, to Izuku’s disappointment, he sat up and climbed off Izuku to sit beside him. As Izuku sat up, he realized the blond was taking off his hoodie.

“Kacchan, you don’t have to…” Izuku said, but he was cut off when Katsuki snapped, “Shut up.” Once the black hoodie was off, he handed it to Izuku, and when the green-haired boy hesitated to take it, he shoved it into his hands.

“Put it on,” he instructed with a forceful tone, threatening violence if Izuku didn’t comply. “I don’t know why you’re out in this cold in a damn t-shirt, anyway.”

“But you’re wearing a tank top, which gives you less protection than a t-shirt,” Izuku pointed out, looking at Katsuki’s now-exposed arms and neck. “You’ll get cold. I don’t want to take your sweatshirt.”

“I don’t give a fuck if you want to or not. If I get cold, I’ll ask for it back. But if you keep fucking arguing, I swear I’ll force it on you. Do you really want that?”

“No, no, I don’t. Okay,” Izuku caved before reluctantly sliding the hoodie on over his head and snaking his arms into the sleeves, which were slightly longer than his usual clothes. As he pulled the fabric down over his chest, he realized it still had some of Katsuki’s warmth, and also that it smelled like him. He didn’t know why, but those two details made his heart swell with appreciation. Katsuki was nice enough to give him his hoodie, even knowing he’d be cold without it.

Katsuki watched as he put it on, and when Izuku finished, he looked away. “Good. I don’t wanna have to worry about you going all ‘terror mode’ on me again,” he said indifferently.

Izuku smiled, and as he did, it felt like his previous fear was passing. He was afraid—but with Katsuki here, he realized there was nothing to be afraid of. He didn’t know why the blond’s presence was so reassuring to him, but every time he was near, Izuku felt safe. He’s never had a panic attack when Katsuki was with him. Plus—now, this was a stretch, but Izuku sometimes questioned the correlation between his nightmares and the amount of time he spends with Katsuki. On normal nights, he would have nightmares every time he closed his eyes. But if he went to bed after a long day of hanging out with Katsuki, he didn't have nightmares at all.

Again, it was a stretch, but Izuku was starting to make some connections. Why? He had no idea. Why would Katsuki be the deciding factor on if he has dreams or not? It didn’t seem likely, or even possible. But that didn’t change the fact that Izuku didn’t have nightmares on days he hung out with Katsuki.

After another minute of recuperation, Izuku and Katsuki stood up, preparing to walk back to the hospital. Izuku began answering the various calls and text messages from Mr. Aizawa and Shoto asking where he was and if he was okay. Soon after he got off the phone with the teacher, he began to hear an ambulance wailing in the distance, coming closer. “Oh, man…” Izuku muttered as he realized the ambulance was for him, and Katsuki chuckled humorlessly as he heard the sirens, too.

“Huh. A little fucking late, don’t you think?” he said dryly, glaring towards the sound of the sirens. “You would’ve been a corpse floating in the water by the time they got here. See, Deku, that is why you can’t go out alone. You never know what could happen, and the hospital is by no means quick enough to reach you if a problem comes up.”

Izuku bit his lip, knowing Katsuki was right. This was like a continuation of their conversation before. Maybe it was true that he always needed supervision. We never will know until something happens, and then it might be too late. Katsuki had said that before. Izuku didn’t want to believe him then, but now, he was starting to realize that he was right all along.

“Technically I wasn’t alone,” Izuku said as he looked at his text messages from Shoto.

Where are you? I caught the villain.

Hey, why did Mr. Aizawa send out a message saying we need backup?

Hello? Midoriya?

I’m getting worried. Where are you? It’s been fifteen minutes.

The police are here. I’m telling them you’re gone.

I just got a message from Aizawa saying you’re missing and have high blood pressure. He’s sending out the rest of the class. Where are you? Midoriya, I’m really worried.

Izuku quickly typed, I’m fine, Todoroki, sorry for worrying you. I had a PTSD attack but Kacchan found me. An ambulance is coming to pick us up and bring us to the hospital. Meet us there, okay?

Katsuki watched silently over his shoulder. “So Icyhot was with you and yet you somehow managed to fucking get away?” he demanded after Izuku sent the text.

“Hey! Privacy?” Izuku quipped as he shielded his phone from Katsuki’s eyes. “But, um, yeah. Todoroki was with me at the beginning, but a woman got mugged right in front of us, so he had to leave to catch the villain. I was staying with her since I’m not supposed to use my Quirk, and that’s when it happened,” he explained.

“That fucking idiot,” Katsuki cursed, and Izuku reprimanded him, beginning to defend Shoto. How was he supposed to know that Izuku would have a PTSD attack out of the blue? It wasn’t his fault; he was just trying to do his job as a hero. Katsuki didn’t argue with him too much on it, but he seemed angry.

When the ambulance reached them about five minutes later, the EMTs rushed out and immediately began checking Izuku’s vitals and asking him questions about what happened. He gave his side of the story, and so did Katsuki—how he’d been sent Izuku’s location through Recovery Girl, used his Quirk to reach him quick, and then upon finding him, realized he was about to jump off the bridge. The EMTs were initially hesitant and there was some talk of restraining him, but once they realized Izuku was in a conscious state and mentally stable, he was let free.

He and Katsuki were ushered into the ambulance and promptly driven back to the hospital, where Shoto, Aizawa, All Might, Recovery Girl and a few others were waiting for him. When Izuku entered his holding room where the doctors wanted to run a few tests, Shoto immediately stood and walked over to him, rapidly beginning his apology.

“I am so sorry, Midoriya. It was completely my fault for leaving you alone there—I just couldn’t let the villain go like that. But it was completely my fault. I mean, I should’ve thought of you, and I didn’t. You were relying on me not to leave you, and I didn’t do what you needed me to. For that, I am so sorry,” he rushed out before Izuku could stop him.

“Todoroki, please, there’s no need to apologize! It wasn’t your fault at all. You caught the villain, right? That nice woman got her purse back?” Izuku asked, and Shoto reluctantly nodded, though he still looked guilty—like what Izuku was saying was beside the point. “Good. That’s what matters,” the green-haired boy said with an easygoing smile.

Behind him, Katsuki said flatly, “He almost fucking died.”

A hush fell over the room with the blond’s heavy words, and Izuku turned to stare at Katsuki incredulously. “Kacchan,” he hissed. Katsuki was leaning against the doorframe in a casual manner, but he was staring at Shoto with well-hidden anger. He looked as if he wanted to say more but was refraining.

Shoto was staring shamefully at the ground when Izuku looked at him again. He was about to apologize on Katsuki’s behalf when Shoto spoke first and said, “I’m sorry, Midoriya. Your life is more important than some petty villain. It was irresponsible of me, and I hope you can someday forgive me.”

Izuku wanted to tell Shoto that he was apologizing for no reason, but then it hit him that maybe he should just accept the apology and move on. Shoto was supposed to stay with him; that was undeniable. Just because Izuku wasn’t having many panic attacks recently didn’t mean that they couldn’t still happen. However, Izuku’s go-to response—to everything, really—was to justify the actions of whoever hurt him. In this instance, Shoto hadn’t hurt him directly or on purpose, but it was true that his actions led to Izuku getting hurt. Izuku had no problem with validating his actions and forgiving him without a second thought.

This was completely different from Katsuki, who forced people to own up to their mistakes and sometimes even made them feel bad for it. In this case, maybe it was rational—valid, even, for him to do so. Maybe Katsuki’s point of view was closer to the morally correct reaction. Because even if Shoto wasn’t the cause of his episode, he still contributed to it.

Maybe Izuku should put some blame on him. Maybe he should be a little angry, and maybe he shouldn’t just pass it off and quickly move on.

Or maybe he was overthinking it.

Izuku shook his head and squeezed Shoto’s shoulder in reassurance. “I forgive you, Todoroki. It wasn’t your fault. You’re my friend, and I know you would never try to hurt me,” he said. Then, a little brighter, he added, “Let’s move on, okay?”

Shoto looked relieved as he nodded and the conversation continued to something else. All Might and Mr. Aizawa were there, so Izuku told them exactly what happened. The teachers listened to the story, made sure he was going to be okay, and then left. Recovery Girl went with them after confirming with the doctors that she wasn’t needed.

As the doctors began taking Izuku’s temp, recording his vitals, and drawing some blood to make sure nothing abnormal had developed, Izuku couldn’t stop stealing glances at Katsuki. He was sitting in a chair across the room, and he didn’t look happy. For once, Izuku couldn’t figure out why he looked so angry. Was it because of what happened earlier? Or was it something different? As he looked at the blond, he was rubbing the fabric of the hoodie between his fingers, enjoying the fact that even though they were indoors, Katsuki hadn’t asked for it back.

A few of his classmates visited to make sure Izuku was doing okay, including Ochako and Tenya. They both stayed a while, chatting with Izuku and Shoto and keeping the mood lighthearted. Kirishima and Denki stopped by, too, giving Katsuki someone to talk to. As they talked, Shoto told him that the villain turned out to be the woman’s ex-husband, and he stole her purse on that day because he knew she was bringing her life savings to the bank. Izuku was gratified to know that his hunch had been correct.

During another conversation, Shoto asked, “Whose hoodie is that? I don’t remember you wearing a hoodie when we left.”

Izuku pursed his lips. He glanced at Katsuki and realized he was looking at him, despite the fact that Denki and Kirishima were in the middle of a conversation with him. “Oh, um…It’s Kacchan’s,” he said, looking back at Shoto casually, trying to pretend like it wasn’t as big of a deal as he thought it was. “He lent it to me because I was cold.”

His three friends looked baffled, but they kept it polite because Katsuki was in their vicinity. “How nice of him,” Tenya said.

“How interesting,” Shoto added.

“How…unusual,” Ochako finished. Izuku gave her a look, but she just shrugged innocently. “It is.”

To be honest, Izuku couldn’t really argue with her.

An hour or so later, Izuku was cleared to leave, and everyone left the building in one big group. They all walked back to U.A. together, Izuku and Katsuki sticking mostly to their own groups. Katsuki didn’t even talk to him the whole way back. But as soon as Izuku turned the corner and was about to walk in through the doors with his friends, Katsuki grabbed his arm and stopped him.

“What?” Izuku asked as Katsuki looked at him, an impassive yet deliberate look on his face. His eyes looked a little angry.

“Izuku?” Ochako asked when she noticed he’d stopped, halted by Katsuki’s grip. Izuku didn’t respond. A second later, the blond began walking in the opposite direction while still holding his arm, effectively dragging him. Izuku frowned in confusion but didn’t resist. “Hey, where are you going?” Ochako asked after him, sounding absolutely confused. She was in the middle of telling a story to him, Tenya, and Shoto, so the fact that Izuku was leaving was unprecedented.

“Um…sorry. I’ll be back, Uraraka,” Izuku said uncertainly over his shoulder, still confused and now a little nervous as Katsuki continued to wordlessly drag him away. “But I want to hear the ending later!”

He didn’t know what this was about, but it was obviously something Katsuki felt was important, or else he wouldn’t make a scene like this. He was heading toward the parking lot, so Izuku wondered if he planned on driving them somewhere. Once they were about a hundred paces away and Katsuki still hadn’t said anything about what they were doing, Izuku asked, “Kacchan, where are we going?”

Without even looking over his shoulder, Katsuki replied, “We need to talk.”

Chapter Text

“Get in,” Katsuki said, pointing at the passenger’s seat as he rounded the car to get in the driver’s. He pulled the keychain out of his pocket before unlocking the car, causing the horn to chirp and the lights to flash on. Izuku still wasn’t quite sure what this was about, so he stared at Katsuki incredulously from where he stood outside the passenger door.

“You still haven’t told me where we’re going,” he said indignantly, not getting in quite yet.

Katsuki rolled his eyes as he opened the door to his own side. “Yeah, and I’m not going to,” he said snarkily. “Now get in. Don’t make me say it again.”

“Why not?” Izuku pressed, further confused now that he was being so pushy.

The blond sniffed and gave him a strange look, something between a glare and a frown of confusion—as if he, himself, didn’t even know why he was acting this way. “Because I don’t know,” Katsuki said, and then got in the car.

Izuku stood thoughtfully for a moment before getting in after him.

They drove out of the parking lot in deafening silence. Izuku remembered Katsuki saying they had something to talk about, so he was confused why he was being so quiet now. Did he lie in order to get Izuku in the car? It didn’t seem likely. He had no idea why Katsuki would lie about something like that. He looked at the side of Katsuki’s face, hoping for answers to some of these questions, but he was characteristically stoic. Not a trace of emotion on his face; nothing for Izuku to translate into why in the world he was doing this. He had one hand on the top of the wheel and the other on the center console, driving casually as he pulled out of the parking lot. So, Izuku just sat with his hands folded in his lap, looking out the window at the passing buildings as they headed downtown.

After a few minutes, Katsuki finally spoke up. Izuku was leaving it to him to initiate a conversation because he was the one who brought them here in the first place. “Why do you always do that?” Katsuki finally asked, and his question was almost as cryptic as this whole situation. Izuku looked at him blankly, completely lost and struggling to come up with a possible answer.

He looked at his hands, thinking Katsuki might be referring to the way he was sitting, and asked, “Do…what? This?” as he shrugged his hands.

“No, idiot,” Katsuki quipped. He rubbed the temple of his forehead with one hand while he continued to drive with the other. Izuku could see he was troubled, and yet, he couldn’t come up with a solution as to why.

“Kacchan, you have to talk to me if you want me to give you an answer. I can’t read your mind.”

“Well maybe you should,” Katsuki replied.

Izuku pursed his lips and looked out the window again, starting to get a little frustrated even though he knew he shouldn’t. Katsuki had never been very good at talking or expressing himself, especially when he got really worked up about something. He was always a very closed-off person. It was sometimes frustrating, but Izuku had built up a tolerance over the years. He could hide his frustration pretty well and hold up a conversation, even when the blond started acting really stubborn like he was now.

The car was silent for another minute until Katsuki worked up what he wanted to say. Izuku remained patient, staring out the window and giving him time. A little bit of silence went a long way with Katsuki. “When we were on the bridge,” he began, sounding like he was harboring a lot of built-up anger under his calm composure. “You were about to jump off. I mean, a fall like that would’ve killed you, especially because you couldn’t use your Quirk. You were about to fucking die.”

Izuku looked at him. That’s what this is all about? He wasn’t expecting Katsuki to be still thinking about that. Guilt wormed beneath his skin as he stared at the blond, starting to piece everything together. Katsuki was more affected than he’d originally thought, so he was bringing Izuku out here to talk about it. And to think he was getting frustrated with Katsuki when all he was thinking about was Izuku on that bridge. He began to feel incredibly remorseful as he said, “I’m so sorry, Kacchan. I didn’t know—”

“That’s just it,” Katsuki cut him off, slamming his hand down on the center console and startling Izuku with the force of it. “That is what I’m talking about; that right there. Why the fuck are you apologizing to me?”

And just like that, Izuku was at a loss again. Everything he thought he’d known a second ago crumpled to dust, and he remained silent as Katsuki continued. “You did the same damn thing with Todoroki. Putting all the blame on yourself, like you always do. He was apologizing, as he rightfully fucking should. He was the one who was supposed to stay with you, and he was the one who ran off irresponsibly instead of calling for backup like he should've. And what do you say to him as a response to that?” He didn’t even give Izuku a chance to respond. “‘No, it’s okay Todoroki, there’s no need to apologize! It wasn’t your fault! I forgive you, let’s move on!’” He imitated Izuku’s voice in an accusatory way.

Izuku didn’t get the chance to speak as he continued. “Even when something is entirely someone else’s fault, you do everything you can to put the blame on yourself. I don’t understand why—it must be because you wanna, I don’t know, make them feel better? Make them feel good about themselves? Even when it’s you they’re affecting? I really don’t fucking get it, Deku. I don’t get it.” Katsuki enunciated every word. He sounded so passionate about it that it was impossible for Izuku not to take his words into consideration.

“And it’s not just this time, either. It’s every single time someone does something moderately wrong, you take all of the negative attention off of them and force it onto yourself. You don’t make people own up to their mistakes, you fucking apologize for them. You don’t let people know they’ve hurt you, you just push it all down and make sure they feel good. Don’t you see how hurtful that is? How fucking self-sacrificial? Do you really think so lowly of yourself that you’ll take everyone else’s pain away and put it all on yourself?”

His words ran deeper than Izuku knew. For him to bring this up, it must’ve been really bothering him, and based on the frustration in his tone, he’s been noticing it for a while. Their whole lives, even. Izuku’s always been the same—big-hearted, selfless, endlessly compassionate and caring. He’s never thought twice doing those things, even if it’s hurtful to himself. Katsuki must’ve been watching pretty closely all this time to have noticed.

Izuku floundered for words, caught completely unaware by Katsuki’s sudden deep-dive on his character. “I mean…yeah,” he finally said, working up a response to that last question. “If it means making other people happy…”

“No,” Katsuki cut him off. He had a habit of doing that. “Don’t. You know what? I’m telling you to fucking stop.”

“What?” Izuku’s face faded into a look of confusion. “Why?”

“Because,” Katsuki growled, sounding more impatient by the minute, “it’s fucking annoying.”

“Really, Kacchan?” Izuku shook his head at him, approaching disbelief. “You can’t just go on a rant like that, tell me how to live my life, and then have your answer be because it’s annoying. That doesn’t check out,” he said flatly.

Katsuki’s grip tightened on the steering wheel. “Because I…I can’t fucking stand it anymore. Watching you throw yourself under the bus again and again just so the people around you can feel a little better. You’re not a fucking martyr, so stop acting like one. I’ve seen how you fight; you always put others’ safety before your own, even when it means getting yourself hurt, even killed. It’s so goddamn infuriating!

“You don’t need to do that, Deku. You can still win and save people by not almost killing yourself every minute. People will still think you’re a nice guy if you force them to own up to their mistakes once in a while and give ‘em a little shit for it. Do you understand that? Can you get it through your thick skull?” he demanded.

“Yes, but I just don’t understand why it matters. Not to you, and not to me,” Izuku replied. “Kacchan, I love my friends. If I get hurt in the process of helping them, I don’t see a problem with it.”

Katsuki sighed, thinking for a few seconds before responding. “See, that’s just not how it works,” he said, shaking his head and looking like he really just wanted Izuku to see it from his perspective. He ran his tongue over his teeth and then tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, as if trying to come up with something that would convince Izuku. “I get that you care about your friends, and you want them to be happy—I get all that shit. But it’s just not the same when you aren’t putting any of that effort into yourself. If you don’t put time into caring for yourself, then after a while, you’ll run out of love to give. If I have to confine it down to a science for you to fucking understand it, then I will.

“The law of conservation of energy says that energy cannot be created nor destroyed—it can only be transferred from one form to another. It’s the same thing with compassion, and it’s the same thing with love. You can’t create it; you can only pass it on to others. If you pass on too much without storing enough up for yourself, you’ll run out. And that’s when you’ll know you fucked up—because someday, you’ll end up hating yourself for it, or in the worst-case scenario, you’ll end up dead.”

He looked Izuku dead in the eyes to emphasize what he said next. “There’s a thing called self-love, Deku. Before you can truly love anyone else, you gotta learn to love yourself.”

Izuku remained silent for a while, thinking, as Katsuki continued to drive. He still didn’t know where they were going. He was still confused why Katsuki was so passionate about this, and why he seemed so angry about it. Self-love? It just didn’t seem as…important…as Katsuki was making it out to be. That was just how Izuku was hardwired to think. Save others before I save myself. Don’t let up until the job’s done. It doesn’t matter what happens to me in the process. Their lives are more important than my own. That’s just how he’s always thought.

So now, hearing Katsuki—a person whose opinion Izuku valued greatly—say those things, it was almost eye-opening. Sure, others have told him the same thing in their own ways—his own mother, Ochako, Shoto, even All Might. Their opinions all mattered, too. They just didn’t carry the same weight as Katsuki’s did.

For a while they drove in silence, and Izuku didn’t realize they were pulling into a parking lot until Katsuki was picking a spot to park. As the car came to a smooth stop, Izuku blinked a few times, snapping himself out of his head. He could finally figure out why Katsuki brought him all the way out here. He looked around at nearby buildings—a car repair shop, a fast food restaurant, a post office. Basic buildings. He vaguely wondered if they were running errands.

“Where are we going?” Izuku asked for what seemed like the hundredth time today as Katsuki got out of the car and he followed. As the blond locked the car and slipped the keys into his pocket, he turned around and started walking towards a different set of buildings than what Izuku had just read off.

Izuku followed hurriedly, ducking slightly as a gust of cold wind hit him in the face. It was still just as cold outside, and he was glad to have Katsuki’s sweatshirt to protect him from the chill. He hadn’t dwelled too long on the fact he’d willingly given it to Izuku in the first place, but he was definitely appreciating it now.

Part of him hadn’t been expecting Katsuki to answer his previous question based on his lack of response the other times, so when he said, “The library,” Izuku was caught off guard. He looked up and read the name of the large building they were walking towards. Wordsmith’s Corner, the sign read. It was a two-story building surrounded by a small oasis of trees and bushes which stuck out in this part of town, a very industrialized area with not much greenery. The windows were all tinted green and the balcony was lit with a few lanterns sporting a warm-colored amber light. A very homie vibe.

Izuku had seen this place before, but not in a long time. There was an impressive library at U.A., so he never needed to go anywhere else, but he’d gone here a few times as a kid. “This place?” he asked, looking at the library and feeling pleasantly surprised. “Why?”

“Needed to calm down,” Katsuki explained offhandedly, stuffing his hands in his pockets as another gust of wind blew through the parking lot. Izuku would’ve froze to death wearing a tank top in this weather, but Katsuki said nothing. He said he’d ask for the hoodie back if he got cold, so Izuku was trusting him on that. Maybe he had a high temperature tolerance.

Izuku just hummed in acknowledgement, understanding how he felt. Libraries were calming with their calm, quiet nature. If he was ever angry or sad, he’d do the same thing; find the nearest library, pick out a book, and find a quiet corner to enjoy it. He loved reading, and it wasn’t just a nerd thing. The adventures those stories took him on were sometimes more enthralling than real life.

But he knew Katsuki wasn’t like that. He’d never liked reading all that much. Even though he was plenty good at it, he never enjoyed books quite like Izuku did. As far as Izuku was concerned, Katsuki had no reason to be driving out here—he’d probably never even been to this library. So either this really was just a split-second decision, or he had an ulterior motive. Izuku could never tell these days.

They went inside. It smelled, of course, like a library. Old and new books, coffee-stained paper, lemon-scented cleaning chemicals. The floor was filled with orange light, a warm and gentle atmosphere after the cold, violent winds outside. And just like that, Izuku was already enjoying himself. It wasn’t that he’d been uncomfortable in Katsuki’s car, but this place was like a stress reliever after the hefty conversation they’d just had. Maybe it was true that Katsuki just wanted to go somewhere to calm down.

They began walking down the shelves of books, not looking for anything in particular. Izuku honored the quiet nature of the library by not saying anything, even though he still wasn’t quite convinced that was why they were actually here. Eventually Katsuki split off towards the action/romance section while Izuku wandered toward the mystery/fantasy. He noticed there were few others around as he languidly ambled down an aisle, reading titles and looking at the covers as he passed. He’d read most the books on the mystery shelf, so he found the thriller section and picked out a couple of books he thought looked interesting. As long as it had a strong description on the back, he’d read it. Izuku wasn’t picky.

He found Katsuki as he was checking out at the front desk. As Izuku walked closer and caught a glance of the book covers, he realized one of them was a romance that he’d read before. It was a great book, but he hadn’t been expecting Katsuki to pick one of those out. To be fair, he didn’t know much about the blond’s taste in genres or books, but he would’ve never even considered romance as an option.

Izuku checked out his own books once Katsuki was done, and then they were walking towards the back of the store—or rather, Izuku was following him to the back of the store. He still had no idea what they were going to do. Did he really just want to sit down and read?

Izuku’s questions were answered when Katsuki plopped down on a beanbag chair by the window and motioned for Izuku to take the one beside him. “Sit down,” he said, setting one book on the floor and holding the other between his hands. He opened the front cover and began thumbing through the contents and dedication. “I like it here.”

“So…we’re going to read?” Izuku asked as he sat down, feeling dumb. This was one of the top ten most confusion things Katsuki has ever done.

“Obviously,” Katsuki replied. “I thought you liked reading.”

“I do, it’s just that…I thought you didn’t.”

“I like it enough.”

Izuku stared at the side of his face. So…why are we here, then? he wanted to ask, but he’d asked that question too many times already. Why are we here? What are we doing? Where are we going? He needed to just stop asking and go with it. Katsuki wasn’t going to answer him, anyway.

They started reading, and Izuku would be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy it. It started raining outside, so the light pittering of rain on the window behind them was soothing, along with the warm atmosphere and the distant rumble of thunder in the background. Izuku was instantly absorbed in his book; a superstitious thriller involving a woman who was being haunted by the spirits of her parents, who both died in a terrible fire when she was young. Sort of a cliché plot, but the writing was phenomenal. He couldn’t put it down.

After some time passed, they both started getting hungry, so they braved the storm and drove to a nearby gas station to buy some food and drinks. Once their lunch was secured, they returned to the library, going back to those two beanbags by the window and continuing their reading. Katsuki was indulging in the action book and Izuku decided to ask him if it was good when he finished. He enjoyed all genres, but it must’ve been good for Katsuki to be reading with such dedication.

Izuku opened his phone to respond to a few text messages and when he looked at the time, he realized they’d already been here for two hours. It felt like fifteen minutes. He was about halfway through his book and while Katsuki was a slightly slower reader, his book was shorter, so he was about halfway done as well. He hoped they stayed until they were both finished. He was really enjoying this mundane yet special hangout. It proved that not everything had to be exciting when he was with Katsuki—he’d enjoy it nonetheless.

There were some exhilarating moments, too; like when they were running out to the car in the storm, or arguing about which genre was better, or kicking each other’s beanbags occasionally just for fun. Izuku liked it just as much as he liked their other hangouts, if not, more. It was as if their time together was starting to bleed into real life instead of just odd hours of the night when nobody could see them. He was starting to feel like he and Katsuki hanging out wasn’t just some random occurrence. It was starting to become normal—starting to become natural.

So much of his life has evolved around Katsuki recently that whenever they found themselves apart, he’d start to feel un-normal.

And that definitely wouldn't fare well for him in the long run.

They ended up spending the rest of the day together. They finished their books and the entire drive back, they told each other about the plots, what they liked and didn’t like, their favorite characters, etcetera. Izuku found himself rambling about how much he loved the writing style, and he noticed Katsuki talking a lot about one character in his book—a young boy with a mercurial personality—that he’d taken a liking to. Izuku told him it made sense since Katsuki was such a wildcard. He earned a damning side-eye for that one.

When they got back to the dorms, Katsuki was about to leave him to do some training, but Izuku insisted on coming with. When Katsuki asked why he would want to spend his afternoon doing that of all things, Izuku explained that because he was missing so much training himself, watching Katsuki would sort of make up for it.

“It’s the second-best thing when it comes to training,” Izuku told him genuinely, nodding enthusiastically to convince him. “Watching someone else do it!”

Eventually Katsuki let him come along, grumbling about how weird he was. But what he didn’t tell Katsuki was that the real reason he wanted to come along—at least, the most prominent reason in his mind—was that he just wanted to hang out with him longer.

Izuku followed him to the locker room and tried not to watch him change. It not that he wanted to watch him or anything, it’s just that he was changing right in front of him, and Izuku didn’t know whether he should turn the other way or just avert his eyes, and he was trying not to be awkward, and he didn’t want to seem creepy, and there were a hundred other things running through his mind—so for a few seconds, he accidentally just ended up staring. He watched the muscles flex and roll in Katsuki’s shoulders as he pulled off his top and threw it on the ground, then as he reached for his training shirt to slide the cotton fabric on over his head. Izuku had no idea why, but there was something about the way he did that—carelessly pulled off his shirt and then tossed it to the ground—that stirred something in his gut.

For those brief few seconds between the change of shirts, Izuku could make out the scars on his back from previous battles, and he could even see the hint of a tan line from his hero suit. Katsuki was looking the other way as he slipped on the new shirt and pulled it down, obscuring Izuku’s view once more. He then undid his shoe laces using the bench as a prop, and Izuku watched that, too. But as soon as Katsuki silently began untying the knot of his sweatpants, Izuku hurriedly turned the other way, closing his eyes and ignoring the wave of blood rushing to his face.

Unfortunately, Katsuki noticed his sudden movement, so he said, “Relax, Deku. I’m wearing underwear.”

Izuku pursed his lips, heart beating faster after being called out. “I’m just gonna look at the wall now, thanks.”

Katsuki clicked his tongue. “Don’t quite know why you were watching me in the first place.”

In an attempt to save some face, Izuku said, “Maybe if you hadn’t started changing right in front of me…”

“You still could’ve looked the other way,” Katsuki pointed out, a smirk evident in his voice. He just loved teasing, didn’t he. Izuku ignored him and struggled to put out the hot flame of embarrassment in his gut.

As Katsuki went through the training exercises, Izuku couldn’t help but take notes; a guilty habit of his. He found a scrap piece of paper and a pen and started noting everything he thought impressive—the way he was able to move with such lithe strength, the way he could change directions so easily and instantly react to oncoming threats. Izuku could see he was constantly thinking, constantly strategizing a counterattack, constantly evaluating the enemy and reading their moves. Just the sheer contributable strength in his attacks was something to talk about.

Needless to say, Izuku filled up the whole paper—front side and back—and rushed to find a new one. An hour or so later when Katsuki was done, Izuku folded the papers and slipped them into his back pocket, making a mental reminder to stick them in his notebook when he next got the chance.

After Katsuki changed and took a bottle of water from the dispenser, they decided to just walk around U.A. for a while until he cooled off. He was really sweaty, Izuku noticed more than a few times. They walked aimlessly down the hallways, passing classrooms full of first years, posters on the walls promoting the yearly Sports Festival, and other things that reminded them of their first year here at U.A.

“Geez, I remember when we were still allowed to participate in those,” Katsuki grunted as he pointed at a Sports Festival poster as they walked past it. He took another swig from his water bottle before adding, “I find it funny how they don’t let our class join in anymore after what happened.”

Izuku remembered how, during their first and only Sports Festival, he, Shoto and Katsuki had already been so powerful that they almost destroyed the arena—multiple times. The teachers all collectively decided that they wouldn’t be allowed to take part in the games anymore, so to make it fair, they extended the “punishment” to the entire class. Izuku had always felt bad for ruining the fun for everyone else, but Katsuki never once acted remorseful.

“I don’t find that funny,” Izuku replied, wincing at the memory. “We really went all out…”

“Yeah, and the damage would be tripled now that we actually know how to use our Quirks. We were just a bunch of newbies then, but now, I could probably destroy that whole arena with just one blast,” he said, sticking his arms out as if simulating the creation of a big explosion. He made a few reckless sound effects of blowing things up before Izuku stifled a laugh and forced him to put his arms down.

“Come on, Kacchan,” Izuku laughed, rolling his eyes lightheartedly. “Don’t be callous.”

“What? I’m not. Just proving that I’d absolutely destroy you if we were allowed to participate in another Sports Festival,” he said, throwing a cocky grin.

Izuku had no idea where he drew that conclusion, but he went along with it anyway. “Mmm, I don’t know about that. I’ve made One for All my own now. I think it’d be a fair fight.”

“Ha! Even with all your Quirks, you could still never beat me.”

“That’s not what Blackwhip tells me…” Izuku said before suddenly angling his right hand at Katsuki and summoning Blackwhip, using it to instantly wrap around and pin his arms to his body. Katsuki gave a startled grunt when, in an instant, Izuku rendered him unable to move, sucking the ropes tight so he had no chance of escaping.

He hadn’t used any of his Quirks in weeks, so this felt great. Izuku grinned, light shining in his eyes as he watched Katsuki’s expression transition from surprise into a scowl of indignation. He knew better than to try to struggle against Blackwhip, as the tendrils were stronger than he was in terms of raw strength. So he just stood there, waiting for Izuku to release him, growing angrier by the second. “Really?” he demanded as Izuku refused to let him go. “Un-fucking-fair, Deku. You aren’t supposed to be using your Quirk in the first place.”

“The doctor said it’s okay in small doses, now that my body is healing,” Izuku explained, slowly walking forward and beaming a smile directly in front of Katsuki’s face, taunting him. “Come and get me, Kacchan,” he teased softly, smiling and looking up at him. He didn’t know what kind of confidence decided to possess him in that moment, but he raised his left hand and gently traced his fingers along Katsuki’s collarbone.

Katsuki raised an eyebrow for a moment, as if surprised by his straightforwardness. His boldness. Izuku met eyes with him and his heartrate picked up. He hadn’t noticed until now just how close his body was.

Izuku continued tracing his collarbone, warm skin beneath his fingertips, though he wasn’t sure why he was doing it. Katsuki hated physical touch—Izuku knew that. And yet, the blond wasn’t saying anything. For a second or two, Katsuki had a blank look on his face, as if he wasn’t sure what to think. His lips were slightly parted, eyes hooded and dark. Izuku wondered what his reaction would be. Seconds later, he seemed to remember that he was supposed to be angry.

The tension broke like stale bread when Katsuki finally came to his senses and broke their gaze, jerking his head back. “Get off me,” he growled, giving Izuku a glare that spelled danger as the green-haired boy took a step back. “Lemme out.”

Izuku giggled to hide his racing heart as he began slowly unwinding the black ropes and retracting them back into himself. Katsuki just stood there, glaring with eyes that didn’t back him up. Acting casual, Izuku shrugged and began walking again. “It feels good to use that again,” he said to ease the tension—tension he wasn’t sure why existed in the first place. He was just messing around with Katsuki, just like he always did to Izuku. But this time, something felt a little…

No. He ignored it. They continued walking and Katsuki started giving him shit for using his Quirk indoors, not giving him enough of a warning, and a list of other things just because he was salty. Izuku listened to him rant, laughing whenever he said something particularly out of pocket or purposefully arrogant. It was good that they were both deciding to brush past whatever just happened. He knew he shouldn’t have used his Quirk irresponsibly like that, especially not in a setting where teachers could have seen him. But in the moment, he’d felt bold enough to do it. Katsuki had that sort of effect on him, it seemed.

Later, they came across U.A.’s music room, and when Katsuki accidentally reminded him that he used to play the drums, Izuku wanted to hear him play. He began dragging Katsuki inside, ignoring his groans of complaint. “Come on, Kacchan! I haven’t heard you play since our first Culture Festival!”

“Deku, you ass. You can’t make me do it,” Katsuki grumbled, but he wasn’t resisting much against Izuku’s tugging—just enough to put up a fight.

“You’re right, I can’t…” Izuku said as he caught sight of the drum set in the corner and changed course to go towards it. “But I want you to.”

“What incentive do I have, then? Just because you want me to?” the blond asked, incredulous.

“Yeah! Because I want you to,” Izuku repeated brightly, but he knew that wouldn’t be enough. He thought of something that might incentivize Katsuki to play the drums for him, and after a few seconds, said, “Here, uh, I know—how many of my mom’s cookies do you have left?”

Katsuki thought for a moment before laughing a mirthless laugh. “You’re a damn player, aren’t you? A fucking cookie dealer,” he said, but he stopped resisting, so Izuku let go of his arm. “How many cookies are we talkin’?”

“I could…ask my mom to make you a batch,” Izuku said, looking at him over his shoulder. “All you have to do is play one song.”

Katsuki tongued his cheek as Izuku reached the drum set and stood beside it, motioning to the seat between the drums where Katsuki was to sit. The blond stared at him, looking like he didn’t want to do it, before asking, “Why the hell do you want me to do this so badly?”

Izuku’s answer was simple. “I remember you used to be really good, and I want to see you play again. Didn’t you own a drum set at one point?” he asked.

“At one point,” Katsuki confirmed before heaving a heavy, exaggerated sigh. To Izuku’s delight, he began walking towards the set. “You’re such a damn nuisance,” he growled as he walked by Izuku, giving him a little shove on the shoulder as he passed. Izuku smiled and took a few steps back as the blond sat down on the small red chair, surrounded directly by drums and cymbals.

As Katsuki began adjusting everything—scooting up his chair, making sure the bass drum was accessible, adjusting the cymbals so that they were in range—Izuku found a foldable chair and pulled it closer so he could watch comfortably. He had an easy smile on his face as he watched Katsuki grab his drumsticks and then sit there for a moment, as if trying to remember how the song began. He looked thoughtful; concentrated. Izuku watched, giving him his silence.

Then, he began to play. The opening of the song required him to beat hard on the drums and one of the tall cymbals, causing a loud noise that startled Izuku slightly, even though he knew it was coming. Sound waves reverberated throughout the room as Katsuki beat rhythmically on the snare, bass, and cymbals, immediately beginning to carve out an explosive yet well-measured tempo. He played fast-paced and skillfully, despite his claims that he hasn’t played in over two years. It didn’t seem possible.

Izuku watched, immediately entranced by the way his body just seemed to know what to do. His foot stomped a steady beat into the bass pedal, speeding up at times when the song required, and slowing down for others. At the same time, his hands gripped the drumsticks, flying over the drums in front of him, sometimes gentle, sometimes harsh. Sometimes, his hands would dance so fast that Izuku could barely track his movements. Occasionally the position of the stick in his hand would change, and one hand would be doing one thing while the other took on a rhythm completely different. It was as if his mind was working in two different places at once. The coordination was not only impressive, but it was incredible.

To say Izuku was in awe would be an understatement. He was completely blown away. Katsuki didn’t even have any supporting instruments—no guitar, piano, hell he didn’t even have a pendulum to keep his pace steady. And yet somehow, it seemed as if he was hitting all of the notes in the perfectly correct order, at the perfectly correct pace, and without so much as a single mess-up. Despite not having any music in the background, Katsuki was creating a song of his own. A song that didn’t need anything else. A song that was beautiful and powerful and tangible and intangible all at once—a song that Izuku would replay again and again in his mind if he could, a song that he wished could last forever.

And just like that, Izuku felt it.

As he watched Katsuki play those drums, focusing on the way his hands flew, the way his body moved, the way his drumsticks hit the surface of the drums so intensely—so passionately—Izuku felt it. He felt something. Something from deep down in his gut, wriggling its way up and into his chest, where it began to transform and bloom into something lighter, something new. Something he’d never felt before. Not in this magnitude.

Izuku was feeling flutters.

Flutters in his chest when he looked at Katsuki.

He was so caught up in the moment that he didn’t realize what he was feeling at first and just how different it was. At first, he passed it off as a feeling of appreciation for the music, or a feeling of admiration for Katsuki and all his skill. At least, that was until Katsuki was nearing the end of the song and he was still feeling it.

His chest felt fluttery and he felt…excited, for some reason. His heart was beating faster than normal, and his brain felt like it was surrounded by a thick, warm fog. These were all things he’s felt before—felt around Katsuki, for that matter. He felt some of them earlier today. He felt them yesterday, and the day before that—he’d been feeling some rendition of these emotions a lot recently, maybe that was true. He’d come to accept that. The more he was hanging out with Katsuki, the more his body seemed to react.

But it was never like this.

Never so blatantly. Never directly towards him. It was like he was feeling these things solely because of Katsuki’s presence, because of his passion, because of his skill and agility and his beauty, all in this moment. Izuku’s smile began to fade as he realized it wasn’t going away. Maybe it’s wrong, he thought, confused, beginning to grow a little frightened. Maybe my body’s wrong. Maybe it’s just doing that because of the music…because of the drums…I mean, it’s a really good beat, after all…

It didn’t go away. Even as Katsuki ended the song and dropped his drumsticks, panting, it didn’t go away. Izuku watched as he wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand, turning his crimson gaze to Izuku, eyes enticing and dark and full of strength.

It didn’t go away.

Katsuki stood up, completely unaware of Izuku’s calamitous realization, and rounded the corner of the drum set to walk towards him. He held his hands up in question, as if waiting for Izuku to give some type of feedback. But for a few seconds, Izuku couldn’t move from that spot. As the feeling in his chest just refused to extinguish, even as the song had very obviously come to an end, Izuku couldn’t bring himself to. All he could do was stare, and hope for it to go away.

Once the silence stretched on for a little too long, Katsuki’s eyebrows knit together and he asked, “What? Was my playing so good that it made you deaf?”

At the introduction of his voice, Izuku snapped out of his daze and abruptly stood up, forcibly ridding himself of that unwelcome feeling in his chest. He was determined not to let it happen again. It just wasn’t right. It shouldn’t be possible.

There’s no way he felt that way about Katsuki. His enemy, his rival, his friend. Katsuki was his friend, and that was it. That’s what he was working towards, and that’s what he wanted. After all these years, Izuku was finally going to be friends with Katsuki.

He wasn’t going to let anything get in the way of that.

“Yeah—I mean, no. I was just...” he struggled for words, feeling like that haze fogging up his brain was still there. Finally he reset himself and sighed, giving Katsuki a genuine smile. “I was in awe after seeing all your talent. Are you sure you haven’t played at all in the past two years?” he asked, following Katsuki as he began to walk towards the door.

Katsuki shook his head. “Somehow, I just remembered. I messed up a few times towards the beginning, but after that, my body just sort of took over. I guess the muscle memory kicked in.”

“Well, I loved it! You’re every bit as good as I remember,” he exclaimed, telling the truth. “You should really think about playing more, Kacchan. You have a talent.”

Katsuki shrugged.

The rest of the day, Izuku couldn’t get that moment out of his head, no matter how hard he tried. He hung out with Katsuki for a couple hours more before the blond wanted to go back to his room and shower, so Izuku was forced to go back to the nurse’s office. She checked him over before informing him that he had a couple of significant heartrate spikes throughout the day, whereas there were no changes in his blood pressure or respiratory rate. She asked him what that was about.

Thinking quickly, Izuku explained that he and Katsuki had been playing board games that got a little heated, thus resulting in his heartrate to speed up. Practically lying through his teeth. Recovery Girl believed him and marked it down on her clipboard before going back to her office.

Izuku went back to his room, closing the door and turning off the light. The evening was darkening with each passing minute, but there was still enough light leaking through the blinds for him to see. He sat precariously on the corner of his bed and sort of just stared into space for a while, allowing himself some silence.

Now that he was alone, he could really put some thought into that strange feeling he’d gotten earlier. He’d done everything possible to try to brush it off and ignore it, but now that he’d felt it—now that he’d recognized it—he couldn’t stop thinking about it. Every time he looked at Katsuki, he remembered it. How powerful it felt. How new, and also how strangely exciting it was. He didn’t know what to think of it except that he wanted it gone. He didn’t think of Katsuki like that; and even if he did, there was no way the feelings would be reciprocated. It just wasn’t possible.

He was about to take off his clothes to go to bed early when he remembered what he was wearing. Katsuki’s hoodie. Izuku looked down at the black fabric, face blank but mind running with confusion and dismay as these thoughts and questions bounced around his head. Why was he feeling this way? What was so different about Katsuki than everyone else? Why had he never felt these things before; during their first or second years, even? Why the sudden shift now, when we’re finally starting to become friends again?

Izuku slowly began lifting the hoodie off his head, but stopped when his nose reached the collar. He took a deep breath with his nose buried in the fabric and was surprised, even though he shouldn’t have been, when he realized it still smelled like him. The hoodie still smelled like Katsuki.

JHis heartrate started to pick up again.

Izuku quickly scrambled to lift his left foot onto the bed and undo the straps of the heartrate monitor on his ankle. Once it was off, he tossed it to the floor, listening to it clatter across the hard surface and come to a stop in the middle of the room. When that was done, Izuku sighed dejectedly and flopped back on his bed, listening to his heart pound in his ears. This was wrong. This was so wrong. Why was his heart doing that? Why has it been doing that every time he’s around Katsuki? Sure he might be attractive, there was no point in denying that—but that didn’t mean Izuku was attracted to him. He wasn’t.

He thought about all the things they’ve been doing recently. All the fun, friendly, innocent things they’ve been doing together. Katsuki was a great friend, and an amazing person that he loved to be around.

But then his mind drifted off to the other moments they shared…times where Izuku found himself wondering exactly what Katsuki’s intentions were, or where deep down, he started to question the genuine desires of his own. That time in the kitchen where he had Izuku pinned to the counter—his heart had been racing so fast he was sure Katsuki could’ve heard it from a mile away. Or that time when Katsuki let him sit on the chair with him so he could teach him how to work his phone. Basically any moment during roller blading where Katsuki held on to Izuku to keep him upright, or any time in general where they hold eye contact for longer than about two seconds. And now today, when Izuku had him wrapped up in Blackwhip and was teasing him. That all felt different.

Katsuki hadn’t always made him feel this way, and he was trying to come up with reasons as to why that could be. Izuku could still remember clearly how on the boat, Katsuki was essentially the only one he could think about—the one he could count on. During his visions, when everybody left Izuku behind, Katsuki was the only one there to save him. In his dreams, Katsuki was always there; whether it was a memory, a flashback, or even a hallucination from the villain’s serum, Katsuki was always there. He didn’t know why at the time, and honestly, he still had no idea. All he knew was that at the time, those visions kept him going. They kindled the hope in his chest, and that’s what kept him alive.

After that, Katsuki was there in real life, too. He was the first familiar face Izuku saw on the day he was rescued, and he was the last face he saw before passing out. The next time he woke up in the hospital, Katsuki was there again. And for the days after that, he stuck with Izuku, keeping him company and making sure he healed. He was always there.

Now, if they were ever apart for too long, Izuku noticed it, and whenever they were together, he felt calm. He’s never had a panic attack when he was around Katsuki; in fact, he’s never even forgotten Kacchan’s name. All his other classmates—even Shoto and Ochako—he’s forgotten at least once. But never when he was with Katsuki.

Izuku didn’t understand it, and part of it scared him. If these emotions developed into anything deeper, he was in for nothing but disappointment. There’s no way Katsuki was going to ever think of him like that, especially not after everything they’ve been through together; all their history as childhood friends, enemies, rivals, and now, friends again. It just wasn’t going to happen.

He sat up and took a few deep breaths, calming his heart enough to get up. Izuku took off the hoodie and folded it nicely so he could give it back to Katsuki tomorrow. Then, he started taking off his pants to put some shorts on, only to remember the paper folded in his back pocket. He found his most up-to-date notebook under his bed and then slipped those safely inside. Once his comfy clothes were on, Izuku crawled into bed and plugged his earbuds in, intending to listen to music like he always did. Listening to music was always a great way to calm him; but even as the soothing notes of “Wish You Were Here” by Pink Floyd flooded his ears, he didn’t drift off until many hours later.

For the next week, Izuku kept a very close eye on his emotions regarding Katsuki, but he was quick to realize that no matter how hard he tried to push these new feelings down, they weren’t going away. Sometimes he felt like he was stuck in a space shuttle on course to crash directly into the sun. He had no control over anything, and there was no way of stopping it. He just had to hang on, wait until they got there—and hope he didn’t end up burning to death in the process.

He hung out with Katsuki twice in that time, which he supposed was good. The less time he spent with the blond, the more control he had over himself. That wasn’t to say that he didn’t want to hang out with him, it’s just that he didn’t want any…unwanted feelings…to grow more than they already have.

The first time they hung out, Izuku went over to Katsuki’s room and they made smoothies before reading together on his deck, enjoying the sunlight after the four-day storm finally passed. Izuku enjoyed these quiet, mundane hangouts just as much as he enjoyed the action-packed, thrilling ones. He wondered if Katsuki was doing it just because he knew that, or if he actually enjoyed them, too. Either way, it was fun.

The second time they hung out was at Izuku’s apartment. His mom had asked Izuku to come home for dinner that day, so he asked if Katsuki could come, too—and also if she could make a batch of mochi cookies for him. She agreed ecstatically, obviously happy to hear that Izuku was hanging out with the blond again. She sometimes asked if he and Katsuki have been getting along, and more often than not, the answer was ‘not really,’ ‘kind of,’ or some form of that. Inko was always a little sad hearing that, especially since she remembered so vividly everything they used to do together as kids. So now that Izuku was actually hanging out with him—inviting him to dinner, no less—she was thrilled.

“I was planning on making yakitori—does Katsuki like that? I’ll have to make extra! Oh, let’s see, I’ll need more chicken, rice, probably broccoli…and for the cookies, I need to buy sugar…Izuku, will you ask him if he likes yakitori? I could make something different if not,” she rushed, talking rapidly into the phone.

“Um—he’s not very picky, but I can ask,” Izuku told her, not revealing how he hadn’t even asked Katsuki if he could come in the first place. Hopefully he’d just say yes. “Is there anything you want me to do, like go to the store or something?”

“No, no, that’s okay, ‘Zuku,” Inko said in return, the smile evident in her voice. He could hear a door opening in the background and assumed she was heading to the store now. “Just be here with Katsuki around six. Sound good?”

Izuku smiled. “Okay, mom. Thanks again!”

“No problem, honey. Love you!”

“I love you, too.”

Five minutes later, Izuku finally worked up enough courage to call Katsuki and ask if he could come. After taking a deep breath, he pressed the call button and held the phone up to his ear, tapping his fingers on his knee as he listened to it ring. Twenty seconds passed with no answer before Katsuki picked up, immediately demanding, “What?”

A smile inadvertently sprung to Izuku’s face when he heard his voice. “Hey, Kacchan! Are you, um…free tonight?”

Katsuki remained silent for a few seconds, thinking, before giving a sigh. “Unfortunately, yes. Why do you ask?”

“I was wondering if you wanted to come over for dinner. My mom agreed to make mochi cookies,” Izuku proposed, biting his lip as he finished and waited for a response. He really didn’t want to have to call his mom back and tell her that Katsuki couldn’t come. She sounded so excited, after all. Please say yes, please say yes…he thought as the seconds ticked by excessively slow.

Eventually, a low hum resonated in Katsuki’s throat, and he gave his response. “I guess I can’t say no to free food. What’s on the menu?”

Izuku could barely contain a celebration. “Does yakitori sound good?”

Katsuki grunted in affirmative. “Fuck yeah. What time.”

“Six.”

“Need a ride?”

Izuku only felt his smile grow. “Yes, please.”

“Alright. But if you’re not ready at five forty-five, I’m leaving you,” Katsuki said before hanging up. Izuku dropped his hand in his lap and smiled softly to himself, looking down at his phone, at Katsuki’s contact. That couldn’t have gone better. He texted his mom that Katsuki did, in fact, like yakitori. Then he started getting ready. It was only three o’clock, but he wanted to be ready when Katsuki got here, and his excitement didn’t allow him to wait.

When they arrived at the Midoriya apartment later, Inko threw her arms around Izuku when he walked in the door, and Katsuki was next, even though he tried to dodge it. “I’m so happy to see you two together!” she exclaimed, eyes shining. She was wearing an apron and had her hair in a messy bun, telling Izuku that she’s been working hard for the past few hours to clean up and get the food ready.

Izuku gave her a warm smile as Katsuki responded, “I only came for the cookies. Is that what smells so good?”

Inko nodded before turning back to the kitchen. She knew Katsuki’s personality almost as well as Izuku did, meaning she knew when he said something like that, it most likely wasn’t true. “I didn’t know you liked them so much!”

“How could I not? They’re fu—I mean, they’re fantastic.” Izuku noticed how he caught himself, having remembered that Inko didn’t like swearing. He thought that was sweet. The two followed her down the hall to the kitchen, where for the next twenty minutes, they sat at the counter and watched her finish cooking. Inko was happy to ask tons of questions—Katsuki’s plans for the future, his recovery, his grades, and about a hundred other things. Izuku told her a few times to stop grilling him, but Katsuki didn’t seem to mind. The mood of the apartment was incredibly pleasant. Izuku felt like he was smiling the entire time.

When the food was done, they ate (it was delicious) and helped Inko with dishes before heading to Izuku’s room to dig his old Xbox out from the closet. For the next couple of hours, he and Katsuki played Minecraft on the dusty controllers, a game his mom bought for him as a kid but he rarely played. They built a house together, arguing the whole time about where to put the rooms and why, until Katsuki got so frustrated he foraged a bunch of TNT and then destroyed the whole thing. That was around the two-hour mark, and at that point, they both just gave up.

Eventually they had to go back to U.A., as they had class the next day and needed to be well-rested. Regular classes had started back up every Wednesday and Friday, and Izuku was allowed to attend only while wearing his vitals monitor and under the supervision of Mr. Aizawa. He was told that if he manages to stay clear for five days, meaning no panic attacks or blood pressure spikes, then he could move back into his own room and pretty much go back to normal. Today, Friday, was his fifth day—and he’s had no problems with panic attacks thus far. Izuku was nervous to hear the results from the nurse about his blood pressure. Hopefully it hadn’t spiked at all.

On Friday after class, as everyone was packing up, Katsuki looked over his shoulder and asked, “Oi, nerd. Aren’t you supposed to get your results back today?”

Izuku immediately understood what he was talking about, so he nodded, gripping the strap of his bookbag tightly. “I’m nervous…but hopeful. I haven’t had any panic attacks for five days, so as long as my blood pressure comes back clean, I’m good.”

Katsuki grunted. “Then you can finally get out of that damn lady’s office, huh.”

“Mm…that would be nice.”

“What are you talking about, Izuku?” Ochako asked from behind him as she walked over and heard a part of their conversation, Shoto and Tenya not far behind. “What about getting out of the nurse’s office?”

Izuku began explaining to them as Katsuki walked away.

Ochako, Shoto, and Tenya walked Izuku to his room before heading off to the training arena, where most everyone else was going for a class competition. Izuku was sad to be missing it, but the nurse said that he was going to get his results back after class, so he needed to be here. He opened the door to his room and set his stuff on the desk before beginning to wait, anxiously picking at his fingernails as he sat on his bed.

Ten minutes later there was a knock at the door and Recovery Girl came in, holding a clipboard and pen. She smiled at Izuku as she entered, and Izuku gave a timid wave in return. “Hello, Midoriya,” she said in a friendly tone as she closed the door behind her. “We’ve been monitoring your blood pressure, heartrate, and respiratory rate over the past five days, and I’ve compiled all the information onto this clipboard. If everything comes back normal, you will be allowed to return to your dorm and classes as usual, and you can remove the ankle monitor. However, if they come back unusual, you will have to stay here until you can go five days without an abnormality. Do you understand?”

“Yes.”

“Alright. And are you ready to hear your results?”

“I am,” Izuku said, sitting straight up and nodding. “I’m ready.”

“Good,” Recovery Girl said, nodding—but she looked slightly hesitant for some reason, as if she were missing something. Izuku started to feel more nervous by the second as she stared at Izuku. “Before we begin,” she said, giving Izuku a serious look, “You’ll need to call someone.”

Slightly confused, Izuku blinked. “My mom?” he guessed, but Recovery Girl shook her head.

“No. Actually, we need Bakugou Katsuki.”

Izuku’s eyebrows knit together in utter confusion. Katsuki? Why does she need Kacchan?

“Do you have his number?” Recovery Girl asked, pointing at his phone, which was on the bed at his side. Izuku slowly picked up the phone and nodded.

“…Yes.”

“Call him, please, and tell him to come immediately. He needs to hear this just as much as you do.”

At this point, Izuku was thoroughly confused. Were they in trouble? Was Katsuki in trouble? As his thumb hovered above the call button under Katsuki’s name, he hesitated, heartrate beginning to pick up. He didn’t even know what to say if he did answer—he had no idea how to explain what was going on. Recovery Girl was acting strangely cryptic.

Izuku pressed the button and held the phone up to his ear, looking at Recovery Girl and trying to search her face for answers. She just watched him silently. The phone rung three, four, five times before Katsuki finally picked up, sounding slightly more irritated than usual.

“What, Deku?” he asked, and Izuku could hear he was panting. Izuku knew he was probably in the middle of a training session and felt bad for interrupting him. “I swear, if this is something you could’ve told me in class, I’m gonna wipe the floor with you.”

“It’s not,” Izuku assured, wondering momentarily how he should possibly go about phrasing this. “Um…Recovery Girl says that you have to come here immediately. It’s important.”

On the other end of the line, Katsuki quieted, as if trying to gauge whether this was some sort of joke or not. “Are you serious?” he asked finally.

“Yes,” Izuku replied, looking at Recovery Girl for confirmation. She nodded.

Katsuki was quiet for another few seconds before sighing in defeat and grumbling, “Fine. But I’ll have you know, I was winning.” Then, he hung up.

Izuku lowered the phone as Recovery Girl gave him a quick thank-you. Something about this just felt…off. Three minutes later, Katsuki knocked on the door, and the nurse swiftly let him in. He was wearing a training uniform and his forehead was beaded with sweat. He first looked at Izuku as he walked in, and the green-haired boy gave him an oblivious shrug to let him know that he had no idea what was going on. Katsuki then looked at Recovery Girl, who was smiling now that they were both here.

“Great! Thanks for coming on such short notice, Bakugou. I’ll get straight to the point so as not to waste your time.” She now regarded both of them as she said, “Midoriya’s results came back rather…mixed.”

Izuku’s heart immediately dropped, but she was quick to continue before the disappointment could really set in. “I know what you’re thinking. I told you five days ago that if your blood pressure spikes at all, then you won’t be able to return to normal. But now that we have the results back, me and the other doctors at the hospital have determined an ulterior solution.”

She looked at her clipboard before continuing. “On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, your blood pressure was consistently fluctuating. Sometimes it would hit a normal ratio, while other times, your diastolic pressure was far too high or too low. With these results, there’s no way you can return to normal life, as you’re far too susceptible to flashbacks. But…” Recovery Girl held up a finger, “…this is where it gets interesting.”

She turned a page on her clipboard. “On Tuesday and Thursday, your blood pressure came back crystal clear. No fluctuations, no abnormalities—on both Tuesday and Thursday, everything about you was normal.” She paused for a moment, letting them both think on that. “I want you to think back now, Midoriya. What did you do on Tuesday and Thursday that made them similar?”

Izuku looked at Katsuki, feeling his mouth go dry. He didn’t like where this was going. He didn’t like how he knew the answer.

Katsuki seemed to realize it, too—and his eyes widened in bewilderment.

Those were the days he and Katsuki hung out.

“I sense that you both understand what I’m getting at here,” Recovery Girl said, folding the paper back over the clipboard and looking like she was wrapping up her discussion. “With these results, we would be willing to release you—but only if Bakugou stays with you at all times.”

Izuku’s eyes widened and by the look on Katsuki’s face, he didn’t like the idea, either. “What?” they both exclaimed at the same time, Izuku’s eyes betraying his uncertainty and Katsuki’s tone betraying his disbelief. It was inconsiderate to expect something like that out of him, especially when he had his own goals, own friends, own life. Sticking with him at all times? How could Recovery Girl possibly expect him to be okay with that?

“Um, no,” Katsuki started, holding his hands out to stop the conversation. “Absolutely not happening.”

“Yeah, that’s just messed up,” Izuku agreed, starting to panic a little—though he had different motives than Katsuki for not wanting this to happen. When they were only hanging out once or twice a week, he was able to keep a bottle on his emotions so much easier. But if he was around him every day…well, Izuku might have a harder time keeping that bottle from overflowing.

Recovery Girl, however, didn’t look at all swayed by their efforts. “I’ve already arranged it with your teachers, and they said it wouldn’t take anything out of your schedule. Agreeing to this wouldn’t hurt you in any way. If anything, it might be a minor change in your schedule; but that’s it. You already sit next to each other in class. Aizawa said you two have no problem with training together, and not only that, but he said you’re usually around each other, anyway.”

“Aizawa said that?” Katsuki demanded, mouth agape, fists balled. “That fucking—”

“Hey, now,” Recovery Girl cut him off sternly. “Don’t make this harder than it has to be.”

“So what, you’re gonna force me to hang out with him? What, am I gonna get expelled if I don’t?” the blond continued, glancing at Izuku with anger in his eyes. Izuku clenched his jaw, starting to feel guilty even though he wasn’t given a say in any of it. He felt like such a nuisance. If this destroyed his relationship with Katsuki just after he was starting to build it back up again, he’d never forgive Recovery Girl—or any of the others.

“No,” Recovery Girl said with a sigh, “we can’t expel you for that. Technically, we can’t force you to do anything; but really, I didn’t think it would be a problem. It seems to me like you two are friends. Isn’t that true?” she asked.

Neither of them said anything.

Izuku thought they were friends. Katsuki wouldn’t do all those things with him if he didn’t think of him as a friend, right? He looked at the blond, but he was scowling down at his shoes, avoiding eye contact.

After a sizeable chunk of silence, Izuku finally confirmed in a small voice, “We’re friends.”

Katsuki didn’t correct him.

Recovery Girl didn’t acknowledge the obvious tension in the air. Either she didn’t notice, or she just didn’t care. “Then what’s the problem with spending a few extra hours together every day? You don’t even have to be next to each other; you just have to be in the same room. At least, that’s what your results tell us. Honestly, I’m still not sure why that is, but it’s quite interesting. I’ve never had a case like this before.”

“Well, you’d best figure it out,” Katsuki grumbled after a moment, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. “I’m not tryna spend the rest of my life coddling around Deku’s every need.”

Izuku frowned, and that statement sparked him to ask, “Can’t I just live in here for a few more weeks, or until my blood pressure starts to even out on its own? I…I don’t want to force Kacchan to do this. It just isn’t fair.” He was starting to feel bad, especially seeing Katsuki’s extreme reluctance. He obviously didn’t want to do it, and Izuku didn’t want to force him. He wanted to stay away from anything that might ruin their friendship.

To his dismay, Recovery Girl shook her head. “I’m sorry, Midoriya, but I don’t think that’s possible. By staying here, you’re taking up one of my rooms—a room that I would usually use to treat multiple people at a time. It’s been a struggle for me to fit all my patients into one room, especially now that your class is getting older and your injuries are coming back…bloodier.” She glanced at Katsuki pointedly before looking back at Izuku. “I have a lot of students to tend to, not only in this class, but in other buildings, too. I’m sorry, but the only other option would be for you to go back to the hospital and resume your treatment there.”

Izuku stiffened. He really didn’t want to go back there, especially now that he was this close to being back to normal. He looked at the ground, avoiding Katsuki’s gaze, which he knew was on him. Neither option was very appealing—but if Katsuki didn’t agree, who knows how long it would be before Izuku was allowed to return?

He wasn’t going to be selfish. He wasn’t gonna beg or try to convince Katsuki. Sure it would be nice to sleep in his own bed after months of sleeping elsewhere, but a win wouldn’t feel like a win if he did anything to sway the blond’s decision. If he refused now, Izuku’s only choice would be to go back to the hospital.

The silence was deafening as he waited for Katsuki to make his response.

He seemed to be weighing his options, and when the silence stretched for longer than thirty seconds, Izuku was almost convinced that he was going to say no. After all, it was in his own best interest. Following Izuku around every day, making sure he didn’t have panic attacks? That seemed like a pretty shit option. Izuku couldn’t blame him if he didn’t want to do it.

Just when Izuku was starting to think that he wasn’t going to respond at all, Katsuki finally sighed and ran his hands over his face. He looked at the old woman. “I only have to stay with him until his blood pressure evens out?” he asked, gravelly voice not giving away any emotion.

“That’s correct,” Recovery Girl affirmed.

“And how long will that take?”

“We don’t know. It could take a few weeks…to a few months. Hopefully by then, he’ll know how to handle his panic attacks on his own and won’t need you with him.”

Katsuki groaned, but something about his expression had shifted—like now that he’d been given some time to think about it, he was more inclined to agree. Finally, he met eyes with Izuku, and they held contact for a few seconds. Izuku wanted to apologize for being the cause of such an unfair decision and unfortunate situation, but before he could, Katsuki broke the eye contact and looked away. “Fine,” he said, voice sounding strained, as if it was taking everything to be agreeing to something so out of the ordinary. He sighed, then nodded his head reluctantly. “I’ll do it, Deku.”

Izuku’s mouth dropped open, not just out of surprise but out of…delight? He knew he shouldn’t be happy that he was about to spend such an excessive amount of time with Katsuki, especially regarding these new feelings and all—but part of him involuntarily was. Maybe he was just happy that Katsuki cared about him enough to agree in the first place.

Recovery Girl smiled. “Outstanding, Bakugou. I will let your teachers know. Midoriya Izuku, as of now, you are officially allowed to return to your life as normal.”

Izuku practically jumped up, eyes shining as he looked at Katsuki. “Kacchan…” he said, a smile on his face despite everything. Despite the tension still hanging in the room, and despite the fact there very well may be some unintended, life-altering consequences to this decision—all he could think about in this moment was that Katsuki actually said yes.

“That’s right, nerd. But don’t expect me to be very happy about it,” he grumbled, dishing Izuku a nasty scowl. Behind him, Recovery Girl exited the room and closed the door, leaving them alone. “Oh and by the way, that woman is so fucking unfair. Pulling me out of the damn competition just to drop that fucking bomb on me? I mean, seriously…and I was about to fucking win, too.”

Izuku smiled and listened as he began packing up his stuff.

The move back to his room took less than an hour. All he really had to do was confirm everything with Mr. Aizawa and the principal, move all his stuff back to his room, and then go grocery shopping—because all of the food had been removed from his room to keep from rotting. Katsuki begrudgingly helped. When they were almost to his room, carrying the groceries up from Katsuki’s car, the class competition ended and Ochako, Tenya and Shoto made came to see what he was doing and how the meeting went. Izuku informed them he was moving back to his dorm and they ended up telling the rest of the class.

As everyone made their way over to Izuku’s room to congratulate him on returning to normal, Katsuki stood at his side, basically glued to Izuku’s shoulder for the whole time. He didn’t question it, even though Recovery Girl did technically say that if they were just in the same room together, he’d be fine. It appeared that Katsuki wanted to be closer than that.

Eventually, though, a few of their friends caught on, and they wanted to know what was up. “Hey, Bakugou. Why are you standing so close to Midoriya?” Shoto asked, voicing the question in everyone’s head. Shoto has always been blunt like that.

“Yeah, I’ve been noticing that, too. Are you two, like, besties now or something?” Mina asked. An innocent enough question, but Katsuki shot her a glare.

“Uh—no. Actually, that’s what I’ve been meaning to tell you guys,” Izuku said, scratching the back of his neck and glancing up at Katsuki, hoping he might help. But Katsuki gave him a look that said, ‘Go ahead. This is your problem.’

“The thing is, Recovery Girl only let me go on one condition. It might sound a little weird, but she said that I can only go back to normal if Kacchan stays with me at all times—with some exceptions, of course, but still…he has to stay close to me for the next few weeks or so.”

He watched in real time as a wave of confusion washed over everyone’s faces. “What?” Ochako was the first to ask, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “That doesn’t make any sense.”

“Ah…I know. It’s hard to explain,” Izuku admitted. “Something about my blood pressure evening out whenever Kacchan is around me. It’s kind of like his presence, uhm…calms me down.”

Tenya spoke next, coming to his rescue. “I suppose that would make sense, considering that Bakugou was the one who rescued him,” he said, causing a few surrounding classmates to nod in understanding. “Do you think it’s some kind of psychological thing? Maybe a disorder of some kind—something treatable?”

“Recovery Girl isn’t sure. She said she’s going to try to figure something out,” Izuku answered. “But until then…”

“…I’m his personal fuckin’ bodyguard,” Katsuki finished for him, and Izuku could almost hear the eye-roll in his voice. The shorter boy nodded sheepishly in agreement.

“Hey, I think it’s kinda cool!” Kirishima exclaimed, making his way to stand in front of them with a grin on his face. “It’s like you’re his cure or something!”

“It’s kind of ironic, considering how much you two used to hate each other. Adorable, even!” Mina added with a sentimental tone, giggling when Katsuki lifted his hand threatening to smack her. Izuku couldn’t help but agree, though. It wasn’t just ironic; it was paradoxical just how much their relationship had changed. Two years ago, Izuku never would’ve imagined Katsuki agreeing to something so outlandish—and yet, here they were. Of course, they’d always upheld some variation of care for one another, but recently, it was starting to feel like they were becoming real friends again. It was a…welcome feeling, to say the least.

The following day, he and Katsuki were just sort of sitting in Izuku’s room, not really doing anything. Katsuki was laying on his bed scrolling through his phone while Izuku was sitting at his desk, reading. He’d already finished the book he checked out last week with Katsuki, so this was a different one that he got from the U.A. library. The sliding glass door was cracked, letting air into the otherwise silent room—and that was it.

Izuku was beginning to realize that his initial idea of this whole hanging-out-constantly thing had been wrong. He knew that it meant they’d be spending time together outside closed doors; and in all his excitement, he completely forgot to consider that sometimes, they weren’t going to be doing fun, exciting things. Sometimes, they might not be doing anything at all.

He kept glancing at Katsuki every once in a while, hoping he wasn’t bored, or annoyed, or angry, or anything else. Half the time, he expected Katsuki to be looking frustrated, asking himself why the hell he was spending all day sitting cooped up in Izuku’s room—but honestly, it just looked like he was doing the same things he’d be doing in his own room. He helped himself to Izuku’s snacks and drinks, he went to the bathroom whenever he needed to, and he spoke to Izuku whenever something came up. He didn’t speak in an annoyed tone, and he didn’t wear a scowl. Actually, it looked like he was adjusting pretty comfortably to the new change.

Of course, this was only day one…but still.

Izuku glanced over his shoulder at Katsuki again, looking to see if he was still comfortable, and almost jumped when he realized Katsuki was already looking at him. He quickly looked away, trying to pass it off as a stretch, but Katsuki called him out.

“Why the hell do you keep looking at me?” he asked, and Izuku realized with a strike of embarrassment that he hadn’t been as subtle as he thought he was. He was flustered as he turned his body in the chair to face Katsuki, bringing his knees up to his chest. Simultaneously, the blond set his phone face-down on his chest and folded his arms behind his head, beginning to stare at Izuku contemptuously. White light from the window was spilling over his body, casting hard shadows across his eyes and jaw as he asked, “What, are you annoyed I took your bed?”

“No, no,” Izuku answered quickly, thinking at a rapid pace for an excuse. “I was just, um, wondering if you were hungry.”

Katsuki raised an eyebrow and then asked, “For what?”

“…Sandwiches?”

After thinking for a few seconds, Katsuki nodded. “I fuck with that.”

Izuku uttered a quick ‘okay’ before hopping out of the chair and walking over to the pantry, a new installment that every room had acquired last year. After the principal got enough complaints from the older students about not having appliances in each individual room, he decided to make the investment, but only for the buildings that housed class 3 students. It wasn’t much—a microwave, a propane gas stove for which you had to replace the gas tank every few months, some shelves and cabinets, a sink, and a minifridge—but it was enough for Izuku, who rarely used any of it. He imagined for someone like Katsuki, who liked to cook for himself, it might’ve been annoying because of the limited space and options. However, it was a major upgrade from something like the first-year dorm, which was about half the square footage and nowhere near as nice.

As he laid out four slices of bread on the counter and began taking things out of the fridge, Katsuki said, “Your bed’s pretty comfortable.”

Izuku found that statement slightly out of the blue, so he asked, “Is that so?”

“Mhm. And I only say that ‘cuz I was wondering…since the nurse said I have to stay with you 24/7 and all, does that mean I gotta sleep with you, too?”

Izuku laughed, figuring that was a joke, but Katsuki remained silent. He looked over his shoulder and realized the blond had a straight face. He…wasn’t joking. “Um…” Izuku said, looking away so he didn’t give away how confused he was, “I’m gonna have to say no. I don’t think Recovery Girl would expect that.”

Katsuki grunted, and even though that was the end of it, Izuku remained confused…because Katsuki hadn’t seemed opposed to it at all.

Well, he probably was opposed and just wasn’t showing it on his face, but Izuku still found it somewhat precarious.

He finished the sandwiches, even remembering to put hot sauce on Katsuki’s because he knew he liked it. As he handed it over, Katsuki sat up in the bed and immediately began inspecting it as if he were some food critic. “Did you put four slices of cheese on here?” he asked as Izuku sat back down at his desk.

Izuku took a bite and deadpanned through the mouthful, “Yep.” He knew Katsuki’s tendencies with food all too well—if it wasn’t done to his standards, he was gonna make a fuss about it.

“I also saw you put the bread directly on the fucking counter, so that was gross.”

“The counter was clean!”

“Okay—don’t talk with your mouth full, that’s fucking disgusting. And by the way, four slices of cheese is way too much, Deku. It offsets the dairy-to-meat-to-bread ratio, which means you gotta either add more bread and more meat, or just take off some fucking cheese,” he said while picking a slice of cheese out of the sandwich.

Izuku wrinkled his nose at him. “If you know how to make sandwiches so much better than me, then why didn’t you just do it yourself?” he snarked. But before Katsuki could even answer the question, he already found something else to criticize him for.

“Wait—did you put hot sauce on this?” he demanded in an almost accusatory way, holding his finger up which was coated in the fiery red substance. Izuku had put kind of a lot on.

Izuku paused, immediately assuming the worst. He doesn’t like hot sauce anymore? Jeez, Izuku, when did you stop being so observant? “Um…yeah?” he said slowly, already starting to get up. “Sorry, I could make you another…”

“No, no, it’s not that,” Katsuki said, waving him off before sucking the red sauce off his finger. “I love it. I’m just confused why you have it in the first fucking place. I mean, you never shut up about how much you hate it.”

“Oh,” Izuku said, relaxing back into his chair. “I…honestly, I don’t know. I guess I just saw it on the shelf, and…” he shrugged. He barely even remembered buying it. Did he really make the subconscious decision to buy hot sauce just because he knew Katsuki liked it? There was no way.

Katsuki stared at him for a moment longer, then seemed to get over it. “Whatever. I guess I’ll let you off the hook about the cheese, since hot sauce fixes just about everything,” he said as he took a large bite out of the corner. Izuku subliminally watched him chew for a few seconds, transfixed by the movement of his jaw, before getting a hold of himself and looking away.

When they finished their sandwiches and Izuku had everything put away, Katsuki hopped up and decided now was the time for some training. “Now? Like…right now?” Izuku asked, standing up as Katsuki began gathering his things.

“Yep. And guess what, Deku. ‘Cuz of what the damn nurse said, you gotta come with me,” he said with the hint of a smirk on his face. “The whole follow-each-other-around thing can go both ways, I’m just letting you know that right now.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Izuku said, scrambling to grab his things, too. “That’s not the problem—I’m just saying are you really sure about training after you just got done eating?”

“Not ‘you,’ Deku. We,” Katsuki corrected, opening the door for him and letting Izuku out first. “And yes, I’m sure. As long as we don’t go too hard, it’ll be fine. It’s not like that was a huge meal or anything.”

“Okay. Wait—we?” Izuku, a few seconds later, fully caught up with what he said. “You’re going to train with me?”

Katsuki shrugged. “I don’t see why not. I mean, the nurse said you can go back to normal, right? That means using your Quirk, and using your Quirk means training. Surely you’re ready by now, don’t you think?”

Izuku brightened. “Yeah…oh my gosh, yeah, you’re right!” he exclaimed, starting to walk with a bit of a spring in his step when he remembered he could go back to real training now. “But, um…you aren’t planning on going too hard on me, though, right? Because I just ate, and I haven’t trained in weeks, so I don’t really know how this is gonna work…”

“Relax, nerd. I’ll go easy on you,” Katsuki said, elbowing him in the arm. “I’m not that heartless.”

Smiling in appreciation, Izuku looked up at him. “Okay, Kacchan. Thanks.”

They got downstairs and before they got out of the common area, Katsuki stopped him and said he was gonna go to the bathroom before they headed to the training arena. Before he could walk away, though, he just couldn’t help himself from making a joke about it. “Are you sure you don’t wanna come with me, Deku? The nurse never said we aren’t supposed to piss together,” he asked sarcastically, with a touch of smugness in his tone.

Izuku scoffed as Katsuki began sauntering backwards. “Ha-ha, Kacchan. Very funny,” he deadpanned, smiling mirthlessly. It was obvious that Katsuki was enjoying his new power over Izuku as he snickered and turned towards the restroom.

He only stood there waiting for a few seconds before he heard someone calling his name from a nearby couch. “Izuku?” the voice said, and he immediately recognized it as Ochako’s by her voice and the way she used his first name. Izuku looked over and realized she had been lying on the couch, and must’ve sat up when she heard his voice.

“Oh! Hey, Uraraka!” Izuku said with a bright smile before walking over to her. “What’re you doing?”

“I was just reading,” she said, holding up her book and showing Izuku the cover.

“Ooh, I like that one,” Izuku said. “That’s the best one in the series, I think.”

“Really? I liked the first one better,” Ochako said before shrugging. “Oh, well. So, what are you doing with Bakugou?” she asked, glancing towards the bathroom, where Katsuki had disappeared. “I suppose he does have to stay with you now, so it makes sense for you to be with him…” she answered herself before Izuku got the chance. He couldn’t help but notice how when she said that, something shifted subtly in her voice, and she sounded a bit more sour than how she sounded a moment before.

“We’re actually going to do some training,” Izuku said, deciding to just ignore it. “I’m really excited, actually. I haven’t done any training in what feels like months.”

“Good to hear! You know, I’m really happy to see you getting back to normal again,” she said with a smile. A second later, however, her smile began to fade. “I’ve been, uh…” she paused for a moment, as if hesitating to tell him. “I’ve been thinking about something a lot recently.” She spoke in a heavier tone than before, and that was an immediate red flag for Izuku, telling him that something was off.

Sensing she might be referring to something distressing, he rounded the couch and sat down by her feet, looking at her and indicating that she had his full attention. “Thinking about what?” he asked, trying to come across as reassuring. The look she was giving him signified that she might’ve been thinking about something bad, and he didn’t want any of his friends feeling sad, or like they didn’t have anyone to talk to. “If you’re sitting out here all alone, thinking about bad stuff, then maybe all you need is someone to talk to,” he said.

When she gave him a doubtful look, he added, “If you don’t want to say, that’s fine…”

“No…” Ochako cut him off softly, looking away and frowning. “No, that’s just not it. I just…I’m sorry, but I don’t think talking to you, of all people, is going to help me on this one.”

Izuku was initially taken-aback. You of all people? He had no idea what that meant, and he was sure it showed on his face, because Ochako quickly added, “Oh, I’m sorry—I didn’t mean it like that. You’re usually a great person to talk to, Izuku, just not about, um…not about this.”

He was still at a loss, so he asked, “Wait, do you have a crush on someone, or something? Because that’s just about the only thing I can think of that I won’t be able to…help you…oh, you do?” He lowered his tone as Ochako gave him a look filled with emotion, telling him that his hypothesis had been correct. He’s been told about a hundred times by his friends that he was ‘emotionally inept,’ so just about the only thing they never confided in him was relationship advice. But it seemed like he hit it right on the nose this time.

Ochako has a crush? I wonder who it is? Maybe Tenya? Or is it Shoto? Probably not Shoto. Hmm, or maybe the reason she’s being so secretive is because they’re a girl…?

Izuku was about to tell her that whoever it is, he would always support her, before she winced and covered her face with her hands, blushing. “Augh, this is so embarrassing…” she said, and based on the way it seemed like her body was curling in on itself, it truly was something embarrassing. This only further convinced Izuku that whoever she was referring to might be a girl.

“Hey, Uraraka, It’s okay. You can tell me—I won’t judge you or anything,” he coaxed, starting to feel invested now. “Who is it? You know you can tell me, right?”

She shook her head, then muttered something he didn’t quite catch. “What was that?” he asked gently, putting a comforting hand on her knee. When he did that, she removed her hands from her face just enough to look at him. When she did, he noticed her face was reddening up far more than it should. He was her friend, after all, and she shouldn’t have so much of a problem with…

“I said it’s you, Izuku,” she said breathlessly, covering her eyes again before she continued. “I like you, Izuku. I…I have a crush on you.”

Izuku was glad she was covering up her eyes, or else she would’ve seen the look of absolute shock on his face when she told him that. Ochako has a crush…on me? His stomach dropped, and his eyes widened as he realized what she was saying. Ochako liked him romantically while this entire time, he’s been thinking of her as nothing more than a friend. Oh god, what kind of asshole am I? Am I seriously that stupid? How did I not notice?!

The next thing he realized was just how awkward of a situation he’s just walked into. She just confessed that she liked him, while Izuku…didn’t feel the same way. At all. He wasn’t going to lie and say that he had a crush on Ochako, because in truth, he didn’t. Maybe back during their first year, he might’ve had the slightest of crushes just because she was one of the first girls he ever really conversed with, but it hadn’t carried over. He’d never once thought of her romantically since then.

And he had no idea how to tell her that.

“I know you probably think I’m weird…” Ochako continued, sounding like she might cry.

“—No, no! I don’t think you’re weird at all, Uraraka!” Izuku interjected, finally getting past that initial shock and regaining a grasp on speaking abilities. She still wasn’t looking at him, so he made sure his voice was convincing. “Um…I just wasn’t expecting you to say that,” he said honestly. “I thought you might’ve had a crush on Iida again.”

That caused her to finally remove her hands from her face and look at him. She was blushing furiously, and Izuku couldn’t blame her. Confessing that you like someone must be terrifying. “No,” she said, shaking her head slightly and smiling, “I think that was just a phase.”

“I see…” Izuku said, nodding. He was starting to panic when neither of them said anything for a few seconds after that. Am I supposed to say something? Should I try to comfort her? Oh god, I really am terrible at this stuff…

“So, um…yeah. I guess I just wanted to tell you that and ask if…you like me, too?”

Izuku looked at her, eyes growing round once again as he faced against his inner turmoil. Oh, what do I say? I can’t just crush her and say no, but I don’t want to lie, either! What to do, what to do… His mind was racing while his face remained calm. He hoped his eyes weren’t giving away how unsure he was.

To some degree, he did like Ochako. He liked her eyes, he liked her hair…he loved her personality…but how could he possibly put that into words? He didn’t like her the same way she liked him, and he didn’t know if he ever would.

But at the same time, he was thinking…what if this was the perfect opportunity to find out?

He was so caught up in the moment that he didn’t realize what he was feeling at first and just how different it was. At first, he passed it off as a feeling of appreciation for the music, or a feeling of admiration for Katsuki and all his skill. At least, that was until Katsuki was nearing the end of the song and he was still feeling it.

Izuku was feeling flutters.

Flutters in his chest when he looked at Katsuki.

He still remembered that day vividly, and he remembered that moment with more clarity and perception than the day he’d received One for All. Probably because it was two years ago and he’d been extremely exhausted and dehydrated at the time, but still…he digressed. Whatever he felt for Katsuki in that moment, he wanted nothing more than to extinguish it as fast as possible. He was smart enough to know what it was, and he wasn’t stupid enough to think that Katsuki might someday feel the same way towards him. The only two options he could think of until this point were either distancing himself from Katsuki for a while to avoid letting the feeling grow, or worse, cutting him off entirely. And he couldn't do either of those.

There might be another option for him now; an alternative that would make everybody happy. Say he ‘dates’ Ochako for a while. He wouldn’t call it that, but he would tell her he’s…trying to figure his emotions out. Only if she’s okay with it, of course. Anyway—as he’s dating her, he can ensure that his feelings for Katsuki are nipped off right at the bud. They’ll still hang out together, whatever, that’s fine, but his feelings for the blond can’t grow if he’s going out with someone else.

Over the course of these few weeks, or however long it takes for his emotions to go away, he’ll see what happens with Ochako. He doesn’t want to lead her on, so he’s not going to lie and say he likes her, but he’ll go out with her like a boyfriend would and treat her in the way he would treat a significant other. If he ends up falling for her, great! He can give the best version of himself to both of them; a strong friendship to Katsuki and a loving relationship to Ochako. That would be the best outcome.

If he didn’t end up falling for Ochako, however, he’d have to break it off with her. He wouldn't force himself to date her if he didn’t want to, because he knew he wouldn’t want someone else to do that for him, either. But…only if she was 100% okay with it…he might try, at least for a little while.

Trying it out with Ochako might be his only way out.

“Listen, Ochako,” Izuku said, using her first name to emphasize the seriousness of what he was about to say. Her eyes widened a little as he said that, and she stared at him earnestly. “I…I’m not going to lie to you, okay? You’re one of my best friends, and I care about you deeply. You’re a very special person to me,” he said before pausing. “We’ve had our moments in the past, so, you know, the attraction’s there. But right now I just…I’m not sure if I like you romantically, at least not enough to tell you that I have a crush on you.

“That being said, if you agree, I think it might be a good idea to try each other out,” he said, giving a smile that was half nervous and half happy. “You’re really an amazing person, and I can’t think of anyone I’d rather try it with. Going on dates, I mean. So, if you agree…?”

“Yes!” Ochako didn’t even need a second to think about it. She stared at Izuku with her face stretched into a wide smile, eyes shining and mouth agape. “Izuku, I’d love nothing more than to go out with you. Even if you aren’t quite sure of your feelings yet, I want to give it a try. Oh, you have no idea how much weight this is off my chest!”

Izuku smiled, happy to see her happy. “Good, Uraraka. I’m so glad to hear that. But, just so we’re both on the same page, we’re not dating yet. Meaning you don’t have to be exclusive with me, you’re not obligated to do anything with me, etcetera, etcetera. We’re going to hang out as if we were dating so we can sort of get a feel for it, but at the end of the day, we aren’t yet. I just wouldn’t want to take away any other options you might have while I’m in this process, because that would be selfish. When we tell our friends, let’s not call it dating, let’s call it, like, a…” he thought for a moment, wondering if there was a correct term for this phase. There was. “A situationship.”

“A situationship?” Ochako asked in wonder. “Hm, okay. I can do that.”

“Awesome. Thank you so much for this opportunity, Uraraka. I never knew you liked me!” Izuku said with a self-conscious smile, running a hand through his hair to de-escalate after the situation. Ochako looked like she was doing the same, smiling as her face evened back to her normal skin tone. Then he tacked on, “I mean, you’re so smart and beautiful, I never imagined you’d come to feel that way about someone like me.”

“Thanks, Izuku, but what do you mean by that?” she asked curiously, but Izuku brushed it off.

“Nothing, sorry.”

“Okay, then,” Ochako smiled. “If that’s so, then how about to celebrate our first date, we do to dinner at that new steakhouse down the road? I heard they have really delicious cuisines, or however you say it,” she said, visibly beginning to relax now that everything was sorted out.

“That sounds perfect. I've never been to a fancy restaurant,” Izuku said thoughtfully. “When should we do it?”

“How about Sunday at, let’s say, six thirty?”

“Perfect,” Izuku smiled, beginning to stand up. Before he could leave, however, Ochako stopped him.

“Wait, uh…could you…” she said, pausing shyly for a moment. “Could you call me Ochako…just one more time?”

Izuku was caught off guard by the question for a moment, but soon after, he smiled. “Oh, sure. Um…I’m really excited to go out with you, Ochako.”

She smiled, looking just about the happiest he’s ever seen her. But even though it truly seemed like this was what she wanted, he couldn’t help but feel like he’d given her an unfair choice. The last thing he wanted to do was take advantage of her, but in a way, he felt like he was. Part of him knew she just couldn’t see it because for the time being, she was blinded by affection.

Hopefully Izuku really did fall for her. That would make everything else fly over so incredibly easy.

“I’m gonna go train with Kacchan now, so…I’ll see you later, Ochako!” Izuku beamed as he rounded the couch. Katsuki was standing near the bathroom, leaning against the wall with his arms casually crossed, waiting for him.

“Bye, Izuku!” she said, going back to reading her book.

Izuku had a smile on his face as he quietly went to re-join the blond, but secretly, deep down, he was simmering with unsatisfaction and guilt.

The walk to the training arena was unsurprisingly quiet. Izuku was no fool; he was aware of why. Katsuki didn’t like Ochako, that much was no secret, and he’d just overheard them planning their date. He was mad. That much was obvious by the scowl on his face, and also by the way he was completely ignoring it every time Izuku looked at him even though he was pretty sure he could see him out of his peripheral vision.

Izuku knew why he was mad. But just because he knew the blond was going to need to open up about it sometime or another, he asked, “Why do you look so angry?”

Katsuki shot him a glare that was full of ice. “Do I really need to answer that?” he hissed. Izuku felt like he was shrinking under that venomous gaze, but he made a point not to show it on his face.

“Yes,” the shorter answered matter-of-factly, because that was the only way he was going to listen. “You need to.”

With a resentful groan, Katsuki rubbed his temples for a moment before looking ahead, untalkative once more. It was much too nice of a day for these conflicting emotions, that was for sure. The sky was blue and sunny, even as the time approached evening. Izuku wished he didn’t feel so much tension when he was around Katsuki; actually, by doing this with Ochako, his intention was to stop these strenuous moments between them. But alas, he should’ve known this conversation would come. It was inescapable.

“Okay, fine,” Katsuki blurted even though Izuku hadn’t done anything more to pry him. “You wanna know why I’m fucking angry? I think you already do, shitnerd, but I’ll tell you anyway. How many fucking times do I need to tell you that I don’t like Uraraka?”

“I know you don’t,” Izuku said evenly, trying not to get defensive. “But why, Kacchan? What did she ever do to you?”

“She…” Katsuki started with some unforeseen passion in his voice before abruptly stopping and throwing his hands up in exasperated defeat. “You know what, Deku? Never mind. I knew this was gonna fucking happen, anyway, so it’s no surprise to me,” he snapped, pushing past Izuku and beginning to walk faster, signaling an end to their conversation. Izuku was nowhere near done with this, but before he could ask any more questions, they reached the training building and he couldn’t work up the courage to say anything more.

For the next two and a half hours or so, they trained. Katsuki seemed reluctant to stick with him at first after their little argument, but once they changed into their training uniforms and got into some stretching positions to warm up, he was acting impassive again. Izuku tried not to think on it too much. After all, it was no secret that Katsuki didn’t like Ochako and vice versa, so of course, he should’ve expected the blond to get a little angry when he heard they were going on a date. What could Izuku do? No matter how hard he tried, it seemed like he could never make everybody happy; there was always at least one person who didn’t agree with him. Ninety percent of the time that person was probably Katsuki, but this time, it just felt a little strange.

Strange because on a surface level, Katsuki had zero reason to care about who he dated. If it were one of Izuku’s other friends, they'd he happy for him. Katsuki, however, was pissed.

Izuku didn’t fully understand it, especially when Katsuki refused to talk about it. For a moment it had sounded like he was about to open up about why he disliked Ochako, but then he stopped himself and begrudgingly moved on before Izuku got the chance to pry. It was so frustrating sometimes. He felt like whenever he tried to ask Katsuki about something personal, he’d have better luck talking to a tape recorder. Nothing he said ever made a difference; the result would always be the same.

He tried to push this all out of his head as he was training with Katsuki, but after messing up a few times and ending up getting the hairs on the top of his head singed off by an explosion, he stopped and dropped to the ground, panting.

Katsuki landed heavily beside him, and the green-haired boy noticed he was barely breaking a sweat. “Oi, you need to fucking focus,” he told Izuku, looking him up and down. Izuku was doubled over, panting, possibly exaggerating a little bit so Katsuki didn’t give him too much shit. “I can tell you’re thinkin’ about something, cuz your movements are slow and sloppy. Get your head outta the damn clouds and pay attention.”

“Sorry,” Izuku said between breaths, swallowing the excess saliva on his tongue. “I’m just a little out of shape.”

“Not that out of shape,” Katsuki said, crossing his arms. “I can tell something’s wrong with you. What is it?” He didn’t sound particularly concerned, just annoyed.

Izuku didn’t know how to say that it was Katsuki who was troubling him. “Nothing,” he lied, shaking his head and taking a few paces backwards. “Let’s go again.”

After that incident, Izuku managed to pull his head out of the dirt and get some real training done. It felt incredible using One for All again, testing each Quirk on Katsuki and pushing his own limits. Because he was technically out of shape, Katsuki won eighty percent of their matches, but that would almost never happen on a good day. Usually, the ball was on the other side of the pendulum, with Izuku pulling out the win six or seven times out of ten. If he used Gearshift, that number raised to nine. Katsuki would never admit that Izuku was more powerful than him, but it was true; so today, Katsuki was definitely enjoying the advantage.

“Come on, nerd, you haven’t even touched me yet,” Katsuki taunted, flying through the air on intermediate explosions while Izuku struggled to reign him in using Blackwhip. This was one of the easier exercises since it didn’t involve too much moving around; all Izuku really had to do was swing through the air and try to grapple him. Unfortunately for Izuku, Katsuki was excellent at evading.

His lightning-quick reflexes allowed him to dodge Izuku’s lasso attempts even at point-blank range. In terms of raw strength and agility, he’d beat Izuku every time. That’s why this exercise was supposed to be more about intelligence than actual skill. He had to predict where Katsuki was about to fly, then try to lure him into that spot, and then, probably the hardest part—snag him before he was able to catch on and escape.

Izuku groaned as another one of his attempts failed and Katsuki snickered maliciously. “Too quick for you, am I?” he provoked. “Am I gonna go this way…” he feinted to one side, “or this way?” as he blasted himself in the other direction. Izuku’s eyes trailed him, not even trying to plan another attack. “Frustrating, isn’t it?” Katsuki mocked, seeming to notice he was becoming hopeless.

“You’re such a pain,” Izuku told him, but he was even more intent on catching him now. He was just taking a quick breather. “You know Kacchan, most villains won’t be playing around with me this much.”

“Yeah, but some will be even wittier…and even crueler. You gotta be prepared,” Katsuki shot back. Suddenly, he set off a blast that launched him at breakneck speed towards Izuku, startling him into action. He barely had enough time to dodge as Katsuki’s outstretched boot whizzed past a mere two inches from his face. If he hadn’t moved at that exact moment, that would’ve been a nasty kick to his nose, enough to break it ten times over.

“Hey!” he exclaimed, but the ‘y’ was caught in his throat as Katsuki suddenly took a fistful of his shirt and twisted his body midair so that he was above Izuku, lining up for an attack that would pummel him into the ground. Izuku quickly wrapped Blackwhip around Katsuki’s arm, attempting to attach the other end of the strand to some nearby structure to inhibit him from moving—but Katsuki was too quick, and he realized Izuku’s plan before he could even execute it. With one hand he blasted Blackwhip into oblivion, and he held the other behind his back, forming a massive explosion that sent them both plummeting into the concrete ground.

The breath was hammered straight from Izuku’s lungs as his back hit the pavement with enough force to move a bus. Tears sprung to his eyes, not out of pain but from the sheer force he hit the ground. In an instant Katsuki had him pinned, one shin pressing into his thighs, keeping his legs pinned, while his other foot pinned Izuku’s left arm out parallel to his head. Izuku’s right arm was pinned by Katsuki’s left hand, while the blond’s right hand was around his neck, holding his head down. He wasn’t putting any pressure, Izuku noticed—his hand was just sort of touching the skin.

Izuku was taking deep, heaving breaths as he blinked his eyes open. Something about the way he was being pinned seemed familiar, but he couldn’t quite place his finger on where it was from. They did a lot of training together, so it was possible that he’d pulled off the same move one of those times. Either way, it didn’t seem like it mattered to Katsuki. He was grinning as he stared down at the defeated Izuku, looking a little too pleased with himself.

“That was too easy, Deku,” he said, voice almost a coo because of how quiet it was. “Are you sure you didn’t let me win that time?”

A shiver ran down Izuku’s neck, although he wasn’t sure why. It’s not like he was scared of Katsuki or anything; but his low, gravelly voice was giving him the same effect. A second later, he started to realize why that might be. That feeling, that damn persistent stupid fluttery feeling that he despised so much, started to kick up in his chest; and all at once, he realized why the chill was running down his spine. It was because Katsuki was on top of him, and in more places than just his face, he could measure the distance between their bodies using just his index finger and thumb. Katsuki’s leg was pinning diagonally across Izuku’s upper thighs while his other foot was pinning his hand, meaning his pelvis was close enough to Izuku’s own that he could count the inches on one hand.

Meanwhile, Katsuki’s mouth was so close that he could feel the breath spilling out on his face—and oh, his neck. Katsuki’s hand was around his neck, not pressing hard enough to prohibit his breathing but enough that Izuku couldn’t lift his head. And they were both panting. The warmth radiating from Katsuki’s body was intoxicating, and so dangerous that he could barely bring himself to breathe. He wondered if Katsuki could feel his heartrate picking up through the pulse in his neck.

Izuku was completely at his mercy; and the way his body was reacting, he couldn’t figure out if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

“Are you just gonna lay there and stare at me, or are you gonna say something, nerd?” Katsuki asked eventually, but he didn’t move from that spot. Neither of them did. Izuku realized then that he was probably looking at Katsuki in a weird way, but couldn’t bring himself to care because he was too busy staring at the blond’s face, eyes tracing the lines of his brow and jawline, meeting his eyes every so often and trying to avoid looking at his lips.

The funny thing was, it almost looked like Katsuki was doing the same thing.

A few seconds of breathing and not moving passed before Izuku realized he was actually supposed to answer that question. “Uhh…” he half-whispered, and in that moment, he didn’t trust his voice until he cleared his throat. “Um…I guess I’m gonna tell you to get off of me,” he said. Only after he said it did he realize just how weird of a sentence that was. ‘I guess?’ Seriously! There are about a hundred things you could’ve said that would’ve been better than that.

Sensing the lackluster in his tone, Katsuki’s grip only tightened and his expression started to shift into more of a smirk than a grin. “Seriously? That’s all you got?” he asked calmly, and only now was he starting to breathe normally again. Izuku noticed every single movement of his body, including the way his rough fingers were slowly and very subtly applying and then releasing pressure into his neck, maybe just to taunt him…or maybe because he knew exactly what it was doing to his increasingly fluttery stomach. He really couldn’t tell, and he didn’t understand why Katsuki was still on top of him in the first place. But there were a lot of things happening to Izuku right now that he didn’t quite understand.

“Get off me, Kacchan,” Izuku said with a little more confidence this time, half just because he was supposed to say that and half because he actually wanted to get up.

“Mhm,” Katsuki agreed, “I probably should, huh,” he deadpanned. Then he leaned in closer and asked, “Are you gonna make me?”

Izuku stared at him, mouth slightly agape and face starting to heat up. He’d never said something like that before—and not in that manner. Never in such a…provocative…way. Izuku prayed he wasn’t blushing, because that would make the situation about 10x more awkward. And…weird.

Just then, he remembered why he recognized this position. Back during their first year, he and Katsuki had what was supposed to be a secret heart-to-heart fight at Ground Beta. To end the fight, Katsuki hit him with this almost exact move; the same positioning, same everything, aside from the hand on his neck. Only this time, he seemed closer. His weight felt heavier. He seemed hotter; his temperature was making Izuku’s body heat up. And most of all, he wasn’t getting off, not even after, like, a minute of sitting there like that.

Back then, they got split up by All Might, but right now, there was nobody around to stop them. What that could possibly mean…Izuku didn’t know. All he knew was that he’s never felt something quite like this before.

“Kacchan…” Izuku said, voice no louder than a whisper. “What are you doing?”

For a split second, a look of uncertainty passed over the blond’s face, as if he wasn’t sure of himself. Then he just narrowed his eyes, the smirk now gone.

“What do you think I’m doing?” he asked before answering himself, to Izuku’s relief. “Making you uncomfortable, nerd. Seems to be working. Your heart is, like, going crazy right now.”

Izuku was so embarrassed that he didn’t even think twice about Katsuki’s questionable answer. He was sure his cheeks were red with how much blood rushed to his face. Finally, Katsuki got up, and as he did, Izuku could feel every spot on his body that the pressure and warmth left behind. Katsuki then extended his hand to help him up, and Izuku thought it was kind of symbolic as he took it, letting Katsuki pull him to his feet.

“See? You let your guard down for even a second, and your opponent can take advantage of you. Even if it’s only training, you gotta be ready. Next time if I catch you unprepared, I’ll strangle you,” Katsuki told him, deciding to just immediately go back to normal, which Izuku was grateful for. A few thoughts had crossed his mind within the span of that minute that he wasn’t too comfortable with dwelling on. He’d maybe got a little…caught up in the moment.

In his defense, anyone would’ve done the same if Katsuki, of all people, was pinning them down like that. He was an attractive person, and that was just a fact. Izuku was pretty sure what he’d been feeling just now, the flutters in his chest and the excessive beating of his heart…the heat all over his body…the hazy feeling in his brain…were just natural bodily responses. Nothing weird or sexual about that.

…he was pretty sure.

When the clock hit 8:00 PM, they finally decided to head back.

“Okay, should we actually go now?” Izuku asked between breaths, hands on his hips and head tilted back as his chest heaved. They just finished their “last match,” even though for the past three matches, they said it was going to be their final one. They’d been focusing on more hand-to-hand combat, with Katsuki winning almost every round, but Izuku found it fun even though he wasn’t coming out on top. Hand-to-hand was Katsuki’s specialty, so he was giving Izuku advice and tips throughout.

“Yeah, let’s go,” Katsuki agreed. He was breathing hard, too, just not as hard as Izuku. He began walking towards the locker room and Izuku followed behind him.

“Good, because I think my arms are about to fall off,” Izuku replied, overexaggerating his exhaustion by letting his arms dangle limply from his shoulders.

“Hey, you lasted longer during that final round. Still pretty slow on the reactions, but, you know…better, I guess.”

“Thanks, Kacchan,” Izuku said, hiding his smile at Katsuki’s words. For him, that was basically a compliment. “But I still have a lot of learning to do. I’ve only had basic training for hand-to-hand combat, since I’ve been focusing more these past couple of years on learning how to control my Quirks.”

“That’s for fucking sure,” Katsuki agreed, “But to be fair, you are still recovering. It’ll be easier once you get your stamina back.”

Izuku nodded, and they continued talking about things they need to work on all the way into the locker room. Upon returning to the dorm building, they were planning on heading to Katsuki’s room for a movie before they realized almost the entirety of Class 3A was gathered in the common room. Everyone was standing in a tight-knit circle in the middle of the room, talking about something that it seemed they didn’t want anyone overhearing. Izuku looked at the group curiously, but before he could walk over to see what was going on, Katsuki grabbed his arm to stop him.

“Don’t,” he said quietly as to not draw attention to them. Izuku looked up at him curiously, minding the way his hand wrapped almost all the way around Izuku’s forearm.

“Don’t?” he repeated, confused. So Katsuki didn’t want him conversing with his classmates now?

“Let’s just go watch the fucking movie,” Katsuki responded, letting go of Izuku’s arm with an impassive shrug. “They’re probably doing something not worth our time.”

“That’s what you think,” Izuku told him, walking slowly so he had more of a chance to convince him before they exited the room. He wasn’t going to leave Katsuki, but he did want to see what they were talking about that was so secretive. “I think it might be something fun.”

“Nothing those idiots do is ever fun,” Katsuki grumbled, and Izuku frowned at him. He knew this problem ran deeper than just surface-level dislike. Katsuki had a difficult time with letting people in; that’s what his problem was. Maybe if Izuku got him to open up a little bit, at least for tonight, he might realize that other people can be fun. Usually, they are fun.

“Hey, not so fast,” Izuku said in his most satiric authoritative voice before grabbing Katsuki the same way he’d done. He pressed on. “We should go over there.”

“What? Why?”

“Because you need to take a step out of your comfort zone,” Izuku told him straight-up. Beating around the bush was never the best way to get through to him about something, so he didn’t even try.

Katsuki shook him off in an instant. “I am,” he grumbled, turning to face Izuku and glare down at him. “What do you think I’m doing every time I hang out with you?”

Izuku hesitated for a moment, trying to think of a comeback to that, before responding. “Then why can’t you do it with all of them, too?” he asked, gesturing towards the group of people that Katsuki was trying to avoid. “Sometimes you should just go to the event, even if you think it’ll be boring, because most of the time, it will end up being fun. At the end of the day, you’ll have made a bunch of new memories, too—and that’s what’s supposed to matter.”

“So what, watching a movie with me isn’t fun enough for you?” Katsuki asked dryly. “We don’t need to go and do that shit. It’s unnecessary.”

“Kacchan,” Izuku said, suppressing a sigh. “Just come with me. Whatever they’re doing, I promise you’ll have fun.”

Katsuki stubbornly shook his head.

Izuku stubbornly nodded.

After some more convincing, pulling of Katsuki’s arm, and even some begging, he finally succumbed to Izuku’s pleas and agreed. With a defeated look in his eyes, he trailed after Izuku as he practically skipped over to join the rest of the group. They were still quietly chatting in the exact same spot he’d last seen them. Shoto was the first to point them out as they approached, and before he knew it, he and Katsuki were enveloped in bodies and roped into the conversation. Denki took initiative by explaining what, exactly, the plan was.

“With the help of none other than Todoroki Shoto and his daddy’s wonderful money,” Denki began, gesturing extravagantly towards Shoto, who was staring blankly at the wall, “I have made the lavish purchase of many, many boxes of alcohol.”

Oh…so it’s going to be that kind of night.

As Denki continued explaining in an overbearing tone, Izuku glanced at Katsuki only to realize that he was already looking at him. His expression was almost a glare as they both realized what Izuku got them into. These kinds of gatherings were usually fun for him, as he didn’t mind letting loose and having a few drinks occasionally, but he knew how much Katsuki despised alcohol-driven events—especially when the rest of the class was involved. They were few and far between, but not impossible, especially with how bold some of their friends were. Izuku was pretty sure Denki had an older brother or something, and that’s how he was always able to get his hands on the alcohol. Using Shoto’s money, apparently. He didn’t even want to know how that conversation went.

“So, yeah, anyway—we’re heading to my house, since it’s just down the street and my parents aren’t home,” Denki continued. “I’m not planning anything too crazy, but we don’t have class until Wednesday, so…”

“Definitely nothing too crazy,” Tenya confirmed firmly. “I’ll make sure of that.”

“We’ll see about that, Iida,” Sero said before he, Denki, and Kirishima all snickered maliciously. Iida began reprimanding the three of them, saying how he had the authority to tell Mr. Aizawa if things got out of hand, and everyone broke into their own separate conversations for a moment. Izuku took the opportunity to grab Katsuki’s arm and pull him down slightly to whisper something in his ear.

“We can go watch the movie, if you want,” he said quietly, hoping the noise around them drowned out what he was saying. He didn’t want to come across as rude to the others, but he knew how much Katsuki didn’t like these types of things. “I didn’t know they’d be drinking,” he added.

Katsuki thought about it for a solid few seconds before shaking his head in dismissal. “Do you want to go with them?" he asked quietly.

Izuku shrugged, then nodded.

“We’ll go, then,” Katsuki decided, standing back to his full height as an end to the conversation. “You told me to leave my comfort zone, right, nerd? Here I fucking go.”

Denki’s house was so close that the walk only took ten minutes. Izuku had no idea that he lived nearby; in fact, he often passed the house unknowingly on the way to visit his mom or buy groceries. In the neighborhood where Denki lived, all the houses were structured the same—medium-sized, industrial, large front yard. Nice. Izuku didn’t know why he was surprised by this, but Denki had a well-kept yard, with flowers and other fern-like plants growing around his front porch. He noticed the house had a lot of large windows and multiple floors. Not as pretty as Katsuki’s, but…nice.

“I’ve never been to his house,” Izuku said, walking beside Katsuki in the middle of the group. He was staring at the big, shiny windows and flowers in admiration as everyone walked up the driveway. The air was filled with excited electricity and quiet-toned voices as the class approached the house.

“I should hope not,” Katsuki grumbled, kicking a rock across the driveway. “It looks nice outside, but it’s all fun and games until you get to his room. Sheesh,” he grimaced as he waved his hand in front of his nose, indicating that it smelled bad. Izuku stifled a giggle.

“Bakugou, I can hear you back there!” Denki exclaimed from ahead of them, even though they were separated by two bodies. He made a point to stop and find an opening between them to glare at Katsuki. “You’re lucky I was nice enough to bring you into my home in the first place!”

“Kaminari, I’m not tryna hurt your feelings or anything, but you really do need to clean your room,” Kirishima agreed from somewhere else in the group.

“Yeah…” about three other people agreed simultaneously.

“It’s not that bad!” Denki jumped to defend himself, ranting furiously even as he pulled out the housekeys from his back pocket and began unlocking the front door. “Half of you are just mad ‘cuz you don’t have a house as nice as mine. Bakugou, I’m talking to you.”

“There’s a conversation to be had,” Katsuki grumbled. Then, privately to Izuku, he added, “He brings this up every time. My house is obviously better.”

Izuku gave no indication that he agreed, but he did.

They entered the home and, surprisingly, it was nicer than the outside. Neat, minimalist, with a tall ceiling and neutral color palette—again, a very industrial vibe. Oddly enough, the vibe fit Denki’s personality, though Izuku never would’ve imagined him living somewhere this well-put-together. He then found out that his parents were both electricians, and everything started to make a lot more sense.

Denki corralled everyone into the kitchen before throwing open the refrigerator doors and revealing, rather boastfully, what was inside. There was quite literally nothing but beer. Top to bottom, wall to wall, just beer. Izuku wondered where all the food could’ve possibly gone before he looked around and realized that everything was piled up in his sink—fruit, vegetables, not even the milk was spared. Seemed like a classic thing Denki would do.

Izuku heard Katsuki groan behind him as everyone else began applauding him for his noble efforts. Izuku couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of the situation as everyone started lining up to grab their drinks. There were a few canned beer options and some bottles, too. By the time Izuku reached the fridge, Denki had set up the speakers in the living room and was playing classic party music, songs to which everybody knew the words but didn’t actually listen to unless it was at a party.

“This song was good, like, ten years ago,” Katsuki muttered as he and Izuku sat down on the floor in the living room, leaving the couches and chairs to everyone else so there’d be enough room. Most others seemed to be getting the same idea, though, so almost everyone ended up in a ragged circle on the floor once they’d picked their drinks. Izuku sat with Katsuki on his left and Ochako on his right. Others in his friend group were lined up on Ochako’s other side; while it was the same thing with Katsuki’s friend group to the left.

And just like that, everyone was instantly sucked into some sort of conversation. Whether they were talking to someone on the complete opposite side of the circle or whispering something to the person at their side, nobody was left out; not even Katsuki. Izuku made sure of that. For a while, the class was just doing that—talking, drinking, laughing, enjoying the setting that the music and the ambient light in the background gave them. Denki was still running the show, making sure everyone stayed full on beer and changing the music whenever someone asked him to, but other than that, there was no authoritative supervision. Nobody was really around to inhibit them.

Everybody had the common decency not to make a mess, and if a spill did happen on accident, the person responsible would immediately clean it up. They didn’t need an adult around to tell them not to get drunk, though after an hour or so, it was clear by the swaying mood of the room that a margin of people were starting to feel a little tipsy. Izuku was included in that margin. After just three beers he was starting to feel the haze of intoxication. He’d never built up much of a tolerance to alcohol because he only drank on special occasions. He wasn’t a lightweight, he just liked to drink in moderation.

“Can I get you another drink, Midoriya?” Denki asked as he made his second run-through of the hour, collecting empty cans and finding out who wants another. “I gotta make sure all this beer gets taken care of before my parents get home, or I’ll be in big trouble.”

Izuku thought about it for a second before handing over his empty can and smiling. “Sure, thank you. Do you want any help?” he asked as he noticed Denki struggling to find space in his arms to take it.

“I got it,” Katsuki interjected suddenly as Izuku started to get up, and Izuku was startled because he hadn’t even known the blond was listening. He put a hand on Izuku’s chest and pushed him back into his seat before taking his can with the other. Then he repeated, “I got it.”

“Oh, okay,” Izuku said as he sat back down, watching as Katsuki took a few bottles from Denki to even the load. They finished taking orders from the rest of the class before disappearing into the kitchen. Izuku indulged in a conversation with Tenya and Ochako until they returned, Katsuki only carrying two drinks. He handed one to Izuku before sitting back down with a sigh.

“You didn’t help with the rest of them?” Izuku asked as he watched Denki round the corner a moment later using his shirt as a basket just to carry all the unopened beers.

Katsuki shrugged and cracked open his drink. “He told me to go sit down, so I did,” he explained, unconcerned. “I think he’s experiencing some kind of my-house my-authority phenomenon. He’s bossing me around ‘cuz he thinks now that we’re in his house, he’s safe from getting his ass beat.”

“Is he?” Izuku asked, subconsciously following his lead and popping open his can.

“Not in the slightest,” the blond answered before tilting his head back and taking an indifferent sip of his drink. Izuku laughed.

A while after that, it was starting to become clear that everyone was feeling at least a little bit inebriated. Nobody was full-out wasted, but it might turn out that way if they kept going at this pace. Izuku himself was starting to feel some of the vertigo whenever he stood up or moved his head to the side too fast. For the most part, his friends were on the same page, but he was pretty sure Ochako was slightly more of a lightweight than the rest of them, so she was walking the fine line between tipsy and drunk.

Izuku could tell by the way she would sometimes lean on him, play with his hair, giggle uncontrollably, and randomly burst into laughter at jokes she heard from across the circle of people. Izuku found it pretty funny, actually. Maybe that was just because he was tipsy as well, but he found himself laughing along with her most of the time.

Whenever he wasn’t talking to his own friends, Izuku was talking to Katsuki and his group. Katsuki had a high tolerance to alcohol, so on a surface level, he didn’t seem affected—but Izuku could tell he had some alcohol in his system by the way he conversed freely with his friends, participated with the rest of the class, and even cracked a smile or two at some of Izuku’s bad jokes. It really seemed like he was enjoying himself.

A few times, Izuku actually caught him laughing, and every time that happened, everything else would sort of fade away for a moment so he could listen. Katsuki honestly had such a beautiful laugh; Izuku couldn’t help but think that. Maybe it was just the alcohol talking, and maybe it was just because he didn’t hear the blond laugh willingly very often—at least not unless it was at Izuku’s expense—but he wished more than anything to hear him laugh like that more often.

“Kacchan, Kacchan, I have another one,” Izuku said later that night, stifling a laugh as he thought of another joke in his ‘bomb joke series,’ where he comes up with stupid jokes involving bombs just because of the reaction they gauged out of Katsuki. He’d been configuring new ones periodically throughout the night in attempts to make him laugh—not just smile, but actually laugh. Every time he recited one, Katsuki would tell him to stop and try to shove him over in some way, but he was yet to give up.

“Oh my fucking god, what now?” Katsuki demanded as he rolled his head over to look at Izuku, dragged out of his conversation for the moment.

Izuku grinned before asking, “What do you get if you eat a bomb?”

Katsuki groaned. “Why the fuck would I eat a bomb, Deku?”

“It’s a hypothetical, okay? Just answer the question!”

“You are the dumbest, most annoying fucker I’ve ever met,” Katsuki told him, pointing in an accusatory manner before jabbing him roughly in the arm. “You’re lucky I’m in a good mood, or else I might show you what you get.”

Izuku clenched his teeth to avoid laughing and stared at Katsuki expectantly, waiting for the four magic words. Eventually, Katsuki sighed in defeat and vacantly asked, “Fine, asshole. What do you get?”

“Atomic ache.”

His delivery was foolproof. His expression was phenomenal. Everything was set up perfectly for Katsuki to laugh…but even after all his planning and spot-on execution, all he got was the hint of a smile.

“Alright, that’s it. Don’t talk to me again until you have something actually funny to say,” Katsuki deadpanned before doing something Izuku wasn’t expecting; he buried his fingers in Izuku’s hair and ruffled it up. The movement was harsh, but it wasn’t the same response as any of the other times, where he’d just tell him to shut up and shove his face away. Izuku laughed and ducked his head, but not before Katsuki could do some sizeable damage by making his head look like a wild mess. He reprimanded the blond for minutes afterward as he struggled to tame it back down.

Not long after, Denki and Sero disappeared into the basement for about five minutes before coming back upstairs holding a fist-sized stack of black cards. It took a while for Izuku to notice them because he was wrapped up in a conversation with Katsuki, but his attention was grabbed when Denki stood in the middle of the circle and full-on yelled, “Hey, everyone!”

The room grew quiet aside from the music playing in the background as Denki made sure he had everyone’s attention. “Okay. Now that everyone’s settled in, I think it’s time to spice things up,” he said ominously as he held up the stack of black cards, spinning around slowly for everyone to see. “Has anyone ever heard of a little game called ‘Most Likely To?’”

Immediately the room erupted into giggles and exclamations of excitement at the mention of that name, but Izuku was confused. He’d never heard of it. Thankfully, Denki explained. “Okay, here’s how it’s gonna work. On each of these cards, there’s a question; here’s an example,” he said as he began reading off the top card. ““Who’s most likely to pee their pants on a rollercoaster?””

Everyone laughed, then Denki continued. “Okay, so if this was my card, I’d read it out loud, and then everyone would take a vote. So right now, I want all of you to look around and point at the person who you think is most likely to piss their pants on a rollercoaster.”

There was a chorus of evil laughs, claims of betrayal, and some people defending themselves as fingers went flying around. Izuku had no idea who to point at before he noticed Katsuki was pointing subtly at him. “Hey!” he exclaimed, slapping Katsuki’s finger down, but the blond continued to point at him and chuckle. “I would not!”

“I don’t believe that,” Katsuki said, looking amused. In an act of spite, Izuku pointed back at Katsuki.

“There. If I point at you, it cancels out.”

“That’s not how it words, nerd,” he said, sticking his finger in Izuku’s face. Izuku returned the favor, but that just resulted in Katsuki starting to poke him repeatedly on his forehead, nearly poking out an eye. “Get that fucking finger away from me—hey, ow!” he raised his voice as Izuku impulsively grabbed his finger and pulled, causing the knuckle to crack. He borderline screamed as Katsuki seized his wrist and started trying to poke him in the eye with his own hand. They were about to take it further before Denki raised his voice again and ended all arguments around the circle, drawing all the attention back to himself so he could finish explaining the game.

“This is supposed to be a drinking game, so whoever ends up with the most votes has to take a swig,” he said, looking around the circle to see who got the most votes. “Mineta, looks like you lose.”

Izuku looked around and noticed all the girls were pointing at the guy. Everyone started laughing again, including Mineta, as he took a drink. Now a third-year, he’d actually learned some respect and maturity and even became friends with most of the girls, but he still got picked on and usually ended up as the butt of the joke.

“Okay, so we all understand the game now, right?” Denki asked. When everyone agreed, he started handing out cards. “Keep your cards face-down until it’s your turn. We’ll go clockwise around the circle, starting with me. Discard pile is in the middle. If two people tie, they both drink. If there’s no clear winner, everybody drinks,” he said as he went around. “Umm, what else…oh, yeah. Some of the questions can get a little vulgar, too, so be prepared for that,” he added before sharing a laugh with Sero.

Some people around the circle gave ‘ooh’s of anticipation while others sighed in disapproval. Izuku just smiled and waited for his cards to get dealt to him. He didn’t really care for the inappropriate stuff, but he wouldn’t expect anything less from Denki and Sero.

Once everything was dealt, the game began with Denki sitting down and reading off his first card. Each person had received three and were keeping them face-down on the floor. Because of the location of his seat, Izuku would be third-to-last while Katsuki would be second-to-last.

“Here we go,” Denki said, grinning in excitement as he read his card. “Who’s most likely to be the most embarrassing drunk?”

Right off the bat, Izuku realized this was going to be a tough game for him. While everyone else was pointing easily at their friends and laughing at their reactions, Izuku had no idea who to throw under the bus. The biggest issue was that he didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. After a few seconds of not pointing at anyone, Katsuki seemed to notice his hesitance and said, “Vote for Kirishima.”

“What?” Izuku asked, looking at him.

“Kirishima. He’s the most embarrassing drunk I’ve ever seen,” Katsuki replied with a hint of a smirk, pointing at the redhead beside him who was completely oblivious because he was too busy arguing with Denki and Sero over who’s the most embarrassing out of the three of them. “Nobody’s gonna think you’re mean if you vote for them, Deku. It’s the point of the game,” he added.

Eventually Izuku realized he was right, so he hesitantly took his advice and pointed at Kirishima. When Denki counted votes, he had to drink. “Wow, thanks guys,” he said sarcastically before taking a swig of his beer and grinning around. “Who’s up next?”

Sero was next, and his question ended up being, “Who’s most likely to give their bank card to a random stranger?” Everyone had a good laugh about it before voting, and unsurprisingly, Shoto won by a large margin. He was sort of known for lending people money…and then completely forgetting that he was supposed to get paid back.

“Hey, he’s rich,” Katsuki explained with a shrug. He and Izuku were both pointing at Shoto, who wasn’t even trying to defend himself; he just went ahead and took a drink before moving on.

As Izuku eased into the game, he began to realize just how right Katsuki had been. Even when he voted for someone who wasn’t necessarily a close friend, he didn’t feel bad because the mood of the room was so lighthearted and the person he voted for never seemed to care. As they slowly went around the circle, he had a lot of good laughs, especially when he looked around and noticed how much fun everyone seemed to be having. Even those who didn’t like the inappropriate questions were having a good time. Katsuki was having a good time, even when people started poking fun at him using some of the meaner, more vulgar questions.

“Who’s most likely to be a bully?” Aoyama asked, and almost immediately, all votes flew to Katsuki. This was especially hilarious to Izuku when he considered their past, and Katsuki made a point to call him an asshole for it.

The very next question came from Tsu as, “Who’s most likely to get a stranger to buy them drinks at a bar?” And the votes for that one were split between Izuku and Ochako.

“Wait, me?” Izuku exclaimed in honest surprise. He was pointing sheepishly at Ochako because she seemed like the type of girl who’d be able to convince a guy at the bar to buy her drinks, and he was startled when about half the class was pointing at him. He was possibly even more startled, however, when he glanced at Katsuki’s hand and realized he was pointing at him too.

“Yeah, Midoriya! You’re so sweet, I feel like anyone at the bar would want to buy you a drink—girls and guys,” Mina said with a wink. Beside him, he heard Katsuki quietly scoff, and that probably made his cheeks about five shades redder than they already were.

“Oh, uh…” Izuku said.

“Izuku, you voted for me?” Ochako asked with a wide smile, pointing at him. “Aww…”

“Drink up, you two!” Denki exclaimed to keep the game moving, and Izuku quickly took a drink, wanting to rid himself of this excessive attention as soon as possible. Quickly the game was moving on and the attention shifted to other people, but his face still felt warm for minutes afterward. The comment from Mina, the scoff from Katsuki—it was totally embarrassing.

A few rounds later, it was Izuku’s turn to read off his card. By then, his embarrassment had tapered off—but when he quickly skimmed the words he was about to read out loud, it all came rushing back. “Oh, man…” he said, giving a nervous chuckle. Of course he just happens to be the one who gets an inappropriate card. Some people around him caught on and some started laughing quietly or telling him to just spit it out. Unfortunately but not surprisingly, that ‘some’ included Katsuki.

“Go on, say it,” Katsuki muttered near his ear, presumably having read it over his shoulder. Izuku internally shied away from the warm breath and resonant voice. He didn’t like the way it made his heart leap into his throat.

“Okay,” he replied quietly before clearing his throat and reciting clearly, “Who’s most likely to have sex with someone while drunk?”

Very quickly, a lot of fingers started flying around, and Izuku found out that he had no idea who to vote for. He glanced at Katsuki and realized he hadn’t voted, either. There were a lot of explanations and accusations floating around as everyone tried to decide who was most likely to do something like that. After a few seconds, though, a lot of votes started landing on Katsuki.

“Oi, what are you shits pointing at me for?” Katsuki asked, glaring at Denki, Kirishima, Sero and Mina, who were all pointing at him. A few others around the ring were pointing at him, too, Izuku noticed. “I wouldn’t fucking do that.”

“I dunno, Bakugou. Sometimes it’s like you turn into a different person when you get drunk,” Sero explained.

“Yeah, I just feel like that’s something you’d do,” Mina agreed with a shrug. “No further explanation needed.”

After hearing their explanations, Izuku started to make sense of it—so he, too, pointed at Katsuki.

“Oh, no you don’t,” Katsuki argued as he seemed to immediately notice when Izuku pointed at him. “That’s the kind of shit you would pull.”

“What?” Izuku exclaimed, dumbfounded. “Kacchan, I’ve never even been drunk!”

“Doesn’t matter, idiot, ‘cuz this is a hypothetical! Vote for your fuckin’ self,” Katsuki snapped as he pointed at Izuku almost as a form of attack. They continued arguing about it, ending with about half of the class getting involved, arguing about whether they think Katsuki or Izuku is in the right. When he said half the class, he mostly just meant ‘Katsuki and Izuku’s friend groups.’ It was honestly mortifying to be talking about it for so long, especially when he and Katsuki were at the center of the conversation, but it was turning into more of a passionate debate.

“You’ve probably never even had sex,” Katsuki shot at him, supposedly as a way to make him uncomfortable. Izuku stared at him blankly, face starting to heat up. This was not a conversation he wanted to be having right now.

“W-Why would you say that?” he demanded, seconds away from hitting Katsuki. “That is so inappropriate!”

“Have you?”

“What? I am not answering that. This is a hypothetical! I’m saying you would be more likely to have sex while drunk, and that’s the end of it!”

“Yeah, and I’m saying you’re wrong, dickhead!”

Eventually, Denki interrupted them and Katsuki was forced to take a drink because he ended up with the most votes. Izuku only had one vote, and it was from the blond himself. “Fuck you,” he muttered to Izuku before tipping his head back and letting the liquid flow into his mouth. Izuku just sighed helplessly, winding down after that incredibly strange and vulgar conversation. And he hadn’t even been the one to start it.

They finished going around the circle without Katsuki or Izuku taking any more drinks, and Izuku was glad because it provided him with some downtime. He had fun voting for his classmates when he thought the cards related to them. After a few minutes, he and Katsuki were back on speaking terms. They ended up voting for mostly the same people and laughing about it. The alcohol may or may not have been affecting their moods, making them more agreeable. Everything was going fine for a while.

About fifteen minutes later, however, the game reached its peak.

Mina was the one who had the card. Izuku was sitting patiently waiting as she read it. And after she did, his eyes widened and his smile dropped—because every single person in the ring pointed their fingers at him and Katsuki.

“Who’s most likely to fall for their best friend?” the card read.

Their classmates’ reactions were instant.

Izuku didn’t even know what to say as he realized about half the votes were aimed at him and the other half were aimed at Katsuki, who was sitting right beside him. Not a single vote for anyone else; just them. The people around him were laughing at the look of shock on both of their faces. “Me?” Izuku asked, pointing incredulously at himself. Then, with a shy glance at Katsuki, he asked a little quieter, “Uh…Us?”

Nobody else seemed to notice how shy he’d become because they were too focused on Katsuki’s reaction. “That’s bullshit,” he stated, sitting up with a fiery expression. “Who’s fucking idea was this? Was it you, pinky?” he demanded of Mina. “I don’t know who decided to group me in with this nerd—”

“Hey, nobody said anything about grouping you in together!” Mina interrupted, stifling a laugh. “It’s just so obvious for you two.”

Izuku didn’t know what that meant.

“Bakugou, I can’t imagine anyone falling for you unless they’re your best friend,” Kirishima said. “It’s like, if they don’t get to know your rough personality first, it’s just not possible.”

“And Midoriya, I feel like someone would need to earn your heart by becoming your best friend first, so that’s why most of us voted for you,” Shoto explained. “It just, you know…makes sense.”

Other people began inputting their opinions on the matter, some talking to Izuku directly and others just speaking their thoughts out loud, but he was having trouble listening to any of them. Izuku couldn’t say for certain who his best friend was. He also couldn’t say for certain whether any of his friends were right or wrong in this instance.

He glanced at Katsuki, who looked unimpressed as he listened to Mina and Kirishima trying to explain themselves. It was almost like he was avoiding eye contact. A few minutes later, the conversation slowed, and Izuku and Katsuki were forced to take a drink. They did. Shortly after that, the game moved on—but Izuku’s mind didn’t. He was still stuck on that one question, stuck on the way everyone seemed to form an immediate consensus, stuck on the way it almost seemed true. I feel like someone would need to earn your heart by becoming your best friend first. Was that true? He’d never thought of Shoto as someone that would know much about romance, relationships, or those kinds of things; but what he said there actually made a lot of sense.

Eventually he just blamed it on the alcohol and forced himself to enjoy the rest of the game.

The next few games they played also happened to be drinking games. Some groups split off to play Beer Pong in the kitchen, while others stayed in the living room playing a variation of Never Have I Ever. Izuku involved himself with the latter while Katsuki and his group indulged in the former. Nothing eventful really happened, at least nothing involving Izuku or any of his friends. By the time the night was ending, all the beer was gone, empty cans and bottles stuffed into two large garbage bags. Izuku couldn’t remember how many he drank; he lost count after five. He might’ve turned out just a little bit drunk at the end of their Never Have I Ever game, but he was far from unintelligible and his motor control was normal, so he didn’t worry about it too much.

After everything was cleaned up and everyone was ready to go, they walked back to U.A. in the dark. The time was nearing midnight. On the way back, Izuku conversed mainly with Ochako, Tenya and Shoto because they were the ones sitting next to him during their game, so they were the ones he started walking with. He was starting to notice just how drunk Ochako had come to be; she was slurring her words, holding on to Izuku’s arm the whole time to keep balance, and to add on to that, she kept looking at him in a strange way every time he met eyes with her. Izuku was keeping her balanced, but sometimes it felt like she was hanging on to him without even needing to. She wasn’t so far gone that she couldn’t walk.

During the walk, he was aware of Katsuki walking behind him. Sometimes he could feel those crimson eyes boring into the back of his head and he’d start to get inexplicably nervous. He had no reason to be, and yet he was. Katsuki was being quiet. It’s not like they were on bad terms or anything, so he just sort of pushed it off as paranoia and tried not to look back at him, no matter how often he wanted to.

They got back to U.A. and entered the building. Ochako was still clutching onto his arm, and Izuku just sort of held her, letting her lean on him, listening to her ramble, those sorts of things. It’s not like she was the only drunk one. Katsuki’s whole friend group, along with a few others, were pretty buzzed. Tenya was struggling to carry Denki under one arm and Sero under the other, while Kirishima and Mina were sort of holding on to each other, as if scared that if they let go, they might trip and fall. It was a night well-spent on drinking terms, that was for sure.

“Hey, Izuku, what’s your favorite color?” Ochako asked slowly. Her voice sounded like it was being dragged through mud.

“I like red,” Izuku replied absentmindedly. He’d been answering her questions for about thirty minutes now. At this point, he just felt like he was taking care of her—which was fine. He had no problem with taking care of his friends during a time of need.

“I like red, too,” Ochako replied even though Izuku already knew from a conversation about five minutes ago that her favorite color was pink. “Okay, but what’s your favorite color, though?”

“Red,” Izuku replied with the beginning of a laugh. “My favorite color is probably red, Ochako.”

She smiled, then giggled. “I love it when you call me by my name,” she said before hugging his arm. “It makes me feel, like…really happy.”

Izuku didn’t know what to say to that except, “I’m glad…now let’s get you to bed.” He then looked around for a girl that could take her, because he wasn’t supposed to enter the female wing where all the girls’ rooms were. He looked at Yaoyorozu, who thankfully wasn’t drunk, and asked quietly, “Could you…?”

Yaoyorozu immediately realized what he was asking and nodded, “Of course.”

“Okay, do you think you can walk?” Izuku asked, looking down at her. She just clung on to his arm and looked up at him in that same strange way she’s been looking at him all night. Lips parted, eyes glazed and heavily-lidded. Almost like she wanted something.

It took a few seconds, but eventually Izuku’s inebriated brain figured out exactly what it was that she wanted. It wasn’t until she put her hands on his shoulders and stood up on her tiptoes that he realized she was about to kiss him. Everything moved fast as Ochako placed her lips on his, breath heavy and slow, eyes closing as she began to kiss him.

In that moment, Izuku didn’t know what to do.

Internally he was panicking—they were both inebriated, people were watching, it was so unexpected, he didn’t understand it, and most prominently, he was…uncomfortable.

Izuku didn’t like this. It felt strange; like he was kissing his sister or something. Ochako was one of his best friends, and it had been that way for years. Now with her kissing him, slowly moving her lips against his in a way that’s supposed to be shared between two people intimately, it felt so, so very wrong. He’d never been so uncomfortable as he just sort of stood there, eyes closed, body tense as he tried to put on a face that wasn’t pure discomfort. She was drunk, so he didn’t think she noticed how tense he was, because when she finally pulled away to look at him, she was smiling.

His face was burning, not out of embarrassment, but out of shame. He felt terrible for not feeling the same way as her, but at the same time, he hadn’t wanted to pull away because he didn’t want to hurt her feelings. If they were planning dates in the future, wasn’t it normal for them to kiss? But at the same time, she was inebriated—maybe he should’ve pulled away for her sake. Internally he was freaking out, but on the outside, he put on the most convincing smile he could. He just had no idea what to do.

“See you tomorrow, Izuku,” Ochako said before letting go of his arm and going with Yaoyorozu, who was obviously trying not to watch them.

As she began taking Ochako away, Yaoyorozu whispered over her shoulder to Izuku with a smile, “I knew it.”

Izuku just smiled. He wanted to cry.

He turned around and realized Shoto and Tenya were there, too. He also realized that neither of them looked surprised. They were smiling, just like Yaoyorozu had been. “So you guys finally kissed,” Shoto said bluntly, walking over to Izuku and patting him on the shoulder as if in congratulation. “Are you guys, like, secretly dating or something?”

“No,” Izuku replied quickly before adding slightly quieter, “But, uh, we are going on a date in a couple of days.”

“Everyone will be happy to hear that,” Tenya said, but it sounded like he had some unspoken tension in his voice that Izuku couldn’t place. “I’m sure word will get around quickly. It always does.”

“Yeah,” Izuku agreed, feeling like his voice was growing quieter with each response.

“I guess earlier, I was correct,” Shoto added as he and Tenya began walking slowly towards the staircase.

Izuku turned to face him. “What about?” he asked.

“Earlier, when I said that someone needs to earn your heart by becoming your best friend first. Uraraka is your best friend, right?” he asked.

Izuku blinked, mouth open for a few seconds before he figured out how to respond. Uraraka is your best friend, right? He didn’t know how to go about answering that sounding like a douche, but…she wasn’t. “I mean…you guys are all my best friends,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck, deep in thought. “But yeah, I guess you’re right…” he agreed softly.

Shoto nodded. “See? I know these things,” he said, tapping his temple knowingly before walking towards the stairs, Tenya following. Izuku just sort of stood there awkwardly as he watched his friends go. He didn’t want to move. Most everyone else had already disappeared into the elevator to get to their rooms, so he was left pretty much alone.

Well, alone aside from Katsuki.

The blond was standing off to the side, hands in his pockets, staring at Izuku with an expressionless face. Izuku turned to look at him—in all the chaos with Ochako, he’d forgotten the blond was back there. He figured he just went to his room.

“Oh…hey, Kacchan,” Izuku said, running a stressed hand through his hair and forcing himself to keep up the facade of indifference. He blew out a sigh as Katsuki just continued to stare at him. “What are you, uh, still doing here?”

Katsuki stood there, pinning him with his gaze. Izuku stared back. If he wasn’t uncomfortable before, he definitely was now. He didn’t know why Katsuki looked so angry, but Izuku was starting to get overwhelmed. First he got kissed out of the blue, now all his friends believe he’s falling for Ochako, and to top it all off, Katsuki was acting angry towards him as if it was all his fault. All this while he was under the influence, so his emotions were heightened. He didn’t want to cry, and he didn’t think he was going to; but his emotions were starting to get the better of him.

“I don’t understand why you’re mad at me,” Izuku blurted. No matter how hard he tried to keep the emotion out of his voice, his chest was tightening, so it came out strained. “You have no reason to be mad at me, Kacchan, so stop staring at me like that,” he said, attempting to swallow the lump forming in his throat.

“I’m not,” Katsuki said, surprising Izuku by breaking the silence. Then he started walking towards the stairs, calmly breaking eye contact.

Izuku stood there for a moment, clenching his jaw as he watched Katsuki go. He was so lost. This all felt so…wrong. Like even though things were going according to plan, he wasn’t happy, and he didn’t like it. He didn’t like Ochako; at least, not in that way.

After a few seconds, he followed, taking a deep breath to fight down his emotions. He was glad Katsuki decided to just leave it at that. Any more, and he might’ve done or said something he regretted.

They walked to Izuku’s room in silence, and that’s where Katsuki dropped him off. “Night,” Katsuki said as Izuku opened his door. He glanced at the blond, picking up on the coldness in his tone, but Katsuki was looking the other way, heading towards the opposite staircase to get up to his own room. Leaving Izuku.

He muttered a quiet, “Goodnight, Kacchan,” before he disappeared into his room.

Later that night, after Izuku eventually drifted off, his dreams were not kind to him. He was back on the boat, running frantically down an endless maze of dark hallways, so dark he could barely see his hand when he held it out in front of his face. He ran, yelling and crying, breathing heavily, tears streaming down his face and eyes wide with panic. He couldn’t find the way out. He was stuck here, and he couldn’t find the way out.

Eventually the suffocation started. He felt lightheaded as the air felt like it was getting lighter, running out of oxygen. Izuku ran, chest heaving in desperation, until he couldn’t run anymore. His legs buckled and he collapsed to the ground as the lack of oxygen reached his brain. Even as he began to slip under conscious, losing motor control rapidly, body coiling and twitching as he gasped and cried out for air, he was trying to crawl across the ground in order to escape. That was until he heard bootsteps behind him and was roughly flipped onto his back by someone’s foot.

There, standing above him, was the villain—and he was holding a gun pointed at Izuku’s head. “Getting a little worked up, are we?” he asked before shooting Izuku right between the eyes. That was the way almost all of his nightmares ended.

After that dream was done, however, his brain did something that it didn’t normally do. Izuku’s subconscious slowly faded into the colorful state of a memory. A memory of his childhood.

They were in Aunt Mitsuki’s room, standing in front of the big rectangular mirror that she had resting on her makeup dresser. Izuku was standing with his hands covering his eyes as Katsuki brushed through his hair.

“Can I look yet, Kacchan?” Izuku asked excitedly, voice echoey with the ambient of the dream.

“Not yet, ‘Zuku,” Katsuki told him, continuing to brush it out, upwards and outwards, backwards and to the sides. “It has to be perfect.”

“Okay,” the shorter boy agreed, hiding his smile beneath the cover of his hands. Eventually Katsuki finished and instructed him to open his eyes. When he looked in the mirror, he saw that his hair was all puffed out everywhere, frizzy and crazy, the result of the static electricity from the brush. He screamed, which led to them both cracking up, rolling on the floor laughing with how hilarious they thought it was.

Eventually they ran out to the living room to show Aunt Mitsuki, who immediately started raving about how adorable it was. “Oh, but Inko’s going to be here soon—Katsuki, I thought I told you not to go into my room,” she said while hastily trying to smooth and twist Izuku’s hair so it would go back to normal. The whole time, Izuku and Katsuki were giggling and laughing, finding it absolutely comical.

Inko arrived a few minutes later to pick Izuku up, and as he was walking down the driveway holding his mom’s hand, Izuku looked back and waved at Katsuki. “Bye, Kacchan!” he called happily, a wide grin still on his face.

“Cya later, ‘Zuku,” Katsuki called his response. And even though Izuku was only twenty feet away from his doorstep, he already couldn’t wait for the next time they got to hang out together.

Izuku woke calmly. He opened his eyes and looked up at the ceiling, first noticing how dark it was. It was still nighttime. The next thing he noticed were the tears streaming down his face, soaking dark spots into his pillowcase. He’d been crying in his sleep. This wasn’t necessarily a ‘new’ thing, so he wasn’t too fazed by it.

First he tried to wipe his tears and go back to sleep, but quickly he realized that wasn’t going to happen, as he was now wide awake. With a glance at his phone, he realized it was 4:30 in the morning. A bit of an early start, but whatever, he thought as he rolled out of bed and put some warmer clothes on. He was going for a walk.

Once he got out of U.A., he started out down the path that led to the park he and Katsuki had visited together. The trees, the wildlife; everything about that park was a sure way to calm him down, especially at this hour when nobody was around to bother him. And right now, with Katsuki on his mind after that delicate yet bittersweet memory, he definitely was in need of something calming. He was wearing the ankle monitor in case something went wrong—he had enough foresight to do that—but he didn’t think anything bad would happen. How could it on a morning as peaceful as this?

Once he got to the park, he wandered around for a while, listening to the crickets hum and the frogs croak, until his feet ended up bringing him to the fountain they’d visited. The one with the gold lights and dancing water. The same one they sat at for hours, talking.

Izuku sat on the fountain coping and watched the jets shoot water into the sky. For a while he just sat there, watching the water, until the glinting of the moon on the water’s surface caught his eye. He looked up at the beautiful full moon—less full than the last time he was here, but no less beautiful. Whenever he looked at the moon since that night, he couldn’t help but be reminded of Katsuki, as well as the comment he made. It gets too quiet at night. Almost as if he was telling Izuku that sometimes at night, he got lonely.

The more he thought about it, the more he realized just how perfectly the moon described him; independent but strong, mysterious yet enchanting, mutable yet perpetual, beautiful yet…lonely. At night, when everybody goes to sleep, there’s no doubt that the moon got lonely all the way up there.

He’d once read a tragic story about the sun and the moon, how they fell in love with each other’s beauty but were destined to be apart. Every time the sun would try to catch the moon, it’s bright rays would accidentally chase it away. They were never allowed to exist on the same plane. An impossibly doleful story, one that Izuku never liked. At the moment, he couldn’t remember how it ended—only the sun’s despair as it could not exist simultaneously with it’s only true love. It started to make him sad, especially when later that morning, the sun started to come up and the moon slowly began to disappear behind the brightening horizon.

Izuku didn’t like just how much he found himself thinking about Katsuki nowadays. Every waking moment, it felt like his life was revolving around him. Even his dreams were filled with Katsuki. He’d always known that his affection for him stemmed from their childhood together, but maybe his emotions ran…deeper than just that. When he was a kid, he’d never wanted to be away from the blond, either. But now, so many things were different. The flutters, the tension involving Ochako, the longing feeling whenever they were apart—so many things were inferior, and yet so many things felt the same. Izuku didn’t know what to think anymore. There’s no way he could just ignore it forever. No matter how badly he wanted his feelings to go away, they were only going to grow—especially now that Katsuki was going to be involved so heavily in his day-to-day life.

Izuku slid down the fountain coping until his back was against it. Closing his eyes and resting his head back on the concrete, he tried to rest for a while, listening to the gentle trickling of the water behind him and the sounds of the city as light and color slowly ebbed into the sky.

He felt like his perspective on life was changing, and there was absolutely nothing he could do about it.

Chapter Text

Katsuki raked his hands through his hair as he glared up at his ceiling, unable to get back to sleep yet feeling utterly exhausted at the same time. He’d slept shittier than ever last night. He wasn’t sure when he’d finally been able to drift off, but it must’ve been later than two in the morning, because that was the last number he remembered seeing on his phone before he was forced into about thirty minutes’ worth of pushups and sit-ups just to get sleepy. Then, to top it all off, he was tossing and turning for the rest of the night because of how uncomfortable he felt in his sweaty clothes which he, for some reason, didn’t think to just take off. So fucking annoying.

After glancing at the clock on the wall, Katsuki realized it was nearing seven in the morning, so he’d probably only gotten about four hours of sleep. Unbelievable. That was barely enough to be considered a nap.

All because of what happened last night.

That’s exactly why I don’t go to class gatherings—especially not when there’s fucking drinking involved, he thought bitterly after he got done dropping Izuku off at his room. Because of shit like that.

As he walked back to his room, and for the rest of the night afterward, he couldn’t stop thinking about it. That fucking kiss. The way Uraraka kept following him around, clinging on to him, looking into his eyes like some kind of lovestruck puppy. The way Izuku never pulled away; the way sometimes, it almost seemed like he liked it. In that moment when Uraraka had leaned up to kiss him, Katsuki could still vividly remember the look on the green-haired boy’s face. Eyes closed, cheeks red—blushing—while his expression was calm and serene. He hadn’t necessarily leaned into it, but at the same time, he hadn’t pulled away. Not only that, but he was blushing the whole time, too. To Katsuki, that meant he must’ve enjoyed it.

It wasn’t only that which made him angry, it was also the fact that he and Uraraka were supposedly going on dates now. Not that he hadn’t been expecting it—after all, they'd been flirting with each other ever since Izuku got back from the boat, and the way pink cheeks looked at him told Katsuki all he needed to know about her feelings towards him. It was only a matter of time before Izuku found out and they started dating. Katsuki knew that. And yet…for some reason unknown to him, he felt himself getting inexplicably angry and perturbed over the whole thing.

He didn’t understand why. Why was he so involved in Izuku’s life that he was getting angry over their relationship? The opposite of caring about something isn’t hate; it’s indifference. He always told himself that he didn’t care, but that was starting to seem like a lie. He wasn’t indifferent to their relationship; he hated it. Which meant, to some degree or another, he did care.

But why? Was it because of Katsuki’s growing friendship with Izuku? He would’ve never admitted it before, but he was definitely growing closer to the boy, especially now that they were being forced to hang out every day. It was a strange feeling to him, but…he liked hanging out with Izuku. Most of the time, he had fun when they were together. He no longer questioned why they were hanging out because he knew the answer; it was because he liked it. Izuku’s laugh, Izuku’s smile, Izuku’s stupid jokes. Things a few months ago, he would’ve loathed…he was starting to enjoy now.

Maybe it was because he was starting to become friends with Izuku again that he despised Izuku and Uraraka’s relationship so badly. That was a normal thing for a friend to feel, right? If your closest friend were to get into a relationship with someone else, there may be a bit of resentment there because of the friend’s fear of being forgotten or left behind. Katsuki didn’t think he was afraid of that—especially now that he was being forced to hang out with Izuku, anyway—but maybe it was just a biological thing that all friends were going to feel.

Katsuki didn’t dwell on this hypothesis too much, though, because the more he thought about it, the more he realized just how wrong it was. When Kirishima and Mina started dating, he wasn’t feeling any of these things, even though Kirishima had been his best friend at the time. So either Katsuki’s theory was incorrect, or he cared for Izuku in a different way than he did for Kirishima—and neither of those answers sounded right to him.

Not only was Katsuki angered by their relationship, but he was also sometimes angered by just Uraraka in general. He didn’t only dislike her because of her guts, but also because their personalities have just never been compatible. It was no secret that they’ve never gotten along. But he still wasn’t sure why that was affecting his opinion on her and Izuku’s relationship. If Izuku liked her, why should Katsuki give a fuck? They got along because their personalities matched, which meant they were probably good for each other. But still…fuck. Seeing them together, he would always just get so angry.

He thought about all of this while lying in bed, staring up at the ceiling. Eventually, he gathered up the energy to roll out of bed and brush his teeth. He’d showered last night, so he didn’t need one right now. Grabbing his phone, he glanced at the lock screen and was suddenly reminded that today, Saturday, the class had a required mini-lesson starting at eight. Aizawa had sent out a message a few days ago detailing the lesson and its contents, but Katsuki had pretty much pushed it into the back of his mind until now. There was a message from Iida in the class group chat. It said, ‘Sorry that I forgot to remind you all last night, but we have a mini-lesson this morning at eight. I hope nobody has too bad of a hangover!’

Katsuki scoffed as he got done reading that. A few people had gotten pretty wasted last night. Denki and Sero had been so hammered that they couldn’t even walk home. Katsuki himself only had a few drinks, so he was fine. He remembered Izuku drinking slightly more than him. The shorter boy hadn’t seemed drunk, though; just tipsy. Katsuki wondered if he was up yet.

The answer to that question was probably not. Izuku never woke up early, especially not if it was the weekend. He’d probably want someone to wake him, though, so he didn’t miss the lesson. Being the good Samaritan he was, Katsuki exited his room and started making his way over to Izuku’s. He wasn’t angry at him, even though it might’ve come across that way last night. After he just got done watching him and Uraraka kiss right in the middle of the common area for everyone to see, he might’ve been a little angry; but he had no reason to be. He knew that now, especially now that he didn’t have any alcohol in his system. Katsuki had no reason to hold a grudge against Izuku just because he kissed someone that Katsuki didn’t like.

After descending two floors and walking down the hallway to get to Izuku’s room, Katsuki stood outside his door. He then performed his signature knock, a tap tap-tap, before waiting with his hands stuffed in his pockets for the nerd to respond. He was probably just waking up, so he patiently gave it a few seconds before knocking again. More silence. After Katsuki’s third knock with no response, he was starting to get annoyed.

“Fine, be that way,” Katsuki growled before reaching for the door handle. Patience had never been a virtue to him. “I’m coming in, nerd, so I hope you’re decent,” he called into the dark room as he cracked open the door.

Katsuki opened the door and stepped inside, eyes widening slightly to combat against the darkness. No open curtains, no lamp, no light from Izuku’s phone; the entire room was pitch black. The only sound he could hear was the sound of his own footsteps. Izuku usually would’ve woken up to the first or second knock, so Katsuki figured the alcohol from last night must’ve knocked him out. “Jesus, I thought you would’ve heard me knocking by now,” Katsuki said as he stepped deeper into the room and fumbled to find the light switch. “Surprise surprise, Deku…” he continued, but his voice trailed off and all amusement faded from his eyes when he flipped on the light and realized Izuku’s bed was empty. Izuku wasn’t there.

Katsuki just sort of stood still for a moment, scanning the room as if his vision had somehow deceived him, narrowing his eyes. “Deku?” he called as he walked into the room and peeked around the corner into the bathroom. The door was open and the light was off, meaning he wasn’t there, either. “Oi, this isn’t funny,” Katsuki said a little louder as he walked over to Izuku’s bed, just about the only hiding spot, and got on his hands and knees to look underneath it.

He wasn’t there, either.

It didn’t take long for surprise to turn into panic as Katsuki realized what was going on. “Oh, fuck…” he muttered, eyes widening and heartrate beginning to pick up in alarm as he searched Izuku’s room for answers. Did he have a panic attack and run away? Is the question that Katsuki’s mind immediately jumped to. He looked at Izuku’s nightstand and realized his phone was sitting there, untouched. That was a major cause for alarm. If Izuku had simply gone downstairs for some coffee or something, he likely would’ve brought his phone—same thing goes for if he’d gone on a walk. So the fact that his phone was here only fed into Katsuki’s concern that he might’ve had a PTSD attack and ran away.

“Damn it,” Katsuki cursed, rushing out of Izuku’s room and running down the hallway, heading for the stairs. Dread and fear were the only things he was feeling in that moment, especially when he thought about what happened last time Izuku had one of these. He’d almost fucking died. This time, however, the circumstances were even worse. If Izuku wasn’t wearing that ankle monitor, it would be damn near impossible to find him before something bad happened.

Nobody else was in the hallways or staircase yet, giving Katsuki a straight shot into the commons room. He didn’t know what his plan was; all he knew was that he needed to find Izuku before something bad happened. Panic fueled his movements as he entered the commons area and glanced around for someone to help him search. He didn’t have time to wake anyone else up; if nobody was around, he’d go on his own. Katsuki was relieved when he looked across the room and noticed Aizawa sitting on a recliner holding a newspaper in one hand and a steaming cup of coffee in the other. The teacher was looking over at Katsuki, obviously having heard his heavy breathing and footsteps.

“Thank fuck,” Katsuki said as he ran over, eyes wide and slightly hysterical.

“Bakugou, what is it?” Aizawa asked, lowering the recliner and setting down the things in his hands. It wasn’t often that the blond would look this dismayed over something.

Katsuki wasted no time in replying with, “I can’t find Deku.”

Aizawa was on his feet in two seconds. “He’s not in his room?” the teacher asked, immediately pulling out his phone and beginning to dial something.

“No, I don’t know where the fuck he is. He left his phone in his room.”

“Shit,” Aizawa cursed under his breath, holding his phone up to his ear and beginning to walk towards the kitchen. “I’m calling Recovery Girl. Bakugou, how about you send a message to the rest of the class explaining the situation?”

“No time. I’m going to look for him,” Katsuki replied before hastily turning towards the door and beginning to walk away. However, he stopped when Aizawa said, “Hey, stop. You won’t be able to find him if he ran off in a daze—he could be anywhere. It would be more efficient to wake Jirou or Shouji so they can use their Quirks to search.”

“I don’t give a fuck, you send the message!” Katsuki snapped, paranoia taking over. “He could be fucking dying; someone needs to look for him now!”

“What’s going on?” a new voice asked, and Katsuki glanced over his shoulder to see Shoto walking down the stairs and making his way briskly towards them. “I saw you running down the hall, so I followed you,” he explained when Katsuki gave him that sort of unhinged look.

“Actually that’s perfect. Icyhot, come with me,” Katsuki replied instead of answering his question. Shoto’s look of confusion only increased.

“Okay, but what’s going on?” he repeated with more force as he walked over to Katsuki, glancing over the blond’s shoulder. He didn’t notice because he was too busy starting to yell.

“Deku’s missing is what’s going on!” Katsuki shot back, glaring at him. “Stop asking questions so we can go look for him!”

A beat of silence passed as Shoto began to look even more confused. Katsuki glared at him, and it took him several seconds before he realized that the half-and-half bastard wasn’t even looking at him. He was looking over Katsuki’s shoulder, seemingly fixated on the door behind him. Shoto continued to look confused, and Katsuki started to get even more angry as it seemed to him that Shoto wasn’t at all concerned about what he just told him. Wasn’t Izuku his friend? How did he not care when Katsuki just told him he was missing?

“Did you even hear what I just said?” Katsuki demanded, shaking his head. Shoto looked like he was about to say something, but before he could, Katsuki cut him off. “You know what, never mind. You obviously don’t fucking care,” he growled as he turned around to exit the building, animosity almost completely fueled by worry. Immediately when he turned around, however, that worry turned to shock as he realized exactly what Shoto had been staring at. Izuku was standing in the door, halfway inside, eyes wide and mouth open as he listened to what Katsuki had been saying.

Everything Katsuki had been experiencing a moment ago came to an instantaneous halt.

For a few seconds, nobody said anything; aside from Aizawa, who sighed, ended his call with Recovery Girl, and went back to sit down and finish his coffee. Katsuki just stood there, dumbfounded, staring at Izuku—heart still racing despite now knowing he was safe, and breath still coming heavily even though he knew he should be calming down. He didn’t know what to think as Izuku slowly entered the room, maintaining eye contact with Katsuki as a remorseful look grew on his face. Katsuki didn’t know what the fuck to think or say as a million emotions ricocheted throughout his head; relief, anger, embarrassment, gratitude, outrage, disbelief. The whirlwind of emotions he’d experienced within the span of just two minutes felt criminal. He knew he shouldn’t blame Izuku for it, but part of him already was.

Katsuki clenched his jaw and walked over to Izuku, forcing his breathing to steady and wishing his heartrate would just come down. “What the fuck is wrong with you,” he muttered with venom in his voice, eyes dark and fists clenched as he approached the shorter boy. “Where the hell were you?” he asked, walking forward until his face was almost directly above Izuku’s.

“I—I went on a walk,” he began to explain, looking up at him with wide, apologetic eyes. “I’m really sorry, Kacchan. I didn’t think anyone would notice.”

“A walk,” Katsuki repeated through clenched teeth, nodding slowly. “That’s just…wow. Leaving your room, no phone, without telling anybody where you’re going,” he stated, glaring down at him. Then he added with a humorless scoff, “Fuck, Deku. You’re just a fucking genius, aren’t you?”

“I have my ankle monitor on, so I thought it’d be fine,” Izuku pointed out, but he didn’t look too confident in that. He was wringing his wrists and glancing off to the side, eyebrows furrowed in a regretful frown. “I’m really sorry for worrying you.”

Katsuki took a breath to give a stinging retort about how he ‘wasn’t worried’ before he realized how much of an obvious lie that was. In the heat of the moment, he had been worried; and he put on quite a show proving it. Maybe it was his fault for jumping to conclusions about Izuku’s whereabouts and making a big deal out of nothing, but at the same time, if Izuku had simply sent him a text telling him where he was about to go, it would’ve saved them both from this. In this case, he felt like he had every right to be angry at Izuku.

“You should be,” he stated before whipping around and heading for the stairs, waiting for the sound of footsteps behind him to let him know Izuku was following. A few seconds later, he heard them.

“Um…hey, Todoroki,” Izuku greeted softly as they passed him, and Shoto muttered a quick ‘hey’ in return. After that, it was silence. They walked up a flight of stairs, Katsuki still seething in worry-driven anger, before he said something again.

“I feel like I’ve had this conversation with you a thousand fucking times, and yet you still never listen,” he said as he veered off the staircase to walk towards Izuku’s room. “I know you’ve been having some memory loss, but I didn’t think it was so short-term.”

“It’s not that. I remember them,” Izuku told him with some indignation in his voice.

“Then why don’t you act like it?” Katsuki snapped.

“Because maybe, Kacchan, I want a little independence once in a while. Do you really think I want to be treated like a child every day?”

“You’re not being treated like a child, you’re being treated like the traumatized, out-of-control human that you are. You’ve got PTSD, Deku. You gotta stop forgetting that.”

“Don’t say that. I’m not out of control.”

“Yeah? I feel like if there’s anyone on this planet who’s allowed to call you out of control, it’s me. Tell me, Deku: who stopped you from jumping off a fucking seven story bridge when you were in the middle of a PTSD episode?” Katsuki demanded, glaring at Izuku over his shoulder. “You’re telling me you were in control, then?”

“That was a week ago—I haven’t had any panic attacks since then,” Izuku shot back. “And I’ve apologized more times than I can even count, so could you, I don’t know, stop bringing it up in every stupid conversation?”

“I don’t want you to apologize,” Katsuki said as he reached Izuku’s room and opened the door, letting himself in. “For fuck’s sake, I just want you to be a little smarter, Deku. Going on walks is fine. I don’t give a fuck about if you do that. But before you just leave without telling anybody where you’re going or what you’re doing, I want you to think to yourself: What would Katsuki think if he came to my room and found out that I wasn’t there?

“Would he freak out? Panic, maybe? Would he, I don’t know, assume that I ran away and might possibly be dead?” Katsuki asked fiercely, looking away. Izuku followed him into the room and listened silently from behind. “I get that you wanna do things independently. I feel the same way. But…next time before you leave, just send me a damn text. Even if you think it might annoy me, or you think I’m sleeping, or you think I won’t notice, just fucking do it anyway. ‘Cuz when worst comes to worst, Deku, I’d rather be annoyed than worried.”

Aside from the fact that he’d just openly admitted to Izuku that he was worried, he felt pretty good about what he just said. The anger was still there, but it was beginning to ebb now that he was able to talk it out. That was different than what he would usually do. Normally he’d just hang on to his anger, bottle it up, stash it away—but this time, he didn’t. And it felt oddly…good.

Katsuki turned around and noticed the look of understanding shining in those big green eyes. It seemed like he’d realized the same thing Katsuki did. A small change in the grand scheme of things, but to Katsuki, it seemed big. Every day he spent with the nerd, he came out a little different.

They just sort of looked at each other for a few moments before Izuku nodded. “Okay, Kacchan. I’ll do that,” he said, no longer sounding indignant like he had before. To Katsuki’s relief, it sounded like he really did understand what he was trying to say. “I’m sorry,” he added genuinely.

Katsuki sighed deeply, letting go of some of the tension in his shoulders and closing his eyes briefly to de-stress. “Good,” he said as a finalization to their talk. He never knew how good it would feel to talk something over instead of just hiding it in the back of his mind like he did everything else. Izuku closed the door and removed his shoes, prompting Katsuki to do the same, before he walked over to his bed and sat down.

For a few minutes afterward there seemed to be some unresolved tension still hanging in the air, even after they’d concluded their argument; but when Katsuki began cooking eggs and Izuku started talking about the plot of his most recent book, that tension quickly petered off.

Later during class, Katsuki was unbelievably bored. Aizawa held these mini-lessons every once or twice a month to talk through different types of rescue situations and what they, as heroes, should prioritize in the heat of the moment. They were eighteen now, so they didn’t focus as much on the broad aspect of heroism. They were now learning the finer details of certain situations they might commonly come across, such as what to do in a fire, landslide, hurricane, etcetera. Katsuki knew these lessons were important; he just didn’t understand why they always had to take place on a Saturday.

Today’s topic question was, “What should you do if, while fighting in a large body of water, there’s a group of civilians drowning while you’re trying to defeat the villain? Which should you prioritize—fighting the villain or saving the civilians?”

“Beating the villain should be prioritized in almost every case scenario,” Katsuki said when it came to be his turn to speak. “If the villain gets loose while you’re try’na save that one small group of civilians, then it might cause more damage than has already been invoked, or even kill more people. The more ethical solution is to—”

“—save the civilians first,” Izuku said when it got to be his turn. “You might not be able to control what the villain does in the future, but you can save those lives that are right in front of you. Damage can be repaired, but those lives will never be returned once they’re gone.”

Katsuki glanced over his shoulder at the green-haired boy as his turn passed and Mineta began providing his opinion from behind, going in order. Izuku shrugged innocently. They often disagreed on this subject, so it was nothing new, but Katsuki always gave him shit whenever he said anything contradictory to him during class discussions. Katsuki mouthed the words ‘you’re dead’ and Izuku just smiled. The blond returned to his tired position with his chin buried in his palm. The lesson continued without interruption as Aizawa began talking from the head of the classroom.

Ten minutes later, only thirty minutes into the lecture, he woke from his half-asleep state to the sound of something small landing on his desk. He looked down and realized it was a small piece of crumpled-up paper. Glancing around subtly, Katsuki took the paper in his fingers and delicately unwrapped it before reading the words written in neat, curvy letters between the lines.

Training later? :)

Katsuki glanced over his shoulder at Izuku, who was watching him expectantly with the hint of a smile on his face, lightly tapping his pencil against his desk. In his own blocky handwriting, Katsuki scribbled one word on the paper before crumpling it up, making sure nobody was looking, and tossing it back.

Yep.

It took another ninety minutes for Aizawa to finish the lesson and release them. After the teacher left the room, half of Katsuki’s classmates groaned in relief and groggily stood up, moving like zombies as they packed up their things and complained about how much they wanted to go back to bed. “Too early,” Denki grumbled, slinging his bookbag over his shoulder and beginning to make his way towards the door. “Massive hangover…need water…”

“You sound like you just rose from the dead,” Mina told him, but she didn’t sound like she had much more energy than he did.

“I did.”

Sero and Kirishima joined them in a collective agreement to go back to their rooms and sleep—but not Katsuki. Not since Izuku’s preposition to do some training afterwards. That small note was the only thing that was keeping him awake on four hours of sleep.

“You ready?” Izuku asked as he finished packing up his papers and notes. Katsuki nodded, and together they exited the room, branching off from the others and heading towards an indoor training facility. Very few people from their class decided to tag along, as most of them were either tired, hung over, or just didn’t feel like training on a Saturday.

After changing and stretching, they headed to the nearest mat for some hand-to-hand combat, something Izuku had been interested in lately. “I want you to teach me some tricks to reacting faster, and also, if you can think of anything, some advice for how I might be able to use my size to my advantage. I just don’t want to rely so heavily on my Quirk for close combat, you know?” Izuku said as he wrapped his knuckles in white cloth so that when they punched each other, they didn’t deal themselves—or each other—too much damage. “You’re bigger, taller, quicker—which means if we were to fight without Quirks, I’d probably lose.”

“Sure,” Katsuki replied as he did the same. “Size and muscle density make all the difference when it comes to power, but you can get around easier if you’re smaller. For now, let’s focus on your reaction time.”

For about twenty minutes, or until Izuku got it right, Katsuki went at him with a plethora of moves and expected him to read into the movements before he dealt the punch. Izuku already had a good reaction time, but Katsuki’s was better, so he gave tips. “When you see me coming at you like this,” Katsuki said as he pretended to throw a punch with his right fist, “don’t show it so much on your face that you know what they’re about to do. If you read your opponent too early and make accommodations based off your assumption, they may change their game plan at the last moment and find a way to catch you off guard.”

“How do I not do that?” Izuku asked, wiping the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand.

Katsuki shrugged. “Make your face emotionless,” he said. “I do it all the time. Don’t look at my fist, focus on my entire body; my movements, the shift in weight from foot to foot, the way I tilt my head, the way my muscles tense. With experience, these things will tell you what I’m about to do before I even make a move. Additionally, if I decide to make a change in movement at the last second, you can realize it in time to block or dodge.”

“Okay,” Izuku nodded as he watched Katsuki demonstrate. “Could you give me an example? In slow motion, please.”

“Sure.” Katsuki lowered into a fighting stance and Izuku did the same. “I’m about to hit you with a right hook. Watch my body.” After giving Izuku a second or two to prepare, Katsuki did exactly what he said he was going to do, hitting Izuku in the hand with a powerful right hook.

Izuku winced. “I said slow motion,” he complained, shaking out his hand.

“Whatever. What did you notice about my body weight?”

“It shifted slightly to your right,” Izuku replied.

“And my eyes? What did you notice about where I was looking?”

Izuku paused, “Uh…I didn’t notice anything. Could you do it again?”

Katsuki hit him with another right hook in the exact same place. Again, Izuku winced and shook out his hand, but he’d gotten the message this time. “You were looking right at my face,” he told him.

“Right. And that’s exactly where I’m going to look every time I throw a punch, because it doesn’t give away any information about where I’m going to hit. That’s why you can’t always rely on someone’s eyes to give anything away—sometimes they could mislead you by looking at your chest, when their body language would’ve told you that they were about to punch you in the gut. It’s unreliable.”

“Interesting,” Izuku said, eyes bright. “Okay, let’s go again.”

An hour later, Izuku had mastered the basics and they moved on to Izuku’s statement, “I want to figure out the best way to flip you over despite our difference in size.”

“Why the hell would I agree to teaching you that?” Katsuki asked, crossing his arms and glaring at Izuku.

He shrugged. “It will help me learn how to flip someone heavier than me,” the shorter replied, giving him an amused look.

“Or maybe you just want an excuse to throw me into the ground a few times. Are you sure that’s not it?” Katsuki asked flatly.

“I’m sure.”

Katsuki made a point about how it seemed like Izuku was using him before he reluctantly agreed. “Okay, I’ll come at you, and you try to figure out the best way to flip me. I’ll give you pointers as we go. Ready?” Katsuki asked, not giving him a chance to respond before rushing him. He swung his right fist, keeping his eyes locked on Izuku’s face as he threw the punch at his gut. Izuku managed to parry at the last moment, but not before Katsuki landed a decent hit. The shorter boy coughed as his guts got rearranged and Katsuki stepped back, looking bored.

“Come on, Deku, we just practiced this,” he deadpanned. “I thought I already taught you how to read my body movements.”

“Okay, first of all, you were not going that fast before,” Izuku insisted, eyes wide as he clutched his stomach. “Holy…wow.”

“Well, I had to figure out some way to keep up with you, so I focused on getting really fast,” Katsuki replied, nonchalant. “That wasn’t even my hardest punch. Now, let’s do this until you figure out a way to flip me.”

Izuku looked almost reluctant to continue as he dropped into the boxing position and Katsuki rushed him again, this time going for a combination move. He swung his fist hard at Izuku’s right shoulder, then right when he was about to make the hit, dropped to the ground and wrapped his legs around Izuku’s own. Using the momentum and strength in his upper legs, he caught Izuku off balance and flipped him onto his back. The boy’s lungs made a huffing sound as the air was knocked from them, and when he was successfully on the ground unmoving, Katsuki stood up and grinned down at his frustrated face.

“You haven’t even,” Izuku puffed, “taught me how to defend against that!”

“I know,” Katsuki replied. “I was just showing you a new way you can take me down. Though that was a pretty advanced move that I’m not sure you’ll be trying today. It’s called a leg trip. I think it’s pretty self-explanatory as to why.”

“You’re like a, hah, martial artist or something,” Izuku said as he started to get up

“I might’ve taken a few classes,” Katsuki admitted. Izuku’s eyes widened as he realized he didn’t have a chance. “But don’t worry; I’ve been going easy on you this whole time,” he added just to watch the look on Izuku’s face melt from surprise into dismay.

“I wouldn’t want to go against you in a battle,” Izuku uttered, shaking his head in amazement.

“Again; I had to come up with ways to accommodate for our power disadvantage, so I focused more on other areas. That doesn’t make me any more powerful than you, it just makes me a little more…well-rounded.”

“So you learned martial arts just as a way to keep up with me?” Izuku asked, rolling his shoulder that hit the matt particularly hard. The hint of a smile grew on his face as Katsuki shook his head.

“I learned martial arts so I can make myself better. Don’t go getting a big head, nerd. Not everything I do revolves around you.”

“I know, I know,” Izuku chuckled before taking a deep breath and squaring up with Katsuki again. “Anyway… back to training.”

They trained until their bodies hurt. They both received at least two bloody noses, some cuts along their arms and shoulders, and bruises just about everywhere else sometime within the next three hours. Izuku managed to get Katsuki on the ground a few times and sometimes he landed some good hits, but mostly it was the opposite. Katsuki didn’t feel like going easy on him; not that Izuku would’ve wanted him to.

He hadn’t expected himself to accumulate enough energy to train for that long, but somehow, the thought of stopping never crossed his mind. He was having fun teaching Izuku what he knew; the nerd was like a sponge when it came to soaking up information, and he was a good listener. Katsuki rarely had to repeat himself, and when he did, it was always for good reason.

Or maybe it was just because he enjoyed the feeling of sparring one-on-one like this again. Usually they’d use their Quirks and Izuku would have the advantage, but today, they were in Katsuki’s field of knowledge. For obvious reasons, he liked that better.

At one point, once he was consistently able to get Katsuki on the ground about one out of five times, Izuku realized that even if he was able to get Katsuki on the ground, he couldn’t keep him on the ground for longer than about five seconds. Izuku then asked to be taught different ways to successfully pin his opponent. Katsuki began trying to think of one that didn’t involve using your weight to your advantage. “Uh, let’s see…there are lots of ways to do it. Most of them don’t have names, but off the top of my head, I can think of a side control, back mount, and, you know, just a standard pinning hold.”

Izuku nodded, thinking. “Have you ever used any of those on me? Just so I can get an idea of what they look like.”

“Sure. Yesterday I used a standard pinning hold because that’s what came easiest in the moment, but the other two are honestly more effective and would be easier for someone like you to master. The smart decision would be for you to learn those first,” Katsuki said.

Then, before he could stop himself, he added, “I could show you, if you want.”

For a second or two, Izuku just stared at him, as if trying to figure out whether he was joking or not. Katsuki wasn’t. He knew how it sounded; “I could pin you down, if you want.” He was aware of how out-of-character and…odd…it sounded. Pinning him down on the matt without the context of being in the middle of a fight did seem a little exotic, to say the least.

When Izuku realized that Katsuki wasn’t joking, the blond could’ve sworn he saw his eyes widen a little. As if nervous, he shifted from foot to foot for a moment before asking, “Um…you would?”

Katsuki didn’t know why the fuck he was agreeing to this, but he nodded. He noticed his heart was starting to quicken a little as he said, “Lay down.”

Doing as he was told, Izuku lowered himself to the ground, holding eye contact with Katsuki as if expecting him to lunge at any moment. Once he was fully flat against the matt, chest rising and falling faster than usual, Katsuki slowly walked over to his side and kneeled down. “Let’s start with a side control,” he said as he began to lower himself over Izuku’s body. The air between them felt thick with silence and tension.

Katsuki laid his chest perpendicularly over Izuku’s before wrapping one arm around the boy’s shoulder and using his other hand to hold down his wrist, keeping the arm firmly in place. Once he was in position and he was sure that if Izuku tried, he wouldn’t be able to get out, he said, “Okay. This move is good for you specifically because if you manage to get on top of them like this, you can dislocate their shoulder if they try to throw you off. Do you want me to show you how to do that?”

“Sure,” Izuku agreed, voice sounding distant, as if he was in some sort of daze.

Katsuki scoffed, shaking his head slightly. “You were supposed to say no,” he replied in a low voice. “I just asked if you want me to dislocate your shoulder.”

“Oh, uhm, no…I mean yeah, I knew that. I just thought you meant, like, show me how without actually doing it,” Izuku replied quickly.

“’Kay,” Katsuki muttered. “So, if you put pressure on their shoulder here while bending their arm back like this…” he said as he demonstrated, pushing upwards on Izuku’s elbow while pressing down on the dip between joints in his shoulder.

Izuku inhaled sharply, body tensing beneath him, and this caused an unexplained shudder to run up Katsuki’s spine. “Ah,” Izuku said, moving his legs a little as a reaction to the sharp pain. “Yep, mhm. I definitely feel that.”

Katsuki murmured an agreement while slowly releasing the pressure, ignoring that strange reaction his body made when Izuku did that. He continued talking as if nothing happened. “If I were to press hard enough, your shoulder would pop out of its socket and you wouldn’t be able to use it. As you can imagine, it would give you a pretty big advantage if you manage to do that to someone,” he said. He then pushed himself off of Izuku though remained on his knees, looking down at him. “Ready for the next one?”

Izuku nodded, and they both decided to ignore how flushed his face was. Katsuki figured it was because of their proximity, which made sense considering the situation, so he couldn’t even blame the guy; the only one he could blame was himself for suggesting this dumb fucking idea in the first place.

The next pinning style was called a back mount, and there were multiple variations of it. Just because today was more about showing Izuku the basics, he decided to go with one of the easier ones. “For this one, you gotta lay on your stomach,” Katsuki told him as he got to his feet to reposition himself. Izuku looked at him hesitantly from on the ground, face still red, before rolling onto his stomach. It was obvious that they were both trying not to make it weird, but it ended up feeling that way regardless.

Katsuki stood over him, pretending he didn’t recognize just how blatantly erotic this was starting to feel. His heart was beating fast. His whole body felt hot; thank fuck he didn’t blush easily, or else Izuku might’ve seen it on his face. He didn’t know why he was still doing this. Obviously he didn’t want to pussy out, but that might’ve upheld his dignity more than what he was doing right now. He could’ve just showed Izuku a fucking tutorial on the internet, or explained it to him using words rather than actions—but no. Katsuki was deciding to just do it to him.

Katsuki kneeled down, placing his knees on either side of Izuku’s ass. Fuck, this was bizarre. If they’d been in the middle of a match and Katsuki pulled this off, it wouldn’t have felt awkward at all, but now that he was performing it so slowly, mindful of every move he made and every little…indecent notion…that came to his mind, it was entirely different.

Something similar happened yesterday. He’d pinned Izuku down before literally just sitting there, staring at him, for a minute straight. He hadn’t even realized he was doing it at the time. All he knew was that there was this strange feathery feeling in his stomach and some inexplicable desire to hold Izuku there, to not get up, to continue to stare at him. And now it felt like he was doing that all over again, but somehow this time even worse.

He couldn’t remember exactly when he started feeling this way around Izuku—the fast-beating heart, hot feeling on his face and all over his body, the strange tugging sensation in his gut, the annoying feathery feeling in his chest—but this was probably the third or fourth time he’s felt it. He definitely didn’t understand it, and he didn’t like it, either. It was completely new to him, especially around Izuku of all people. But it was happening more often recently, and he didn’t know how to stop it.

He wasn’t exactly helping his case, though, when he went and did shit like this.

Deciding to just get it done quickly, Katsuki laid down fully on top of Izuku’s back and hooked his arms beneath his elbows, pulling his arms back and essentially enabling him from moving his upper body. Then he wrapped his legs around Izuku’s and pulled tight, rendering his entire body completely unable to move. This worked especially well since Katsuki was taller, but it would’ve worked just fine if the roles were reversed. Izuku grunted at the weight on his back and sudden inability to move his limbs.

In those moments it took him to get situated, he consciously overlooked the fact that he was pressed flush against Izuku’s ass and thighs, which, with absolutely no attraction involved, were very shapely with how much he worked out. It was clear on many levels that Izuku’s main focus was on his lower body, resulting in him having a more curvaceous physique. Katsuki could see how it might come across as attractive…to other people.

With his face near Izuku’s ear, he said, “Try to escape.”

After a few seconds of breathing and slight hesitation, Izuku began trying to wriggle out of his grip, attempting to kick his legs, move his arms, roll onto his back—anything. But this was a very effective way of pinning someone, and almost impossible to get out of without the usage of a Quirk. Katsuki let him wiggle and jerk for ten seconds or so before telling him to stop. “This is probably the most effective because there’s really no way to get out of it,” Katsuki told him before starting to get up, unhooking his arms and legs and rolling off of Izuku onto one knee.

Izuku propped himself up and turned his body to look at Katsuki, face still red. Katsuki tried not to think too much on it. Izuku blushed at a lot of things.

Katsuki said with an impassive shrug, “Now you know the best ways to pin someone.”

“Yeah,” Izuku agreed, beginning to stand up. “Um…thanks.”

Katsuki grunted in response as he got to his feet. “Anyway, in the next match, let’s see if you can figure out a way to use one of them on me. It’s a lot different when you’re in the middle of a fight.”

When they finished training, they went back to their respective rooms to shower and change, and Izuku came to Katsuki’s room afterward to watch a movie. Katsuki was laying on his bed trying to pick something out when Izuku knocked on the door and then let himself in, not even waiting for Katsuki’s ‘ok’. They’d been hanging out so much recently that they would soon be at the point where they didn’t even have to knock.

“I brought popcorn,” Izuku said as he walked into the room holding a large bowl of microwave popcorn, quickly filling the air with the buttery aroma. He had damp hair and shining eyes as he walked over to Katsuki’s bed and just sort of stood there expectantly, waiting for him to move over. Katsuki was lying right in the middle.

Katsuki reached into the bowl and took a piece of popcorn before tossing it in his mouth, chewing for a few seconds and determining if Izuku had brought the good stuff or not. It passed the taste check, so he begrudgingly scooted over. “What do you wanna watch,” he asked, giving Izuku a spot to lay. Izuku crawled into bed, placing the bowl of popcorn between them and pulling the blanket up to his chest. Katsuki had a large bed, so there was enough distance between them that they didn’t run the risk of bumping into each other. He was too tired after the training match to care about the fact that they were sharing a bed.

“I don’t care,” Izuku replied casually as he ate popcorn. “Whatever sounds good.”

“Great, ‘cuz there’s this new horror movie that I’ve been meaning to watch. Shitty hair says it’s good, but I don’t know how much his opinion is worth,” Katsuki said as he began searching for the movie. The lights were already off and the curtains were closed, so the only light was coming from the small TV mounted on the wall across from his bed. He was one of the only students in their class who actually had a TV in his room, so most movie nights happened in here if he was feeling up to it.

Izuku hummed. “Cool. I like horror movies.”

They watched the movie—it turned out to be cliché with jumpscares that you could see coming from a mile away—and ended up making fun of it the whole time instead of getting scared like they were supposed to.

“I bet he’s gonna jump out from around the corner right…now,” Katsuki said dramatically. A couple of seconds later, the masked killer jumped out from around the corner, holding a knife as he began to chase the screaming protagonist. He and Izuku both laughed as they watched the alarming display.

“You were two seconds off,” Izuku mused, flicking a piece of popcorn at him.

Katsuki rolled his eyes, grabbing the piece of popcorn and eating it. “Yeah, whatever. I was right about him jumping out from around the corner, though.”

Izuku pointed out, “Anyone could’ve guessed that would happen.”

Katsuki grabbed another piece of popcorn and threw it at Izuku’s face, hitting him in the nose. “Is that right, nerd? I didn’t hear you making any guesses.”

“I did. In my mind,” Izuku replied as he threw another piece of popcorn, and it was starting to look like a popcorn fight, so Katsuki grabbed the bowl away from his reach and set it on his other side.

“Mine now,” he said, wrapping an arm around the glass. “You aren’t gonna get popcorn all over my room.”

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry, give it back…”

“Get your hands off me,” Katsuki said as Izuku began trying to reach over him to grab it. The blond pushed him off and Izuku looked at him incredulously.

“Kacchan! That’s my bowl!”

“Not anymore.”

They ended up fighting over the bowl and after about five minutes of arguing, it ended in a draw. Katsuki set it between them once more, peace momentarily found as they settled down to continue the movie. “If you throw one more piece, I’m stealing this bowl and never giving it back,” he threatened as he placed it precariously down.

“Fine,” Izuku replied with a smile on his face, and that was the end of it.

For dinner that night, the class was planning to go to a nearby sushi restaurant, and Izuku somehow convinced him to go—even after the disaster that the previous class gathering had been. To be fair, the gathering itself hadn’t been a disaster. Actually, Katsuki would admit only to himself that he actually had fun that night; talking to his friends, messing around with Izuku, playing that stupid drinking game. It was all pretty enjoyable. It’s just the end of the night that he wasn’t too fond of.

“I guess earlier, I was correct,” Shoto added as he and Tenya began walking slowly towards the staircase.

Izuku turned to face him. “What about?” he asked.

“Earlier, when I said that someone needs to earn your heart by becoming your best friend first. Uraraka is your best friend, right?”

Izuku was silent for a few seconds before he figured out how to respond. “I mean…you guys are all my best friends,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck, looking thoughtful. “But yeah, I guess you’re right…” he agreed softly.

That conversation had angered parts of Katsuki that had never felt anger before. Only this time it was a different kind of anger, like the feeling you would get if your mom bought your sibling a brand-new iPhone for Christmas while all you got was a broken hand-me-down. A variation of resentment, only not aimed toward Izuku himself, but more just at the idea of him and Uraraka being a couple. He hated saying it, but it almost felt similar to…jealousy. He hated saying it because he still had no idea why he would feel jealous by anything Izuku does in the first place.

Even after trying to convince himself again and again that he didn’t care about Izuku or how he lived his life, there was nothing he could say that would make it true. He cared. He cared too fucking much, to the point where it was getting to be annoying and counterproductive.

And yet he couldn’t bring himself to stop. He couldn’t stop hanging out with Izuku, even if he wanted to. For the first time since their fucking childhood, he didn’t want to stop hanging out with the nerd; he wanted to keep hanging out with him. Constantly. Even with all these strange feelings tied into their relationship, making him feel things he didn’t want to feel or even necessarily understand, he didn’t want to cut him off.

Everything was changing, including himself. He could see that in the way Izuku was able to convince him to come to dinner. He could see it in the way he was opening up more about his emotions, even if he’s only done it once or twice thus far. He could see it in the way he was smiling more, becoming less defensive, starting to take advice rather than just dish it out…unobservant eyes might not have noticed these small changes, but for Katsuki, they were extensive.

He sometimes wondered why Izuku never gave up on him, even during the times where he acted like he hated him. He hated his guts, but he never hated Izuku. He wondered how Izuku remained close to him even when they were at their worst. Was it because he was always clinging on to what the used to have, trying to preserve their friendship in any way possible? Or was it because Izuku was able to see this better side of Katsuki all along, even when the blond didn’t even realize it was there himself?

“Kacchan?” Izuku’s voice suddenly pulled him out of his thoughts, causing him to blink a few times and look down at him. Izuku smiled slightly, standing close to him in the lobby of the restaurant as they waited to be seated. It was a relatively busy night, so they’ve been standing here for almost twenty minutes. “I’ve been trying to get your attention. What were you thinking about?”

Katsuki sighed, trying to come up with an answer that wasn’t ‘you.’

“Nothin’, nerd,” he settled before lifting his hand and slightly ruffling Izuku’s hair, not so much that it got frizzy but just enough to annoy him. Izuku ducked away and Katsuki scoffed, letting his hand return to his side. It was a habit he was starting to pick up without consciously realizing it. The first time he did it was last night, if he recalled correctly. Izuku had said something stupid, but deciding not to just shove him away like he always did, he instead—and it was quite by accident—lifted his hand to ruffle Izuku’s hair.

He hadn’t even meant to do it, but once he started, he couldn’t break away. Izuku’s hair was outrageously soft, to the point where he almost asked what hair products he uses right in front of the entire class. If he’d been a little more drunk, he might’ve really said it. Anyway, when Katsuki pulled his hand away, it smelled like that coconut-vanilla scent that he now related to Izuku, and he found himself drinking in the scent as if it was stronger than the alcohol itself. He’d be lying if he said that whenever he got very close to Izuku, he didn’t very subtly try to lean down and catch the scent of it. Weird, right? And the fact that he always used to hate the smell of coconut was even weirder.

Katsuki glanced around at the bustling lobby—people coming in, people ushering themselves out, waiters and waitresses politely trying to escort people to their tables, the hostess scrambling to take calls and make sure everybody got checked in. He could barely hear himself think over all the conversations going on. Apparently Yaoyorozu had called earlier and scheduled reservations for the whole class, but that didn’t mean that on a night like this, they weren’t going to have a wait. This restaurant wasn’t necessarily fancy, but it served good food and it was positioned on a street that got a lot of traffic, so the weekends were usually packed.

Starting to get annoyed, Katsuki grumbled, “This is getting out of hand,” to Izuku, though he wasn’t sure he could even hear him over all the noise. “Maybe we shouldn’t have come.”

“Actually, the reason I was trying to get your attention was to tell you that we’re being seated now,” Izuku explained happily.

Looking forward, he noticed that Izuku wasn’t lying. The class members at the front of the group were starting to file one-by-one through a narrow doorframe, following a waitress into a bigger room filled with tables. Izuku and Katsuki were at the rear of the group, so that’s why he hadn’t noticed.

“Oh,” Katsuki said. “Well, good.” Eventually he and Izuku started to move, and when they got into the main room, it was a lot quieter than in the lobby. They passed large tables filled with students on their night out, families getting together for a nice dinner, or other party-like get-togethers. There was one thing that all the tables had in common: the food smelled amazing. Katsuki’s mouth was watering as the class was escorted to their reserved table.

“It smells amazing in here. Kacchan, what are you going to get? I’m getting tempura,” Izuku said with a gleeful sparkle in his eyes. “Mm, I love tempura.”

“I’m getting two orders of the spicy roll, though I’m sure you already knew that since you’re such a stalker.”

“Hey, you’re the one who always remembers everything I eat,” Izuku pointed out. “I bet you still remember what I had for breakfast that one time.”

“I don’t, actually,” Katsuki proclaimed. “And even if I did, that wouldn’t make me a stalker, it would just make me someone with a good memory.”

“First of all, stalkers do have good memories,” Izuku began, and he continued listing off things, even as they took their seats next to each other at the end of a long rectangular table. Katsuki listened with a bored expression as Izuku began pointing out things that Katsuki has in common with a stereotypical stalker, which led to Katsuki doing the same for him, which led to them arguing about which one of them was more of a stalker, which led to Izuku getting angry that they were even talking about this in the first place, and so on and so forth.

As they waited for their orders to be taken, the rest of the class talked about what happened last night and shared stories about what happened when they got back to their rooms.

“I’m pretty sure I was sleeping before I could even get my shoes off,” Kirishima said.

“I think I fell asleep while standing. In the shower,” Mina one-upped him.

“I can’t remember anything after I won at beer pong,” Denki said, “but I do remember waking up in the middle of the night wondering, ‘why the hell am I so sticky?’ So please, if anyone has an answer to that question, I would love if you could let me know.”

“It’s because you didn’t, in fact, win at beer pong,” Katsuki piped up, speaking to him from halfway across the table. “I did.”

“We did,” Kirishima corrected quietly.

 “You ended up getting so frustrated that you dumped the two remaining cups on yourself,” Katsuki continued, ending in the rest of the class’s laughter—including Izuku, Katsuki noticed, which almost made him smile. Denki gave a mortified cry and buried his face in his hands, only fueling the laughs.

“Are you serious?” he asked, and Katsuki nodded.

“It’s true. I remember,” Kirishima backed him up. “But don’t worry, Mina and I cleaned it up for you—for the most part, anyway. I think the floor might still be a little sticky, but, you know…we did what we could.”

Denki looked humiliated as he sighed long and hard in regret. “Okay. Thanks, guys. I’ll have to swing by before my parents get home and make sure the house doesn’t reek of beer,” he groaned.

“I still can’t believe Mr. Aizawa didn’t figure us out,” Sero said. “I mean, half of us were hungover during class, and I hadn’t gotten a chance to shower until afterward, so…”

“Oh, he knew,” Katsuki assured, nodding. “Without a doubt. I mean, I could smell dunce face from across the room. I just don’t think he cares anymore.”

“Yeah, we’ve gotten to the point where he’s given up,” Mina agreed from Kirishima’s side. “I would, too, if I was our teacher,” she added, and there was a chorus of agreements from around the table.

Later, they got their orders taken, drinks delivered, and appetizers eventually served. Katsuki didn’t get any appetizers because he knew his entre would be enough. Izuku on the other hand ordered shrimp tempura, which actually looked really fucking good. There were eight of the little fried shrimp on a plate with a small bowl of sauce to dip them in. When Izuku took a bite out of one, it made a crisp crunching sound, and the smell was mouthwatering.

As Izuku crunched away, he seemed to notice Katsuki inadvertently looking at the tempura, because he asked, “You wanna try?”

“Nah,” Katsuki practically lied, shaking his head and looking away. “It’s yours.”

“No, no, they gave me too much,” Izuku insisted before grabbing Katsuki’s hand from off the table, starting to gently pry open his fingers. Katsuki raised an eyebrow at him as Izuku grabbed one of the shrimp, dipped it in the sauce, and placed it between his fingers, nodding at him to give it a try. “It’s good, I promise.”

“I’ve had tempura before. I know it’s fucking good,” Katsuki told him as he repositioned the shrimp in his hand, eyeing it. “What’s the sauce taste like?”

Izuku shrugged. “It’s not spicy, if that’s what you’re asking. It’s kind of…sweet, I guess. A little salty.”

“Sweetness and saltiness are complete opposites,” Katsuki deadpanned as he slowly started to lift the shrimp to his mouth, looking at Izuku and waiting for him to describe the taste in an understandable manner.

“Okay, then I guess it’s more on the sweet side,” Izuku told him. “It kind of reminds me of maple syrup.”

Katsuki clicked his tongue. “Figures. You love your fucking syrup, don’t you,” he muttered before tossing the shrimp into his mouth. It really was delicious, but since he knew Izuku was watching his expression and waiting for a reaction, he purposefully scrunched up his face into a scowl. “Ew, Deku. This tastes like shit,” he lied, looking like he’d just tasted something sour.

“What?” Izuku demanded, looking genuinely surprised. “Are you serious?”

“No, I’m not. It’s good,” Katsuki said as he let his face return to normal, then snickered as Izuku scoffed and rolled his eyes.

It wasn’t long before they split into their own separate conversations, Katsuki paying attention mainly to what was happening with Kirishima, Mina and Denki, while Izuku talked to his own friend group. For a while, Katsuki was listening to Mina rant about a new pair of slippers that Kirishima had bought her recently, but he quickly grew bored of that and diverted his focus to listen in on what Izuku was talking about instead. He didn’t turn his head or look over, so he gave no indication that he was listening; but he was.

Izuku was conversing with Uraraka, and it sounded like they were talking about what happened last night.

“I can’t believe our first kiss happened while I was drunk,” Uraraka was musing when Katsuki dropped in. “Kind of unfortunate, but oh well! I can’t wait for our date tomorrow.”

“Me, too. It should be fun!” Izuku agreed, though Katsuki noticed he didn’t sound quite as enthusiastic.

“So you guys are officially dating now?” Shoto asked with mild interest. “I’ve always kind of seen it coming, so I’m not very surprised,” he added, and that last comment left a sour taste in Katsuki’s mouth.

“Well…no,” Izuku said, sounding slightly unsure of himself. “We agreed to call it more of a situationship for now. We’re going on dates, but not…dating.”

“We’re testing it out,” Uraraka helped, and Izuku agreed fervently.

Katsuki took a second to think about that. A situationship. He had no idea what the fuck that meant, but it rhymed with ‘relationship’ so he assumed it was something similar.

The conversation continued with Shoto. “Oh, I understand. Because you two have been friends for so long, you’re just starting to get used to these new feelings for each other. Thus, before you jump straight into dating, you want to sort of test the waters first and make sure it’s what you really want,” he said, and that was a surprisingly deep assessment. Maybe Icyhot was smarter with relationships than he let on.

“Yeah! It’s exactly like that,” Uraraka agreed.

“Perfectly said, Todoroki,” Izuku added, but again, Katsuki noticed something strange in his voice; an undertone of hesitance when he spoke, as if he didn’t truly believe what was coming out of his mouth. It sounded like he was just going through the motions without putting any real thought into it. Katsuki thought he might be imagining it, but without being able to see Izuku’s face, he couldn’t completely figure it out.

Soon after that, Izuku’s group moved on to talk about something boring, so Katsuki returned his attention to Mina and was irritated to find her talking about the same damn thing she’d been talking about earlier. Not long after, they were served their food, so that shut her up. Katsuki’s exasperation was momentarily deferred when two orders of the spicy tuna roll were placed in front of him and he was finally able to satiate his hungry stomach.

After everyone finished eating and the food was paid for, Katsuki drove Izuku home while the rest of the class walked. It was technically a walkable distance being two miles from the school, but they’d both concluded that they were sore and tired, so Katsuki agreed to drive. “Fade Into You” by Mazzy Star was playing on the radio with the windows down. The air was warm as it circulated throughout the car and the evening sky was colorful, painted with various shades of red, orange, and a soft beige clouds.

As they listened to the song and enjoyed each other’s company without talking, Katsuki started to feel a sense of calmness wash over him, presumably brought about by the serene atmosphere. He glanced at Izuku to see if he was feeling the same way, and for a few seconds, even though he was driving and should’ve been paying attention to the road, he couldn’t look away. Not from the soft dark hair blowing gently in his face, sometimes flying every which way yet somehow looking perfect at the same time. Not from those crystalline viridian eyes which somehow shone even brighter than the dying sun, and not from those long, delicate eyelashes which framed them. Izuku’s freckled and subtly flushed cheeks, to the relaxed smile tugging at his lips, to the way his face was lit up golden by the sun, accentuating every little detail in his skin and eyes—nothing Katsuki was seeing was new, but for some reason, he felt like he was looking at a completely different person.

Katsuki didn’t know what came over him, but in that moment, he couldn’t help thinking that Izuku looked breathtaking.

He’d never looked at Izuku like that before. Maybe it was the lighting, or the song, or the situation—he didn’t know, and he didn’t understand. He couldn’t bring himself to look away, even when his heartrate started to pick up and he knew he’d be embarrassed if Izuku called him out. Caught in the moment, Katsuki couldn’t care about any of that; all he wanted was to soak up this moment.

Eventually Izuku did notice, and he looked over, catching Katsuki’s eye before the blond quickly looked away. “What is it?” Izuku asked over the sound of the music and the wind in their ears. There was a smile in his voice.

Katsuki sniffed and glanced at him indifferently, returning his main attention to the road. “Your hair. It’s going everywhere,” he pointed out, efficiently diverting the attention away from himself so he could mentally recover from whatever the fuck just came over him.

“You think I haven’t noticed?” Izuku asked, attempting to flatten it down with his hands. He sighed. “It’s at that length where it doesn’t necessarily go in my eyes, but it’s just long enough to annoy me.”

“It looks good,” Katsuki blurted before he even realized what he was saying, and his heart leapt into his throat as he realized he’d just given Izuku a genuine compliment. Fuck, he really was caught up in the moment, wasn’t he? He must not have been thinking very clearly to make a blunder like that. He never gave people fucking compliments.

While Katsuki was trying to figure out ways to somehow take it back in a believable way, he could feel Izuku’s gaze on him for a few seconds, as if he was trying to find a way to respond. Just as he was about to say ‘just kidding’ or some other form of that, Izuku spoke before he could. “Thanks, Kacchan,” he said with real appreciation in his voice; and for some reason after that, Katsuki suddenly lost all motivation to take it back. The words died on his tongue just as he was about to say them.

Instead, he just turned up the music and ignored that fact that he’d said it in the first place.

A “situationship” is a term used to describe a romantic or interpersonal relationship that lacks clear boundaries, commitment, or defined labels. It is a hybrid of a friendship and a romantic relationship, where two individuals are involved in an emotional connection and may engage in activities typically associated with dating, but without a formal commitment or a clear expectation of exclusivity. Situationships often lack the structure and clarity that comes with traditional relationships, and they can vary widely in terms of intensity, duration, and expectations. The term is commonly used to describe relationships that are characterized by ambiguity, uncertainty, and a lack of defined commitment.

Katsuki nodded as he looked at his phone, finally starting to understand. It is a hybrid of a friendship and a romantic relationship. Weird.

“You coming, Kacchan?” Izuku asked as he walked up the stairs, waiting for Katsuki to finish whatever he was doing on his phone. The blond looked up and slid his phone into his pocket, nodding.

“Yeah,” he said before jogging up the stairs to catch up.

“What were you looking at?” Izuku asked with mock interest.

“None of your business,” Katsuki replied, shoving him in the arm. Izuku chuckled.

They reached the nerd’s room first, where he planned on dropping him off for the night. Izuku cracked open his door and stood facing Katsuki, a smile on his face. “Are you sure we can’t watch any more movies?” he asked teasingly, leaning back on the doorknob.

“I already told you no,” Katsuki deadpanned, shaking his head. “Jesus, you’re like a little kid, always begging for more.”

Izuku frowned, but it didn’t reach his amused eyes. “Fine, I guess I’ll just go to sleep, then,” he said dejectedly, beginning to retreat into the darkness of his room.

“Like a normal person,” Katsuki pointed out, and Izuku hummed in agreement before starting to close his door.

“Goodnight, Kacchan.”

But before he could close the door, Katsuki abruptly stopped him, slotting his forearm between the doorframe and the wood. Izuku paused and re-opened the door a little, just enough to look at him questioningly.

Katsuki remembered how last night, Izuku had wandered off for no reason to go on a walk, scaring the shit out of him when he came to get him only to find he wasn’t there. Before walking away, he wanted to make sure that didn’t happen again.

“You promise you won’t do anything stupid in your sleep?” he asked almost in an accusatory way.

Izuku thought for a moment before shrugging. “I mean, I can’t promise I won’t do anything in my sleep, but I do promise that I’ll tell you if I’m planning on going on a walk or anything.”

Katsuki thought about it for a minute. The fear he’d felt upon finding Izuku’s room empty, the panic that ensued as he immediately began looking for him. And then he remembered how he felt on the bridge—seeing Izuku about to jump, quickly running up behind him and wrapping his arms around him, yelling at him to snap out of it only for Izuku to continue fighting back, unresponsive. When he had his episodes, he lost all control of himself, and Katsuki had no way of telling when they might happen or why. So right now, the thought of leaving him alone sounded like a mistake.

“Do you want me to wear my vitals monitor to bed? It’s a little uncomfortable, but I can deal with it,” Izuku proposed, seemingly noticing his hesitance. Katsuki continued to think, tonguing his cheek.

“Even if you do, it might be too late before the old lady notices and tells someone. I just don’t…” he paused for a moment, giving an exasperated sigh. It sounded so stupid, but… “I don’t like the idea of leaving you alone.”

Izuku stared at him and they shared a moment of silence, taking in Katsuki’s words. He hadn’t been expecting to feel this way, and he wasn’t expecting to actually say something like that out loud. Usually if he was having concerns he would just ignore them and walk away, but this time, it was Izuku’s safety they were talking about. That was different.

Maybe he was just being paranoid. Izuku hadn’t had a panic attack in more than a week now, so why was he worrying? Was it just because of what happened this morning? Nothing bad happened, so he shouldn’t even be thinking about it right now—but he was. In fact, it had been weighing down his mind all damn day.

“Kacchan…I’ll be okay. I rarely have panic attacks at night anymore,” he said reassuringly, opening the door a little more. “You can sleep in your own bed. It’s okay.”

“Just stop. You’re not helping,” Katsuki replied a little snappier than he intended, but Izuku didn’t flinch. He never did anymore. “I mean…fuck. Just go inside.”

Izuku slowly took a step back and Katsuki followed him in, entering the room and closing the door, enveloping them both in darkness. Izuku flipped on the light a moment later and as his face became illuminated, Katsuki could see how conflicted he looked. Like he wanted to try to convince Katsuki to leave, but at the same time, was silenced by his previous words.

“I don’t understand,” Izuku said as Katsuki brushed past him deeper into the room, heading to Izuku’s closet where he knew he kept the blankets and extra pillows. “You’re sleeping in here?”

“Looks like it,” Katsuki replied gruffly, but he was hiding a kind of nervousness, or maybe it was anxiousness, in his tone. As soon as he opened the door and took a look at Izuku’s stock, he realized the only extra blankets he owned were thin and the singular extra pillow was old and deflated-looking. As Izuku walked near to look over his shoulder, Katsuki scoffed in disappointment. “This is all you have?” he asked, grabbing one of the blankets and pulling it off the shelf to unfold it. “It has a hole in it,” he pointed out candidly, sticking his finger through a golf ball-sized hole in the fabric.

“Yeah, I know…these are just the extra blankets my mom had around the house. I think she’s owned that one since she was born,” he said as he pointed at a blanket on a separate shelf, obviously worn with use, torn and stained in some places.

Katsuki grunted. “That’s believable,” he said as he began gathering the rest of the blankets off that one shelf, leaving the blanket Izuku had just pointed to. He grabbed the pillow, too, and turned around to begin laying them out on the ground. “This’ll be enough. Could you get me a pillowcase?” he asked as he took the blanket he unfolded and began spreading it out across the hardwood floor.

“Wait, you’re sleeping on the ground? No, Kacchan, that’ll be too uncomfortable,” Izuku said as he watched.

“I can handle it,” Katsuki grumbled as he smoothed out the blanket, getting on his knees to do so. “It’s my idea and your bed. I’ll sleep on the floor.”

“But the whole reason you’re here is because of me. I should sleep on the floor,” Izuku continued, and Katsuki groaned as he realized he wasn’t going to give it up that easily.

“No, Deku. Now get me a damn pillowcase,” he said over his shoulder, beginning to spread out the second blanket. “I’ve slept on worse.”

“So have I,” Izuku claimed, walking over to stand in front of Katsuki with his hands on his hips. “I won’t let you sleep on the floor.”

“Sure. You ‘won’t let me’,” Katsuki mocked, rolling his eyes. “What are you gonna do, huh? Kick me out?”

Izuku frowned. “I won’t kick you out, but I won’t stop complaining until you sleep on the bed!”

“Well I won’t stop being an asshole until you sleep on the bed,” Katsuki shot back, glaring up at him. “Don’t make this harder than it has to be, Deku.”

“It’s my room, my rules,” Izuku pointed out stubbornly. “You sleep on the bed, I sleep on the floor.”

“My decision, my idea,” Katsuki countered, smoothing out the rest of the blanket with harsh movements. “Now shut the fuck up.”

Izuku scoffed humorlessly and sat on his bed, watching Katsuki as he began unfolding the third blanket. “That’s not how it works.”

“It is now. Get me a pillowcase.”

“No, Kacchan. I don’t want you to have a bad night’s rest because of me. You should sleep on the bed,” Izuku continued.

“Yeah, well I don’t wanna kick you off your bed just because I’m the one who decided to be worried. Pillowcase.”

“You’re not kicking me off, I’m volunteering.”

“Well, then, stop!” Katsuki snapped, looking up at him and raising his voice, starting to get angry. “I don’t give a fuck if you’re volunteering or not, I won’t take your damn bed!”

“Stop being so stubborn!” Izuku replied, starting to raise his voice now, too. “You’d be more comfortable on the bed, so just sleep there!”

“I’m being stubborn?” Katsuki demanded. “You’re the stubborn one, damn it! You could just let me sleep on the floor like a fucking normal person, but no, you gotta go and ruin it. Just shut the fuck up for once!” he exclaimed, starting to get up.

“You know what, Kacchan? Maybe we should both just sleep on the bed, then,” Izuku said, obviously fed up with him.

“You know what, Deku? Maybe we should,” Katsuki replied, stepping closer to him, glaring. “If you’re so fucking smart, that is.”

“I’m not smart, I’m just a good host,” Izuku replied, returning every ounce of the glare. Then he stood up from the bed and started walking backwards towards the bathroom, still holding eye contact, eyes narrowed. “I’m gonna brush my teeth now,” he said. He was still holding some of that frustration in his voice, but it was ebbing now that they’d somehow agreed on something.

“So am I,” Katsuki shot back, starting to make his way towards the door so he could run up to his room and do it. “Put those blankets away.”

“Fine,” Izuku replied stubbornly as Katsuki opened the door.

“Fine,” Katsuki snapped over his shoulder as he stepped out the door and roughly closed it.

Upon returning from brushing his teeth and changing into some comfortable nighttime clothes, Katsuki had blown off some steam and was no longer angry. That was one of the few arguments he and Izuku got into nowadays where it actually ended in anger. He didn’t know what he was thinking when he agreed to sleep with him in the same bed, but in his haste to end the argument and prove a point, he hadn’t put too much thought into it. Maybe it wouldn’t be that bad; after all, they shared Katsuki’s bed earlier today when they were watching that movie. Surely sleeping next to each other wouldn’t be too different.

He knocked three times and entered Izuku’s room, noticing the ceiling light was already off. The lamp on Izuku’s nightstand was the only thing giving light, and not much of it. He took off his shoes and looked at Izuku, who was lying on the far side of his bed with his hands crossed over his stomach, watching silently. Katsuki didn’t say anything as he slowly walked over and lifted the blankets, eyeing the mattress underneath. Izuku’s bed was smaller than his own; there would be less space between them than before.

After a few seconds of thinking about it, Katsuki begrudgingly set his phone on the nightstand and crawled in under the covers, resting his head on the pillow and situating himself with as much space between him and Izuku as possible. Even when he was nearly hanging off the bed with how far away he was, he could still feel the warmth from Izuku’s body under the blanket. And when he reached up to the lamp and switched it off, the air somehow grew even more tense.

For a few minutes afterward, neither of them said a word, nor moved an inch. Katsuki could tell Izuku was still awake by the way he was breathing, and he, himself, was far from sleep. It’s not that he was physically uncomfortable; Izuku’s bed was strangely pleasant, his blankets were soft, and everything smelled freshly washed. Katsuki had every reason to be tired, especially after the long day they’d had today and his lack of sleep last night. It’s just that he felt a little…off. There was a strange feeling in the air, a strange feeling in his gut. Like an unsaid conversation was between them, just waiting to be caught and said aloud. There was a lot of tension for no apparent reason.

Eventually, though, one of them was bound to say something. Just as Katsuki was starting to get used to the silence, Izuku whispered, “Kacchan?” Katsuki hummed to let him know he was listening, and Izuku paused for a few moments before whispering the question, “Are you still angry?”

Almost amused by that question, Katsuki replied quietly, “No.”

“Oh,” Izuku said softly, sounding a little relieved. “Me, neither,” he added.

“I know,” Katsuki muttered. “You never stay angry for longer than about two minutes.”

Izuku shifted his head slightly on the pillow, probably to look at him through the darkness, even though they couldn’t see each other through the darkness. “And you never get over something that quickly. I’m surprised.”

“There wasn’t much to get over in the first place. The sooner I realize that you’re going to be an annoying prick no matter what I do, the better off I’ll be,” Katsuki replied.

“I just didn’t want you to sleep on the floor, especially with your back injury and stuff. I mean, I’ve slept on this floor a few times during sleepovers, and I swear it’s harder than concrete,” Izuku replied quietly.

“My back injury?” Katsuki repeated before scoffing. “That was a long ass time ago, Deku.”

“That doesn’t change the fact that your spine sounds like pop rocks every time you stretch it,” Izuku deadpanned, causing Katsuki to laugh once.

“You got me there,” he replied, and to prove his point, he arched his spine slowly and they both listened to it crack in the darkness. He exhaled deeply as he laid back down, situating himself in a more comfortable position. “That felt good.”

Izuku laughed quietly. “That villain really messed it up, huh.”

“Knocked a few screws loose, maybe,” Katsuki replied. “Put him in a body bag for it.”

“How does it feel to technically be a murderer?”

“No different than before,” Katsuki replied honestly. “Those guys deserved it. Actually, they deserved worse than what I did to them. I’d do it all over again if I had to.”

Izuku was quiet for a few seconds. “Yeah, but I’m…glad you did it, honestly. Even if he was locked in the deepest cell in Tartarus, I wouldn’t feel safe.”

Katsuki understood what he meant. He felt the same way. But hearing it from Izuku’s mouth was a little different than what he’d expect. “That’s a little dark, Deku,” he replied, turning his head to look at Izuku’s face through the darkness. He couldn’t know for sure, but he was pretty sure based on the direction of his voice that he was looking right back at him.

“I know…” Izuku replied softly, and Katsuki realized he was correct. Their faces were so close now that he could feel Izuku’s breath on his face.

They sat in silence for minutes, neither moving or speaking, just like before. Katsuki’s eyes were open and he could feel Izuku’s soft breath on his face, but not even from this close could he see anything but darkness. He should just turn his head away and go to sleep, but…he was bizarrely comfortable like this. He didn’t want to move.

It was such a strange feeling, being this close to someone. Being in a bed with them. Maybe that’s why he’s been feeling slightly off this entire time, because of the implication that this situation might bring. Being in bed with Deku. Strangely enough, he wasn’t…overtly opposed to it. Why wasn’t he? He should’ve been. Just chalk it up as another thing he doesn’t understand about himself.

But at the same time, he knew he couldn’t just do that. Had he really changed so much that the thought of sleeping with Izuku, the farthest thing on the spectrum from enemies, wasn’t strange? He wasn’t even angry at the notion. What did that say about him? That he was attracted to Izuku? Was that even fucking possible? He thought back to the feeling he’d been experiencing earlier today when he pinned Izuku down, and suddenly he realized that ‘attraction’ met the criteria. The fluttery stomach, racing heart—and even when they weren’t in an explicitly sexual position, he was feeling those things, too. Like today in the car. It was like a haze fogged over his mind and kept him from thinking straight when he saw Izuku sometimes. It was new. And now he was starting to figure out… it might be attraction.

Sure, Izuku was an attractive person, he could admit that. But that didn’t mean Katsuki was attracted to him specifically, right? Objectively, Uraraka was an attractive person, but he didn’t feel anywhere close to the same way about her. Same thing with Todoroki, Kirishima, or Mina—but again, it was different for all of them. Izuku was different. He was good-looking not only objectively, but subjectively, too. The things he did were attractive. That was so fucking weird to think about and admit, but it was true. Katsuki wondered why his opinion on the matter was changing so suddenly. He’d never thought this kind of way before. Was it because of how much they’ve been hanging out recently?

Suddenly lying next to Izuku in a bed didn’t seem so comfortable anymore. Suddenly he was questioning why he was here; why did he ever let himself get this close, why did he ever let himself agree to something like this. It wasn’t like him. Did he even know himself anymore? Why was he thinking this way about Izuku? He was only recently able to admit to himself that they were friends. Why was the word ‘attraction’ even in his vocabulary when he thought about Deku? Why was everything changing so goddamn much?

Katsuki sat up, suddenly feeling like this was all very wrong. He’d made a mistake. Why was he in bed with Izuku when he was feeling this way about him? “Deku,” he said quietly, heart racing with this new realization, “hold on... don’t you have a girlfriend?”

He knew the term ‘girlfriend’ wasn’t completely correct, but he couldn’t think straight enough to come up with anything different. Izuku sat up, too, albeit slowly. “I mean…we’re going on a date, but we aren’t dating. It’s hard to explain,” he answered hesitantly. “Kacchan, is something wrong? Why’d you ask me that?”

“Because, this…this isn’t…” Katsuki began, but before he could figure out what to say, he was already getting out of bed. “I have to go.”

Izuku was silent, listening to him get up in the darkness. The room was incredibly quiet as Katsuki grabbed his phone off the nightstand and slipped it into his pocket, reeling with emotions so strong that his stomach was starting to hurt. He couldn’t stay in here, not with Deku. He had to figure himself out.

“I’ll get a guard to stand outside, alright? Just…just stay in here. I need to go back to my own room,” he tried to explain, only to realize that he was sounding more cryptic than before. He stumbled through the darkness to find his shoes and slip them on, deciding to say nothing else. It would only make things worse.

Katsuki opened the door, letting light into the room but not looking back. He didn’t want to see Izuku’s perplexed expression, didn’t want to see those green eyes staring at him with hurt. As he stepped outside, he said a quick, “Bye, Izuku,” over his shoulder, not expecting the other to respond. But right as the door was about to close, he heard a quiet, “Goodbye, Kacchan,” make it out in time.

For a while he just stood outside Izuku’s door, completely disoriented. So many things were rushing through his mind—confusion, disbelief, anger, remorse, the stabbing feeling of self-betrayal—that he didn’t know what to do with himself. What he was feeling for Izuku, was it really that? And if so…was it only that?

He’s found himself doing things for, and with, Izuku that he would never do for, or with, anyone else. Just the other week, an hour after the bridge incident, Katsuki had driven them to a library because he knew it would calm Izuku down after a stressful experience. A library would never have been his first pick in hangouts, but since he knew Izuku would appreciate and enjoy it, he went with it. He was never one to like reading, but he had fun because Izuku was there. That wasn’t because he was attracted to him; that was because he enjoyed Izuku’s company and wanted him to be happy. Something a friend would do.

That’s when Katsuki started to accept that he and Izuku were becoming friends again—and good friends, at that. He wouldn’t do that shit for just anybody. It used to be that if something wasn’t valuable to himself, he wouldn’t do it; and spending an entire afternoon reading books at a library was definitely not ‘valuable’ to him in any way.

But it was valuable to Izuku, and that’s why he did it.

Katsuki walked downstairs to the main floor and retrieved a U.A. guard from Recovery Girl’s room. “I need someone to watch over Midoriya Izuku’s room; floor two, door three. Recovery Girl should know what I’m talking about,” he explained to the guy.

“I’m sorry, but is this necessary? Because we’ve been a little short-staffed recently, and—”

“Yes. It is,” Katsuki told him before turning around and walking away, heading towards the exit. Before he knew it, he was leaving U.A. grounds and entering the suburb of the city, subconsciously heading in the direction of his and Izuku’s neighborhood. He walked with his hands in his pockets, listening to the sounds of the night and trying not to think too hard. He was tired of thinking. It’s what got him into this mess in the first place.

After fifteen minutes of walking, he reached his neighborhood, passing quiet houses, some with their porch lights turned on and some without. The air was cool and the sky was partly-cloudy, allowing him to see stars occasionally. The moon was beginning to wane because they’d had a full moon a couple nights ago, but it was bright enough to light the sky.

He reached his house and stood in the driveway, wondering whether he should go inside or keep on walking. He could see lights behind the curtains, telling him that his parents were still awake. They liked to have game nights on the weekends so that’s probably what they were doing right now. For a while he just stood there, sometimes rocking back and forth from his toes to his heels, perhaps waiting for something. What was he waiting for? He had no idea.

Eventually he decided to go inside, so he rounded the corner to the front door and walked on in, breathing in the familiar smell of his house as he took a step inside. His mom loved the smell of cinnamon for some fucking reason, so she always had a cinnamon-scented candle burning or some kind of cinnamon air freshener turned on. When he got inside, he closed the door rather loudly as a way to announce his presence as he began taking off his shoes. Along with the sound of piano coming from the living room, he could hear his parents muttering in the kitchen, confused as they questioned who could’ve just walked in at this hour without knocking.

A few seconds later his mom rounded the corner, eyebrows creased in confusion. When she realized who was standing in the entryway, however, she sighed and that look of confusion dropped. “Oh, it’s just Katsuki,” she said, giving him a smile as she turned to walk back into the kitchen. “Hey, hon.”

“Katsuki?” Masaru asked as he rounded the corner, and a grin spread across his face when he caught sight of Katsuki, who was walking deeper into the house now that his shoes were off. “Hey! It’s good to see you!” his father said in his usual friendly tone as he walked over and patted Katsuki on the shoulder. “We weren’t expecting you to come; have you eaten dinner?”

“Of course I have. It’s, like, twelve o’clock at night,” Katsuki pointed out as he followed his dad into the kitchen. He could see their game set up in the middle of the dining table, and they both had an alcoholic beverage set aside on a placemat.

“You’re right,” Masaru said, “but I could still make you something if you’re hungry.”

“Oh, stop it, Masaru. He’s fine,” Mitsuki said from the kitchen, where she was leaned over the counter, jotting something down on a slip of paper. “We need eggs, right?”

“Yes, we’re fresh out of eggs,” his dad confirmed.

“How about bread? Do we have any bread?”

“I’m not sure,” Masaru said slowly, “but the grocery list can wait, I think. Katsuki’s here to visit us for the first time in a while; we should be asking how he’s doing.”

Katsuki leaned against the wall, sort of just listening to them converse. He shrugged when they both turned their attention to him. “I’m fine,” he answered before his mom could ask. “You guys can keep doing what you’re doing. I don’t care.”

“No, your father’s right,” Mitsuki said as she dropped her pen and leaned against the counter, looking at him. “How’s school? Are you learning anything interesting?”

“Not really.”

“Okay, then, how’s training?”

“Good.”

She and Masaru both looked at him for a few moments, and the house was silent aside from the soft piano soundtrack playing in the room over. Katsuki held eye contact with his mom for a few seconds before dropping it. He knew he was giving dry responses, but he really just couldn’t think very clearly right now. His brain felt fried.

“Well, if you won’t tell me about yourself, then tell me about your friends. How’s Izuku? Has he recovered yet?” his mom asked, and Katsuki grimaced inwardly upon hearing Izuku’s name. He’d come here to stop thinking about the nerd, not to talk about him with his parents.

But, since his responses had been so dry before, he decided he could give them a short synopsis. He took a deep breath before responding. “He’s…fine, I guess. Recovering. They recently let him go back to his room so he can somewhat return to a normal life, but he's still having panic attacks every once in a while.”

“Oh, good. So he’s back to training now, too?” his dad asked. Katsuki nodded.

“Panic attacks, huh. Are they ever bad?” his mom added.

“I mean, yeah. Sometimes.”

“Have you been spending time with him recently? I love seeing you two together. Inko said he invited you to dinner recently, is that true? We should return the favor sometime,” Mitsuki continued, and Masaru agreed to the idea. Katsuki wanted to roll his eyes, but he didn’t because really, he didn’t have any reason to. It’s not like they could’ve known that he and Izuku were on…strange…terms right now. It was natural for them to want to know how Izuku was doing. It just had to be his luck that when he really didn’t want to talk about the nerd, they decided they wanted to hear his whole damn life story.

“Whatever. We’re hanging out…more, I guess,” he replied curtly. He wasn’t telling them about the fact that they were now being required to hang out every day, or that they’ve been training together with every chance they get, or how they’ve been going places that Katsuki would never go with someone else, or god forbid, he didn’t dare tell them about this new progression of emotions that he was currently experiencing. That would be too fucking weird. Privately he wished they would just drop the subject. He really didn’t want to talk about Izuku anymore. It seemed like everything in his fucking life revolved around that boy.

“Good. You should invite him over sometime. I’d love to speak with him again; I’m sure he would tell me all about what’s going on at school,” Mitsuki added with a purposeful raise of her eyebrows. This time, Katsuki really did roll his eyes.

“You seem more interested in his life than your own son’s,” he said saltily as he turned around towards the stairs to go to his room.

Mitsuki walked after him, saying, “We're not more interested, it’s just difficult when our own son seems to hate talking to us.”

“It’s not that. I’m just…tired,” Katsuki said, reaching the base of the stairs.

“Wait, before you go up, could you go down to the basement freezer and see if we have any bread?” she asked, causing him to stop. “And if you’re tired, we’ll be quiet so you can sleep.”

“Fine,” he said, changing direction to go downstairs. “And you don’t need to be quiet. I’ll probably head back to U.A. after this. I just stopped by because I was in the neighborhood.”

“I see,” Mitsuki said as Katsuki began descending the stairs. “Well, anyway, grab the bread if there’s any. We’re out,” she added before turning and disappearing back into the kitchen.

Katsuki descended the creaky wooden stairs, feeling the cold from the floorboards reach his feet even thought his socks. His parents liked to keep the house cool in the summer, so the basement was always frigid. When he reached the bottom step and was able to flip on the light switch, his gaze first flitted to the large box freezer, tucked away in the corner of the room—but it second drifted to the pile of instruments just to the left of it, some in boxes, some covered in sheets to protect them from dust. His old drum set.

As he slowly walked to the freezer, he continued eyeing the instruments, suddenly intrigued by them. He hasn’t been interested in playing the drums for years now, but now that he was here, it for some reason piqued his interest. The shiny rim of the cymbals peeking out from under a white dust-covered sheet; the long, sturdy drumsticks sticking out of one of the boxes; the circular outline of the bass drum he recognized from when he used to play as a kid. It all seemed to be calling his name.

“I remember you used to be really good, and I want to see you play again.”

Katsuki reached the freezer and pried it open before rummaging through the stock of frozen foods his parents had stored up. No bread. He walked to the base of the stairs and yelled up to them, “There’s nothing!”

“Okay, thank you!” Masaru yelled back from the kitchen. He could hear them talking casually up there as he turned back to look at the drum set, seriously considering it. There was space in the corner of his dorm room; he could envision it now. But did he really want to start playing the drums again? What was the reason?

“You should really think about playing more, Kacchan. You have a talent.”

With a sigh and a shake of his head, Katsuki walked over to the nearest drum and tore off the sheet covering it, wincing as a cloud of dust hit him in the face. He coughed and waved it away, beginning to uncover the rest of the drums, too. They still looked clean, still looked shiny. Near perfect condition. He’d taken a few lessons as a kid, but never used them to the point of needing to replace the drumheads. As he surveyed the instruments with an emotionless expression, he made the decision to take them back to the dorm. What better time than now to re-kindle an old hobby? Maybe it’d give him something to focus on other than Izuku and his life.

As he began dragging the drums up the stairs one-by-one, his parents didn’t pay him any mind. Some of them were pretty heavy, but nothing he couldn’t handle. He combined two boxes into one to save time. Once everything was in the entryway and he was getting his shoes on, he called into the kitchen, “Dad, I’m gonna borrow your car.”

There was a moment of silence before his dad walked around the corner, looking at him questioningly. “Starting the drums again?” he asked, starting to smile as he looked at the instruments Katsuki had dragged out from abandonment. “Good for you, Katsuki.”

“Hey, I was gonna sell those,” his mom added as she came up behind Masaru, looking over his shoulder. “You haven’t used them in years and they’re still in pretty good condition.”

“They’re mine, aren’t they?” Katsuki asked as he opened the front door and grabbed the biggest drum, beginning to half-drag half-carry it out onto the front porch. “Well, I’m taking them back,” he added with a grunt.

“Here, let me help you,” Masaru offered, grabbing the other end of the drum and helping him carry it outside. Katsuki didn’t complain. “How’d you even get this up the stairs?” he asked in bewilderment, voice strained with carrying half of the weight.

They carried it to the car and had to fold two seats back just to fit it inside. That was the biggest one, though, so the worst was over. It took a couple more trips to get everything piled into the trunk and backseat, and once everything was fitted and secure, they closed all the doors and Masaru offered to drive him back to the school.

“No, I’ll be fine,” Katsuki began, but his dad shook his head, stopping him from walking to the driver’s side.

“You’ll need help carrying that big drum to the elevator. I’ll come.”

Sensing there was no use in arguing, Katsuki sighed and got in the passenger seat. Mitsuki came outside to wish him goodbye through the window. “Come back soon, Katsuki,” she said, the hint of a smile on her face—a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. A somber look. “It’s, you know…good to see my son once in a while,” she added.

Katsuki held her gaze for a moment before looking away. He knew he didn’t visit enough. She wasn’t the kind of person to tell him she missed him, but he could hear it in her voice that she did. He almost said something nice in return, but before he could, his mom continued on the assumption that he wasn’t going to. “Well, get going, then. It’s almost one in the morning. Katsuki, you better get to bed when you get home,” she snapped, and that somber tone was immediately erased from her voice. His dad put the car into drive and rolled down the driveway, turning right to go towards the school.

As they drove away, Katsuki watched his mom in the side mirror of the car, noticing the way she just sort of stood in the driveway, watching them with her arms crossed. And then, just as the car turned out of sight and his vision was cut off, he watched her put her head in her hands.

They drove in silence for a few minutes, Katsuki thinking and Masaru quietly driving. His father was a gentle man; he’d never once raised his voice at Katsuki, and as a kid, he was known as ‘the guy who feels bad for me even when everyone else is annoyed’. He’d unfortunately never had a very deep connection with his dad due to Katsuki’s habit of pushing people away, but he was always there in his corner if he needed help, watching from afar. He sometimes wondered how different me might’ve turned out if his dad had taken more initiative when he was a kid. Maybe stood up to his mom once in a while when she was yelling at him, or forced him to talk out his feelings when he was angry. His dad could’ve taught him some valuable lessons about expressing himself if only he wasn’t so reserved.

Katsuki was sure that neither of them were going to say a word until his dad surprisingly broke the silence. “So, why are you deciding to start the drums again?” he asked, not doing a very good job at hiding the curiosity in his voice.

He peeled his gaze out from the window to look at his dad. He had that same kind, even-tempered look on his face that Katsuki remembered as a kid; only now he had a few more wrinkles around his eyes and mouth to show for his age. “I guess to blow off steam,” Katsuki replied, looking ahead once more, but again, that wasn’t completely true. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t thinking about that one hangout with Deku, where he told him he should consider playing again. Apparently he’d been more affected by that than he even knew. But he wasn’t going to tell his dad that.

“That makes sense. Percussion is a great thing for when you’re feeling angry; I think that’s why you used to love it so much as a kid,” he continued. “I used to do some drumming, myself, when I was younger. Me and a group of my friends played together. We weren’t very good, but, you know…it was fun.”

He went on to talk more about this “band” of his, telling him about his old buddies and what kind of songs they used to play, and Katsuki was honestly glad for the distraction. It got to the point, though, where he noticed his dad was trying to turn the conversation towards him instead. Asking about his preference on drumstick length, or if he remembered any songs that the percussionist taught him during his lessons as a kid. Katsuki tried to avoid attention by asking his dad questions about his old band in hopes that he would just keep talking about that, but Masaru was set on including Katsuki in the conversation.

He continued beating around the bush until he finally just asked the question that Katsuki knew he was thinking all along. “How are you really doing, Katsuki?” he asked, dropping the subject of drums altogether. Katsuki sighed, beaten.

“I already told you, I’m—”

“Son,” his dad cut him off, and he went silent. “We’re worried about you.”

Katsuki grit his teeth and looked away. “Well, you shouldn’t be. I’m fine,” he replied bluntly, stubborn even though he knew his dad was only trying to help him. “Really, dad. I am.”

“You’re fine, so that’s why you suddenly feel the need to start the drums again? That’s why you’re taking walks in the middle of the night and visiting us without explanation?” he asked quietly.

“Yes.”

“Katsuki.”

“You just…don’t understand,” the blond replied as Izuku’s image flashed in his mind once again. He closed his eyes and squeezed them shut, pushing it away. “What do you want me to say? You think I’m fucking depressed or something?”

“I want you to admit that something’s wrong,” his dad urged, voice remaining perfectly level even as Katsuki’s started to rise. “I know you can handle yourself. I’m just telling you that you don’t have to handle it alone.”

Yes I do. You don’t understand. Nobody gets it, not even me. So just…

“Leave me alone. Nothing’s wrong. I don’t need an explanation, and you don’t need to force one outta me,” he said firmly, despite knowing it wasn’t true. His dad went quiet. So did he. And for the rest of the time, they drove in silence.

They reached the school’s entrance and Katsuki used his Student ID to unlock the gate. His dad drove the car around so that the trunk was facing the nearest elevator, and then they began carrying the drum set piece by piece across the empty commons room, placing one of the boxes in the elevator’s door so that it didn’t close. Nobody was around, so they went undisturbed, working together without saying a word. That’s the thing about Katsuki’s dad; though quiet, he was extremely observant, so whenever the blond was struggling to carry something he would come to his aid without even having to ask.

Once everything was loaded in the elevator, they rose to level four, where they began the process all over again. Luckily, it was a short distance to Katsuki’s room, so they didn’t have any trouble. In his room, Masaru helped move a book shelf that was in the corner so they could put the bass drum there instead. Then they just sort of situated everything else surrounding that.

“Is that everything?” his dad asked when everything was done, ending the unspoken vow of silence between them.

“Yeah,” Katsuki confirmed, surveying his new drum set with satisfaction. It fit just like he thought it would.

“Hopefully your neighbors don’t get too annoyed,” Masaru said, heading stiffly for the door. Katsuki shrugged. His only neighbor was Kirishima and he didn’t mind annoying him. “Anyway, I think I’ll go now. I hope you enjoy the drums,” he continued in a serene, final-sounding tone. Katsuki followed him to the door and watched as he began walking down the hallway back towards the elevator, leaving without another word.

Before he could stop himself, Katsuki called, “Wait,” and his dad turned around. Then Katsuki said in a rather quiet voice, “Thanks for your help, dad,” before backing into his room and closing the door.

It left him with a sour taste in his mouth and an almost sad feeling in his chest, but he couldn’t say any more. He just hoped his dad knew without having to tell him that Katsuki appreciated that he tried.

He spent the next twenty minutes re-learning his drums and situating everything just how he used to have it. He cleaned the dust off the drumsticks and held the wood in his hands, feeling the weight in his fingertips and trying to remember how it felt to use them. He did a few wrist stretches before tapping the tip of each drumstick on each drum and cymbal, internalizing the sound that each instrument made and trying to remember some songs that he and his old mentor used to play.

Eventually he found a rhythm and just started going with it. Ten minutes of freestyling later, he remembered a song, so he switched to that. Already he was feeling better; less angry. As the memories came flooding in, he beat hard on the drums, working up a sweat, straining the muscles in his shoulders and back. It got to the point where he was moving on instinct, just hitting wherever it felt right. His tempo was quicker than usual, but that was fine. He needed this.

Thirty minutes of hard drumming later, he set down his drumsticks and stood up, breathing hard and slick with sweat. It was past two in the morning at this point, but Kirishima hadn’t knocked on his door telling him to shut up yet, so he assumed the redhead was either in Mina’s room or simply slept through it. The walls were thick, but not thick enough to completely block out the sound.

He turned out the light and walked over to his bed in the darkness, flopping down on top of his covers. Exhaustion quickly took over his mind like a fog and he fell asleep not two minutes later.

The next morning was somewhat of a blur. He woke up at eleven, which was annoyingly late for an early riser like himself, and somehow managed to haul his sweat-sticky body into the shower to burn himself awake with some hot water. As he stood under the faucet, letting water beat down on his head and run down his face, he tried not to think about the drum set and why he’d retrieved it in the first place. Honestly it was nice to have the instruments back at his disposal, but it would’ve been nicer if it wasn’t under these circumstances.

When he realized that he couldn’t just drum away everything that happened last night, he gave a heavy sigh. Lying beside Izuku, the realization that he might have some long-suppressed or just downright new attraction to him, and then leaving in a hurry. He wondered if Izuku was mad, but he was probably just confused. Not only that, but he was most likely downstairs right now, waiting for him to get his ass up. Fuck, he thought, blinking water out of his eyes and reaching for the soap. Good luck explaining yourself now, idiot.

Before long, he was heading downstairs and noticed a group of classmates, Izuku included, sitting in the common area talking. So he’d been right. He was sitting at the end of the couch with Uraraka at his side and they were talking with smiles on their faces. However, as Katsuki passed them to get to the kitchen, Izuku caught his eye and his smile faded as they held contact for a couple of seconds. He was probably remembering last night; just like Katsuki was. Remembering it’s oddity.

Deciding he just wanted to just ignore it all, Katsuki broke their gaze and made his way to the kitchen, where the coffee pot was thankfully still running. He poured himself a cup while Izuku resumed whatever conversation he’d been having before; something about a new TV show or book series, nothing interesting to him. With his cup of coffee in hand, he confidently—as if nothing was wrong—walked over to Izuku and Uraraka’s couch and dropped down on the other side of her. He didn’t give any indication that he wanted to join their conversation, he just sat there in a relaxed manner and sipped his drink, silently trying to tell Izuku that he wasn’t angry. Last night was a fluke and nothing else. He wasn’t going to act differently towards the nerd just because of something he thought.

For a while he just sat there sipping his coffee, and when he got bored of that, he pulled out his phone and began scrolling aimlessly through it. He didn’t care enough to listen to their conversations. He could probably have gone to the training room, but it seemed like Izuku was enjoying himself, so he just let himself be idle for thirty minutes or so while the boy finished talking.

Eventually Uraraka stood up and looked at Izuku. “Me and Tsu have been assigned a mission, but we’re not leaving until after our date, so don’t worry,” she said, catching Katsuki’s attention.

“Sounds good. When are we meeting again?” Izuku asked.

“I was thinking six thirty before, but it would be easier if we met earlier.”

“Okay, how about five thirty?”

“Perfect. I’ll see you then, Izuku!” Uraraka said before walking away. A few seconds later, Katsuki made the mistake of glancing at Izuku, and wasn’t surprised to see his eyes were already on him. Of course, he’s going to want to talk about last night, Katsuki thought as neither of them looked away. He set his phone down and prepared for the inevitable. He’d already come up with what he wanted to say, and though it was a pathetic excuse, it was all he got. Yeah, I was going to sleep in your room, but then I remembered that I sometimes kick in my sleep, and I didn’t want to run the risk of waking you up, so I—

“How’d you sleep, Kacchan?” Izuku asked suddenly, snapping him out of his slight internal panic. Katsuki blinked, hoping his expression didn’t give away as much of his surprise as he thought it did. Izuku was asking…how he slept? That had to be some kind of trick question, right? As he did a quick scan of Izuku’s face, he realized that there was no ill will or trickery in those eyes; only genuine curiosity. How strange. Surely it was coming soon.

“Fine,” Katsuki replied, continuing to hold eye contact to the point where he was pretty sure Izuku’s gaze was digging into his soul. “You?”

A few seconds later, as if he’d been trying to pick apart Katsuki’s face with his eyes, Izuku’s stare broke and he smiled. “I slept well, thanks for asking,” he said in his normal lighthearted tone before looking away. Katsuki paused. He was sure a passive aggressive sentence like that would’ve come across at least a little bit sarcastic, but Izuku didn’t sound resentful at all. He just sounded, dare he say it, normal.

So he wasn’t at all affected by what happened last night? Katsuki would’ve expected him to at least hold somewhat of a grudge, but it seemed like he didn’t care. Obviously he knew better than to believe that, but Izuku must’ve acquired some acting abilities overnight, because he’d never been much of a liar.

Then again, he wasn’t lying about anything; he was just hiding his feelings really well, which for him, was the equivalent.

“I also had the weirdest dream about a treehouse last night. Kacchan, you were there. I can’t remember what we were doing, or why we were there…I just remember those two details,” Izuku continued casually.

Katsuki tried to brush off his confusion about the whole thing and just accept that Izuku wasn’t as affected as he assumed he would’ve been. He was trying to move on, so maybe Katsuki should just take it as a blessing and do the same.

“A treehouse, huh?” the blond responded in his most nonchalant voice, re-situating himself on the couch as a way to brush off the awkwardness of that situation. “That’s pretty random, nerd.”

“I know, right? I think it was based on that treehouse we found as kids. Do you remember it?”

“I don’t remember any treehouse,” Katsuki replied, thinking. “Are you sure this isn’t the result of some hallucination?”

“Yes, I’m sure,” Izuku retorted with an amused snort. “I’m surprised you don’t remember. It was really beautiful; I loved it there. It had to be one of my favorite hangout spots.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah! There was, like, a pond that you could see from the window, and sometimes if it was a nice sunset, the light would reflect off the pond in a pretty way. You seriously don’t remember? It was the same pond where we used to catch frogs,” Izuku continued.

When he mentioned the frogs, a light bulb went off in Katsuki’s brain and suddenly he did remember. “Oh, I remember now. That was a cool place,” he agreed. “No electricity and the bugs were terrorists, but cool, I guess.”

They stayed on the topic of treehouses and old hangout spots for a while until they moved on to other things. The rest of the day passed quickly, with them first heading to the training grounds and then making lunch in Izuku’s room. After they showered and spent some time relaxing, it was already time for Izuku to get ready for his date.

A few minutes past five, Katsuki mentioned how he was supposed to be at the restaurant in thirty minutes, and Izuku looked up from his book with eyebrows raised in surprise.

“Oh, it’s five already? I almost forgot,” he said, standing up from his chair and setting the book on his desk. He just sort of stood there awkwardly for about ten seconds before hesitantly asking, “So, uh…what should I do?”

“Are you serious?” Katsuki deadpanned, setting his phone down. “You’re really that stupid?”

“Well, I’m sorry, but I’ve never been on a date before!” Izuku defended himself. Katsuki rolled his eyes with a scowl on his face. He wasn’t necessarily annoyed at Izuku, but annoyed that he was going on a “date” in the first place. It was making him enigmatically short-tempered—but not enough for him to say something about it. If Izuku wanted to go on a date with round face, he wasn’t going to stop them, no matter how badly his judgement was telling him it was a bad idea.

“First you better brush your teeth, make sure your nails are clipped, basic hygiene shit,” Katsuki said, “and then you gotta change outta that boring ass outfit into something a little nicer. You can’t wear a t-shirt and shorts to your first fucking date, Deku.”

“Okay, okay,” Izuku said as he walked to the bathroom, starting with the first thing Katsuki said.

“And you should show up at least ten minutes early, so we should leave soon,” he continued, folding his arms beneath his head as he watched Izuku dig out his toothbrush and toothpaste in the mirror.

“Ten minutes? That seems like a lot,” Izuku replied.

Katsuki snorted. “It’s not.”

“The real question is how do you know so much about this?”

“Maybe because it’s common knowledge,” he responded with another eye-roll. “You’re just oblivious.”

“You might be right about that,” Izuku concurred before beginning to brush his teeth.

When he was done brushing his teeth and clipping his nails, he stood at the foot of the bed awaiting further instruction. “Now the clothes,” Katsuki told him. “You gotta take ‘em off.”

“Okay, but, like, what kind of clothes are acceptable for a date…?” Izuku asked as he turned to walk over to his closet. “I mean, it’s hot out, and I only own t-shirts.”

“A nice t-shirt would be fine,” Katsuki told him.

“A ‘nice t-shirt?’ I don’t know the difference between a nice one and a not-nice one; they’re all the same to me,” Izuku said as he took a plain white v-neck out and showed it to Katsuki. “This good enough?”

‘Good enough?’ He sounds like he doesn’t even care. “No. Too plain,” he replied, waving his hand as a signal to put it back.

Izuku then took out a light blue crewneck t-shirt and held it up to himself. “I don’t even know if this still fits me,” he said. “It looks small.”

“Try it on,” Katsuki said. Izuku looked at him, then back at the shirt.

“Really? This isn’t too plain?”

“I’ve never seen you in that color. Chances are, pink cheeks hasn’t either.”

“So…basically I’m just trying to wear something she hasn’t seen before?” Izuku asked dubiously.

Katsuki shrugged, “Sure, you could put it that way.”

Izuku’s eyes narrowed slightly in bemusement before he tossed the shirt on the bed beside Katsuki’s feet and shrugged. “Okay. Like you said, you know better than me, right?” he asked before doing something Katsuki hadn’t expected; he crossed his arms down over his shirt and pulled it off over his head, shamelessly exposing the lightly-tanned skin of his chest and stomach. Even though nothing about it was necessarily inappropriate—all he was doing was changing his shirt—Katsuki didn’t know if he should look away or not. He’d been completely expecting the nerd to do the changing in the closet. After all, he’d always been pretty awkward when it came to changing and exposing skin around each other, so changing right in front of him with such an unabashed demeanor had definitely caught him off guard.

The room was incredibly quiet as Katsuki watched him. His heart was starting to do that weird jumpy thing again which annoyed him because there shouldn’t have been anything ‘attractive’ about this situation in the first place, but other than that, he was just trying to keep an unconcerned look on his face. Izuku tossed the used shirt on the floor before grabbing the new one and unhooking it from the hanger. Katsuki noticed him glancing over every so often, but it looked like he was trying to avert his eyes and look casual about it. Neither of them said anything. If he was aware of what it was doing to Katsuki, he wondered if he’d still be doing it.

As Izuku lifted the collar up to his head and started trying to poke his head through it, Katsuki watched the way the skin on his stomach stretched over his muscles and ribs, accentuating his slender yet well-muscled figure. The skin on his stomach was fair, while his chest and shoulders were slightly more tanned, with some darker freckles visible where the sun hit him most. He was scarred in multiple places from doing hero work, but other than that, Katsuki was impressed by the quality of his body.

He got the shirt over his head and pulled it down over his abdomen, obscuring Katsuki’s view once more. He immediately turned his attention to the shirt rather than Izuku’s body, clearing his throat pointedly as he looked it over. It was thin and tight to his skin, but it looked good that way. He rarely saw Izuku wearing anything that wasn’t either baggy or extremely boring. “Hm…it’s a nice color, I guess,” he said after a few moments of thinking. “Still a little on the plain side, but other than that, it’s good.”

“Really?” Izuku asked, looking himself over. “Don’t you think it’s a little too tight?”

“I bet pink cheeks would like it,” he replied with a slightly acrimonious undertone.

Izuku pursed his lips slightly at Katsuki before grabbing the hanger and returning to his closet. “Okay, then. What about pants? Are shorts out of the question?”

Katsuki scoffed. “Not unless you wanna make a shit first impression.”

“It wouldn’t exactly be a first impression, Kacchan. I’ve known Uraraka for years,” he replied. Katsuki unintentionally noticed the way he used her last name. That was strange, because he was pretty sure he’d switched to using her first name recently. Was it only when he was talking to her directly that he used it?

That wouldn’t make any sense…unless Izuku was doing that people-pleasing thing again.

That would make sense.

With this realization fresh in his mind, Katsuki tested him and said in his most casual tone, “It seems like you don’t even care about this date in the first place. Why are you going if you don’t even care about all these normal things, like looking good and showing up early? Do you even want to go?”

Izuku craned his neck to look at him, eyes flashing wide for a moment—almost as if he’d been caught in the act of something. But just as soon as that wide-eyed expression had come, it disappeared just as quickly, and Katsuki was left questioning whether he’d even seen it in the first place. “What? Where do you get the impression that I don’t want to?” he questioned, speaking in a tone that was just noticeably faster than usual. All mannerisms signaling that Katsuki might’ve been correct about something.

Katsuki stared Izuku down. “Deku, do you even want to go on this date?” he repeated, carefully watching his expression as he asked that question. He might’ve been grasping at straws here, but something about the way Izuku was acting—so inattentively, as if he couldn’t care less about what was going on—had been rubbing him the wrong way this whole time.

However, Izuku’s face remained perfectly calm this time when asked; maybe because Katsuki was staring at him so intently, or maybe because he was actually sincere. “Of course I do,” he replied in what seemed like a genuine tone, and more importantly, his unwavering gaze told Katsuki that he wasn’t, in fact, lying. “I wouldn’t have agreed to it if not.”

So Katsuki was wrong—but that still didn’t explain the quickness to his tone before, as if he’d been caught doing something wrong and was trying to explain himself fast. Izuku didn’t just do that for no reason, so something Katsuki said must’ve triggered it. However, he sensed that now was not the time to push it further, so he resigned from the conversation. But he couldn’t move on completely without pointing out, “You better not be lying to me, because that’s only something an asshole would do.”

Izuku was quiet for a second too long before saying, “I’m not lying.”

Fuck. He was so hiding something—Katsuki just didn’t know how to question it further without seeming too interested. So he bit his tongue and they returned to the issue at hand: trying to find the right pants.

“Like I said, it’s hot out, so I don’t know what to wear instead of shorts,” he said as he rummaged through his dresser in search of something that Katsuki deemed as ‘nice’.

“You’ll just have to suck it up and wear pants,” he replied. “You’ll need something that looks good with the shirt.”

Eventually Izuku pulled out a pair of gray sweatpants to try, but the blond was unimpressed. “Not good enough.”

Izuku sighed and returned to the search. Five minutes later he gave an excited “Ooh!” and pulled out a pair of black jeans, holding them up for them both to see. “These are nice, right? I forgot about them.”

Katsuki surveyed the condition of the jeans before grunting in approval. “They’re acceptable. Go ahead.”

Izuku nodded and walked over to the bed, just like he’d done for the shirt. As he began taking off his shorts, Katsuki couldn’t help but question where this confidence—or rather, indifference—was coming from. He’d never been so open about showing his body. It’s not like they were in these types of situations very often, but each time before, he’d always make sure that the other person was either in a different room or he’d confirm multiple times that they weren’t looking. The locker rooms made it different because everyone was changing at once and only paying attention to themselves, but changing so openly when he was the only one doing it, and right in front of Katsuki, nonetheless…that was strange.

When the shorts were down, he kicked them aside, and Katsuki couldn’t suppress his eyes from briefly roaming over his exposed thighs. He’d noticed a hundred times before from afar, but when he looked at him now, he noticed in even finer detail just how shapely and well-muscled his legs were. It was obvious that Izuku paid careful attention to the strength and shape of his legs, because they were damn near perfect, rippling with muscle and attractively curvaceous in connection with his hips. Katsuki shouldn’t have looked as long as he did, because when he finally averted his gaze, he could feel embarrassment heating his face. He didn’t like admitting that Izuku was attractive, but damn. He really was.

Izuku soon got the jeans on and Katsuki was able to comfortably look at him. They looked good, hugging his ass and showcasing everything nice about his legs that Katsuki had just described. It was nothing fancy, but it made him look desirable.

“I don’t know about this…” Izuku said nervously after a few moments as he walked to the bathroom to look in the mirror, and it was clear that he didn’t see himself the same way Katsuki did. “I haven’t worn jeans in a while.”

“You should wear it,” Katsuki suggested, trying to be subtle.

But Izuku knew nothing about subtlety. He asked, “Do you like it?”

Avoiding the question, Katsuki answered, “It’s a nice outfit.”

After a while of thinking and looking at himself in the mirror, Izuku shrugged and exited the bathroom, flipping off the light. “Okay, I guess I’ll try it, then. Thanks for the help, Kacchan,” he said with a smile. “Do you think we should leave now? It’ll take ten minutes to drive there at this time of day.”

“Yeah, let’s go,” Katsuki agreed, getting out of bed and grabbing his phone and keys from off the nightstand.

They drove to the restaurant, a nice steakhouse that he’d never been to himself, and he parked near the door. “A little fancy for my taste,” he muttered before asking, “Do you think she’s already here?” With a glance at the clock, he realized they were only five minutes early.

“Yeah, she said she’s waiting at the table,” Izuku replied. “What are you going to do while we eat?”

“Well, I’m not planning on going in there and watching like a fucking creep, but I’ll wait out here. I’ll, I dunno, read a book or something.”

“Are you sure? I’d probably be fine if—”

“Just shut up and go. You’re already late,” Katsuki cut him off. Izuku gave a brief smile and reached for the doorhandle, opening the door and letting warm air into the vehicle as he stepped outside. Before he could close the door, however, Katsuki said, “Wait, before you go, I just thought I should tell you that your hair looks a little off.”

“It does?” Izuku asked, leaning back inside to pull down the sun visor and look in the mirror. But before he could do anything to fix it, Katsuki reached over and roughly tousled his hair, grinning as Izuku began yelling at him and trying to duck away. When he finally escaped and stepped back, his hair was even more wild than before, and Katsuki couldn’t help but laugh. “Kacchan! Why’d you do that?” Izuku demanded crossly, beginning his attempts to smooth it down. “I thought you said I was already going to be late!”

“What? I fixed it,” Katsuki claimed innocently. “It looks better now.”

“Oh, yeah, I’m sure it does,” Izuku agreed sarcastically, but he couldn’t quite inhibit the smile from creeping up to the corners of his lips. “The fact that you had to lure me in for it.”

 “Someday you’ll stop falling for it; but today is not that day.”

“Uh-huh. Bye, Kacchan,” Izuku said before stepping back and closing the door, leaving the car in silence. After he disappeared into the building, Katsuki turned up the music and went on his phone, unbuckling his seatbelt and relaxing into a more comfortable position. It didn’t take him long to notice how the scent of coconut and vanilla clung to his hand.

Ochako had already been waiting for about ten minutes when Izuku texted her that he was about to walk in. She sat up in her seat and looked expectantly at the front door, heartrate beginning to pick up. She couldn’t believe she was finally going on a date with Izuku; she’s had a crush on him for months now and only recently worked up enough courage to tell him, and yet somehow, everything felt like it was going so fast. She’d even shared a kiss with him the other day. Even though she knew they weren’t technically “dating” yet and she was keeping Izuku’s feelings in mind, she couldn’t resist the feeling that they were growing closer every day. She just hoped that Izuku felt the same way.

About a minute later he walked through the door, and her mouth almost dropped open when she saw how he was dressed. Izuku looked hot. He was wearing rich black jeans and a skin-tight t-shirt that showed off the muscles in his upper body, while his hair looked slightly tousled, as if he’d just been working out or something. She could feel her face already heating up when he looked across the room at her and gave that signature smile and a little wave of his hand. She quickly waved back, eyes slightly wide and a big smile on her face. The fact that he’d dressed nicely for her was enough to put a smile on her face.

As the hostess checked him in and walked him over to their table, Ochako stood up to give him a courteous hug as they greeted. “You look great!” she told him warmly, liking the way it felt to have his arms around her.

“Thanks, so do you! I love the dress,” Izuku replied, and they sat down.

Ochako glanced sheepishly down at the pink sundress she’d found while shopping with Tsu and Mina yesterday, bought specially for this occasion. “Thank you,” she replied with a smile, face heating up again at the compliment. As they settled into conversation, she noticed that she, herself, was very nervous while Izuku seemed nothing short of totally relaxed. She was glad he was comfortable, but it made her question why they were on such opposite sides of the spectrum.

Soon after, a waitress came and handed them menus while taking orders for drinks. They agreed to not order any appetizers, as the meals looked pretty large. Once their drinks were ordered, Izuku asked Ochako about her upcoming mission, and she told him about how they were tasked with investigating a series of break-ins in a city about two hours away.

“Apparently it’s a small town, so none of the local heroes are experienced enough to track down the villains,” she explained.

“Still, that’s a long distance to travel just for a mission…how long will you be gone?”

“Mr. Aizawa said that if we can’t figure it out in four days, we’ll be brought back. Hopefully that’s enough time. I’m a little worried.”

“I’m sure you’ll figure it out,” Izuku said, voice unwavering. “But even if you don’t, you can’t feel bad, because it not even Pros could do it, you can’t expect yourself to.”

“That’s true,” Ochako agreed, smiling appreciatively. “But anyway, enough about me. When do you think you’ll be heading out on missions again? Has Mr. Aizawa approached you about it yet?”

“He hasn’t. I think it might be a few weeks still, because I’ve only recently started training again and he probably wants to make sure I’m strong enough to handle another mission without, you know…freaking out.”

“Oh, that makes sense,” Ochako agreed.

A few minutes of looking at their menus later, she was still trying to figure out what to order when Izuku decided, “I think I’ll get a salad.”

She had been staring at the steak meal for a while, but never was really able to buy expensive things as a kid, so she was trying to find something different. “What are you thinking about getting?” Izuku asked, and hesitantly, she told him.

“Oh, don’t worry about it. I brought enough cash for both of us,” Izuku replied, patting his wallet with a smile. Ochako tried to protest, but Izuku insisted. “Get the steak if you want it. Really, it’s no big deal,” he told her.

“If you’re sure…” Ochako said hesitantly, and he nodded. She smiled, warmed by his generosity. Even though it was a chivalrous thing that was kind of expected of men, she was still touched by his kindness and again reminded of why she liked him so much. He was so benevolent and thoughtful all the time, it would be hard not to.

When the waitress came back, they placed their orders. Ochako was sheepish about ordering steak when all her life, it had sort of been an unachievable meal because of the price. After the woman walked away, Izuku said, “Just keep in mind that I sometimes have a bad reaction to seeing knives, so don’t panic if that happens.”

“Oh, yeah, I completely forgot,” Ochako said, eyes widening slightly. “Are you sure it’s okay? Should I tell the waitress to keep it under a napkin or something?”

“No, no, I should be fine. I haven’t had a reaction to any of the knives I’ve seen around here yet, so maybe I’ve finally gotten over it, but I just wanted to let you know that the possibility is there.”

Ochako nodded. “Got it. I’ll try to keep it covered up,” she said, and they continued with a different conversation after that.

For about ten minutes they talked about what they want to do when they become heroes, and as Ochako listened to Izuku talk so passionately about his future, she couldn’t help but find herself enamored. She’d always been inspired by him and motivated by his constant determination, so hearing him talk about it now, she was reminded of that. He truly was the brightest person she knew.

When he got done talking, she couldn’t resist telling him in a heartfelt voice, “You’re so incredible, Izuku. I’ve never seen someone with so much passion—it’s really inspiring.”

Izuku smiled, but there was something of a wince visible in the corners of his eyes. “Oh, I don’t know about that,” he replied shyly. “I really appreciate that, Ochako, but there are plenty of people with more passion than me. I’m not special.”

“Really? I can’t think of any,” she replied truthfully.

“Well, for starters, there’s Kacchan,” Izuku said, and immediately Ochako’s smile began to falter. “He’s way more passionate than me—and he’s way more incredible, too. I’m surprised you didn’t think of him.”

Ochako sighed as she looked at Izuku. She didn’t understand how he could think so highly of that guy. Even though it was true that he was dedicated and had a lot of passion for becoming a hero, he’d always seemed incredibly selfish and inconsiderate in her eyes. Not to mention how rude he was, even to his closest friends and superiors. Arrogant, egotistical, erratic, brash, vulgar; she just didn’t see why everyone wanted to be his friend other than because he happened to be handsome and powerful. Especially Izuku, who was, like, the complete opposite of him personality-wise. Why did he have such an affinity for the blond? She never quite understood it.

“I…” she began, but stopped herself before she could say anything else. She remembered how Izuku had told her that he didn’t like when people talked badly about Katsuki. Privately she thought it was a little strange just how defensive he was when it came to the blond, so she usually didn’t like bringing him up in general. She knew it was because they used to be childhood friends, but it was kind of confusing why Izuku would still harbor that affection towards him. Bad habits run deep, she supposed.

To finish her sentence, she said, “I guess I understand how you think that way.” And they left it at that.

“Oh my gosh, remember when we convinced Todoroki to go down the water slide? I’ve never heard him scream so loud,” Izuku laughed another ten minutes later.

“Yes! And then Iida yelling at the five-year-olds because they were running by the pool?” Ochako contributed, leading to them both breaking into laughter.

“That was such a fun day. It seemed like everything was going wrong, and yet it turned out hilariously. Like when the slide closed down while I was still on it and I ended up getting stuck in the tube…I was so scared.”

Ochako gasped. “I remember that, too! And another time, we were all on the big tube going down the lazy river, and I kept slipping out because I put too much sunscreen on,” she giggled, and Izuku laughed, seeming to remember. “Wait, didn’t we also run into that group of ten-year-olds and they started trying to fight us with water guns?”

Izuku nodded. “Kids these days,” he tsked sarcastically.

“Did you two get the salad and steak meals?” a new voice sounded as a waitress walked up behind Ochako, holding two trays with large plates of food and silverware on the side.

“Oh! Yes, that's us,” Ochako said, moving her hands from the table so the woman could set down the tray. As the scent of steak hit her nose, her mouth began to water. “Thank you so much!”

“Thank you,” Izuku said, too, as the waitress set down his salad.

“No problem. Can I get you any drink refills?”

“Yes, please,” Izuku said while Ochako shook her head politely. The woman took his empty glass and their conversation continued.

“Anyway, what else happened last year?” Ochako continued, enjoying how freely she found herself laughing when she was around Izuku. “Oh, remember that party at Yaoyorozu’s house where we all went in the pool with our clothes on because she forgot to tell us to bring swimsuits?”

“Oh, I remember. It was supposed to be, like, a study party, but then we all ended up in the pool anyway,” Izuku agreed, picking up his chopsticks and beginning to mix his salad. “Wow, this looks delicious,” he added.

Ochako looked down at her own meal. Steak, broccoli, and a side of rice. She took her chopsticks and poked the steak, eyebrows raising in delight as she watched the juices seep out. This was her first time buying an expensive meal at a restaurant; usually even if she brought enough money, she would order off of the cheapest part of the menu out of habit. “Yeah it does,” she agreed, smiling at Izuku. “When I was a kid, I was never very well-off with money, though I’m sure I’ve already told you that. I distinctly remember one time when I was on a walk with my parents, we passed this really fancy-looking restaurant that was serving steak and other expensive meals. I really wanted to go in, but my dad told me with a really sad expression that we couldn’t. I never knew why back then, but now I guess I do.”

Looking away, she continued. “I just…I really want to provide for them someday, you know? I can’t stand the thought of them struggling for every meal, struggling to make ends meet, living paycheck to paycheck just because of the cards they’ve been dealt. They’re super hard workers, and yet, they don’t have the same benefits that it seems like everyone else does. It’s hard for me to see, especially now that I’m getting older and understand everything they’ve done for me just to give me a normal life like all the other kids.

“I know your mom struggles, too, Izuku, so you probably know what I’m talking about better than anyone. Have you ever thought about what it might be like to provide for her someday? I’m not trying to say that money is my only reason for becoming a hero, because obviously I love helping people and want to make the world a better place with my Quirk, but it’s definitely a big benefit.”

She paused, thinking. “I don’t know, I just hope you don’t think I’m shallow or something because I’m in it for the money. Well, obviously you don’t think that way because I’ve told you about this before, but…I suppose I just haven’t told many people about this. Do you know what I mean, though?” she asked, looking up at Izuku once more. He was staring at the table thoughtfully when she looked at him, unmoving. Quiet.

She waited for about ten seconds before she started to get confused when he didn’t say anything. What was he thinking about that was making him so still? “Izuku?” she asked, eyes narrowing slightly in confusion as she looked into his eyes. He was still staring at the table, not looking at her. “What is it?” she asked, following his gaze.

When she followed his gaze to her plate and realized he wasn’t, in fact, staring at the table, her eyes widened in realization. There on the tray, sitting just in front of her large plate to the point where she couldn’t have seen it unless she was looking for it, was a knife. A silver knife with a black handle; a steak knife.

Suddenly Izuku’s words came rushing back to her; “Just keep in mind that I sometimes have a bad reaction to seeing knives, so don’t panic if that happens. I haven’t had a reaction to any of the knives I’ve seen around here yet, so maybe I’ve finally gotten over it, but I just wanted to let you know that the possibility is there.”

Quickly, Ochako grabbed the knife and held it in her lap beneath the table, obscuring it from Izuku’s vision—but his eyes remained on that spot he’d been staring, unmoving still. He told her not to panic, but he didn’t tell her what she was supposed to do if he did have a reaction. Should she try to comfort him? Call someone? “Um…Izuku? Are you okay?” she asked gently, trying to get him to look at her and snap out of it. But a stone of dread was quickly growing in her gut when he refused to look at her, just continued staring at that spot, seemingly unable to move or listen.

A few seconds later, she realized he was trembling.

“Oh, no,” Ochako said, eyes wide as she stood up and set the knife on the chair, keeping it out of his line of vision. “Oh no, oh no…” Her heart was beating fast as she realized what could happen. During his panic attacks—or PTSD attacks, which were even worse—he would panic, run away, and was unable to listen to reason, as if his brain was disconnected from reality. If that happened right now, she didn’t know if she’d be able to keep up with him to stop him.

“Izuku? Izuku,” she said, walking over to him and kneeling beside his chair, gently cupping her hands around his face and trying to get him to look at her. His body was completely rigid. She couldn’t even get him to move his head. As she touched his face, she realized that he was already sweating to the point where his skin was becoming clammy, and his eyes—now wide—were starting to tear up. He was relapsing so quickly, and she didn’t know what to do. “Oh, my…” Ochako said, beginning to panic, looking around frantically. She noticed a couple of waitresses standing across the room, watching and whispering to each other with confused expressions. Ochako quickly raised her hand and waved them over. She knew she’d need help if Izuku started trying to run.

The waitresses began hurriedly making their way over, talking into their headsets presumably to alert the rest of the staff. Ochako turned back to look at Izuku and realized he was rapidly worsening. His face was paling while his eyes were wide, eyelids fluttering, body trembling. He looked petrified. Ochako was swimming with guilt and anxiety as she gently held his face, stroking her thumbs along his cheek in attempts to calm him down. It wasn’t working in the slightest. He was unresponsive.

“I’m so sorry, Izuku,” she muttered over and over again, unsure of what else to say. “I…I didn’t see the knife, but I should’ve looked harder. I’m so sorry—please snap out of it,” she said. “W-What do you want me to do? What should I do, Izuku?” she asked quietly, eyes wide.

“Hey, what’s going on?” one of the waitresses asked as they came up behind her. “Is he okay?”

“No, I think he’s having a panic attack,” Ochako replied over her shoulder, not looking away from Izuku. “I…I don’t know what…”

“Should I call the police? Or a hospital or something?”

“Yeah, yes, I think so,” Ochako replied. “Izuku, what do you want me to do? What should I do?”

She gasped as Izuku suddenly slumped back in his seat, breathing shallowly and eyes still blown wide, mouth agape as if he was having trouble getting enough air. His chest was heaving and Ochako started to fear that he might pass out. She’d never seen his face this pale, nor his body this rigid, this fearful. His hands were gripping the arms of the chair so tightly that his knuckles were whiter than the tablecloth. Ochako watched as his eyelids fluttered, as if he were becoming faint. Behind her, she could hear one of the waitresses on the line with the police, telling them about what was happening. Izuku still wasn’t responsive even as Ochako continued to say his name.

At this point, others in the restaurant were looking over, curious and concerned as they saw what was going on. A hush had settled over the room and she could hear quiet whispers coming from all around them, which definitely wasn’t making things better. Ochako was on the brink of tears. She felt so helpless.

That was until Izuku finally dragged his gaze to look at her, and hope flared in her chest, thinking he might’ve finally regained some sort of control of himself. They met eyes. He continued breathing shallowly and that terrified look remained on his face, but he was no longer staring into nothingness. “Izuku, tell me what to do,” Ochako told him in a panicked voice, shaking his arm slightly to get him to hear her. “Please, say something.”

Izuku’s lips quivered as he tried to weakly mouth a word. Ochako leaned closer to listen, and realized after a few failed attempts that he was trying to say “Call.”

“Call who?” Ochako urged, glancing at the waitress on the phone, who was listening wordlessly.

“Call…K-Ka…Kacchan.”

Ochako froze, leaning back slightly to look in his eyes and make sure she’d heard him right. His eyes were lidded and fluttering, still not getting any better, but he was looking at Ochako almost pleadingly. Bakugou? How would he help in this situation?

Then she remembered what Izuku said that one time about how being around Katsuki lowered his blood pressure or something. She never quite understood how or why that worked, but if it was true, then maybe Izuku was saying this for that reason. “Okay…” she whispered, hastily reaching up to grab her phone from the table and unlock the screen. She kept a cautious eye on Izuku while going to the class group chat and searching through names until she found Katsuki’s. Then, with that puzzled look still vaguely on her face, she clicked on his contact and pressed the call button. Even if he picked up, wasn’t he at home? How was he supposed to get here in time?

A few seconds later, a clicking sound ensued, alerting Ochako that he’d picked up. To be honest, she was half-expecting her number to be blocked. “What?” that gruff voice answered from the other end of the line, but for once, Ochako didn’t feel annoyed upon hearing his snappish tone. She was too worried.

“Izuku is having a panic attack,” she told him shakily, despite how hard she was trying to sound calm. “H-He told me to call you, but an ambulance is on the way, so…”

She trailed off when she realized she was talking into a blank screen. He’d hung up the phone.

With an incredulous, shocked, but most prominently, angry feeling growing in her gut, she set her phone down and looked back at Izuku. “He hung up…” she started, but before she could even finish that sentence, the front door swung open and Katsuki came running in. She watched with a stunned expression as he jogged over, eyes trained on Izuku and face creased with what looked like anger and alarm.

“What the hell happened?” he demanded, and Ochako knew the question was aimed at her even though his gaze was fixated on Izuku.

“There was a knife on my plate, and—”

“Move,” Katsuki interrupted, crouching beside Izuku’s chair and essentially shoving Ochako out of the way. She stood abruptly and stumbled back, eyes wide with outrage as he took her spot, acting as if he was some kind of doctor or something. She was about to snap something at him before he started talking to Izuku quietly, stopping her retort before she could get it out.

“Deku,” he said quietly as he began trying to pry Izuku’s stiff hands off the arms of the chair, being gentler with him than she was expecting he would. “Deku, come on. Let’s go.”

After only about ten seconds of trying to get Izuku to let go, Katsuki was able to push his fingers underneath Izuku’s and slowly pry them up one-by-one. Ochako watched this scene unfold, bewildered, as Izuku’s body very slowly began to relax and his breathing even slowed. All Katsuki was doing was quietly talking to him and touching his hands, and yet, he was making more of a difference than Ochako had made that whole time. She didn’t understand how this was possible. What did he have that she didn’t? Why was he so emotionally connected to Katsuki that he was the only one who could calm him down?

Katsuki managed to move Izuku’s hands from the chair into his lap. Izuku’s face was no longer terrified, but he still had wide eyes and was pale as a sheet, as if he’d just seen a ghost. He was staring at Katsuki with a tunnel-eyed vacant expression. Meanwhile, the blond was craning his neck around to glare at all the people who were staring at them. “Mind your own fucking business,” he said loudly, and immediately half the people around them looked down at their plates, caught eavesdropping. Then he looked over his shoulder at Uraraka, somehow looking even more spiteful than he was with the rest. “I guess I should get him home,” he said coldly, feeding her guilt but also feeding her indignation.

“Have you just been waiting outside this whole time?” she asked flatly, letting her emotions get the best of her. He was acting like an asshole, so why couldn’t she?

He opened his mouth to snap something in return, but before he could, he seemed to hesitate and look away. Instead of responding to Ochako, he looked at Izuku and said, “Come on, get up.” When Izuku didn’t move, Katsuki grabbed his shoulder and shook him a little, seeming to startle him out of his daze.

Izuku studied Katsuki’s face for a few long seconds before blinking a few times and looking down, moving almost robotically. He moved his hands, then slowly relaxed his shoulders. It looked as if he was slowly thawing out after being frozen in place. With that distant, almost confused expression on his face, he finally asked under his breath, “What’s going on?”

“We’re going home, that’s what’s going on,” Katsuki replied, holding onto his shoulder and urging him to stand up. “Come on.”

“Kacchan? What are you doing here?” Izuku asked as he slowly began standing up. His gaze flitted to look at Ochako’s face. “I’m…on a date.”

“Not anymore. Turn around and start walking,” Katsuki instructed, and Izuku, as if he was in some sort of trance, obediently turned around and started walking steadily towards the door, glancing at people as he left. Ochako watched him walk away. Some people who’d witnessed the episode just looked at him strangely as he passed, while others asked if he was okay and received no response. In the meantime, Katsuki was talking quietly to the waitress on the phone and grabbing Izuku’s stuff from off the table, his wallet and phone.

“So, I should just tell them it’s fine now?” the waitress asked, still looking concerned.

“Yeah. I’ll bring him home.”

“But he’s going to be okay and everything?” she continued. “I mean, he looked really freaked out…”

“He’ll be fine,” Katsuki replied simply before turning to walk away, following Izuku and glaring at anybody who dared to give him any questioning looks. Ochako wanted to open her mouth and say something as she watched them leave, but she couldn’t bring herself to. Not after that. Not when her body felt heavy with guilt and shame for not being able to do anything, and not when she was having all these confusing questions jumbled around in her head. Why am I not good enough? Why does Izuku trust him so much?

Why didn’t Bakugou snap at me just now? Why was he so gentle with Izuku? Why did he look so concerned? That’s not anything like him.

Why did he seem so…different?

No, that couldn’t be right. Katsuki? Different? It wasn’t possible. In all the time she’s known him, he hadn’t changed much from the angry, loudmouthed jerk that he used to be. So unless something was going on recently that she wasn’t aware of that was causing him to change, she must’ve been mistaken.

Ochako was stuck in her own head for a while before one of the waitresses gently put a hand on her shoulder and asked if she was okay. “Oh…Oh, yeah, I’m fine,” she said, suddenly dragged back down to reality. “Could I, uh, get these meals to go please?”

“Certainly. I’ll grab a couple of boxes.”

“Thank you so much,” Ochako replied before hesitantly looking down at her seat, eyes landing on the knife that she’d set there. If only she’d been more careful and checked the tray when she got her meal, that whole ordeal might not have happened. She’d ruined their first date with her own obliviousness.

Grabbing the knife and dejectedly relocating it to the table, she slumped down in the chair, placing her head in her hands. The people around her were gradually moving on with their own conversations, returning life to the room and lessening the uncomfortable feeling that she was being watched. She was thankful for that—but overall, she just felt like absolute crap.

A minute later the waitress returned and offered to box the food up for Ochako, who accepted gratefully. Despite how hungry she’d been earlier, she knew she wouldn’t be able to enjoy it under these circumstances, so the best option was to just save it for later. When the food was packed up, she thanked the woman again and paid for both meals before exiting the building. Katsuki’s car was nowhere to be found, so they must’ve gone home. She hoped Izuku was feeling better.

Twenty minutes later when Ochako was in the cab on the way home, she received a phone call from the last person she was expecting: Izuku. After fumbling to pick it up, she held the phone up to her ear and asked warily, “Hello?”

“Ochako?” Izuku’s voice came clearly from the other end of the line, and Ochako had to refrain from sighing in relief to hear his voice again. He didn’t even sound angry.

“Oh my god, Izuku,” she breathed into the phone, briefly shutting her eyes. “Are you okay? How are you feeling?”

“You don’t need to worry, I’m perfectly fine now—I’m just really sorry for ruining our date. I didn’t think I would’ve reacted to seeing the knife this time, but when I saw the silver one with the black handle, it really set me off. I’m so sorry for putting you through that,” Izuku said.