Langst - A Locked Door

No Justification for a Life Lived Without Passion

It all seemed so sudden.

Midoriya had been trying to pick up the pieces of his life after the war. After losing his quirk, he’d been trying to find his place in UA. Midoriya was so focused on trying to find himself again, he failed to see what was forming between his classmates.

Class 2-A was nearing the end of the school year when it came out that Todoroki and Bakugo had begun dating. Midoriya, who had loved Bakugo since childhood, was devastated.

Uraraka seemed worried for Midoriya because she was the only one aware of Midoriya’s crush on Bakugo. Rather than congratulating the new couple, Uraraka quickly rushed Midoriya off to her room.

“How could I have not seen it?” cried Midoriya, tightly squeezing Uraraka’s pillow.

Uraraka let out a shallow breath. “I knew they were getting closer, but I didn’t think they’d be getting closer romantically.”

Midoriya tried his best to speak, but sobs came out instead. Uraraka gently rubbed Midoriya’s back, pity in her eyes.

“It’s all my fault. If I wasn’t so worthless Kacchan would have noticed me,” wept Midoriya, his back hunching forward as he began hyperventilating.

“Never say that again. You are the greatest hero that’s ever existed. You are beautiful. You’ve done an amazing job despite the shit thrown your way. Never amount your worth to a boy’s attention,” lectured Uraraka, cupping Midoriya's face and shooting Midoriya a warning stare.

Midoriya wilted a bit, his lips wobbling. “I’m a horrible friend.”

Uraraka’s frown deepened, her concern getting worse. “Why would you ever say that? You’re an amazing friend. I couldn’t imagine anyone filling the space you have in my heart.”

“I should be happy for them. I should be down in the common room congratulating them. I should be laughing and doing something dumb with you, not crying in your room about heartbreak. I’ve been a crappy friend since the war,” revealed Midoriya, staring up at the ceiling.

Uraraka crashed beside Midoriya, grabbing his hand gently. “I’d rather be here to support you at your low points like you always did for me. While I hate to see you upset, I’m happy I can be here for you. There’s always another day to do something stupid and fun.”

Midoriya remained quiet for a bit, taking deep breaths as he gathered his thoughts. “I want to get away from here.”

“Huh? What do you mean?” asked Uraraka, curious as to what Midoriya was thinking.

“I want to see the world, maybe transfer schools. I don’t want to be some hero sidekick. I think that would hurt more than not being a hero at all,” confessed Midoriya, finally opening up about the thoughts he’s had since the war ended.

Uraraka sat up, looking down at Midoriya. “Really? You want to leave?”

Midoriya sat up, quickly grabbing tissues to wipe his runny nose. “Honestly… yeah. I just don’t feel like this is the place for me anymore. I feel isolated and trapped. I’m only here because of you all.”

“I don’t want you to leave, but I understand why you want to. Sometimes it’s hard to be here without all the reminders of the past. We used to be so youthful and happy,” reminisced Uraraka, recalling how innocent it all used to be.

“Now everything is so… so ugly,” commented Midoriya, picking at one of his dozens of scars.

Uraraka hesitated a bit before responding, “Yeah. I don’t know if you feel the same, but it also seems empty.”

“Mhm. Maybe it makes me childish, but I think Kacchan and Shoto getting together was my final straw,” mumbled Midoriya.

“Whatever you decide, just know I will support you and be there with you through every step,” reassured Uraraka, grabbing a tissue and blowing her nose.

The rest of class 2-A were shocked by the sudden news of a relationship. Kirishima was beyond confused. He had thought that Bakugo and Midoriya were in a secret relationship. There was this oddly electric tension between the duo.

Iida was supportive of Todoroki and Bakugo’s relationship, but he was extremely concerned for Midoriya. It was clear he didn’t take the news well and Uraraka was quick to drag him off. It was clear there was something he didn’t know.

Kaminari and Jiro were supportive, cheering on Bakugo for making a move. Many students decided to confess their love after the war, worried about the possibility of never being able to get the chance to. Kaminari and Jiro were one of the couples and they were going strong.

Many others in the class were surprised and happy. It was always fun to have a new couple to tease and pick on.

When Todoroki and Bakugo decided to tell the class that they were dating, they were the most excited to see Midoriya’s reaction. They couldn’t wait to see his shocked expression and hear his happy analysis mumbling which was rare since the war.

They did not get the reaction they expected. Midoriya’s eyes widened in shock, but a smile didn’t accompany it. His pained expression came as fast as it left, but both Todoroki and Bakugo saw the hurt in his face.

Midoriya was quick to cover up whatever he was truly feeling and offer a smile. Except his smile was nothing in comparison to the blinding, toothy smile we wore day in and day out when they were first years. 

Before they could reach out to him or even look to one another to make sure the other saw his reaction too, Uraraka made a move. Uraraka wasn’t smiling as she snuck her hand into Midoriya’s and guided him away.

Midoriya didn’t put up a fight and mindlessly followed. They watched as Kirishima turned to ask Midoriya and Uraraka what was up, but quickly shut his mouth after seeing something.

Kirishima shot Uraraka a thumbs up with a sympathetic frown and Uraraka nodded her head in response.

Todoroki and Bakugo quickly felt concern bubble to the surface. The first thing that came to mind was that something was going on with Midoriya that they weren’t aware of. The second thought they both shared was that something was going on with Midoriya that they should have been aware of and completely forgotten.

“We’ll talk to Izuku later,” whispered Bakugo, resting a hand on Todoroki’s shoulder.

Todoroki nodded, raising a hand to rest on top of Bakugo’s. “Okay, good. I’m worried.”

Midoriya spent a lot of time with Toshinori after the war. When all of class 2-A tried avoiding Midoriya to avoid their feelings, Toshinori was the one Midoriya could open up to.

The mentor-student, father-son duo bonded deeply over the loss of One for All. Toshinori was nearing the end of his mental recovery and Midoriya was in the beginning of his. They lost it within a year of each other so they could bond over something they miss. They could bond over being quirkless, gaining a quirk, and being quirkless again.

After Midoriya could maintain his composure for longer than five minutes, Uraraka suggested that Midoriya talks to All Might. “I think All Might would be a great person to talk to about wanting to get away. Maybe he could offer some advice or wisdom,” offered Uraraka, flashing a gentle smile.

“You’re right. I’ll go talk to him now,” agreed Midoriya, feeling a lot better with Uraraka guiding him in the right direction. Right now, he needed someone he admired and someone who would want the best for him.

Uraraka rose from her bed and tightly hugged Midoriya. “I just want you to know… no matter what you decide to do, I’ll always want you to be a part of my life. You are the best friend I could have asked for and I don’t plan on letting you escape our friendship.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” laughed Midoriya, carefully hugging Uraraka.

Midoriya stood by the elevator and called Toshinori. “All Might.”

“Young Midoriya!” cheered Toshinori from the other side of the phone.

“Can we talk?” asked Midoriya shyly, suddenly feeling nervous that Toshinori might reject.

“Of course. Is something wrong?” inquired Toshinori, concern laced in his tone.

Midoriya panicked, not wanting to worry Toshinori. “Not necessarily! It’s just I have a lot on my mind, and I wanted to talk about it with you.”

“Well, perfect you called me now! I’m going on my afternoon stroll. I can meet you in front of the 2-A alliance and you can join me,” invited Toshinori, practically beaming where he was standing.

“Okay, I’ll be down quickly.”

“See you soon, Young Midoriya.”

“See you, All Might.”

Midoriya quickly took the elevator down to the ground floor and quickly made a beeline for the entrance. Most of class 2-A was still down in the common room and watched Midoriya make his way out.

Kirishima jumped up from his seat and rushed over. “Hey Midoriya!”

Midoriya quickly turned to face Kirishima with a kind smile. “Hi Kirishima, what’s up?”

“I just wanted to make sure you’re okay,” revealed Kirishima, lowering his voice to keep people from hearing.

Midoriya couldn’t stop the surprise from showing on his face. “Oh, uh,” stammered Midoriya before taking a deep breath and smiling. “I’m okay. I just needed a moment. I’m sorry for worrying you.”

Kirishima shook his head with a toothy smile. “Nonsense! You have nothing to apologize for! But seriously… I thought you are Bakugo were dating and just hiding it from everyone.”

“Well, I can’t lie… I thought Kacchan felt the same way. Guess I was naive and too blind to notice the truth,” chuckled Midoriya bitterly.

“If you ever need a shoulder to cry on, I’m here for you. I actually wanted to ask you to go to a hero convention with me. I bought two tickets, but Kaminari ditched me at the last minute,” wined Kirishima, throwing his head back dramatically.

Midoriya clapped his hands together, excited that hero conventions were still happening. He hadn’t had the time to think about silly things like that in a while. “I’d love to go with you!”

Kirishima perked up, beyond relieved. “Really? Great! I’ll text you the details later. Anyways, where are you going?”

“Oh— crap! I am going to have a talk with All Might! Sorry! I really must go! He’s probably waiting on me!” rambled Midoriya, backing away quickly to the doorway.

“It’s alright man! See you later!”

Midoriya threw on his shoes and ran out. Most of the class had heard the part that Midoriya was going to talk with All Might. His panic was loud enough for everyone to eavesdrop. Looking out the window, they watched as Midoriya approached All Might who was standing by the bottom of the stairs.

Toshinori naturally opened his arms and Midoriya quickly rushed into the embrace. After a quick, but tight hug, Toshinori appeared to ask Midoriya a question. Whatever Midoriya said stunned Toshinori, but Toshinori didn’t appear to be completely surprised by whatever was said.

“So, what did you want to talk about, Young Midoriya?”

“I think I want to move away from here,” confessed Midoriya, a bit worried about Toshinori’s response.

Toshinori took a moment to compose himself and respond, but he smiled. “That’s understandable. May I ask why?”

“I don’t think I want to become a hero just to be a sidekick. That may make me a selfish person, but I don’t think I can mentally handle being so close yet so far from my dream,” explained Midoriya, beginning to walk.

“That doesn’t make you selfish. I understand why you’d rather just scrap it all than be a sidekick. What would you rather do than be a hero? Have you thought of that?” questioned Toshinori, wanting to make sure Midoriya had mapped out his plan thoughtfully.

Midoriya nodded, looking up at the sky. “Yes… I was thinking about going to the US and becoming a support item developer with Melissa Shield. Since we are both quirkless and interested in heroes, it would be cool to work together.”

Toshinori perked up at that. He was very fond of Melissa despite the betrayal of her father, David Shield, who had been his sidekick. “That’s a great idea. I’m sure you’d easily be able to transfer to a school in the States. I’d even accompany you since I’m familiar with California.”

“Really? You don’t think I’d be making a mistake?” questioned Midoriya, feeling a bit uneasy.

“If leaving Japan for a couple of years would make you happier and allow you to try something new that would bring joy to your life, I don’t think you’d be making a mistake,” rationalized Toshinori, providing Midoriya with a new outlook on leaving UA High.

Midoriya smiled, feeling a bit relieved. “Yeah. I think I’ll finish this school year and transfer over for my third year.”

Toshinori grinned, holding a thumbs up. “You could even do a student exchange program. You could remain a hero student and try out different things.”

“Yeah… I’ll talk to Aizawa and Nezu about it. I think leaving for a bit would be for the best. I was already on the fence, but today pushed me over the edge,” sighed Midoriya, looking down at his scarred hands.

“What happened?” questioned Toshinori worriedly.

Midoriya’s face glowed a bright red as he realized he’d never really talked about his love life before. “Well, it’s a bit embarrassing to say out loud but, I like Kacchan… romantically.”

“Ah, I figured something more was going on between you too,” chuckled Toshinori, happy to hear Midoriya wasn’t afraid to love.

“Kacchan… is dating Todoroki,” whispered Midoriya, feeling his throat tighten from having to say it out loud. The wound was still too fresh.

Toshinori stopped walking, feeling his heart break as he watched Midoriya crumble before him. “Oh, my boy, I’m so sorry.”

Midoriya didn’t fight it when Toshinori wrapped him up in his arms and gently rubbed his back. Midoriya rather melted into the touch as he began to cry again. “I feel so stupid.”

“You’re not stupid, you're far from it,” argued Toshinori, refusing to let Midoriya talk badly about himself.

“I should have confessed when I had the chance. I should have noticed that Kacchan had his eyes on someone else. I was just delusional,” cried Midoriya, tightly squeezing Toshinori’s shirt.

Toshinori frowned as Midoriya cried into his chest. He hated to see Midoriya cry. Watching your kid experience his first heartbreak was devastating. There was nothing you could do to help.

Toshinori took a deep breath before pulling back. “I may not know what it’s like to fall in love with my best friend and they fall in love with another. But I do know what it’s like to never confess and regret it later. As the number one hero, I was never able to keep a long-term relationship. Whether it was out of my control, or I was scared.”

“Really?”

“Really. So never feel bad for not confessing but take it as a lesson. Many people experience what you are going through. Take this moment and never hesitate when it comes to love,” encouraged Toshinori, offering Midoriya a heroic smile as he wiped away Midoriya’s tears.

The rest of their walk was peaceful. The sun was shining brightly, and the air was warm. Midoriya cherished moments like these. The war seemed like a faint memory when the world was so beautiful, and he was spending his time beside the man he grew up admiring.

Uraraka and Midoriya agreed to meet after dinner to talk. It just so happened that Todoroki and Bakugo chose that time to approach Midoriya to check up on him.

“I’m really worried about Midoriya,” sighed Todoroki, wishing the elevator would move faster despite Midoriya’s dorm only being on the second floor.

“I’m sure Izuku’s fine. We are probably being paranoid,” guessed Bakugo, going against his better judgment.

By the time they reached Midoriya’s floor, they could faintly hear him talking. The couple paused, carefully inching closer to Midoriya’s dorm room door. They could hear Uraraka's voice as well.

Todoroki and Bakugo exchanged a wary glance. They thought Uraraka and Midoriya had already talked today. They were curious when Uraraka and Midoriya got close again considering the two had distanced themselves after the war.

“See, I told you he’d be the best person for you to talk to!” gloated Uraraka for being right.

“Yeah, he was supportive of my plans and ideas,” noted Midoriya, his voice upbeat.

The shifting of sheets could be heard from inside the room before Uraraka asked, “What is your plan? I don’t think you ever told me exactly what your ideas were.”

Todoroki and Bakugo were equally lost. Midoriya hadn't mentioned plans or ideas recently. The last serious conversation Midoriya had with either of them was about how his training was going. Even then, he didn’t have much to say.

Neither Todoroki nor Bakugo realized how little they knew about Midoriya anymore.

Midoriya was quick to respond to Uraraka. “I was planning on moving to the United States. Specifically, California to work with Melissa Shield. Since we are both quirkless, it would be nice to work with her.”

Bakugo felt his heart momentarily stop, horrified to hear Midoriya wanted to leave. After the last time Midoriya left UA, he’d never heard Midoriya entertain the thought of leaving again. It would be an understatement to say Bakugo didn’t want Midoriya to leave. He dreaded the mere thought of not seeing Midoriya each day. He couldn’t imagine not being able to see Midoriya smile and hear him say Kacchan.

Todoroki felt sick, unable to imagine not having Midoriya at arm’s reach. After having Midoriya there at every stage of his life, he didn’t want to lose someone so important. Still, Midoriya has been nothing but supportive to him, so he wanted to return the same support.

“That’s actually a really good idea! Are you planning on continuing your hero education or are you going to change your goal?” questioned Uraraka with excitement in her voice.

“All Might said he'd set me up with a foreign exchange student program if I wanted. That way I could get the best of both worlds. Still, I think I may just go into support gear with Melissa,” answered Midoriya, still leaning more toward giving up on being a hero.

It was quiet for a bit. Todoroki and Bakugo remained frozen in place, waiting for Midoriya and Uraraka to finish their conversation before fully panicking.

“You sure you don’t want to be my sidekick? We’d be one hell of a team,” teased Uraraka, even though there was a trace of sorrow in her voice.

“No… I wouldn’t even want to be Kacchan's sidekick,” opposed Midoriya quickly.

“Damn. Is that just because you don’t want to be a sidekick that bad or is it because of your unreciprocated feelings?” interrogated Uraraka, struggling to make light of the entire situation.

Bakugo felt his entire world stop. Izuku Midoriya had a crush on him. Midoriya, his childhood friend, loved him. Deku, the boy he fought next to during a war, wanted to be with him. Midoriya liked him the entire time.

Todoroki on the other hand felt incredible guilt. While it wasn’t his fault and Bakugo had been the one to ask him out, he couldn’t help but feel like he stole Bakugo from Midoriya. He couldn’t help but feel like he was inconsiderate of Midoriya’s feelings. If he had known Midoriya liked Bakugo, he would have never accepted the confession.

“A mixture of both. It may sound stupid but after the war… I fought with my mother so hard to let me stay here. At that point in time, you all were ignoring me. Kacchan was all I had, and I didn’t even know how to talk to him… but I stayed because of him. Now that he’s with Todoroki, I don’t have anything to stay for. They have each other now,” lamented Midoriya, feeling a bit empty now that he was saying it out loud.

“It’s not stupid. It makes a lot of sense. Besides, an upside to you going to the United States for a bit is you’ll have the opportunity to move on,” offered Uraraka, feeling bad for Midoriya.

Midoriya seemed a bit happy as he announced, “All Might said he’d even go with me! Wouldn’t that be amazing?”

Uraraka gasped, clapping her hands. “That would be perfect! I think having him around would be good for you. Since you’ll be experiencing a lot of changes by moving.”

“I’m a bit nervous to move because of that. Making new friends while learning a new language and picking up a new career goal is a lot,” sighed Midoriya loudly.

“You’ll have no problem making friends!” refuted Uraraka, offended Midoriya was nervous about having to make new friends.

Midoriya was quiet in response. Bakugo and Todoroki shared a concerned glance. Uraraka's voice greeted them first. “Deku? What’s wrong?”

“What if they think I’m worthless or ugly? I’m covered head to toe in scars, my hair is uneven, I’m quirkless, I’ll be the UA High dropout,” listed Midoriya, not bothering to downplay his concerns.

“Listen to me very carefully. I said this earlier, but I think you need the reminder. You became the greatest hero to ever exist. Those scars are reminders of the blood, sweat, and tears you sacrificed for the safety of others. Your hair will finish growing out by the time fall comes around.”

Midoriya opened his mouth only for Uraraka to shush him violently. “Silence! You won’t be known as a UA dropout. You fought in a war that many pro heroes didn’t survive. Everyone will be super excited to be in a class with you! Besides, who cares if you’re quirkless? You could probably lift this entire building with your pinky.”

Midoriya couldn’t help but laugh at that last comment. “I guess you’re right. Still, I just don’t think I’ll ever be the same. I don’t want to give up on being a hero, but the world is unfair.”

“Why don’t you take up Toshinori’s offer? Be a foreign exchange student in the hero program. Work with Melissa and have her develop support gear for you. You can still be a powerful hero! You still have all your combat knowledge under your belt,” suggested Uraraka, trying to motivate Midoriya to not give up on his dreams.

“I’ll talk to Aizawa about it. I’m not even sure if I’ll end up moving to America. I just think I’d be a lot happier if I got away from this place,” admitted Midoriya.

Bakugo and Todoroki rose to their feet and tried to gather their thoughts. Todoroki whispered to Bakugo. “What if we pretend to get off the elevator? That way he won’t know we overheard.”

“Yeah, let’s go,” agreed Bakugo, sneaking into the elevator before closing and opening the door.

The duo was talking at a normal volume and immediately noticed Uraraka and Midoriya stopped talking.

Bakugo knocked on the door, trying to remain calm. “Izuku? It’s me and Todoroki. Can we come in?”

“Yeah, Uraraka is here too,” answered Midoriya calmly.

Bakugo opened the door and walked in. Todoroki followed close behind, stopping to slowly close the door. The first thing both noticed was that Midoriya’s room lacked its usual amount of All Might merchandise.

Bakugo nodded at Uraraka before confronting Midoriya. “What’s going on Izuku? You’ve been off today.”

“It’s just been a weird day,” answered Midoriya shortly, not even sure how to speak to Bakugo anymore.

Todoroki frowned, sitting in Midoriya’s desk chair. “Are you sure that’s it? You seemed off this morning and even seemed a bit off when talking to Kirishima.”

Uraraka turned to Midoriya, curious. “You talked to Kirishima earlier?”

“Yeah, Kirishima approached me earlier. He just invited me to a hero convention. I was super excited and agreed to go, but I guess I just started thinking about how different everything is now and how I haven’t had time to go to one,” rambled Midoriya, quickly coming up with an excuse.

Todoroki nodded, knowing that wasn’t the truth, but took it. “Oh, that makes sense.”

Bakugo narrowed his eyes, wanting Midoriya to be honest. “What about this morning? You were acting strange. Pink Cheeks here dragged you off.”

“It was a rough morning, that’s all. I’m fine,” dismissed Midoriya, not planning on telling Bakugo or Todoroki anything.

“Okay, as long as you’re okay. I was worried,” replied Todoroki, not wanting Midoriya to withdraw any further.

The rest of the talk was bland and awkward. Midoriya, Todoroki, and Bakugo were aware of how broken their friendship was, but there was no easy way of mending it. The war changed each of them so much and they never took the time to talk about everything that happened. They seemed to dodge the touchy subjects and handle them on their own.

Bakugo had to deal with the trauma of dying on the battlefield and the effort it took to rehabilitate his arm and strengthen his heart while also being careful. Todoroki was busy dealing with mending his broken family and the physical recovery of each person. Toya was the worst and Enji was in close second. Still, Todoroki didn’t have any desire to open up about what was going on or how he was feeling about the situation.

Midoriya was dealing with something else entirely. Midoriya was still trying to recover from the events that occurred early in the year. The large number of near-death encounters he had provided his nightmares with unlimited fuel. The backlash from countless civilians in the fallout of the first war made him scared to show his face in public. Seeing all his friends and idols injured and fatally wounded on the battleground was horrifying and those moments would forever be imprinted in his mind. Those were just some of the things Midoriya had to deal with. He also had things like losing both of his arms, feeling like he failed to save Tenko, missing the past users of One for All, and being quirkless again.

There was so much Midoriya held inside and struggled to cope with. Midoriya knew his friends needed just as much help as he did, but he never truly bounced back after initially feeling ignored. It was very similar to the isolation he felt when he was young and quirkless.

Bakugo and Todoroki never reached out and Midoriya was too depressed to put energy into maintaining relationships. Now Bakugo and Todoroki were happily dating and finally seeing just how badly they failed Midoriya.

Midoriya completed his second year at U.A. High before quickly leaving for America. Toshinori and Inko followed closely behind, ready to give Izuku the future he deserved. Class 2-A, now 3-A missed Midoriya's presence, realizing too late just how much he needed their attention and support. They had to watch Midoriya mentally and physically recover through news articles, reports, and social media posts.

Todoroki, Bakugo, and Uraraka never told anyone the reason why Midoriya left Japan and U.A. High. Even though Todoroki and Bakugo broke up shortly after five months of being together, they’d forever remember they were the final nudge Midoriya needed to leave.

whomst else is hyped for season 6

Some of my BNHA In-Class Doodles 😪💕 I wish I had time to write fanfic rn…

Fire 🔥🔥🔥🔥

Deku just because.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕

Teacher Izuku Shenanigans!!

Villain attack in UA! Izuku and the other teachers manage to take care of it at first but after a few days things escalated and they call some of Izuku’s old pal to help :3

(Izuku now know why Aizawa looks so haggard all the time)

Also he some part of his costume can be activated! So he can save people while still wearing his suit :3

(His suit is hot okay)

This is for a Hinata Shoyo fanfic I’m writing!

Also ignore the end the audio messed up 😭✨

It’s a Hinata on ice!!! Fic where Hinata is secretly a famous ice skater training under Viktor and Yuuri 😌💅✨

You’re Not That Special

Bakugo and his two lackeys, Yukimura and Sada, decided it would be a great idea to use Midoriya’s kindness against him. One day, Bakugo slipped a note into Midoriya’s locker asking for him to meet someone behind the school. Even if Midoriya knew it was a trap, he didn’t want to be rude in case it wasn’t.

Bakugo was waiting for him while Yukimura and Sada were hiding around the corner. Midoriya turned the corner, holding the note with a blank expression. He wasn’t nervous and he seemed far from interested that someone wanted to see him. The moment Midoriya spotted Bakugo, he apprehensively continued walking over.

Midoriya was interested, considering it appeared that Bakugo was alone. Bakugo apologized to Midoriya for everything, bowing to further convince Midoriya. Midoriya stared at him in shock, pleasantly surprised Bakugo was apologizing.

Midoriya wiped his tears. “I accept your apology, but it’ll take a while for me to forgive you. You have no idea how much this means to me.”

Bakugo was genuinely baffled to hear Midoriya didn’t forgive him. Something about that drove his hunger. He wanted to play Midoriya until Midoriya said he forgave him. When Bakugo parted ways with Midoriya, he gathered with the other two and laughed. They got Midoriya good.

Time passed and Midoriya was like putty in Bakugo’s hand. Midoriya was easy to mold and manipulate. Midoriya genuinely gave Bakugo the benefit of the doubt once Yukimura and Sada backed off. Midoriya still wasn’t convinced, but he wanted to believe Bakugo was being sincere. Midoriya didn’t want to think Bakugo could stoop that low.

Midoriya was proven right. That in the pit of his stomach, something was wrong. It was a Thursday afternoon. Bakugo invited Midoriya to the back of the school again. Midoriya naturally agreed, seeing nothing strange about it considering Bakugo had been nice. Bakugo confessed to Midoriya, taking his small hands in his bigger ones.

Midoriya’s eyes went wide in bewilderment. His cheeks burned under the hot gaze of his childhood friend. Midoriya never really felt romantic attraction to Bakugo, Bakugo was a bully after all. Midoriya did admire him though, finding him to be a true symbol of victory. His determination and stubbornness never wavered in the face of an obstacle. If he wanted something, he’d get it by any means necessary.

Midoriya still couldn’t help but feel his heart beat pick up, the rapid thumping loud in his ears. It felt like a dream. Maybe he really could fall in love with Bakugo. The blonde did have a charm. Before he could do anything else, Bakugo tugged him in for a kiss. Midoriya squeaked, not appreciating being forced into a kiss he wasn’t prepared for. He didn’t even want to have his first kiss so early on in his life.

Before Midoriya could push him off himself, Katsuki threw him back. Midoriya was having whiplash from all the tugging and pushing, not surprised Bakugo was a bad kisser. When Midoriya’s dizziness subsided and he looked up to Bakugo’s face, the sincerity was gone. The soft expression as he confessed his love was gone. The haunting smile he wore a mere month ago was back.

“Wow Deku. You really thought I actually liked you? Pathetic!”

Yukimura and Sada came out from hiding, cackling like Midoriya’s humiliation was the funniest thing on the planet. Midoriya left dread hit him like a truck. The world stopped. His heart shattered as the last speck of respect he had for Bakugo disappeared.

Midoriya refused to cry, sucking back in his tears. He looked at Bakugo with pure, venomous hatred. “How dare you.”

“Huh? Can’t hear you if you keep mumbling fucking loser,” sneered Bakugo, leaning close condescendingly.

Midoriya hissed at Bakugo, enraged. “How. Dare. You. I knew you’d use whatever you could against me… but my own unpreparedness? I haven’t even forgiven you… and you thought springing that on me was funny?”

Bakugo swallowed hard. He had never heard Midoriya use that tone before. Midoriya’s face had never shown that much disgust before. Midoriya’s eyes never revealed that much rage before. Yukimura and Sada looked just as stunned, not expecting their “prank” to get that reaction. They expected him to cry like a baby and then run away like a heartbroken school girl.

Midoriya couldn’t hold back the tears as the betrayal chewed up his heart. “You stole my first kiss from me without permission—without any indication I reciprocated your feelings. Whether or not the feeling you showed were fake. I wanted to believe there was still some good in you… but Katsuki, you’re a horrible person.”

Midoriya left, holding his head high despite his shaking hands. His knuckles were white from how hard he tightened his hands. Midoriya’s jaw was clenched painfully hard, to the point it made his teeth ache. He was feeling too many negative feelings all at once. He left the campus of hell knowing he would erase his bullies’ existence from his memories.

The next day turned up and Bakugo, Yukimura, and Sada were pulling their usual douchebag stunts like they had before. Midoriya ignored them completely, controlling his overwhelming emotions. It wasn’t until they were dismissed for lunch that the inevitable confrontation occurred.

Midoriya rose from his seat, going to grab his bento when three very familiar chuckles met his ears.

“Deku.”

“Quite rude to ignore people talking to you.”

Midoriya looked up to meet the three with a scowl. He had no time to encourage their fragile masculinity and oppressive mindsets.

“Wow, that’s rich coming from you,” mocked Midoriya, his tone sarcastic.

“Woah. Seems like someone is actually upset,” teased Sada, pushing out his bottom lip to pout.

Midoriya tilted his head to the side and flashed a pissed smile. “Hardly. I’m more impressed you guys have reached a new level of ignorance.”

Bakugo stepped closer, a smug smirk on a his face. “Oo, you really got us with that one Deku.”

Midoriya’s eyes narrowed, his smile dropping in a deep frown. “It’s just an astute observation. Your response is irrelevant.”

“Someone sounds butthurt,” laughed Yukimura, crossing his arms. He was painfully proud of what he had just said.

Bakugo glanced at Yukimura, having a thought triggered by his comment. Smiling, Bakugo towered over Midoriya, failing at intimidating the somewhat shorter male.

“Oh, is this sudden attitude all because I stole your first kiss? Really, you’re throwing a tantrum because I kissed you?”

Midoriya saw red. What Bakugo had done was a form of sexual assault. Midoriya was rightfully pissed about being violated. Throwing a tantrum was the furthest thing from what he was doing. Midoriya drew a fist back and swung.

Bakugo flew back from the insanely strong punch to the nose. He could deep blood drip down, the throbbing overcoming the waves of pain from the punch. Midoriya stood over him, his stare unforgiving.

“Do not act like what you did to me was a childish prank. You live in this make-believe world that I’m obsessed with you. If you opened your eyes, you’d see I stopped looking up to you the moment you put down others to raise yourself on this stupid pedestal of “I was born with the most privilege”. Grow up. You’re not that special,” seethed Midoriya, rubbing his knuckles as he spoke.

Grabbing his lunch, Midoriya snapped his gaze to Sada and Yukimura. “If you ugly, pathetic, weak-quirk losers even try and mess with me after encouraging Katsuki to do what he did… I’ll castrate you.”

The two urgently backed away, covering their small manhoods in fear. Midoriya looked down at Bakugo to see his expression. All Midoriya could do was smile, relishing the sight of a mortified Bakugo. Midoriya stepped over him and walked out the classroom with a pep in his step.

When the two made it into U.A. Bakugo made sure to stay in his place when it came to Midoriya. While he still was aggressive and arrogant to some degree, he significantly toned it down. After all, Midoriya had cracked his high ego and defeated him solely with his tongue. Behind that happy-go-lucky persona, Midoriya was a grudge-holding menace.

F***ing Chair

Izuku was best friends with his guidance counselor. Inko knew about Izuku’s mental health and Izuku had no problem speaking his mind. Izuku had been hospitalized on a number of occasions because he told Inko. The guidance counselor was aware of Izuku being open with his mom which lowered the stress of betraying Izuku’s trust.

Izuku was incredibly depressed and struggled to cope with the bullying. Being able to wear a facade all day was exhausting as well. It was nice to walk into the counselor’s office and vent. While Izuku was open, he did hide it around his mother. He didn’t want her to worry more than she already was. Seeing the school counselor was the only option considering therapy was far too expensive.

Izuku had Major Depressive Disorder, Social Phobia, Attention Deficit Disorder, and was showing signs of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder more and more with every encounter of bullying he endured. It was clear the physical and mental abuse he received day in and day out didn’t help. There was no escape when he came home. Cyberbullying was just as severe.

During lunch, milk had been pored all over Izuku. Much to everyones shock, Izuku slammed his book shut and stormed out of the cafeteria. Katsuki scowled, irritated by Izuku’s dramatic reaction. The brown haired bully jumped, not expecting the retaliation. The other bully watched him leave, bewhildered before smirking.

“Let’s get him while he’s in the locker room!”

Katsuki didn’t have a problem with it, wanting to put Izuku back in his place. The other bully tagged along, lauging about how he was going to mock Izuku. They chased after him.

When Izuku’s three bullies spotted him down the hall, his shoulders were tensed, a milk trail following him. His book bag was in one hand and his notebook in the other. There was something about the aura he was radiating that made them uneasy. Midoriya stormed right up to the guidance counselor’s office, threw open the door and let it out.

“Do you know how much I want to fucking pick up a fucking chair and smash it across their fucking face?”

Katsuki stopped in his tracks, eyes wide in surprise. That went straight to his dick.

“Shit. Izuku’s told on us?” whispered the long-finger bully.

“That’s what you’re worried about? He sounds like he wants to kill us,” exasperated the brown haired bully.

Katsuki had more concerns than that. In that split second, he came to the realization he knew nothing about Izuku. He didn’t know Izuku cursed. He never would’ve guessed Izuku got angry. Katsuki wondered if Izuku already was telling the adults at school, was he telling Inko? In a matter of seconds, he realized his entire future lies in Izuku’s hands. Something about that made him oddly hot, feeling flustered by the information.

The guidance counselor didn’t even sound surprised by his outburst. “Oh I know you do. Thankfully you didn’t do it.”

Izuku took a sharp breath before slamming the door behind him. The building shook from the force of the slam, causing the three to share a stunned look. They all crept to the door to listen, needing to know more.

“I’m leaving my stuff here. I’m going to the showers and I’ll be back. I’m skipping next period,” informed Izuku. His tone was sharp, unsteady, and clearly still holding a lot of rage.

The counselor shook her head, fixing her notebook’s position on the desk. “Very well. I’ll try and dry off your things while you clean up.”

“Thank you.”

“No problem kid.”

The bullies booked it to a janitors closet down the hall to avoid getting caught. Izuku came out a couple seconds later, fingers flying on the keypads on his phone. When he disappeared down the hall, the group chose to part their separate ways and head to class.

Katsuki sat at his desk with a scowl. He was frustrated by his feelings. As much as he wanted to hate Midoriya and unleash his rage to make up for extreme weakness he was feeling, he truly didn’t want to. There was some deep fondness resonating within him. He was terrified and that excited him.

Izuku reappeared a period later with a drained expression. His hair was dry, his clothes were completely changed, and his bag and notebook looked perfectly fine. While the trio were mad their stunt didn’t leave any long lasting damage, they were glad their actions didn’t cause him to be so pissed off that he’d kill them.

None of the idiots wanted to be hit in the fucking face by a fucking chair.

Best Friends Make the Best Lovers

Relationships were hard. Midoriya knew that the moment he was born. His father was absent before Midoriya was old enough to form a memory he could recollect of the man. Midoriya had a bad start, to say the least. He never gave up hope when it came to his father's return, but when he had someone as kind as Masaru Bakugo in his life, Father's Day didn’t feel as empty.

When things get good, Midoriya had to be prepared to lose it all. He lost everyone as soon as things were good. It was a recurring theme. When Midoriya turned four years old and no quirk arrived when he was nearing five years old, he was diagnosed quirkless. All of his friends, the remaining family he knew, all adults who were in his life, and the Bakugo family were gone faster than his father.

Things were less than good. Despite those that bully him and treated him like the scum of the earth, he had the unconditional love of his mother. Quirklessness was seen as this contagious disease, at least that is how people spoke about quirkless people. Midoriya got used to the feeling of being avoided and he became accustomed to humiliation.

As if the world was giving him a solid, Midoriya fell in love at the prime age of thirteen. He had been on those “talk with strangers” websites where you video-called random people. After many failed attempts, someone finally came along and appeared to be the missing piece he was desperately searching for.

This mystery person's name was Hayabusa Teru. He had beautiful electric pink eyes and his hair was a cotton candy blue. He seemed so amazed by meeting a quirkless person that he didn’t think twice about exchanging numbers. After all, quirkless people were rare.

After they took their conversation elsewhere, they got to know one another more. Teru was fourteen, about 13 months older than Midoriya. Neither minded, it kept things interesting and it was expected. There was something so exciting about meeting someone near your age that seemed like a genuine person.

Teru lived about thirty minutes away from Midoriya. Midoriya figured that was the case as he put on the setting “people near me”. The two clicked instantly. They’d continue to video call, text, and occasionally hang out.

Their friendship was strong and seemed unbreakable. That lasted for half a year before they started dating. A year later while Midoriya was sitting in class, he felt his phone buzz. Opening his phone he saw no notification so he let it rest.

What Midoriya didn’t know was that Teru had blocked him on all forms of social media. Midoriya was defeated. He gave up. Not even a week later, Bakugo told him to kill himself and he got turned down by his idol. Midoriya believed things couldn’t get worse, and surprisingly things didn’t.

Midoriya grabbed the attention of All Might and earned the quirk of ultimate power. It seemed that one person was enough to turn his entire world upside down.

Midoriya was now training and eating healthier. His mother was finally getting into the groove of things as Midoriya was finally pushing forward again and working on himself. As if things couldn’t have gotten better, Midoriya passed the entrance exam and got into UA. Midoriya was achieving his dream and focusing on himself for once.

Being a UA student, of course, was no cakewalk and it didn’t go without flaw, but Midoriya made it. Almost instantly, Midoriya fit right into the new setting. Midoriya made friends, was socializing, and had adults in his life that actually cared. Even better, he finally had father figures in his life that were a million times better than the one he gave up on.

Despite everyone seeming to go perfectly, there was something that had been bugging Midoriya. That was love. Midoriya found himself surrounded by amazing people that made him feel amazing. Part of him tried to shut out the idea of romance. He didn’t think he had the right to entertain the idea of a relationship when he needed to put all his focus into becoming the best hero.

No matter how hard he tried to focus solely on hero work and friendships, his heart was too big. He couldn’t help but be with his close group of friends and feel flustered half of the time their attention was on him. Hell, a large portion of his classmates managed to find a way to fluster him.

Iida was well-built, tall, respectful, and really fun to be around. He was protective, realistic, and probably Midoriya’s closest friend. Iida was very animated and was a whole show to Midoriya. Midoriya wanted to melt at the very thought of dating him.

Uraraka was beautiful. She moved with grace and radiated so much power with her determination that it left Midoriya breathless. She was determined to be a powerful her and support her family. She was smart, kind, extremely considerate, and inspiring. She got him all sorts of disheveled when she had him going.

Todoroki was perfection. He doesn’t understand social cues, making him awkward and intimidating. That meant Todoroki was always fluctuating between cute and hot. The two had been through a lot together, mentally and physically. Midoriya admired Todoroki and his development. Todoroki was a very caring person. Midoriya longed to be held in the warm yet cold touch of his best friend.

Then there was Kirishima, Kaminari, Bakugo, Sero, Momo, and Aoyama, and don’t even get him started on those outside of his class. They all had their own unique traits and were very entertaining. They all trusted his intuition and were fun to be around.

For a bit, he thought Monoma was fair game. It would take some work, but Midoriya was willing to put in the effort. The Monoma open his mouth during their joint training and Midoriya didn’t think he’d ever forgive Monoma for saying something so cruel about Bakugo.

Little did Midoriya know, that everyone he was interested in was absolutely head over heels for him. Bakugo would never admit to it, ever, but it was true. They all craved to see Midoriya blush. They all watched him carry on through the day with a relaxed smile. It brought them joy.

Aizawa seemed to have gotten a private message from Nezu as he checked his phone from his sleeping bag. Irritated about his nap being disturbed, he glared at his phone.

“Problem Child. You have a visitor,” announced Aizawa tiredly.

Midoriya raised a brow, confused as to who could be visiting. “Where do I go? Who is it?”

“I don’t know kid. I guess just go to Nezu’s office,” guessed Aizawa, immediately going back to slumber.

Midoriya checked the time and decided to leave his stuff in class. There were still about twenty minutes left and the visit shouldn’t be anything too major. Before he could even get out of his seat there was a knock on the door.

Iida jumped up, claiming his role as class representative. “I shall see who it is as Mister Aizawa is asleep!”

Midoriya smiled, getting up himself. “Well, I have to go anyways, Iida. You should’ve let me do it.”

“Oh! I didn’t realize that. Well, I’m already up so let me hold the door open for you!” offered Iida proudly as he reached for the handle.

Pulling open the door, Midoriya happily stood next to Iida. Looking directly at the person who had knocked, Midoriya felt like the air was knocked out of him.

Vibrant pink eyes. Cotton candy blue hair.

Midoriya felt his eyes widen, staring at the person who had ghosted him well over a year ago.

“Teru?”

The entire class felt their eyes widen that Midoriya knew the handsome teen. The boy looked down at Midoriya with an excited face.

“Izuku?”

The class found themselves fully invested the moment Midoriya’s first name was used.

Midoriya looked at the boy for a second longer before his shoulders sank a bit. “Glad to know you’re alive. Anyways I have a visitor to meet.”

“Izuku, I’m the visitor!” cheered Teru happily, looking at Midoriya for a response.

Midoriya seemed to close himself off. Taking a step back and crossing his arms, Midoriya grew suspicious. “How’d you find me?”

“I went to surprise you at your home but when I got there your mom said you stayed at the dorms in UA. So here I am,” explained Teru quickly.

Midoriya was not satisfied. Honestly, Midoriya was pissed, beyond pissed. What right did Teru have to come back a year after ghosting him only to act like they never stopped talking in the first place? Teru wasn’t going to get what he wanted. Midoriya was not going to give him what he wanted.

“You better have a good explanation as to why you suddenly want to surprise me,” demanded Midoriya, giving Teru a warning with irritation laced in his voice.

The rest of the group grew uneasy. Midoriya was almost never angry when it came to people. Majority of the time he’s angry when fighting a villain or when someone is messing with the people he cares about. This was different. This was very, very different.

Teru seemed surprised by the reaction, nervous himself. “What are you talking about Izuku? Can’t your boyfriend surprise you?”

Iida felt his glasses slip down his nose a bit as his jaw dropped. Tsuyu and Uraraka exchanged a glance, mortified at the reality of Midoriya having had a boyfriend this entire time. Bakugo was blowing up a fuse while Todoroki was still trying to process the fact that Midoriya was in a relationship.

Momo was disappointed but more fearful of the fact she had flirted with someone already in a relationship. Kirishima ignored the pain of missing his chance while Kaminari wasn’t subtle with his exaggerated crying. Sero slammed his face on the desk defeatedly, angry that someone like Teru had got to Midoriya first. Aoyama frowned, a little hurt as he had gotten his hopes up.

Midoriya's scoffing snapped them all out of their self-pity. “I haven’t seen, let alone heard from you in a year. What about that makes you think we are still dating?”

The group all felt themselves perk up. Midoriya was single and the douchebag before them was making an idiot of himself.

“Izuku! I— I had to-,” stammered Teru, unsure of what lies to spit out.

Cutting Teru off, Midoriya coldly snapped, “Midoriya. You call me Midoriya now.”

Teru felt his eyes widen, looking at the group of students watching with wide eyes. Midoriya felt the group's stares and headed out the door.

“Hall. Now.”

Teru didn’t hesitate, preferring some privacy. Midoriya turned to face Teru, visibly upset.

“Where were you? What were you doing that was so important that you couldn’t contact me for over a year?” shouted Midoriya, hissing at the bastard.

Teru, not having an excuse, lied, “I broke my phone and I couldn’t get a new one and my mom was-.”

Midoriya cut off Teru again by smacking him hard across the face. Teru snapped his gaze right back to Midoriya, genuinely shocked by the hit that landed on him.

“Don’t you dare utter another lie to me? Who do you think I am?” yelled Midoriya in disbelief. The anger diminished and hurt refiled the void, his eyes searching Teru’s face, trying to find anything that signaled Teru actually cared.

Teru hesitated to reach out, slightly scared of being smacked again. “Okay, I’m sorry, but. Look... I just... I needed a break from everything, including you.”

Midoriya laughed at that, disgusted with the insensitivity of Teru. “You never once said any of this was a problem. Not once had you even tried to explain that something was wrong or you wanted a break. You didn’t have to fucking ghost me!”

“I know and I’m sorry. I really miss you and I’m back. I’m here to stay. Let’s do this,” pleaded Teru, taking Midoriya's hand as he whispered, “I really like you.”

Midoriya looked at Teru with a disturbed expression. He couldn’t understand why Teru was going out of his way to do this. His withdrawn body language should have said enough. Besides, Midoriya had clearly proved he is not one to be messed with and is skeptical of believing anything Teru was saying.

Midoriya was filled with many emotions from the out-of-blue confession. He was embarrassed, appalled, and a bit sympathetic. It was clear to say Midoriya was nauseated as he shook his head in a pleading manner. “Please don’t do this. I can’t.”

“Can’t what? I said I like you,” backtracked Teru, slightly panicking as the upcoming rejection was settling in.

“I don’t trust you. Let me go Teru,” confessed Midoriya, his eyes locking with Teru’s.

The two stood, looking at each other with faces of distaste. Teru let out a breath and narrowed his eyes. “You really became stuck up,” spat Teru.

Midoriya smiled with a dangerous glint in his eyes as he laughed at the insult. “And you became a delusional asshole.”

The taller boy stepped off, backing away. Teru had to remind himself that he was in U.A. High and he was pushing his limits with a student there. His best odds were with him biting his tongue. Midoriya looked at Teru for a moment more before opening the door to the classroom.

“Leave before I report you,” threatened Midoriya before stepping inside. He didn’t bother to turn around and spare Teru a glance. There were no pleasantries for Midoriya to send Teru off with.

The rest of the class had been in a circle, all of them mumbling about something. With Midoriya’s voice distracting them from their conversation, they all turned their heads to face Midoriya. It was clear the group was happy to see him return. The sight made Midoriya’s heart warm.

Midoriya grinned at the class, waving. “Sorry about him! I really don’t know why he suddenly showed up!”

Todoroki walked over, standing before his friend. “So that guy isn’t your boyfriend?”

“No, things ended between us over a year ago. Honestly, I hate that he pulled a stunt like that,” whined Midoriya, complaining.

Iida nodded, understanding the anger Midoriya must have felt upon seeing his ex. “So, why’d he come back?”

Midoriya had to think about it for a second, frowning. “Actually... I don’t know. He acted like we never broke up. Technically we never did, but he was the one who had ghosted me. I guess he got lonely, saw I was doing amazing, and expected me to be waiting for him to come back.”

Wishing she had beaten up the guy when she had a chance, Uraraka gasped, “He ghosted you? What a jerk!”

“How long were you even together?” questioned Tsuyu, irritated by the information as well.

“About a year,” answered Midoriya casually, looking up at the group that was shooting him questions.

“Wow! Talk about cowardly!” shouted Kaminari, looking at Midoriya in disbelief.

Momo nodded, resting a worried hand on Midoriya’s shoulder. “That must’ve been really rough for you Midoriya. I think I can speak for all of us when I say we are glad you handled things the way you did.”

Bakugo raised a crackling hand and scoffed, “I would’ve handled it better damn nerd.”

Midoriya couldn’t help but laugh. Everyone was so protective and concerned that it turned him into a beautiful shade of pink. He was honored to be surrounded by people that had his back. They validated the part of him that he was trying to heal. He was grateful for his classmates.

Everyone melted at the sight of Midoriya glowing before them. Midoriya was a gift. He had an energy about him that just filled everyone up. There was something amazing about the way Midoriya brought the best out of people.

Aizawa woke up to everyone just surrounding Midoriya, using all the time they could to be around him. Aizawa grinned and sunk deeper into his sleeping bag. He’d ask about the situation and fill Nezu in about banning the visitor. For now, he’d rest easy knowing his students had everything covered.

Midoriya ends up getting a pile of Valentine's Day cards from people in the school. Each card came with a special batch of chocolate, all having their own special flavor to them. Midoriya realized he didn’t have to worry about choosing someone to love. It would happen naturally.

Midoriya happily handed everyone he had a silly crush on a bag of chocolates. Each bag was unique to the receiver. Todoroki got peppermint chocolates. Bakugo got spicey chocolate. Uraraka got chocolate mochi. Kirishima got strawberry chocolate. Momo got matcha chocolate. It was safe to say the entire class was impressed with the tasty treat.

It would be a while till Midoriya got into a relationship. No matter when it happens or who it is he ends up being with, he knew that his friends would treat him no different and still cherish their time with him. They were truly amazing.

Guess I managed to get everything back I lost and more.

Grief

Izuku Midoriya was familiar with grief. Throughout his life, his precious heart loved too much. So when tragedy struck, the pain oftentimes felt unbearable. His generosity was taken advantage of far too many times. His compassion was abused. He lost people faster than he gained. Izuku Midoriya was very familiar with grief.

His father disappeared for a job across the world. Hisashi was too busy to send a text. He was too busy to say happy birthday. He was never there. All he was, was an idea. Only the thought of him existed to Izuku. The grief he felt from losing someone he never knew hurt the worst.

The people Izuku considered friends left him at the drop of a hat. No one stuck around. No one defended him. They changed faster than Izuku could comprehend. One second they played in the sand and in the next they were throwing sand at him. They were no longer people Izuku knew.

Izuku lost the one person he desired the most. Katsuki Bakugo became a star. Something so far away he’d never dream of being able to touch. Katsuki glowed and shined brilliantly. He was perfect in Izuku’s eyes. Izuku would chase Katsuki, refusing to give up. While the new version of his friend wasn’t tasteful, Izuku still knew how amazing Katsuki was deep down.

As Izuku grew up so did his list of losses. Quirkless people that he would meet on social media died. Once he got into U.A. he gained a lot of friends and strong adult figures, but just like in the past, people still left. His teachers died, many heroes died, villains died, and innocent civilians died. Midoriya at one point ran away, having to lose everyone he cared about to keep them safe. He watched the world crumble around him. Some of the people he held closest almost became memories.

Through all of it, Izuku persevered. He dealt with grief in many different ways. His method always changed and alternated depending on what and how.

Izuku was now in the middle of his third year at U.A. and couldn’t have been happier. His friends were alive, his teachers were alive, and villains were at an all-time low since the rise of quirks decades ago. Heroes were still needed by all means, but the League of Villains no longer existed and no war was about to break out.

Izuku had time to visit Eri and Kota more often as his workload was not nearly as big as it was in his first year attending U.A. The kids grew so much within two years. One day Aizawa informed Izuku he would need a babysitter for Eri. Izuku dropped everything to do so. Izuku took her out to the school’s garden, finding it a beautiful day to go outside.

Katsuki and Shoto got asked by Hatsume to go get Izuku quickly. She needed his opinion on some gear she was making for a first-year. They wanted recommendations and Hatsume knew asking the quirk analyst would help shorten down her list of ideas. The duo tracked him down to the garden with Eri after asking around.

Eri was currently weaving some flowers together, mimicking Izuku’s instructions. Izuku had asked about Aizawa and how she enjoyed living with him. Eri was more than happy to talk about her father, but suddenly she went quiet.

“Eri-chan? Is something wrong?” asked Izuku, worried that the chattering girl suddenly went silent.

Eri seemed to be contemplating something before looking up at Izuku. “Mister Deku, I have a question.”

“Go ahead,” encouraged Izuku, knowing Eri would ask no matter what. She knew she could ask Izuku anything.

Eri sat down the half-weaved flowers on the ground and focused on Izuku. “What is your Dad like? I can’t remember you ever telling me about him.”

“Oh, that’s because I never met him Eri. He went away for work before I got a chance to remember him,” revealed Midoriya, speaking to her in a soft tone.

“Why was he away for work for so long?” questioned Eri, not understanding why Izuku’s dad just wouldn’t be around.

Izuku shrugged, weaving Eri’s flowers for her. “I don’t know. His work was too important I suppose.”

Eri frowned, sad Izuku’s dad wasn’t around. “What about others?”

“Others?” repeated Izuku back to Eri, confused about what she meant.

“Yeah. The grandpas and grandmas and stuff. All of those people!” revealed Eri, a chipper grin on her face.

“Well, when I was young… they seemed to leave,” chuckled Izuku, unable to bring himself to tell her why.

Eri’s eyes widened, shocked Izuku was a lot like her. “Why did they all leave?”

Katsuki and Shoto arrived at the garden, spotting the two. They approached and saw the two talking. The expressions on Eri and Izuku’s faces signaled they were having a serious conversation. Katsuki walked right over, shamelessly snooping. Shoto went right alongside Katsuki. He wanted to know what Izuku was talking about.

Izuku was quick to come up with something, anything to keep Eri from getting too upset. He raised his head to see the sky peek through the leaves of the tree they were under.

“Sometimes special people come into our lives, stay for a bit, and then they have to go.”

Eri frowned, scooting closer to Izuku. “But that’s sad.”

“It is,” agreed Izuku solemnly. Izuku returned his gaze to Eri, resting his hands on the cloth of his slacks, smoothing out the wrinkles. He remembers how it felt to lose Toshinori. The news that Toshinori wouldn’t be around for much longer struck him in the gut so hard he couldn’t move. He couldn’t lie and say that it wasn’t hard. He smiled softly at her, tilting his head to the side. “But the bit where they were here was happy wasn’t it? Like Lemillion. When he was around, those were happy times.”

Eri’s eyes lit up, seeing the point Izuku was making. She giggled, a bright smile appearing as she nodded. “Yes! I brought his quirk back!”

Izuku hummed, nodding his head in acknowledgment. He recalled how monumental of a moment that was for everyone. Still, the thought reminded him of the war where no one walked away a winner. He pushed those feelings down, finding unconditional love for the girl he saw as his little sister.

“Maybe that makes it all worth it,” chuckled Midoriya, looking down at the flowers before putting one in her hair.

Eri smiled, touching the flower happily. She could understand what Izuku was saying. She missed Mirio always being around, but the time when he was around was a happy time. It made the time he was away bearable.

Shoto stood there, gripping the fabric of his shirt. He could feel his heart pound beneath his knuckles. The expression on Izuku’s face gnawed at him. The way Izuku said everything so mindlessly made Shoto realize Izuku thought of loss, a lot. Shoto lost a lot in his life, yet he couldn’t begin to deal with the grief in healthy ways. It took outside help to get to the point he was currently at. Even with the help he got, he couldn’t say there was anything that made it worth it. Not losing Toya, Rei, and the list of others he lost.

Katsuki watched with a blank expression. No matter what Izuku did, he couldn’t hide anything from Katsuki. Katsuki could see the strain in that smile. He could see the exhaustion replace the hope that was once in Izuku’s eyes. It made his palms sweaty. The way he felt was similar to the way a person would get when they had an itch they couldn’t scratch.

Katsuki loved Izuku. Izuku was like a porcelain sculpture, handcrafted by the heavens. Izuku's heart was made out of gold and he had the strength that could rival Gods and Goddesses. Katsuki looked at Izuku and drowned in hills of green. Izuku was the human embodiment of green: symbolic of life. His eyes, his hair, his everything.

Katsuki fell hard and Izuku had no clue. He watched Izuku tend to Eri with the maternal instincts he knew mimicked Inko. He knew deep down what Izuku was thinking the whole time. He knew what Izuku went through and how he dealt with losing people. Katsuki knew he had scared Izuku on numerous occasions when it came to “going away”.

Katsuki was about to step up and ruin the special moment, but Eri stopped him in his tracks. “Mister Deku… I don’t want you to go. You’re special.”

Izuku looked at Eri and his eyes widened. “Eri, I’m not going anywhere.”

“But you’re going to be a hero next year.”

“I am, but that doesn’t mean I’m leaving you,” reassured Izuku, giving her an earnest smile.

“You’re not?” sniffled Eri.

Izuku scooped her into a gentle embrace. “Nope. Never ever.”

Eri cried into Izuku’s shoulder, hugging him tightly. Izuku rubbed circles on her back as tears made their way down his cheeks. His smile cracked as he listened to the relieved cries of Eri. Izuku pulled back and tucked her fly-away hair behind her ear before wiping away her tears. “You won’t be going anywhere either. You’re just as special.”

Eri smiled, patting Izuku’s tears as well. “Never! I’d never leave!”

Izuku laughed, rising to his feet and extending a hand out to her. “Good, because who else would I have tea parties with?”

“Yeah, and you can’t leave because no one else can make me candy apples,” threatened Eri adorably, taking Izuku’s hand and jumping up.

Izuku patted her head, smiling fondly. “Speaking of food, it’s about time we get you some lunch. What are you hungry for today?”

Katsuki revealed himself to Izuku and Eri. Todoroki magically appeared beside Katsuki and waved at the two. “Hi.”

Izuku’s face lit up. “Kacchan! Shoto!”

Katsuki crossed his arms. “Hatsume needs your help when you get the chance. Also, I’m making us lunch today. You’ll burn down the kitchen.”

“I’m completely capable of cooking Kacchan,” sassed Izuku, raising a brow. Izuku had cooked before Katsuki on numerous occasions.

Shoto lowered his head in shame. “I can’t cook.”

Eri smiled up at Shoto. “Me neither! We are the same!”

Shoto perked up, nodding at the small child. “We are.”

Izuku was distracted by the two’s little scene and smirked. “Well, neither of you has to worry about that. It seems that Kacchan has you covered since he won’t let me cook.”

“Ha! Don’t try and do that guilt-tripping bullshit Izuku,” roared Katsuki, all bark no bite.

Izuku smiled, shrugging his shoulders. “Just saying the truth Kacchan. Let’s go then, me and Eri are hungry.”

As the four made their way into the main building, Katsuki wrapped an arm around Izuku’s shoulder and bit his chubby cheek. Izuku, used to the violent forms loving Katsuki showed, lightly bonked his head against Katsuki’s.

“Nothing makes it worth it if I can’t have you by my side,” murmured Katsuki into Izuku’s ear.

Izuku’s heart melted at Katsuki’s voice and his words of affirmation. Izuku leaned his head on Katsuki’s shoulder, using his free hand to wrap around his bicep. “You know I can’t live without you either,” whispered Izuku.

Izuku may be used to grief… but he will never be prepared when the time comes he loses the ones he holds the closest for good. But for now, Izuku has everything he could ever want. Eri, Shoto, and Katsuki had everything they could ever want. As cheesy as it sounded, it was because they had each other. They had love to keep the grief at bay or they made themselves believe so.

The End!

(also ignore the fact I referenced a scene from the kid's show Bluey in the episode “Camping” 😭 and ignore the fact that I thought about making a fan fiction because of it 💔 it was emotional okay?)