281Adjusting the focus
Disclaimer: I do not own My Hero Academia.
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Chapter 13
Shouto is laying on his bed, staring at the ceiling with tired eyes.
He listens to the creaks of his house. His father had gone to his room maybe half an hour back, meaning he would probably be asleep by now.
Heroes have to spend their free time as efficiently as possible, and his father wouldn't be caught dead staring at his ceiling in his bed if he could sleep like Shouto was doing now.
He wasn't sure what possessed him to do this, to just lay here for hours awake, meaning he would be exhausted tomorrow, meaning he would get an even bigger beating then normal with his 'training'.
He should go to sleep. He should.
But Shouto eyes stay open. He keep listening the house groaning while he isn't hearing it at all. Midoriya's words the only thing that keeps echoing in his head.
Almost an hour he lays there. Not moving around. Not sad, not angry, not happy, not anything. Just blank.
Then he has enough.
He gets out of bed, softly, making sure the floorboards don't creak.
Then he sits down on the floor staring at his hands.
This is stupid he thinks.
Another quarter of an hour passes.
He looks around, listens carefully. Like he isn't already sure he's completely alone in his room and everyone in the house hasn't already long gone to sleep. Then he looks back at is hands again.
Slowly a small light begins to flicker. Lightning up the room and casting dark shadows. A flame starting on one of his finger, spreading to the rest of his hand, like a candleflame catching on a curtain but smaller, subtler, duller.
Slowly his sight becomes hazy, something wet pouring over his cheeks, his breath shaky and his body shuddering every breath a bit worse, a bit heavier. His hand moves up to his mouth, trying to smutter down the sounds.
And there in the dark Shouto sobs as his fire quirk is released for the first time in years.
Izuku takes a deep breath. The quirk had been calm for the last months. He had been able to control it relatively well. It won't crash, he tells himself. It won't get out of control.
It's in the middle of the night and he's sitting in sand on the beach. The waves are lapping with a continually and calming sound. Further away Izuku is able to see the echo of some streetlights, but most of the light comes from the stars and the moonlight reflecting on the sea.
He had gone here several times already. Sometimes to work out, sometimes cleaning up trash and sometimes leaving it alone; just swimming in the sea, or running along the shore. Other times he would just sit down and stare in the distance. It was a nice place. No people crowding, and the trash gave him a feeling of a shield hiding from others. His own little secret haven.
Of course, he couldn't keep it that way. He couldn't in good conscience keep the beach for his own. He would have to clean it.
Now though he was doing something he also used this beach for that was never visited.
Training his quirk here on an abandoned beach was not dangerous like it was on other locations. Thus, he was sitting here, imagining taiyaki. With his experiences, it was easier. He knew what he wanted and how it was supposed to feel. Last week, he had been practising 5%, which had surprisingly been relatively easy to achieve. This week he decided to switch over to 10% again. Which was… harder.
He had cleaned a part of the beach earlier in the night without his quirk. The strain on his muscles was relieving and it helped Izuku focus and clear his mind. Which was nice, as he really needed a clear mind when practising the use of his quirk. Because even if his quirk hadn't misbehaved in months, the fear it would was still very present.
He needed to do this though. If he was going to Yuuei again, he was going to have to use his quirk he knew. And even if he would avoid having to do it for
Besides, Izuku couldn't live in this illusion of not fighting anymore. Of being no part of the future he had chosen for himself in his previous life and he would be forced to be a part of in this life. He wasn't stupid. He knew he wouldn't be able to sit and do nothing while others were hurting, much less when his friends were the ones that were hurting. So, if he was going to be part he was going to be the best he could be.
And if that meant losing a few nights…
Well, it wasn't really losing them if he wouldn't have been able to sleep anyway.
Izuku had been writing details and the story of his previous life down for ages.
He had always liked making list, analyzing thing. Even before. He would do it to clear his mind, to make the words turning and floating clear and understandable sentences, and to match the pictures of people and places with them, like a childish game.
Later his therapist suggested for him to write his dreams – nightmares- down, to draw the imagines which would not leave him alone, to make lists of things, to sort them into boxes that didn't exist when everything became too much and all Izuku wanted was some clarity. Some logic in this whole new, but old world he lived in now.
Thus there were different categories. His life now. His previous life. Nightmares.
Those books had their special place in his heart. Just like his hero analyzing books.
He didn't allow anyone to read them, of course. Izuku knew of the dangers of keeping something like that just laying lose around in his room. But on the other hand nobody ever came into his room but his mom, Yagi-san and Kacchan.
His mom didn't touch them ever since he had been a small child and he had thrown a tantrum, telling his mom that they were like his journal.
(He has a dairy now, his mom had told Mitsuki-san later. His mom had always know how to leave certain things alone. Izuku was glad she had realized this was one of them.)
Yagi-san had thrown some curious looks at the bookcase where they had been stored in his room, but he never had the opportunity to even give in to his curiosity as Izuku never left him alone long enough in his room.
When Izuku told Kacchan, he had simply nodded and accepted. Never to be brought up in the conversation again.
They were useful for this. For mapping out the past – future -.
Izuku had been trying to complete the package for some time now.
It included a time line, a list of the main dangers, and the secondary dangers. Villains were listed also, with as much details as he could fit in there, quirks, crimes, identities, hiding places.
He only had to type it over. To make sure to leave no leads. To censor his language and knowledge just a bit. He just hoped it was enough.
.
Yagi receives the letter in same way he had gotten the letter warning him for All for One all those years ago. Typed, same introduction and same goodbye, and with nothing which could be considered personal information attached. No sending address, no returning address. No leads. This time it's actually more of a small package, though. Unlike last time a lot of pages, probably all once in possession of possibly important information.
Yagi rushes to the police office with it, not even having to read it to know it's important . He's already called Naomasa and they're both tense. But Yagi is too hasty, and in the police station while he turns a corner another person bumps into him. Coffee sloshes over the cups that the other is holding, sloshes all over the papers that Yagi is holding. Curses fly trough his mind, but it's already too late. In seconds the folder is completely soaked, coffee stains drenching the paper in such a way that's it mostly impossible for him to make out what must have once stood there in harsh contrast.
He rushes past the man frantically apologizing for stumbling into him, giving him a hasty, panicked nod. A minute later finds him and Naomasa in his office trying to save the soaked papers sticking to each other.
There are only a few words and sentences Yagi manages figure out. On the first page a few they find are ''New'', ''League of Villains'', ''All for one'', ''target'', ''will be the first Wednesday of the schoolyear. The second will be exactly one week later.''.
On another page there's a hazy drawing of some sorts, it's not really recognizable what should have been pictured, it looks like some dark blob honestly, maybe a smoky cloud, or…Well, Yagi had no idea. Next to the drawing was written: ''Kurogiri, Warping quirk: The user produces a mass of dark fog which transport anything it comes in contact with to another location. As such he is able to create multiple exit point where the things that touch his fog will emerge. Weakness: He has got three metal plates located around his neck whi- ''
And from there it blurs out again.
And so there were a few other pages. Some had a more recognizable drawing or writings, which had been less ruined by the coffee. Yagi could have sworn one pictured Stain, an upcoming vigilante.
Halfway they both give up on saving the papers. Naomasa calls in a squad to research the papers and document all the information they can get from it but they don't have much hope.
Yagi just hopes against all hope the information they aren't able to discern anymore wasn't important.
The next visit to Hideki-san is different.
The moment Midoriya steps in Hideki-san snaps his head to him. He doesn't say anything so Izuku hesitantly asks him how he is.
''I'm okay.'' He murmurs as answer, not looking away and not elaborating.
''Is there something on my face?''
''No… There- '' Abruptly Hideki-san stands up and in a flash, he's standing right in front of Midoriya.
He flinches away, hand moving to the emergency button but Hideki-san doesn't seem to notice; he brings his face closer, so close that Midoriya is clearly able to see every small line of the endless silver storm that are his eyes, every small starting hair of his stubble and he can feel his breath washing over him. It smells minty, like toothpaste.
''It's gone. You removed it.''
''W-what?''
''The thing, on your quirk. The thing that was hindering it. You finally removed it. -''
Midoriya frowns, distantly hearing Hideki-san continue, trying to discern what he means.
''It's quite the feat. I failed at it myself. Well, to do it wholly at least. The remains lasted, clinging to you like your shadow. How did you do it?''
''I-I don't know what you mean?''
Intense eyes flash to his. Reading them like they were a picture book, not quite able to make out the actual words but understanding the image they sketched for him all the same.
''You didn't know.'' He stumbles away looking horrified.
Midoriya takes a deep breath, relieved.
''It's been destroying your quirk, and you didn't know.''
''Hideki, what are you talking about?'' He asks but Hideki-san is muttering, shaking his head, completely ignoring his words.
''It's going to take you down, Izu-chan. If it comes back. If you let it happen again and again. It's going to destroy first your body and then your mind.''
Izuku is so confused but Hideki's voice is urgent and panicked and his words oh so ominious. Izuku has always had more empathy than he needed. He feels himself grow nervous.
''What?! What's happening? What's doing it?'' Hideki stares at him, flailing his arms awkwardly in some sort of shrug. He doesn't know.
Then he suddenly stops al his movements, his shoulders relaxing and his arms falling loosely at his sides. His big, venomous, eyes glow blue as he stares at him from several feet away.
''It's not a what… It's a who.''
The door behind Izuku breaks open. Two guards and one nurse. ''Get out. Heartrate is increasing. Safety measures need to be taken.'' The guard commands.
The nurse gives him a sweet, apologetic smile and then he's standing outside staring at a closed heavily armored door.
He doesn't think he's ever heard something as terrifying as the heavy crunch the door gives when it suddenly dents as the screaming starts once again behind it.
.
The next time Izuku visits, Hideki-san is drugged out of his mind.
He's giggling and staring at nothing.
He looks pleadingly at the nurses but all they do is give him apologetic smile, beautifully crafted and every part of the doll mask they all put on here.
The guards stand at the doors, their arms crossed, muscles bulging. Frowning and angry, never merciful. Intimating. Izuku doesn't look at them at all.
As he stares at Hideki-san, Izuku realizes this could be his life if he had told others about his previous life.
He tries to convince himself that his family would never leave him alone here.
Yagi stand in front of the house. It's old and derelict, with broken windows and weathered paint
He really doesn't want to be here.
The hero knocks on the door carefully. Maybe he wouldn't be at home, Yagi had come here in an impulse after all.
The house creaks and Yagi closes his eyes. The door opens slowly and it's all that Yagi can do is to not run away.
But luck is not on his side and the familiar voice calls out. ''It's open, come in.''
Yagi shudders but he steels himself. He steps inside.
.
Gran Torino has not changed much in the time Yagi hasn't seen him. He's still as intimidating as ever.
He raises his eyebrow at Yagi.
''I'm going to teach at Yuuei for now?''
''Yuuei? You, a teacher? You're joking, aren't you?''
Yagi frowns. ''You don't thinks I can do it? Izuku-kun tried to give me tips too. Apparently Izuku already has some experience, because he's assistant teacher at a dojo, but that aside, it can't be too hard, right?''
The other hums at him, his eyes twinkling like he knows something Yagi doesn't. ''Inko-san and Izuku-kun?''
Yagi straightens a bit. ''They're- I-I want you to meet some people. They have been very close friends for a while now a-and they need someone to look out for them, if… something happens.''
Gran Torino looks at him with heavy eyes. Piercing and tired.
''There's a reason you're concerned about this now?'' He asks, but it's more a statement than anything.
Yagi takes a deep breath. ''Eh, yes. You may remember- the letter I got before I went off to hunt All for One?''
The other closes his eyes. ''Yes, I remember. It gave us a lot of headaches.''
''I got another one.'' He waits a second so the other has an option to take it all in, even though he knows the old man doesn't really need it.
''It's- the most of the message has been lost by an… incident, but All for One is mentioned. And something called the League of Villains. It's probably no good.''
It takes a second, but Yagi hears the air sucked in through the teeth.
''All for One is death. You killed him.''
The blond sighs, deep and tired. ''That's what we assumed. I-I know we shouldn't blindly trust these letters, but the previous one was accurate to the dot. I'm 95% sure this one is of the same person, and we… we never did find a body. Maybe-
''I just think, to be cautious is wise.''
Gran Torino nods.
The nerd was sitting hunched over, his head in his arms, a steady amount of muttering coming from him.
''I can't do this. Oh god, can't do this. I can't, nope, nope, nope.''
Figures the nerd would try to back out the minute before.
Inko-obaasan looks at him like he's heaven send when she sees him.
''Oh, thank god Katsuki-chan. I've been trying to snap him out of his funk but I can't seem to get through him. On his first day of high school! Yuuei! Could you please?'' She gestures hopelessly to the depressed heap that is Deku.
''Sure.''
She smiles at him gratefully, moving to the kitchen. He makes sure she's out of the room before moving to the nerd and slapping him on the back of his head.
A loud whine comes from the heap. ''Kacchan, nooo.''
''Oi, Nerd! Get the fuck up!''
''Leave me alone.'' The other murmurs, more tensely than the blond had expected. Deku adjusts his head a bit, just enough that Katsuki is able to see half of his face.
''Get up, it's your fault we have to leave so early.'' And there it is. Horrible real fear which flickers behind the mask Izuku constructed for himself.
Deep fast breaths, tightening of his fists in the fabric, the tensing of his muscles and the tightening of his mouth. All subtle but no one can read Izuku better than Katsuki.
Izuku is on verge of a panic attack, if he hasn't had one already.
Anger courses through him, lightning his blood with crackling heat and sparks. Katsuki tells himself to focus on his breathing. Lashing out doesn't help. Deku would only hide more, would enwrap himself with lies and ugly bright fake smiles.
Katsuki did forget it sometimes.
Deku isn't the kind of person who you associated with it, nor the kind of person to enjoy doing it, but fact is that he is also a person who could do it, and do it properly. Almost scarily skilful at it too.
Keeping secrets. Lying to someone's face without hesitation was not a problem at all. Acting like nothing had happened or twisting a story just so. Midoriya, even with his stuttering, had always been good with words, lies or not, he could build stories with them and make you see the world through new eyes.
Katsuki had seen him do it often enough in front of his mom to avoid worrying her again. And Katsuki knew that if he hadn't been in on the fact it was a lie or simply a very silver lined truth, he wouldn't have noticed it was. It was frankly terrifying how Izuku was able to lay his own morals and hesitation away when he felt there was the need for it.
And this was one of those instances apparently where Deku had done so, and fooled them all again with no problems at all. He could act too well. But there was always a moment where someone's emotions became too much, and Deku seemed to have reached that point. And like always when he did, Katsuki had been the first to notice.
His eyes flickered to the kitchen, auntie was still busy. Good. She would probably make it worse even without meaning to.
He didn't reach out to Izuku; knew he would possibly react badly to it.
''Deep breaths. Come on, nerd, it's okay. Everyone is okay.'' His voice was low, grouchy. He isn't good at this kind of thing; this comforting shit. That was supposed to be Deku's niche.
Deku's eyes flicker to his in panic; he knows he's been found out, but Katsuki just stares back.
''Deep breaths. Take your time.''
''Katsuki-chan, is this package from you?'' Inko-obaasan calls out.
Deku's breaths speed just up just a bit.
''Wait a sec, I'll come to the kitchen. Let me take a look.'' He calls back, his eyes not leaving the ones from Deku.
Katsuki leaves him sitting at the table. He ignores the relieved sigh he can hear from behind him.
.
Deku comes to the kitchen five minutes later. His eyes have a disgusting thankful shine to them and his shoulders have relaxed a bit.
They leave without any words said, but Katsuki allows him the small grace of grabbing a worn out beanie, and forcing it on Midoriya's head.
From experience he knows it will help the nerd focus, apparently because it give him the ability to hide away easier behind his hair. He hates the thing. Running away is a coward's trick and Deku was supposed to be anything but a coward. But on some days – the bad days, only the bad days- he will make allowances.
Auntie thankfully doesn't comment and Deku just hunches a bit more.
And then as they're walking, he hesitates for a second but then gives a small shoulder bump. Deku's shoulders tense for only a second before relaxing even more.
It helps.
Shouta rubs his eyes tiredly.
The principal had contacted him only a few days back to tell about some new brat who already had kicked up a fuss, giving him annoyingly little information for the length of time the conversation took.
But this was his work, so this morning he had stood up even earlier than the normal godforsaken hour, and made his way to recovery girl's domain. At least she would probably lead most of the conversation.
There's a knock on the door.
Well, here it goes.
The boy who opens the door is hunched over. He's carrying two bags and wearing an old winter hat, his eyes hiding under hair which is pressed down by it, but Shouta is still able to see freckles sprinkled across his face.
''H-Hello, I'm Midoriya Izuku, I'm supposed to meet Youthful Heroine Recovery Girl and Aizawa Shouta here?''
Shouto lets Recovery girl take the lead. ''Yes, hello, I'm Youthful Heroine Recovery Girl, but you can call me Shuzenji-sensei, as we'll probably meeting more often this year. And this is Aizawa Shouta, he's to be your homeroom teacher this year.''
Midoriya Izuku lifts his head a bit, flickers his eyes over them both, never looking at them straight for too long, as if he was afraid he wouldn't be able to look away anymore. He has large bags beneath tired, tired eyes.
He does not remark, or even give a reaction to Shouta's rough appearance, only bowing forward.
''It's n-nice to meet you. Thank you very much for taking the effort to eh, meet me?''
Shouta nods stoically while Recovery girl assures him it isn't a problem. At least the boy was polite.
''To get straight to business, you've been accepted to class 1A, but Nedzu-kun explained to me you have some concerns?''
The boy cringes. ''Yes, I'm sorry for bothering you.''
There's a small silence as he moves his hands to one of his bags and digs in.
''Eh, I-I had a previous injury a few years ago, a-and it injured my lungs. It's mostly healed, but in stressful situations it sometimes makes a reintroduction.''
He gets out a small map, and Shouta is able to see the obviously offcial papers with a messy handwriting on top of it through the transparent cover.
''T-These are the papers from my doctor. A-and also the notes from my therapist.'' The boy hunches a little bit more. Snd Aizawa feels himself straigten a bit, though unnoticed by the other two.
Therapist. Which meant the boy had the need for a therapist. With his body language and interaction since he came in Shouta would guess at least anxiety. Possibly gotten because of the injury. Shouta really hoped there wasn't more behind it, otherwise this was going to be a long year.
Recovery girl accepts the papers, leaving through them and frowning.
''Those are some nasty chemicals.''
The boy fiddles. ''Yeah, yeah. They are.''
''Do you mind it if I let Aizawa-kun read these?'' The boy's eyes flicker to him again, his expression is nervous, like it had been for the entire time he had been there, but surprisingly enough Shouta isn't able to read any differences. There are no other emotions appearing on his face.
But even without those, Shouta has been a teacher long enough to know when someone is reluctant to give up information about himself. And Midoriya Izuku is a primary example of it.
Shouta thinks he may have to look into his home life.
''N-No, that's alright.''
'Recovery girl smiles brightly and Midoriya stutters. His eyes flickering to her for only second, a pained look in them.
It's silent for a few seconds before Shouta feels the need to prompt. ''Was there something else?''
''Eh, okay. Ehm.'' The boy stutters before squaring his shoulders and focusing his eyes on Shouta.
''I-I can't use my quirk.''
Shouta feels his eyebrow rise in surprise.
The boy looks at him with old, challenging eyes.
''You can't use your quirk?'' Shouta drawls ''That's not what I saw in the entrance exams.''
The boy wavered, only a second ''I-I can't control it.''
Shout pauses, his brows frowning. A boy who can't control his own quirk in Yuuei. What was he thinking?
''But you can call onto it, right?'' Shouta gives him an almost sneer.
''But I can't control it, sir, it's more danger than help.'' Well, at least the boy had some form of common sense.
''So, why did you sign up for this school then? You won't be any help if you can't control it.'' Shouta expected a determined refusal. Talking naively of becoming a hero, anyway. He wasn't expecting for the boy to basically deflate into himself.
'I know. I didn't want to sign up for the school. Don't get me wrong, I wanted to be a hero when I was small but then you know, the incident happened- ''
Aizawa felt himself frown. 'The incident'?, but the boy continuous to mumble, leaving no time for Shouta to ask.
''And I got a, uh, trauma, yeah, let's say that, and the quirk activating suddenly happened a whole lot, especially when I was upset. Which happened a lot more as also a consequence of the incident and the, uh trauma, I began to, uh, accidently destroy a lot of things, and I also got my lung injury , so I kind of gave up on it…
''But apparently my friends and family didn't give up on it, and somehow some people recommended me to the principal, and I wanted to refuse, but the principal kind of, uh… overwhelmed me, I guess. I only managed to make sure I had to participate in the exams instead of immediately getting in with my recommendations. And then I though maybe I will be able to get in general education, you know? But then I even messed that up.''
A cloud of doom began to form around the boy as he stared to the ground, done with his confusing ramble.
Shouta wanted to groan. Mentally groaning was just not enough right now.
Of course, the principal. Of course it was the principal who convinced him to actually participate. No one could win against the principal in a discussion. Which also probably meant he wouldn't allow Shouta to instantly expel Midoriya. And, boy, Midoriya seemed like a mess. Who was he kiddin? This was going to be a long year.
''The principal said the school would make sure to take extra precautions because of my concerns and problems. I even tried to convince him to move me to the general department, anyway, but it didn't work. I'm very sorry Aizawa-sensei.'' He bowed with the apology. He honestly looked crushed by his placing and making Shouta's life harder than it should be. Shouta felt a small bit of sympathy swell up for the boy. At least Shouta wasn't the only one suffering.
''What about a quirk-counsellor? Have you had one of those?''
Midroiya hesitates, his expression flickering dubiously. ''I guess? Sort of? No wait, yes. I have.''
Shouta really didn't want to know.
He held back a groan. ''Okay. That's- That's good. We will find a way to work around that then. I want a report from you about the uses of your quirk and the idfficulties and so on by tomorrow, so we can figure out a solution for your 'problem'. And make sure to get a statement or something of the sort from your counsellor as soon as possible . And no slacking, you're going to have get an extra class or something of sorts. You're in Yuuei now and I will expect an accept nothing but the best from you.''
He stares him down. The boy hunches a bit more, but he also holds Shouta's eyes for longer than he has since the he came through the door. ''Of course, sensei.''
''And Midoriya,'' The boy looks at the floor again. Shouta mentally gives a long, bothered sigh.
''You're not bothering us. It's our responsibility as a school to look out for its students the best we can.''
The boy gives a nod, a muttered 'thank you' and is out of the door before Shouta can say anything else.
Katsuki is annoyed.
He is annoyed because first he had to wake up at an ungodly hour just for the fucking nerd, then Deku had to go and almost have a panick attack and now the loser still hasn't returned from his stupid 'talk', and besides all that some stuck up extra had been harping him for a while now.
''Don't put your feet on the desk! Don't you think that's disrespectful to your classmates?!''
If the nerd had been there he would have stuttered and probably distracted the bastard and then when the bastard would inevitably fall for the act, he would realise in the end Katsuki hadn't changed his position at all. Katsuki would be able to smirk victoriously at the bastard while Deku's back was angled to him, and watch all his dreams slowly die, because Deku would stick to his side like he always did and Katsuki has still not met anyone who is able to stay angry at Deku for long.
Only the nerd had still not magically appeared. So, he would just go for his own rattle and hope the bastard would fucking leave him alone already, because otherwise Katsuki would have to make him.
'No, Kacchan. No. Don't hurt your classmates. Don't scream at your classmates. They're your allies.' A voice in his head says, a weird mix between pleadingly and stern, also suspiciously sounding like the nerd.
Well, too late. Ha. Suck on that, Deku.
''No, as a matter fact, I don't. What middle school you from anyway, you two-bit-extra?''
The other stutters, his hands weirdly (irritatingly) right-anlged and his hand motions extravagant.
''A private scho-'' He clears his throat. ''I'm from Soumei junior highschool. The name is Iida Tenya.''
''Soumei?! Well, aren't you an elite? Seems like I've got a reason to end you after all!''
The other gasps dramtically. ''What nerve! You, want to become a hero?!''
Katsuki could just tell this was one was going to annoy him. Sheltered, bossy, stuck up. An elite, certainly. Seeing the real world was going to fuck him up and over. That's for sure.
He opens his mouth to tell him to fuck off, because, really, Katsuki just wants to be left alone right now, but the door opens, and Katsuki's eyes flicker, and there's Deku still with his lame, ugly-ass beanie on, finally.
Deku only takes one step inside the classroom. First his eyes flicker to Katskui, a relieved glint in his eyes, and a small tug on the left corner of his lips.
Then his eyes flicker futher, no doubt already analyzing his new classroom and classmates.
0eku's eyes freeze on only one other person, growing impossibly large as they stare at a boy with half white, half red hair, a burning scar covering almost half of his face, making Katsuki think of candy canes or blood splatters on a white wall. And- yeah, the boy is staring back at Deku, his face completely blank.
Great.
Katsuki really doesn't know how the nerd seems to be involved in so much drama with so much different people even though he tries to avoid people as much as he can.
He opens his mouth to call Deku out but gets interrupted by the same stuck up bastard who attempted to scold him earlier. The shit-eating fucktrumpet - who's really getting on Katski's nerves by now- had turned around and stalked to Deku, crowding him. He's introducing himself again, but Katsuki mostly focuses on Deku stepping back, his shoulder hunching high, and higher and his eyes never focusing on one place.
''Hello! I'm Iida Tenya, from Soumei junior highschool. I must ask, you figured out the actual nature of the exams, didn't you?''
Ah, so that's why the bastard went and introduced himself. Then the words come thtrough. He figured out the actual nature of the exams? Probably the whole rescue points thing. Well figures Midoriya would find that out.
Deku opens his mouth to say something, not so subtly trying to inch around him and towards Katsuki's direction but he too gets interrupted by someone else. This time a girl who appears behind him, making him flinch.
''Ah! Curly-haired-kid! It's you!''
Katsuki rolls his eyes. The practical exam had been, what? Ten minutes, at highest fifteen. Who were all these people?
''I'm so glad I found you.'' And this girl was disgusting. All bright and happy.
''You made it! Just like Present Mic said! Yay! Go you! By the way, that punch was out of this world!''
But Deku's shoulder never relax, only becoming tenser and tenser, and his eyes only flicker more, looking round the class but never finding rest at the things they find. He nods and he stutters but he's so uncomfortable that he looks like he's about to break.
A surge of protectiveness borrels up in Katsuki's chest, but Deku has always been able to take care of himself. He would probably just try to scold Katsuki for being 'rude' or something of the sort.
But still….
Katsuki growls, making several of the extras, who were actually sitting in their seats like they're supposed to, look at him.
The girl is stil blabbing but Katsuki doesn't really care. ''Oi! Deku!'' He calls.
The others fall silent, looking at him cautiously. Only Deku seems actually happy he had opened his mouth. Fuck him.
''Ah, excuse me, I just-'' He mumbles, scooting past the two. The girl frowns at his back and Katsuki feels himself grin viciously. The girl's frown turns to him next.
Deku silently sits down in his seat, turning around a bit so that Katsuki stays in his field of sight. He gives a quick nod and together they wait for their classmates to start talking again.
.
''Oi, nerd. Who's that?'' He asks a few minutes later after everyone has stopped looking to them from over their shoulder or in the corner of their eyes and and a familiar mumble has taken over the room again.
Deku, obviously having been lost in thought, jumps and trips, almost bumping over their two tables and his chair. He rolls his eyes.
''Hu?! Oh, eh, hi Kacchan.'' Katsuki raises his eyebrow unimpressed.
''Hi nerd.'' He says as condescendingly as he can, which is very condescending. Katsuki is actually rather proud. ''You gonna answer my question?''
The nerd stares at him. Katsuki sighs and gestures loosely to the direction of the half 'n half boy.
''Oh, who that is?'' Deku laughs uncomfortably, his hand raising to the back of his head. ''No one really. Just someone I know. Eh, but he, uh… We haven't talked for a while.'' He flashes his annoyingly bright smile.
He crinkles his nose. ''Whatever nerd, as long as you know when to call.''
The bright smile becomes genuine. ''Yes, of course, Kacchan.''
.
The boy turns out to be 'Todoroki-san'.
Katsuki is taking back his words.
Their teacher arrives to a class which is filled with talking, but at least everyone is sitting in their seats.
Katsuki turns around to Deku.
"So, whose the teacher?" He looked expectantly at the nerd, ignoring some of their new classmates turning around to look at them. Deku had always been an expert in well, any and every hero or anything related to them.. An annoying fucking fanboy really. But in this kind of situations it was actually useful as katsuki didn't have a clue about this guy's identity and what to expect from him.
Deku turned to him, faint admiration in his eyes.
''That's Eraserhead. An underground hero. Really cool guy, super strong, but he's also wary of the press and kinda stern, from what I know. Also, nice deep, deep down.'' He says excitedly.
Katsuki raises his eyebrow, his eyes flickering to the scruffy figure climbing sluggishly out of an obnoxious yellow sleeping bag.
"...Are you sure?"
Deku blinked at him, his eyes following his.
"Oh... That... Well, it's only natural. He probably works long nights."
Hey…
So, I've kinda let you all hanging these last two months...
And now the chapter I've written isn't even that long, and kind off... bad?
It's been vacation but honestly I've been stressed a lot, and like kind off down. To make a long story short my grandma passed away, I don't really want to go in detail but she was an awesome person and also the last grandparent I had. My mother and aunt have been taking in hard, well the whole family really, but they in particular. So, we've been trying to make it easier for them by taking over some work. We were also originally planning on going away for a while, but a part of that vacation was canceled and the other part was rescheduled, resulting in alot of stress.
Nonetheless, I've been away for one week, to Italy actually, which was really nice and I am really lucky to have been able to do that, even with the rest of my vacation being such a shitstorm.
In additionto this all, my laptop with my writing goods was damaged and I had to send it back to the company to repair it (which was really expensive.) Luckily most of what I've written was still saved but well, with all this happening I wasn't really able nor in the mood for writing.
Adressing the comments:
- It's really flattering for people to thinks so, but no, I haven't actually planned out the whole story yet nor already written it all out yet (I wish). It's because of that that the story is kind off messy, with too many keypoints which could have been left out (Sorry for that). I do have some major plotpoints already planned though, and I'm planning to build the story around those. So that's what's happening.
Like always, thanks guys for the support. It really helps to keep on writing. Kept me going this chapter. I wish you all a nice summer!
Kisses and please review!