Chapter Text
Three days into the week-long blackout, and Izuku’s already had four panic attacks. Thankfully, she hasn’t gone so far as to do anything endangering, yet she has gotten a little too close for comfort. Even Katsuki routinely asks if she’s okay, standing in the corner and keeping an eye on the greenette. Never has Izuku been so grateful yet annoyed at the blond. Now, everyone knows her secret, and she might as well just come out and preach her innermost thoughts.
“We’re just worried, Izuku.” Ejirou sighs, pulling Izuku into a tighter hug after the fifth panic attack of the week. “You’ve always been panicky, but it’s getting kind of dangerous.”
Izuku lays there, limp, not daring to utter a word. She instead silently screams at Katsuki for ruining her perfectly good life with a perfectly normal secret. Because he just had to tell the entire class why Izuku’s terrified of fireworks, and why she shouldn’t be left alone for at least the next month.
“‘Zuku, look,” Ejirou loosens his grip on the greenette, and Izuku attempts to squirm away. “It’s not Katsuki’s fault, alright man? If it hadn’t been for him, you might not even be here right now, would you?”
Izuku pauses, frowning. That’s true, but when said out loud, she feels more insulted than comforted.
“Are you saying I don’t have the willpower to think it through?” She questions, escaping her boyfriend’s grasp and crossing his arms.
“No, man!” Ejirou protests, holding his hands in the air beside his head as if Izuku is some kind of officer. “I’m just saying that we’re trying our best to help you out!”
“Trying your best?” Izuku replies, anger flooding through her. “What do you mean trying your best? Iida refuses to call me by my chosen pronouns, Ochako tells me I’m wasting my money, Katsuki glares at me all the time, and you tell me you’re TRYING YOUR BEST?”
“I-I” Ejirou stutters over his words, eyes flickering with fear. “You think I don’t feel the same way?”
“What?” Izuku is caught by surprise, anger disappearing in half an instant. “What do you mean?”
“Iida still calls me a girl sometimes.” Ejirou responds, hands fidgeting nervously. “I’m not good friends with Ochako, but I do know someone who thinks poorly of me because of my gender. He hates me for it, and even went so far as trying to kill me once.”
Izuku balls her hands in fists, spitting a curse at the thought of someone hurting her precious boyfriend.
“But what I’m trying to say, ‘Zuku, is that you’re never alone.” He sits on Izuku’s bed, pulling her into a tight hug. “Denki and Hitoshi and Momo and Mina and Kyoka and Katsuki and all of class 1-A are here for you. Even Mirio and Amajiki and Nejire are here, waiting for you to reach out for help. We want to make you happy, ‘Zuku. You saved our lives.”
Izuku lets her boyfriend grab her in his stiff arms as he whispers into her ear. Her eyes sting with tears as she struggles to breathe. She knows he’s right, but she doesn’t want him to be. She wants to be alone.
“Hey, Kiri?” She speaks, voice soft. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Of course,” Ejirou scoops her up and sets her on his lap. “What’s on your mind?”
“Do you….” She pauses, pulling a silver necklace chain from her pocket. “Do you have any safety pins?”
Five days later, Izuku sits on the couch, watching as Eri and the others file in. The power’s supposed to come back today, and the Big Three suggested they all watch a movie together. As everyone takes their seats, Eri runs straight over to Izuku and sits on his lap.
“Mr. Deku?” Eri asks, looking up at him with her large pink eyes. “What’s your necklace mean?”
“Oh, this?” Izuku tugs at his chain, and the safety pin shakes. Eri replies with a nod. “It’s kind of like a promise. If I wear this necklace, it means that I’m planning to keep that promise.”
“So if I make a promise, I get to wear one of those necklaces?” Eri asks, causing Izuku to laugh a little.
“You may want to ask Miss Ragdoll about that one.” He smiles as she settles into his chest, letting out a yawn.
“M’kay.” Her reply is hardly above a whisper as she watches the screen, scenes flashing before her eyes.
And for the first time in a while, Izuku watches the fireworks scene with ease.