Chapter Text
“Hey.” Izuku smiled softly as he shut the door behind him gently, not wanting to startle the blond who was looking at him with sharp red eyes, no less eager than his own.
The ash blond looked at him oddly as he shuffled around on his bed, straightening his back and trying his best to sit up. “Don’t push yourself,” Izuku continued, now standing by Katsuki’s side and propping up some pillows behind his back, “everything’s okay.” He smiled at Katsuki again, something warmer than what he was used to, something which felt so familiar and yet he couldn’t quite pin what it was.
“Hi,” he croaked roughly, grabbing hold of his scratchy neck after the sensation of speaking after so long hit him again. It wasn’t what he would call pain, it felt more like something bugging him, chewing at the back of his throat. Izuku chuckled lightly as he sat on the side of the bed beside the pale boy and Katsuki couldn’t help it when he found himself smiling back. Something about this boy just drew him in.
“I heard that you don’t remember much,” the green haired boy spoke, dull eyes quickly lighting up as he continued, “but that’s fine!” he paused and grinned at Katsuki, “We can just start over!” he held out his hand in an attempt of a handshake, “Nice to meet you, I’m Izuku.”
Katsuki looked at him oddly, not really understanding what was going on, “Deku?” he asked, despite taking Izuku’s hand into his own, surprised at the softness of his skin.
He looked at the boy who sat next to him, who’s hand he held so tightly, light freckles littering his skin and bright green eyes teary, “I’ll get you back to how you were, Kacchan.” he pulled up the edges of his sleeves and quickly wiped the tears from his eyes, “I promise.”
Katsuki hummed lightly, “Isn’t Kacchan a stupid name?” Izuku chuckled in return, previous anguish seemingly wiped away as he let go of Katsuki’s hand and pulled him into an embrace. “Um, what the fu-“
“I’ll bring you back, I swear.” Katsuki could feel the wet patches on his shoulders and the feel of a warm cheek touching his skin, but he chose not to move. He didn’t know who this was, the one who was hugging his so tightly, so warmly, like he was something so precious, but he knew that something about him was just right. It was hard to tell from what Katsuki knew about him, only really knowing the green haired boy as 'Deku' in his mind, but something drew him in and he didn’t want to let go.
They were quiet like this for a few seconds, revelling in each other’s warmth, before Katsuki asked quietly, “What happened?” Izuku hummed quietly, prompting Katsuki to expand, “To me?” The green haired boy leaned back, green pupils, sad. He opened his mouth slowly, quickly shutting it as he tried to find the words.
He looked at the deep scar blanching Katsuki’s wrist, and shook his head, “You,” he paused, inhaling deeply, not wanting to cry and ruin anything for Katsuki like he was so good at doing, “you gave-“ He was interrupted by the door smashing open and a red haired boy sprinting through and wrapping his arms around Katsuki’s neck, much less softly than Izuku had moments prior, but the sentiments all the same.
“We missed you so much, man,” Kirishima sobbed into his shoulder, “So, so much.” Katsuki looked over the red spikes, confused look on his face.
“This is Kirishima, your best friend.” Izuku smiled softly, as Kirishima slowly sat up.
He cast his gaze downwards towards the dark marble floor, “So it’s true, he doesn’t remember?” Kirishima looked up at Katsuki again, his dark eyes burning into Katsuki’s red orbs, “You do remember Izuku, right?” He waited for a response, and when Bakugou shook his head, brows furrowed, Izuku felt his heart break all over again. “You don’t even remem- but he was-“
“Just a friend.” Izuku interrupted, trying his hardest to keep the deep, painful smile plastered on his face before he snapped. “Could I just have a minute outside, alone.” Izuku walking towards the door, “I’ll be back in moment, Kacchan.” The moment he shut the door behind him, he broke out into rough sobs, his heart hurting more than ever before, “Why me?” he cried as he slid to the floor, pulling his knees up and cradling his head, “What did we do to deserve this?” It hurt so much, to say nothing, to just lie to his face like there was nothing wrong with the world and he knew he was doing it for his sake, yet it burned him inside and he felt nothing, knowing he could have stopped this all from happening if he was just there for Katsuki. He heard footsteps fast approaching him and then a pair of arms around him.
“It’s okay.” He could hear Kaminari beside him, but nothing mattered, only Katsuki, Katsuki, Katsuki, swam around his head and he hugged his knees, shaking violently at the thought of the years he spent with him all having no meaning, all just existing as a painful memory at the back of his mind, that now only he knew of.
He knew that there was no way to make Bakugou fall in love with him again, he was lucky enough the first time, but the second? It was just unrealistic, and quite frankly, never going to happen.
“Izuku?” Kaminari asked slowly, rubbing soft circles on the other’s back, “Izuku, do you want to go back in there?”
Izuku wiped his tears with the end of his sweater, not wanting to go back in, because every time he saw that perfect face so goddamn pale, it just proved as a reminder that this was his fault, that he caused this, he didn’t stop this.
And yet, he couldn’t stop himself from walking in to see him again.