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“Can I have another, please?”
The bartender gave Izuku a once-over, humming to himself before he filled a tumbler with amber colored bourbon. “If you puke, I’m throwing you out.”
“I know, I know. I remember what happened last time.” Izuku pulled two crisp bills from his wallet and placed them on the bar, his crooked fingers curling gently around the cool glass of liquor. “I’ll be out of your hair before you know it, Shouta.”
Soft rock played quietly from the bar’s jukebox, a smile spreading over Izuku’s face as he stumbled towards it. He swiped his thumb across dusty glass to read the titles and laughed softly to himself as he dropped two quarters into the relic. “B2.”
He swayed gently to the music, his cold tumbler pressed against his pulse point. The bar was warm, it’s air musky. It reminded him of the city and made his heartache. The crack of pool balls breaking snapped him from his trance.
A blonde man stood next to the table, a triumphant smile taking over his features. His back turned to Izuku as he lined up his next shot, and without missing a beat the blonde declared solids as the five-ball found it’s pocket. Izuku knocked back his bourbon and moved closer to the game, perching himself on a bar stool facing the two men.
The blonde was crude, loud, and vicious. Izuku couldn’t look away, his fourth drink buzzing in his hands as he took a tentative sip. The man’s raw energy crawled its way under Izuku’s skin. He watched intently, chuckling to himself when the man taunted his adversary. It wasn’t a fair match, it was a slaughter. Izuku decided he wanted up on that chopping block.
“Didn’t your Momma ever tell you that if you make faces, they’ll get stuck like that?” The blonde man asked, his eyes trained on Izuku with his body hunched over the pool table ready for his next shot. Izuku’s eyes widened, his cheeks flushing fiercely against pale skin.
“No! I…uh…I mean. Yes, she did tell me that, but I didn’t realize I was staring!”
“Eight-ball, corner pocket.” The man smirked, his glare unwavering as he put the last ball in the corner pocket.
His opponent cursed loudly and threw a stack of bills onto the table as he put on his jacket to leave. The blonde stood up straight and stalked towards Izuku, a menacing smile taking over his face. Without hesitation he leaned into Izuku’s space, his right arm bracketing him in.
“You trynna play a game, short stack?” He leveled him with a stare that could scare the dead from their graves. The man’s breath was warm against Izuku’s face, and he smelled like smoke.
Izuku has lived twenty-eight years of his life without ever experiencing the desire to light up, but if this man asked him to smoke a whole pack of cigarettes, he didn’t think he’d have the gumption to refuse. The blonde quirked his eyebrow, his eyes illuminated by the dull red light of the jukebox. “What do ya say?”
They played three games and drank two pitchers of beer. Izuku became wittier, the alcohol numbing his nervousness and inhibitions. Katsuki became handsy, leaning behind Izuku to fix his form, trailing his fingers across his back as he walked passed. Each round Katsuki won and made Izuku buy him another drink. Before they knew it, it was closing time.
“You’re reaaaally good at pool, Katsuki. It’s like…like you’ve been playing for centuries or something! I’ve never seen anything so amazing!” Izuku pushed himself onto the pool table, his legs dangling and swinging from the edge, fingers gripping the wooden sides. After taking a long swig from his beer, he laid back onto the green fabric and reached for the cue ball next to him.
“Oi, it’s getting late Deku.” Warm fingers wrapped gently around Izuku’s forearm. “I’ll walk you home.”
Izuku sat up and shook his head wildly as he tried to pull his arm from Katsuki’s clutches.
“Th-that’s very sweet of you! But I can walk home myself, I don’t live too far, so I’ll be fine!” The blonde squeezed tighter, his dark eyes squinting slightly.
“You’re drunker than a skunk, and I don’t want it on my conscience if for some reason you fall down a hill to your death. I ain’t takin’ no for an answer, short stack. If you got things, this is your last chance of getting’ em before I pull you outta this bar.” He yanked Izuku from the pool table and gently nudged him towards the bar.
“Don’t forget to close out your tab. When Aizawa gets stiffed, he goes out lookin’ for blood. There’s a reason why people call him ‘Eraser Head.’”
They stepped out of the musty bar into crisp country air. It was placed smack dab in the middle of nowhere, the perfect paradise for farmers and factory workers when they needed an escape from their daily lives. “Where to?”
Izuku groaned in protest, raising a wobbly arm towards the west.
“Well then, let’s get a fuckin’ move on it. Don’t got all night.”
Heavy boots led the way.
They stuck to the edge of the dirt road, brown dust kicking up from their heels, not a single headlight to light the way in the dead of night. Minutes passed. The distant sound of cicadas buzzing made the world feel full.
“So,” Katsuki glanced at Izuku, his hands pushed into the front of his jeans, “I’ve never seen you before. You new around here?”
Izuku stared straight ahead, the dark road ahead of them looking unending. His fingers fiddled with a hole at the bottom of his denim jacket. “You could say that.”
He tried focusing on the dirt crunching under the soles of his worn-in boots. The last thing Izuku planned on doing tonight was thinking about her. He straightened his shoulders and plastered on the fakest, brightest smile he could muster and turned towards Katsuki. “What about you? You new around here too?”
The blonde glared back, his red eyes piercing through his mask. Almost as if he could see what Izuku was desperately trying to hide.
“Nah. I’ve been here for ages.” Katsuki stared up towards the sky, his steps even and unwavering.
“Even when I left and traveled the world, I couldn’t shake the feeling that gravity was trying to pull me back. So no, I ain’t new here.”
Something was haunting about that statement, it vaguely reminded him of something his mom used to say to him. Something his mom promised him he’d understand one day.
“Where the hell do you even live? We’ve been walking for 15 minutes already, doesn’t seem as close as you said it was.” Izuku shook out of his daze and chewed at his bottom lip. “It’s about ten more minutes. I was hoping you’d drop the issue if you thought I lived close by…” He stared up at the man, smiling sheepishly when he turned to meet his gaze.
“S’ fine, but you owe me a fuckin’ beer when we get to your place.”
They walked the rest of the way in comfortable silence.
“Th-this is me.” They stopped at the mouth of a long dirt road, a small farmhouse perched at the end of it, a dim light illuminating from its porch. Izuku rubbed at his bicep, his liquid courage now long gone. “Did you still want a beer?”
Katsuki smirked.
Izuku walked into the living room and saw Katsuki standing at the fireplace, studying his family pictures on its mantle. “This your ma?”
“Yeah, that’s her.” He moved closer to the photographs, staring fondly at his dorky graduation photo.
Katsuki grabbed the beer from Izuku’s hand and took a long swig. “You look a lot like her.”
He nodded slightly, a hushed laugh escaping his chest. “She always told me I got my best features from her side of the family. But I’d argue against that since everyone on her side of the family is under 5’8.”
Katsuki bumped their shoulders together, “There’s nothin’ wrong with being short.”
“Says the guy who’s six foot one. If I was as tall as you, I wouldn’t think there was anything wrong with being short either.” He bumped him back, adding in a small hip check that caught the blonde off guard.
A growl escaped the blonde, and the surprise of it made Izuku keel over in laughter. “What the hell was that!”
His laugh was infectious, warm, genuine, it spread like wildfire.
Katsuki followed Izuku to the couch, sending witty jabs his way any chance he got. The warm buzz from the alcohol came back, and Katsuki’s smile was the most beautiful thing Izuku had ever seen. Without thinking about what he was doing, Izuku lunged. Their lips pressed together sloppily, and Izuku was in heaven. The blonde matched his pace, kissing him back with fervor. Sharp canines scraped against Izuku’s lip, and he pulled back with a yelp, covering it with his hand.
They stared at each other, their chests heaving, their pupils blown wide. Katsuki’s fingers dug into the couch, his eyebrow scrunching up as he spoke“It’s getting late. I think I should head home.”
Izuku nodded absently, his hand still hovering over his lips. He responded breathlessly “I’ll, uh. I’ll see you out.”
Katsuki stood abruptly and walked towards the door, shimmying on his coat and slipping on his boots. Izuku opened the door and stood next to it, his fingers still wrapped around the doorknob.
The blonde walked passed him but turned around to lean in close, his hand trailing up the sides of Izuku’s arms. He stared straight into wide green eyes and smiled devilishly when they darted to his wet lips. “I had fun. I hope I see you soon, short stack.”
Izuku sighed sweetly, his eyes closing as he slowly gravitated closer, desperate to get one more taste. The weight on his arms disappeared, and when he opened his eyes, Katsuki was gone.
He squinted down the driveway and barely noticed a small white fox trotting in the direction of the woods. Izuku leaned against his doorframe and prayed that he’d see Katsuki again soon.
That night he dreamt of foxes.
Foxes of all colors, shades, faces. They took over his farm, some playing chase, others laying in the warmth from the sun. He saw some that were green, red, black, orange. But for some reason he found himself running through his farm, desperately searching for a fox with white fur and red eyes. When he looked towards his house, he saw four foxes sitting on his porch. One green, two blondes, and one white with red eyes. The sound of screaming woke him up.
Izuku jolted upright and glanced around his bedroom. His heart pounding against his ribcage, his fingers shaking from adrenaline. The wail of his mother’s rooster made him curse.
He flopped back onto his bed, trying desperately to remember his dream but could only recall bits and pieces. He draped an arm over his eyes and realized that the fox he saw last night must have been a part of his dream because he knows that the white fox had two tails instead of one.
After spending all day in the field, he finally opened the door to his house, toeing off his work boots and tossing his sweat rag into the laundry room. Earthy fingers tugged at the fridge handle. A sigh escaping his mouth as he stared the absence of food. He considered heading to the grocery store but decided it would probably be closed.
He shut the door gently and made his way to the sink, staring out the window as he washed the day’s work from his hands. Red and orange hues filled the horizon, painting his field in their colors. He let the water run through his fingers, picking the grime from under his nail bed. He decided on making chahan, using the fresh eggs he collected from this morning. There’d be no meat in the dish, but he’d make do.
Izuku sipped at his beer, letting the cold liquid pool in his mouth before swallowing. A warm breeze ruffled his hair, the scent of earth reminding him of green eyes and gentle hugs. Familiar songs drifted from the record player, through the back-screen door, and into Izuku’s ears. He smiled to himself and hummed along. The tempo slowed, and Izuku could see his mother in the field.
It had been a warm day in April. He sprinted outside to tell his mom he was accepted to UA but stopped in his tracks when he heard her singing. She always sang while she worked, but today it sounded different. For some reason, today her song sounded like a goodbye. He sat on the porch steps and listened to her voice, his eyes closing gently as the sun warmed his face.
He opened his eyes and stared up at the stars. His fingers wiping away warm tears from his freckled cheeks. He wondered what his momma would think of him now. What would’ve happened if he never left home? If he never bought that apartment in Mustafu. He wondered if his momma was proud of him and if she asked where he was the day she passed. He wondered why she didn’t tell him she was sick, and why the universe had to take away someone so bright.
Izuku had always been a crybaby, but the day his mother died he refused to shed a single tear. Now, for the first time in weeks, he let the tears fall freely, holding himself as the sobs wracked his body. Time was nonexistent, and his tears felt endless.
Eventually, they stopped. He uncurled himself from his chair and stared straight ahead. A flicker of orange on the horizon caught his attention. He rubbed at his eyes and stared harder into the dark, the light glow slowly growing in the distance.
Before he could register what was happening, he was jogging towards it. His boots sinking gently into the soft soil, his eyes locked onto the color ahead of him. It was dead silent, the usual buzz of cicadas long gone, the country breeze absent as he sprinted. The world felt hazy, and as he got closer to his destination, he felt goosebumps rise all over his body. He could see it now, gentle bursts of orange, occurring in quick successions to make it look like fire. His feet stopped moving on their own, and through the haze, he realized there was a figure staring back at him.
Izuku’s eyes were slightly unfocused, but in the glow of the tiny explosions, he saw piercing red eyes and bleach blonde hair. “Sorry, Deku. This might hurt a little.”
Then everything was dark.
The smell of burning wood roused him from his sleep. His eyes blinked open slowly, trying to take in the dark room around him.
“You awake?”
The crackle of firewood caught his attention, and he glanced around the space. It was dark, small, the only light coming from the gentle glow of the fire.
Katsuki sat at the far end of the cave, his arms hidden in the sleeves of his orange yukata, a pensive look on his face as he stared into the flames. Izuku tried to sit up but whimpered as his shoulders tensed painfully. He hazily realized his arms were tied behind his back, his legs bound too.
“Kacchan…what’s going on?” His skin was cold, and he felt his heart hammer against his ribcage. Katsuki tutted, glancing towards the cave’s opening. “What are you doing? Why are you doing this to me?”
“Because you were at the bar last night.” The man stood up and walked towards Izuku, his yukata dragging gently against the stone floor. “If it wasn’t you, it would’ve been someone else.” He stood in front of Izuku, his form fully illuminated in the fire’s glow.
A gasp fell from Izuku’s lips, his eyes wide and unblinking.
Katsuki’s blonde ears twitched at the sound, his smile turning sinister as two blonde tails swished behind his back. The glow of the fire lit up his face, and he noticed that Katsuki’s eyes were blood red.
Katsuki was a Kitsune. His mouth was dry, his tongue suddenly too big for his mouth, he felt sick and confused. He whispered hoarsely, “You…you’re, you’re a…”
“Yeah, I am.”
Wood popped in the fire pit, ash floating gracefully to the floor around Katsuki’s yukata.
“What are you going to do with me?” Katsuki squinted, his smile fading into a cocky smirk.
“You really wanna know?”
Izuku nodded faintly. Watching intently as Katsuki kneeled in front of him, his smile no longer present. The blonde yanked Izuku up by his shoulders, moving his body like we weighed two pounds. They sat face to face, Izuku’s arms tied behind him, his hands sweaty and his wrists rubbed raw.
The air felt stale. He unsheathed a knife from his white belt and held it delicately in his palm.
“I’m gonna sacrifice you to the gods, Deku.” Izuku gagged, blood pounded against his skull, fingernails dug into his palms. He was going to die. No. He was going to get murdered. Izuku’s stomach churned, he was going to get killed by a man he met in a bar. He never thought his mother’s warnings would be so right. A sob shook his frame, and he watched as his tears darkened the ground beneath him. He was going to die.
“Or at least that’s what I was going to do.”
Izuku’s head snapped up, his tear stained eyes confused and broken. Katsuki leaned in, pressing the tip of his dagger into Izuku’s chin to tilt his head up.
“You see. I got this rule…” He guided Izuku’s head left and then right. Moving in closer when he brought him center again. Izuku swallowed.
“I don’t kill family friends.”
Izuku’s eyebrow furrowed. “What…what are you talking about? I’ve never met you before.” A warm smile appeared on Katsuki’s face, Izuku stared curiously at the blonde, his instincts forcing him to listen.
“I met you when you were just a kit, Deku. Inko had been so proud to bare such a beautiful son. So, when you were born, I was the first person she called.” The knife kept him from averting his gaze, red eyes staring through him again, seeing past any mask he might try to put up.
“A kit…? That doesn’t make any sense, how could she have called you? You’re my age!” His brow furrowed, and he stared fearlessly back at the man.
“Don’t be stupid, Deku. We both know I’m much older than you.” Katsuki’s tail swiped behind him, punctuating each syllable with a swish.
“I brought you here because my superiors told me it was time to pay dues, so I’m only going to tell you this once. You are dead to this town. Tomorrow morning you’re going to wake up bright and early, pack a bag, and skip town. I don’t care where you go, or how you get there, but tomorrow morning by 9:00 A.M. you better be gone, or the next time we see each other will be in the afterlife. Got it, green bean?” Izuku nodded his head slightly, the point of the dagger pushing softly into his chin.
“Good boy.” The pressure of the blade disappeared, and Izuku’s head fell against his chest, small cries wracking his body. Katsuki sheathed his knife and sat back on his heels. “I know how much your house means to you but trust me when I tell you that life moves on when material things fade. Keep a few small things and go. Inko would’ve wanted it that way.” A warm hand wiped at Izuku’s tears, and Katsuki cradled his cheek in his palm. “There’s so much more I want to tell you, Izuku. But I don’t have time. I hope the next time I see you, I can give you those answers.”
Warm lips pressed into the side of his face, and before Izuku could question or protest, he was out cold.
The club was crowded.
Ochaco had convinced Izuku to leave his apartment for the first time in two months. Since arriving back in Mustafu Izuku had kept to himself. He hadn’t felt the need to go out. Each weekend when he was presented with the choice of going out and socializing, or staying home with Netflix and ice cream, he would consistently choose the latter. Ochaco had been understanding at first but after the sixth week of Izuku ‘staying in’ she lost it.
That night she showed up to his apartment with a bottle of whiskey and told him to get dressed to the nines because they were going out. Izuku didn’t stand a chance. They drank the bottle and headed to the nearest club.
After the fourth round of shots, she disappeared into the crowd. She tried to convince Izuku to follow her but gave up after the DJ put on her favorite song… that was an hour ago. He could see her from the barstool, dancing closely to a girl with green hair. Izuku smiled.
He threw back his watered-down whiskey, savoring the gentle burn in his throat. Izuku had fulfilled his promise to her, he left his house, went to a bar, and now it was time to go home. He pulled his phone from his back pocket and told Ochaco to text him when she got home.
Izuku fetched his coat and left the club. The cool sharp air was welcoming, he unraveled his scarf and walked towards the bar near his house. If he was going to get any sleep tonight, he’d need to knock back a few more drinks. Strangers walked past him, cars honking when he forgot to look both ways. The city was alive, and life felt good. He got to his favorite bar and stopped dead in his tracks.
A tall man leaned against the front of the bar, his leg up with his foot pressed firmly into the brick. Izuku watched as grey smoke twirled from the man’s fingers, weaving back and forth as the wind gently pushed it this way and that. The man glanced at Izuku, a smile forming on his face as he raised the cigarette to his lips. The red cherry burned brightly as he inhaled. Izuku stared.
“Hey.” Katsuki flicked his cigarette into the street and crossed his arms over his chest. “I’ve been lookin’ for you for a while, Deku. You really are a hard man to find.”