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The day started out like any other. Get up, get dressed, go to class.
Class 1-A was currently in the classroom, spending their lunch break there. Celebrating the end of Bakugou and Todoroki’s Provisional Hero License Course, both of them passing with flying colors. Both of them learned how to fix their weaknesses.
Everything started changing when the communicator on Aizawa’s desk started to ring. All of the students perked up, that only meant one thing, there was a villain.
The students of class 1-A were actually the ones the logical heroes called for help. Most of them had - or are still currently - interned at a hero agency, so they had good words from many higher-up heroes.
Aizawa quickly answered the phone, the class could hear him mumbling, “Uh-huh….okay….who do you…”
Aizawa turns and points to Midoriya, Bakugo, Kirishima, Uraraka, Iida, Todoroki, and Denki. Then opened the cabins that held their hero costumes. The seven chosen quickly grabbed their stuff and rushed out the door.
The heroes quickly made their way to the site of the attack, jumping into action immediately.
Apparently, the villain's name was Merlin, and their quirk was magic. Which was a pain in the ass to deal with because they could do basically anything from making a lamp post come to life or turn someone into a frog.
Izuku felt bad for that police officer.
The fight goes on for what seems like ages. Izuku was knocked off his feet as Bakugo’s explosion knocked the villain away.
“Kachann! You have to be more careful!” He yelled, “There are other people here than just the villain!”
“SHUT UP DEKU!”
Merlin snarls but something else catches her eye, she sees Izuku and Bakugo yelling at each other, venom in their words but she also sees something else. It’s in their eyes, something only someone like her would be able to see.
So she smiles, plays hurt, and rushes off into a building.
Izuku sees this and rushes after her, “Help the others!”
Bakugo tries to ignore the order by running after Izuku, but a bunch of falling boulders blocks him off.
“DAMNIT!”
Izuku runs down hallway after hallway, only catching brief glances at Merlin.
“Come out!” He calls, “We have the building surrounded!”
Izuku then walks into a bigger room, almost like a lobby. The villain was nowhere in sight, the only thing in the room was a blade floating in mid-air. It glowed blue and shimmered with power.
Izuku made a note of it, “Maybe that’s where her powers come from?”
He shakes his head and turns to run off but something stops him. He can’t make out what they’re saying but its whispers. Soft, gentle, whispers.
“H-hello?”
The whispers grow louder as Izuku walks back into the room, “A-any o-one there?”
Izuku’s eyes slowly fall back onto the glowing blade, as soon as his eyes make contact with it the whispers suddenly become more clear.
“Touch it,”
“Touch the blade,”
“It’ll defeat her,”
“Make her stop,”
“Touch the blade,”
“It’ll help you,”
“Listen to us, Midoriya,”
“You can trust us,”
The more Izuku listened to the whispers the foggier his brain became. It was just like his fight with Shinso, but he couldn’t even break a finger this time.
“The blade, Midoriya,”
“Come on, please,”
“It’ll help you,”
“Touch the blade,”
“Touch the blade!”
“TOUCH THE BLADE!”
Before he knew what he was doing, Izuku was standing in front of the blade, eyes glazed and blank as he just stared at it. The urge to touch the blade swelled up inside of him, so he slowly slipped off his glove, letting it fall from his hand to the ground, he slowly reached out.
He barely felt any pain, all of a sudden his finger was bleeding, he looked at it blanky for a moment, then he collapsed. His bare hand lay across his chest as his other arm lay limp at his side. He couldn’t move. He was so tired.
“Yes, sleep Midoriya. Sleep and never wake up again,”
Izuku shook his head slowly. Enveloped by a feeling of heavy fogginess, blue smoke rose around him, sapping his strength and making him suddenly so very, very tired. They were in a battle, and he knew he needed to stay awake . . . but he was just so tired. . . .
“Sleep, Midoriya, sleep,”
--
It was Todoroki who found him. The blade had lost its glow and had clattered to the ground, but Izuku’s blood still seemed to glow on the blade.
Todoroki rounded a corner, eyes widening as he came across Izuku,
“Midoriya!!” He rushes over to his fallen classmate, “Hey! Midoriya! Wake up!”
Not even a twitch.
Todoroki shakes him, “Midoriya?”
Nothing
Todoroki tries everything he can think of, and when Midoriya didn’t even stir once, Todoroki collects him in his arms and rushes to the others.
Pro heroes had arrived at the scene by then, including Aizawa, Recovery Girl, and a skinny All Might.
“Hey! I need help!”
Everyone whips around to him,
“It’s Midoriya! He won’t wake up!”
All Might and Aizawa rushed over, the retired pro hero taking his successor in his arms, he winces as Izuku’s head lolls onto his chest limply.
“Young Midoriya? Can you hear me?”
Nothing, just like with Todoroki.
“What’s going on?” Aizawa checks Izuku’s pulse, “Why isn't he waking up?”
Recovery Girl looks him over, “I don’t know,” she says, “If we get him back to the school I might be able to figure it out,”
They get Izuku back to UA. After about an hour, All Might and Aizawa are called back into the nurse’s office.
Izuku still lays stone still and silent in the bed, Recovery Girl’s brows are furrowed and her lip pursed into a thin line.
All Might can’t help but stare at Izuku, only turning away to listen to the school nurse.
“Well?” Aizawa asks,
Recovery girl sighs, “Well, it’s a magic quirk, specifically fairy-tale magic. The user could cast spells based on different fairy-tales,” Recovery Girl frowns, “Midoriya has fallen into a very deep sleep. Can you guess what fairy-tale the user used for him?”
Aizawa pinches his nose, “Sleeping Beauty,”
Recovery Girl nods, “We’ll have to question the suspect for more information but if they went right off the story. The boy is trapped in his slumber and can only be awakened by true love’s kiss, or some other requirement has to be made,”
Aizawa and All Might’s eyes widen, turning to look at the greenette, who sleeps peacefully on the bed.
Recovery girl smiles sadly, “He’s in no pain, I can also suspect that he’s having vivid but pleasant dreams,”
Aizawa can't keep his cold demeanor up, he frowns, eyes growing wet. All Might can’t help the tears that roll down his face.
“You must set a place up for him,”
The two teachers look at each other, then back at the nurse,
“I can’t keep him here, you must set up a place for him to sleep. Somewhere easy so people can visit him, but still on the school grounds. And NOT in a dorm,”
That’s what they do, a building is made for Izuku. It has cement walls with a glass ceiling to let the natural light in, the ground is covered with thick grass and small flowers to mimic a meadow, a small tree casts a gentle shadow over the white bed that lays in the center.
Izuku lays on the bed, dressed in a grey, long-sleeved shirt with matching pants made of soft fabric. Izuku sleeps on his right side, facing the door, his right arm tucked under the pillows, his left hand resting on the pillow a little lower than his chin. The sheets and comforter come up to his armpit, covering his sides and legs.
“He looks like an angel,” All Might can't help but think to himself as he gently covers the sleeping boy’s hand with his own, “I’m so sorry, my boy,”
Only when Izuku had been tucked into bed like a small child, did Aizawa and All Might let the rest of the class visit.
The students had only heard the simple about Izuku’s condition; he was hit by some quirk that had something to do with magic, and he wasn’t waking up no matter what anyone did.
When they see him, they all stop. When Aizawa breaks the news to everyone, they crumble. They stand solemnly and silent, each processing the news given to them.
Bakugo grits his teeth as he just stares at his rival, “How long’s he gonna be out of it?” he demands
Aizawa sighs sadly, “We don’t know. Until we can talk to the quirk user, you now know as much as we do,”
“So, what, he’s just gonna sleep until you figure it out?”
“Well, Mr. Aizawa said ‘Sleeping Beauty’, bro, dunno what you expected,” Kirishima says,
“Didn’t expect it to be fucking literal, for starters!” Bakugo doesn't really know how to feel.
“Language!” Iida waves his arms around a little, “Not to mention he’s going to miss school.”
Kaminari sighs. “Yeah, Iida, ‘cause that’s what’s worst about this. That he’s not awake enough to come to class,”
Iida looks offended, “Well, excuse me, it’s important to him!” he huffs,
“Does anyone else think Merlin is a lame name for a Villain? Like seriously. Merlin. I think it’s weird," Sero mumbles under his breath,
“Well, Deku ain’t laughing, is he,” Bakugo growls,
“It’s strange to see him like this,” Tokoyami murmurs,
Bakugo's hands ball into fists, “Shut up. He's not dead so stop talking like he’s is!” he growls,
Iida raises his arms. “We are all worried about him,” he says, “but we are not helping by yelling at his bedside. We can come back tomorrow,”
Aizawa nods, “We’ll have more information by then,”
The villain, Merlin, cooperates with the police, answering all questions honestly, no matter how personal.
When asked how to wake the sleeping U.A student, her answer was concerning and shocking.
“I believe that’s the reason I was brought into this world. He can only be woken by true love's kiss. My spell wouldn’t have worked unless he was head over heels for someone. How much does that person love him back? That will decide his fate,”
When Aizawa carries on the message to Izuku’s impatient classmates, Bakugo can’t help but cringe.
3…..2…..1
“HOW THE HELL DOES THAT WORK?”
“WHAT IF HE’S DOESN’T FEEL THAT WAY?”
“HE’S NOT EVEN CONSCIOUS!”
As the class talks to each other about who Izuku has fallen in love with, Bakugo just continues to look at his peaceful face.
“You better wake up on your own, dumbass,”
Izuku doesn't.
He sleeps, and sleeps, and sleeps.
Bakugo hates it.
The stillness in the classroom. The peaceful yet sad mood of Izuku’s “bedroom”. He hates the void Izuku has left behind. That fact that the nerd was so fucking quiet. He should be mumbling Bakugo’s ear off and rambling and geeking out like a total nerd he is, filled with energy and fucking dopey grins; he should be here.
All Might visited Izuku nearly every single day. He went in the evening when the sunset cast its warm glow over Izuku’s body, making him look even more like an angel.
The retired hero’s emotions were in ruin. He saw Izuku as a son, not just a successor. He loved him.
His emotions clawed at All Might’s chest so…….he started to sing. A sad but gentle tune he’s heard parents sing to their children.
(Link to the song on YT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EbxKsoIzl0 )
“I can tell time by the moon. I can tell time by the sun. No matter how I mark. The hour's light and dark. I tell you your time's just begun,”
All Might gently starts to tend to the room and Izuku, making sure he’s still comfortable, making sure the windows were closed for the night.
“It is morning in your life. Day is breaking -- oh, so bright! You've barely made a start. Just one beat of my heart. Don't sleep away the morning light,”
All Might kneels down next to Izuku’s bed, taking one Izuku’s hands in his own, the other gently petting Izuku’s head, smiling sadly when Izuku seems to lean into the touch.
“Please wake up. Please wake up. Leave dark dreams behind. Please wake up. It's your morning golden day to find,”
Bakugo walks down the campus field, he doesn't know why but he wants to see Izuku, but he stops outside the door when he hears All Might and his song.
“Once I had a morning, too. I was young once just like you,” All Might tucks Izuku more into bed, making sure the blankets were snug against him, “It's evening in my life. All I have is the night, but it'd still be morning for you,”
Bakugo is shocked to feel tears dripping down his face, he quickly whips them away, as All Might finishes, gently laying Izuku’s hand back down on the pillow.
“For you,”
Bakugo growls, “What the fuck am I doing?” he makes his way back up to the dorms, “I’ll visit him with the others tomorrow,”
----
Two months. Two fucking months. Izuku has slept. Two fucking months he’s laid in that bed as if in hibernation. Two fucking months since the class had seen his eyes open, or listened to his mumbling, or smiles at his sunny attitude.
Two months since he’d fallen asleep and hadn't woken.
Bakugo jolts up in bed, chest heaving, he tries to calm himself down.
Bakugo shakes himself and gets up. Soon he's in the classroom, waiting for class to start.
“Everyone but pink cheeks in here,” Bakugo notices, “Where is she?”
Not even a second later, Uraraka runs into the classroom. Hysterical. Breath ragged, she'd come from Recovery Girl who had asked for a 1-A student to deliver a message.
Aizawa rushes over to her, “Uraraka are you alight?”
The student startles as if she hasn’t realized she’s in the classroom. She turns toward him, her eyes wide and tired and pained, and her grip on her handkerchief tightens.
Bakugo’s heart stops.
“Wait….is he….?” His voice scratches at his throat like someone had taken a knife and was slowly dragging it down.
Uraraka shakes her head but starts to cry, “It’s getting worse!” she finally cries, “He’s getting worse! He’s slipping deeper into his sleep! Recovery Girl said if he doesn’t wake up soon-”
She can’t say it. No, she won’t say it.
Bakugo shoots up from his chair as if it burned him. He doesn’t remember taking off.
“BAKUGO!!!”
He ignored his teacher’s voice. Rushing down the stairs. Out the door. Across the field.
Bakugo didn’t know what he was expecting but it’s just Izuku sleeping. No change except…..
“His skin is so pale,” Bakugo notices, he starts shaking, “Oh my god, he’s so fucking pale,”
Bakugo doesn’t know what's happening to him, he falls to his knees, slumping limply on the bed’s edge. His shoulders start to quiver and before he knows it….
Bakugo’s crying.
Bakugo grips Izuku’s hand like a lifeline, burning his head in his arms as he just sobs and sobs and sobs.
“I can’t….no!” Bakugo tried to speak through his sobs, not really caring what comes out of his mouth, “I can’t lose you!”
“Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!”
Izuku is slipping further and further inside his own mind. Running out of time.
“He’s gonna die,”
“NO! NO!” Bakugo shouts at his own thoughts, “DON’T LEAVE ME! DON’T LEAVE ME ALONE!”
Bakugo cards his fingers through Izuku’s hair, combing the green strands back against his scalp. His mind wanders, everything he knows about Izuku plays on loop in his mind.
Warm eyes and endless optimism and steel-like determination to push himself forward and further, even breaking his own bones, to reach the top and be the best fucking hero there is.
The fucking moron who grins even though he’s terrified, who saves and saves and wins and smiles and never gives up on anyone.
“Not even on me,”
“I’m a dumbass. I should die. It should be me!!!”
Wait. Something doesn’t feel right. With Izuku’s hand. Bakugo stops crying, eyes going wide as his breath stops.
There's no pulse.
Bakugo shoots his head up, he quickly feels Izuku's neck with one hand as he holds another under his nose.
No breath. No pulse.
Bakugo’s sobs come back, only louder.
“No….” His voice is broken, weak, and ragged, “Noooo. My baby...my….my,”
With shaking hands he gently cups Izuku’s face, “Don’t leave me,”
It flashes in his mind. A gravestone. People crying over a casket with a green-haired body inside.
“I’m sorry,” Bakugo croaks, “I’m so sorry. I love you,” Bakugo leans down, gently lifting Izuku’s head a little, “I love you, Izuku,”
Bakugo kisses him.
--
Izuku woke slowly, enjoying the fact that someone was kissing him, which was possibly the best thing that could ever have happened. Despite his weirdly foggy mind, a part of him loved being woken up like this, with kisses and a tender hand in his hair. They were so gentle but full of emotion. His mouth moved under theirs, eager for more. He smelled like cinnamon? Caramel? Their lips were warm and sweet.
The person suddenly pulled back, and Izuku felt his eyes flutter open, he couldn’t open them all the way but he slowly looked up to see blond hair, red, bloodshot eyes, and a tear-stained face.
“Ka….Kacchan?”
Bakugo just stares at Izuku for a few moments, before the largest smile Izuku has ever seen covers his face, tears flowing again,
“Hey, nerd,”
It sounds different than normal, less hostile, full of love. Izuku loves it. He smiles back,
“Hey,”
Bakugo then hugs Izuku tight, hand in his hair, face buried in the crook of his neck. Izuku could feel the sobs racking his friend’s body, Bakugo mumbling, "You're awake, you're finally awake!" under his breath, over and over again.
“Kacchan? What hap-” Izuku then noticed where he was, he looked all around the room, “Where are we?”
“What….” Bakugo clears his throat, “What do you remember?”
Izuku thinks for a moment, “There was a villain right?” he asks, Bakugo nods, “They had a magic quirk, and they….” Izuku suddenly remember the blade, “What did she-”
“They put you to sleep,”
Izuku stops, “Wh-what?”
“They casted a stupid ‘Sleeping beauty’ curse on you!” Bakugo yells, “They put you to fucking sleep!”
Before Izuku could say anything Bakugo continues,
“Do you have any idea how long you’ve been asleep for!?”
Izuku doesn’t say anything
“Two months,” Bakugo takes a deep breath, “You’ve been asleep for two months!”
Izuku gasps, he slowly brings his arms up and around Bakugo, pausing only for a moment when he sees how pale they were. How pale he was.
“If I was put under a curse,” Izuku mumbled, “How did I-” Izuku stops, “Oh,” he goes red, “ Oh! ”
Bakugo pulls back, “You love me?”
Izuku squeaks, hiding his face in his hands, “Y-yes!”
Bakugo gently pulls Izuku’s hands down, “If you couldn't tell from the kiss or the fact that I broke the curse,” Bakugo cups Izuku’s face, “I love you too,”
Izuku is the one that leans in this time. But the kiss is interrupted.
The door slams open,
“BAKUGO!!”
All Might and Aizawa run in, both freeze.
“H-hi,” Izuku says timidly,
All Might runs over and hugs Izuku, “Oh my god, my boy! You’re okay!”
Izuku was taken aback by his mentor's actions but hugged the pro-hero back.
“Hey, All Might. I’m okay,”
Bakugo then smirked evilly,
“He sang to you,”
Both wielders of OFA turn to him,
“WHAT!?” Izuku screeches,
Bakugo snickers, “He sang to you. All Might sang a lullaby to you as you slept,”
Both of their faces burn red, Izuku’s eyes widened as the memory comes back. It’s mostly blackness or dreams but sometimes he could hear the world around him.
“I remember that,” he mumbles, he turns to All Might, “I heard you,”
All Might turns impossibly more red, “I….oh….”
Izuku hugs him, “I liked it, thank you. It gave me comfort,”
Aizawa can’t help but tear up a little, “Welcome back, problem child,”
Izuku smiles, snuggling into Bakugo's chest as the taller male wraps his arms around him, “Good to be back,”