Archive of Our Own

(Listen to “Dynasty” for a better effect)

*Bakugou Pov*
Its been 10 years since Ayame committed suicide by jumping off the roof of the apartment building that she had been living in with Mic and Aizawa. The damn nerd and I were heroes and so were all of the extras I went to school with. The nerd and I were also married. Have been for 5 years. For some reason Ayame’s death affected the nerd and I the most, next to Aizawa,Mic, and Shinso. At one point Shinso refused to go home for almost 3 months because it reminded him of her. He stayed with the nerd and I at our appartment, and the nerd welcomed him with open arms. The rest of the class mourned her, and they were sad, but they were not devistaded like the nerd and I were. Deku almost had a relapse but I helped him through it. He also helped me when I was on a roof for a mission and I had a panic attack. I kept the recipe she wrote for me in my first year in UA. I use that recipe for Katsudon every time now. I dont use any other recipe for Katsudon no matter how much someone wants it. I can never make it like her though. The nerd still enjoyes it anyway. Aizawa and Mic still live in the same apartment. They have started a small memorial on the roof. Some times the nerd and I visit it. They also started a memorial on the ground where she died. If the nerd and I pass it on partol we always leave something. We have small bags on out utility belts that always hold something we can give her. Shinso is also a hero like us and Eri is in UA to be a hero. When she was old enough to know what heppened to Ayame, Mic and Aizawa told her. She also leaves stuff at the memorials even though she didnt really remember the girl. The nerds and I hero names are Dynamight and Deku. We were on a mission right now chasing a villian with a speed quirk. “Damn nerd! He is truning south towards you!” I yell into the earpeice in my ear. “Thanks Dynamight!” i hear him say in my ear. I grin. I turn the corner after the villain to watch him run face first into my husband who is crackling with his green lightning. The man falls on his back. “Where do you think youre going, villian?” Deku sneers. Deku has gotten much better at being angry and dark towards villians after Ayame’s death. I can tell everytime we stop a villian that he hopes its Ayame’s uncle. I do too. We never got any leads on her uncle. Not a dicription, or a name. Deku and I have been mostly hunting adult males in our patrols. In the 10 years we never found him or where she used to live. The 11th anaversary of her death is in nearly a week. UA has adopted a day to mourn all of the suffering children, for example people who only have one parent, or no parents, and they throw a big celebration. It relives stress and gives everyone a day to relax and take in their lives. Nezu implimented it after we graduated because the damn board of school didnt want to except it. The nerd and I return to the school for one day each year. Sometimes shtty hair or half and half join us. We give a speech about what brought this day to them and what this day means to these students. This year it will be Eri’s first year at UA. Thanks to Deku and I they havent had nearly as much of a traumatizing first week as we did. They have been in school for nearly 5 months now. Deku beat Shigaraki and AFO a few years back. The town rebuilt and it was a faster progress now that the sucessors of OFA could help. Or the Vestiges as Deku called them. All might is still alive. He lives in a house near the edge of town and he comes to the UA event too. He comes and checks on Deku and I nearly 3 times a month. The nerd has stopped breaking his bones but his scars still remind him of why he needs to train and get better at using his quirk. Luckily we have been there for each other. When he is hurt or got hit by a villains quirk and is in pain, I am there helping him eat and make sure he is comfortable. He does the exact same for me. Our days off aline and we get to be with each other nearly every day. The hero commission knows about our deterimination to find Ayame’s uncle and has made that a seperate mission for any hero that wants to take it. In the mission is Deku, Shinso, Mic, Aizawa, Shoto, Kirishima, and me. Aizawa still teaches and so does Mic. They are on the mission on their free times. They are still married and have twice as many cats as they did when Ayame was alive. Daisy is somehow still up and rumbling. Smores is also still there. I dont remember the other two cats names. The nerd has never once been deafeted in a fight once he got back to UA after we had to hunt him down. He is invinsible. I have to admit that he can easily beat me if he didnt want to give me a chance, like he does in training. He is the Number 1 hero and I’m second. I’m still pissed about that, but i dont want to think about when he is no longer ranked and i am first. So ill take second. Half and Half is third unsuprisingly. Half and half has been making an effort to help his family. Dabi is living with them and is in the villian rehabilitaiton project at UA. Dabi is no longer a villain and is just a civillian now. Shoto and his familiy welcomed Touya with welcome arms. Deku and I were obviously weary because he had tried to kill us many times but we eventually found that AFO had told him to do that if he wanted to get revenge on Endevor and that was the only chance that Dabi had, had to get revenge. Dabi-or Touya as he is now called- is much happier and has almost gotten along with his father like Natsou and Shoto. The only thing to remeber Dabi by is his purple skin and staples. Even the civillians have accepted him as one of them. Shigaraki unfortunatly died but the other LOV members lived with only minor wounds after Deku beat them. Toga is helping the hostital, being a nurse, She also is taking the rehabilitation project. She is also slightly less crazy. She was also a little dissipointed when Deku and I got married but she excepted it, hitting on a male nurse she works with. Kurigouri is a teacher and a bartender. He teaches at UA. Turns out he was more of a tool and caretaker for the villians then actually being a villian himself. He mostly only stayed because he thought that the LOV where his children and it was his responsibility to take care of them. He is also in the rehabilitation project. He also likes bartending so he has a bartending job by night in town. His class loves him about as much as Class 1-A loved Aizawa. The class sometimes calls him Mamaguri because he cares about them so much. He makes sure to know everyones problems and tries his best to fix them. He would have been great for Ayame if she was still around. The LOV no longer exists. The biggest villian group in the city now is gangs. Sometimes if Deku and I get a hard mission to hunt down villians we go to the ex-LOV members for help. They usually tease us for coming to them, accusing us of calling them villians, but they help us anyway laughing about it with us. Every time they help us our mission is a success with out injury. Mr. Compress is an actor in town with his own store. He is as happy as a man like him could ever get with that job. The other LOV memebers are either in jail or just civillians in the rehabilitation project. The man sees Deku and scambles away. Deku looks at me and shakes his head. I snarl. This isn’t her uncle. Somehow Deku knew. I’m guessing that he is too young guessing how long he ran for. We capture the excape and we give him to the athoruties at where waiting at the end of the alley. I see the news cameras and scowl slightly. “Come on Kacchan, your number 2! Be proud of it.” My husband says nudging me and looking up at me. I smirk at him. “We are still on duty nerd. Call me by my hero name.” I say. The green haired man by my side smirks back at me. “What if I dont want to Dynimght?” He asks quietly. I just grin at him. His whole face lights up like it does every time I grin at him. We give our peice to the news persons and leave. ( play “would anyone care?” while reading to make it spicy.) We head back to our house and change out of our costumes. I glance at the scars on my husbands back from Shigaraki. “Not your fault Kacchan.” He says sighing. “Not my fault what?” I ask putting my black T-shirt on. I have a scar on my shoulder and my rib from Ayame and I will forever cherish those. “I felt you looking at my scars. You couldnt have done anything. I deafeated Shigaraki and the the LOV doesnt exist anymore. Some of the old members are even our friends or teaching at UA. Things coudnt have gone any better.” He says walking by my side out out of our room. I place my arm around his shoulder. “What you want for dinner tonight?” I ask. I already know his answer. “Katsudon!” He yelps. I sigh. “You ask for that nearly every night nerd. I have to make sure you eat something else.” I say. “You make good Katsudon, Kacchan.” He says from under my arm. I lead him to the table. “Not as good as Ayame.” I say. “ It true its not as good as Ayame’s but that was her’s. This is your’s. Its the thought of her that counts. As for why you cant make it like her, “ I start. How did he know why i was trying to figure it out? He continues eyeing me meaningfully. “I know every thing Kacchan, as for why you cant make it like her is because she put her love in it. Thats why it wont ever be the same. I like both your Katsudons. I would take either one everyday.” I nod turning to the stove. The damn nerd was right. I am just about to grab the ingrediants to start when there is a knock at the door. I turn and so does Deku. He stands from the kitchen table, a hand on the set of knives he has on his thigh all the time. The only time i see him without those knives is when we are sleeping. He walks to the door and opens the door a bit. I unsheath the knive on my ankle. “Oh!” Deku takes his hand off his knives and resheath mine. “Kirishima? What are you doing here?” The nerd asks. I swear if that idiot hurt himself on a mission again im- “We came to visit you. We know how hard this week is every year for you guys and we came to help.” We? I hope the extras didnt bring the rest of the class. Deku moves aside. Kirishima, Mina, Sero, Denki, Ochaco, Iida, Momo, and Shinso enter. I sigh. The damn extras just walk into our house. “Are you extras staying?” I ask. “Hell yeah!” Kirishima yells. I sigh. I turn back to the pan on the stove. Denki comes up to me. “Whatcha making Bakubro?” “Katsudon.” I growl turning to the fridge to me right again. I have to double the recipe to make sure everyone has enough to eat. I dont know when i started caring if everyone i fed was getting enough to eat. It must have been after Ayame’s death. “This is as good as ever Bakubro!” Kirishima yells. I grunt. I take a bowl to Deku. he takes it eargerly eating it quickly. The extras stay for a few hours. We talk about our jobs and our missions that we are on. A few times i catch myself grinning at the stupid extras. I forgot how stupid they can truly be. I learn that im the only one in the whole group that is married, or have a boy friend. Kirishima says he dated for a while but they never stuck so he focuses on his hero work. Thats understandable. When the extras leave Deku and I do the dishes together. “Did you have fun Kacchan?” the nerd asks. “Yeah nerd.” I say. Its not a lie. I may have not admitted it out loud but i sort of missed hanging out with the extras. After the dishes I go to bed. Its late. Deku usually stays up a few hours later to research for his missions. “Not to late nerd.” I say. “I wont Kacchan.” he says. I flick him on the forhead. He protests. I grin and head to the room. I crawl into bed and fall asleep to the familiar rustling of paper from the living room.
*the next morning*
Of course when i wake up the nerd isnt by me. I feel his spot. Cold. I scowl. He better have not stayed up all night again. I climb out of bed yawning. I glance at the clock. 6:05. I usually wake up at 6 no matter how early i go to bed. I walk out of the room stretching my arms above my head. The nerd is at the dinning room table with a cup of coffee in his hands. He started drinking coffee in the mornings after we graduated UA. “How early were you up?” I ask. He jumps slightly. “Some hero you are.” I say. He scowls at me. “I was focused. And about 5. I couldnt sleep.” He says looking back at the paper he was reading. “Nightmares?” I ask. He nods. I sigh. Lately after Ayame’s death the week before her death aniversry he has nightmares all week and doesnt have a great time sleeping. I have gotten used to it over the years, but due to his low sleep quality he gets very aggresive. I had to learn after getting a dictinary chucked at my head that you shouldnt piss him off in this week. The extras know, but the villians dont,and sometimes i almost feel bad for them after he throws them through a brick wall, or snaps a them and almost makes them die of fear. The past few years its gotten so bad that he has to take sleeping pills to even be able to sleep at times. He makes sure to drink coffee in the morning so he doesnt snap at me, but its when that coffee wears off that i make sure not to do anything to piss him off. I go to the kitchen and make breakfast. Deku doesnt eat in the morning beacause of his stomach so i just make toast for me. I sit at the table. “What you reading?” I ask in between bites of food. “Possible leads to Ayame’s uncle. None of these seem to match though. The age, The discription, the houses, any of it. Its like he doesnt exist. He must know that we are looking for him, or he is just good at hiding.” he pauses to take a sip of his coffee. I can already see the bags under his eyes. “ Have you finished our speach for Thursday?” He asks. I wince. I nod. It was hard but i did. I pull it out of the folder on the table and hand it to him. He reads it. “It looks nice. Thanks Kacchan. It must have been hard for you.” I nod. Finding the words to describe Ayame is hard every year, but i some how manage to do it. He hands me that paper and i put it away. We dont have much hero work to do today, other then patrol. Its Saturday and Deku and I have tommorrow off. “What are we gonna do tommorrow?” Deku just shrugs. The coffee must be wearing off. I look at his face. The same look from when he was a vigilante is back. He looks like how i had found him before we fought him. I just look ahead and dont say another word. We finish the partol and head to a coffee shop before we go home like we do every day this time of year. I wait ten minutes before talking to him again. “Better?” I ask. “Yeah kacchan. Thanks.” He says and i nod. He is my childhood friend, but a few years ago i never would have excpected him to get angry with lack of sleep. For the rest of the week the days are the same. Except the extras dont come over, in fear of angering Deku. ( listen to “lost in the moment” if you want to give it more effect.) On Tuesday he did have such a bad nightmare in the middle of the night that he woke me up by bolting up and panting. I had sat up and hugged him. He just trembled into me like Ayame had before. This usually happens at least once every year. He had fallen asleep in my arms and i had sighed and fallen asleep with my face in his hair. It is now Thurday and my heart aches. This day 11 years ago Ayame had jumped and i had gotten that horrible phone call. Deku and I were in our hero costumes like every year. My phone rings and i just stare at it sadly expecting those same cruel words from 11 years ago. Deku comes up to my right. “Its alright Kacchan. Its just Nezu.” I finally read the caller ID and i nod. I answer it. My hand trembels slightly. “Is it that time Nezu?” I ask. “Yes.” My previous principle says. “ I’m sorry for your loss and having to make you do this, I know you kids voleenter to do it every year, but if it gets too hard you can give it to one of your other classmates.” the rat squeiks. I give him the same answer every year. “That would leave them feeling the same suffering. We knew her the best and we do it every year. We will be there in a few minutes.” I say. The rat hangs up and i sigh putting the phone to my side again. “We can do this Kacchan. We do it every year. I know its hard but we have to do it for her. We need to let her memory live on and make sure no one else does something like this again.” My husband says reasureingly. I nod again looking at him. He reaches up and kisses me. He pulls away and walks out the door. He pauses holding the door open for me. I smile softly and walk out with him. We head to UA. I stand at the gates and stare for a bit. Its been a year since i entered this building. Deku takes my ahnd and gently leads me in the Building. A few stray kids see us walking the halls. There are a few shreiks, whispers, and stares. We pass the 1-A door and we stand there for a moment staring at it. A kid walks up to us. He looks to be a first year. “Hello. Are you guys the Number 1 and Number 2 heros?” The boy asks excitedly. We turn to him. “Oh hello! Yes we are.” Deku says and the kids face lights up. “Reminds me of you as a kid.” I say nudging Deku. he grins at me. “What are you here for?” The kid asks. Our grins faulter. “We are here for the Celebration today.” I say looking away. The kid knows what im talking about. Every one in the school does. The first years dont know what brough it about though. They just thought of it as a break, that was until we came along. The second and third years knew what it represented but they celebrated the day and Ayame at the same time. So it startles me when the kid says “You came to give a speach on the girl named Ayame right? Did you know her?” the kid asks. Deku gives him a small smile. “Yeah. Yeah we knew her.” The kid grins and someone calls his name and he waves and leaves. “God today will be hard.” I say putting my face in my hands. Deku hugs me and i hug him back. There are only a few kids in the halls but they leave to the cafeteria where we need to be headed. We reach the cafeteria as Nezu goes to the stage to queit the noisy school. The second and third years know what is happening and immedianly fall silent but it takes longer for the first years to queit down. “Welcome students of UA! We know that you are enjoying the festivites and events, but we have some special guests here to remind you why we celebrate this day and what this day means to them, and the people here at UA. Welcome The number 1 hero, Deku and the Number 2 hero Dynimight.” he steps aside as there is a round of applause. The first years give loud claps not knowing why we are here. The second and third years applude slowly and queitly, smilling softly out of respect and graditude for us. We step on to the stage. There are hundreds of eyes on us. Im used to that, but i need to stay strong for Ayame. I told Deku i would take the first part. He stands a few feet to my right. I clear my throat and begin saying the words i memorized. “Many of you know that this day is a time for celebrations and rewards, but what many of you dont know is what brought this day to us.” the first years look around confused.( listen to “Home down slowed” to give it better feels.) Eri looks at me and she knows what coming. She gives a quielt sob and many first years look at her. The second and third years tip their heads in respect. I continue. “11 years ago to this day, there was a student like you, here in these walls, walking the same halls as you. Her name was Ayame. Ayame was a first year like Deku and I. But she was much diffrent the everyone in the school. It wasnt because of her quirk, not because of her looks, But because of her past.” I pause and let the first years think. The second and third years are silent. There are a few murmers in the crowd. I look around to see Mic and Aizawa and Shinso on the sides of the crowd. Mic has a arm around Aizawa and Aizawa is queitly crying in his scarf. “Ayame was wounded much worse then any 16 year old should have been. Her parents were killed in a car crash when she was 3. She was handed to her uncle after that. Her uncle is still being searched for to this day.” That causes more murmures. What could have happened that caused her uncle to be hunted to this day by the number 1 and Number 2 heros? “Ayame was a dear friend to us. She was a good friend who had been given to the wrong hands with her care. Ayame was found in an alley 5 months ago, and 11 years ago to the day. Deku and I and some other friends found her that day. So did two of your beloved teachers. Present Mic and Aizawa.” The first years looked at them. They were both crying. “Ayame had been very badly abused by her uncle for 13 years. When we first found her, she was scared of ever movemnt, every loud sound. She was not well. She had been whipped, starved, hit, thrown, and punished for something that wasnt her fault. Why? Beacuse she was quirkless.” (listen to “War of hearts” for better effect) There is dead silence. The second and third years are still smiling softly. “We only knew her for 3 short weeks. We didnt even know what her favorite flower, or color was. She had issues that no one should have to go through alone. She cut and attempted suicide 3 times. She smoked to take the edge off things and to help her live a normal life. Her life shouldnt have been like that. She deserved better. Exactly-” I choke and look away. I take a breath and continue. “Exactly 11 years ago to this day, she ended her life. She jumped off of the building the same night after she had overdosed and had failed. She jumped off the same building that she had been staying at for 3 short weeks. She left without saying goodbye. You want to know the first words i heard about her the next day?” I pause. “‘Ayame jumped off of her appartment roof. We are terribly sorry for your loss. She died the momment she hit the ground. She was not able to be revived. She will not be coming back.’” I pause trying not to sob. I hated to relive those words. Deku also turned away. I know he had heard those exact same words. The room is silent. At this point nearly everyone in the room is crying. A third year shouts. “For Ayame!” i smile softly. “Yes. For Ayame. That is why we celebrate this day every year.Thats why Deku and I do this every year. Not to relive stress, not to take a break. You can celebrate these reasons too, but the main reason that we celebrate this day is to make sure nothing like this ever happens again. Ayame’s death affects many heros to this day. I have a few last words i want to say to you before Deku says his part: If you feel like committing, just think about how it will affect those that care about you.” I step back and quickly wipe my eyes and Deku gives me a look that says ‘Good job Kacchan. We are almost done.’ and turns to face the crowd. “I just want to say, If you ever feel like doing something like Ayame did, cutting, overdose, or ending your life, please, please seek help. There are many adults in this building that you can trust and they will help you. If you do something like what Ayame did terrible things happen to you loved ones. They will regret what they did, or didnt do. They will mourn you, and they may just take their anger out on themselves. Please seek help. Celebrate this day, and celebrate our dear friend Ayame.” there is only a short pause before the second and third years shout like they do every year and raising their fists. “CELEBRATE AYAME!” the first years join in a little late and Deku steps back to me. There is loud clapping. Some cheer and i give them a small smile. We exit the stage and they are still clapping. Nezu steps up. “Continue to celebrate and remmber, Celebrate Ayame.” There is whopping and the students stand up in a wave. They look at the nerd and I and start clapping again. Mic and Aizawa come to us. We hug tham and they hug us. I start to sob in my old sensei’s shoulder. “Its alright problem child. Its alright.” He soothed me. Pretty soon i get my emotions under control again. Deku had been sobbing too. “Thanks.” I tell my old teacher. He gives me a soft smile. “Its alright problem child. I know how hard this week is to you two. You go a great job every year. The students always remember your words. Since you started doing this ive had a lot more students come to me for help. Mic too. The whole school appreciates what you do and we all know its hard on you two. You two were close to her. She trusted you kids the most. More then Mic and I. It was a devistating blow when we found out. I’m sorry for your loss.” Aizawa says. I nod and wip my face. A few third years come up to the 4 of us. “Dynimght, Deku?” We turn to them and look at them. A boy steps up. A small group behind him. “We wanted to say thank you for what you have done for the 3 years we have been here. We noticed how hard this day is to you and we appricate what you do. It saved one of our friends lives. We will forever carry your words with us when we become heros.” Deku and i look at each other. We smile at the kids and say thank you. We really do like it when we help save lives, even if it is indirectly. The teachers lead us to the teachers loungs and give us a beer like they do ever year. I dont usually drink. This one day is the exceptiona and my friends know that. The teachers and i talk. Deku does the same. Its nearly 8 when we leave. Deku and i only have one beer each year. We never break that. We ate at the celebration and we just get into bed when we get home.(Listen to “Soldier” for better effect) I throw my arm over Deku and he snuggles close to me. I once again fall asleep with my face in his hair. We sleep in the next morning. I dont know how but some how our bodies let us do that one day a year. And only that one. I wake before Deku,unsuprisingly. I glance a the clock on the bedside table in front of me. 9:30. I start playing with the nerds hair. He groans in his sleep. I smile. “Hey nerd. Time to get up.” i say gently. “Noooooooo.” he whines and snuggles more into my chest. I chuckle. “Alright nerd. A little longer.” he mumbles somethingand falls asleep again. I lay there staring at him. I look at the scars on his back and they remind me of Ayame. Her loss gets easier every year. I sart to play with his hair again apsentmindedly. I feel Deku stirr. I look down to see his green eyes open looking at mine. “You awake now nerd?” I ask. He nods. He sits up. I let him and sit up too. “Want me to start breakfast?” Deku asks. I scoff. “I wouldnt trust your cooking with my life.” I say. I push deku over. He yelps and sits back up. “Not nice Kacchan. Fine go make breakfast. After you want to visit her grave?” He asks, I nod. Ayame’s grave is for people who knew her to leave things. The memorials are for passerbys, even though we leave stuff there too. Deku and I have a tradition that the day after her death we place Spider Lilies on her grave. I know Deku hates them because the middle school bullies gave them to him as a suicide bait, but we leave them to show that suicide is a real thing and that people suffer from it. Spider Lilies also reprsent mourning so we leave them there to show we care. Deku always adds a Cherry Blossom from the tree down the road from the graveyard. We buy Spider Lilies from the store. The clerk has gotten used to us coming to buy them this time every year and already has them ready when we walk in. We pay and leave. We walk to the graveyard. Deku picks his signature Cherry Blossom. We find her grave. Other flowers and offerings are there. Some flowers are fresh. Some are dead. Deku always cleans the dead flowers off and puts our new ones on. In the fall we clear the leaves from her grave, in the winter the snow. We stand and say goodbye like we do ever year. We turn and leave the graveyard, just like last year, and the year before, and the year before. We have hero work tommorrow again. We will prepare in another year to do the exact same as this year. And the year after that. Untill we die. We will raise awareness about things like this. We dont care that our year is repetitive, we like it. We save lives like this, and every year gets easier.

Thank you for reading this series. I really enjoyed writing this. If you liked it please share it. Spread the word and the love. If you are ever dealing with something like this please reach out to anyone to get help. Remember: You are stong and you are loved! <3