Chapter Text
It’s hard for Katsuki to remember a time when he and Deku were friends. From birth, they were placed together by their mothers – close friends who wanted their children to be just as close as them, and they were for a short while. Sure, Deku was a crybaby and the way he followed Katsuki around and called him “Kacchan” was annoying, but he liked All Might and always wanted to play the games Katsuki did.
However, things started to shift when he turned three. Katsuki’s badass quirk developed and everyone could finally see how cool and awesome he was. Finally, they all realized that he really was gonna be just like All Might when he got older. His other friends started to get their quirks too and stupid Deku started lagging behind like always. He never stopped chasing after them even when Katsuki started calling him Deku and their teasing got meaner.
When Deku was officially diagnosed quirkless a year later, Katsuki couldn’t stand it. Deku still followed him everywhere, and if that wasn’t bad enough, he still tried pitying Katsuki! Even without a quirk, Deku thought he was better than him, always trying to play hero when everyone else knew it was never gonna happen.
Still, much to Katuski’s ever-growing annoyance, the dumb hag and Auntie Inko still kept forcing them together. They were forced to have playdates and sleepovers and Katsuki was made to go to Deku’s birthday parties which were always so childish and boring. It wasn’t until they started elementary school that Katsuki finally lost it, declaring loudly to the whole class that Deku was a quirkless no one and everyone should ignore him. They weren’t forced to hang out anymore after that.
To be fair, Katsuki wasn’t trying to get anyone to bully Deku per se, but he was so tired of Deku following him around, and when he found out they were in the same class, that was the last straw. To be fair, his public disgracing of Deku didn’t turn out to be all bad. It helped Katsuki get new friends, and he’s sure Deku still had some losers that hung out with him so really, what was the big deal? Plus it meant that he didn’t have to go to Deku’s birthday parties anymore and he didn’t have to share his toys with him. It was a win-win; Katsuki got his peace and Deku got to go find some loser friends that were more his speed.
—
As the school years progressed Katsuki got meaner. Somehow, even though they were decidedly not friends, Deku would not leave him alone. He always ended up in the same classes as him, which was ridiculous because there was no way that dumb nerd was as smart as him. He always somehow ended up in Katsuki’s way. Always seated a desk away, calling him “Kacchan” as if they were still three years old, constantly muttering under his breath and writing in his hero notebooks, still stuck in his fantasy that a quirkless Deku could ever be a real hero.
The start of middle school meant a bigger school with more eyes on him, and the more Deku tried to pretend to be his friend the more lessons Katsuki had to teach him. He shoved him into the lockers as he walked past, he got his whole friend group to call him “Deku,” he even snatched his nerd book once and started reading it in front of the class. It’s what Deku deserved for thinking he was still better than him, for being someone who tried to befriend and pity him. For being someone who couldn’t just stick with his own friends, always trying to steal Katsuki’s.
Now in their second year of middle school, stupid Deku is somehow still in the same class as him. The worst part is this year he can see Deku from where he sits, just in his peripheral vision, always wearing those dumbass red shoes. Every day he comes in and dares to answer questions Katsuki also knows the answers to before Katsuki can even raise his hand, just trying to make him feel dumb. Then he’ll sit there like a baby after class, letting his tears well up as Katsuki and his friends make fun of him as if he didn’t deserve it for being such a know-it-all.
It’s nearing the end of the first term and they’ve just left their gym class. Katsuki’s friends are laughing about how most of the class cheated on their fitness test by using their quirks, which just pisses him off more. It’s dumb that quirks aren’t allowed, but if they aren’t allowed then they aren’t allowed , don’t cheat like a pussy. He’s already stewing in his anger as he turns the corner and sees Deku, teary-eyed like always, probably upset that he couldn't show off in gym like he does in class.
“Oi, nerd! What’s wrong? Embarrassed you were too weak for a little fitness test?” He calls out, wanting to blow off some steam. Deku just cowers, pissing him off more.
“N-no Kacchan…I knew I wouldn’t do as well as you.”
“Course not, damn nerd. Even without using my quirk I beat your ass, just a shame a useless Deku like you doesn’t have a quirk to cheat with.” Deku straightens up a bit at that, like he’s got something to prove.
“I…I wouldn't cheat even if I had a quirk Kacchan. That’s not the right thing to do.” How dare this little loser try to act like he’s all high and mighty, like he has what it takes to be a hero.
“Oh yeah? A hero wouldn’t cheat, would they Deku? Hmm…guess it’s a good thing you’ll never be one then.” Katsuki huffs out a mean laugh. “Can’t wait till I’m at UA, training to be the next number one hero while you’re stuck here in some shitty high school, realizing your dreams will never come true.”
“That’s not gonna happen Kacchan! I’m gonna try to get into UA too, I’m going to be a hero.” Deku’s eyes are set and determined. Katsuki can feel his anger clawing up the back of his throat. No way this quirkless nerd still thinks he’s better than him, that even without a quirk he can beat him. He grabs Deku by his shirt collar, slamming him into the lockers.
“Sounds like you’re still stuck in fantasy land, nerd. You wanna be a hero so bad? I’ve got a time-saving idea for you. If you think you’ll have a quirk in your next life…go take a swan dive off the roof!” Katsuki ends his taunts with a loud explosion next to Deku’s face, causing him to flinch hard and igniting whichever nerd book he was holding.
He lets go of Deku, letting him fall to the floor, not even looking back as he walks away with his groupies, laughing.
—
For the next couple of days, Katsuki notices that Deku seems quieter than normal. Not that it’s important at all or that he even cares, but he hasn’t heard the nerd mutter once and every time someone picks on him he’s eerily silent, just kind of letting them steamroll all over him. It’s a little weird, but not his problem. Just looks like he was finally able to knock some sense into Deku – nothing to worry about.
It isn’t until a full week of a silent Deku passes by that his quietness starts to piss him off. To try to elicit some kind of reaction he trips him in the hallway. He falls over Katsuki’s leg, his backpack flying over his head and flinging him hard into the ground, the contents of his bag spilling everywhere. Katsuki and his friends laugh meanly as Deku scrambles to pick up everything that spilled when Katsuki notices something weird.
There’s a little white envelope with the message “Please don’t forget to hand these out this year! Love you!!” scrawled across it. He picks it up before Deku can and he finally hears Deku’s voice after 7 days of silence.
“No! Kacchan please!”
“What nerd, you got love letters in here or something?” He taunts as he explodes the envelope, sending the burned remains raining down. Deku flinches hard, harder than normal, which throws Katsuki off for a second before he remembers that he doesn’t care.
“Tch, gonna pick that up, nerd?” He taunts, but Deku doesn’t move. He’s shaking a little, a wobbly hand reaching out to start collecting the burning debris. Deku’s lack of response pisses Katsuki off, even more so because he’s acting like he killed his puppy or something.
“Oi, loser! Answer me! What’s so important that you can’t even-” Katsuki cuts himself off as he picks up a larger chunk of the burned paper and reads it.
You’re Invited! To Izuku’s 13th birthday party!
“Huh, so you’re all upset because you can’t invite your little nerd friends to your party?” Katuski taunts, expecting some kind of rebuttal. Instead, Deku stands up, not bothering to grab the remaining burnt pieces. He turns to Katsuki with a blank expression and silent tears streaming down his face.
“Can I have that back please?” Katuski is taken aback. He just stares at Deku for a moment, confused. Why is this affecting him so much? This is like…kind of a ridiculous reaction, but Deku looks so weird that he just hands over the paper without a word.
“Thank you,” is all Deku says as he walks away, leaving Katsuki and his friends behind in shock.
—
Later that day, Katsuki’s in his room when he hears the phone ringing loudly in the kitchen and his mom’s grating voice as she answers it. This is normal, par for the course in his house, but what’s not normal is his mom switching from her loud, aggressive tone to something much softer, something Katsuki’s only ever heard when he’s really gotten hurt or when something really bad has happened.
He opens his bedroom door, walking past the kitchen towards the living room where he can listen in on the conversation without being told off for snooping.
“Inko, Inko honey slow down, what’s wrong?... Okay, and this year it’s different because…?”
Okay, so the hag is talking to Auntie and Auntie’s overreacting about something. Katsuki decides that the phone call is not worth his time and gets up to leave before he hears his mother’s voice turn worried.
“Wait really? How long has this been going on for? No, no, not the birthday thing, the All Might thing.” Birthday?…All Might?…god dammit it’s that damn nerd again. Katsuki feels his annoyance start to build before he gets a peek at his mom’s face. She seems pale and worried. She’s biting her nails which she always yells at his dad for doing and for once in her life she’s listening instead of trying to talk over Auntie.
“Okay, yeah, okay we’re coming over. No, no, please Inko, we want to. If something is wrong with Izuku, my family is going to be there for you.” God fucking dammit, great. Katsuki cannot catch a fucking break. The hag turns and sees him as she hangs up the phone.
“Brat, do you have anything you’d be willing to give away as a present? Like anything at all and I’m not really asking, I'm telling you that you need to go find something because we have to leave now. Masaru!” She’s yelling, calling for Katsuki’s dad while he sits there shocked.
“What! No, why? I’m not giving that nerd my shit why should-”
“Katsuki, it is his birthday. No one is there to celebrate, Inko is beside herself, and something is wrong with Izuku. Get your head out of your ass, find a present, and we’re leaving.” She doesn’t let him respond, calling out for his dad again as she runs upstairs to get him.
Fuck. Today is the nerd's birthday…He blew up his birthday invitations on his birthday. A pang of guilt hits Katsuki, sharp and sudden before he tamps it down. It’s not his fault no one came if the nerd was going to hand out birthday invites the day of the party. Dumb Deku should know better.
Still, not in the mood to face down his mother, he goes back to his room looking for something he could give away and not really care about. He spots an All Might figure he accidentally got a duplicate of, snatching it off his dresser and heading back out.
“Perfect,” she calls out on the way down the stairs, spotting the figure in his hand. “Throw it in here and let's go.” She shoves an old gift bag at him before rushing to put on her shoes. Katsuki grumbles but does as he’s told, a few minutes later finding himself shoved into the backseat of their car for a thankfully very short, but very fucking tense car ride.
—
When they get to Deku’s apartment Katsuki’s mom rushes them all out of the car. When the apartment door opens, Auntie Inko is standing there, looking like an absolute wreck. Her eyes are red like she’s been crying for hours and her hair is messy like she’s been running her hands through it, trying to make herself look more presentable and failing miserably. There’s an incredibly sad faded and old All Might themed “Happy Birthday” sign hanging in the living room and Deku is nowhere to be seen.
“Inko honey talk to me, tell me what’s going on.” It’s so weird seeing his mom act like this. She’s not abusive by any means, but they’re not a very lovey-dovey family. Seeing the hag dote on Auntie is off-putting.
Inko lets his mom lead her over to the couch where she sits down and starts talking, cutting herself off now and then with a sniffle. Katsuki and his dad awkwardly hover nearby, not sure what to do.
“He- he…I don’t know Mitsuki. Something…I think something happened. He just, one day he came home from school and it was like his light was- was snuffed out. He didn’t want dinner and when I tried to cheer him up with his favorite All Might movie he said he was too tired to watch it. Too tired, Mitsuki! He once stayed up for 48 hours straight watching those movies!”
The guilt and concern Katsuki’s been shoving down starts to build back up. What the hell is wrong with the nerd?
“I um…I’ve been trying to get him to eat more, maybe get him to talk, but nothing worked. I made katsudon for the last three nights and he hasn’t eaten more than a bite! I um, I send him to school with birthday invitations every year and no one ever comes but-” Katsuki cuts her off, the unfamiliar feeling of fear and worry pissing him off, coming out as anger instead of concern.
“Well, maybe you shouldn’t send him with them the day of the party! No one’s gonna come then!”
“Katsuki!” The hag scolds, but Inko just looks at him, sad and confused.
“What? I always give them to him two weeks in advance.” …What the hell? Two weeks is more than enough time, do his friends just not come?
“Are his friends busy or something?!” Katsuki yells, pissed but not knowing why. More tears well up in Inko’s eyes.
“I um…I don’t think he has any. Friends, that is…aside from you, Katsuki.”
What. The. Fuck.
That statement hits him like a punch to the gut, several things clicking into place. Of course Deku still had the invites, who is he gonna hand them out to, his bullies? Of course no one wants to come to his parties, no one even talks to him at school. He thinks for a second. Sure, he fucked up, he didn’t mean to blow his shit up on his birthday but if no one ever comes why is it such a big deal now? What the hell could’ve happened to make the nerd feel so shitty?
…Shit.
Even more pieces of the shitty puzzle start to click into place.
“Um, Auntie. When did you see that Deku- uh, um, Izuku had changed?” Katsuki cringes at the name change but his heart is pounding in his chest and he doesn’t know why. She wipes tears from her eyes, sniffling.
“Probably around a week ago? He came home, said he wasn’t hungry, didn’t want to watch the movie - I even asked him if he wanted to share some of his new notes with me, you know, the hero ones he loves so much? He said he messed up his last book and he…he was going to stop writing them for a while.”
Fuck. Holy fuck, a week ago, when he told Deku to…
“Where is he, Auntie? In his room?” Katsuki doesn’t even wait for confirmation before he bolts away, banging on Deku’s bedroom door. “Open up nerd I know you’re in there!” He yells.
After a couple of seconds, the door slowly opens, revealing a disheveled, exhausted, confused Deku.
“Kacchan?”
“Yeah…um,” Katsuki holds the gift bag out, hit with a sudden bout of awkwardness. What the hell is he supposed to do now?
“Uh…Happy birthday?”