Chapter Text
This was undoubtedly one of the most unusual hero ranking presentations ever, as never before had not one, but two heroes risen so quickly in the rankings.
Rising from the ashes—as many commented—the great hero Dynamite had returned to the rankings after falling in the rankings in recent years, managing to move from 16th to 5th place in just six months. For much of the community, it was a real mystery how he had changed so much in those months to rise in such a way, but for others, the reason that led Dynamite to be in the race again was obvious.
Ahead of Dynamite in 4th place is the great hero of One for All, Deku. There were no mysteries or doubts on the part of the community. It was easy to understand the love and support for the great hero who had saved everyone during the great war. After several years away from the courts, his return caused a furor and unconditional support, which led him to reach 4th place in just 6 months. Even taking into account that he is still fulfilling his duties as a teacher, the odds are that he will soon reach the number one spot.
For many, it was evident that the fact that both heroes rose in rank at the same time could not be a mere coincidence. Many theories about their relationship and mutual support as colleagues filled the networks: “battle companions who continue to support each other,” ‘they develop improvements to Deku's hero suit together.’ Some less positive theories mention that Dynamite only rode on Deku's coattails, but he was overshadowed by all of Bakugou's work in recent months.
They had obviously risen in rank together, working as colleagues and rivals at the same time, but then why did Deku still refuse to be in Bakugou's agency? Todoroki asked his friend Midoriya directly, who laughed nervously as he drank his usual coffee at the Soul café, his favorite place to stop by before work.
—It's complicated to explain, Shoto, but it's just a medical issue, you know, the doctor's recommendation
Todoroki didn't seem entirely happy with the answer, but something might make sense. —Well, I guess working with Bakugou could give you a heart attack one of these days. Even though we have good chemistry in battle, I don't think I could work at his agency either. His public relations team works day and night.
Besides, any sane doctor would recommend not being in the same agency as Bakugou, especially in Izuko's case, who, despite having her new suit, was still in great danger in battle because she didn't have a quirk. It would be best to participate in less dangerous missions, and with Dynamite, they were always dangerous missions, explosions, collapsed buildings, fires, etc., nothing good for Deku, who was just getting the hang of his new suit.
—But he's been doing really well lately, you saw that the results were reflected in the rankings, Kacchan is... —Deku paused wistfully, which went unnoticed by Todoroki. —Kacchan is great.
The conversation about the new rankings continued calmly. Shoto assured Deku that he would soon take his place, even Mirio's first place, but Deku just smiled and shook his head, knowing that it would be difficult to achieve. Shortly after, they said goodbye and went about their day, Todoroki to Endeavor's agency and Deku to UA. He didn't have classes in the morning, so he had time for a good chat with his friend.
Deku's doctor's real instructions were: don't work with Dynamite, don't associate with Dynamite, don't watch Dynamite content, stay as far away from Dynamite as possible. However, for Deku, this was impossible, especially after being able to become a hero again and regain his dream thanks to him. He's not really sure if he ever really tried to follow those instructions.
A small cough shook the hero's body, interrupting his train of thought. He brought his hand to his mouth before the reason why he should stay away from Bakugou became obvious to the public: a small red petal was peeking out from between his lips.
So mysterious to current technology, it is not known for certain how or when it originated, whether it is really a disease, a curse, or the result of the misuse of some gift. Hanahaki, a condition that causes different types of flowers to grow inside people, a gradual and beautiful floral growth that steals the life of those who suffer from it until they die, people with the pain of having a strong feeling that is not accepted, being rejected or cast aside by a loved one, the curse of unrequited love.
For many, it is a poetic, dramatic, cruel, and unjust death; for others, it grants rest and liberation to those who no longer want to carry the weight of their feelings. Some of the few ancient texts mention an anonymous phrase that said:
“No one deserves to live with this pain.”
There was much discussion around this phrase. Did it refer to the symbolic pain of being rejected or the literal pain caused by the disease? Was the disease really a benevolent and self-sacrificing solution to end the uncomfortable situation of unrequited love? If you truly love that person, it would be best not to bother them with these feelings and disappear for good, or is it just a selfish solution to escape the problem and not have to face the reality of being rejected and living with that burden? The discussion was endless and without any indication of an absolute truth.
As Deku hid the petal in his pocket, he recapitulated again why he should not be near Bakugou. Since his first symptoms appeared a year after graduating, he had been seeing the best specialist in the region for this strange condition. It was not really a big mystery who was causing the problem; Deku had known for a long time.
His feelings for his childhood friend, study partner, sparring partner, and fellow hero were clearly the cause of his problem. He didn't know exactly when he became aware of it, but it was probably the same feelings he had had since the moment they met, feelings that had grown stronger over the years. During his days at UA, he was very busy training and studying, with what happened during the war, he only focused on overcoming everything that he, as a simple teenager, had had to overcome. It was not until he was mature enough that he was able to decipher the true meaning of his feelings, unfortunately.
There is a cure, yes, but not for him. If you have hanahaki, you can undergo an operation that removes all memories and emotions of that person, so there is no reason for the disease to continue to grow and it disappears. But for Deku, removing the memories of that person means losing memories of his entire life, what he learned over the years, his childhood and adolescence. It was practically impossible to remove so much information because he would be left with a huge void. The operation was completely unfeasible.
So, with no possible solution to his condition, he decided to live each day alongside his loved ones and do what he enjoyed: being a teacher and now fulfilling his dream of being a hero. Luckily, medicine was very advanced and there were very good treatments for hanahaki, allowing him to live a relatively long life.
The only ones who knew about this were his mother, All Might, and Aizawa, the latter helping him by covering for him on occasions with his problems at UA.
His only request was clear: when he died, they had to lie and say that old war wounds had led to his death. Above all, Kacchan must never know the truth, ever.
Shortly after, Deku was already in the teachers' lounge preparing for his classes when one of the teachers from the general section entered with a bouquet of poppy flowers in her hands. She seemed to be blushing a little, and some cheerful cheers rang out from his classmates. Perhaps those flowers were a gift from a suitor.
Izuku drifted off into his own thoughts for a moment; how beautiful mutual love is, seeing other people enjoy love was painful and refreshing at the same time, it was a relief that she didn't have to suffer as he did.
He approached and, upon seeing the flowers more closely, a torrent of thoughts and analysis sprang to his mind, as when he analyzed a gift.
—Oh, they're poppies. If you make an infusion with their petals, you'll get a powerful medicine that helps with insomnia. If you macerate them in a mortar first, you'll get even better results. Also, adding a couple of tablespoons of…
—Midoria-san, slow down, I don't understand,” the other teacher interrupted him sweetly. ”I didn't know you knew so much about herbology or medicine.
Deku abruptly stopped his train of thought. His colleague was right; he knew absolutely nothing about herbology or the medicinal properties of plants. However, why did he have an image in his mind of poppy petals on a table along with several other ingredients? He could also clearly identify that those were his scarred hands manipulating the herbs.
The bell rang, pulling him out of his thoughts, and he decided it was something to worry about later. His confusion and curiosity about what had just happened were great, but his responsibility to his students was his priority. It was time to start class.
The afternoon passed quietly, and when the bell rang, his students began to leave class, politely greeting their mentor and the pile of papers on his desk. Izuku looked at his documents and remembered the poppy flowers. He shook his head a little and thought it would be a good idea to stay in the classroom filling out his forms and reviewing his students' exams. There were too many papers, and he didn't feel like taking them home, so he ended up staying longer at the UA.
Time flew by as he worked on the paperwork, and before he knew it, it was nighttime. He stretched a little in his chair and then rested his head on a pile of papers. Just a little break wouldn't hurt, and in a matter of seconds, he fell asleep.
The vivid images of his hands plucking the poppy petals returned, and now his surroundings were more visible. He was inside a greenhouse full of plants of all types, colors, and above all, aromas. Inside the greenhouse was a small laboratory filled with instruments for preparing medicines.
—I'm sure this opium infusion will help the guard at the north gate sleep better at night. I should also hurry up with the anti-inflammatory for the lady at the bakery. Her joint pain is getting worse. I must have some arnica around here— The sound of someone approaching from behind caught his attention.
—Hi, Izu, I brought you your favorite grass,— Bakugou smiled as he shook some plants in front of Deku.
It was Kachan, right? But his clothes were strange. He was wearing a costume straight out of a fantasy play: dark pants, a brown vest that didn't really cover anything, a long plush cape, gray boots, and even some pointed earrings. Despite his strange appearance, Deku wasn't confused. On the contrary, seeing him enter only filled his body with warmth.
—Thanks, Kacchan, you're the best.
—Whatever you want, Izu— Bakugou replied, now only inches away from Deku. Their intimate proximity wasn't uncomfortable; it was warm and comforting.
—Go home. I won't let you spend the whole night doing your weird mixes and nerdy stuff again. I'll take you home. Put on your coat; those clothes aren't going to help you outside at this hour.
This comment caused Izuku to look down at his own clothes: blue pants, a green vest over a white shirt, red shoes, and many pieces of plants stuck to the fabric.
—Also, shake yourself off, you have plant debris all over your body— He took a small piece of leaf from Izuku's hair and walked toward the door.
—Look at the time.
—But the arnica, I need it for the lady.
—Deku, the time... hey, are you listening, nerd?
The image of the greenhouse gradually distorted as Bakugou's voice changed from an affectionate tone to a somewhat annoyed one.
—Nerd, look at the time, Deku, wake up already.
With a heavy sigh, Deku lifted his face from the desk, a leaf still stuck to his cheeks. —But the arnica, Kachan, the arnica...
—Arnica, what are you talking about, nerd?“
—And your cape, Kacchan?”
—Deku...— Bakugou's voice took on a somewhat concerned tone. —Hey, you overexerted yourself again. Are you feeling okay?
The sound of Bakugou's boots jumping out of the window woke Deku completely, bringing him back to reality.
—Kacchan, you came in through the window again. Look how dirty it is. What are you doing at school?
—That's what I'm asking you. I stopped by your apartment when I got off patrol and you weren't there, so I came to look for you. I wanted to take a quick shower before going back to my apartment.
The part about stopping by Izuku's apartment to take a shower was true, but the part about going to his own apartment afterwards was not so true.
That was the kind of thing the doctor warned him not to do. The closer he was to the trigger for hanahaki, the worse it would get, but Deku never listened after all, it had taken them years to rebuild this kind of close friendship. They both spent time at each other's apartments, having dinner together after a mission, watching reports about their fellow heroes, making improvements to Izuku's suit, training, etc. Deku wasn't worried because the treatment kept the symptoms of hanahaki at bay most of the time.
He had everything and at the same time he had nothing. He sat next to him but couldn't touch him. They talked for hours but couldn't express his feelings. They often slept in the same apartment, but never in the same room. He had everything, but he had nothing.
—Sorry, Kacchan, I ran out of time. You know how I am. —He stood up while stretching a little. —Wait for me downstairs, I'll almost catch you.
—Whatever you say, nerd.
For a brief moment, Deku's vision shifted from seeing the classroom to seeing Bakugou, still in his hero suit, but standing in the middle of the Greenhouse he saw in his dreams. A small pain in his temple caught Deku, who put his hand to his head. But this vision only lasted a few seconds, and instantly he changed back from the Greenhouse environment to the classroom they were in.
—Hey, nerd, are you okay?— Bakugou approached in seconds and took him by the shoulders.
But his touch wasn't gentle like the Bakugou he had seen in the greenhouse. It wasn't confident and loving. It was insecure and nervous, as if he were afraid to touch him. Why couldn't they be like that? He had only had a strange dream for a few minutes, but it had felt so real, and now he desperately longed for Bakugou to approach him more affectionately. He needed his love. What a grave mistake.
The feeling of blockage in his throat pulled him from his thoughts, and he began to cough. Fear took hold of Deku at that moment. If he coughed up a single petal in front of Bakugou, it would be the end of him.
Bakugou, even more nervous, lightly squeezed Deku's shoulder.
—Nerd, breathe, come on, breathe. Where's your medicine?— he looked frantically at the desk.
Deku pointed with one hand at his backpack hanging on the desk while desperately covering his mouth with the other. Bakugou ran and shoved his hands in the various bags while searching for the blue bottle he was already familiar with.
—You're careless. I bet you haven't taken your medicine because you were doing paperwork— He pulled out the bottle. —Take it quickly.
But under Deku's hand were two petals. —Water, in my backpack— he coughed again.
—You're a…
He searched through the bags again, giving Deku a few seconds to remove the petals from his mouth and stuff them into his pants pocket, saving him from being discovered for now. He drank his medicine and slowly regained his breathing.
—Those supposed allergies of yours are getting worse. You should change doctors or get yourself checked out more thoroughly.
—Don't worry, Kacchan. They only get worse during the season. Let's go home. You need that bath.
Not entirely convinced, they walked to Deku's apartment. It was close to UA, making it easy to get to work. Once home, they both talked while Bakugou towel-dried his hair.
—Are you saying that cases of people with altered powers started to increase?— Deku looked at him from the other armchair in the small living room.
—Yes, and it's becoming a real headache. We still don't know how or why it happens. We only know that some people begin to exhibit superhuman strength or powers unrelated to their gifts. They go crazy and destroy everything in their path. Then their bodies collapse, and the worst part is that they don't remember anything. What a damn convenient cliché
—You don't think it's something like what happened that time, you know the Nomus.
—I don't think so— he removed the towel from his spiky hair. —Their bodies aren't modified in a horrific way; they remain exactly the same. For now, all we have is this: look.
He took out his phone and showed Deku a map of the city. —The sightings have been in these places— He pointed with his finger at some sections of the city.
—Some commercial areas, others residential, a park; None of them have anything to do with each other. The only thing we have is that they usually happen on Mondays or Fridays.
Deku stared thoughtfully for a few minutes until he noticed something and his expression changed.
—What did you see, nerd?
—Kacchan, do you know the new recycling points in the city? Paper recycling is collected at those very locations. It's a new project that only collects paper in certain parts of the city. My students had a recycling assignment, so…
—Wait, wait. Do you know what days that recycling truck comes by?
—Mondays and Fridays...— Bakugou stood up abruptly.
—You're a fucking genius nerd— He ran over and grabbed his keys. —There's a theory that this could be caused by some drug.
He put on his boots. —If so, it could be delivered to that supposed recycling truck. The incidents occurred on Mondays and Fridays at those very same locations.
Deku was already walking towards Bakugou. —We need to send someone to monitor the route and investigate the company. We need to set up 24-hour surveillance and,— but Bakugou stopped him just as Deku was about to grab his shoes.
—Stop right there, nerd. I'll go get it. You're going to sleep. I remind you that not even an hour ago you stopped breathing for a few seconds.
—But...
—But nothing, Deku.— A mixture of fear and doubt spread across Bakugou's face. —You look worse every time. Please, Izuku, stay and rest tonight. I'll just keep some information and ask for reports.
Poor Deku was completely disarmed after hearing his name come out of a worried Bakugou, even after having improved their relationship Bakugou never called him by his first name, it was not something that bothered him, the nickname Deku had stopped having a negative meaning for both of them.
—Um me, but you, it's just that...— the babbling interrupts what he tries to say and a strong blush rises to his cheeks causing a strange laugh in Bakugou.
—O-okay, but just because it's only to inform the planning people, don't think I'll walk away from this case, I'm already in— Deku pointed at him with his nervous and still blushing finger.
Bakugou smiled satisfied. —I didn't expect less from you Deku, now you— he took the hand Deku was pointing at him with, caressed his knuckles and pressed it gently —go rest— And without giving him time to answer, he walked out the door, leaving Deku trembling slightly.
The tingling in his hand was still present. He gently lowered himself until he was sitting on the floor as he watched his hand, and once again, strange images returned to his head.
This time they were in a silent forest. Bakugo held his hand just as he had been holding it inside Deku's apartment. But now Bakugou pulled his hand in a gentle, loving motion until his lips touched Deku's knuckles, leaving a small, chaste kiss.
Everything was beautiful. A cool breeze touched them, the feeling of being loved, the warmth of his hands. But it was only seconds before he felt the sensation of drowning. Deku shook his head, returning to reality as he clutched his chest with his hands. He coughed and coughed until several petals began to come out in a tangle of blood that fell to the floor. After expelling them, his breathing became somewhat regular, but his throat hurt a lot; it was the first time it had happened so badly.
Exhausted, he fell to the floor, trying to analyze what had happened that day. He could no longer say it was something simple. Was it another symptom of hanahaki? He was sure it wasn't something he'd previously experienced, but possibly the illness was causing him to hallucinate, making him see what he was missing out on because of his misfortune of not being reciprocated.
—I thought I had it under control. I thought I was used to Kacchan's presence. I was sure being by his side would be enough— A few small tears welled up in his eyes.
—Why can't I have him? That affection I saw in those strange images, that warmth. I love her, I really love her…
The sob that escaped his throat only worsened his physical and emotional pain. Wrapped up in his whirlwind of emotions, he didn't realize that he had clearly just received a sample of that affection from Bakugou, but he couldn't handle it all, not at that moment.
After several minutes or hours of crying, he wiped his face to stand up. He had to clean everything in case Bakugou came back and had to give explanations he didn't want to give, or maybe he did. In the morning, he had to call the doctor for an urgent appointment.
The next day, he stopped by his favorite coffee shop again for his coffee. After a long night, he desperately needed caffeine. Upon entering, he ran into a woman who, upon seeing him, began to look him up and down openly, making him a little uncomfortable. This lasted for a few minutes until the owner of the coffee shop interrupted them.
—Mom, what have I told you about analyzing the customers? That's why I never bring you to the cafe. Sorry, Midoriya-san, my mother only
—Shh, this time is important— the woman leaned even closer to Deku, her smile widening —It's incredible, this is so hard to see, your boy. Oh, this is magnificent.
—S-sorry— Deku took a step back.
—Mom, not right now— he tried to pull the woman away, but to no avail.
—Nice to meet you. My name is Shizue, and I have a gift that allows me to see the state of people's souls. And you, strange young man, have a soul as old as few I've seen, which means that your soul—no, you—are going through your second life