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At the ripe old age of six years old Izuku Midoriya was the happiest man alive.
Izuku's life is put on hold until his best friend Kachan shows up. The explosive boy was his light, his sun, his favorite everything.
He only lived the time of his life when he was around the blond.
When they part, Izuku's only thought is 'I can't wait to see Kacchan again' smile beaming on his face every time the image of the other pops in his head.
The two talk about heroes all day. They run in the creek, catch frogs in nets, chase stray cats.
All the other neighborhood kids couldn't dream of being as close as the two.
Izuku loved Kacchan. That was his best friend. He doesn't know how to live without him.
They see each other at school everyday. They walk home together and run around outside the rest of the day.
Everything was always perfect.
They were going to grow up together as heroes.
Izuku was happy to be Kacchan's sidekick.
It made him jump for joy at the thought.
The blond would call him an idiot for thinking he couldn't be his own hero, not just a sidekick.
Izuku would have to go home.
His life went on pause once the other was out of sight.
Basically all memories in-between seeing his favorite person disappeared. Unless it was important hero news to talk to Kachan about.
Everything reminded him of his best friend.
Then he'd see Kacchan again the next day!
The smile never left his face.
The two would hold hands marching through school chanting made up songs for their favorite hero.
They gossiped about what their quirks would be and what the best type of hero would be.
They argued over who was the biggest fan.
Until it got heated so they both gave up.
Their parents told everyone they were inseparable on a bad day.
_______________________________________________
Izuku woke up for school and ran to his clothes.
Fumbling with his underwear and shorts. Getting his head momentarily stuck in a sleeve, before racing out of his room to his mom.
Jumping for joy to go to school.
Mama Inko still had eggs sizzling on a pan.
A warm smile washes over her features.
"Oh Izuku! You're always up so early"
She giggles covering her mouth.
"We're choosing partners today!! For posters!!"
Inko plates the egg and rice on the table.
"Mhm make sure you eat the egg white or you don't go to school today"
Izuku moans in annoyance dramatically plopping down onto Zabuton at the table.
Starting on his food quietly.
All Inko can do is feel giddy at her son wanting to go to school. He's so easy to take care of.
Izuku is dropped off at school and puts his things away looking for Kacchan's bag.
They almost always race to school, so it's rare he gets to beat him.
He goes to his seat fidgeting impatiently.
More doors open and close, more kids come in and sit down.
Then a door is slammed. Izuku straightens up eyes bouncing to the door.
Kacchan!!
The blond eyes track the little freckled boy rushing towards him. He starts walking to the cubby area.
"Kacchan Kacchan I got here early!"
The boy jumped up and down his voice squealing as he yipped.
The boy Katsuki Bakugou rolled his eyes pouting at being last to Deku.
"The stupid hag wouldn't let me leave until the old man ate his food"
They reach the cubby room yapping about All Might on tv the night before as the blond puts his stuff away.
Just like everyday Izuku reaches out for Kacchan's hand to skip to their seats.
Katsuki just like everyday grips the other hand like someone else would have stolen it if he weren't there.
Izuku yanks his hand back almost instantly.
Shouting "Yuck"
He sticks out his tongue in disgust.
Katsuki offended, shouts "What do you mean Yuck!?!"
Izuku turns his head to the side mumbling "your hand is just really sweaty and it made me feel yucky"
Katsuki balls his hands into fists about to yell the only curse he knew until it felt like something popped in his palm. Pulling the two away from whatever squabble they were about to start.
Izuku's eyes were glued to Katsuki's hand, the one that made a little crackle noise.
Both boys look at each other and back at the hand.
Slowly Katsuki squeezes his palm again.
Nothing.
Again.
Nothing.
"What the heck?" Confusion written on the green haired boys face.
While anger heats the other.
About to throw a little fit it happens again.
The pop.
This time the boy kept his fist closed and squeezed tighter.
Then there's a spark.
Izuku watches amazed.
A quirk.
Kacchan got a quirk!!!
Katsuki all but jumps for joy forcing his hands to heat up as his hand crackles and pops letting tiny sparks fall to the floor.
Sensi who was helping others unload pencils and paper rushes over.
"Wow your quirk came in, that's very good! Try not to use it in school"
More kids run over praising the blond for getting a power before anyone their age.
The small crowd made Izuku back up.
Others raced to be his friend's partner for the poster project.
Izuku worked with some girl he didn't know the name of.
The day passed slowly.
The two almost didn't talk to each other.
Kacchan's attention was stolen from Izuku.
The day ended without another glance from the blond.
They finally met up outside the building to walk home.
Izuku was as smiley as can be. His face heated up more he had goosebumps how excited he was to finally talk to Kacchan.
They could talk about his amazing quirk!
Three more kids walked home with the two.
Remaining nameless to Izuku they pushed the green haired kid to walk on the grass. The sidewalk was full.
They annoyed Izuku to no end.
They didn't even talk to him.
One look at Katsuki's face showed Izuku he was eating up all the attention.
Jealousy seized through the little boy. He could make up for all that attention by himself why wouldn't the other just look at him.
Everyone made it home the same time as every other day. Izuku was going to go out back to meet his friend, Katsuki was late.
He kicked stones and skipped rocks on the creek until the other showed.
Finally they can be alone!
It was great.
For a while all they did was talk about conspiracies for how the blonds bright and loud quirk might work.
They two excitedly rambled about how it could be from body heat, or thoughts or a food he ate.
Kacchan said his mom sweats something a lot as a quirk and his dad makes explosions!
So they decided Kachan got both powers.
They giggled about ideas for Izuku's quirk.
Levitation like his mom?
Fire breathing like his somewhat absent dad?
Both?
As the blond talked excited Izuku couldn't help but stare into his bright red ruby eyes.
They were so pretty in the sun.
Kacchan never smiled this big around the teachers or other kids.
Izuku felt special.
They sat relaxed on their arms holding them on the ground behind them.
They heard a stick break behind them. Scaring Izuku to hurriedly turn around.
It was 2 of the kids who walked home with them.
Izuku immediately frowned.
Katsuki stood up like he forgot something.
"Oh yeah! I told the losers they can hang out with us! I could show them the creek"
All Izuku could do was smile.
He would always love what Kacchan said.
Another boy shows up.
Great, it's all three who walked with them.
The entire time they were outside, the newbies hyped up Kacchan's new quirk, saying he'd be the best. Almost as good as All Might!
Katsuki heard that and halted his march through the woods. All he did was look around pretending he spotted a frog on the floor or something, then kept walking.
Izuku shouted
"No! Kacchan will be better than All Might!"
Katsuki turned and stared for a long second. Not that the others noticed.
He smiled warmly.
"Hell yeah! I'll surpass All Might!"
The night got better from there.
Izuku didn't have to pay attention to anything except Kacchan.
It's been months.
Izuku still never got his power.
His mother started to worry.
Izuku didn't wake up excited for school anymore. He kept trying to use his super powers, but nothing happened.
Mama Inko took him to a doctor.
After a short X-ray they were told he would never develop a super human ability.
He would be quirkless.
The doctor went into the logistics of the population who don't have powers and how an extra bone on his pinky toe proved to be the reason for all of the powerless people.
Izuku didn't hear one bit of it.
He sat there shocked.
He could never live his dream with Kacchan.
What would Kacchan think?!
He didn't show up at school the next day or go outside to play with the blond. Inko just left him rest.
He would tell Kacchan tomorrow, his life was over.
His mother knocked on his door.
"Izuku hunny, your friend is here. He's worried about you"
Izuku sat up quickly rubbing his snot and tears from his face. Kacchan!
"I'm not worried lady! The hag just wanted me to check on him"
The grouchy boy marched through the door and shut it angrily closing himself in Izuku's bedroom.
"What the crap is your problem? You left me outside with the extras"
Izuku only smiled, Kacchan never knew how to talk to people nicely. He could tell he tried the best he could.
To urge Izuku to continue Katsuki mentioned "I didn't tell the hag you didn't show up".
Izuku smiled. The blond always knew what to say to Izuku.
Izuku tried to avoid the other's eyes before mumbling out his reason.
"Kacchan the doctor said I'll be quirkless forever"
Katsuki sat still and quiet for a while.
"And what?! You're not sick are you?! It's not like you're dying!"
Izuku was shocked at the reaction.
His Kacchan will and has always made him feel better.
The two will be together forev-
"See his name means 'useless', 'DE-KU' "
The others laughed, Izuku cried.
Katsuki threw his bucket with Izuku's name written on it to the ground.
"Why are you being so mean Kacchan"
Izuku's fists were balled shaking in fear.
Tears and snot drooled on his shirt and dripped on his bright red shoes.
Katsuki chuckled short and mean like it was for show. "Gotta show losers like you their place in this world"
Kacchan never used names for people. It was only insults.
This was the first time he's ever referred to Izuku as anything.
Izuku wanted to hang out with his best friend still.
He doesn't know what happened.
But Kacchan was a fighter. He stopped a 3rd grader from stealing his things all by himself.
He's amazing.
Izuku saw the tears wiped away and the watery eyes when Katsuki accepted the praise from the 3 lackeys with open arms.
They didn't notice.
Years passed. It's their last year of middle school. A while ago Izuku realized he'd stop getting bullied and made fun of if he stayed out of Kacchan's way.
He could stay mad at those goons surrounding Kacchan forever. They didn't know him, they mindlessly listened and went around with all the mean things Kacchan did.
Izuku could never like them. One of the three boys who followed his explosive friend around, went missing or moved years ago.
The other two stayed and even started calling the blond 'Kacchan'.
This filled Izuku with rage.
They didn't even know the meaning behind it. They don't deserve to call him that.
But Izuku could never stay mad at Kacchan.
He still admired him at age 14. He kept notebooks of all his favorite things. He had a whole book dedicated to Kacchan.
Izuku stayed behind in class too long today.
Kacchan and his lackeys stayed behind too.
They found out Izuku still wanted to be a hero.
The teacher outed his admission letter to the whole class.
The letter to sign up to go to the hero school.
Everyone in the class laughed.
Izuku notes that the blond stayed quiet. He couldn't see his face.
He kept his head down until Katsuki slammed his hand on his desk.
"Don't even think of applying, as if they'd ever except a loser like you!"
The blond took his notebook and threw it out the window.
He started walking out of the room following his mindless drones.
But he stopped.
"Y'know if you really want to be a hero that badly, there actually might be another way.
Just pray that we will be born with a quirk in your next life, and take a swan dive off of the roof of the building"
He chuckled as his said it, avoiding eye contact.
Then he left the room.
Leaving Izuku alone.
A crying mess froze in the corner.
All he could think is
You can't just say things like that. One day I might actually listen.
Izuku wished the day would end right then and there. Too bad it didn't.
But on the other hand it's also a good thing it did.
He'd never want to re-remember what happened on his way home.
For a boy who writes everything down, he never wrote this.
Some man whose body was made of slime on the run from the police was escaping through sewers and plopped out under a bridge.
In Izuku's path.
The man started choking Izuku with his body.
Shoving as much as he could down Izuku's throat.
Izuku couldn't see, his vision was going white.
He couldn't breathe, he was going to pass out.
He would be used as a skin suit.
His favorite blond hero shows up.
His amazing smile and great attitude.
The number one hero All Might out of his super hero outfit, punched the sludge villain and put the man in a stray plastic bottle.
Izuku only realized what happened when he could breath again.
After his hero crushed his dreams telling him. "You can't be a hero without a quirk" and leaving him on the rooftop of a stranded building, All Might left.
Izuku saw another crowd form around a villain attack on his walk back.
There were murmurs of "it's holding a kid hostage!", "I hope the heroes do something soon" and "how long has he been in there".
Just because Izuku's nosey he makes his way to the front of the crowd.
It's the sludge villain!
He's about to go on his way to come to the conclusion that All Might lost the bottle when he sees a face in the sludge.
His first thought was "oh I hope they haven't been in there for long I barely lasted a minute". whoever the sludge villain had wrapped their entire body in his goo.
Then there's a light tuff of blond poking out and a scream.
KACCHAN!
He ran over to help, he threw his books to the eye in the sludge hurting the villain for a second to let his friend's mouth free to breathe.
Katsuki screamed at him to go away, because he didn't need his help.
All Izuku could do was cry as he helplessly tried to claw at the goo to get it off his friend.
The rest is history.
Luckily before they both died all might showed up and saved them and properly put the villain in custody.
Katsuki was angry Izuku thought he could help.
All Might stayed to share a secret with the green haired boy that his power wasn't his.
It can be passed down and he would give it to Izuku.
For the next year, Izuku trained day and night building up his body to have the power and make it his.
He ignored Kacchan through the rest of the year.
He tried out for the UA entrance exam The best hero school in the country. He made it to the best class and so did his friend. Who continued to give him odd looks from the background.
The first time the blond witnesses Izuku use his quirk he's shocked and angry.
Katsuki gets them alone at the end of the day and accuses the other of hiding this since he was 6 years old so that he could be better than him.
The blond has tears in his eyes and Izuku decides to ease his sadness telling him the power was given to him. That he was lying.
Izuku knew he could get in trouble from All Might if he knew he just told Kacchan part of this secret.
_______________________________________________
They're almost fully through their first school year. One of their teachers has died. Many heroes have quit. Half the classes ended up in the hospital multiple times.
They keep breaking the rules and fighting without a license.
Katsuki keeps fighting with Izuku.
The whole class knows they were caught sneaking out together.
It was a fight. They were both put on house arrests in the dorms and weren't allowed in classes.
They started to actually communicate.
Not just mindless yelling back and forth.
They started working together.
Practicing together.
Practice new fighting techniques in training.
They met up together to study.
And when Izuku ran away for those few weeks, he wrote everyone a letter, confessing he had All Might ls quirk and the villains were after it so that's why he left. To protect everyone.
Each letter was copy pasted.
Except for Katsuki's.
And when the entire class failed to convince him to come back, it was Katsuki who got him to stop running, to just listen to them.
He apologized.
For all the things he did when he was young confessed why he thought that pushing him away made him feel superior. Why he regrets pushing him away.
He explains how the reason he was last in the hospital was jumping in the way to protect him. Katsuki still has 3 stab wounds starting at his gut down to his thigh.
He says their whole lives he's looked down on him. He says you had no power you were so far behind.
But somehow to Katsuki he admits it always felt like he was ahead of him instead.
He wished the green haired boy that followed his everywhere disappeared.
He didn't want to accept him. So he bullied him. So he could feel better about himself
Katsuki admits that nothing went his way once they both made it to UA.
"This doesn't change how I feel Izuku, I'm sorry"
He continued to say Izuku over and over in his apology. How the green haired man was smart and made all the right calls. He said sees how the frekeld boy is lost right now and needs their help. Katsuki's voice cracks as he speaks.
Katsuki says everyone in the class wants to help him.
Izuku finally came home falling into Katsuki's arms.
The whole class was very close with each other. All twenty students and some in other classes.
But none of them dared come in between whatever went on between the two.
They fought the final villains.
Katsuki's heart exploded mid-fight because his quirk evolved.
A build up of his nitroglycerin sweat accumulated inside of his heart and was set off.
His last words were "can I still catch up to you Izuku"
Every time Izuku saw anyone touch Kacchan he went berserk.
He saw his favorite person's dead body surrounded by blood on the battlefield. A gaping hole through his friend's chest.
He couldn't think straight and he was mindlessly fighting until he got hurt.
Until what felt like forever, one man was using his power to use his body as a thread to sew Katsuki's heart back up.
The nitroglycerin buildup helped restart the heart.
Bringing the blond back to life and jumping to Izuku.
They both come out on top defeating their villains.
And in doing so Izuku loses his quirk.
Both of the two were in the hospital when Katsuki decides to look for Izuku.
He overhears the other talking to All Might about only having some small embers of the quirk left.
He barges in the room crying saying "so you're quirkless again?"
His voice cracks as he slowly steps closer to his friend in the hospital bed.
He confesses "I just- I hoped we could have been chasing after each other for the rest of their lives".
Katsuki just breaks down
Izuku tells him to cut it out and starts crying too.
The freckled boy easily accepted that he had no power again. He said it was the perfect glimpse of a nice dream.
Izuku barely cared that Katsuki was with him everywhere after the war. He stood and sat right next to him during graduation.
8 years later
Katsuki drove Izuku around to class meetups in his new car and would still meet up with him for occasional hikes.
Since Izuku became a teacher he'd often come in as a guest speaker. Just to see his friend again.
The green haired man was so busy all the time. Izuku told everyone else to start calling him "Deku".
So Katsuki stuck with "Izuku". It felt so much closer. Izuku never questioned it. Not the first time he heard it at the end of freshman year in highschool or any other day in the past 8 years since they graduated.
Katsuki would try and bring up a little competition sometimes. Little things like "I beat you" or " I'm a better cook".
But Izuku would only say "no Ilda(some extra) was here first" or "okay I'm sure you are."
Izuku stopped reaching out.
Stopped their little bickering.
He didn't need Katsuki anymore. He had all these friends. The whole class continued to stay in touch, everyone he talked to since highschool was still a number one contact in his phone.
Katsuki was devastated to learn how popular the nerd was. A big party with their friends and everyone only wanted to talk to him.
All the old teachers constantly talked to him during break hours in UA where he worked.
He had his students to take care of. Even All Might was an emergency contact in his phone.
Katsuki was happy he was getting all this attention. It's just there was never enough time for the two of them like there used to be.
Izuku did seem to care about them anymore.
Katsuki didn't want to admit it but Izuku is drifting away.
Since graduation eight years ago Katsuki had started a project saving up most of his money working with a girl from the support course in school and a girl he briefly met overseas who helped design All Mights costume.
He was funding a suit that was meant to imitate all of Izuku's old quirks.
So they could work together again as heroes!
Katsuki set it all up. He had it made into a suitcase that opens up into the wearable suit. And he gave it to All Might to gift to Izuku.
He thought maybe it would mean more from his childhood hero.
It just feels like Katsuki's world pauses when he's not around the green headed nerd.
He misses walking home from school everyday. He misses seeing the freckled boy everyday in class. His joyful smile always Brightened his day.
He can't stop thinking about how hard it is to go on not seeing his favorite person every day.
He misses the bickering. The hero talk. The constant praise for his work. Those beautiful green eyes staring deep into him whenever he spoke.
Like he was important.
His life feels only important when Izuku is there with him.
Katsuki yearns to be the only one Izuku hangs out with.
But there's all these other people.
When they're finally together, Izuku seems too distracted to genuinely care about what their conversations about.
Katsuki's only hope is this suit can give Izuku the dream he left behind.
Katsuki knows Izuku's always dreamed of being a hero and he knows Izuku was trying to make losing his quirk seem like nothing so he wouldn't have to mourn it.
Izuku lost the final embers years ago. With this suit they could keep chasing after each other.
That's all Katsuki wants now.
He doesn't know if that's really what Izuku wants anymore.
Katsuki's phone rings. He's in his one bedroom flat apartment, finishing paper work for new interns. He keeps turning them down.
He reaches for his phone on the end table and reads the name. 'Nerd 💚'
Katsuki hurries to answer, putting his phone on speaker.
"Hey zuku what you need?"
He leans back in his chair waiting for a response.
"Kacchan! I just got your gift!! It's so- I don't ev-"
Katsuki shouts, cutting him off.
"It's not just my gift looser, most of the class pitched in on it".
He rolls his eyes, assuming Izuku must've just ignored All Might's speech when he gave him the gift.
"Right, sorry. But Kacchan I'm- I'm on my way to you."
Shocked, Katsuki stared blankly long enough at his phone for the other to question if he was still there.
"Why the hell r’ya comin here for!?"
"I just this is so exciting!! I wanna know everything about the suit and I wanna sign up for work hours with you!"
Katsuki didn't expect that.
"Right.. see ya then".
"Ok bye Kaccha-"
Katsuki hung up.
He puts his hands on his head in disbelief.
It worked! The suit worked!
They can finally be together everyday.
His life is fixed.
His favorite person is coming to see him just because.
They get to work together everyday!
Katsuki stands up just to sit down again. He doesn't know what to do. He's thrilled!
In only around ten minutes there's a hurried knocking at his door.
He shouts out an "Alright Alright I'm coming calm down".
He opens the door to be treated with a big strong hug.
Katsuki's not a very touchy person.
He likes his personal space.
But he'll let his hug sit for a few more seconds.
He wraps his arms around Izuku's back under his shoulders.
Careful not to be too close or clingy. Like tucking his head into Izuku's neck. He just got him back , he's not chasing him away.
Once Izuku pulls away he smiles warmly staring into Katsuki's eyes and says "Thank you Kacchan I love the suit".
Katsuki tries not to smile too warmly. Instead a cocky smile overtakes his features, a classic he goes with almost every time.
Katsuki steps aside gesturing for Izuku to come in and he does.
Maneuvering the suitcase (full of a something billion yen suit) to his other hand away from the blond. Izuku reaches out for Katsuki's hand and leads the way to the dining room.
Shoes left behind in the genkan he practically prances inside.
"My hands not too sweaty for you?"
Izuku makes a sound akin to a giggle in his 24 year old age and replies
"You're funny Kacchan! You know I love holding your hand!"