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Katsuki sat down on the curb near the bus. Today was Saturday, but the cleanup in Shizuokua was still going on, and his class ended up volunteering even though school was out. That was just fine with Katsuki. He'd finally been medically cleared to use his quirk, at least with his left hand, if he didn't fly around. He got to spend all day blasting large pieces of rubble into manageable bits. Now he was both tired and self-satisfied.
"So are you planning to camp there?" Jirou said.
Katsuki glanced around—Iida had finally arrived. He was standing near the open bus doors, arm flailing.
Without using his arms or quirk, Katsuki sprung to his feet. It was a simple move, the kind of thing anybody with a basic level of fitness could pull off. But the second he pulled it, the edges of Katsuki's vision went black and fuzzy, an evil vignette.
"Please board in an orderly manner!" Iida was somehow still shouting.
Because he wasn't a total idiot, Katsuki sat down again.
"Are you—actually camping there?" Sero said. He looked about three seconds from laughing. "Buddy, Iida will kill you."
Jirou crouched beside him. She at least looked focused.
"Give me a snack," Katsuki said. The closest thing he could compare this feeling to was exercising too early in the morning, without a good enough breakfast.
"Hey, Uraraka!" Jirou shouted.
Some of their classmates looked away from Iida, murmuring. Uraraka didn't run over.
A bus window opened, and Hagakure stuck her head out. Well, probably. "She's in here already!"
Katsuki finally realied where Jirou was going with this. "I can walk." He was pretty sure he could walk. He didn't want Uraraka floating him again, making a scene.
"How many fingers am I holding up?" Kaminari said.
"Less than ten if you don't shut up," Katsuki snapped, not even looking.
Somebody walked over quickly, footsteps just slightly too hard. Katsuki tensed, sure it was Uraraka. He glanced up, ready to chew her out. She could take it.
"Hey man," Kirishima said, holding out his arm, "Need a hand?"
Katsuki grabbed on, and Kirishima hauled him up. Standing still made him lightheaded, but this way, it wasn't nearly as bad.
"Let's board," Jirou said, the signal that she'd heard his vitals, that she thought he was fine enough to ride back to U.A..
Kirishima flung an arm across Katsuki's shoulders. It must have looked casual, but Katsuki could feel the way his hand tightened under his armpit, ready to bear weight.
Katsuki walked with him to the bus, not resisting. This was the most dignified exit he was going to get.
When he crested the stairs and started down the center aisle, every eye was tracking him, though some people were doing a better job of hiding it than others.
"Would you all calm down?" Katsuki yelled.
Beside him, Kouta put his hands over his ears. Katsuki closed his eyes. Sorry, Kouta.
"Kacchan," Deku blurted. His stupid high tops squeeked as he stood up, trying to balance in the narrow spot between seats.
Katsuki opened his eyes again and was pleased to discover that his prediction of Deku's movements had been spot on.
"Hah?" Katsuki said, mouth pulling wide at one corner.
Deku just kept staring at him, eyes wide and wobbly. He was distinctly not following Katsuki's single clear instruction.
"So maybe I overdid it," Katsuki admitted. It was obvious—Kirishima was still half-holding him up. "That's not anything you fools haven't pulled. Stop acting like—
Time started slowing down, the split second before a crisis, the beginning of a fight. Deku's eyes were getting wider, his shoulders going rigid. He'd been there in the brief span where Katsuki should have been, but wasn't.
"Like complete morons," Katsuki finished. Then he shuffled forward, looking for the closest empty seat.
Kirishima got dragged along. As he passed Deku, he said quietly, "Jirou thinks he's fine."
"I'm right here," Jirou said, cresting the front steps.
Katsuki dropped out of Kirishima's hold and onto the bench behind Deku. He moved to scoot over and his hand hit against somebody's leg.
"Yes?" Shinsou said, one eyebrow raised.
Katsuki glowered. He didn't mind sitting next to Shinsou, but he was afraid Kirishima might blow a gasket.
"Hurry up," Aizawa Sensei annouced from the front, one hand waving limply.
That was all the warning they got before the bus jolted forward. Kirishima fell, caught himself on the seat back, and ran farther down the aisle so he wouldn't be blocking the way. Deku sat down quickly but turned around in his seat.
"Don't worry," Shinsou said. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes, ready to take a nap, "I'll make him sit still."
"Hah?" Katsuki blurted, leaning forward into his personal space, "Say that again?"
Shinsou openeded one eye. "Did I stutter?"
"You—" Katsuki started, and then his mind glazed over. His body leaned back to sit normally in the chair.
"Shinsou," Deku said, still twisting to look back at them, "You don't—have to do that. Kacchan is smart about his health."
Next to Deku, Uraraka turned around too, smiling so hard her eyes squinted. "I think he kind of deserves it!"
"Well, yeah," Deku said, fingers tightening on the seat back cushion, "But—"
Shinsou dropped his quirk. Instantly, Katsuki moved to grab him by the collar. His right arm flopped vaguely in Shinsou's direction, anticlimactic.
"Look," Shinsou said, eyes still closed, "I have no idea what you did to yourself or what the remedy is. If you make Midoriya worry, he'll wake me up from my nap."
Katsuki didn't respond, both because he wasn't stupid enough to fall for the the same thing twice and because he didn't disagree. Instead, he reached around Deku's seat and grabbed his gaudy yellow backpack by the top loop.
Deku just sat there and watched him drag it away.
In the outside pocket, Katsuki found what he was looking for—a protein bar. He ripped the top open with his teeth, peeled the wrapper back, and took a giant bite.
"I have water too," Deku said, sounding happier than before he got robbed. What a moron.
Katsuki nodded anyway.