Chapter Text
2 years ago...
It had been a warm summer, and that particular day was hotter than most. While all the other kids were sweltering in their classrooms, Katsuki Bakugo and Izuku Midoriya were cooling off at the pool. When Izuku had left home that morning, he'd found Kacchan waiting for him outside - dressed not in his school uniform, but in an indigo t-shirt, black bathing shorts and a pair of sunglasses. He looked so cool! Izuku had tried to protest, but Kacchan had thought of everything. "Besides," he had said, shoving a bag with a towel and swimming gear into Izuku's arms, "do you really think anyone is gonna fucking care if the two Quirkless kids don't show up?" He had then given Izuku his biggest and most mischievous grin, and just said, "Let's go, nerdface!"
They arrived just after the pool had opened. Izuku had been worried that they wouldn't be let in, but he needn't have been. The guy working the gate was sweltering too - uncomfortable and bored - and so long as they paid, then he didn't give a damn what two 13-year-olds did with their time. Izuku got changed quickly; then he and Kacchan looked at each other, grinned, then ran at the pool, whooping as they launched themselves into the water.
They had the place to themselves, and what freedom it was! Izuku hadn't felt this relaxed and happy in long time; because in a world where Quirkless people were ignored at best, and actively hated at worst, it was rare for them to be able to do anything without having to look over their shoulder. They spent the best part of an hour-and-a-half jumping, swimming, splashing, diving and roughhousing in the water before they felt it was time for a break. They bought two ice-creams (Kacchan had a fistful of notes in his bag; when Izuku had asked where the money came from, he had merely lowered his sunglasses to the tip of his nose, gazed at Izuku, and then winked), which they ate sitting on the side of the pool with their legs dangling in the water. Izuku had happily babbled about heroes and Quirks and villains, Kacchan listening the whole time with a knowing smile. After a while a comfortable silence had descended on them, and they merely sat on the edge of the pool, leaning back with their arms splayed out behind them, warming themselves in the sun.
After a time, Izuku snuck a glance over at Kacchan next to him. He had his eyes closed, face towards the sun, a tiny smile on his lips. He looked so peaceful. Without intending to, Izuku let his gaze slide down to Kacchan's chest, glistening in the light. He felt his own chest tighten, his heart suddenly trying to escape from his ribcage. He looked away quickly.
He'd suspected for a while, of course, that his feelings for Kacchan ran deeper than just friendship. But here, on this perfect day, when it was just the two of them and the outside world could be forgotten... it suddenly became crystal clear. He liked Kacchan.
Like... 'like'-liked him.
Oh wow.
He glanced back over at his friend. He was sure it had somehow gotten hotter, and his mouth felt like it was full of cotton wool. He looked down and noticed now; the way they were sitting, with their arms splayed out behind them... Kacchan's hand was only a few centimetres from his own. Izuku gulped. He would only have to move his fingers, really, and they'd be touching...
He lifted his pinky and ringfinger, just to see how it felt. Even just doing that sent a shock through his body. He glanced up again at Kacchan, still sitting there, eyes closed and smiling into the sun, noticing nothing. Izuku swallowed again. Maybe he was brave enough...
There came a sudden commotion from the gate of the pool. The guy working there, he was running at them, waving his arms and yelling. They had to get out of here, a villain was attacking. What? Izuku looked around, suddenly hearing crashing and screaming not far away. He turned to Kacchan who was already on his feet, a tense look on his face and his hand stretched out towards Izuku.
"Izuku. We need to go."
They grabbed their stuff and ran, heading through the gate of the pool just as a crowd of terrified people surged down the small street. Kacchan grabbed his hand as the people swarmed around them, but the pressure from the crowd was too much. Izuku felt their fingers slip apart as he was carried into a side street, Kacchan's face - eyes wide and teeth gritted together - disappearing from view. Izuku tried to get some of the people around him to tell him what was going on, but no-one was listening. All he heard was something about a 'sludge monster', and then excited chatter about the heroes being on their way. He heard someone say that Kamui Woods was coming! And Backdraft! Izuku elbowed his way through the crowd, which had now stopped surging, and took cover in a narrow doorway.
He had to find Kacchan. They should just go home. But the chance to see real heroes in action... Izuku started muttering to himself. If he caught up with Kacchan and they were real careful, they could follow the sounds of the fighting and find where the villain was. After that, so long as they kept behind cover they should be able to watch without too many problems. Kacchan would tell him he was being stupid. But Izuku also knew that his friend would come with him if he asked him to. Izuku made up his mind. He slipped out of the doorway, and - listening for sounds of where the villain might be - darted away.
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Katsuki had tried to hold on, he really had, but the crowd had been too strong and they'd been pulled apart. He ran through the streets, frantically searching for his friend. Izuku was clever, he would know that the smart thing would be to head for home. But Izuku also loved heroes, and Katsuki had a heavy sense of dread in the pit of his stomach - that green-haired little nerd was probably trying to sneak back around to watch the fight. And he was probably just going to get himself hurt.
So fucking typical for shit like this to happen. Stupid Quirked assholes, couldn't they just fuck off somewhere else? It had been so close at the pool! He'd felt Izuku checking him out, had been watching him out of the corner of his eye through half-closed eyelids. When he'd realised what was going on, his whole body had started to tingle. He'd been hoping, hoping that his friend might feel the same way as he did. He'd wanted to grab his hand, grab it and tell him how he felt, but he'd pretended like he didn't know what was going on. He smiled ruefully as he ran. Kind, cautious Izuku... that was going to be Katsuki's first gift to him - letting Izuku make the first move.
He turned blindly into a side-street, too occupied with his thoughts to really pay attention to where he was heading. That's why he didn't see it until it was too late, squelching out of an alleyway right in front of him. A giant humanoid pile of sludge, suddenly looming over Katsuki with desperation in its eyes.
"Yes! Yes, you'll do! C'mere kid!"
Katsuki stood there, unable to move, the realisation of what was happening freezing him in place. The sludge creature broke over him like a wave, enveloping him in slimy, stinking darkness.
"Sorry kid, but I need a body to get outta here. Just relax, it'll be over much quicker."
Katsuki felt the sludge tighten around him, felt it start to force itself into his mouth and nose, trying to press down his throat and strangle him. And it hurt, the pain was excruciating. He fought, fought as hard as he could, kicking and struggling but could make no headway. For a brief moment he felt the sludge creature pause, thought he heard it cursing, the voice sounding faraway.
"No Quirk? God-fucking-dammit! Argh, no time, no time... he'll have to do!"
Time slowed to a crawl, each passing minute seeming like hours. He continued to struggle, breaking the surface of the creature now and again, snatching a desperate breath. The sludge swirled and crawled around him and in him, and he caught glimpses of the surroundings.
A burning building.
A terrified crowd.
A couple of heroes, hanging back, looks of horror and desperation on their faces.
A flash of green.
And then Izuku was there, throwing his bag and then launching himself at the creature. Scrabbling and tearing and kicking and clawing at the villain, and at Katsuki, desperately trying to free him. He was in a frenzy, his eyes filled with terror, screaming "KACCHAN!" over and over and over. The villain, surprised by the ferocity of Izuku's attack, momentarily forgot about Katsuki, allowing him to vomit out some of the sludge and take a deep breath. But Katsuki knew it was futile. No-one cared if they lived or died. They were two Quirkless losers - they couldn't save themselves, and no more help was coming. At least, thought Katsuki, at least we're together, at the end.
Then, just as the world around him started to go black, he heard something. Out on the very edges of his perception... a booming voice, and laughter. Then suddenly a thunderclap and a tremendous wind... and he was free.
He lay on his back in the street, shuddering with shock and the mere effort of breathing. His vision swam, and he only remembered snatches of what followed. Blue flashing lights; that same, booming voice; emerald green eyes, filled with tears; the stench of smoke and sludge. And through it all, the entire time, a warm and gentle rain on his face. Rain, on the sunniest day of the year.
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He spent a week at the hospital, the first few days in and out of consciousness. His memories of those days were hazy - lots of doctors and nurses whose faces blended together and who he never recognised. They told him later that it was All Might who'd saved them, who had been nearby thanks to pure coincidence. He'd punched that slimy piece of shit so hard that he fucking made it rain. If Katsuki tried hard, he could remember flashes of a blonde giant of a man with a broad smile, but nothing more. It was a shame he never got to say thank you. Izuku had been there too, sometime during those first couple of days. He had held Katsuki's hand and stroked his hair, whispering 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry' over and over. Damn nerd, Katsuki had thought, always apologising for shit that isn't your fault. On the third morning he was properly awake, and had started eating again. His parents came that afternoon, his mom yelling at him for an hour straight while his dad paced up and down at the end of his bed.
"What the HELL were you thinking?! You could have gotten Izuku killed! Not to mention skipping out on school! That was your brilliant idea, I suppose?! Well, I can tell you that Mr. Okamoto has been informed and there will be fucking repercussions, Katsuki!"
And on and on. Until Auntie Inko came.
There was a knock at the door and she came in, smiling briefly at him before turning to his mom. "Mitsuki! I could hear you halfway down the corridor. Don't you think he's been through enough?" His mom burst into tears and ran to her friend, and they hugged for what seemed like an age. Inko pulled gently away, stroking his mom's cheek tenderly with her hand, and then looked at all three of them in turn, asking if she could have a few moments alone with Katsuki. His parents exchanged confused looks, but nodded and left the room. Inko moved a chair over to sit beside him, and took one of his hands in hers, smiling. She asked him how he was, if they were treating him well, if he needed anything. They spoke for a few minutes, and then she paused and looked out the window, turning back to Katsuki with an odd look on her face. The she dropped the fucking bombshell.
"Katsuki, I... well, I never thought I'd ever say this to anyone, but... Izuku has manifested a Quirk!"
What?
Her eyes probed him, looking for a reaction, her voice hopeful. "We, uh, we don't know much about it yet. The doctors think it must have something to do with the fight against the sludge villain... either the sludge itself, or just the whole situation, that it triggered something. Awakened something. They don't know what the Quirk does, but... it seems quite powerful."
No. Please... no!
"That's why he hasn't been here at the hospital... he's being checked over at another facility. He's so excited, Katsuki! He wanted me to come here and let you know, but he's so excited to tell you himself!"
Katsuki couldn't believe it. Izuku had a Quirk? He... he'd become one of THEM? After everything Katsuki had been through, the only thing that was going to happen was that he was going to be even more alone than before? It boiled up within him, and a sob broke from his lips, tears slowly running down his face.
Poor Inko. She completely misread his tears, and started crying too. "Oh Katsuki! I know! It's a miracle! My little Izuku, his dream is coming true - he might get to be a hero after all!" She hugged him then, and they sobbed together, her tears of joy blinding her to Katsuki's despair. After a minute or so she stood up and dried her face, saying that she had to go, and promising that she would send Izuku over as soon as she could. Giving him one last happy smile, she left.
Katsuki sat in his bed, and felt his world slowly crumbling around him.
He was unresponsive the following days. He refused to eat, barely slept. The doctors were worried; his mom stopped yelling. Then on the sixth day, his parents came in together in the morning; they had tense expressions on their faces and his mother's cheeks were streaked with dried tears. His dad sat down on the edge of the bed. "Katsuki, uh, I don't know how... uh..." He looked down at his hands for a moment, then turned back again. "Izuku and Inko are gone. We hadn't heard from them, so we went to their apartment. It's empty. They must have moved, but... but we don't know where, and there was no note or letter or... or anything." He swallowed hard. "Son... I'm so sorry."
Of course they're gone. Why would they stay? Why would Izuku stay? Izuku had no use for a Quirkless fucking loser like Katsuki anymore. Of course he would get left behind.
Katsuki turned and looked at his father.
"I wanna go home."