————

After Aizawa left them outside to wallow, the boys stayed on the ground, right in front of the dorms- half of Izuku's body on the grass and the other half on the rocky pathway.

Katsuki was sprawled out, uncomfortably squished beside him. It was hot and they were practically burning up- and yet..

"I hate you." Izuku sniffles.

"Die." Katsuki replies, still looking at the sky. Fucking.. shitty sun, shitty fucking heat, shitty Deku.

The sweat and blood made Izuku's skin sticky, making the boy groan and attempt to pull away, but a hand catches his wrist.

".. Izuku."

Deku feels his heart climb up his throat.

"I-"

"I um, wanna take a bath first. Is that okay..?" All the confidence he had in socking Katsuki in the face was gone now, replaced by a shy, spluttering Izuku.

Katsuki sighs heavily.

"Fine."

"Oh, Kacchan-"

"-but if you try to hide from me, I'm gonna break your fucking door down."

—————

Maybe things were changing for the better.

Izuku smiles to himself as he washes the blood off his body.

————

"Recovery Girl ain't gonna help me. Can you do it Deku?"

Izuku nods, placing the crooked bridge of Katsuki's nods between his thumb and pointer finger while the latter busies himself with biting down on a clean rag.

"Count of three. One, two-"

Izuku snaps the bone back in place, making Katsuki sharply exhale, voice muffled by the rag between his teeth, biting down harshly.

"Three."

"Fuck." Katsuki says when the rag rolls out his mouth. ".. Thanks."

"Mhm," Izuku hums noncommittally, legs swinging before he falls back, limbs sprawled on the small bed he has. Katsuki joins him, surprisingly, rubbing at the black and blues that decorated his body.

".. We need help."

Midoriya pauses. "Yeah," he speaks softly. "We do."

"Fuck. I'm fucked up- you're fucked up-"

"I still wanna be with Kacchan-"

"I'll hurt you Deku." Katsuki says, voice quivering, hushed, but his emotions echoed loudly in the room.

".. You don't know that."

"I already did. Fucked your wrist up. Lashed out on you. I fuckin' mean it. And I.." he swallows harshly. "And I know that I'll do it again."

Izuku turns to look at him, seeing Katsuki glaring harshly at the ceiling, face crumpled up as if he was trying to stop himself from crying.

"Kacchan..-"

"Deku. Look- I'm.." his eye twitches as if it was hard for him to say this. "I'm gonna get some fuckin' help. Counselor, therapist- fuckin' whatever, aight?"

"But-"

"-and when I do, promise me you'll get some help too."

And oh, Kacchan was doing this for him-

"I-"

"Fuckin' promise me."

Izuku nods wordlessly, tears threatening to spill.

"Okay Kacchan. I will."

———

It was hard.

"Fuck!"

Katsuki slams his fist against the punching bag, going at it like a raging bull. Fuck.. Fuck..!

"Relax man." Katsuki whips around to snarl at Kirishima, who immediately rips his hands off, raising his palms up to placate the angry teen. "You aight?"

"Die, shitty hair."

"Eh. That's not nice." He shrugs, unperturbed. "Somethin' happened?"

"Doesn't concern your dumbass. Mind your business."

They were.. Friends, albeit not that close. Acquaintances? Maybe. The dude was okay if it wasn't for him stickin' his nose where it doesn't belong- and right now, it was in Katsuki's business.

Bakugou moodily pushes him away, angrily gathering his things.

Damn it.. he almost lashed out again. Shit- he almost fuckin' socked Mina in the jaw. If her ass wasn't trynna tease her about the 'break-up' between Izuku and him then maybe..

He shakes his head, grabbing his water bottle and furiously finishing it's contents. Shit.. he shouldn't have cared anyway. She might've hit a sore spot but he needs to get his own dumbass under control.

————

"How's Katsuki-kun?"

"He's okay, mom. Um, we've agreed to um, s-seek help, and all that if we, um, wanna be together.."

Inko halts her movements of chopping vegetables. ".. Oh, Izuku," she breathes as a wobbly smile. "I'm so proud."

————

"Breathe, Bakugou."

And he does, trembling in barely contained anger, counting down from ten.

"That's it." The counselor hums, patting his back. "You're doing good. Remember why you came here in the first place, okay?"

An image of Izuku flashes in his mind. He's happy, smiling, wrapped up in Katsuki's scarf- but there's bruises around his wrist, and his eyes were glassy and filled with hurt-

Katsuki sharply exhales, slumping into the chair as his new counselor- Mrs. Tanaka, a taller woman with a rough build and short hair that reached until her jawline, nudges his shoulder in sympathy.

"You've improved, Bakugou. You'll get there sometime."

————

They still interacted, of course, even though their words were stilted, full of hesitant pauses, tentative stares, they've been improving just fine.

Katsuki.. has been surrounded by friends, cold personality not enough to deter Mina, or even Kaminari when they try to approach him. It seems like they've made it a mission to be able to get close to him. He was wary at first, questioning them of their true intentions- and they admitted that they simply found him cool.

It baffled Katsuki, but he allowed the change to happen (albeit with some reluctance).

Izuku was getting by better, Asui and Uraraka sticking to him like glue, hell, even Iida sat with him at lunch after receiving an apology for a broken leg.

The boy was scared in the beginning. The flurry of sudden emotions, the burst of colors, the utter vibrancy of those people around him after all of his time revolving around Kacchan and Kacchan only. He didn't get rid of all his thoughts about Katsuki, heavens knows that he is his world- Deku merely expanded that horizon, let people in.

His mother supported him. Cried with him when days got bad, made him Katsudon after. She never really understood, and yet she knows that Izuku was happy, and to her, that was all that matters.

After all this time- Deku was a crier. It was relief, that is what he feels whenever tears spill over. He never was allowed to express himself, and his locked emotions finally broke out, so did his tears.

————

They're in their second year now.

"Bet I can run more than you."

Izuku's smile was blinding.

"Okay. Bet."

They took off, leaving Kirishima and Uraraka in the dirt, making the pair groan in despair. "They're always like this.. How do they even have the energy? We already did four miles!" Kirishima's exasperated, taking a swig from his water bottle. Ochako sags beside him. "They're basically gods, man.."

Meanwhile, Katsuki lags behind. "Fuck!" He grunts, huffing as he slows down last minute, Izuku passing the 'finish line' (it was a specific tree with a heart carved in it, two initials in the middle signifying that an old couple from last year did it).

Izuku practically keels over when he passes, sweaty and tired as he flops on the ground, Katsuki right behind him.

"Get up, nerd."

A cocky smile grew on Izuku's face. "I beat you."

"Wha- shut up!" Bakugou pokes his sides, making the boy squeal.

When Uraraka and Kirishima get up, the duo was already play sparring by the old bench, light kicks thrown messily in every direction, swift punches that get blocked with ease- at least, that's what Izuku and Katsuki would think.

To others, they seemed like they were dancing gracefully. Their movements were fluid, not as erratic or rough like last year. Their current form was smooth, as if they can read each other well- and they were right. From the tiniest twitch to the lightning fast kicks, they matched the other's pace, knowing when to block, knowing when to deliver a blow.

They worked together just fine last year, but now, they were even better- earning the title 'wonder duo' from last year's sports festival in which they were tied for first place after winning in an All out slugfest between classes 1-A and B.

"Okay, break time!" Ochako announces, clapping her hands. Bakugou rolls his eyes but lets up on Izuku, who does so as well, smiling gratefully at the water bottle tossed at him. "Thanks, Kiri!"

Eijirou gives a thumbs up. "You're so manly, Midoriya!"

Katsuki glances at the boy when he flusters, and they lock eyes for a split second, and Izuku gives him a warm smile that makes breathing just a little bit easier.

————