(A/N):
Despite their outward appearance, their past friendship hadn't been..

Normal.

————
{Three Years Ago- Caldera Middle School}

"Why did you yell at her? She was.. She was being nice..!-"

"She wasn't!" Kacchan yelled, snapping at Izuku. "She was being all touchy!

She was trying to take you away from me!"

———

If you asked Izuku if "Kacchan" was nice, he would smile sheepishly. He would nod, albeit hesitantly, arm going up to scratch the back of his head.

You would then see finger prints around his wrists, shaped into bruises, like someone had dragged him away with a tight grip and decorated his skin with blacks and blues. If you'd ask about them, he would say it was Kacchan.

"But why do you hang around him then?"- you would ask, because why would he stay with someone so rough? So prideful and blinded by their own strength?

"He's just really protective," Izuku would explain, running his fingers on the injuries. He looked thoughtful, but a smile would make it's way onto his face.

(Something about it made you feel..

Wrong.)

"He doesn't like me talking with other people.. S-So he pulls me away."

————

"Kacchan! Please.. S-stop!"

Izuku wailed, arms wrapped around the blond's waist, bile rising from his throat because ohgodhewasgonnathrowup-

"This is none of your business, Deku!" The raw anger and malice made his voice scratchy, coated with rage, and Izuku had to save him. He had to oh god he had to because he can't do anything without Kacchan-

Katsuki let out a roar of frustration, red eyes zeroing into the mangled body in front of them- his fists covered his blood, flaking away and dripping down his knuckles. His pants were harsh and ragged, knees threatening to buck because Izuku kept his hold on his waist, the pathetic cries left him unfazed.

The man in front of them had collapsed, face up with blood dripping from the sides of his mouth, front teeth missing. His body lay in a muck, a mixture of garbage water and sewer, coming from the canals in the dark alley way.

Katsuki was wild, like a rabid dog, teeth bared and ready to kill.

How dare the man?

He tried to take Deku. He tried to take him from him.

(Without Deku, he knows he won't survive. He has to be by his side, no matter what, and no one could get between them. No one.)

Izuku wasn't letting go.

His thin arms squeezed, increasingly taking Katsuki's breath away. It was hard to breathe now, but Bakugou fought like an animal- no use, because he had spent his energy brawling with a man twice as tall as him.

(It was his first real victory.

He had protected Izuku.)

Exhaustion made itself clear when he slumped in Izuku's arms, knees buckling from the heavy weight, and the smell of rotten foods and blood almost made him heave. With his vision fuzzy, he blindly reached out to paw at Izuku, nails raking onto soft skin, reading angry red welts.

Black dots decorated his eyesight, and he realized we had been quivering.

It felt cold.

But..

He pressed himself more on Izuku, an awkward and bloody tangle of limbs, but he couldn't care less. Izuku was safe.

He was safe right?

Right?

Bakugou felt himself shake.

He had to check.

His calloused hands roamed Izuku roughly, nicking his skin, checking for anything. That stupid fucking mugger tried snatching Izuku's wallet, and unlucky for the bastard, Katsuki was right with him.

("Kaccha-" Izuku had screamed, choked as a large hand grabbed his collar, smashing his head into the wall in a blur.

Katsuki felt..

He felt strange.

He felt like he wanted to hurt. Really, really hurt. He wanted to bury his fingers into the man's heart and rip it apart into shredded pieces.

It won't be enough, though.)

Izuku stayed still, wincing whenever Katsuki accidentally scratched him, keeping his mouth sealed shut, because if he had tried to open it, he would surely throw up. So he bore with the blood being smeared onto him.

(Disgusting.

Vile.

Repulsive blood.

He wanted to pass out.)

————

They had left the man behind in that alley.

Katsuki and him were in the Bakugou's home now, in the bathroom, with their clothes in the washer and both of them situated in the bath tub.

"You're not hurt..?" Izuku pursed his lips, because this was the seventh time Kacchan had asked him that. "No, Kacchan. I'm not hurt." He still answered, though, but he had slowly emphasized every word.

Izuku felt Bakugou sigh in relief next to him, followed up by a damp towel scrubbing his back, and he tried not to look down to see the blood draining down the drain along with the water. They have both gotten in the shower, sitting in the spacious tub, with Izuku completely bare and Katsuki tracing over his skin for any marks.

Katsuki had been.. Obsessing over him.

He had ran his hands over him again and again, and Izuku doesn't miss the quivering exhale of relief in finding that not a single scratch had been laid upon him, like it was the one lowering the anxiety building up in his chest. He let himself sink into Kacchan's touch when he rubbed the soap on his bare chest, shivering when he was doused with luke-warm water to rinse the remaining dirt off.

(He didn't seem to notice how Katsuki possessively looked at the back of his neck.

No one could hurt Deku.)

————

"You need to stop this, Kacchan." Izuku murmured. "It hurts me seeing you like this."

Katsuki hissed in pain as Izuku dabbed a cotton ball, damp with cleansing alcohol on his raw knuckles. It burned. Izuku sat before him, on his bed, a medical kit on his lap. Katsuki was before him, covered in bruises.

He had fought again.

"... Those fuckers looked at you," Bakugou finally answered, short and strained. "They looked at you wrong." "And that's not an excuse for you to pummel them to the ground, Kacchan." Izuku reminded. He wrapped the bandages tightly, using a pin to fasten the ends.

"But-" "No." Izuku's voice was final now. Katsuki But his lower lip when Izuku let his hand slip out of his grip. The gesture hurt, so he tucked his bruised hand under his thigh instead.

"Kacchan," Izuku hummed, stroking his blond hair fondly. Comforting. Katsuki leaned into the touch naturally, a content hum vibrating from his throat. Izuku watched him, carding fingers through the tangled locks. They were matted with blood before.

"If you keep this up," Izuku's smile was softer, mellow. But his grip stilled, along with the playful glint in his eyes. "I'll leave you Kacchan."

Katsuki's heart froze.

What..?

"If you keep getting hurt, I will leave." Izuku repeated, as f he hadn't heard him. "Because the only reason you get into fights is because of me. So if I leave, you'll take care of yourself. Right?"

Izuku said, in a matter-of-fact tone. He shut the lid of the med kit, not even sparing Katsuki a glance as he stood up, slipping his slippers on, shuffling a bit at the edge of the bed-

"Wait- Deku-" "Save it, okay Kacchan? I'll-"

"Fuck!" Katsuki shouted, hand shooting out as his heart hammered in his chest. His ears were ringing. Izuku was leaving him..? He felt panic. He felt like he was gonna throw up.

How could Izuku say that?

He's lying.
Lying.
Right?
He probably is.

He's probably joking.

He has to be..

"I.. I won't get into fights. Deku. Please." Katsuki shook, Izuku's hand clasped between his palms. "Don't.. Don't leave. I swear I'm not gonna get into anymore fights. I won't. I promise. Don't leave me, don't leave me alone. I don't want you to leave. Please please- it'll hurt. It hurts. I can't do this. Please don't leaveme-"

"Kacchan."

Izuku was.. Taken back. The desperation, loneliness were conveyed in Katsuki's voice. He had his head bowed down, as if in prayer. Kneeling. His voice was shaky, unstable, panicked- and Izuku felt.. Bad. He shouldn't have..

"I'm so sorry." Izuku wrapped his arms astound his neck. He felt Katsuki go limp in his touch, burying himself in Izuku's shoulder. His chest was wracked in sobs- because god, fuck! That was so scary. Izuku..

"I shouldn't have said that, Kacchan." Izuku hummed, soft hands massaging his back in comfort. He felt bad. Making Kacchan cry.. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I won't leave you. I don't want to. Don't get in anymore fights. Please Kacchan."

"I won't fight. I won't fight. You'll be happy, right Deku? I'll do it. You'll be fucking happy right?" Katsuki rambled, and Izuku simply patted his back.

"I won't fight."