Izuku didn't get the chance to say goodbye to his friends properly, all they got from him was a watery smile and whispered words of comfort before he was walking out of UA's gates with a suitcase pulled behind him. Even in his lowest moment, even when his entire world had been torn down, Izuku Midoriya still put on a smile for those he was close to. He still offered them as much comfort as he could just to spare them from seeing the way his heart had crumbled, the way that he was already on the verge of giving up, so unlike his usual self.

Returning home to his mother should have been a joyous occasion, it usually was, but Izuku couldn't invoke happiness within himself at the sight of his mother. As much as he loved her, he could not pretend that he wanted to spend his time anywhere except for his familiar childhood bedroom bedecked in All Might memorabilia now that he couldn't return to his dorm room. He wanted to be at UA with his friends, learning everything there was to being a hero, and Inko understood that which is why she gave her son the space he so clearly wanted.

"Izuku, honey, dinner is ready. Would you like to eat in your room again?" Inko's gentle voice held hesitance as she spoke, hesitance that Izuku picked up on. Guilt riddled Izuku upon hearing the slight tremor in his mother's voice.

Ever since he was diagnosed as quirkless at four, Inko Midoriya had been continuously worrying about her son. First, it was the fear that he wouldn't be able to protect himself from kidnappers or unsavoury people in a world full to the brim with danger. Then the discrimination he faced caused fear to swarm and blur Inko's vision. And then, when he finally got a quirk, she was forced to endure it as her little baby got hurt time and time again. Now, she had to simply watch as he son's dreams were crushed, not able to do anything to ease Izuku's mind.

"No... It's ok, Mum, I'll come out," Izuku called just loud enough for Inko to faintly hear his voice. His throat was sore from disuse and the near-constant sobbing.

With a heavy sigh, Izuku rolled out from beneath his covers and trudged over to his bedroom door, rubbing the tear tracks on his face as he did so. As he passed his desk, he glanced at his phone which rested listlessly atop it. He hadn't turned it on since the day he had left UA. No doubt his friends were attempting to blow up his phone, sending hundreds of texts and calling as much as they could, but Izuku didn't want to have any connection with the outside world. He simply wanted to exist in his own bubble of misery and loneliness.

Of course, Izuku was more than aware that soon enough his friends would abandon trying to contact him via his phone and instead march to his home and demand to see him, even if they had to break the rules to do so, especially in the case of Iida, Todoroki, Uraraka and Bakugo. Izuku was sure that he was in for an ear-lashing from all four of them. But, until that happened, Izuku was content to leave his phone powered off so that he could take his time to digest the fact that his dream was well and truly over. The Hero Safety Commission wasn't going to change its mind any time soon. Izuku's chance at becoming a hero was over.

"So..." Inko spoke up hesitantly over their evening meal, "Um... Since, you know, you can't go to UA anymore, where do you think you'll go to school, sweety. I don't want to rush you, I know that you wanted to go to UA and become a hero, and I believed in you, I still do, but... just in case the Hero Commission doesn't appeal their decision..."

Izuku wanted to be angry. It had scarcely been a week and yet his mother was already forcing him to think about a future beyond being a hero. He had never truly put much thought into what he would do if he couldn't become a hero. He could become a police officer, he would still be bringing in criminals and there was the chance to advance in the career until he was a quirk detective, dealing with specialised cases, but that wasn't a solid plan. That was only an idea that Izuku had toyed with for a day at most before he set his sights on being a hero.

As much as Izuku may have wanted to summon forth torrents of rage and tell his mother that he was going to make it back into the hero course and he was going to be a hero, Izuku was not the same idealistic boy he had been in middle school. He was more aware of the injustices of the world, a world that was seemingly trying all that it could to knock him down.

"I don't know. Maybe I can just do online school, it'll be easier than enrolling me in a new school and then having to buy the uniform and everything..." Izuku croaked.

"Oh... Would you not like to... make some new friends? Obviously, you can still talk your old ones, right? But..." Inko trailed off, it was hard to speak and appear normal when she was faced with her son's overall demeanour.

Izuku's eyes were dark, having lost all of their hopeful gleams a week prior. His hair was limp and greasy. His skin was pale, making his freckles all the more prominent. He looked as though he hadn't slept a day in the entire week that he had been back, his eyes were red-rimmed from crying and had dark bags underneath them. This was not the Izuku that Inko was used to seeing. She desperately wanted to cry out for her lost baby, but she held her tears back, she knew that they would only make the situation worse.

"I just don't think I can face people at the moment. I'm not even sure what I want to do with my life now that..." fresh tears welled up in Izuku's eyes, but he pushed them back to the best of his abilities, "Now that this has happened."

Silence. Neither one of them spoke for the rest of the meal. It was as if an all mighty being had stolen the ability to form words from both of the Midoriyas, forcing them to stew in their own thoughts. It was one of the worse kinds of torture, in Izuku's opinion.

"Thank you for the meal mum, I love you," Izuku whispered as he stood from the table and kissed his mother gently on the forehead. It surprised Inko, she hadn't received any kind do affection from her son since he had returned, though she didn't blame him for that.

"I love you too, Izuku, never forget that," Inko whispered back. Izuku simply smiled in response, though the smile was weak and was clearly only for show. There was none of the warmth it had held before. Izuku Midoriya was a shadow of his former self.

That evening, Izuku sat in his bed and stared into the corner of the room until the darkness warped into memories that he desperately wanted to forget and yet hold onto so that he could feel something, even if that something was fear, or sadness, or anger. He just wanted to feel something aside from the emotionless cesspit that had taken up residence in his heart and mind.

Despite Izuku's mindless staring, he still noticed when the environment around him shifted ever so slightly. He noticed how the bugs outside of his windows shrieked slightly at the disruption of their late-night melody, he noticed how the moonlight was blocked ever so slightly by a moving shadow, and he noticed how the airflow in his room changed when his bedroom window was careful pushed open.

"What do you want Kacchan?" Izuku asked in a dull voice.

And, obviously, Izuku noticed the familiar scent and presence of one Katsuki Bakugo as he clambered through Izuku's window, falling to the floor with a quiet thunk.

"What the fuck do you mean?" Katsuki hissed, "You leave, barely getting the chance to say goodbye and the next thing I know you've been removed from the hero course! What the fuck is going on, Deku? Not to mention the fact that you won't answer your fucking phone. We're all worried!"

Izuku didn't want to answer him. He didn't want to have to explain how everything was falling apart in his life and he had no control whatsoever.

"Shouldn't you be in the dorms, I doubt Aizawa gave you permission to leave at this time at night. You're usually so uptight when it comes to following the rules," Izuku tried to inject some humour into his words, but all he managed was a dull, monotonous tone.

"Well, I'm sorry if I'm a bit worried that my boyfriend isn't responding to me," Katsuki snarkily replied, a testament to how worried he was.

"Explain what's going on, Izuku," Katsuki demanded, "Please," he added on as if it was a mere afterthought.

"They kicked me out. The Hero Commission forced me to leave the hero course, they framed me for crimes I didn't commit and used it as evidence to get me kicked out of the course." Izuku whispered into the still, night air.

The surprise was palpable in Katsuki's expression. His eyes widened and his mouth fell open, it was almost comical if the subject matter hadn't been so morose.

"What?"Katsuki croaked. He finally shuffled over from where he was pacing in front of the window and sat beside Izuku on his bed.

"You heard me, I don't want to repeat it. I guess you'll become number one, after all, Kacchan. Though I bet some of our... your classmates will give you a run for your money." Izuku chuckled wetly, he tried his hardest to hide his tears from his boyfriend, but Katsuki wouldn't let him. He grabbed Izuku's cheeks and turned his head so that he was looking at Katsuki, emerald eyes meeting ruby.

"Why are you giving up so easy? This isn't like you..." Katsuki was practically begging for an answer that would satisfy him. He craved the determination and drive to fight that had once ignited itself in Izuku's eyes. There had once been a raging fire, but now it was gone, leaving nothing but ashes and lost hopes and ambitions in Izuku's gaze.

"There's no point in fighting when I know I'm going to lose," Izuku muttered.

The affronted looked on Katsuki's face was certainly a sight to see. His hand twitched, almost as if he was physically restraining himself from delivering a swift backhand to Izuku's face.

"Don't say shit like that!" Katsuki shrieked, "Is that the kind of shit mentality you had when you fought Muscular or Overhaul? Is that the kind of shit you were thinking when you relentlessly chased after me for ten years?"

"Obviously not! But..." Izuku trailed off. He didn't want to admit it to himself or anybody else, but he was scared to have hope. He knew that if he allowed himself to hope, only to have it extinguished, he would be truly broken with no way of returning back to how he was before all of this bullshit happened to him.

"There's no but about it! You are Deku. You are All Might's little protegee. You are the next symbol of peace and my rival for the number one spot! You are my boyfriend. And I'm not gonna let my partner give up so easily!" Katsuki growled. He took Izuku's crooked and scared hands into his own calloused ones. Both boys looked down at their connected hands and felt their hearts stir ever so slightly.

"I'm not letting you give up this easily. You belong out there, helping people with a smile on your face. Saving to win and winning to save, that's you and me, right?" Katsuki asked in a gentle voice he so rarely used.

Izuku nodded mutely, head hung. This was the reason he hadn't wanted to face any of his friends, especially Katsuki. They all had a way of getting into Izuku's head, they knew how he worked and they would do anything to convince him everything was going to be ok. Izuku didn't want to have hope inspired within him, he knew it would inevitably be crushed.

"Yeah, that's you and me," Izuku sniffled, "I'm sorry Kacchan. I shouldn't have ignored you, any of you."

"Damn right!" Katsuki grumbled, "I'm not going to sugarcoat anything, Deku. This is shitty. You still want to be a hero, yes?"

"Obviously, that's all I ever wanted! But it won't be straightforward anymore! I'm banned from every hero course in the country, the Hero Commission presides over every aspect of being a hero from training, to how much heroes are paid, to licensing for costumes and products. I'm screwed Kacchan, absolutely fucked!" Izuku's anger and distress returned in full force, he pulled away from Katsuki so that he could bury his head in his hands.

"No, you're not! I'm gonna do everything I can to stop those bastards, so is everyone else including All Might and Aizawa." Katsuki snapped, matching Izuku's vexed and angered tone with his own, "The first step is letting us in. Letting us help you sort this shit show out."

"But I don't want to bother any of you. I don't want to be a nuisance, I'll only be getting in your way. Just because I've been stopped from achieving my dream, it doesn't mean want to make it harder for all of you to achieve your dreams. If you're helping me, the commission will only make your life harder..." Izuku sighed. He kept his gaze firmly averted away from his boyfriend, he didn't want to see the disbelief and anger that was swirling in his crimson eyes.

"Why are you giving up so easily?" Katsuki growled again, "You're not a burden. Helping you wouldn't be a hassle. I know this might be hard for you to wrap your dull head around, but we all care about you, and when you care about someone you want to help them when they're in a bad situation. You have saved so many people, including people from our class. Let us save you. Let us help you. Your hero complex is getting in the way, like it always does, of you doing what's good for you."

It would be false to say that Izuku was stunned into silence by Katsuki's words, he'd heard some variation of those exact words leave plenty of people's mouths during his lifetime, especially since entering the hero course. However, it would be correct to say that Izuku was moved by Katsuki's speech. Izuku was aware that his boyfriend loved him, even if neither one of them had said it as of yet, after all, they had only started dating a month prior. There were yet to do more than hold hands, hug and peck each other hesitantly on the cheeks. Even if Katsuki had only been a concerned friend, his speech would have still stirred all sorts of emotions in Izuku's stomach.

"Ok," Izuku whispered into the oppressive silence of his All Might themed room, "I'll let you help."

"Good!" Katsuki huffed, "You can start by turning on your fucking phone. Everyone is whining about how worried they are about you, it's annoying."

"Don't act like you weren't worrying as well, Kacchan. You can't pretend around me." Izuku teased weakly, even so, the slight jest and attempt at humour lightened the mood of the room. It was a glimpse of Izuku's usual attitude.

"Whatever. Just turn on your phone, nerd." Katsuki grouched.

Izuku hummed and fetched his phone from his desk. Once he had the electronic in his hand, some of his old hesitance returned. Seeing how worried and wound up Katsuki had been made Izuku all the more aware of how his classmates would have reacted to his sudden radio silence. That's to say, he was not looking forwards to the barrage of messages and calls he was no doubt about to be faced with. With a calming breath, Izuku powered on his phone.

It took a moment for the phone to power on completely, but as soon as it did, it started vibrating and pinging like crazy. Texts flashed across his lock screen, which happened to be a selfie that included Uraraka, Shinso, Todoroki, Asui and Iida, stunning Izuku with their sheer volume.

"I told you that they've been worried about you," Katsuki muttered. his chin was resting on Izuku's shoulder, the light of the phone lit up his features, making his red eyes shine and the line of his jaw more prominent. Izuku's heart stuttered and skipped a beat at the sight.

His attention was drawn back to his phone however when it started to ring, the Animated Adventures of All Might and Friends opening theme echoed through the room. Both Izuku and Katsuki's heads snapped towards the device where they both read the name 'Ochako' on the screen. Without a second of hesitation, Izuku answered the call.

"Oh my gosh! He actually answered. Everyone! Deku answered the phone, come here! Go get Bakugo!" Uraraka yelled to unseen people.

Izuku hadn't initially realised that the call was a video call, but the immense relief he felt upon seeing one of his best friends again after a week in isolation cured him of any of his nerves.

"I'm with the nerd, Round Face," Katuki muttered, his face came into frame. He waved at Uraraka before putting his head back on Izuku's shoulder.

"Oh, ok. How did you... That's not important! Izuku Midoriya! Why have you not been answering your phone? We've all tried messaging you and calling you! Heck, we even tried tagging you on social media just to get your attention!" Uraraka fumed.

"I...I'm sorry. A lot has happened and I just wanted some time alone to digest it fully." Izuku whispered.

"What's happened, dude?" Kaminari's face suddenly came into frame, "You look like shit, respectfully."

"Gee, thanks, Kaminari." Izuku muttered.

"That doesn't matter!" Uraraka inputted before Kaminari could respond, "What's happening, Deku? You left out of the blue, your name was removed from the class rota and you haven't been answering any of us!"

"The... The Hero Commission kicked me out of the hero course, and they said that I can't get back in. I'm not allowed into any hero course in the country. I've been trying to, digest everything and I withdrew from everyone. I'm sorry." Izuku said somberly.

The people on the other end of the call sat in stunned silence, much how Katsuki had until Todoroki spoke up and interrupted the silence.

"Can they do that? You've done so much for them, why would they do this?" he asked.

"I don't know. Maybe I was a threat to them in so way... I don't know. All that I know is that my dream of being a hero is over." As much as Izuku may have tried, he could not stop the tears that beaded in his eyes and threatened to spill over. Upon seeing his tears, Katsuki held Izuku's waist a bit tighter, hugging him closer to his body.

"Don't give up so easily, Midobro!" Kirishima shouted from the back of the collection of students that had all crowded together in hopes of seeing their missing classmate, "We'll do whatever we can to get you back, our class isn't complete without you here!"

Sounds of agreement echoed throughout the crowd eliciting a look from Katsuki that practically screamed 'I told you so'. The cocky raising of his eyebrow and tilting of his lips at the corner spoke volumes.

"Thank guys," Izuku croaked, "But I'm not sure what you can do. We're only teenagers, after all."

"Teenagers who have done a lot more than we should have at this age. Going against the Hero Commission is just another thing in the long line of things we shouldn't have done." Todoroki shrugged.

"Yeah! We'll help you, Deku, we promise!" Uraraka enthused with a fist punched into the air.

The others echoed this promise which inevitably brought tears to Izuku's eyes. He knew that his friends were loyal and they would do just about anything for him, just as he would for them, but hearing them say that they would help him made everything seem so much more real. Izuku felt truly loved. Maybe the swirling vortex of darkness he had found himself in wasn't as inescapable as he had once believed.

After the call had ended, Izuku relaxed back into Katsuki's arms, letting his boyfriend's warmth overwhelm him.

"Are you feeling better now?" Katsuki whispered. Izuku nodded silently. His tears had tired him out once and for all, now all he wanted to do was sleep and let all of his problems rest until another day.

"Thank you, Kacchan, I know that you don't like to break the rules," Izuku hummed into his boyfriend's shoulder as the two hugged. Both boys would say, without a second of hesitation, that they were in the honeymoon phase of their relationship. They'd had a few small meaningless arguments that couldn't be described as arguments and more described as their usual friendly banter, but they were yet to move away from the bubbly and light feeling that came with the acquisition of a new relationship.

"Tch. You make me sound like a goody-two-shoes nerd," Katsuki scoffed, he gently punched Izuku's arm and smiled ever so slightly down at Izuku, whose head had now come to rest in Katsuki's lap.

"Is that not what you are, Kacchan? If I recall correctly, you're the one that goes to bed at 8:30 in the evening and studies every day after school so that you don't fall behind. You've ranked higher than me academically, if anyone is a nerd, it's you." Izuku teased.

"Oi, can it nerd, it's called doing all that I can to be number one! I'm not gonna be the number one hero if I have a shitty sleep schedule, am I?" Katsuki returned Izuku's barb with a raised eyebrow and a pointed look at his partner.

"Whatever," Izuku scoffed.

The two sat in silence for a few minutes, content to simply allow themselves to exist within each other's presence. It was one of the best things about their relationship, whether they were friends or boyfriends, simply sitting with each other was enough to make both boys content.

"I really am sorry about this, Kacchan..." Izuku murmured into the silence of the room, "I promised that we would be heroes together when we started dating, and now... and now that promise looks like it's going to be broken."

"I told you to stop apologising for shit that's out of your control a long time ago, Izuku. This isn't your fault, plus, we're still going to be heroes together, no matter what it takes. I'm not giving up on you yet." Katsuki muttered into Izuku's hair. His words came out muffled and obscured by Izuku's verdant curls, but the green-haired hero still heard. He smiled and nodded, accepting Katuki's words and silent promise. After all, Katsuki rarely lied and he always did everything he could to keep his promises.

Izuku fell asleep, still in his boyfriend's grasp, lulled into the calmest mood he'd been in for over a week. As he drifted off, the tantalising darkness of sleep encroaching on the edges of his consciousness, Izuku faintly felt Katsuki press his lips to his forehead and whisper something into his ear, but he was already too far gone into the realm of slumber for the words to mean anything to him.

When Izuku woke up the next morning, it was in an empty bed. The sheets beside him had long lost any residual warmth that Katsuki may have left behind. Instead, in the place of Katsuki's body, there was a hastily written note in Katsuki's familiar neat print.

We're going to sort this out, so answer the fucking phone when we call you and don't give up hope yet, Deku. If you do, I'll beat your ass.
Katsuki

Izuku smiled ever so slightly at the note. It wasn't a grand gesture, and to anybody else, the note may have seemed vaguely threatening, but it was these little things that showed how much Katsuki cared for Izuku. Katsuki wasn't about big romantic gestures and over the top actions, his brand of love was more subtle. More focused on the object of his affections than how other people saw their relationship.

Izuku was grateful that Katsuki had forced his way through his window the previous night. He was grateful that he had forced Izuku to pick up his phone and see for himself just how much his classmates cared. The time for self-pity and wallowing was over. Izuku was going to get his place in the hero course back and help the world like he was destined to, no matter what. 

Thank you for reading, I hope you have a wonderful day wherever you are.