Katsuki Bakugo and Izuku Midoriya stood at the edge of the cliff, their gazes locked on the horizon. The sun dipped below the mountains, casting a warm glow over the rocky landscape. The wind tugged at their hair, and the scent of pine trees hung in the air.

"Friends?" Izuku's voice wavered, the word heavy with unspoken history.

Bakugo clenched his fists, knuckles white. "Don't be an idiot, Deku. We're not friends."

But the memories flooded back—the days when they trained side by side, pushing each other to their limits. The nights when they whispered dreams of becoming heroes, their laughter echoing through the dorms. The bond that had once been unbreakable.

Izuku's eyes shimmered. "We were, though, before everything changed."

Bakugo's jaw tightened. "Yeah, well, things change, damn it." His quirk flared, sparks dancing around his palms. "You think I wanted this? To be rivals? To fight against you?"

Izuku's hand trembled as he reached out. "Kacchan—"

"Don't call me that!" Bakugo snapped. "You left me behind, Deku. You got stronger, and I—"

"—and I thought you hated me," Izuku interrupted. "I thought you blamed me for All Might's retirement."

Bakugo's anger faltered. "I did. But I also envied you. Your damn resilience. Your ability to keep moving forward, even when everything fell apart."

Izuku stepped closer. "I never wanted to leave you behind. But I had to find my own path."

"And what about now?" Bakugo's voice cracked. "Are we enemies forever?"

Izuku's gaze softened. "Maybe we're not friends anymore, but we're not enemies either. We're something else—a fractured bond that refuses to break completely."

Bakugo clenched his teeth. "I don't need your pity."

"It's not pity," Izuku said. "It's understanding. We've both lost so much. But maybe, just maybe, we can find a way back."

They stood there, the sun sinking lower, shadows stretching across the cliff. The wind whispered secrets, and for a moment, the rift between them seemed smaller.

"Friends?" Izuku asked again, vulnerability etched into every line of his face.

Bakugo hesitated, then sighed. "Fine. But don't expect me to go easy on you in the next training session."

Izuku grinned. "Wouldn't have it any other way."

THE END