❖

Midoriya ignored the pinch he felt in his chest when he realized he will soon part ways with the rebels, and showed them the way out of the forest.

Sure, they were crazy and extreme, but he could understand their hatred towards the king and the nobles. The only difference between him and them, was that they had enough courage to take action.

They dared do what Midoriya was scared to even dream of.

When they finally saw the comforting sight of the city structures again, the three of them were incredibly tired and in desperate need of sleep.

They already parted ways and started walking in different directions when Midoriya suddenly remembered he was still holding the expensive-looking shirt.
"Oh, wait!" he called after them, "What about this?"

Kirishima turned around to see what he was referring to, but Bakugo replied without bothering to stop walking. 
"You can have it," he said

"Consider it our way to thank you for saving us" Kirishima winked before turning around to run after his friend.

"Now we owe you nothing!" Bakugo called over his shoulder.

"Don't be so blunt!"

"Don't tell me what to do!"

The two kept arguing while struggling to balance all the things they stole in their hands.

Midoriya couldn't hear the rest of their conversation, but as he made his way back to his home, he smiled.

•••

When midoriya woke up the next morning, a bit later than usual, he felt oddly refreshed.
Nothing had changed, his life was still the same as before, but his heart was light, and he felt good.

Maybe he should've been worried, a couple of hours earlier he was chased by soldiers who thought he was a thief, and two rebels shared with him their disturbing theory about the never-ending war, but he doubted the soldiers saw his face in the dark, and he didn't believe the rebels crazy theory anyway, so maybe it was odd, but he felt fine.

They were cursed too, he was almost sure about that. And knowing this made him feel close to them, as if they were friends, even if he knew they probably didn't think of him the same way, even if he knew he probably won't see them ever again.
They shared his secret, and this alone made the burden he was carrying lighter.

Midoriya got up from his not-so-comfortable bed and stared at the shirt that the rebels left him.
Unlike his clothes, which were old, ragged, and had a fade color, the shirt was made out of a soft fabric, so soft it felt like he was touching a cloud, and it's color bold and lively.

He could have worn it, but he knew nothing will come out of that. It's not like he could walk outside wearing something so expensive, people would notice. And wearing it just inside the house felt strange too, so he left the shirt in his room and went to check up on his mother.

She was awake.

"Mom!" he called, surprised but cheerful, "how are you feeling?"

Her smile was gentle and small, "I'm fine, dear."
She was not.

Her skin was pale and her eyes half closed. She looked in pain, but she never admitted it in front of him.
When Midoriya asked, she was always fine.

"Although... I think I'm about to run out of medicine soon."

"Really?" Midoriya opened the drawer beside his mother's bed and looked inside.
She was right, there was only enough medicine left for a day or two.
His mother may have not acted like it, but it was bad, they both knew it.

"Oh, you're right." He sighed, carefully trying not to sound too down, "Don't worry, mom, I'll go to buy more today."

She frowned, "Are you sure? You don't have to, I can bear a couple of days without it."

A lie, again.

But he was lying too.

"It's okay, I planned to go to the market anyway, I could just stop there on my way back."

"But..." she hesitated for a moment, "Do we... Have enough money?"

Midoriya smiled his brightest smile, "Of course we do, I sold so many logs yesterday you won't believe it! Let me worry about the medicine, you just make sure to drink a little bit before going to sleep. I'll refill your glass."

He will find a way to get the money. He will work all night if he has to. He will beg the nobles until they'll pay him to leave them alone.

"Izu... Don't push yourself too hard..."

"Same goes for you" he raised his hand to squeeze hers, "I'll go to work now. You look tired, but make sure you drink."

She chuckled, but it turned into a cough.
"Okay, okay, just go. I'll drink, I promise."

Midoriya smiled at her again before leaving the room.

Money. He didn't have enough money, not even close. Selling logs wouldn't get him anywhere, not today, the weather was warm.
He had to find another way.

A solution popped into his head so suddenly he was shocked. No way it could be this easy.
The shirt.
He could sell the shirt.

It was a shame he had to give it up so soon. Although he couldn't use it, it was a memento from his meeting with the rebels. Proof that all that craziness wasn't just a dream.

However, this small urge to resist the idea weight nothing being measured against the needs of his mother. He cared for her like he cared for his life, and there was no compromising when it came to her well being.

He entered his room again and took the shirt.
It was dangerous to walk around with it, and it was more dangerous to sell it - someone might wonder how he got his hands on a shirt like that.
They might think he attained it by doing something illegal.
Which, actually, wasn't so far from the truth.

He needed to sell it in a place where no one asks questions.

Looks like I'll really go to the market today, thought Midoriya.

Just not the market I usually go to.

•••

The person who bought the shirt from him had a scary, threatening look in his eyes.
He snatched the shirt from Midoriya's hands as soon as he gave him the money and signaled him to get out.

Midoriya could almost think he acted like this to avoid having his customers change their minds,
but he had no doubt that the half-torn sign at the entrance of the sketchy little shop - which said 'no refunds' in big letters - have kept away anyone who was having second thoughts.

He turned around and walked out of the so-called shop. That whole area was full of scary people. No one smiled, they all had grumpy or angry expressions on their faces, and he got chills every time he accidentally locked eyes with someone.
Not to mention that here and there, he caught glimpses of hands holding knives.

Midoriya didn't think he will ever hear himself say that, but he preferred walking amongst the nobles much better than being here.

It doesn't matter, I already did what I came here to do, Midoriya told himself. He had the money, now he could leave this place and buy his mother's medicine.

Yesterday night's event felt so far away from him at that moment, and he knew it was a good thing.
He just accidentally crossed paths with two people that were the absolute opposite of him.
It was interesting and exciting, not because soldiers were running after them, and not because they stole from someone - but because they were free.

Midoriya liked that feeling, but he knew it was only a one-time thing. He had things to take care of, he had his mother. Acting so carefree would be irresponsible of him.

What he felt that night wasn't part of his life, it was their lives, the rebels. He just got a little peek to what it felt like to be them.

The shirt was already gone, it was time he put that all behind him. There was no point in filling his head with stupid fantasies.

The word "rebels" shouldn't have made him feel the way he did.

Besides, maybe Kirishima was nice, but his friend Bakugo seemed quite annoying.

It was time to let the thought of them go.

Then he raised his look, searching for the sky, and saw a familiar blond person jumping from one building to another.

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Your next chapter is:
"Creep"