"I'll treat you better"

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"Deku" Bakugou called him after waking him on the bus.

"Tell me" He nodded, yawning.

"Where did you get that red bracelet?" He asked, showing interest in it, since that was the hand he held intertwined with his.

"This" Deku raised his hand, looking at the bracelet with admiration. "Do you remember Melissa Shield?"

And who was that girl? In truth, he didn't remember who she was or where Deku knew her, but whatever it was, it irritated him to know that a girl had given Deku a gift.

"No" He replied sourly, holding Deku's hand with a sense of belonging. To this, Deku blinked blankly, as if unaware of explaining who she was.

"It was the time we went to Island I" He explained shyly. "Well, she gave me this full gauntlet." He showed it again, without letting go of his hand. "But-but it broke into battle, and I-I wanted to have her again."

"Why?" He muttered angrily. He didn't understand how it was that a red bracelet was so special to Deku. Didn't he like a man in his classroom taller than him and with a powerful quirk? But, Deku never lied. What did this mean?

"To help control my power" He admitted. "To be able to use it without restricting myself"

"And that's why you wear that bracelet?" He replied complainingly, wrinkling his eyebrows. "I don't understand, what does that bracelet have that you can't do? If you already control your power, you made it yours"

"I know" He said, stuttering with his feet, for the same reason he caught him between his arm, thanks to him holding him by the hand.

"Careful, idiot!" He scolded him furiously, not with Deku, but for the girl who gave him that red bracelet.

"Oh!" Exclaimed Deku, surprised.

"Don't be so clumsy with your feet, useless" He warned, but despite his harsh words, he didn't dare to let go.

"T-Thank you, Kacchan." He laughed nervously.

"Don't thank me, useless" He hissed, daring to cling to Deku's small body with his arm, pulling him closer to his. He felt him tremble with fear. "I won't do anything" He said, blushing to his ears, his heart ripped out. He was aware that perhaps he was scaring Deku by his sudden gesture, since in the past he was always aggressive with him; Besides, what could he do to make Deku understand his intentions towards him?

"K-Kacchan?" Deku shivered, getting small in the grip of his arm.

"I won't hurt you" He said quietly.

"What-what are you doing?" His voice was trembling, and Bakugou felt him shudder and managed to perceive the rapid beating of his heart resonating with intensity.

"I…" His voice cut off, due to the nervousness that seized him and if he clung to his body, perhaps he would lose his head. "I don't like to know you have something from a girl" He admitted jealously. That said, Deku visibly paralyzed, so he managed to hug him from behind, using his other arm to reinforce his grip.

Deku gave a drowned scream of fear, emanating a degree of heat from his body and that heat led to him holding him harder.

"It's important" Deku muttered, intimidated.

"Why is it important?" He demanded to know, roughly. "If the power you have already you made it yours, I have seen it several times. I don't understand why you need that device, Deku."

"I can't control it" Deku muttered helplessly.

"Yes you can" He insisted. "When we fought in ground Beta, you controlled it very well. You don't need that bracelet!" The latter sounded disdainful. "What can't you control?"

He heard a slight sob coming from Deku's mouth, which caught his attention, making him open his eyes in amazement.

"Deku?" He turned him forward, seeing that he was indeed tearing, shrugging, shivering.

"I can't control it" He said again in a hoarse crying voice. "I need a lot to control it."

"What does that mean?" He snapped worried.

"I barely control 15% of my power" Deku confessed, hiccuping, wiping his tears with the back of his hand. "I-I couldn't have defeated the slime monster with 15% of my power." He hiccuped again . "I'm useless"

"No" He denied fervently. "You're not useless, Deku"

His eyes looked at him with dread, resentment and extreme pain that gripped his pupils. He let out a sobbed sob, lowering his head.

"But, you-you" He said disconsolately.

A wave of guilt surrounded Bakugou, who knew that much of Deku's insecurities were because of him, because of his selfishness. His harsh words were the cause of the thousands of problems that were going on in the nerd's head, it was the pain he confessed in their date to the movies. He was the cause of Deku's tears.

"I'm sorry" He mused sincerely, though his voice came out rough from the emotion contained in him. This noticed Deku, who looked up in wide amazement.

"Eh?" He whined, his face disengaged.

"I'm so sorry" He repeated regretfully, expressing sadness concentrated his eyes. "It was never my intention to hurt you the way I did, I was the worst idiot."

"K-Kacchan…" Deku issued, crying again.

"Please forgive me" He continued in great guilt. "You are not a useless Deku, you are Izuku Midoriya." He spoke his name gently. "I am not a gentle person with you, or with anyone, but for you, I will change for good" He said, feeling a lump in his throat. "I want to change my way of treating you because I want to treat you well." He rested his hands on Deku's forearms, pressing gently with his fingertips.

"I forgive you, Kacchan" He said in a sob, exalting him from his sentimental monologue.

"What?" He coughed under guard.

"I-I forgive you"

"Yes, I heard you." He interrupted. "Well, you surprised me" He admitted, trying futilely to smile at him. "I thought you might never forgive me for what I did to you in the past," He corrected, allowing himself to show the fear he refused to show so much.

"It's-it's because you are, Kacchan" He muttered rampant, causing a blush on Bakugou's cheeks, who was surprised again by Deku's confession.

"Deku" He sighed, taken by the feeling, and threw himself into his arms. "I really regret what I did to you." His throat was rough. "I will protect you, don't worry, I know you can control your power as it gives rise"

"Kacchan" Deku hugged him back with his trembling arms, wrapped him warmly in his embrace. "I appreciate it very much" He said sincerely. "Very much"

"I really appreciate you forgiving me." He confessed in a relaxed sigh. "I will treat you well, I will strive to make it happen" He said, inspired, tightening the hug between them a little more. "Just as you will strive to control better your power, I will strive to treat you well."

In that, Deku laughed softly, sounding like music to his ears.

"What are you laughing at?" He inquired.

"I am happy" Deku said loudly. "Thanks, Kacchan." He hugged him tighter, resting his head on his shoulder. "I'm so happy!" He continued laughing softly.

Bakugou blushed when he felt Deku's head resting on his shoulder, while he held him tightly in his arms, imprisoning him under his protection.

The fresh air from the entrance of the bedrooms did not bend the warmth they shared in that hug, even if someone could see them in that exchange, he no longer cared how they saw him around Deku, as long as he had him by his side, The rest could disappear.

"I'm happy too" He admitted. "To be with you, Deku"

"Well" Deku played with his fingers anxiously. "Thank you for bringing me to my room, Kacchan." He smiled kindly.

Bakugou had accompanied Deku to his room, just as he told him, and since he was a man of his word, it was obvious that he would fulfill his commitment.

"Yes." He shook his head in affirmation.

"Can I show you something?" He dared to tell him.

He blinked under guard, but nevertheless, he didn't refuse the nerd's proposal.

"Let's see" He replied.

Deku told him to enter his room, to which he went behind him accepting the invitation. When they had entered, Deku pressed a button on the red bracelet, which spread throughout his forearm.

Bakugou opened his eyes in amazement.

"Oh, I remember" He remembered remembering the face of the girl who was in the company of Deku on Island I. "She's the blonde girl with blue eyes."

"Yes." Deku showed him the full gauntlet looking at him with respect and admiration, and he noticed an undeniable gleam in his eyes. There he knew that it was not love he felt for her, but mere admiration. "She sent it to All Might first, so he could pass it on to me."

Bakugou began by joining the pieces of the puzzle that concerns the nerd, and everything that surrounded him lately, no longer feeling excluded from his life as he did before. He sighed in relief, relaxing his shoulders.

"Was it the time you went out with the half and half?" He supposed serious.

He nodded.

"Melissa Shield sent it to me and All Might handed it to me here at school" He continued speaking in frenzy. "It was incredible, and it works just as I remember it, and the feeling that my power is not restricted is more liberating to be able to use the One For All with all certainty that I will be able to moderate the amount I use of power." He clasped his hands. "With the slime monster, I simply used 30% of my power"

"The 30%?" He muttered blinking incredulously.

"Eh, yes." He put a hand to his head, rocking it. "I still can't believe it." He laughed wistfully.

Bakugou didn't fully assimilate that Deku's power was so great that with only 30% he could defeat a villain as viscous and difficult to deal with as the slime monster was. Unfortunately, he recalled the sensation of when he was imprisoned in the viscous body of the creature, the feeling of suffocation and impotence of wanting to get out of that temporary prison that took his life.

How amazing is Deku he thought in admiration. He always has been…

"I've talked a lot, haven't I?" Deku issued awkwardly, closing his eyes embarrased. "Forgive me Kacchan, I took minutes of your precious time."

And I was the stupid one who didn't admit that Deku has been, is, and always will be amazing.

"Don't worry" He dissuaded, to his surprise, calm down. "You are amazing just the way you are, Deku" He said, blushing, emitting heat from his body for the same.

Deku opened his eyes, blushing.

"T-thanks" He muttered, moved. "You are amazing too, Kacchan."

Not as much as you, he told himself.

"I know." He made a face of superiority. "But I still have a long way to go to be the best."

"I know you'll be the best Kacchan," Deku complemented, in admiration. "You always have been for me."

"Well" he emitted without words, because the blush on his cheeks threatened to make him sweat completely.

"Thank you very much for everything" He conjured gently. "Really, I appreciate talking to you, Kacchan, as you have no idea." He put a hand on his chest, clinging to his shirt. "I feel we can get along very well in the future."

What did Deku mean when he said that?

Don't tell me, that… The person he likes is the half and half bastard ?!

"Kacchan?" Deku glanced at him worriedly, approaching his face to inspect him.

"Don't get close right now." He looked away, turning his head to the side of the door, ready to get out of there as soon as possible.

"Are you all right?" Deku's uneasy voice shook him, and resigned to him meant a supernatural effort. He turned to see Deku again, unhappy for his confession. "What happened, Kacchan?" His soft hand placed it on his forehead, and he let himself be touched, since every brush on the nerd's side was enough to send him flying to another universe. So gentle was his touch that he intoxicated him subtly. "You can tell me what's wrong with you, Kacchan, I won't judge you" He said, wanting to be supportive.

How cute, he thought when he saw his expression of desire to help him.

"What did you mean when you said we will get along very well in the future?" He asked uncertainly, even though his voice came out rough.

Deku's gesture became doubtful, and it was a tender face, for the tenderness of seeing Deku doubt or even smiling, made his heart flutter every time he had a view of it.

"I want us to get along always" He said hopefully.

"I see" He said with relief, feeling less burden on his back. In that, he decided that it was better to let the nerd sleep, since the next day they would have classes and he didn't want the nerd to be tired. "Well, I'm leaving." He turned and left his room, assuring himself that there was a lot of ground to go.

For now, he was honest with Deku apologizing for his aggressive behavior during the years he did. He openly admitted that Deku had the right not to accept his apologies, but even so, he did not.

What was missing now was to keep his word and treat him gently, as it should have been from the very beginning they met.

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P.S. What do you think of the chapter? A little longer than the previous one, I still plan the end.