A full-length mirror with its corners charred stared back at him. Leant against the wall at an angle, it brought attention to frayed green cloth hanging off of his shoulders. Shedding himself out of his hero costume, Izuku winced at the sight of dried blood crusting off. It wasn't his, a grim reminder of just how brutal today's accident was, but the guilt that pooled in his gut every time a speck of red fell to the floor was just as painful.

Finishing getting dressed, the hero passed a look to the clock indicating that it was nearly noon. If he hurried, he could still make it to the flower shop with just enough time to return, buy a lunch from the convenience store, and rush back to one eye absentmindedly, Izuku checked his bag for his wallet, grabbed his trademark red shoes, and went to turn off the lights in the penthouse.

Izuku was just locking the front door and breezing past the gate when he spotted a familiar head of white and red from the corner of his eyes. The aforementioned stared back, one finger an inch from pressing the bell.

Instantly, Izuku let a sleepy smile wash over his face. "Shouto-kun. Good morning."

"Likewise," Todoroki took a second to bow politely. "It's not like you to be off of work so early, Izuku."

His smiled twisted into something more sheepish. Yes, it was unusual for Izuku to come off duty early in the day. If anyone asked, it was much more common for him to be out there at the crack of dawn, stomach growling and skin littered in scratches by the time he returned to the neighborhood long after the sun had set.

"I've had to uh…" Izuku gestured to his rumpled clothing and uncombed hair, "schedule more graveyard shifts so there's time to plan the wedding. It works out well since villain activity is at its peak after everyone has gone to sleep."

The pleasant contours of his companion's face morphed into one of concern. "It sounds like you're pushing yourself too hard."

He shook his messy head adamantly. "I'm fine, really, honestly!"

Studying the sunny beam sent his way for any sign of a lie, Todoroki saw none. Unfortunately, this wasn't the worst state he's seen his close friend in. That would take quite a while more to reach. He sighed. "If you say so. That's actually why I came by. I've been making a lot of improvements on the sculptures recently and wanted your opinion on which step to take next."

At that, Izuku's smile softened. Following his disastrous breakdown at the aquarium and after scrapping up enough remnants of his mind to finish the seating plan, he'd insisted on taking one last look at the submerged hallway before leaving. It seemed like such a waste to not incorporate it into his wedding somehow. That's when one of them came up with the idea, and Izuku felt a little crazy for not remembering whether it was Katsuki or himself as he was too excited at the prospect to care.

It was going to house a gallery walk. Not one filled with paintings from famous artists, but a collection of items and old knickknacks donated by the guests themselves that connected them to the bride or groom. At informing his friends, all of them responded positively. Aoyama was ecstatic at the chance to share his cheese fermentation farm. Iida was bringing in the superhero costume that he wore when fighting Stain as an expression of gratitude.

As for Todoroki, he surprised everyone by signing upfor glass-making lessons in a craft center on the other side of town. That in itself would've been enough for Izuku to feel a world of gratitude, but then the man went in for the kill by stating thatit was going to be completely made using his fire sideto represent how far he's come since his first year at Yuuei. Izuku just about crowned him the best friend anyone could have at that moment.

And truly, the rate at which he improved was astonishing. Izuku gaped at the makings of a swan the size of his head in the other hero's palms. Its neck was still a little crooked, and its wings weren't the same length, but it was still stunning. "It looks great, Shouto-kun, much better than the other one at the last wedding."

"The other one at the last wedding is in pieces, but thanks." Todoroki really needed to stop taking everything so literally. Shaking his head good-naturedly, Izuku proceeded to voice his earlier criticisms for the two-toned man to take in eagerly. About two sentences in and realizing he's going to be late, he gestured for Todoroki to follow him to his car parked on the paved driveway.

"Oh," About to make his way off of the property, Todoroki turned back at the last second. He peered closer at the gap in the window that Izuku rolled down. "I almost forgot. Uraraka has been trying to call you all night but you weren't answering. She's preparing a new batch of chocolates with a different topping and wants you to come over to try them."

Izuku faltered, shutting off the engine. "Sorry… I'd have to postpone that. The flower shop is expecting me to show up for an appointment with the manager."

"I'll tell her that." He nodded, a more intrigued emotion passing through his face. "Would you like me to come along? My… my mother really likes flowers."

The symbol of hope froze. His first instinct was to reject him without any room for argument. Of course, it wasn't like Todoroki would argue with him about it so the urge to so strongly deny his accompaniment made him feel guilty. But the primal urge to just say 'no' couldn't be completely blamed on Izuku. His friends have all been very vocal about their dislike for Katsuki. It didn't take two brain-cells let alone the number that his mumbling mind fired off every second to figure out that they wouldn't react positively to finding out about his involvement with the wedding.

Obviously, refusal was the only option.

At least, it would be if it were anyone else.

Because contemplating on it a bit longer, a realization washed over Izuku like a cold spring river. Every time the angry blond came up in conversation, Todoroki was the only person who didn't speak out at all. In fact, Izuku had no idea if he even had an opinion on Katsuki. It didn't help that he never hid anything from Todoroki; the two broken teens finding comfort in the friendship of the other back in high school. And, Izuku really liked Miss Todoroki. She was still a little jittery but would be delighted at receiving a bouquet from her son.

Gripping the steering wheel a tad harder, Izuku relented. "Yeah, you can come but on one condition."

Not used to his friend giving out ultimatums, he hesitated the slighted bit. "What is it?"

"Please, please don't freak out when you meet my wedding planner."

Bewildered but finding himself the target of pleading green eyes, the ice and fire hero could only agree.

And Izuku took that agreement to heart. Polished it when his nerves acted out at the idea of an explosive confrontation; framed it on the inner walls of his chest when a blond head of hair would show up on a sideview mirror and he'd very ridiculously think that it was Katsuki. Turning into the parking lot, Izuku did every mental exercise he's ever learned in preparation for what was to come.

It wasn't as bad as it could've been. At seeing him around the corner, one very impatient Katsuki was leaning on the wall like he had to pay it for standing there. Taking in Izuku's appearance, his expression soured further. "You look like shit. If you're going to be late, at least say it was because you spent thirty minutes doing your makeup."

Izuku furrowed his brow. "I spent thirty minutes saving lives."

"So did I, what else is new?" Unimpressed, Katsuki was about to turn into the shop when he made eye contact with a quite frankly, speechless Todoroki. "Oh, it's you."

The addressed didn't stay in that state for long, for he maneuvered his body in front of the freckled hero within half a second. Todoroki sent the blond a suspicious glance at about the same moment Izuku felt his panic spike up. "What are you doing here?"

Oh, Kacchan. Don't blow this up. Don't blow this up.

"Complain all you want, I can stand here if I fucking choose, number four."

And there it goes.

"If you're looking to start something with Izuku, drop it and leave right now." Deciding that this was as good as time as any to diffuse the situation, Izuku ducked under Todoroki's arm to push the two apart with a nervous smile on his face. Katsuki stepped back, but not without an irritated tick to his temple before shoving himself into the flower shop without another word.

Turning to his long-time friend, Todoroki regarded him with as much dumbfounded emotion as Izuku could ever picture being portrayed on his usually stoic face. The symbol of hope scratched his neck shamefully. "Sorry. It's kind of a secret but he's the wedding planner I told you about."

Not wanting to explain himself any further, Izuku spun around to scurry into the building himself, a shocked Todoroki on his heels. He hung around near the entrance, watching as the other two made their way to the counter where the cashier quickly bowed and went to retrieve the manager. He was a sweet man, slightly older but with the signs of graying hair near his neck. Seating themselves at another table, Izuku was handed a three-inch binder with a catalogue of every flower available. It would take a while to grow enough to fill a hall, but this was one of the only stores who accepted an order on such short notice.

Quickly bypassing the sections with purple flowers, Izuku dived into the pages on orange flowers with burning passion. The older man chuckled at that, turning to Katsuki with a worn smile. "What kind of flowers are you looking for today?"

"The theme of the wedding is one koi fish swimming against the currents." Katsuki sprawled himself in the seat next to the excited groom with his folder. He gestured to Izuku nonchalantly. "This nerd here said it had something to do with inspiration, hard work, all that good shit. We've already booked an aquarium as the venue, so we'd need bouquets in orange and red to resemble koi and to balance out the colours."

"Hmm, interesting, I like it! May I suggest not ruling out the possibility of including blue flowers as well?"

Katsuki looked him in the eye with interest. "Keep talking."

He laughed. "I'd love to, but it'd be better to show you. Please excuse me for one moment. I think I have just the flower that you're looking for."

Grunting in the affirmative, Katsuki leaned back in his seat to eye his companion with disdain. It seemed that the freckled mess hadn't heard a single word of the conversation, too caught up in scanning the pages with a rapid pace and whispered mumbles. His focus was razor-sharp, perfect even. So of course, Katsuki went in to stop it. He slammed his folder onto the page Izuku was on without remorse.

The hero squeaked in annoyance. "Kacchan!"

"Deku," the blond imitated with the same whiny voice. "Stop being such a spazz. What the hell are you looking for?"

At being caught red-handed, not that it was difficult to pick up on his eagerness, Izuku shrugged helplessly. "It's just… remember the church that my old wedding took place? There were these really beautiful orange flowers just outside the gate." Swaying his sight over to Katsuki's blank look, Izuku backtracked. "It was the second-no, the third time we met there so we could talk about the dress. The workers switched the garden out just that morning for the next wedding."

That seemed to light the bulb in the blond's head. "What, you mean tiger lilies?"

"Th-THAT," Izuku sputtered out. "That's it! How did you know what they were, that's amazing!"

Hiding the blush threatening to spill on his cheeks at the compliment, Katsuki scoffed. "Cut it out. They're just my old hag of a mom's favourite, that's all. She liked how they looked, plus they mean pride and aggressive passion. I don't know shit about any other girly dumbass flowers."

"Pride and passion," Izuku repeated the words, ignoring Katsuki's attempts to diffuse his admiration. He shook his head, disappointment lacing his tone. "That doesn't really suit Atsuko and I at all."

"It fits the theme quite nicely." Forgetting that his friend was still there for the briefest of seconds, Izuku nearly jumped up in surprise. Todoroki smiled apologetically at noticing the jittery green gaze sent his way. "You should go for it, Izuku."

"But…" Uncertain eyes locked on the manila files littering the table. "This wedding is about us. I should choose the flower based on the purpose, not make up a purpose because I want a certain flower."

"So what, you don't feel any pride or passion for your dumbass bride, even a little? That's lame." Katsuki snorted.

Izuku sent him a warning look. "Kacchan…"

Katsuki wasn't stupid. He didn't miss that look. And as much as the doctor would love to just go home without any trauma like their little meetings tend to attract like opposing poles, more than that, Katsuki Bakugou would never lie. He plunged on. "It is lame."

"We're not all the type to crash a wedding without checking if it's the right one like you." Izuku narrowed his eyes the slightest.

"No, let me finish, you goddamn idiot." Katsuki held back his temper with a glower of his own. "It's lame because no relationship is a real one without some passion or pride. Whatever flower you pick doesn't have to be the first thing you think of when you look at the person you're giving it to. If my mom was pride or passion and nothing else, my ass would've died ages ago."

"That…" Izuku swallowed, a little speechless and ashamed for his earlier burst of temper. "That was really insightful of you."

Not wanting to admit that it was written in a passage of one of the many wedding magazines he poured over, a cheesy sentiment which Katsuki didn't want to admit to agreeing with,he opted to screech instead. "I can be insightful if I want, you shit nerd!"

"Sure, Kacchan." He was presented with an unconvinced smile. However, before the blond could point it out, Izuku was already turned back in his seat and flipping the binder over to the category of white flowers. He paused, giving them minimal thought before moving onto the next one. His posture was noticeably more relaxed than it was a minute ago. The sight had Katsuki settling to seething at a potted clover, willing the manager to just return already.

Finally, after a few seconds of Izuku humming at a few of the selections with thought, a scarred finger pinpointed on one choice in particular. "This one. It's perfect."

Crimson eyes shot down to skim through the name, price, and blossom time, halting somewhere halfway in the description. White tulips; a flower to express forgiveness from the giver to the receiver. He fixed the hero with a skeptical look. "Aren't you the one asking for forgiveness?"

Izuku shook his head, a faraway twitch to his mouth. "One tiger lily in the center, with white tulips surrounding it. I'm choosing this bouquet to tell Atsuko that I forgive her for what happened when we were kids."

A sharp intake of breath sounded from somewhere behind them. Katsuki didn't have time to investigate it for the manager chose that exact moment to return with the famed recommendation that he spent twenty fucking minutes in the green house to find. It was an unconventional choice, that's for sure. Hundreds of blue petals with white ends cascaded down a bulb making up one flower, it's structure akin to a vine of grapes but its colours portraying waves. "Sorry for taking so long. Here we are."

The two stared at it wide-eyed, silently taking in the softness of the stem and bud. It was quite different from trying to capture the beauty of these exotic flowers from a book. "What are they?"

"Grape Hyacinth Muscari," the manager replied with a twinkle in his eye. "When I heard that you wanted to recreate the idea of water waves in your bouquet, I immediately thought of these. They're not usually arranged in gifts and don't have any particular meaning attached to them, however, so they're easy to overlook in your search."

"Flower freak," Katsuki used his usual brand of nicknames to bring the man's attention to him. "Do you sell wedding arches too?"

Izuku gasped, the end product of where his wedding planner was going with that train of thought catching up to him instantly. He bounced out of the seat to peer at the plant in wonder. "In a wedding arch, the Muscari can be layered to climb up like a stream!"

The blond smirked. "Exactly my point. Better than having it sag pathetically next to the lily and tulip. We can garnish it with a tiger lily here and there so it looks like a bunch of koi fish in a river."

"That would be a challenge, but it is possible. Some particular sprouts of Grape Hyacinth Muscari even form a gradient, with bulbs on the top being white and gradually turning darker blue as you reach the bottom. It's quite magnificent to think about. I can arrange that feature with no additional cost, just for you two." The man winked.

Katsuki turned to the green-haired hero. "We good?"

Izuku smiled back, a little giddy. "We good."

Knowing that the bulk of the work was complete, Katsuki reached into his discarded folder to pull out a blank sheet of paper to write this new information down. Knowing that there was a total of twenty guest tables and one table for the bride and groom, that totaled to twenty-one tiger lilies and sixty-three white tulips.

The wedding arch was a whole other beast. Placing one at the altar, one in between the reception and ceremony, and one at the entrance of the gallery would definitely eat up the budget, but it should still be with himself, the blond tucked this new information away in his bag. "We'll take it. Deku, go pay the guy before his creepy wink gives me wrinkles."

Izuku rolled his eyes but got up off of the chair to follow those instructions. The manager passed on the potted plant to the groom to gawk at as they went into the backroom to print out the official receipt and order. That, unfortunately, left Katsuki alone with a certain red-and-white nuisance. If this entire encounter was spent in silence, he wouldn't complain.

Unfortunately, Todoroki had other plans. "I saw a gorgeous arrangement of carnations and roses by the front window. I'm thinking of buying it."

No response. The hero tried again. "It was a mix of red and purple. My mother loves the flowers with calming aromas, they help her sleep. It's funny though because I've never been a fan of red or white flowers myself. I see enough of that in the mirror-"

Katsuki spun around, shooting him a calculating look. "Why the fuck are you talking to me?"

"Complain all you want, I can talk to you if I choose." Todoroki repeated what the blond had snapped at him back outside the shop. At first glance, it would seem that the smile on his face was serene. But Katsuki was experienced in dealing with assholes. In actuality, he caught the tiniest hint of amusement in that face automatically.

The doctor seethed. This guy was actually a sly bastard. "Shouldn't you be burning my ass off while simultaneously tearing through my ear drums for sticking a nice hole in Deku's precious wedding?"

At hearing this, Todoroki had the gall to look confused. "Why would I do that?"

"Well fuck, I wonder. Maybe because your groupies all vowed to puncture my guts after I smashed Deku's face into the ground on the most important night of his life and made his bitchy bride run screaming with her tail between her legs? Shouldn't you hate my very existence?"

"Oh, you're self-aware. That's good."

The blond shot out of his seat. "WHAT WAS THAT? SAY IT AGAIN, I DARE YOU!"

Against his goal of making the number four hero cower, Todoroki only shook his head, amused countenance still in place. He took to admiring the flowers on the accompanying aisle, as if what he was about to admit wasn't groundbreaking. "To answer your question; no. On the contrary, what you did is the exact reason why I can't hate you."

And.

Okay, what the fuck was Katsuki supposed to do in response to that? Hug the guy? Punch him?

Overwhelmed by the million things his body was telling him to do but not willing to settle on one, he ended up standing there, stiffly and silently. Just as well, Todoroki left the flowers to regard the blond once more, this time with no humor in his demeanor. "What Izuku said about the white tulips… what do you think he meant by that?"

Snapping out of his stupor, Katsuki scoffed. "Ever heard of something not being my business to stick my nose into? Maybe you should try it sometime. If Deku wants to talk, he'll talk."

To his frustration though, Todoroki only shook his head. "That secret took Izuku three years to finally admit to me. But you," his seemingly endless gentle stare transformed into something sharper, as if meticulously judging everything that Katsuki was. "You managed to get close enough to him that he feels comfortable telling you after only a few weeks."

Hell. What on earth could Katsuki do with that information? He stared at Todoroki blankly, clueless to whatever the hero was implying. Seeing the lack of any understanding, the other stepped back. "Sorry about that. It was uncalled for." Not letting the doctor get a word in, he continued. "When it comes to the well-being of others, Izuku's a loving hug, smile, and a home for the rest of us to confide in. I wish he had that same level of love and respect for himself."

"What are you trying to say?"

"I'm making a request. Please, just make sure Izuku is happy. Ask him once in a while. Let him know that you'll listen whenever he doesn't seem happy. That's all."

"HA," finally regaining his bearings, Katsuki let out a mocking laugh. "You're making a mistake entrusting Deku to a stranger. Some friend you are."

A hard frown made its way to a heterochromatic face. "I'm not doing this because I want to. Izuku is a good judge of character, so I'd say you're trustworthy."

For fuck's sake. Katsuki was getting goddamn sick of people deciding things on their own for him. He didn't have to do shit that this top hero was telling him, and he wasn't going to start just because he was asked. "Listen, Icy-Hot." He spat out, voice like venom. "I'm not the type of person to lie about what I want. I'm not doing all of this for Deku. He knows that. I know that. End of story."

"So why did you come back to help him?"

It was a question that Izuku already discovered the answer to during an impulsive phone call, and Katsuki didn't feel like exerting the minimal effort required to explain it. "Remember what I said earlier about things being none of your business? Yeah, fucking listen to that."

Todoroki sighed. "You two make quite the pair."

Before he had the chance to grace that with a response, a loud ring broke the tension in the air. Mistaking the source as his own phone, the manager came running out with a confused Izuku behind him only to stop when Todoroki reached into his pockets to pull out the same model. "Hello?" He walked to the corner to take the call, Izuku returning to Katsuki's side with a lopsided smile and the receipt.

After a few more one-sided replies, Todoroki shut the call off to address the occupants of the room. "There's a rescue site nearby that requires my assistance. Sorry, Izuku. I'm afraid I'll have to be off."

A concerned green brow furrowed. "Do you need any help?"

Giving the symbol of hope a reassuring shake of his head, Todoroki rejected. "It's not a serious problem, no one's life is in danger. A store collapsed last night while no one was in it. Uravity is busy so they require some of my ice to help move things around. They suspect that a cat is trapped somewhere because it's meowing nonstop. Earphone Jack is heading there as well to pinpoint where it's coming from. There's already more than enough heroes deployed." Here, he pressed forward to give Izuku a small knock on the head. "Go home and rest."

And just like that, Todoroki was out on the streets and making way to his destination across the street. Izuku had half the mind to follow, almost did, if it weren't for Katsuki shoving him towards the door. "Come on, nerd. I have a damn good show on TV to catch and you're driving me back."

"Um, th-thank you!" Shouting over his shoulder at the manager was the last thing Izuku could manage to do before he was out in the sun and soft breeze. The two made quick work of their trek back to the freckled man's car. However, at seeing what was decorating the interior, Izuku nearly hit his head on a pole repeatedly.

"The fuck is that?" Katsuki pointed at the offending object.

"It's Shouto-kun's sculpture for the wedding. I can't believe we both forgot about it!" Ignoring the mourning nerd, Katsuki opened the door and sat himself at the front, glaring at anything that moved in the front window with irritation when Izuku didn't follow suit right away. Realizing how delicate the object was and how his angry companion would obviously refuse to carry it, he had climbed into the backseat to secure it with the universal anchorage system- or seat belt reserved for babies.

And honestly, yeah, the green-haired mess was right. Katsuki didn't want anything to do with the half-and-half bastard, much less hold his little glass swan for him. Pleasant thoughts about the many ways he could humiliate the number four hero clouded his brain even after Izuku finished his job and went to turn on the engine, pulling the car into the busy intersection for a long drive home. Everything they passed that was red or white nearly had him snarling.

Not to make Todoroki feel special, because he wasn't. Katsuki just hated when people told him what to do, much less how to do it. If he wanted something, he'd get it his own way. And hearing Todoroki spout nonsense about comforting the nerd was absurd. It was absurd because Katsuki truly didn't care. He wouldn't go out of his way to question Izuku about something as trivial as his intention behind picking white tulips. He wouldn't do it in a million years-

"I fucking hate white."

Goddamn it.

Izuku hummed. "I know."

"No, you didn't. Stop being a smartass." Fuck, might as well go all the way with it now that he's started. "You know why I hate white?"

Stopping momentarily in front of a red light, the driver switched the car into idle to regard Katsuki with contentment. "Enlighten me."

"It only does three things well. Firstly, to announce to the world how boring as shit you are. Secondly, if your goal is for your grandchildren to look at the photos decades from now and wonder why they can't see the bride. Thirdly and its only real merit, by acting as negative space to make the rest of the colours look better."

Noticing the switch in colour of the stoplight, Izuku went to turn the gears back before bringing the car to a decent speed again. A full minute passed with no more words being exchanged, cityscape making way for more rural area consisting of trees. Finally, between passing a school nearby and approaching a park, Izuku broke the silence with a smile. "I like white."

Katsuki turned to him, a disgruntled grimace on his features. "Shit then. Which of the three are you?"

The smile turned smaller. "The first one."

Studying the hero for a moment, Katsuki took in the splayed green curls resembling tentacle arms, the spattering of freckles accenting high cheekbones, and a hint of baby fat that seemed to refuse to go away, all rolled up into the person known as Izuku Midoriya. "…No, you're definitely the second one."

Green eyes shot to him in slight surprise. "Why?"

"Because you're weird as hell. Now half-and-half, he's the first kind."

At that, and Izuku feels horrible for it later, but he can't help but burst out laughing. Because he knows; he knows the story of Todoroki's first hero costume back in first year. His decision to make it white for the reason that it was the most readily available was a personality trait that Katsuki hit right on the head. And despite not understanding the full extent of the joke, the blond found himself snickering as well.

When they both settled down, a comfortable silence engulfed the car. Izuku lazily took in road signs and made perfect turns and stops when needed. Seeing that the other had no more to say, Katsuki leaned back in his seat. That was… a thing. He didn't know what the heck he just did. He didn't even get the answer that Todoroki was so adamant on him searching for, but somehow Katsuki still felt content on just doing whatever at his own pace-

"Atsuko almost died when I was thirteen."

Katsuki's heart stopped. Slowly, he turned his neck to look at the expression on the other's face, but Izuku remained facing forward on the empty street. "Deku…?"

Some part of him was expecting Izuku to start sputtering about just speaking without thinking again, but to his displeased shock, the symbol of hope continued like he couldn't stop. "S-She didn't mean it, Kacchan. I swear. She was just really happy, happy and in love. I-I saved her life that day. She was about to die from this sludge monster and-… that was back when I was quirk less. She wasn't."

"Oi," noticing the other's eyes clouding with something unrecognizable, Katsuki attempted to grab the steering wheel. "Calm down-"

"It started out fine!" A familiar voice, much more hysterical than the blond had ever heard it, cut through them like a knife. Green lightning coded scarred arms, claiming the wheel with a strength that Katsuki couldn't budge. Not without a quirk of his own."We just wanted to kiss for a little bit but then we ended up at my apartment and my mom wasn't there-"

"Breathe, you need to fucking breathe-" The car was veering.

"I couldn't keep up with her quirk. She can freeze time around her for two second intervals, did you know that?" The fog that was only a hint in Izuku's eyes before now nearly consumed it. Still, the hero laughed bitterly. "So we would be kissing one moment and I'd blink and she'd suddenly be at my neck!"

In contrast to the moment prior, Katsuki's heart was now beating out of his chest in some horrible feeling of dread, fear, and a mix of other things he couldn't hope to understand.

He felt helpless.

"Stop, Deku!" His voice sounded so much quieter than he wanted it to.

"Yes, that word! She wouldn't stop, Kacchan. My pants were on the floor and she was on her knees so-"

"IZUKU, STOP THE CAR!"

Some holy deity or raging dragon must have strengthened the reach of his scream, for all of Katsuki's desires in that one moment, for whatever this was to stop, for Izuku to stop looking like that, were answered. The symbol of hope jolted out of his little space, mind brought down to the land of the living long enough to comprehend the command and slam down on the brakes. Long enough for the car to come to a screeching halt just off of the road. Long enough to realize that he nearly sent the two of them careening down a river.

Then, there was nothing.

Nothing but both of their strained breaths. Shaky green eyes take in their surroundings, take in the sight of a stray garbage can that their car hit. Take in the splash when the plastic object rolled off the side of the cliff just to meet its untimely demise below. Take in the crimson red orbs, golden locks disheveled, looking at him in fear.

And Izuku loses it.

The panic seeps in faster than blood out of a wound. It makes his hands feel frigid cold, his heart like it wants to explode out of his chest, and his sight border around himself. He shivers, mind only coherent enough to hang onto the goal of keeping his foot on the brake with a scary ferocity, not having any energy left to expend on anything else. He doesn't realize when his breathing quickens, when it begins to suffocate him, not until Katsuki curses really loudly.

And suddenly there is a rough arm on his shoulder, dragging him out of the car. Izuku didn't know when the other had time to turn it off and abandoned the luxury of wondering about it when his knees pressed into soft grass. He's beginning to feel lightheaded, embracing the dizziness just before a bag is shoved onto his face and he's forced to breath into it in frantic puffs. His pupils focus in on the company logo of the flower shop they were just at, using it as a center of balance while his mind tried to climb back down into his head.

Finally, when his heartrate is somewhat normal, his breathing tolerable, Katsuki rips the bag away to stare at him. Izuku still had a dazed look overtaking his features, but he could begin to see the light in his eyes return. Arms awkwardly at his sides, lost on what to do next, the blond falls to the grass next to the hero in a stressed huff. Registering the movement, green curls turn to him and stay focused on his silhouette.

A weak croak, but one that Katsuki much preferred over the voice that haunted him back in the car, spoke up. "I loved her too, Kacchan." He breathed heavily. Eyes stayed chillingly dry. "I really did. So why did I hate it so much? Why am I so awful?"

All of a sudden, a bouquet of tiger lilies and white tulips seemed strangely suiting.

"Deku, you were raped."

And this is just about the moment Kirishima would facepalm if he were here, Ashido would hand him the trophy for 'Most Insensitive Asshole of the Year,' and Kaminari would look at him as if he was the stupid one. As soon as those words were out of his mouth, Katsuki knew they weren't the right thing to say. Still, he couldn't find it in himself to regret saying it. Not even when the despair in Izuku's eyes were replaced with unhindered rage.

"Don't," Izuku hissed out, a sound that was so foreign to anyone who knew him, "use that word."

"Why are you denying it?" Katsuki spat back, feeling strangely calm. "Todoroki hates her. Your families don't get along. After dating for over 10 years, all you have to show for it is an expensive-ass ring. You're giving her white lilies as a sign of fucking forgiving her. AND your friends seemed to care more than you when I crashed your wedding. Face it, you know she did something wrong but don't want to admit it to yourself."

The symbol of hope looked away, the rage melting back into something more subdued. His shoulders shook, overcome with the barrage of emotions that inhabited him in the past ten minutes. Izuku thought through his next sentence carefully, eventually spitting it out when he realized no amount of context could make it sound any better. "I never said no."

"What?"

"Kacchan, don't think so highly of me." Izuku whimpered. "I never said no. Not even once. We even continued doing it for a while after. I led her on, because it made her happy."

Katsuki went silent. He leant back on his palms resting on the ground behind him, taking in the sight of a squirrel collecting nuts on the branches across from them. Faint sniffles came from beside him, but he could do little else than acknowledge they were there. Izuku's eyes were still dry as a desert and that, that was what unnerved him the most. "Deku, you're going to do exactly as I say. My apartment is only a few more minutes away. I'm going to drive you there. You're going to sleep for three days straight. Got it?"

The addressed opened his mouth to protest but, finding no energy to care, snapped it shut once more. His head of green bobbed up and down the slightest. It might've been a trick of the breeze, but that was enough consent for Katsuki to lead him into the passenger's seat. He made quick work of backing the car into the road and continuing on the street. On the way, the hero made no move to indicate that he was much more than living and functioning enough to sit in a chair properly.

Parking next to a run-down complex, Katsuki pulled out the key to give his companion the stink eye. "You say one snarky comment about where I live being not enough for your rich ass, and I'm blow-torching your hair in your sleep."

No reply. A tad frustrated, the blond opened the car door and led Izuku up the flight of stairs until reaching the fourth floor. He practically kicked down the door, only pausing to unlock it first, dragging the deadweight behind like he was a walking stack of potatoes. Making it to the center, somewhere between the tiny kitchen in the corner and the living room with an old television, Katsuki turned to him with a commanding voice. "Lie down."

Izuku eyed the floor in confusion.

Katsuki rolled his eyes. "Just do it."

Eventually, the symbol of hope complied. Careful to focus his legs so not to quite embarrassingly trip, Izuku used what little energy he had left to do anything to follow the instruction. His sight was overcome by a popcorn ceiling. He stared blankly. Some small voice at the back of his head was still perplexed on why the blond was doing this. Maybe it was a prank of some kind.

Just as he was contemplating falling asleep, a familiar ball of blond fur poked into his view.

Izuku didn't have any time to react. The puppy was too quick. One second he was no where to be seen, the next, Lord Murder the Second had his chest captive, paws clutched to his collar as he went to eagerly lick at the hero's face like it was a delicious cake.

And honestly, no amount of negative emotions or feeling like he's dead inside could've stopped Izuku from laughing uncontrollably. Explosive fur tickled his neck, worsening his guffaws but making his heart feel lighter with every breath.

After a solid minute of this, Lord Murder ran a cute circle on his stomach before bounding off to retrieve his dog toys. Izuku watched curiously, no longer feeling too tired to heave himself into an upright position just in time for the puppy to return with his trusty explosion-shaped ball. After an affirmative nod from the owner, Izuku chucked the ball a short distance and into the entryway. Short fuzzy legs were quick to shoot after it, returning to the symbol of hope with a happy wag of his tail.

Letting out one last laugh, Izuku went to clutch the puppy by the cheeks. "Thanks, Murdy-san, for cheering me up."

"Murdy-san?" Katsuki sounded offended but, seeing Izuku pet the dog in excited strokes, sighed in aggravation. Because honestly, fuck Izuku and his cutesy ass nicknames. "Yeah, this demon is good at that."

Dropping off his stuff by a chair, Katsuki made quick work of throwing on an extra jacket before making his way back to the front door to shove his feet into warm boots. Realizing that the other was leaving, Izuku blinked at him in confusion. "Where are you going?"

"Out, to buy some groceries." The blond said without looking at him. Before turning the knob, he made eye contact with the hero, motioning to Lord Murder the Second with an offhand gesture. "He's a good listener too." And just like that, he was out the door and out of earshot.

There was a moment afterwards where Izuku felt nervous, being in Katsuki's home without Katsuki himself being there. Would someone come to visit just to find a strange man instead? Would he accidentally break some million-dollar heirloom before that? Or-

Lord Murder interrupted his mumblings, nudging his muzzle against Izuku's chin. Instantly, he felt his shoulders relax and made himself a home on the hard floor. Back against the tile, Izuku regarded the popcorn ceiling again with one hand tangled in the puppy's fur. It… wouldn't hurt to try what the blond suggested, right? Izuku yawned.

Happy bark.

"Murdy-san," he began. "I'm a very selfish person. It's no wonder Atsuko keeps leaving."

Tail wag.

"That's why I don't want to get married. I need to work harder first. I need to be a better person for her. I can't keep taking without ever giving. Until she becomes my everything, I don't deserve her."

Ear droop.

Wait, what?

Before he could contemplate what the action meant, Lord Murder was off of his stomach and running to another side of the apartment. Bemused, Izuku follows after him into a box of a room that was probably smaller than his own bathroom back at the penthouse. Cabinets filled to the brim of documents were lined against the wall, no doubt organized. An old laptop sat in sleep mode against a window and below a shelf nailed to the wall which housed textbooks on physical health.

Realization crawling in on what this room was, Izuku carefully treaded in to grab the puppy who had migrated to a pile underneath the desk. Clenched between its jaws was a single slip of paper. He made quick work of extracting the sheet from the dog, making sure that the file remained unharmed minus a few drool stains. "No, bad Murdy-san! Don't touch Kacchan's things!"

The puppy yipped before whining.

Izuku sighed, opting to place the paper back in its rightful place before closing the door so Lord Murder wouldn't get in again. Flipping the sheet around with the intention to match the others, green eyes froze on its contents.

Wedding Budget (Deku) Revised 4

Without any command over what his mind ate up, Izuku's eyes honed in on one specific item, or specific group of items in particular.

Engagement Ring… … … … … …$50000

Reception Hall… … … … … …$25000$20150, short notice discount (added to engagement ring)

Entertainment / DJ … … … … … … $6000 $4500, no service fee (added to engagement ring)

Dress … … … … … … $8000 $6200, discount for buying sample (added to engagement ring)

Baker … … … … … … $2000 $0, Rikido Sato, free (added to engagement ring)

Izuku's world turned white.

What. He leant against the wall for support, clutching the paper tightly in his hands. What was this?

Turning the sheet over, holding it up against the light, rereading it four times did nothing to change the words. No matter what Izuku did, the numbers remained the same. No matter how much he tried to control himself, he couldn't.

More

Stop thinking of yourself all the time! What about me?

I must give up more.

Help, please! I'm- I'm seriously gonna die!

I'll save you. If I lose a limb, that's okay. I'll save-

When was the last time that he could be selfish like this? That he ever voiced the desire for something as petty as an expensive ring, Katsuki brought that side out of him, and not feel ashamed? Too long, far too long, and yet it wasn't until the paper in his clutches crinkled against his palms that he felt any sense of relief. He couldn't deny the flurry of butterflies, long ago asleep, which suddenly fluttered to life in his stomach and took off into a mix of emotions. No matter how much he tried to control himself, they found their way to his tear ducts, spilling onto said sheet in big fat droplets.

No matter how much he tried to deny it, Izuku knew that feeling in his chest was happiness.

Sitting alone in a dark apartment with no company other than a quiet puppy, Izuku realized he wanted that happiness more than anything else.

And there was nothing wrong with that.

He dreamt pleasantly that night, curled up on the floor out of exhaustion. A dream of a childhood he shared with a little girl in black pigtails who gave him small kisses in between games on the slide, his demeanor turning giddy every time she would look his way. And if that girl started blurring, if her hair started looking more golden in the sunlight and her eyes showing fierce shades of red, Izuku wouldn't remember it by the morning.