Huff
Too hot and cumbersome. A heavy feeling weighted over Bakugou's chest, it felt as if his limbs were all tangled and hampered. So annoying... He fought against the sweet hold of sleep, slowly batting his eyelashes as he chased it away. A green blur obscured his vision, and that - his drowsy mind gathered- was very, very wrong.
The world emerged into focus: somebody's sleeping face, intolerably near his, close enough that he could count each and every freckle on it.
'Deku '
Bakugou's hands shot up between them and pushed the other boy with all his might. It sent him tumbling over the edge of the bed and crashing down, blanket and all. Bakugou sprang up on the bed.
"HOW THE FUCK DID YOU GET INTO MY ROOM, YOU FUCKING CREEP?"
"Ouch! Waaa...?"
Izuku's head appeared from over the bed's edge, with drowsy eyes.
"Mom? Uuh, no...", he tilted his head, " ...Kacchan~? 's 'hat you?"
"WAKE UP! OI! ANSWER ME!", smoke came out of Bakugou's mouth as he raised an exploding fist.
"SHhh-hh-hh!", Izuku gestured with a finger over his lips, "You'll wake the whole school, idiot!"
"Idi...?! DEKU! IMMA KILL YOU SO FUCKING HA..."
Two palms slapped across his mouth, cutting Bakugou short in his tirade. Deku had scrambled one knee over the bed and quickly plastered his hands over the blond's lips.
"Kacchan, calm down please! I'll explain everything... and it's you who entered my place by the way, not the other way around, okay?"
Bakugou threw a glance at his surroundings.
No way, it really wasn't his room! What in hell...? He slapped Deku's hands away.
"Err, so, yesterday...", Izuku massaged his hand.
"Yesterday?", Bakugou crossed his arms and squinted. There better be a damn good explanation. One that didn't make him feel even more queasy, preferably.
"I think... Narrator cursed you?"
"You think ?"
"I mean, you did try to break into my room at 3 am for at least 5 minutes straight"
"Are you putting me on? That's rat-ass bullshit!"
"Then, are you here for my comfy bed?", Izuku frowned.
Bakugou sputtered, "THE HECK? Your bed sucks...-stop spouting rubbish! How would I even enter a locked room?"
"I sorta let you in."
Bakugou blinked at him.
"You wouldn't stop knocking, and didn't wake up at all! Then you fell on me over the bed. I was tired so I thought I'd just take a short nap, but...!"
Bakugou tuned out the unrelenting monologue spilling from Deku's lips, peppered with hazardous hands gestures and maddening muttering.
Facts: apparently, he was the one who came into Deku's room. He even slept the whole night here, with the nerd. And judging by the digital clock, in a little less than 10 minutes all their classmates would be up and about, they'll all see him coming out from this place. There would be questions.
This was bad. It was so damn fucking bad.
Suddenly, a knock on the door.
"Midoriya? Are you okay? I heard talking", said Denki's muffled voice.
Bakugou swiped his head to Deku, with a spike of anxiety: that dumbass would blow his cover up faster than Bakugou's quirk. Deku was looking back at him, holding his gaze as he answered,
"Aah...! Yeah! Just doing some, uh, public talking training with..." (Bakugou shaked his head vehemently) "Uuuuuh, with myself?", he winced at Bakugou's souring expression.
"You sound a bit strange, you sure everything's alright?"
"YEEeeaah! I'm super fine! I'll be there just as soon as..." (Bakugou bared his teeth at him) "...as I'm done releasing this big cicada! I don't want it escaping in the corridor."
"Ew! Yes, please don't it fly out here! See ya at breakfast then"
"Bye!!", Izuku released his breath once he heard Denki stepping away.
"What big cicada, you bumbling greenfly?"
"Still worked though!", Izuku puffed his cheeks.
"So did you plan to get off my lap before or after I cremate you?"
In his hurry to get up from his bed, where he had been sitting knee to knee with Kacchan, Izuku's feet got caught up in the sheets, causing him to tumble backwards, once again.
"For crying out loud", Bakugou pinched the bridge of his nose.
Izuku let out a little yelp before slowly standing up. Not liking the height vantage this gave Deku over his current position, Bakugou stood up on the bed.
"What are you doing?", Deku looked up at him confusedly.
"Shaddup. I have to get out of here."
"The door's over there"
"No shit! I meant I have to get out unnoticed, dumbass"
Izuku's frown deepened, "Why?"
"Because ... ! Because I don't want people to associate us together, obviously! Anyway, stop wasting my time."
"Ah. Uhmm", Izuku looked around for something useful, "Do you have your phone with you?"
"Sure, I took it on my way out to my nighty possessed walk. What do you think, idiot!"
"Shhh! Okay! Sheesh", Izuku turned around as he muttered under his breath, "Not a morning person, how unexpected"
"What did you just say?!"
"I said: what about the window?", he went to open it, " If you left your own window unlocked you could..."
Bakugou pushed him out of the way and leaned over the edge, " I have to cross Mineta's and Todoroki's before I get to my place". There was a risk he could be discovered, but what were his options, really?
Having made up his mind, he straightened up and turned around. He used his arm's strength to haul himself to a sitting position over the window sill, then launched his right leg out of the window.
"Wait, are you going? Just like that?"
Bakugou stopped astride over the window and glanced back at him, "I'd rather not stay alone with you any longer."
What was that supposed to mean?!
"Did I do something? Wait, Kacchan!"
Bakugou threw his other leg outside and grabbed the water pipe that was attached horizontally just over the building's windows, using it to keep his balance as he stood over the 25 cm ledge.
Izuku walked up to the window, to face him, "Is this about the spring festival? Listen, I've been meaning to tell you: at that time, actually...!"
Bakugou braced his weight on both his raised arms that were gripping the pipe, and leaned into Deku's space through the open window. The sudden proximity was unsettling enough it made Izuku trail off. The raising sun at his shoulders set his blond hair ablaze, casting a menacing shadow over his face.
"Listen here, you useless nerd, do never mention that night to me again", he squinted his eyes. Izuku closed his gapping mouth.
Taking that as tacit agreement, Bakugou pushed himself away and started to slowly step laterally to his right, disappearing from Izuku's view.
*
For the following minute, Izuku stood completely frozen before his open window. If it wasn't for the gentle morning breeze that reminded him he was still in his pyjamas, the recovery might have taken yet longer. He closed it and even locked it. Something was definitely wrong with him, he had had a shadow of doubt before, but not anymore: one time is a coincidence, two? An unlucky accident.
But three times: that's a pattern.
Had it been just three times, or had it been more? When had Izuku's mind started to run a mile each time he got too close to Kacchan's face? It made no sense at all! Give him details on hero's quirks and his brain would immediately engage. Ask him to devise a plan that went against all odds? Say no more! -Those - should be the only instances his imagination reached out into the realm of possibilities!
Yet Kacchan only had to step in, and all he could see were the possibilities.
As for what those were, he didn't even dare put them into words; they frightened him witless.
*
The first window Bakugou had to cross was Mineta's. Thankfully, the curtains were still drawn, and they stayed so until he made his way across it. One down, one to go. Todoroki's curtains were also closed, this would be a walk in the park! Bakugou steadily stepped in front of it with confidence. He was halfway along his path to safety, standing before the glass. Brusquely, Todoroki yanked them open.
Their eyes met in shocked silence. Why in tarnation would Bakugou Katsuki stand on the second floor, right outside Todoroki's window? Five seconds later, he was still holding his opened curtains, and Bakugou was still grabbing the pipe, as they stayed completely frozen across each other. Then, ever so slowly, Bakugou crab-walked onwards to his objective, with Todoroki's eyes trailing behind him.
"Fucking fuck!", Bakugou muttered, "Damn half' n' half bastard gave me a heart attack, shit"
Finally, he reached for his own window and, sliding it open from outside, let himself slither in before closing it again.
"I'm fucked."
*
A quarter of an hour later, Izuku stepped out his room ready for the day ... or as ready as he'd ever get, given how badly it had started. Breakfast lulled him into a sense of normalcy; everything was back on track at last. There would be no more veering, no more unscripted interactions. Izuku would play his given role to perfection: he laughed with friends about stupid things, looked at the news with them on Tsuyu's smartphone, cheered with everybody each time a hero from the clip gave the villain a hard time. A perfectly normal morning. Nothing to report. Nope, nothing at all.
When it was time, they all stood as a group to go to class, still chatting loudly about the clip -and in Izuku's case - making new theories about the heroes quirk's possible use in a fight.
"Go ahead guys, I just need to use the bathroom real quick!", Izuku waved them off.
"Don't be late!", Ida warned.
The green haired boy stepped into the men's bathroom, not losing a second. Out of the three toilet stall, only one was occupied, fortunately. Once he was done, he walked up to the ceramic sink and turned the water on to wash his hands with soap. His eyes naturally looked up at his reflection in the front wall mirror. Behind him, he could see in the reflection that the single occupied toilet stall still had the red indicator on.
'This person will be late for sure! That is, if it's even occupied...', Izuku speculated.
He closed the sink and put his hands under the air dryer. As usual, it made a cacophonous sound.
"Izuku Mi...ya ... as if he... Ka...Bakug...entire life"
As soon as he had noticed a voice talking, Izuku had retrieved his hands from under the dryer, but it was too late: by the time the automatism had stopped working, only the last two words stuck clearly from the rest of the sentence; 'entire life'. Nonetheless, those two words were like ice cubes dropping over Izuku's spine, because they had not been spoken by just anyone. The chilling calm voice that still echoed in his brain, there was no mistake: it was Narrator's.
It was an order, and Izuku didn't even know what it said! What 'entire life'? Why was Narrator shifting the cursing to Izuku again?!
He wiped around, 'the occupied stall!', of course! The person responsible for this, the person that mocked them for a whole month... they stood behind that white door right now!
"Narrator, I know you're there. Come out and let's talk", Izuku ordered.
Silence.
"Hey! Don't pretend you didn't hear me! Stop joking around and cancel what you just did!"
More silence. Izuku fixated the door as if he had a personal beef with it. He took a wide step in its direction, so he could pound it with his fist.
"Do you hear me? Open up!"
The bell rang, announcing the start of first period.
"Damn!", Izuku looked at the closed door, he looked outside, then again at the stall door.
"This conversation isn't over, you don't go around cursing people! That's what villains do!", Izuku loitered for a second, trying to come up with something smart, something that would convince the invisible stranger to break the curse. He came up empty, filled with frustration, he turned on his heels and sprinted all the way to his class.
He slid the door open too quickly in his haste, and it made a resounding sound which made the whole class fall into silence and look his direction. Aizawa sensei among them. All his blood rushed to his face under the unwanted attention,
"I-I-I'msosorry! I got held up! Sorry!", he bowed a hundred times apologetically, all the way to his desk, muttering 'sorry's'.
*
Bakugou had his chin resting over the palm of his hand, "Stupid greenfly, did you lose your way to class?", he grinned over his shoulder.
Izuku looked perplexed at this comment, "I'm sorry, do I know you?"
Bakugou blinked, what the fuck was the nerd playing at? The hell kinda question was this?
"Duh, had to put up with you my entire life"
Izuku squinted at him, looking him up and down,
"I think you have me confused with someone else. I don't know you at all, sorry"
Bakugou banged his desk with his open palm, enough was enough, did Deku want to make a fool out of him?!
"Aah?! Stop messing with me, Deku!"
"S-sorry"
"Stop saying sorry!"
"Bakugou Katsuki and Midoriya Izuku. One more warning and you're out of here"
"Fuck. That's your fault", Bakugou whispered.
"S...I mean, let's concentrate on the lesson?", Deku whispered back.
Bakugou would have liked that, he would have liked it very much, but he was at odds with what just happened. Maybe it was just Deku's cheap prank because he was mad at him for breaking into his room?
'The fuck did he open the door for, then?'
Deku had been strange since this morning. No, thinking back, he was strange since the effing spring festival. But what a childish joke! Pretending not to know him? Really?
Bakugou barely took notes for the entire lesson. As soon as it finished, he confronted the green haired boy.
"Deku, done with your lame-ass acting?"
"It's Midoriya"
Bakugou gave him a quizzical look.
"My name. It's Midoriya. We are not close enough to justify you calling me nicknames."
"This bastard! Are you for real? Stop your shitty act, you're pissing me right off!", he grabbed Deku's shoulder and pushed it, sending Deku back three steps.
A hand landed on Bakugou's own shoulder, not harmful but still firm.
"We have to talk", Todoroki stated in a calm voice.
Goddamn fuckin' course. He had almost forgotten. How would he get himself out of this one? He should have stayed in his bed today. Like, in his bed.
" 'bout what?", he said dismissive.
Todoroki's eyes rapidly shifted to Izuku and back to him.
"Don't want to.", the blond deadpanned.
"Then, can I tell everyone?", Todoroki quipped a brow.
"Tell us what?", Ida asked, who had approached the scene in his capacity of class representative, and therefore conflict mediator.
"Nothing, glasses. It's between the two of us, butt out."
Ida looked at Todoroki, not taking Bakugou dismissal at face value.
Todoroki nodded at him once.
"Midoriya, are you alright?", Ida turned to the boy.
"Yeah, don't sweat it, Ida. I don't know why this person just suddenly started to curse at me, is all."
"OI! Look here! Who are you calling 'this person' uh?"
"Bakugou, let's go", Todoroki grabbed his bicep and started to drag him. After a minute Bakugou threw him off, however he still followed after him, fearing the guy would execute his prior threat.
"Where are we going?", the blond put his hands in his pockets.
"Somewhere we can talk"
They reached the school's track field, both were completely silent for the past two minutes. Bakugou was not the sort to try and start conversation, while Todoroki seemed immune to prolonged awkward silence altogether. So they walked across the field.
"The fuck did you want to say, halfy? We have classes"
Todoroki's expression was blank, "This morning", is all he said.
"That's none of your..."
"You were getting out from Midoriya's room, weren't you?"
Shit. Of course ice-boy would figure it out. Of fuckin'-course.
"Did you do something to him? He's not the type to be as petty as to ignore someone."
"Looks like you have him all figured out, eh?"
Todoroki's glare hardened, "So I'm right"
"Yeah, whatever, it's not like I chose to go there! And before you ask: nothing happened "
Shoto's shoulders relaxed, "Then, why?"
"Narrator", Bakugou kicked a rock out of his path.
"Ah."
They fell into silence again. Bakugou buried his hands in his pockets further, square-shouldered.
"Why did he ignore you, then? Did you do something else?"
"Like I said, the nerd is a fucking piece of work. If you wanna know, ask him; not me", he grumbled, "Let's go back already, next period starts soon"
Todoroki looked down contemplatively as they walked back to the school building.
"Do you think it's possible he's being cursed, like you were?"
"Doubt it. Never happened before. I don't care, either way"
"I'll figure it out"
Bakugou snickered, "Good luck with that!"
The other boy glanced at him sideways, a shine in his eye, "Don't worry. I have a plan"
Bakugou threw him a puzzled look, but otherwise ignored the comment. He opened the door and let it slam into Todoroki's face on the way in. He really didn't want any more annoying factors entering the Narrator's equation. That was his problem. He'll deal.
Hello peeps! So, for the sake of the story, let's pretend Midoriya, Mineta, Todoroki and Bakugou are all on the second floor dormitories.
Narrator strikes again! What has he done this time? And what is Todoroki's plan? Find out in the next episode!
Thanks for your comments and likes, it's AAA battery material!
See ya~ (｡•̀ᴗ-)