Hey guys! I just want to make a statement that this is purely what I want to write. It's just something for me to do when I'm not at work. A lot of it is definitely going to be OOC. That and the fact that I don't write as much as I should and I apologize if it feels rushed or repetitive. I also thought that what I wanted to write would be better suited from the first-person point of view. And I figured it would be interesting to get both the boys' points of view.

Critiques are welcomed.

Thank you for reading!

Izuku Midoriya

Dammit.

Dammit.

I had pushed myself too far, too soon.

I hated this.

The fresh air was a welcomed relief as I stepped out onto the patio attached to the back of the club. It filled my lungs, my mouth taking gulp after gulp. People stand around, cigarettes poised between their fingers. I try to reason with myself, to stop the tears from overflowing. I try to choke down the lump in my throat as my hands' fumble for my phone.

I dial the number that I know all too well, holding the cell to my ear.

"Please" I beg, bringing my thumb to my teeth to chew on the already shredded nail. A nasty habit that I had picked up and had yet to kick. "Not here. Not in front of him" it rings and rings for what seems like forever. After all this time I still expected him to pick up. To ask me about my day, to invite me over for a drink since I could legally do it now. I expected that voice, low and deep, to greet me.

That didn't happen.

But then again it never did.

"Hey! This is All Might, the Symbol of Peace! Leave a message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can!"

"Hey. It's Midoriya. I'm just having a really hard time right now" I turn to lean against the railing, watching people pass by on the sidewalk. "I'm at some bar with my friends. But I don't want to be here. I want to be with you, watching tv reruns and eating junk like we used to. Or rather, you hogging all the junk and not letting me have any because it would be bad for me." My heart throbs, and the overwhelming urge to cry returns. The urge to empty my emotions until my insides were rubbed raw.

"It's so hard not having you he-"

The robotic tone on the end of the line fills my ear, informing me that the mailbox is too full to leave the rest of my message. Dammit. I needed to go through and delete the old ones on the phone I kept at home and still continued to pay for. Just so I was allowed the simple luxury of pretending he was simply too busy to pick up. That he was off on some crazy mission that would take weeks to finish because he was gaining intel. That he was off doing some work with the police.

But the harsh reminder that he was gone would always come crashing down, suffocating me and pulling me under.

"Were you on the phone? I can come back later" I freeze, the familiar voice making my stomach tighten.

Kacchan.

Why of all people did he have to witness me on the phone with a dead man?

"Shouldn't you be inside, Bakugou? I'm sure everyone is waiting for you" I can't help the bitterness laced in my tone. I don't look at him. If I do I won't be able to keep my composure. Given our time apart, and the fact that we rarely, if ever, saw each other out on the field, I had spread my wings. I no longer had to live in his shadows. I no longer had to adjust the way I lived my life according to him and his temper. I didn't have to be small or inferior anymore. I could just be me.

The uncomfortable silence stretches between us, and I know that he was expecting a lot of things, but this definitely wasn't one of them. Excitement? Sure. Embarrassment? He had seen that more times than I care to admit. But indifference and the use of his real name? Well, that was probably something he wasn't prepared for.

"The blonde girl told me you came outside for some fresh air, and I figured it wouldn't hurt to come to check on you" I knew if I saw him, he would be rubbing the back of his neck, a mannerism he had picked up in high school.

"Look, I don't need you to check on me. Go back inside" I sigh and pinch the bridge of my nose. I really don't need this right now. I want him to go away.

I hate the way my body trembles, and the way my words feel like glass. Like they're going to break on my tongue and cut the inside of my mouth. They feel so sharp, so practiced. So thought out.

"What the hell, I was just trying to be nice" I hear the flare of his attitude and I finally let myself meet his eyes. I shouldn't have. An unpleasant feeling blooms in the pit of my stomach, and I can't decide what feeling it is. Whether it's nostalgia, or rage, or sadness for what we could have been, I would never know.

"Cut the act, Katsuki. You and I both know you haven't been 'nice' to me in a long time" I scoff.

"When the hell did you grow a pair?"

"When did I grow a pair?" I advance on him, making him back up a few steps. My finger jabs into his chest, and I lean into him until our faces are inches apart. "When I realized that I'm not your doormat. When I realized I don't have to let you walk all over me all the damn time. When I realized that I don't have to live my life thinking I would never be as good as you!" a couple glares at me as my voice raises. I look away from them. I turn on my heel, trying to reach for the door handle. I'm quickly yanked away.

"What the hell? Let go!" I snap, wrenching free from his grip. This time I pull the door open, slipping inside before he has a chance to respond.

So many feelings swirling inside me, all of them threatening to come out. Seeing him nearly crumbled the fragile wall I had built around myself in the past few months.

God, I needed a damn drink.

I slump against the bar, raising my hand to get the bartender's attention.

She seems preoccupied with some rookie hero I saw at a press conference a while ago.

"Hey" I jolt at the warm breath against my ear. Cologne fills my nose, and I feel the cold sting of a lip ring as a mouth presses itself against my temple. I want to say no, to go back to my friends and act like the past twenty minutes never happened, but my ego was even stronger. I wanted to be impulsive, to act without thinking. Like I hadn't in a long time.

"Yeah, sure."

Katsuki Bakugou

That damn idiot.

That fucking moron.

I pace back and forth, my shoes clicking against the tile flooring of the VIP room. I was half tempted to go back out and find him. Force him to talk to me. But somehow, that idea didn't seem like it would help my case. In fact, it seemed like it would only prove him right. And that was something I didn't want.

"Calm down, man! I'm sure he'll be back soon!" Kirishima grins at me, tilting his head back to down another shot. Momo leans against him, her cheek pressed against the fabric of his suit, leaving a streak of makeup behind.

"It's getting late. He'll probably want to head home soon" Uraraka pats my shoulder. I can see in her eyes that she isn't convinced. I knew from brief encounters we'd had that she was worried about her best friend. He hadn't seemed quite like himself lately. No question why. But she was terrified he would fall off the deep end. And knowing him, he would probably drown. And everybody but him was aware of it. How fragile he was. Or how he used to be. So breakable, and yet so hard to put back together.

"I'm going to find him" I decide, shoving through the set of curtains back out into the main building. With how drunk everyone is, I don't think I'll be missed all that much.

It was getting closer to one in the morning, but the party was still in full swing. I swear as some extra stumbles into me, his drink sloshing onto my sleeve.

"Watch where the fuck you're going" I scowl, shouldering past him.

I couldn't see him anywhere.

Maybe he went back outside. Or maybe he had left. For both of our sakes, I really hoped it was the former. The deck was empty, the only sign of anything living was the potted flowers on the tables.

"Midoriya?"

The sound of breaking glass comes from the alleyway next to the building, and I take the stairs two at a time.

"Deku, where the fuck are you?"

I stop when I see the scene before me.

"What the fuck are you doing to him?"

The man stops, raising his head from Deku's neck. He glares at me, bringing his cigarette to his lips and taking a long drag.

"None of your damn business" he bares his teeth, yellow and unclean. Disgusting.

"It is my damn business. Step away from him."

"It's none of your business. This is my boyfriend. We just came outside to get some fresh air and have some fun" he raises his eyebrows. A bottle lays cracked in half at Deku's feet. I reach to grab it, staring down into the remaining liquid. Chunks of white float around, leaving a film on the glass.

"Do you regularly drug your significant others? Or do you just think I'm fucking stupid?"

"Tch. Fuck off."

"That's it. I'm going to kill you, bastard" I charge at him, making him stumble. Midoriya, with the lack of support, slides to sit on the ground. His head slumps to the side and I fight the urge to prop him back up again.

My hand wraps around the man's neck, pushing him against the wall.

"Give me one fucking reason I shouldn't blow your head off for what I just fucking saw you do to him. One god damn reason" my fingers crackle, leaving scorch marks on the collar of his shirt. The smell of burnt fabric fills the air and I push harder, listening to him gasp for breath.

"Kacchan?" I hear, and my hand loosens.

I stare at the perv for a few seconds before releasing him completely.

"Get the fuck out of my sight. You're lucky I give more a shit about making sure he's okay than I do about killing you." He trips over his own feet, scrambling up the stairs. I don't turn to Deku until I hear the door shut behind him.

"Midoriya?"

"Kacchan" his eyes are cloudy as I kneel in front of him, reaching for his face. He flinches away from my touch and I have to remind myself that right now it's not about me, it's about making sure he's alright.

"I won't hurt you" I grab his face, lifting his chin to see the bruises scattered across the column of his throat. His lips are swollen, bite marks spattered across his jaw. His eyebrows furrow as I examine him, his mouth pressing into a frown.

"Are you okay?"

Izuku Midoriya

His hands are warm against my skin and I fight the urge to lean into his touch. My brain struggles to keep up with everything going on around me.

"Midoriya."

"Mmm?" I can't quite form the words, opting instead for simple noises.

"Are you okay? Should I get Uraraka?" I shake my head. The embarrassment I would feel if anyone else were to see me like this. Well, I probably wouldn't survive.

"Home. Please" I know I probably don't sound as coherent as I hope I do. I know I'm probably slurring too bad for him to understand me. If I had any other option, anyone else to rely on other than him, I would.

"Home? You want me to take you home?" I nod.

"I don't have your address" he sighs, pulling me to stand. I lean against him, the smell of burnt caramel and body spray overpowering what's left of my senses.

"My phone. My back pocket" I groan. I hated this. Not being able to function by myself.

I feel his hand slip into my pocket, emerging a moment later.

"Password, Deku."

"61066."

I wait while he finds my address, and before I know it I'm being ushered along, his arm wrapped tightly around me.

We manage to make it back through the bar and out onto the street without anyone seeing, and for that I'm grateful. I feel useless as I wait for him to flag down a cab, and even more so when he has to help me get in.

"My wallet is in my pocket. I can pay" I mumbled, leaning against the car window.

"No. You won't, dumbass" I can hear the eye-roll in his voice.

I don't have the energy to argue anymore, so I simply nod. I watch with half-lidded eyes as we get closer and closer to my place. The farther we get from the drama of the club, the more I can feel my anger ebbing away.

"We're here. What's the apartment number?" he offers me his hand as I get out of the car. I refuse it, quickly regretting it when I fall, scraping my knee on the pavement.

"Damn" I sigh, struggling to my feet.

"I can get there myself" I push his hand away once more, taking a few steps forward as if that's going to prove that I'm capable of taking care of myself right now.

"Idiot. Let me help you" he reaches for me, and my thoughts don't process fast enough for me to get away. He lifts me easily, cradling me in his arms.

"What's the apartment number. Now, Deku."

"219."

We don't speak again after that. Not until we're outside my door.

"Keys" he demands, and I dig they ring out of my pocket. The entryway is dark, I can barely see a thing as he sets me on my feet. I want to go to bed.

"You can go now" I clamber to my room, flicking on the light. I hear a door slam and breathe out a sigh of relief. My fingers refuse to cooperate and I curse as I try to undo the buttons on my shirt.

"Dammit."

"Need some help?"

I yelp, whirling around. Bakugou stands in the doorway, red eyes boring into me.

"I thought you left" he swats at my hands, undoing the buttons for me. "Look, idiot. You can't function. I'm not leaving you by yourself. You can be mad all you want but I'm not going anywhere till I know you're okay" he pushes the sleeves down my arms, reaching for the zipper on my pants.

"Wh-what are you doing?" I feel the heat in my cheeks.

"Nothing weird, you fucking nerd. I used to change Kirishima out of his clothes all the time when he drank too much. You'll feel better when you get comfortable clothes on" he reaches again, this time I allow him. Even if it is against my better judgment. Sparks flare under my skin as his nails brush against the skin of my stomach.

"Arms up."

I oblige, and he slips a tank top over my head.

"I'm fine in my boxers" I offer him a small smile. I just really want to go to bed.

"I want to go to sleep," I say, plopping down onto the comfortable mattress. My logic and my desire for company battle inside my head. I conclude that the drugs in my system are what's making me want to ask him to stay.

To stay with me.

I reach for him, snagging his hand.

"Stay. Please. Stay with me tonight."

I know I'll regret this in the morning, but I don't want to be alone. Not right now.

"Fine."