Sorry for the week delay while I was on vacation! I couldn't post from my phone so I had to postpone updating for a bit. Thanks for your patience and enjoy!

"Do you want to clean your arm before we go?"

Izuku looked up at Todoroki. The other boy's eyes were tinted with concern, and he was a little embarrassed at the sudden attention.

"N-no," he stammered, although he knew cleaning it was probably a good idea. Still, he didn't want to worry his friend about the way it looked. "It feels a lot better than yesterday. I can just clean it tonight!"

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah! Besides, we can always stop if we need to. All right…" Izuku grabbed his backpack up from the ground- he'd just finished packing it up again, as had Todoroki. Now, they were both prepared to move. "You ready?"

Todoroki let out an unintelligible grunt. Clearly, he still believed they should stay put even if he had agreed to go.

Izuku carefully slung his backpack over his right shoulder. He didn't dare put it over his left one- he didn't want to bother his arm any more than he could help it. It still throbbed in its sling but it was far better than having it dangle freely. He also could clean it with water if it really began to hurt again.

Todoroki had filled their canteens earlier this morning with ice, but since it was so thin it had already melted into water by now. Izuku had taken a sip earlier and had found that it didn't taste half bad. A little stiff flavored, but it was better than nothing.

"All right, we should go now," Todoroki ordered, breaking Izuku's thoughts.

Nodding, Izuku tightened his grip around his backpack strap. "Yeah, I'm ready. Let's go." It was a new day and they were getting closer to being saved. Izuku was going to make sure of that, no matter what Todoroki thought.

Turning on his heel, Todoroki began to walk away and Izuku hurried to catch up after him, but his ankle wasn't doing him any favors. "So," he panted once he arrived at his friend's side. "We're going to be walking a lot today… anything you want to talk about?"

Todoroki gave him a side glance out of the corner of his eye. "Not particularly."

"I just mean that the time would pass a lot quicker if we were talking," Izuku rushed to explain. "It could be a good distraction!"

"From what?"

"Well… the heat?"

"It's not that bad right now."

That was true; it was still early morning and the soaring temperatures had yet to arrive. It was warm out, but not so much that it induced sweat just by being outside.

"Yeah, I-I just… I don't know. It just seems a little boring walking in silence!"

"I don't mind it," Todoroki told him. "It gives us time to think."

"I guess..." Izuku didn't say another word for a very long minute. Todoroki was clearly intent to keep walking quietly, with only the sound of their footsteps filling the air.

Although Izuku wouldn't admit it aloud, he was already very bored. Usually, whenever he walked with Uraraka and Iida, they would always have something to talk about. Even with strangers, he could find someone to talk to. However, it seemed Todoroki wasn't quite as willing to have a conversation.

He sighed and shook his head. No, he wasn't going to let the rest of the day be like this. He didn't know if he could stand so much silence.

"So, what's the first thing you're going to do when we get back?" he asked.

Todoroki looked at him with a confused glance. "Well, I'd probably have our injures tended to. That seems to be the most logical decision."

Izuku blinked. "N-no, I mean, like… is there a special food you'd want to eat? A place you want to go back to? Take a hot bath?"

"I like my water cold." Todoroki's tone was getting a little sharp.

"A… a cold one, then?"

"Look, Midoriya," Todoroki cut him off. "I'm not trying to be rude, but I… I don't feel like talking right now. I don't see how it could help us move any faster or find civilization quicker."

Izuku was stunned. He knew Todoroki wasn't much of a conversationalist but hadn't expected him to say this. Whatever had been bothering him lately was still clearly taking its toll.

"Oh, okay." Izuku's voice was soft now. "That's fine."

"Good."

Todoroki fell silent again.

For the next hour or so, the two boys walked in silence. Izuku didn't try to talk again- it was clear it wouldn't be of use anyway. He dwelled in his thoughts, going over scenarios that could help them escape the desert quicker. Only a few came to mind but he wasn't sure if any of them would actually work.

Finally, Todoroki pulled to a stop. Izuku barely stopped himself from crashing into him, surprised by the sudden break in walking. "What's going on?" he asked.

Todoroki was already removing his backpack from his shoulders, beads of sweat dripping down his chin. "Water break," he explained. "We've been walking for a while."

Oh. So they had.

Izuku followed suit and also began to slip off his own backpack. He hadn't realized how thirsty he was before now or how much his ankle was throbbing from the rough journey. It wasn't a welcome realization, and with it came a strong urge to sit down. But no, he couldn't. If he did that, Todoroki would suspect his ankle or arm was hurting and make them take on an even longer break. He couldn't let that happen; they needed to walk as far as they could today.

He set his bag down on the sand and unzipped it before groping around for his canteen. His fingers finally grasped it and he was just pulling it out of his bag when Todoroki began to speak.

"We've probably walked two… no, maybe three miles by now," he said. "If we are somewhere from fifty to a hundred miles out, then we have a long way to go. It could take us well over two weeks to make our way back."

"That's true, but if they went out looking for us we could even be rescued tomorrow!" Izuku did his best to keep his tone hopeful. One of them had to keep them going. "I'm sure they'll send out some kind of plane to look for us. They'll find us in no time."

Todoroki frowned. "We still have to be prepared for the worst-case scenario. Which is, that we don't get back for weeks. We don't have much food left, and water isn't too much of a problem at the moment but it will become one. Either way, we'll have to start hunting soon. There have to be animals around here, but I don't know how easy they'll be to find." He squinted. "And about water… I can't make it forever. We have to find some other source besides my quirk."

Izuku was starting to feel guilty for putting so much responsibility on Todoroki. His friend had to make both of their water, help him with his arm, deal with his own injuries, and go hunting with his quirk seeing as Izuku couldn't really help with that.

I have to do something to contribute, he thought. And I think one of the ideas I came up with earlier could work. Yeah, that way I can do something for Todoroki!

A little excited now, Izuku quickly gulped down some water before putting it away again. Then, he straightened and faced his friend. Although he didn't know if Todoroki would approve of this plan, it was still a good idea and he at least wanted to test it out.

"I thought of something while we were walking," he started. "And there is a way we could travel faster. It could save us hours of time a day, and save our energy too!"

Todoroki raised a questioning eyebrow. "It seems like you've put some thought into this. What is it?"

"Well…" Izuku inhaled. "I've been training with my quirk a lot lately and it's really helped me with my speed. I've never timed myself but I know I can run for a long time and fast. Once you got on my back, I would run for maybe twenty to thirty minutes and then take a break. We'd cover a lot of area in a shorter amount of time. What do you think?"

Todoroki's brow wrinkled, and then, to much surprise, a low chortling sound came out of his throat. Izuku was startled by the sound at first, but then he realized what Todoroki was trying to do.

Laugh.

"Wait, why are you laughing?" he asked, very confused. "This is serious!"

Quickly, Todoroki stopped making the sounds and returned to his serious state. "You are supposed to laugh at a joke… right? That is the proper response."

"What? No, I'm not joking!"

"You actually mean…" His eyes widened. "No, Midoriya, that's out of the question! After what happened earlier, we know your ankle can't handle it. Your arm would be even worse!"

"I feel much better," Izuku said defiantly. "I was just groggy this morning! My arm and ankle are fine!"

"Midoriya…"

Izuku shook his head. "Really, I mean it. I actually feel a lot better now that we've been walking for a while, and I think that using my quirk could really work!"

Todoroki stayed silent for a minute. With his lips pursed, his eyes stayed staring at the ground. "I still don't think it's a good idea," he finally repeated. "What if you worsened your injuries?"

Izuku rubbed his chin. "Well, we'll never know unless we try. Maybe if we tried for one minute, then we could see how well it could work."

Todoroki raised his brow. "One minute?"

"Yeah! You don't even have to be on me, I can try running alone first." Izuku stretched his good arm before tenderly brushing over the cloth of his sling. It seemed tight enough to not give him any problems, at least for now. He nodded. "And if all goes well, then will you come too?"

"No, I don't think you should be doing this today," said Todoroki. "It's too soon."

"It'll be fine! I'll practice first and then we'll both see that it can work."

Todoroki seemed hesitant to answer, his mind not yet made up. "Well… maybe…"

"Great!" Izuku tightened his jaw and began to focus on channeling One For All through his body. Soon enough, he could feel the green sparks lighting him up and he slowly got into the position to start running.

"Be careful, Midoriya," Todoroki warned. "Don't push yourself."

Izuku nodded. "Sure."

The next moment, he was off, with One For All taking him much faster than he expected. His ankle throbbed a little but it was pain he could deal with. Besides, the payoff would be worth it. However, he didn't know if having Todoroki on his back would change anything. It was sure to make running much harder and he didn't know if the strain on his arm and ankle would be too much to work with.

Before he knew it, he realized that a minute had passed and he turned to go back. It didn't take long before he saw Todoroki standing ahead, waiting for his return. He slowed down and skidded to a shaky stop, then pressed his hand against his knee as he bent over panting.

Todoroki came to his side, looking both confused and concerned. "What's wrong? Do you hurt somewhere?"

"N-no! I'm… I'm good." He gave a shaky smile and inhaled, chest still heaving. "I think this could work! It didn't hurt at all!"

Todoroki's expression filled with surprise. "Well, I'll admit, that is better than what I thought would happen. But, still-"

"It'll be fine," Izuku brushed off, although he still had his own doubts about it. "Do you want to keep walking for weeks or do this for a few days?"

Todoroki's eyes narrowed. "Well... if you're absolutely sure…"

"I am!" Izuku assured him.

"Okay, then." Todoroki nodded slowly, although hesitant. "I'll grab the bags and then we can go."

"Good idea!"

It wasn't long before they were both ready to move. Izuku had gotten the chance to rest and Todoroki secured both of their packs to his back. He approached Izuku a little warily, unsure of how to get on. "Are you sure you can carry me?" he questioned.

"With my quirk, I think I can do it." Although Izuku was excited to go through with his idea, he was still nervous that it would worsen his arm. The pain he felt from yesterday… it was horrible. He never wanted to experience anything like it again. Shaking his head, he began to light up One For All again and crouched so that Todoroki could climb onto his back. His ankle pulsed a little at the movement, but he managed to hold back a grimace. "Okay, you can get on now."

Tentatively, he heard his friend approach from behind. After another moment, he pulled one leg over Izuku's side. Then another. Finally, he was settled on Izuku's back, although a little uncomfortable with the new position. "I'm not hurting you, right?" he checked.

"N-no," Izuku told him, but he was still adjusting to the weight on his back. With One For All, he would be able to carry it all, but would he be able to run...?

Well, I'm about to find out.

"All right, ready?"

Izuku swallowed, shifting his arm in its sling. It hurt, but he could still move it. "Ready," he agreed. He started powering up One For All even more, lines of red and green lighting up his body. "One… two… three!"

In a sudden burst of speed, Izuku took off, whipping across the sand with incredible speed. Clouds of dust kicked up behind them and he felt Todoroki tighten his grip around his shoulders. They weren't going as fast as Izuku had alone earlier, but it was much faster than walking.

When a minute of this had passed, however, Izuku was alarmed to feel his ankle protesting again. Even his arm was starting to throb, not happy with the speed he was going in addition to the weight on his back. He gritted his teeth. He didn't know how much longer he could keep this up.

He felt his body starting to slow down. He was already dripping with sweat and his injured limbs ached for him to stop. He ducked his head and tried to focus on running, breathing in and out as best as he could.

You want to let Todoroki down? Do you want to make him do everything himself like you have so far?

No! he thought. I can make it. I have to.

Inhaling deeply, he began to push himself even faster than before. But soon after that, he found that this decision was a terrible mistake.

One moment he was flashing across the sand, the next he was blinded by pain in his arm and his ankle. It was much worse than yesterday when he had collapsed and a scream ripped from his lungs as he plunged down. He felt Todoroki fall off of his back before he collided with the ground, his arm exploding with pain. He continued rolling for another few seconds before he halted to a stop, and then proceeded to gasp for air from where he lay. His body heaved in pain and he withered against the sand with no control.

Oh gosh, it hurt so bad.

No, no, no, this wasn't supposed to happen. This wasn't the plan. He'd let Todoroki down, just like he always did. It was all his fault.

All my fault…

"Midoriya!" Todoroki's echoing voice cut through his pain and startled him, and a moment later he heard footsteps pounding over.

At least he doesn't seem to be hurt from the fall, Izuku thought.

"Midoriya, can you hear me?"

Yes, but he just couldn't make himself answer. The pain was too great. He could only gasp for breath until the pain faded- if it faded- all while drenched in sticky, hot sand.

A few seconds later, Todoroki at last reached him, and his hands fumbled to help, although it seemed he didn't know where to start. "Where does it hurt the worst?" he demanded, and Izuku was startled by the urgency in his tone.

At last, he finally managed to open his mouth to speak. "My… m-my arm," he rasped. "To-Todoroki…!"

"Don't talk. Just hold on for a little bit longer." Swiftly, Todoroki guided his broken arm to lay flat on his stomach before he peeled off the dusty sling and slipped his arm out of it. Once it was exposed on his stomach, Izuku felt Todoroki brush against it with his rough fingers.

Crying out, hot tears of pain welled in Izuku's eyes. It hurt so bad. This was far worse than when he had broken his arms before, and that was saying something.

"It'll be fine," he heard Todoroki tell him. "I'm going to put some ice on it, all right? Hang on for another minute. This should help."

"W…what?"

Before he knew it, Todoroki activated his quirk and he felt coolness travel over his arm. Soon enough, the pain began to subside a little, numbed out by the new cold. His body relaxed and his breaths became easier to come by. His ankle still throbbed, but at least it was better off than his arm.

A minute had passed when Todoroki finally came to a stop. Izuku felt his arm now covered in a thin layer of frost, and was grateful for the relief.

"Thank… you…" he gasped out.

"Does it feel better now?"

Izuku responded with a shaky nod.

Letting out a breath, Todoroki rubbed his forehead and sat in the sand beside Izuku. They were both exhausted from the incident, although for different reasons. "Midoriya," Todoroki said lowly, "you are never doing that again."

"D-don't worry…" Izuku closed his eyes. "I won't."

"You could have been hurt even worse! This decision was far too reckless and-"

"I know!" Izuku's eyes squeezed open again, allowing the sun's striking light to flood his eyes. He fought back a wince as emotions came flooding through him. "I just… I just wanted to help. You were the one doing everything, and I thought that with my quirk, I-I could…"

"You're the one with the worst injuries, Midoriya," Todoroki reminded him. "I don't mind doing more around here than you. That's just how it works out. But if this went worse, if my ice didn't help your arm…"

Izuku was surprised to hear the worry in Todoroki's tone. He didn't know if he'd ever heard him sound like this before.

"We're both getting out of here alive," Todoroki said with finality. "And in order to do that, we can't be reckless. We have to keep our injuries in check, and most importantly not push ourselves further than we can handle."

"I'm sorry," Izuku whispered. He was feeling incredibly guilty for putting Todoroki through all of this. He should have expected something like this to happen. It wasn't as if he didn't know his arm would act up. He'd just decided to ignore it.

"At least it's better now. But..." Todoroki turned to look at him with growing intensity. "Just promise me that the next time your arm or ankle is hurting, you tell me first. I don't want this kind of thing happening ever again."

"I will," Izuku promised. "And-and same for your head."

"Then it's a deal."

Another moment of silence passed.

"So, what are we going to do for the rest of the day?" Izuku asked meekly. He still wanted to walk a little more but didn't know if Todoroki would let him.

Todoroki lowered his brow. "Not much. I don't think you should be moving much more after this since you used up most of your energy."

That was true, Izuku realized. He felt so weak that he didn't know if he could even stand right now.

"I'll go get our packs so you can have some water," Todoroki told him before he pushed himself up from the sand, dusting off his hands. "Will you be okay for a minute?"

"Y-yeah."

"All right, I'll be right back. And don't try to sit up." Todoroki turned away, beginning to trek back towards the fallen bookbags.

As Izuku lay there, he knew that he'd just made a big mistake. He'd slowed them both down for the day and had caused Todoroki to use even more of his ice up. And for what reason? Because he wanted to make some kind of "difference?"

He closed his eyes and tried to fight off the overwhelming guilt that was drowning him. At this rate, would they even make it out of the desert alive?