A/N: I wanted to make a quick special note at the beginning here, because FFN doesn't have the same tagging system as A03 is and I don't want people to be thrown off. I headcanon that Izuku is bisexual+, as well as Ochako. I'm also not interested in depicting any purely heterosexual couple, even if it's one that appears to be so, so there are some brief mentions of bisexuality+, and we explore Izuku's mostly-former crush on Katsuki a little bit more in this chapter. However, this is still Green Tea, so if you're worried about this turning into a Decchan ship - you don't need to worry.

xxx

It didn't take long for a plan to be born. Ochako was energetic and kind, and her confidence and easy-going nature helped Izuku feel a little less awkward. The three of them sat in the sitting room of the hut, discussing the who's and the how's. If he were being honest he wasn't sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing that there weren't many people he was interested in saying goodbye to, but he could not find it in himself to be very bothered. His mom and Mr. Yagi were enough. Only an hour passed before Ochako was dressed and ready to go, a pack containing small vials of potions and an entire grimoire strapped to her waist. Why she needed so much when they were only going to Aldera was beyond him.

As much as he was anxious to see his mother, Lady Chiyo would not allow Ochako to be outside for very long at night. Going to see both Mr. Yagi and his mother in one day would likely take too long, and Izuku understood.

When the two stepped back outside, he felt a strong wind graze his skin. It must have been cold, because Ochako hissed a "Sheesh!" and pulled the hood over her face as far as she could.

He felt a pang of guilt. "Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked. "I know this is a lot to ask. . . ."

"Don't worry about it!" Ochako waved her hand carelessly. "It's not a big deal. Lady Chiyo and I talked about me possibly doing this yesterday, after you went away. I volunteered. Besides, she said this will be good practice for me. This is what I've been training for."

Izuku nodded, but still wasn't completely confident in that. Instead of pressing the issue, he said, "You've been training to talk to ghosts?"

"No!" she snorted. "Help people."

"Oh." Something warm and fuzzy fluttered in his belly. "Thank you."

"You don't have to keep saying that, silly. So! Are you ready?" Ochako's smile was genuine and infectious, and made him believe (if only for a moment) that things would be okay.

"I'm ready when you are." With that, the pair made out.

The snow crunched under Ochako's boots. They were silent for a few minutes, though it wasn't really uncomfortable. After a time, she asked, "So . . . you're Mr. Yagi's apprentice?"

Was, he thought to himself, a little bitterly, but didn't want to correct her. "Kind of. Since my mother needed help around the house I was never able to fully dedicate my time to learning from him, but he still treated me well. He took me on a few of his trips, like to the Capital, to the Reach. . . ."

She made a humming noise. "I really like him. He's so nice! Mr. Yagi was the one who escorted me to Lady Chiyo."

"Really?"

"Yes! I used to study in Yuuei Tower, but I . . . wanted a different kind of education, I guess."

Izuku was impressed. Yuuei Tower was a prestigious academy for all kinds of branches of sorcery. It was very difficult to be accepted within its bounds, but the magi that underwent the curriculum very rarely had any trouble finding work.

"Um . . . if it's okay, why did you not want to continue at Yuuei?"

She scratched at the back of her head. "Well, you see, Yuuei is . . . different. From what people think it is."

Izuku only looked at her, waiting for her to continue.

"Ugh. It's . . . I want to learn magic so that I can do some good in the world. I want to be able to help my parents, my friends, my community . . . and Yuuei . . . it's a wonderful place, right? I've never been anywhere like it. And they teach many incredible things! What they teach is usually very helpful. But . . . it's all political. All about how you should focus on this branch of magic because the Highest Lord So-and-So of the House of Whichever is amused by it."

"And you didn't like that?"

"No, I didn't. I don't want to be some parlor trick to be gawked at, but that's what the Headmaster was pressuring me to become. I want to be like Lady Chiyo, who is known all over the nation as someone who helps the common folk, not whose pocket is fattest."

Izuku couldn't help but admire her, but he wasn't sure how to word what he wanted to say. "That's really cool of you," he said awkwardly.

Ochako snorted.

"S-Sorry, I'm –"

"Relax, it's fine! I'm not offended or anything." She smiled, and he felt his momentary panic deflate. "I'm glad you think it's cool."

"O-Oh, good. I'm glad. I mean –" Izuku ruffled his hair. "I suppose I'm just not certain what to say. I knew that the nobles always want magicians from Yuuei if they can help it, but I never thought that the Tower itself would feed into what they're doing."

"Oh, yeah, they definitely do. But most people don't realize it – I mean, that's not the kind of thing you think about when you think about an academy for magic, right?"

Izuku nodded. "So how did you come to Lady Chiyo?"

"I just wrote to her. I'd gotten into, like, a hundredth argument with my tutor about what I should be doing and not doing . . . and, I've always heard about Lady Chiyo. I mean, everyone's heard about Lady Chiyo, but I've always been fascinated by her. She's done so much in her life. After that argument, I decided that it couldn't possibly hurt anything just to try, right?"

Izuku nodded, dumbly. He wondered what it would be like to be brave enough to write to someone famous just because it "couldn't hurt."

"After a few trials and some paperwork, Yuuei agreed that I could study under Lady Chiyo, as long as I return to the Tower twice a year. So, here I am!"

Izuku tilted his head back. The Sun had fully risen by then, but it was covered by the clouds. That was probably a good thing: if it were out, the snow would likely be blinding. Mrs. Chiyo didn't live as far away from the center of Aldera as he and his mom did: they were already nearly there.

"So, why did you want to study under Mr. Yagi?" Ochako asked, after a few minutes of silence.

"I always wanted to travel around the world, and he's gone on all sorts of adventures! He's really amazing. When he first moved here a few years back I didn't realize who he was, at first. It was . . . Kacchan. Of course. He's good at everything he tries, and is very smart." He swallowed, painfully. "He wants to be an adventurer himself. When we were really little he always said he wanted to be a knight, but of course that was never going to happen."

Ochako winced, because of course he was right. Only the children of prestigious families were allowed into the knighthood.

"Neither Kacchan nor I could be Mr. Yagi's 'proper' apprentice, but he taught us both when we were able to come along. . . . Mr. Yagi has connections all around the nation, and even outside of it. I wanted to develop a network like that as well, but Kacchan was . . . more about the glory, if you know what I mean."

"Who is Kacchan? That's a nickname, right?"

Izuku fumbled. "Oh, uh, he's Katsuki Bakugo. We used to be friends, when we were younger."

"Oh, him," she said mildly.

Izuku whipped his head so face her so quickly that he wondered why he didn't hear his neck crack. "You know him?"

"I've met him," Ochako elaborated. "I've met most of the people in the village. I'm surprised that you're friends."

"Used to be. We aren't anymore, really." It stung, as it always did, to admit it. "We . . . he changed."

It took him several moments to realize that she was staring at him, as if she were waiting for him to continue. "U-Um, he used to be nicer."

At first her eyes didn't leave his, and he was almost ready to ask why she was looking at him like that, but then she said, "Oh. Well, that at least makes more sense. You seem so nice, and he's just a jerk."

Izuku couldn't bring himself to disagree. It was true. Even as children, Katsuki was not the sweetest boy in the village. The older they got, the more angry he got. It was almost as if he pushed down everything and everyone that he felt was in his way. It hurt that Kacchan thought Izuku was in his way.

The two of them lapsed into silence, and in no time at all they were standing in front of Mr. Yagi's big log cabin. It was very nice – arguably, it was the most impressive home in all of Aldera. The man had wandered far and wide across the nation and beyond, and over the years he had accumulated a lot of wealth. Izuku was fairly certain that if he had wanted to, he could have bought a good home all the way in the Capital.

At one time, in the beginning of his semi-apprenticeship, Izuku asked Mr. Yagi why he chose Aldera, of all places. The man had just laughed and smiled, and told him that he'd been "guided by a friend." He never elaborated, and Izuku never questioned it further. Now, however, he wondered if the friend was Mrs. Chiyo.

"Here we are," said Ochako.

When Izuku turned from the cabin to look at her, he realized that she appeared anxious for the first time since . . . the previous day, most likely. Her eyes were open wide, and she was fiddling with the latch of her cloak.

"Are you okay?" Izuku asked. "If you aren't ready –"

"No, I'm fine," she said. Her voice was filled with determination, and Izuku once again thought about how admirable her courage was. She straightened her back and marched over to his front door, giving it a few knocks.

For several moments they waited. Izuku's spirits were nearly about to fall when, finally, he heard heavy thuds come from inside. When the door creaked open, Mr. Yagi stood there, but he did not look like the man Izuku had come to know. Though his height allowed him to loom far above them, he was hunched over, one hand shoved in his pocket. His blond hair was a mess (possibly even messier than Izuku's own), and dark rings circled around his eyes.

For a split moment Izuku was desperate to find out what was wrong – but then, he was pretty certain he knew the answer. The hot, coiling guilt that had plagued him the night before returned with a vengeance.

"Good morning, Young Uraraka," said Mr. Yagi as he stepped onto the porch. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"Good morning, sir. Um, how are you doing?" Ochako winced at how forced her words sounded, but Izuku was just glad she was talking.

Mr. Yagi looked passed her, up to the sky. "I have been better. Someone I cared for has recently passed. It . . . has not been pleasant." He looked back, briefly, at Uraraka before his gaze went upwards again.

Izuku had only a few seconds to wonder what it was Mr. Yagi was looking for before his brain provided him the answer: someone. He nearly felt sick.

"I don't mean to upset you though. We don't have to discuss that," he murmured. "What might I help you with?"

For several heartbeats, she said nothing. She appeared to be readying herself for the conversation ahead. Izuku couldn't help but wonder what it would be like if the roles were reversed. He thought he would be pretty nervous to tell someone that their loved one was a ghost. Would they get angry? Would they start crying? Would they not believe him at all? Before then Izuku hadn't fully considered Ochako's position: now, he felt the gratitude and respect for her increase tenfold. She was very brave.

Finally, she spoke up. "Actually, sir, that's what I've come to talk to you about."

At first Mr. Yagi didn't respond, he only continued to stare up at the sky. Then, after a few moments, his gaze finally found her own, and he did not break it.

"I . . . you know that my master is able to . . . she has many gifts. Right?"

"Of course," he said. If Izuku didn't know better, he would have said that Mr. Yagi sounded almost nervous. "She is a very accomplished woman of the Arcane Arts."

Ochako nodded. "Yesterday, a . . . um, well, a spirit came to visit us. After talking with him, we were able to determine that he is Izuku Midoriya."

Mr. Yagi said nothing. He only stared at her, wide, darkened eyes unblinking.

"He's here with us now," she whispered.

Her eyes flicked to Izuku's, and the unspoken question was clear to him. "Please tell Mr. Yagi that I'm . . . I'm sorry, for messing up. I really appreciate everything he's ever done for me and my mother. A-and thank him for showing me his business. And. . . ." How much did anyone really want to hear from a ghost? The thought made him feel colder than the snow could. "A-And, just, goodbye."

"Izuku says . . . that he's sorry for messing up? And that he's very thankful for everything that you've done for him and his family, and for all that you've shown him. He just wanted to tell you goodbye."

There was no immediate response. The man hung his head, and Izuku had to stop himself from wringing his wrists. He was trying to keep calm, trying to act like this was no big deal. He was trying to pretend that standing in front of him was not a man that (though he would never admit it to anyone) had been more of a father to him than his own parent ever had. No matter the reason of Hisashi being gone, no matter the necessity, it was Mr. Yagi who was there for Izuku – not Hisashi.

There were a few tears slipping down the man's face, he realized suddenly. He'd never seen Mr. Yagi cry, and the sight had him feeling almost dirty. He had been trying so hard to keep it together for Ochako, but now he couldn't help it: the tears were welling up in the corners of his eyes, and he allowed them to overflow.

Ochako did not break the silence. She only averted her eyes and waited patiently, giving the man the time he needed.

"What does he mean, that he 'messed up'?"

Izuku wasn't sure if he was more impressed or jealous that his voice didn't even shake.

Ochako turned to him. Izuku rubbed the tears away and cleared his throat. "For – for going out when I shouldn't have. For . . . you know."

She relayed the message, but Mr. Yagi only shook his head.

Frustration clawed at his center. It was his foolishness that caused the person he respected most to feel such anguish. It was permanent: not something he could easily take back.

"Where is he now?"

Ochako pointed where Izuku stood. Mr. Yagi's eyes flashed in his direction, but it was just like when Ochako had tried looking at him before she'd taken the potion. He knew Izuku was there, but he could not see him. It was alienating, to have to depend on Ochako just to talk.

Perhaps because Izuku couldn't actually be seen by him, Mr. Yagi's gaze traveled upwards once again. He fiddled with his fingers for several moments before he said, "Izuku doesn't have to be sorry."

He waited for a moment, confused. When Mr. Yagi didn't elaborate, Izuku turned to Ochako. "Can you ask him what he means?"

She did, and he said, "I mean that he – I mean that you don't have to feel guilty for what happened, Young Midoriya. I cannot say that it's 'okay,' but feeling guilty about what is already in the past is not going to do anything to serve you. I don't want you feeling that way."

Izuku swallowed, his heart a heavy stone in his chest.

"We have talked about this before," he continued. "Guilt does nothing but weigh down on the soul."

In the springtime three years before, Izuku had camped elsewhere in the woods for a few days with another one of the boys from Aldera who wasn't as bad as the others. When he came back, he discovered that his mother had had an accident with one of the farming tools and hurt her leg so badly that she could hardly move. When Izuku found her he'd ran to get Mr. Yagi, who took the two of them to Musutafu so she could be seen by a doctor.

Then, too, Izuku had felt the crushing weight of guilt. If he hadn't gone off, then she wouldn't have gotten hurt. If he had just come home sooner, then she would have at least received help sooner.

When he confided to his mentor, however, Mr. Yagi had shut down all of his anxious "what if"s. He told Izuku that he could not stop living his life just because something may happen, and if something ever did happen, then the only thing he could really do was deal with it as it came, to the best of his ability. Back then, it made a lot of sense.

It still did, even if it didn't make all the hurt go away.

Izuku sniffled again, and found himself desperately wishing that it was just the two of them. He liked Ochako – she was a very sweet girl – but he wanted to be alone with the man that had been such an influential force for a good chunk of his life.

He was not going to get what he wanted, and he knew it.

"I hope he remembers that, going forward," Mr. Yagi whispered, so quietly that even Izuku, who was standing very nearly next to the man, could only barely hear it.

Izuku turned to Ochako. "Can . . . can you please tell him that I-I will do my best?"

She nodded and said as much, and Mr. Yagi let out a deep, world-weary sigh. Izuku couldn't tell if it was relieved, sad, or even angry, and was contemplating the merits of getting Ochako to ask for him when Mr. Yagi slowly stretched his long limbs to the cover of the porch. He turned his head to where Izuku was, looking just above his forehead, and Izuku froze. Distantly, he realized that the only evidence there was that the man had been crying was the drying tear tracks running down his gaunt face. Izuku didn't even realize that he stopped.

"You're right here?" Mr. Yagi said.

"I am," said Izuku, even though the man couldn't hear him.

"He is," answered Ochako.

Mr. Yagi nodded. "You . . . are a wonderful young man. It was my honor to have you around, when you could come. It would have been an honor to have taken you on as my apprentice full-time, but that's okay. Your mother is a wonderful woman, and I will help her any way I can."

Izuku may have tried to stop himself from crying for only a moment, but it didn't last long. The tears were powerful and tore at him in a desperate need to come out, and what he was sure were ugly sobs rocked his spirit. Even though he was trying not to think about it too much, the question of what, exactly, was going to happen to his mother now that he was gone was something that was plaguing his mind. He hoped that his father would come and finally move her to the city, but what if he didn't? With Mr. Yagi, though, he didn't have to worry. Izuku knew that the man was as good as his word, and that if there was anything he would be able to help her with, he would do it.

Maybe he didn't have to worry.

It must have taken several minutes for him to calm down, but he wasn't certain. When he was finally able to arrest his emotions a little, Ochako had come a little closer. She was looking at him with a bit of worry in her eyes, and Mr. Yagi was standing with his fists in his pocket.

"There, now," said Ochako. "Is that better?"

Izuku chuckled, but it sounded wet. "Yes. I'm sorry I'm such a mess. To – to both of you."

"He says he's sorry for crying," she said.

Mr. Yagi shook his head slowly. It's fine, young man. Did I say anything wrong?"

"Of course not!" Turning to Ochako, he said, "Please tell him it's . . . it's just because I was worried about my mom. I didn't even realize myself how worried I was, u-until Mr. Yagi said that he can help her. I'm . . . really so thankful, he finished quietly.

"Izuku says that you didn't do anything wrong. He didn't quite realize how concerned for his mother he was until you said that you would help her with anything she needs, and he is . . . very grateful."

Mr. Yagi smiled, but it did not reach his eyes. "It is only my pleasure, Young Midoriya."

The three of them stood on the porch silently. Finally, a question struck Izuku. "Can you ask him how he found out that I . . . died?"

She did, and Mr. Yagi shivered a little and said, "Your mother asked me to help look for you when you didn't come home one night. I helped her send out a letter to Mr. Hisashi. I heard he's made it home yesterday, actually. . . ."

So, it was Mr. Yagi, and perhaps his mother herself, that had been the ones to find him. The thought made him feel chilly all over again, and the guilt threatened to resurface. He pushed it back. While he hated to think of the man he looked up to so dearly being the one to find him, and he hated the idea of his mother finding him even more – there was nothing to be done about it now. Mr. Yagi was right about that.

Something flicked inside of his mind. "W-Wait, he said my father's here?"

"Um, you said his father is here?"

Mr. Yagi nodded. "From what I heard. I believe he arrived home some time yesterday in the evening."

Izuku's mind was momentarily blank. He had so many questions, but he wanted to be relieved. That's what he wanted after all, wasn't it? For Hisashi to come back to Aldera, so that he could comfort Inko? Izuku wasn't sure why, but the thought of going back to talk to both of his parents, as opposed to just his mother, made him feel even more nervous.

"Doesn't it take at least a whole week to get here from Musutafu? And . . . and does that mean Kacchan knows. . . ?"

Ochako tilted her head. She eyed Izuku thoughtfully. "Mr. Yagi, if I can ask, when did he . . . pass on?"

"Nine days ago."

"Nine days? But I've only been gone for, what, four?"

"He's a little confused about the time," Ochako said to Mr. Yagi. She turned to him before he could ask any more questions and said, "Sometimes, when we die, we don't regain consciousness on this plain until time has passed. You didn't until almost five days. Lady Chiyo told me that she once met a spirit that didn't regain consciousness until a full year went by. Then, you have others that 'wake up' immediately."

"Why?" he whispered.

"No one really knows why," she said kindly. After a few beats of silence, she said, "Oh, didn't you want me to ask about a . . . oh, right. Mr. Yagi, does Katsuki Bakugo know?"

"Ah," said the man. "Young Bakugo knows about what happened, yes. He . . . I believe he isn't sure what to think."

"What do you mean?"

Mr. Yagi hesitated, and Izuku couldn't help but dread a little what he was going to hear. "What you have to understand, is that he does care. Anyone can tell that he cares. But Young Bakugo . . . certainly as long as I've lived here, and I've been informed by others that he's always been the same . . . finds it very difficult to understand and convey his emotions. If he is very pleased by something, he may brush it off like it doesn't affect him. If he is sad about something, he often acts out in anger."

"I take it that's what's happening now," said Ochako.

"It is," said Mr. Yagi. "They say, after all, that anger is one of the stages of grief."

Izuku swallowed. The guilt boiled, but he wouldn't allow it to overflow. He knew Mr. Yagi was right: guilt only served to weigh down the spirit. And now that he was a spirit, perhaps it was even more imperative to make sure that nothing acted as a ball and chain.

The thought wasn't funny, but he chuckled anyway.

Then, he allowed himself to wonder.

Clearing his throat, Izuku said, "Can you ask Mr. Yagi if he thinks it would be okay if I – we visit Kacchan?"

Ochako looked at him sharply, surprise clear in her expression. They hadn't talked talked about going to see him, only Mr. Yagi and his mother. Before, Izuku didn't want to see him. But. . . .

"Hmm. He wants to know what your thoughts are on us talking to Katsuki like this?"

The man seemed to consider it before saying, "He is . . . liable to lash out, I believe. This is a very difficult situation. I do think that trying to talk to him may be upsetting, for everyone involved. Ultimately, it will be up to the two of you. If you decide to make that journey, then I suggest trying to be mentally prepared before hand. Young Midoriya already has an idea of how Young Bakugo behaves, and, well –"

"I do, too, sir," said Ochako.

He nodded. "And you do too."

The three of them stood there. Ochako met his gaze, and he swallowed and nodded. Even if he wished to stay, he knew he could not. "Thank you so much," he said.

She repeated him.

"Really, Young Midoriya. It's my pleasure. I'm . . . I'm glad to have met you. And I will do whatever I can for your mother." The man swallowed. "Do you . . . plan on visiting Young Bakugo?"

Izuku looked at Ochako. In a way, she was the main one who was going to be dealing with him. "What do you want to do?"

"What do you want to do?" she returned. "This is for you."

Izuku bit his lip. Before he had no plans of interacting with Kacchan, but after talking to Mr. Yagi, he felt . . . almost rejuvenated, in a way. Though darkness and guilt lurked under his surface, it was not as strong as it was before. If he thought about it, he felt better than he had in . . . well, since he died. Happier. Lighter. He was still nervous, and he certainly wasn't under any delusions that he and Kacchan had been close over the past several years, but . . . but he wanted to say goodbye, if he could. Even if that was the only thing he said.

He bit his lip. "If it's okay with you, I'd like to go. But . . . only if it's okay with you. If you don't want to face him, we really don't have to."

Ochako shook her head and smiled, though the smile didn't reach all the way to her eyes. "No way! I'll be fine. It's just like now, you just have to tell me what you want me to say, and I'll say it."

He wanted to, but he didn't want her to feel like she was being pressured. "It really is okay if –"

"If it makes you feel any better," she said (and this time, he was glad to note that her smile was a little more genuine), "this is also for me. Communicating with you, mediating these conversations, maintaining my awareness of the Veil and the Other Worlds . . . all of this is very valuable for me to learn and gain experience with. N-Not that I'm just doing this for me! But, well. . . ."

"No worries," he said kindly. "That does make me feel better." And it did.

She smiled again, and for just a moment he felt light enough to think it was just the two of them. Then she blinked and seemed to remember herself, and stammered out an apology to Mr. Yagi. "S-Sorry! We were – he was saying that –"

Mr. Yagi only chuckled and waved his hand. "It's not something to worry about, Young Uraraka. I understood the gist of it just fine."

After that, Izuku had done his best to tell Mr. Yagi of his gratitude again, and said the word that he didn't quite want to say: goodbye. He watched, slightly horrified, as Mr. Yagi seemed to choke up a little once the conversation got to that point. He did not hold on, however, and only told him that he hoped that maybe one day they would meet again.

The two of them did not stay long after that. The light, fuzzy feeling that enveloped him made him feel as if though he'd drunk a little of his father's stash of mead, but he could tell that Mr. Yagi was not nearly as comforted as he was. It made him sad, but the man had reassured him that if he was feeling better, then that was probably a good thing. Ochako had agreed with him, and explained to him that the more he worked through whatever his thoughts were, and the more closure he was able to receive, the more he would feel that way. For Mr. Yagi, however – and indeed, for the Bakugo family, and Izuku's mother and father – it was natural to not feel as great after only a single conversation.

"It's because you're getting ready to move on," she said.

Izuku himself wasn't certain, but he couldn't be too bothered by the fact. Instead, he needed to focus on what he knew was his next task: dealing with Kacchan.

xxx

Izuku was told - first by Ms. Chiyo, and then by Ochako - that ghosts were not meant to be kept in the "world of the living." He had been told that as time went by, he would feel more and more eager to move on. That that was a good thing; that if he didn't, then it probably meant some form of trouble. He had been told all of that, but none of it truly prepared him for when it actually started picking up momentum. In a way, it reminded him of back when he was inhaling the vapor of Mrs. Chiyo's potion, with the intensity of remembering his own death, but less intense. On one hand, he felt light and airy, like he could take on the whole world and be okay, like he was ready to gogogogo; on the other, something inside him was twisting and twirling and coiling and boiling at the thought of seeing Kacchan when he was dead.

They used to be close, when they were very young, but then Kacchan started to prefer the company of the other village boys as opposed to "crybaby Deku." Izuku himself was never sure what, exactly, it was about him that got under the other boy's skin so badly. Everything about Kacchan was incredible. Izuku admired him so much: he always did so well at every little thing he tried. It was enviable, and sometimes, in the back of his mind, back somewhere where Izuku didn't really want to look too deeply at, he wondered what it would have been like if they were different. In a different world, he wondered if Kacchan would have felt the same way about him, if Kacchan would spend some nights awake thinking about what it would be like to hold his hand, or act like some of their peers did when they were together.

Obviously, that was never going to happen. He was just a dead kid, trailing around an apprentice mage and hoping for the best.

And truthfully, after years of less-than-favorable treatment, Izuku didn't feel quite the same way. It was certainly true that he still thought Kacchan was amazing, certainly true that he still thought Kacchan was capable of doing anything and everything he set his mind to . . . but there was really no hope, was there? Even he knew that. No matter how incredible he felt Kacchan to be, it was agonizingly clear that he didn't feel the same way.

"So . . . what is it that you're wanting to say to him?" Ochako asked, jolting him from his thoughts.

Once they parted ways with Mr. Yagi, neither of them had said much to the other, both lost in thought of what was to come. The day was becoming increasingly beautiful. Covered by the shade, he was able to enjoy the winter wonderland that had become of their home (Ochako, on the other hand, just looked cold, and while he felt sorry for her, he knew there was nothing he could do to help).

"I just want to tell him . . . goodbye, I guess. And maybe good luck. Though, I suppose he feels he doesn't need it. He probably doesn't. Kacchan is amazing, after all. . . ."

She cocked her head. He was beginning to think that every time she did that, she became a few degrees cuter. Izuku blinked and shook his head to rid himself of the thought. Ochako was undeniably a pretty girl, but what did it matter to him, when he was dead?

"So . . . what does he need luck on?"

"Huh?"

"You said you want to wish him 'good luck.' So what is he working on, or whatever? I mean, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to!"

"Oh, no, no, it's fine. It's just, Kacchan is very ambitious. He has his eyes set somewhere way beyond just Aldera - like I said, he seeks the glory of going on adventures. He hasn't seriously talked to me about his plans for years though, so I really don't know what he's planning right now, but. . . ."

For some time, neither of them said anything else. Finally, Ochako said, "So, you guys aren't really friends anymore? Is that right? I believe you said that?"

"Ah . . . yeah, that's right."

She hummed. "So . . . why is it that you want to do this? I mean, if Mr. Yagi is right and he's just going to lash out, and even you agree with that. . . ? Please don't get me wrong, Izuku, because I don't mind doing this at all. I really don't. I just don't understand? Isn't this going to hurt you?"

Izuku looked down at his shoes. At some point without him even noticing, they had stopped walking. "It might," he agreed. "It might hurt, but . . . I want to do this. It feels right."

He could feel her eyes on him again, and after several moments, she cleared her throat. "Izuku . . . did you, you know. . . ?"

He looked back up. "Hmm?"

"Did you . . . I mean, were the two of you ever - together? I mean, did you . . . do you . . . the way you talk, it just seems like, for you, it's more than platonic. A-And that's okay, by the way! I have no problem with that! I guess I shouldn't even be asking this, since it's so personal, and it's not really my business anyway -"

"Ochako," he said. He could feel how wide his eyes were on his face. It was rare to see someone start rambling in a similar fashion he did. And no one had ever asked him such a thing, though some of the other boys in the village had accused him of it from time to time.

She wasn't wrong, of course.

Izuku swallowed. "We were never together. We drifted apart when we were still really young. But . . . in a way, I do wish we were - more. Or, maybe I used to wish that we were more. But we aren't, and o-of course now, we'll never be. So . . . it doesn't matter, I guess."

"It matters," she said firmly.

"Hmm."

"It matters. They're you're feelings, Izuku, so of course they matter."

He looked away. "I didn't - don't? I don't love him, Ochako. I . . . it's not quite like that. I care about him a lot. And if things were different between the two of us, maybe. But as things stand, as things have really been since we were kids. . . ." Izuku trailed off, and his mind supplied him with all the times that Kacchan had beat him down, had told him cruel things about how he would never succeed, had threatened him over and over again, and, in truth, had done everything that no true friend ever would. "It would never be right, I don't think."

She didn't say anything, and after a while of dealing with the silence, the two of them began walking again. They were making their way to the Bakugo home. Somewhat to Izuku's surprise, Mr. Yagi informed them before they left that that was where Kacchan was most likely to be, as Mr. Bakugo had taken over for him entirely at the watermill. To give Kacchan a few days off, is what Mr. Yagi said. It was a truly wild thought to Izuku, who found it hard to picture Kacchan needing a few days off just because he was dead. It was a bitter thought, but the buzzing, light feeling around him didn't let Izuku think too much of it.

"It's okay to like guys," Ochako said suddenly. "I know . . . that some people aren't okay with that. But, I just wanted to make sure you know that I think it's fine. I won't tell Katsuki or, like, your parents or anything, unless you just wanted me to do that."

Izuku felt a genuine smile emerge on his face. "Thanks, Ochako. That means a lot." And it did. He'd never told anyone about his thoughts about Kacchan before. "Though, I don't just like guys, you know. I think y - girls are really pretty, too."

He blushed, but Ochako didn't seem to have caught on to his mishap. He decided that it was still a good idea to count his blessings like Mom always told him, even if he was dead now.

"I'm the same way!" she said. "I mean, I don't really have much of a preference, you know."

Izuku snorted, but felt happiness well in his chest. "That's cool," he said, only because he couldn't think of anything else to say.

That didn't seem to be a problem with her. She just laughed.

"So - so what is it like, in Yuuei? When you like girls and guys?"

Ochako tilted her head. She appeared to be giving it a good thought. "It isn't too bad," she said finally. "I come from near the Capital originally, where it's not so uncommon to hear about people who love differently. My parents were always really supportive. In Yuuei it was hard, sometimes, because you have people from all over, and not everyone is quite as understanding as the people who live in cities. . . ."

Izuku nodded. He knew that to be true from his own travels.

"Say, Izuku, did you ever tell anyone? Like any friends, or your mom, or someone?"

He shook his head. "No. I really don't think my mom would have cared, to be honest, but I never wanted to tell her." Izuku chose not to add that he was never convinced that he would need to tell her, because he found it hard to picture anyone ever paying him any kind of attention, regardless of what gender they were. And he'd ultimately been right, given that, now that he was dead, he would never take anyone home to meet her, anyway.

"Do you think your dad would have reacted differently?" she asked, a little cautiously.

Izuku considered it. "I'm not sure. We . . . aren't really all that close, to be honest."

When she didn't say anything, he continued, "He's just always away. He's . . . I mean, he's not bad or anything. He's great. I just never saw him all that often, so it's really hard to say how he would react to things like that."

Ochako nodded. "I'm sorry. That's really a shame."

For what felt to Izuku like the thousandth time in only a day, they lapsed into another companionable silence. She was easy, pleasing company, and he found that he appreciated the almost grounding energy she brought to him quite a bit. It was because the silence was so easy that he could hardly understand why he broke it when he did.

"You know, I just want to tell him that I forgive him," Izuku said, rather suddenly. He felt heat rush to his cheeks. "It's . . . I don't care how he feels about me, or how he feels about the way he's acted all these years. It's . . ."

"It's not for him, it's for you," she finished knowingly.

"Yes," he agreed, grateful that she understood. "It's for me. I don't want to . . . leave here without telling him. If I can help it."

"That's understandable. I think he'll appreciate that, in the long run."

"Maybe," said Izuku. "I'm not really sure. He . . . I mean to say, he's kind of -"

"A massive jerk?"

He grinned. "Well. You said it."

"I did say it, yeah. I got to Aldera a few months ago, and I've tried to make it a point to get friendly with everyone. Mr. Bakugo is a saint, but his wife and kid? They're . . . they're different."

The grin was not disappearing, no matter how much he willed it away. "They are, aren't they? Well, honestly, Mrs. Bakugo isn't totally that bad. She's a bit loud, and I think she holds Kacchan to unrealistic standards sometimes, but otherwise. . . . I think Kacchan could be better, but it's like he takes everything as an insult. It makes it hard to talk to him, sometimes. That's why I just want this to be over quickly, if we can. You . . . you said that people are aware you're studying under Mrs. Chiyo, right?"

"They definitely are, yeah. Everyone in the village proper. I wanted them to know, so that if anything happened and they needed Lady Chiyo's help, it would make things run smoother when I came along as well. Because they would already know me, a little."

He nodded. "That makes sense. Then, maybe, he won't ask too many questions. If it's alright with you . . . I think this would flow smoother if you don't tell him I'm actually hear."

Her eyes snapped to his. "You don't want to do like we did with Mr. Yagi?"

"No," said Izuku firmly, "I'm sure that wouldn't go well. We could . . . we could just say that we were friends before. That I'd talked to you about - about this stuff, and that you just realized that he might actually . . . want to know. Maybe."

Ochako shrugged. "That's fine with me, Izuku. It's however you want to do it!"

He nodded, and then Izuku realized rather suddenly that Ochako was trembling more than what she had been before - and then he realized that it was snowing, again. "Don't you have any spells to help make you warmer?" he wondered.

"I do, but I've already used them on the cloak. I'm about as warm as I'm going to get."

Izuku winced. For a split second he wanted to apologize to her, for having her outside in the cold, but he held back. They had already talked about this, and a part of him also felt like it was important - now more than ever - to honor Mr. Yagi's wise advice. Izuku didn't want to insult him by not listening to the last lesson he would receive.

Then, nearly all too quickly, they were approaching the Bakugo cabin. It was similar in build to Mr. Yagi's, as most of the village's homes were, but not nearly the size. Like all the families in the village, the Bakugo household's neighbors lived no further than half a mile from one another, so their land was quite vast. It was thanks to that that it took only a moment for Izuku to spot Kacchan standing under a tree in his backyard, staring at the ground with his fists shoved into his pockets. The other boy didn't seem to care that the snow was building into a small pile in his hair. He was nearly as bundled up as Ochako was, and of course she had the added benefit of the charm she'd cast on her cloak. Even so, Kacchan didn't appear to be especially cold.

"There he is," murmured Izuku.

"Yeah, I see him." Ochako took several deep breaths and, not for the first time, Izuku wondered if he should insist that it really was okay if she didn't want to do this. He would hate to stop - there was no doubt that he desperately wanted to say goodbye to his mother - but he also hated the thought of her feeling forced into a corner. He was just about to open his mouth to say as much when he stopped himself: hadn't she said, only just a short while ago, that these benefited her as well? As she marched forward, Izuku stayed by to her side. The closer they got to Kacchan (Kacchan, who used to give him such a flurry of funny feelings of envy and desire and insecurity, and who always seemed to hate any time he came near), the more Izuku felt the anxiety bubbling in his chest. But he knew could do this. He could. And he was not alone.

As they got near, Kacchan spoke. "What do you want, Round Face?" His voice held a dull quality Izuku was not sure he had heard before. He hadn't even seen Kacchan look up from the ground.

Ochako stopped suddenly, just a few feet away from him. She did not appear to be overly happy to be there to see him, but her own voice carried no resignation or rudeness. "I have a message for you, Katsuki. Something Izuku wanted you to know."

His eyes snapped up to look at her. Izuku wished fervently that he could tell what Kacchan was thinking.

"Hah?" he said, bristling. "Since when did you know Deku?"

"Recently. That's not what's important."

Kacchan looked very much like he wanted to argue, but miraculously, he didn't. It was strange.

"You could just tell him we knew each other through Mr. Yagi," Izuku whispered. "Since I was always the one who wanted to know his connections. . . ."

Ochako sighed. "Lady Chiyo and Mr. Yagi often work together, as I'm sure you're aware. Izuku and I knew each other from them."

Kacchan blinked at her, but didn't say anything. Izuku couldn't help but think that he looked like he didn't quite believe her.

"We talked a bit, in the past few weeks," she continued. It was just as they decided once Izuku knew for sure he wanted to see Kacchan. "He and I talked about plenty of things."

"Okay," grunted Kacchan. "And?"

"He would want you to know. Regardless of how you felt - how you feel - he forgave you. For whatever has been going on between the two of you. He never gave me any details."

Kacchan hunched over, staring back down at the snowy ground. "Shut up. The fuck would you know?"

"He would want you to know," she insisted.

"Stupid shitty nerd," he growled.

Izuku couldn't help the harsh flinch. Kacchan's anger could be a fierce force if left unchecked. Izuku forced himself to breathe through his nose and stand up straighter. The other boy could not even see him. He was not going to keep cowering, especially when there was nothing to cower from anymore.

Ochako looked as if though she were debating the merits of telling Kacchan not to call him a nerd. Izuku shook his head fiercely and nodded towards the road. "This is all I wanted," he said. "How about we go?"

But then Kacchan spoke, and it was so quiet that he nearly missed it completely. "Stupid shitty nerd. Should have told me himself, instead of sending some errand girl."

"I'm not just an 'errand girl.' And he meant it. I know he did." She turned around, holding her cloak closely to herself. "Good day, Katsuki."

Ochako walked away, but Izuku did not immediately follow her. He stayed to take in just a few final moments of being with the boy he had admired for so long. Kacchan wished that he had told him he forgave him? If he were being completely honest, Izuku wasn't certain he had forgiven him prior to dying. There was something about realizing and (mostly) accepting that you were going to die that made one think and feel differently about the interactions they had on the physical plane. Nevertheless, Izuku suddenly wished that Kacchan could see him, could hear him. He wondered if that meant that maybe Kacchan missed him a little, after all.

For several moments, Kacchan gave away nothing to indicate that he even realized Ochako had left. He continued to stare down, only looking at how his feet were nearly completely covered by the snow. His breathing was somewhat shallow - and it wasn't until Izuku realized that that he realized how close he actually was to Kacchan himself. He blushed and stepped away, desperate to regain a bit of autonomy (why was he even that close to begin with?!), but when he did, Kacchan's gaze snapped up to where he was.

Izuku froze. Kacchan's eyes were searching, searching, and even though they didn't rest completely on him, Izuku still felt like he was being pinned in place. His chest was constricting, and his breath was coming out in harsh puffs. What was happening?

But then Kacchan looked back down and sighed deeply. There was a foreign sound that could only barely be heard coming from the other boy. Izuku had never heard it from Kacchan before - never expected to hear it - and perhaps that was why it took what felt like forever for him to understand what was happening. He was crying.

"S-Shitty nerd. Why'd you go and do that, hah?"

Izuku swallowed and shoved down the spike of guilt that threatened to return. "I didn't mean to. Sorry, Kacchan."

Kacchan did not answer, and after briefly waiting to see if he would say anything else, Izuku ran to catch up with Ochako.

xxx

A/N: A fun fact: originally, Bakugo was going to be the one that could see Izuku, but I had to let that idea go pretty quickly. I really wanted to write a story where the ghost and the person that can see them are kind of falling for each other, and I wanted to maintain the idea of visiting various people (it was also going to have Ida, Tsu, etc, etc). But this is season one Bakugo we're talking about, and his personality just . . . really does not flow well for what I wanted to do! Ochako's does, however, and so here we are.

I'm not so certain that next chapter will be up within a week. As I said in Chapter 1, I do have everything written out, but I'm not sure yet how busy I will be, so I don't want to make any promises. I'm also still not certain if next chapter will be the last, or if there will be one more after that. We'll see!

As always, if you enjoyed this, or if you have some constructive criticism, or if you have questions, please do leave me review! You can also find me on www. / blog / secretmagick. Just take out the spaces.

I hope you're having a wonderful day!