It took a few days of practicing in front of the mirror, but I soon got the hang of not showing my reactions to Deku on my face. I still had the occasional slip of a smirk or a scowl, but it was a huge improvement over those first few days of getting used to Deku inside my head where I got a lot of concerned looks thrown my way in class.

After the funeral the class as whole seemed to function a bit smoother, and I guessed that they had started to feel a sense of closure and acceptance towards the fact that Deku's seat still remained empty. More than once I had peeked over my shoulder, following Deku's line of attention to find Pink Cheeks or Icy Hot glancing over at Deku's empty desk. Icy Hot looked indifferent, but I knew better now that was his default face, but Deku seemed to pick up more of a sense of the guy's emotions under the calm surface. Pink Cheeks was the only person in the class who I saw openly sad, looking more so than anyone else while the rest of the class seemed to start to move on, trying to distract themselves from the absence that still left a hole inside me.

Kacchan, Deku practically scolded.

Yeah, I know, I know, I huffed back. I had him here, so I shouldn't feel that way. I got where the nerd was coming from, but it was easier said than done to accept things the way they were. I still didn't like the constant reminders that Deku would never walk through the classroom doors again with his big smile. Deku didn't scold me for my thoughts this time and I lowered my gaze back to my open book in front of me and I froze before a wave of anger surged through me and I shut my book with more force than necessary. Deku inside me flinched, his focus having been on the lecture and Mr. Aizawa glared at me before continuing. Deku hadn't seen my absent minded scribbling of his name in my book, and he didn't ask what had upset me as the wave of anger left me as quickly as it had come.

Deku worked like a blessing in theory classes. While I found myself getting distracted more and more often for various Deku related reasons, Deku always paid close attention to the teachers, and it acted like he was picking up my slack where any information I missed he could fill me in on. The same worked for practical exercises too, sometimes. Sometimes he was helpful, like he was watching my back, spotting the opposite team before I did from my peripheral and letting me know before they could get the jump on me, but the opposite could be said during close combat too as he focused too much on my moves or use of my quirk and who ever I was facing, and it became distracting. More than once I'd have to remind him to shut up and let me focus but once a nerd, always a nerd, mumbling away with his analysis.

Something bothering you today?, he asked as I took a seat in the cafeteria for lunch. Shitty Hair, Racoon Eyes, Tape Arms and Dunce Face clustering around me soon after I sat.
You seem distracted, he added.

It's hard not to be distracted with you in my head, I grumbled back to him, and he recoiled a bit.

I can leave, he replied with a crooked frown, you just have to say so.

Tch, It's fine, I scoffed back, and his crooked frown upgraded to a normal frown as he looked to me

Sometimes you make no sense, he sighed to himself, but what's the problem?, he pushed, perking up again.

Pink Cheeks, I huffed back, and I felt Deku's attention turn to her as she sat at her own table with Icy Hot and Four Eyes, poking at her food miserably. I had already caught her staring at me before she turned away.

What about her?, asked Deku, turning his attention back to me as I took a mouthful of food. Plus side: I could talk to Deku even while I ate.

She keeps staring at me, I grumbled and Deku looked her way again before turning back to me with a finger on his chin.

I guess she has, he admitted and he should know. He seemed more perceptive than me when he wasn't focusing all of his attention on a single thing. It was like my peripheral vision had increased.

Idiot, I rolled my eyes at him and I must have done it physically too because Kirishima cocked a red eyebrow my way, this is the part where you tell me it's all in my head.

Oh, like me, the nerd had the audacity to smirk at me and I almost chocked on my food and he chuckled, but you're not wrong. She has been looking at you a lot.

Maybe she likes me, I replied and Deku's face dropped, his mouth hanging open as he looked at me. I knew the girl liked Deku and vise versa. It was worth a tease and I smirked back to the nerd and he closed his mouth into a flat line and narrowed his eyes at me.

I don't think it's that, he replied while crossing his arms and rolling his eyes, but then looked to her again with thought.
She looks sad, he commented.

No shit, she's been sad since you left, the word 'die' just didn't fit on my tongue and from the drop of his shoulders while he watched her showed the guilt he felt for it.

I mean she looks even sadder when she looks at you, he said without looking my way and I lifted my own gaze to look at her. I saw her eyes flick my way and then away again while I narrowed my eyes at her.

Scowling at her isn't going to help Kacchan, Deku whined and threw up his arms, looking back at me from over his shoulder.

Who said I wanted to help, I retorted and turned my attention back to lunch and Deku was silent for a long time.

Maybe you should try talking to her, he spoke up after a while and I let out a long sigh. I thought that conversation had passed already.

Why would I do that?, I asked with a scoff and Deku only turned back to look at me with clouded eyes that I couldn't quite decipher. Guilt and sadness, yes, but something else too. He dropped the subject as he sat down on the familiar hill with a sigh and lifted his head to watch the trees opposite the stream shift in the wind. I watched him for a while longer, waiting for him to say something else, his green hair ruffled by the breeze, but he didn't. He was lost in his own thoughts and I left him to it.

Class ended and the evening at the dorms went by smoothly. Deku and I had a few new routines like him leaving to my sub conscious while I showered or went to the bathroom so I could still have some privacy. I didn't really care about when I was changing as we had been sharing the same school changeroom since before middle school and I could tell Deku busied himself by focusing on something else while I did change. I had eaten, showered and brushed my teeth and was ready for bed after I got a drink from the kitchen when something unexpected happened.

"Um, hey Bakugo," I had been mid drink with the bottle pressed to my lips and head tilted back when I paused, lowering the bottle and turned to face Pink Cheeks who was fidgeting before me. Stupid Deku. So much for his radar letting me know when someone was coming up behind me.

Hey!, he shot back defensively, I didn't think I'd need to be watching your back in the dorms, he raised his hands in mock annoyance but he was too interested in what his friend had to say to me to be actually annoyed at me.

"C-can I speak to you, um, privately?" she asked and I narrowed my eyes at her and she played with her fingers and lowered her gaze.

"Sure" I replied hesitantly and when she didn't speak up immediately, too busy looking surprised that I had agreed, I walked past her with my water at my side and her eyes grew wide as she spun on her heel and watched me leave. She hesitated, looking around her like a lost child before she rushed to catch up to me. This time the Deku-dar (he narrowed his eyes at me at the name) was working and I knew she was following me without having to look. She held her tongue until I got into the elevator and she stepped in behind me. Her dorm was on the same floor as mine so I pressed level four on the elevator and the doors closed.

"I ain't missing out on sleep for you, so make it quick" I told her firmly without looking her way. She flinched at my words and from Deku watching her I knew she was getting flustered and lowered her head. Deku was picking up that something was wrong, but I pushed his concerns away.
"Well" I pushed when she still hadn't spoken up, passing the second floor.

"Uh, well, it's, ah, about Deku" she stumbled over her words nervously.

"Yeah, what about him?" I asked with narrowed eyes directed at the elevator doors. We passed level three.

"Well, I just-" the doors opened to the fourth floor and I stepped out, walking straight to my door.
"Ah, Bakugo, wait" she called after me. I opened my door.

Kacchan, Deku whined but when I looked at him his face was sad and pleading. He wanted to know and with a heavy sigh, I let go of the door handle and turned back to find the girl looking to me like she was about to cry. Deku's jaw tightened.

"Spit it out already" I told her, waving at her to come closer while I frowned back to her. She came closer tentatively. Geez, I didn't bite. Deku's eyes glanced to me for a moment then straight back to his friend who was clearly upset about something.

The round-faced brunette stopped a few feet from me and opened her mouth a couple of times before words came out, keeping her gaze down the whole time. She was starting to get on my nerves.

"It's about Deku's death" she spoke quietly, fidgeting with her fingers still.

"What of it?" I spoke back. For Deku's sake I kept the anger out of my voice, opting for something more emotionless.

"I wanted to talk-"

"For fucks sake!," I hissed, "spit it out already or let me fucking sleep" I told her and more surprisingly Deku didn't turn on me. He just watched his friend with a sad expression, still waiting for her to speak.

Pink cheeks flinched but seemed to resolve herself, straightening her back and taking a deep breath, lifting her chin to me.

"I-I don't want you to blame yourself for it" she spoke up firmly, but her eyes were shining with unshed tears and her bottom lip quivered.

"Who said I blam-" I scowled but she cut me off.

"I know you did!" she spoke back and I frowned at her, "how couldn't you," she sniffled, "but it wasn't your fault. Not at all. If it was anyone's fault it's mine"

No!, called Deku from inside and I saw his pressed line of a mouth tremble.

Her tears started rolling down her cheeks and my lips parted with surprise. I was not expecting this.

"It's my fault he died," she cried before me, wiping away the tears as they fell, "If it wasn't for me he never would have gotten bitten" she looked up at me with an ugly crying face.

No, Deku spoke again and he lowered his head. He was trembling.
It wasn't your fault, he pleaded to her, It's no one's fault, tears fell.

She can't hear you Deku, I reminded him softly and he turned to me, his shoulders trembling, his hands balled into fists, tears running down his cheeks and his closed lips shaking.

It's no ones' fault, he repeated quietly and I was bombarded by images when his green eyes locked onto mine that made my breath catch.

Icy Hot, Pink Cheeks and Sparkles navigating the tunnels with Deku.

A pair of villains appeared. A man and woman.

They fought.

The woman lunged for Pink Cheeks.

Deku launched himself in the way, intercepting the woman and tackling her to the ground where they tussled.

The woman's teeth sinking into Deku's flesh. The pain he felt from the bite.

Deku kicking her away. Touching the wound. Being surprised by the amount of bleeding from something to small.

The woman throwing him a knowing smirk and rushing for his team mates.

Deku feeling enraged. Protective.

Deku attacking.

The floor crumbling. Him falling. The woman falling.

Deku getting up sore and clearing away rubble to find the woman dead.

Deku panicking, feeling sick, turning away.

Hearing his friends calling to him. Him calling back that he was alright and that he would find another way out.

It's not her fault, he pleaded to me and he looked so broken, felt so broken. I could feel the dagger in my own chest from his pain and guilt and sadness and it ached. I had made Deku feel things before without meaning too, but now, I was feeling his pain and it hurt. It was hard to breath while both Deku and Pink Cheeks cried right in front of my eyes and it hurt.

"I'm so sorry Bakugo, he was someone important to you" my attention came back to Pink Cheeks and she had crumbled to her knees before me as she clutched at her chest and sobbed loudly.
"He's gone and it's all my fault. I'm sorry" Deku turned his face away from me and I could feel his sadness and pain flowing into me like a tsunami and I reached up to touch my own face. Something felt wrong. My hand came back wet.

"Enough!" I barked at both of them and they both looked to me. It was a weird experience interacting with two people at once in different spaces.
"Stop it" I spoke more quietly, "you're only making him sad" I said and I didn't care what my words sounded like. Any normal person would take it meaning Deku's memory which wasn't far off of the truth. Pink Cheeks sniffled and kept looking up at me pathetically. I could feel Deku's impulse to hug her, to tell her everything was fine and that she wasn't to blame. I gritted my teeth and wiped my face dry.

You owe me for this, I warned Deku, BIG TIME.

I lowered myself to my knees before Pink Cheeks and leaned forward slowly, wrapping my arms around her and she went stiff in my arms. I couldn't blame her. Hugging was NOT what I was known for. After a few awkward moments she relaxed and leaned into me while she sniffled away the last of her tears.

"It's not your fault" I told her, repeating Deku's words, "It's no ones' fault. Shit just happens sometimes" The pain in my chest lifted and Deku, with tears still in his eyes, smiled to me warmly, radiating his gratitude. I knew he wanted to be a part of the embrace even if it just meant to hug me, but I glared at him in warning to not do that and he respected that. I pulled away from the brunette and stood again.

"Better?" I asked her and she stood and nodded. Her eyes were still red and puffy and would be for a while still, but she lifted her face to me with wet eyes and a small warm smile, her expression so much like Deku's and I let out a long breath.
"Good. Now leave me to sleep" I told her in a flat tone and touched a hand to the top of her head, she tensed under my brief touch and I turned to my room, closing the door behind me.

But I didn't go to bed. I closed my eyes and leaned back against my door, tilting my head back and letting out a long shaky breath as I let my body slide down to the ground till I was sitting on the floor. I opened my eyes to the dim ceiling, the light in the room still off and closed my eyes again.

Deku stood before me as I leaned against a tree and he was smiling down to me with so much warmth despite his still saddened yet thankful eyes that I felt something inside me melt under the sight of it. With another long, more steady breath, I spread my arms wide with a straight face and Deku's smile curled up and the warmth finally seeped into his eyes. He lowered himself to the ground in front of me and leaned in, gently forcing his arms between me and the tree to wrap around me.

I wasn't a hugger. That was a fact. But right now, I knew he needed it and maybe I did too a little bit. The pain, quilt, sadness and regret of his that had washed over me had hit me harder than I had thought possible and I hoped I would never had to feel such a powerful mix of emotions again, but the embrace made all of that melt away.

From that day on our emotions seemed to flow through each other more. Before I could only pick up strong emotions from Deku or his intentions, but now it was like, if I wanted to, I was constantly aware of what emotions he was feeling at all times and vice versa. It was a nuisance at first but soon it faded to background noise that I could pick through when I wanted to and didn't do much to disrupt day to day life any more than the nerd already did.

Pink cheeks on the other hand became more friendly towards me after that night. She would smile and nod her head to me in the mornings when she glimpsed me and although I would do nothing more than narrow my eyes at her, her smile didn't falter as much as it used to and she seemed to be coming back to life unlike her moping before. She still looked sad from time to time, but not unbearably so anymore and that made Deku happier.