Chapter Thirty-Three: Positions
"So… We're here." Kyouka commented, staring up at the giant sign of the mall that everyone had agreed upon meeting up at. Turning to her green haired companion she noticed him looking down at his phone, particularly his messages with the others. The class had decided to make a group chat in order to keep up with the planning for this trip and he needed to see who else was here. "Have the others arrived yet?"
"Seems so, Momo said that everyone was accounted for excluding those that said they couldn't come." Izuku replied, adjusting the rolled up sleeves of his white flannel.
The greenette, as aforementioned, was dressed up in a white flannel shirt with his sleeves rolled up, gray denim pants, and his signature red hightops. For his accessories he had a crossbody sling bag over his chest, a silver ring, and a dog tag necklace.
As for Kyouka, she decided to wear a red puffy sleeveless crop top vest with a white crop top graphic tee underneath, black cargo pants with red vanity buckle straps, and white Doc Martens. For her accessories she decided to go with an assortment of bracelets, a red hair clip, and she even painted her nails red to match.
"Oh! There they are." The couple heard a voice state from a distance, turning towards the origin they found that Momo was leading everyone over to them with smiles on their faces (Everyone being, Mina, Bakugou, Kirishima, Kaminari, Ochako, Tokoyami, Iida, Shouji, Hagakure, and unfortunately Mineta).
"Sup. You guys want to head inside?" Kyouka greeted nonchalantly, doing a two finger salute before shoving her hands into the pockets of her vest.
"First, I just love your outfit, Jirou! I never thought you'd wear something like this, but it suits you so well!" Mina complimented, rushing through their group of classmates before appearing before Kyouka, inspecting her with curiosity before turning to Izuku. "Midoriya, you must feel lucky, huh?"
"Wh- Ashido-san! Would you cut that out, y-you know it's not like that!" Izuku defended, his face flushing as a few of their classmates chuckled in amusement. "Geez… L-Let's just go inside. We don't have all day to mess around."
"Like you have any room to talk, you womanizer- Urk!" Mineta commented, getting kicked by Bakugou as he walked past the grape-headed midget and made his way beside Momo.
"Out of the way, Shrimp. I just want to get this over with." The blond mumbled as the class entered the mall as a group. Everyone quickly grew excited by their surroundings, seeing all the people and stores that surrounded them was a sight that almost every teenager couldn't help but be excited by.
"The Kiyashi Ward Shopping Mall. Thanks to it being filled with stores, this place is booming." Izuku mumbled, glancing around at the different levels and stores that sat near the entrance alone. "There's something here for everyone, even those with mutant type quirks… Stores definitely have to do more than cater to body types that differ by quirk, they also need designs for all ages. No wonder this place draws in so many customers…"
"Yo, Izuku. Cut it out, you're scaring the children." Kyouka scolded, lightly smacking the greenette in the back of the head to snap him out of his trance with a blank expression on her face.
"I mean he's not wrong, this place is amazing!" Uraraka chimed in, turning towards the greenette, but finding that he had already shifted positions and there was now a huge crowd of people waving towards them to get their attention. Seems their status as the UA first year's is still held in high regard thanks to the Sports Festival. "People still remember that stuff..?"
"Well, I guess we should try to go out and get what we need. I need to look for a duffel bag, what about you guys?" Kyouka questioned, looking around at the group so that they could give their individual answers.
"Some outdoor shoes."
"Same here."
"Swim trunks."
"Bug spray."
"Lockpicking equipment, and a hand drill."
Everyone turned and eyed the grape-haired boy in particular at his nonchalant admittance of the nefarious deeds that he was plotting. They all silently agreed that they'd need to keep an eye on him during the actual trip. That or ditch him as soon as possible and leave him for dead somewhere.
"Seems we all need different stuff. Let's just split off into groups and meet back up at the food court in an hour or so, alright?" Izuku instructed, taking charge as the class representative. Everyone nodded in agreement and began to go their separate ways, leaving Izuku and Kyouka with Bakugou and Momo so that they could have their "double date".
"This is gonna be so much fun you guys! Let's go find a store that sells those duffel bags, I actually needed to get one for myself so we can all start there together." Momo suggested, earning a grunt of approval from Bakugou and an awkward compliant smile from Izuku. The ravenette sighed, she knew that neither of them were exactly thrilled about this, but they could have at least tried, right?
"Will you two shape up already? Seriously, come on." Kyouka openly complained, snatching Izuku's hand in order to encourage him to follow. The greenette swallowed nervously with a blush, this being the first time that they've shown their affection openly in front of any of their classmates lead him to feel as anxious as the first time she held his hand.
Momo watched the two with envy, side-eyeing the angry blond beside her. She couldn't exactly be upset with him, he just wasn't the type of person to be affectionate. Hell, neither of them had really talked about their feelings openly with one another, but it must have been nice just to get at least a sliver of affection like what Izuku and Kyouka shared so normally in their private time together.
Suddenly she felt the oddly soft and large hands of Bakugou take her own. She glanced towards him once more and saw that his face was nearly beet red, yet his scowl and red eyes never shifted. His focus was forward, but she could tell that he was thinking of her deep down. Perhaps he shared her sentiment?
Smiling, the ravenette gave his hand a squeeze as a light blush dusted her cheeks and she too matched his gaze, facing forward and continuing on with a bite more pep in her step. Even if he wasn't good at saying it, she knew they'd get there with time.
They'd find their way.
As the group found a store that sold the items that they were looking to purchase, Izuku and Bakugou were left to hang back alone with one another, watching the girls chat idly as they shopped for the right sized bags.
Izuku could feel himself fidgeting awkwardly. He wasn't used to being in such close proximity with the blond and have neither of them say a word to each other. Usually the blond would have said some angry words about the "dumb nerd shaking in his boots", but he was silent. Eerily so.
The greenette opened his mouth to speak, but Bakugou had beaten him to the punch, turning to Izuku abruptly, surprisingly lacking his usual scowl. His face was… Neutral, almost thoughtful. The green haired boy felt anxious, should he have been afraid of that new expression?
"Deku." He called softly, his gruff voice containing no violence or hint of anger. Izuku had to force himself not to jump out of fear or surprise as he turned to face the blond in question. He scratched his head, seemingly struggling to find the right words to convey what he was thinking.
"U-Uhm… What is it, Bakugou?" Izuku questioned, still feeling awkward that he was referring to the blond by his family name as opposed to the normal nickname he had been using for years. It seemed that using his family name brought the blond out of his head as his brow furrowed in annoyance before relaxing and returning to that same neutral expression.
"I've… I know, like me, you've thought a lot about that day. During the final exam." He started, shoving his hands in the pockets of his cargo pants as his gaze fell to the floor thoughtfully. "It's been bugging me for awhile. Makes it even harder to look at your dumb face, but… It's my own fault."
Izuku stared at the blond beside him, his face continuing to be pointed towards the ground as he sat deep in thought, waiting for the greenette's response. "W-What are you trying to say?"
"I… God damnit, I'm trying to say I'm sorry, Halfwit! I tormented you for so long, and…" He paused, gritting his teeth as he forced himself to calm down. He had let his rage seep through, something that he was trying to get better with for himself, and for a certain raven haired individual. "And it's because I felt inferior. You were always there, willing to help everyone at face value, I felt like I was below you... At every passing moment I found myself behind you, and I hated it. I resented you, and it wasn't right. It's been hard to even look at you without feeling guilty… So, I'm sorry."
The two boys sat in silence as Izuku processed Bakugou's words. This had been the first time he ever received an apology from him, and for some reason it angered him. It upset him that it took so long to get here, yet at the same time he was relieved. He was happy to see remorse within Bakugou's actions, he felt like maybe with this there could be a fresh start between them.
But was it that simple? Was it so easy to just forgive and forget the years of torment and abuse? Was it so easy to forget all the hurtful words and phrases shot his way by Bakugou and his posse? He was reminded of the time that Bakugou had told him to wish for a quirk in another life, and suddenly forgiveness didn't feel all that simple. What was the right choice to make? Could he forgive Bakugou? Could he forgive himself if he didn't?
Izuku felt guilty. He just… He couldn't begin to forgive him right away. In fact, he was still frustrated with himself for lashing out during the final exam, and even more so with battling the decision to forgive him. He knew there may come a time where they're at odds with each other again, but perhaps for now this could start a trail for them to work out their differences.
"Kacchan…" Izuku started, using the nickname that he had given the blond when they were but children. Bakugou seemed to have perked up at the nickname, shifting his eyes towards the greenette though his head was still pointed towards the ground. "I… I can't forgive you so easily. There's been a lot of… Damage, to say the least."
Bakugou watched as Izuku's head fell downwards, mirroring his own. He felt his lips form into a frown and his gaze fell once more to the tile floor of the store that they resided in. Throughout this conversation the two were quiet, but now they sat in silence as Bakugou hummed in understanding.
"But," Izuku started once more, lifting his head with a smile and fully turning to face the blond. "I think I can learn to. If you're willing to give our friendship some time, I'm willing to try again with a fresh start." He offered, holding his scarred hand out towards the blond for him to shake with a grin. "Izuku Midoriya, nerd and hero enthusiast."
Bakugou smirked, chuckling to himself softly before taking the greenettes hand with a firm grip and shaking it. "Katsuki Bakugou, future number one hero."
Releasing the blond's hand, Izuku chuckled as well, rolling his eyes at the blond's introduction. "Still think you can make it big, huh? Don't forget who won the Sports Festival, and totally kicked your butt."
"Oi! Those were both just you getting lucky! If we were really going all out, I bet I'd wipe the floor with you, Nerd!" Bakugou retaliated, his normal rage seeming to seep through as he practically declared his superiority to the other patrons of the store, including the two girls that they had come here with.
"They seem to finally be getting along." Momo commented, smiling as she watched the two of them smile and make small jabs at one another playfully, though to the untrained eye it appeared as if they were having an argument.
"If you can even call that getting along…" Kyouka joked, letting out a small chuckle as she lifted up a black duffel bag and inspected it for proper storing requirements. "Tsk, needs more pockets…"
"So! Since I have you here, how're things going with Midoriya? You two made any moves on each other? Any fights?" Momo teased, causing the purplette to blush furiously and glare at the ravenette beside her.
"Th-That's none of your business..!" She mumbled, her embarrassment shining through due to her jacks coiling. Momo giggled softly before placing a hand to her friend's shoulder.
"Oh come on, it's just us. Surely we can have a little bit of "girl talk", right?" Momo encouraged, earning a fake gag from Kyouka with the phrase "girl talk". "Oh, don't be like that. Come on, out with it."
"Ugh! Fine!" She started, glancing at her surroundings discreetly before continuing. Her face flushed even harder as she spoke, "Th-Things kinda got… 'heated' on I-Island."
"How so? What happened between you two?"
"...Stuff."
"What does that even mean?"
Kyouka sighed, looking down thoughtfully as her grip on the bag in her hands tightened. "Just… Stuff? We got a little intimate, yeah, but before that… I was mad at him. Genuinely mad for the first time." She revealed, glancing over to the greenette. This was something she hadn't shared with him, nor did she plan on it. "Still kind of am honestly, it's been bugging me ever since we got back."
"Explain. What could he have done to make you upset with him for this long?" The raven-haired girl beside her questioned, looking towards the greenette as well before shifting her attention back to Kyouka. The girl looked down again, obviously trying to find the right words.
"He's just… Reckless. He often disregards his own safety with no forethought, his only setting is to go." She explains softly, placing the bag in her hands back onto the rack before shoving her hands in her pockets. "Can you imagine what that's like? Being his romantic partner and always having to sit at a bedside as he's bandaged like a mummy, or to just hear from other classmates that he's losing blood? What about being beside him in a fight when he's suddenly smacked around by god knows what… It's frustrating."
Momo let out a breath, nodding in understanding. That is a scary thought, but to be completely frank that was the risk they ran with the profession they chose, and Izuku… Well, he's always been one of the top performers in their class.
"I know that it can be frustrating, I know I myself have that fear often." Momo admitted, adjusting her skirt slightly as she passed a glance towards Bakugou. "...But I also know it's a normal experience as a hero. Partners are lost, friends as well, but you just have to make each other strong enough together. You don't want to lose him, but being angry with him might just make him lose you. Your anger shouldn't control your relationship, y'know?"
Kyouka thought hard about Momo's words, the thought of losing him causing her heart to ache. She wanted the words out of her mind, yet she couldn't stop thinking about it. What if he were to break things off with her because of her anger? What if… What if she tried to break up with him because of her anger? Those thoughts were scary.
Kyouka nodded, turning to the ravenette with a hum. "Yeah... Say, where'd you get all this love advice? I wouldn't expect you to be able to get so into a conversation about love like this."
Momo blushed and mumbled under her breath, "...Love novels."
"So, where did you need to go, Kacchan?" Izuku questioned, turning to the blond as the couples walked side-by-side with their hands intertwined with their respective partners. The blond glanced around at his surroundings quickly, halting the group's walk.
"...I need sunscreen and a water bottle." He mumbled, continuing to glance around at the stores around them until he found the specific store that he was looking for. "Over there, let's go."
"You guys go ahead, I gotta find the bathroom." Kyouka commented, attempting to release her hold on her boyfriend's hand, but he quickly latched onto her hand again and turned to leave with her.
"I saw some a few ways back, you guys go on ahead, we'll meet you there after I show her where they are." He said, waving to them innocently as they separated with their own objectives in mind. Kyouka glanced at the greenette in confusion, but he simply gave her a sweet smile in return.
"You didn't have to guide me, I could have found it eventually." She commented, giving Izuku's hand a squeeze as she took a step closer to him before they went on their way towards the bathrooms.
"I know, it's just quicker this way." He replied, noting her closing the distance a bit with a smile. "Truth be told, I didn't want to third wheel. Plus, I-I wanted to tell you how good you looked in private…"
Kyouka tried to hold in her laugh, this guy was just too much sometimes. "Pfft! Dude, you're such a dork. But… Thank you, I tried something new today. Honestly, I wasn't sure how'd you react…"
"You already know I'd go on a tangent about how good you look." Izuku stated, rolling his eyes as they arrived at the parting designated bathrooms as he released her hand from his grip. "Want me to wait out here?"
"Sure, but can I tell you something real quick?" She requested, gazing up at her boyfriend bashfully as a light blush dusted her cheeks. After receiving a nod from Izuku she got on her toes to give the greenette a light peck on the cheek, Momo's words from before repeating in her mind as she raised a hand to also caress his cheek. "Thanks for always doing your best."
Izuku was baffled. Surprised by her comment, but before he could respond she had scurried off into the bathroom, leaving him alone with his thoughts. The greenette sighed, his cheeks reddening as he rubbed the same spot that her hand had been moments prior with a smile. He was starting to believe the statement that your lover's touch will always be magical.
Suddenly, as Izuku was distracted with his thoughts, a rough and calloused hand was placed around his throat and an even grittier voice spoke from behind him. The presence of this person was intense, and it even forced Izuku to quickly become alert.
"Why don't you come with me? We need to have a little chat."
Here it is, the next chapter of Stuck In The Middle out for your enjoyment.
This chapter reveals some of the deeper conversations between people, signifying issues within relationships while also repairing certain problems.
Kyouka and Izuku are made to both face their own seperate issues, but in the end it may or may not work out for the best, but who is this mysterious individual making an entrance? You already know, but take a few guesses on what might happen in the next chapter.
Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy, and if you want to interact with me and a few other great authors and just want to have a good time, please join these discord servers:
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