Chapter Thirty-Five
When Katsuki saw an eerily familiar gravity-defying brown hair outside the window after getting off the last steps, he was the first one to open the door. He stared at the brunet who is conversing amicably with his Mom while holding one plastic bag on the left hand and a paper bag full of grocery on the right. And he didn't mean to notice the big duffel bag stashed at the back, but he still did. Even the guarded stance and wrinkly clothes.
What in fucking hell happened that warranted for his classmate to get out of his own home when he remembered them being told by the police to never go outside?
"Oi, Katsuki! Help Sawada-san with the groceries!" His Mom shouted at him as she went inside.
He dumbly stared at the brunet who looked down to the plastic on his left and reached it out to him. "Here."
He took it. "The paper bag."
"Yup." Tsuna chirped and was about to hand it over when he took the front neck of the shirt. Caramel eyes widened in surprise. "Katsuki-"
"What happened?" He questioned through gritted teeth, staring straight at those dim caramel eyes. "What's with the bag? Why are you outside when we were specifically told not to go out of our houses?"
When caramel eyes were about to look away, he tightened his grip. One thing he knew about Tsuna is, he can't lie.
"Tell me, asshole." He demanded.
"Dad and I have a misunderstanding. We... It's my fault, so I'm giving him space."
"Since when?"
"Twelve days ago." The other winced.
"Old hag!" He called out as he pulled Tsuna inside.
"Katsuki-"
"What is it, Brat?!" His Mom yelled back.
"Tsuna's going to stay over! Would you mind?!"
"Katsuki-"
Tsuna went mum when Mitsuki Bakugou went in the doorway with a surprised look. "You're Tsuna? Tsunayoshi Sawada?"
"I am, Ma'am." His classmate replied politely. Katsuki can never ever understand how the brunet's mind work. Even when he's so pissed, he's still polite. "I apologize for not saying anything earlier. I didn't want to burden you."
"It's okay." Then her eyes went to his son. "What do you mean by staying over?"
"His Dad and him had a misunderstanding, and he's giving him space. Seeing how long it has been, it will take a while." He answered before looking over to the brunet who had his head down. "Come on, let's get this to the kitchen."
"But Bakugou-san-"
"You're welcome to stay over, Sawada." Mitsuki gently cut him off. His left eye twitched. She rarely uses that tone in him. "If you need a place to stay, you're welcome here."
Katsuki watched those eyes water a little before a brilliant smile was given. "Thank you."
"Get in, bastard." He said as he took the other's shirt.
"Katsuki," The brunet sighed fondly. "where's the courtesy?"
He narrowed his eyes. "Ha?"
"He means slippers, brat! You haven't given him slippers!" His Mom yelled before laughing as she went inside. "Masaru will have a good laugh on this!"
"Let's come back for the slippers." He said as he tugged the shirt. "I'm going to interrogate you in my room."
He looked back when he heard Tsuna gasp. The latter is staring at him in a teasing horror. Just then, he realized how wrong his words were. "Oh. You realized it? Good. Let me get that. I don't want you to explode."
He stared at the brunet's back after the latter took the plastic bag from him again. It didn't take long for him to shout obscenities that his Mom admonished while Tsuna only laughed at. He stalked for the kitchen to take the brunet away, but he couldn't after Tsuna offered help to his Mom. He resorted to watching TV instead while listening to them talk.
Katsuki felt a little relieved with how cheery the brunet is. It's almost like he's back to his normal self, teasing, grinning, eyes crinkling with playfulness and laughter. The house is much warmer for him too. Well, everytime Tsuna is with him, he felt like his parents are with him. Even when they got kidnapped, he can feel safety. That includes when the brunet dropped that old man to distract his pursuers. Tsuna didn't stop to help, but Katsuki knows he has an ear out for him.
"Food? I like salisburry steak." He heard the brunet answered. "Though I'm fine with anything. Food is food."
"Not the picky eater type." His Mom commented. "Unlike somebody."
He shot them a glare from his shoulder.
"Katsuki, wanna taste if this is spicy enough for you?" Tsuna called out, making him look back. "You like spicy food, right?"
"Oh. You noticed?" Mitsuki queried as he stood up. "Sometime, I blame the spicy food to why he's always a volcano."
"Shut up, old hag!" He yelled while nearing them.
"You shut up, brat!" His Mom countered.
Tsuna chuckled and slid a small dish of red soup on the counter for him. "I don't think so. Katsuki has been like that. It's hard to ignore him most of the time."
He sipped on the soup as his Mom replied. "He's not that hard to handle, is he? With all the yelling and cursing?"
"For other people, maybe. But for me, no. Katsuki is much bearable than the people I encountered." He passed the dish back. "Besides, he can be quiet when given the time. Just don't piss him off."
"Like what you're doing right now?" He pointed out.
Caramel eyes blinked at him innocently. "Oh. You're here?"
"You little-"
"How was the soup?" Tsuna cut him off. He glared at his Mom who snickered.
"It's fine. You didn't really make it hotter. Almost like Mom's."
"Well, need to take it up a notch then." The other hummed.
"I'm home!" They all looked by the door to see his Dad coming in. "We have a visitor?"
"Yep! This is Tsunayoshi Sawada." His Mom introduced.
Realization downed on Masaru before he smiled. "Nice to meet you, Sawada-san. I'm Masaru Bakugou."
"Nice to meet you too. Please, call me Tsuna, without any suffixes." His classmate appealed.
"Alright. So what's for dinner?"
The dinner was a little eventful. They talked about Elementary, Middle School and Yuuei. They stirred away from the incidents both of them participated in. Everytime they get close to there, Tsuna will redirect the topic to somewhere related to the recent one they talked about. If a topic is taboo for both of them, Tsuna will look at him first before carefully wording his answers. He's never impulsive to answer. Sometimes, his parents will laugh on some of their antics and jokes both of them fire off.
He helped on washing the dishes after Tsuna took the table to clean up. It's like the brunet is part of the family with how casual he slid in. Even his Dad feels comfortable. It's probably how amicable Tsuna is. So far, there's no awkward silence to fill. After the chores, he took the bag himself and carried it over his shoulder so the other won't have any reason to dillydally. Tsuna excused himself to his parents before following him.
He ushered him inside his room. He almost blushed at the amazed look on the brunet's face. It's not like his room is any nice. It's messy even. And his instruments aren't stocked nicely nor his papers. His clothes too. Still, Tsuna looked around like he's so amazed. He dropped the bag by the door and announced that he's going to run the bath. Tsuna nodded and remained in his room.
After taking a shower when the brunet finished, he went straight to his room. He found a tray of snacks by the side of his door, which he took and carried inside his room. Tsuna is listening to some music with eyes closed when he put the tray on the low table. He reached out for the other bud and put it on his ear. It was an English song with a girl singing. He didn't look up to see if the brunet is gazing at him.
He already did this thrice. The first was when he got annoyed about Deku. Second was when they went out to the arcade and ended with a bad aftertaste between them. And third was right now. He remembered Tsuna humming along the songs, clearly memorized them. It was soothing.
"I'm sorry." He looked up to Tsuna who had his lips pursed, caramel eyes staring at him with sincerity. "When I said those things after you tried to make me feel better, I'm sorry."
He let himself sit on his spot as he took the phone and pause the song. "Explain to me why in hell did you say them. Why you said you'll go insane if you open up, and that you don't belong."
The brunet pursed his lips, contemplative. "Before I met all of you, I was part of a group. We... Treat each other as family. We were all brothers and sister, we have this father figure of ours who teaches us things we need to know about life. We did some things only us can relate. We had some ups and downs too. We... Fought. We had arguments. But we stayed together, saving one another even when we're mad at them and at ourselves. But..." Caramel eyes dimmed while reflecting his intertwined fingers. "Every story has to end."
"You broke up?"
"Kind of? You can say all of them aren't here now. That they're alive in some place." Katsuki can't help feeling the sadness in his heart as watched the small sad smile. "It's the reason why I have a lot of experiences on my sleeves and I know how to deal with everything. It felt like if I open up to other people, I'm replacing them. Takeshi said it's okay because the more the merrier. At first, I did try. But I feel really really guilty whenever I thought of them. Especially when everything reminds me of them. That, and everything is too different in my eyes. I don't know how to act like a teenager when I spent half of my life being with them and fighting with them. It feels... Surreal? Like I don't know what to say without using mature words or seeing something in a different point."
"That's why you're going insane. That's why you don't belong." He stated, realizing what those words meaned.
"Stupid, right?" The brunet chuckled, empty and mirthless. "Hanging on to those memories that will never come again, and to those people that are already gone. It took Dad for me to snap out of it. To think, the same memories put me in this situation."
"You told him?"
"Yup. Everything. The deeper part of what I'm telling you right now. It shocked him and went out. So I decided to give him space."
"You're so dumb. You should've stayed."
"You don't understand my point, Katsuki." Tsuna said with a shake of his head. "Let's say your parents told you you're adopted and I'm their real son. How will you react around them?"
He got the gist.
"I don't want to be treated differently. Dad has been with me for eleven years, my parents are in coma, those people I call my family are gone. What's left for me? I know I sound desperate, obsessive and possessive, but-"
"You have no choice." He continued on. "If you can make a third option, you would. I know."
Tsuna smiled.
"Be my friend." He voiced.
"Ha?" The brunet blurted, eyes wide.
"Be my friend." He stated firmer, eyeing Tsuna who looks like he's about to faint. "That's not a question. I'm demanding it, Tsuna."
"But-"
"I don't care of your fucking reasons. You befriended Deku, Half 'n half and that shitty controller, but they can't fucking see how messed up you are. And this way, you won't feel lonely."
"But aren't you the same?" The other queried. "You're distancing yourself. It took Kirishima's effort for you to accept that you're not alone."
He 'tsk'-ed. Point taken, however- "Then we're even. You're my friend, I'm your friend. We go to each other when we have problems. Got it?"
"Not until you explain to me why you appeared guilty when you glanced at All Might-san's poster there." Then Tsuna pointed a finger to his poster that he didn't bother looking at. "See." Tick marks appeared on his head as the other started to poke him. "Tell me."
"Shut the-"
"Shh!" Tsuna hushed in a panicked expression while lightly pressing a hand over his mouth. "Not so loud. You don't want to disturb your parents, Katsuki."
He pried the hand off. "I don't have anything against All Might."
Caramel eyes stared down at him, so he looked away to get some of the snacks. The stare burns, but he didn't flinch. He was about to drink milk when Tsuna spoke.
"It's about All Might-san's true form, is it?"
He froze. Shit.
"You feel guilty about it." Tsuna murmured. "You think you were a burden when you got kidnapped. You think you're the reason why he couldn't fight on full strength that time."
He was about to deny when warm hand took his wrist and his glass of milk was put again on the table. He could only stare when the brunet pursed his lips, thoughtful again.
"I'm not gonna console you, because I know you have something else in your mind. But to ease your thoughts even for a little," The hand's thumb started to run soothing circles on the prominent bone on his wrist. "I'll remind you that I was also kidnapped and a complete burden that time."
"You tagged along." He gritted, remembering what happened.
"I chose to because I will never be able to sleep well if I'm not sure you're alright. I'll regret not apologizing for the things I burdened you and saving you. I assure you, we could bust out that time, but I chose not to because I couldn't risk our lives. And I met someone I thought I would never be able to see again because of you, so thank you."
His eyes watered when he felt the weight on his heart and shoulders lightened. "Fuck you. Go die."
Tsuna engulfed him into a hug.
"I'm fucking regretting befriending you." He mumbled on the shoulder offered for him to use as he hugged back.
"It's fine. You'll take that back either ways." He heard him whisper back, rubbing his back in slow circles. "It's alright, Katsuki. I'm here."
"Aizawa-sensei." Shouta looked back to Bakugou who is walking towards him and stopping by the foyer. "Tsuna was here two weeks and a day ago."
His eyes widened.
"He has been going here and there, doing his laundry in the nearest hotels and ryokan." The blond informed, red eyes giving him a levelled stare. "I'm not sure where he is now, but if he decides to contact you, can you not treat him differently? He said so himself. You're the only one he has now, and it fucks him the thought of you treating him like he's someone you haven't taken care of for eleven years."
"He said those?" He can't help asking.
"He confessed it to me on the first night he stayed here." His student stated, almost angry with how he scowled. "I won't go to the details because it's your job to figure those out, but all I could say is he was hurt with your response when he told you his story."
Shouta took a deep breath. Damn it. When will his son contact him too? "Thank you."
"Just saying." Bakugou remarked as All Might came out from the living room with the couple. "It won't take a fucking genius to conclude that he's in his own kind of hell right now."
He nodded. "Yeah."
While taking the service to get to his next destination since All Might took Midoriya's residence alone, he checked on his phone for any message from his son. He sighed when there was still nothing.
He hopes Tsuna's alright.
"You look fucked up." Akaguro's greeting on him when he came in.
The brunet had his hair sticking out everywhere and looked like he had ran his hand through it a lot of times. The clothes are wrinkly and looked dump. And there's this 'edge' on those usual warm and accepting caramel eyes that are now as dim as a bulb losing its light. The posture is slouched a little. There's this on and off weight on those shoulders that are struggling to be upright.
There's something wrong with the kid. He's not in his self.
Tsunayoshi smiled pleasantly as he took a seat. "Understatement of the century."
Red eyes stared at teen. The giddy smile, the flitting eyes and that small disturbing aura. He knows that. That's suppressed intent. "You're on the border line."
Tsunayoshi blinked and touched his face. "How the heck did you know? Is it noticeable?"
"Where's Aizawa?" He shot off immediately. It means he's right. The brunet is going insane and didn't really deny it.
"We had a misunderstanding. I'm giving him space right now." The brunet answered cheerily, eyes going almost black with how shaded they are.
Akaguro dragged both of his hands down his face in frustration. This is one of the reasons why he can't touch the brunet most of the time. He had known Tsunayoshi to be an insane person. Both a psychopath and a sociopath when given time. There are times that his words can be of a sociopaths, purging the world for his own gain. In some times, he can be a psychopath who will take on the world for the sake of his loved ones. He's someone who cannot be driven to the very edge. He doesn't implodes nor explodes, he blasts and destroys everything.
Yes. The brunet's nature to help others is genuine. No argument there. But, it doesn't mean he can't have his own bad side. But, the brunet honestly confessed that he doesn't need to compensate for the deeds he had done somewhere in his life. He's disgusted with the blood dripping from his unwashed hands, but he thinks of them as a reminder of what kind of human he was. Of what he had done to be that bad. He said, even if they clean their hands of those lives they took, it will never be washed away. They remain there.
And looks like they're haunting him last night.
"Don't worry about it." Tsunayoshi waved off. "It's only temporary. I'll be fine after a night's rest."
"With how black your eyes are going? It will take more than a rest for you to handle that." He snapped.
The kid raised his hands in the air in surrender. "I know. But I assure, this is nothing. Just a bad night."
"I heard you got kidnapped by that guy beside my cell." He mentioned, remembering the guards talking. "It's good you're alive."
"You're neighbors with All for One-san? Huh. The coincidence."
"I heard he's requesting your presence." He sneered.
"Probably interested in something from me." Then the brunet perked up before smiling teasingly. "So I met a lot of people in the Villain Alliance who admire your ideology and trying to keep it going."
He rose an eyebrow at that.
"Any message?"
"Keep it up? Don't be stupid and underestimate your opponents." The brunet snickered at the last one, which made him quirk a smile. "And change the hero society by acknowledging the heroes and purging the phonies."
The kid laughed. "Got it."
"Now, what are you going to do with that old croak." He reckoned.
"Hmm. Do you think I could lash out on him my..." Then the brunet made a cuckoo motion by the side of his right temple.
"Will it go away if you do?" He questioned.
"Half of it will be." The other shrugged. "It should probably compensate for the possible risk he almost put one of my family in." Then a crazy smile was shot to him. "I mean, sometimes, you have to make someone go crazy with you, right? Share the burden because that's what makes it fair, right?"
Akaguro can't help his chuckle. Crazy but logical, rational. "You're adorable when you're crazy."
"This is the only time I'm accepting that." Then Tsunayoshi smiled softly for him, unlike his crazy one. At some point, it's like he can see the usual brunet who loves to give him cheery smiles. "When everything goes fine, I'll come with a food again. Sorry if I came without any."
"Your presence is what I need." He replied. "The food is just something we eat while we talk."
"I know." Tsunayoshi beamed before standing up. "I'll visit sometime. I'm going to get a pass to visit All for One-san."
Akaguro watched the kid go for the door. He suddenly remembered the first time he met him. Those words he said. The things he did. The things he does to make Akaguro Chizome, the hero killer Stain, stop scouring the place for possible phonies to kill just to talk to him. It's not the insanity of a child, the maturity of a young teen, or the childishness of a man. Not even the aura that exudes warmth, acceptance and solace. It's the desperation to live. It's those eyes of a warrior who survived even the harshest reality.
His presence is soothing for someone like him who believes his own ideology. To have someone acknowledge his ideology, yet believe him that he's not as others see him. Tsunayoshi knows he doesn't need the pity, the sympathy and the acceptance. He knows all Chizome want is normalcy between the two of them. The relationship they have as fellow vigilantes that only the two of them can relate.
So what can he do for the child who is seeking for normalcy to him?
"Oi Tsunayoshi." He called. The brunet stopped from closing the door and looked at him. "Don't forget to bring your parent when you come back."
Tsunayoshi chuckled. "Sure. I'll see to it."
When the door closed, Akaguro thought of how in hell can he request Aizawa's presence to bash him or at least inform him that Tsunayoshi went for him while he works his butt off trying to find the kid.
All for One is curious as some people escort him out while another is wheeling him away from his chamber. He wonders if All Might has already gathered enough strength to face him again. He likes to break that man's pieces. Generally, he likes breaking every successor of his little brother. Besides, talking with All Might is interesting. He goes on and on about heroism and peace. No wonder he's the Symbol of Peace.
Hm. Now that he remembers, All Might doesn't look worse to wear. He swore he destroyed that hero's body, weakening him. But his senses gave off different results after Tsunayoshi Sawada revealed to him All Might's true form. His body mass is building up. It's as if he was healed, which was impossible because his injury was the payment for destroying his youth too.
He huffed quietly as he hears a door sliding before he got rolled in. To his senses, he can feel walls. Too bad he can't used his other quirk to examine everything. He'll get executed once he activate any. His vitals and brain waves are monitored, that if he ever moves one single inch, they'll rain him bullets. He can't even sense who is the person on the other side. He felt those people who escorted him backing away until a sound of the door closing is heard.
"It must be quite boring being inside your room all the time, All for One-san." A boyish orotund voice hummed. "At least Chizome can go out whenever I request him. He's quite an appeal, you know. He shouldn't have any bed to sleep on his room, but because I demanded them to free him from his confines, they did."
All for One grinned. He remembers now who is visiting him. "Tsunayoshi Sawada. What a pleasant surprise."
"Indeed. Even I never thought of visiting you this early. I thought I'll forget your invitation or something, but here I am."
"Hm. What pleasure." He remarked. "Have you seen All Might? He hadn't visited yet."
"The last time I saw him was two weeks and two days ago. He told me all about you, actually. Quite entertaining since I already know what kind of person you are."
"Heh. Are you sure?" He challenged. This child intrigues him like how interested he is to Shigaraki. But instead of naivety and obedience, there's this power and equal insanity he has.
"Oh, I am."
All for One didn't expect a gruesome conversation to start like that.