Day 3 Monday

When Izuku opened his eyes the following morning, everything was spinning. His tongue stuck firmly to the roof of his mouth and his eyes were dry as mothballs. The smell of cold smoke was in the air and he groaned, lifting his arm to smell his sleeve. Bingo. He was fully dressed and lying on the left side of the double bed. His limbs were heavy and his head throbbed.

A sideways glance informed him that Shouto was still asleep, and before he really knew what he was doing, he removed the covers to check the other's clothes. His T-shirt had ridden up, underneath he discovered no fabric, only smooth pale skin. Shouto was nude – hips down. His brain short-circuited. He had to get out of here.

He had to think.

But not in this bed.

He dropped the blanket as if he had burned himself on it and leapt out of bed. In the bathroom he tore his shirt off his body and held it up to the light. No smudges. He gritted his teeth and then inspected his trousers in the same way. His head was spinning. The shock of Todoroki's half-naked state beside him did his already fuzzy head no good. He undressed completely and got into the shower, his fingers clammy with controlled panic. H felt it slowly worming its way into his consciousness.

Why the hell was Shouto naked.

What had happened?

How had they even got the two streets from the bar to the hotel? When?

A slight haze in the shower told him the water was hot enough and he stepped under the strong spray. As soon as the hot water soaked his hair, ridding the soft curls of old smoke and sweat and running over his scalp and shoulders, his headache eased a little.

He was about to soap his hair thoroughly when he heard noises through the thin bathroom door. Had he locked it? What if the other one just came into the bathroom, joined him in the shower and- but his own defensive snort interrupted his train of thought.

That wouldn't happen. Not very likely. This was still Shouto. Straight as an arrow, with a girlfriend waiting for him at home. Again he thought of the shirt pushed up, and dug around laboriously in his head for memories of last night. And suddenly, as if through a veil, he remembered unlocking the door to the hotel room-and all of a sudden there were two different eyes much too close and-hands under his shirt-Izuku turned the water desperately a little hotter.

Impossible. Impossible. But instant by instant, the memory complemented itself until the moment they reached the edge of the bed. Together. Izuku repeatedly wiped his eyes in distress, face and upper arms, skin already red where he used too much fingernail, and despite the hot water, the guilt seeped into his stomach like cold mud and gnawed at his organs. He cried noiselessly into his wet palms for a moment, pressed the heels of his hands into his eye sockets until the colors on his eyelids began to blur.

When he carefully stepped out of the toilet, Todoroki was already waiting on the armchair next to the bathroom door. As he got up, he avoided Midoriya's gaze completely. He locked the door behind him without another word, and Izuku almost doubled over with guilt. He searched in his trousers for his mobile phone and was surprised to find that it was well past noon. He also noticed that he had no network. And not a single message. He frowned.

Suddenly he gasped, remembering that he had forgotten to tell his mother that they would be away longer than Sunday. He felt the disaster tighten its circle around him while he tried to make a call despite the lack of a network, but he couldn't get through. While Todoroki was in the shower, he got an idea, got dressed quickly and ran downstairs to the hotel lobby.

"I'm having a hard time thinking straight, Midoriya." With those words, Todoroki left the bathroom a short time later and, strolled to his side of the bed to find some new clothes from his suitcase. Izuku punched in the last digit of today's Wi-Fi password into his phone and sighed, ignoring the ambiguity of that statement.

"I'm really sorry, Shouto. Really."

"We're equally to blame." Commented the other, shrugging his shoulders oddly.

That didn't make it any better for the smaller one.

"...What else can you remember?"

Shouto gave him a quick glance from the other side of the bed, definitely red around the cheeks, and then clicked his tongue. "Everything."

"What happened when we got here?"

"Um... we-we made out" he pointed his head towards the door without taking his eyes off his friend's green hair "there".

Now it was Midoriya who felt the color rush to his face. He had remembered that too, ... that was not good- but okay. But that didn't explain their circumstances in bed.

"That was it?" he asked hesitantly.

The other shook his head and the cold mud in Izuku's stomach solidified.

"I don't know who started it, but suddenly I was… uh naked and you called me `Kacchan' and-" at that point Midoriya pressed his palms to his face in shame and Shouto seemed to almost burst into flames with uncertainty. He took a breath, considered, then stammered "and then I said 'I'm not' and you were like 'Wait what' and then you stopped touching me."

"I touched you. What the hell..." Midoriya pressed his palms against his cheeks almost painful and began rocking his body back and forth.

"You then said 'do it yourself' and just laid down" Shouto added without catching the tense atmosphere "And that's it." he sat down next to Izuku on the bed, but the greenette was too deep in thought to consider if that was possibly too close- after yesterday. He wrestled with himself, desperate to ask if his mouth had ever been below the line of Todoroki's belly button that night- but he couldn't bring himself to do it.

"I feel sick." He confessed, not managing to take his hands off his face. They both looked at their feet, the carpet, the wall opposite, until Shouto finally cleared his throat.

"Did you kiss Bakugou at the party the same way you kissed me at the bar yesterday?"

Izuku considered. But being fully aware of who he had been thinking about in those moments, he could answer the question honestly.

"Yeah. Something like that."

"I don't really understand how that could have happened- but I would have let you do...anything to me yesterday. Complete loss of control. Completely at your mercy. Skin and bones. And I am. Not. Gay. And I have a girlfriend. And I kind of knew what you were gonna do. And yet, I don't know if anyone can ever do that again. I was like in a trance, there's no way to describe it." He kept further compliments to himself, ignoring the quick throbbing in his chest and searching Izuku's face for a reaction. But the other was clearly displeased.

"Yeah um... he escaped from the balcony to throw up, so..." Izuku reminded, biting the inside of his cheek. His emotions were on a rollercoaster. Knowing he could have that effect gave him a small sense of power, but a voice in his head told him it was far from enough.

"It would be so easy, wouldn't it? If I were him and you were her? It fits ... it's so simple."

"Yeah..." the green-haired man muttered without really paying attention. Shouto gave him a quick glance, then noticed the steady vibration between them.

"Midoriya, your phone-"

He reached for it blindly and his eyes nearly popped out of his head. He couldn't see the beginning and end of the list of messages. But his mother's name stood out prominently.

"I forgot to tell Mom we'll be out longer than Sunday," he explained.

"Call her, I'll get us breakfast." With a few steps Todoroki had crossed the room, thrown on a jumper and silently disappeared out the door. Green eyes were on his display, and Izuku, swiping left, surrendered to his fate.

...

"IZUKU MIDORIYA!" his mother shouted the same second he lifted the phone to his ear. Her voice was watery but loud and reproachful.

"H-hey mom. I'm alive." He stammered and stepped to the window. His hands began to play with the curtains, lost in thoughts.

"What has gotten into you? Where ARE you?"

"I d-don't know exactly where we are" he answered honestly, leaning forward a little against the window to perhaps find a street sign, but in vain. "Just over the border, in Italy."

"ITALY" he held the phone down for a moment, feverishly searching for something to loosen the noose around his neck.

"I tried to call you, but I didn't have any network-"

"Because you don't have an international rate!? You've never left town; why would you have needed one of those? Who is with you? The young man with the car?"

"The young man is Todoroki; you even know him. We're in the same class, Mom. And his dad died on Friday, he had to go out of town... I swear I didn't know we were going to another country. I didn't even bring a sleeping bag."

"Okay. So … where are you guys sleeping? In his car? Or-"

"In hotels. On the way. We were going to the see the ocean today. And then head back."

"How are you paying for all this? Did you take all your pocket money with you?"

"He's paying for most of it, he's got... well a bit of money to... spend. From… yeah his dad. Dead dad. Ugh-" The words felt unfamiliar, and he decided to reimburse Shouto for at least part of all the expenses. He heard rustling, as if someone was holding the phone shut.

"Mom?"

"-wait- geez." He heard the familiar sound of chair legs hitting kitchen tiles and then a bang in the background.

"Are you okay? What was that?

"When will you be back?" she skipped over his question and her tone changed.

"Wednesday at the latest."

"Tomorrow," she interrupted him firmly, "and no arguments. If you split the route in two, you'll be here tomorrow afternoon. And then I want to talk to you. With both of you." And to his utter horror, his mother hung up. Before him. With that disappointed undertone. He winced.

...

At the same time, the front door of the Midoriya's house slammed shut with another loud bang. Bakugou dialed Todoroki's number, but to his chagrin, he didn't pick up. Momo was the next person who came to his mind in his impulsive rage. And he was damned pleased that someone actually answered the phone at last.

"Bakugou?"

"Where is your sorry excuse of a boyfriend?" he inquired without greeting.

"...what?"

"Just WHERE is your boyfriend. I need to talk to that fucker. Now."

"I'm sorry, but I don't really know- we had a fight on Friday and since yesterday-"

"Do you think he's lunatic enough to get a car somewhere and drive off with Deku?" The other end of the line was suddenly quiet.

"Getting a car...my parents' SUV is-it's impossible. Wait a second." He clicked his tongue in displeasure "Nah, waiting is not my strong suit." Bakugou dropped behind his steering wheel and put the key in the ignition "I'll come over."

To Katsuki's utter horror, Momo had tea ready. And canapés. Between them, on the polished shiny surface of the table, stuck a small yellow post-it.

[THE CAR WILL BE BACK ON WEDNESDAY]

"Why Wednesday?"

"His father's funeral is the next day. Thursday." replied Momo quietly, almost dutifully.

Katsuki grumbled and slid a little deeper into the thoroughly comfortable chair. "I almost forgot, geez."

"I knew it would affect him. But he just won't let me get close to him." The blond tossed 6 canapés into his mouth at once, letting his gaze roam the room, keeping himself from shrugging.

"Hmm." He couldn't care less, so he swallowed unfazed. "So you haven't spoken since Friday."

Momo shook her head and hugged herself for support.

"I'd love to know what's going on in his head." she began again, but a look into red disinterested eyes silenced her. This time he actually shrugged his shoulders.

"I'm the wrong person for such topics." He stated, tapping his screen, lost in thought. Momo spoke no further and sipped her tea. Katsuki had emptied his cup in one go to leave at any moment. He hated being tied to one place out of politeness.

"He doesn't answer the phone when I call him." He informed the girl opposite. She frowned deeply.

"Have you tried anonymously?"

"Why should I?"

"If someone is currently calling him anonymously it could be about his father. And I think that's why he'll answer."

Red eyes paused for a moment on Momo's exhausted face, more or less impressed. He changed the settings and lifted the receiver to his ear. It rang three times.

"Fucking Italy?" the blond snarled as soon as the connection was actually established. When there was no immediate answer, he raised the phone briefly in front of his face. But the line was up. Momo's mouth was wide open in surprise.

"How did you find out?" came the curt counter-question.

"You think I don't notice when the little shitty nerd disappears from one day to the next?"

"Don't be ridiculous."

"What was that?"

"You'd manage to overlook him if he was standing right in front of you."

Katsuki himself felt the accusation bruise his ego too much to be wrong.

"Well, this time I noticed. I've been trying to get hold of him since yesterday, but his phone is off. Tell him to turn it on."

"I'm not telling him anything." God, how he hated that half-mutant.

"Tell him," he growled, then briefly mustered all the strength he possessed and added, barely heard, "please."

"Not bad, but no. He's using the weekend to get a different perspective on your friendship. You should let him have that time."

"What do you mean?"

"That you're no good for him. He sat in the car and told me so much about you, I was inclined to break your arms if you'd crossed my path here."

"I knew you'd gossip." Katsuki grumbled, pushing a canapé around on the big plate.

"You repulse me. He practically starts crying every time it's about you. He has other things to worry about than badmouthing you." The blond dropped his head back and sighed with strain.

"Hah, so what? Speak up clearly, you're not a bloody sphinx."

"I don't know how much you know. ...And I don't want to know how much you are just ignoring. But he told me about your night a year back. In fact, he talks about you all the time." Katsuki's gut dropped at his feet. Of course that was what this was about. Of course Deku had to open his stupid little mouth and spill the beans about something that was none of anyone else's business. He felt completely exposed. That was the one thing, he didn't want people he didn't like to know. But of course Midoriya had to wail about it at the first opportunity. Anger bubbled up inside him and his upper lip curled up. When Momo saw the expression on his face, she took the phone from him and turned on the loudspeaker. Katsuki permitted her to do so.

On the other end of the line, Todoroki exhaled a long breath.

"Yesterday we were in a bar." Katsuki raised his eyebrows quizzically, still struggling with the rage in his blood, and Momo shook his head. "And something did happen. I don't know how it came to this, ...at least not quite."

"To what?" he spat, pissed off. To hell with politeness.

Again Todoroki exhaled a long breath and Katsuki was gathering a stream of the crudest insults when Shouto spoke again.

"I did not throw up afterwards, that's for sure."

The punch to his stomach was deep and unexpected. His head had unexpectedly imploded at those words. And was now empty of any more complex sentences.

"What?"

"You heard me."

It took Katsuki a few seconds to get over his shock, and the initial surprise turned into familiar anger and disbelief.

"You're lying. And you have a freaking girlfriend!" Momo silently placed the cup on the table. The worried expression in her eyes was now a mixture of fear and hesitation. She didn't understand.

"I know. And I've never felt regret and contentment at the same time. It's a little overwhelming."

Katsuki's heart doubled over with rage and the feeling of having been betrayed. His palms were dry as dust, his skin felt too tight. Momo's glance blazed in his face now, inquiring answers, but he had enough to do, to sort out his own thoughts than deal with her.

"You're lying" he repeated tightly "He would never do that. He couldn't."

"Why not?"

"Because he likes- he said..." ...that he likes me. A lot. But he just couldn't bring himself to say it at that moment. Not in front of Momo, not in front of that stupid Todoroki. He simply couldn't.

"Wow Bakugou, respect. It seems you actually knew all of it. And you led him around on a leash for a whole year. I hope everything was worth it." The irony in those words was nearly crippling.

"Let me talk to him." his voice shook with barely contained anger. He could feel his temper slipping away, as well as his grip on the situation. That was why he didn't tell anyone shit about himself. It kept coming back painfully to his face.

"As long as I can prevent that, I will."

"Stay out of it! I-" but Todoroki ended the call mid-sentence, Katsuki flung his phone thoughtlessly against the nearest wall and stood up. His eyes smoldered and his hair crackled under his tension.

"I'm going to kill him. As soon as I see his fucking face, I'll kill him."

Momo had her hands clasped and was pressing them against her chest. "Bakugou, what is the meaning of this?"

His chest rose and fell. His field of vision was limited and he yearned to be alone. In his car, in his basement by his boxing bag. Anywhere but here. With Shouto Todoroki's cheated girlfriend.

"If you're unlucky, you'll be sharing your boyfriend with Deku from now on."

At that, Momo slumped down on the chair and lowered her eyes to her tea.

"But Midoriya is ... a boy?"

"Obviously he doesn't give a flying shit."

His thoughts began to circle. Back and forth, and before his eyes, a picture began to form that once again made the betrayal pulse hot and searing through his veins.

"I'll kill him." he cursed aloud.

"Were you two...?"

He whirled around and looked provocatively at Momo "What if we were?"

"Then we both feel the same right now."

Katsuki gritted his teeth and bent down to pick up his phone. The display was completely shattered.

"You shouldn't drive like that." Momo objected as she watched his movements "We have a dojo in the basement."

"I'll pass." He replied, dodging her hand that was no doubt reaching out to for his skin, trying to comfort him.

"Eighty-seven different pieces of training equipment."

But he shook his head. "Listen-"

"Four subwoofers and an aux cable in the training room."

Katsuki let his neck crack and looked to the ceiling, torn.

"And change of clothes." Momo added, already walking towards the door.

"Fuck. Alright."

Katsuki didn't know how much time he had spent with Momo. He was exhausted to the degree that his knees trembled slightly when he shifted gears and his ears were ringing from the music they had been listening to non-stop. After they had exited the salon one by one, they had not exchanged a word. And he had left before Momo came out of the dressing room. He changed his clothes hastily, he could freshen up at home. Even in the car, the radio was turned up to full volume. Thoughts caught up with him as soon as he was confronted with silence. His mobile phone lit up on the passenger seat, igniting some strange flicker of hope in him, but it was only Yaorouzo asking for his playlist.

...

"Shouto!" the green-haired man's voice wafted through the window before he reached the car "you won't believe what I found. Nutella crackers!"

Todoroki pushed his jumper off the passenger seat to make room for the energy bundle.

"Such weird stuff on the shelves, you should have come in with me!"

"It was quite a good thing, I stayed outside."

" Why?"

"Call from home."

Izuku drew his head between his shoulders and exhaled wearily. "I wish we'd had the extra day. We didn't even make it to the sea."

"Life goes on. And I think we both have learned a lot in that short time."

"You do? I feel more clueless than ever."

Shouto waited for a while, but when Midoriya did not speak further, he started the car and steered them towards home. The sun was already low in the sky and they had to fold down the sun blinds to protect their eyes from the blending rays.

"Midoriya?"

"Huh?"

"How will you face Bakugou, when we get back?"

The younger one slumped even more and almost completely disappeared into his jumper.

"Maybe I won't. I feel so bad about everything. But actually more because of Momo..."

"Why don't you avoid him for a while then?" suggested Shouto, skipping the last sentence.

"Hm... maybe I will" he pulled his feet up on the seat and hugged his knees in front of his body "I couldn't look him in the eye right now anyway, I guess."

"Would you tell him about the other night?"

"I- I don't know. I don't see how we'd ever come up with it."

"How do you think he would react?"

Obvious the almost interrogation, Izuku laughed. "He'd probably be disgusted."

He considered, running his fingers over his chin "and then he'd say something nasty about one of us. Or both of us. Or maybe he'd think I was making it up. Maybe he'd be relieved too...? Because then he'd be, well, you know. Because then I would have moved on?"

"Is that so?" Shouto glanced aside briefly to see the expression on the other's face, but in that short moment he couldn't interpret his friend's distant gaze.

Midoriya pondered. And he did ponder for a long time. "I guess it's possible. I guess I won't know until I'm fully exposed to his unique charm again."

"His charm!?"

"That was a joke, Shouto. Laugh it up." His voice thinned and he began to twist the hem of his sleeves into knots. "What about Momo? Are you going to tell her?"

"Yes. As soon as we get there, I think." Izuku narrowed his eyes as if he could block out the problem that way.

"And then?" he probed further.

"Then I will tell her what I told you. What I feel. What I'm missing. And then I'll let her decide how to proceed." His knuckles on the steering wheel seemed to lose color, but he nodded to himself in affirmation. "She'll do the right thing."

"How would it go on, then, if she lets you decide?"

"No clue..."

Again, Izuku laughed. Joylessly this time. "We really learned something." The irony cut through the good humor like a warm knife through a stick of butter. He swallowed. "Or maybe we just hurt one person badly because we're both weak and needy and don't have an ounce of backbone."

"You have enough backbone for an entire army."

"I don't. Otherwise I would have just called Kacchan on that damn Friday and told him everything. Instead of going off and kissing someone else who's in a relationship. I blocked him everywhere. I didn't even give him a chance to possibly get in touch after all- maybe we would have got in contact on Saturday and fuck- I- Shouto what if I messed up? I didn't give it a second thought. I ran away. Maybe- " He rummaged frantically in his backpack and then suddenly slapped the dashboard with the flat of his hand. "I don't have an international rate! I can't do anything again until we're over the border!"

"YOU messed it up?" repeated Todoroki incredulously, risking another sideways glance "What is this? He's been treating you like an adopted dog from the neighborhood for a year now. And now once you've done something without the direct permission of almighty Katsuki Bakugou, you almost lose your nerves? You yourself should be the center of your life, for real. Not him. If that-"

"Does our friendship really seem so toxic to you?" the green-haired man interrupted him, raising his eyebrows so high they disappeared behind his hairline.

"It seems that way even when you only talk about him. What I mean is, you exist independently of him Midoriya. You are completely free. You can do whatever you want, because Katsuki Bakugou had his chance."

The green-haired man bit his thumb.

"Maybe you've thought about what it would be like so often, you've forgotten it's not really like that."

The relaxed mood was gone. They spent the entire time until it got dark without exchanging another word.

"Don't we have to start looking for a hotel?" asked Izuku with a touch of tiredness as the sun had sunk completely.

"The nights are warm and clear; we might as well spend it on the truck bed. There are definitely blankets in the box on the back wall."

Izuku thought back to his decision at the rest area at that moment. This time he wouldn't worry about the fact that it was just Shouto - but would be happy that he had someone at all, to share this memory with later.

"That sounds phenomenal. And luckily we bought enough snacks that we'll have some in the morning too." He smiled tentatively turned his attention to the box with said blankets. Both of them gave their best to ignore the lingering tension.

"If I drive just another 100km we'll be back over the border and you can use your phone again." The idea was quickly brushed aside with a "No."

"Besides, this is our last night, and I'll leave my phone in the glove compartment so it won't distract me. And won't get stolen in the night" said Midoriya, a small smile on his lips.

"I'll take mine out with me so we can hear the alarm. If we leave at ten we could be home between three and four in the afternoon."

"My mother will be pleased to hear that. And that also means I've got just under four hours to calm down if I turn on my phone tomorrow and Kacchan really hasn't texted me."

As Midoriya turned away, Todoroki just shook his head, not understanding his friend.