A/N: Sorry this chapter took so long. I came across an excellent, obnoxiously long fic and while I thought I was going to take my time, I quickly got swept into it like the bakudeku addict I am and now here we are. No regrets! If you have any comments on anything, I'd love to hear from you!
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Katsuki's Point of View- Saturday
Vibrations from my phone buzzed softly against the wood of my nightstand, waking me from a dead sleep. I roll over to check the time, the digital clock reading 7:30, shit. I flop back down into my mattress, extremely annoyed I forgot to set my alarm. Usually it isn't an issue, I wake up on my own well before the alarm goes off. It just means I'll have to go for a shorter jog this morning if I want to make it over to Deku at a decent hour. Fuck. I rub my hand over my face before grabbing my phone to scroll through the flurry of text messages from the damn extras. Since when are those fuckface's even up at this hour?
-RośeAllDay uploaded a picture
RośeAllDay: I swear this happened without any influence from me!
ElectricBoogaloo: Heyoooooo
MeatisManly: I'm sorry, I know this isn't what the point of that picture is but…
MeatisManly: Look at that bacon spread! Are they still down there?
RośeAllDay: Kiri, just because we're friends doesn't mean I won't hunt you down like the cave creature you are and shave ALL that pretty red hair off your head while you sleep
RośeAllDay: You will NOT interrupt them!
MeatisManly: You wouldn't!
RośeAllDay: Oh, but I would! Ocha and Iida are having breakfast together, alone. It will stay that way!
PracticallyTarzan: Kiri, from bro to bro I'm telling you now don't test her. She's got them crazy eyes right now
ElectricBoogaloo: Dude, there is so much BACON! You should totally get some.
ElectricBoogaloo: What do you think Blasty?
BlastyMcBlastFace: DON'T GIVE A FUCK
ElectricBoogaloo: You won't be able to call him Shitty Hair without his shitty hair though
MeatisManly: Hey now!
BlastyMcBlastFace: SHARK TOOTH THEN
ElectricBoogaloo: Sounds like he approves!
RośeAllDay: Hey Bakubabe? Where are you anyway?
BlastyMcBlastFace: PARENT'S HOUSE
RośeAllDay: Again?
PracticallyTarzan: You've been going there a lot lately
MeatisManly: Everything okay?
BlastyMcBlastFace: SHIT'S FINE. BUTT THE FUCK OUT
With a huff, I roll out of bed and head straight to my bathroom. There're a few things I need to accomplish this morning, so I go over them one by one while I brush my teeth and cycle through my morning skincare routine. First order of business, my jog and breakfast. There really isn't enough time for either, so I'll just jog to the hospital and stop for breakfast on the way. Deku will just have to deal with my sweaty, unshowered ass but it is what it is.
Next order of business, schoolwork. There's a test on Monday and even though I already know everything that could possibly be on that shitty test, it wouldn't be a bad idea to go over it one more time. I doubt there's going to be a lot going on at the hospital so Deku and I will probably have plenty of time to study together if he wants to and if he doesn't want to I'll make him anyway because like hell am I letting my rival lag behind me.
Back in my bedroom, I open my overnight bag and remove my athletic shorts and black tee. I'd rather not spend the entire day in my workout clothes but since I'm fitting in a jog on the way, shit will have to do. As I head down the stairs my phone buzzes again and I swear to god if it's the extras I'm going to let them have it because this shit is pissing me off. I DO NOT GIVE A RAT'S ASS ABOUT PINKIE'S PROJECTS! Glancing at the screen, I stiffen because it's actually worse than that. It's the fucking Hag.
Old Hag: Your father and I have last minute adjustments to make to a custom design for a client. We'll be at the hospital later.
Old Hag: Try not to be a little shit while you're with the Midoriyas.
Deciding not to feed into her bullshit, I pocket my phone without responding and head out the door. The sun is a looming fireball in the sky, blinding me slightly when I first step out onto the sidewalk. Of course, our neighbor is across the street walking her little, white and tan Shiba. She notices me and I immediately start praying to whichever god is listening that she does not cross the street and try to talk to me. Instead, she simply waves and when I don't wave back, she continues on her way. Thank Fuck.
The rest of the way to the hospital went without a hitch. My jog was long enough to be sufficient, and I called my favorite breakfast spot on the way to order my takeout ahead of time so I wouldn't need to stop longer than necessary. When I walked through the hospital, I was relieved to find Red Lips was not at the desk and since my badge from last night was good for 24 hours, I was able to go directly to the elevators and head up to floor 9. I vaguely wondered if Deku would be in the same room when I caught sight of Auntie lingering in the hallway with one of the doctors.
The unmitigated desire to eavesdrop hits me hard and it's so unprecedented and outside of what I consider to be acceptable behavior that I have to physically force myself to take the next few steps towards them instead of hiding around a fucking corner to listen. The moment Auntie notices me she steps away from the guy and waves me over to them.
"Good morning, dear. Izuku just finished his morning exam so go ahead and I'll be in shortly." She eyes the brown bag in my hand curiously before resuming whatever conversation she was having with the doctor.
With a muffled "morning" and "kay" I head in to find the nerd curled up on his bed scribbling away in one of his notebooks. There's a bit of color in his cheeks today and he seems to have more energy. He's in complete concentration as he writes, his hand gripping the shiny blue pen tightly, the tip of his pink tongue poking out from the corner of his lips while his eyes are glued to the page, not even recognizing I'm standing right next to him now. Such a fucking nerd. It usually annoys the living shit out of me but for some reason it feels almost endearing today.
"The fuck you doing?" My question startles him, causing his pen to shoot forward on the page. He looks up to me through his long lashes, blinking a few times.
"You came" he draws out, surprise evident in his tone as he closes his notebook and sets it to the side. He looks happy to see I did what I fucking said I would, so much so that I can't even be annoyed with the little shit for doubting me.
"Jesus, Deku. I said I would and when have I ever gone back on my word?" Without waiting for a response, I shove the brown bag in his face. "I brought breakfast." He inspects it curiously, sniffing at the air around it before looking back up to me.
"For both of us? Wow, you didn't have to do that." He shifts over in his bed, patting the same spot I occupied last time while grinning from ear to ear. Any hesitation he had previously seems to have vanished, not even a hint of it lingering on his face. Hopefully this is a sign we are finally moving past this insecure bullshittery. "What did you get? It smells so good!"
His bed is raised so I have to hoist myself up to occupy the space next to him. It's still warm and all the blankets surrounding us are soft and smell like an odd mixture of Deku and antiseptic. I remove two boxes and after checking their contents I hand one to Deku who looks inside with interest. At least he seems to have an appetite today.
Steam rises into the air as soon as he lifts the lid, revealing a fluffy tamagoyaki which is paired with white rice. "Oh, this looks so good. Definitely better than hospital food!" Without further ado, he unsheathes his chopsticks and is ravenously stuffing the omelet into his mouth like he hasn't eaten for days.
"Slow down nerd, you're going to fucking choke on it." While hiding my pleased smile, I open my own identical box of food and dig in, finding I'm extremely hungry after jogging on an empty stomach.
"So," I begin after swallowing the last bite of rice, "What is there to do around this shithole anyway? Are you stuck in this room or what?"
"Hmm? Well there's a few things to do." Deku holds up his hand then, using his fingers to count off as he continues. "Each floor has a game room, there a few outdoor gardens with walking paths, there's the TV in my room, and… that's pretty much it."
"That's it!? How the fuck do you not go insane with boredom?" This is going to be a looooong weekend.
Deku frowns at that, the space between his eyebrows forming into a cute little crease. "I honestly don't have a problem with it. I'm happy to hang out here during my treatments, you know watching Tv or writing in my notebooks. I guess I sleep a lot too and when all else fails I'll go for a walk around the hospital or through one of their gardens." He shrugs like he didn't just describe the most painstakingly boring fucking weekend of all time.
"Tch. Whatever, I guess the game room could be okay. What kind of games are there?" A chance to smoke Deku's ass is a chance to smoke Deku's ass. It's better than any other option as far as I'm concerned.
He shrugs his shoulders, his arm brushing against mine as he does. "I haven't been in there in a while, so I guess we'll find out together."
Update, the game room is actually pretty fucking cool. It's a large, open room lined with floor length windows, allowing for an abundance of natural sunlight. The white walls are adorned with brightly colored pictures, and the wood tinted PVC floor is littered with red, blue, and lime green bean bags. There are two small, white tables with matching swivel chairs lined against the windows and there are three bookshelves stuffed with board games, card games, video games, and a variety of reading materials. There's even a vintage arcade machine tucked in one of the corners.
"I am going to destroy you at every single one of these shitty games. Get ready nerd!" I flash him a cocky smirk as I make a beeline directly to the shelf with the video games. Deku doesn't stand a fucking chance in hell.
"Pft, we'll see about that. Which game do you wanna play?"
After a quick perusal of their admittedly impressive collection, I grab a hero-based fighter game Deku and I used to play together way back when. As I hold it up for him to see, his eyes instantly widen with recognition before he's eagerly nodding his head in approval, his soft green curls bouncing around his freckled face as he does. The little shit runs over to me and swipes it out of my hand before rushing to the PlayStation to insert the disk, all the while mumbling something about how he had no idea they released a remastered version of it.
"Kacchan! This is so cool!" He enthuses as he drops into one of the green bean bags, his weight causing him to sink into it. "Kacchan? Are you coming? C'mon, let's play!"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming, nerd. Hold your damn pants on." Truthfully, I'm psyched to play this again and it's all the better because while I almost always won, Deku made for an acceptable opponent. This should be interesting. I walk to the red bag next to Deku and allow myself to sink into it, the fuzzy surface contouring to my body. The game starts up and I feel a rare glimmer of raw, childlike excitement shoot through me as soon as the nostalgic theme music courses through the room.
We pick our heroes, I choose Hawks and of fucking course Deku chooses his idol and mentor, All Might. The game places all the characters on a relatively level playing field so winning comes from skill and knowing your opponent. Deku is practically bouncing in his seat when our heroes appear on the field, a gothic cityscape looming in the background.
"You ready to have your ass handed to ya, shitty Deku?" I taunt as I plan for battle.
"Not if I Detroit Smash you right in the face first!"
"Tch, I'd like to see you try."
Playing the game is comparable to riding a bike. It's been years yet we still have the proper button sequencing committed to muscle memory, our characters going at each other with quick, successful strikes and powerful finishing moves. Hawks' offensive game is on point and he holds up an excellent defense too but then again All Might is All Might. Regardless, I easily claim victory in the first two rounds but somehow the nerd manages to pull out a win for the third, Detroit Smashing me just as he promised. The fucker looks all too pleased with himself as All Might Wins flashes across the screen in big fucking letters.
"Haha! I got you good that time, Kacchan." That gloating little bastard…
"One out of three aint shit, Deku. I'll murder you in the next round."
"If you say so."
We must have played for at least two hours before Deku finally had enough and conceded. He's a stubborn little shit, persisting game after game and only actually winning just under a third of the rounds. Eventually, we moved to one of the tables and set up a game of bullshit. While I excel at this game, Deku is absolutely terrible. His attempts at bluffing are pitiful but he continues in earnest despite not winning a single round.
We're playing the final game; I have eight cards left in my hand while Deku has fourteen. It's his turn and as he goes to lay two cards down, he declares "two sixes!" He sets them on the table while worrying his bottom lip between his teeth, a clear tell that he's full of shit.
"Bullshit!" I lean over to get a better look as he reveals the two cards to be a ten of spades and a king of diamonds, pouting as he does. "You are the worst fucking liar of all time, you know that?"
"Hmph! I don't think that's a bad thing. Heroes aren't supposed to lie." He reaches over to pick up the cards in the center pile, seemingly unimpressed.
"Whatever you need to tell yourself, nerd" I reply while choosing the next few cards I want to play for my own bluff.
While looking through my cards I glance over to Deku, noting the exhaustion that seems to have settled into his features. It's a bitter reminder of what he's up against, making my chest tighten uncomfortably. Instead of shaking that feeling off, I decide to address it.
"I want to ask you something" I begin, unsure of exactly how I want to phrase my question.
"Hmm? What's up?" He replies tiredly, slumping even further into his chair.
"Are you… I mean- shit. I want to know more about your disease. Will you tell me about it?" I brace myself for his answer, uncertain if I've overstepped or if I even really want to know the intimate details. He looks at me for a moment, considering my request before shrugging lightly.
"What do you want to know?" He asks carefully.
"Whatever you're willing to tell me. I just-I want to know more about it."
"Yeah, okay. Well, you already know about the crazy lady who gave it to me and then disappeared, or at least I think you do? Mom said she told you that much, but maybe she didn't, and I misunderstood her or maybe-"
"I know about that piece of trash bitch with the quirk. I want to know more about what it does."
"R-right. Um, well we don't know a lot about what it's actually doing and how it's doing it and I guess that's the problem. The symptoms have manifested slowly over time, and my doctors all agree it has characteristics of an autoimmune disease because my body seems to be attacking itself. My kidneys just happened to be the first major organ to falter which is why I'm receiving dialysis."
"Okay, but isn't there some kind of medicine to treat autoimmune diseases?" I'm not a doctor or anything but I'm pretty sure there has to be something out there to help him.
"Not exactly. Most of them only ease symptoms but because mine is so new and the process to conceptualize and manufacture a safe, new drug is lengthy, there just isn't anything out there for me yet."
"Well that fucking sucks."
"Yeah… I guess I'm just trying to make peace with it-"
"Make peace with it? Are you fucking kidding me? So, what, you've just given up?" That irksome feeling of having a knot lodged in my throat comes back, only now it's made even worse by the outrage bubbling in my gut. My jaw tightens as I clench my teeth together, meanwhile he's just staring at me, shocked by my reaction.
"I-I didn't say that, Kacchan! I just… I want to live my best life. Obviously, I don't want to just… you know. I want to live, and I hope more than anything that they're able to find her and get her to fix it. If I wasn't going to even try to fight it, I would never have enrolled in UA, but I did because I have hope." He's glaring at me, a look of resolute determination affixed to his face and hell, I believe him. I breathe out a sigh of relief, not even realizing I had been holding my breath that whole time.
"Good. If you ever, even for a moment, think about giving up I swear to god, I'll kick your ass right back into gear." The thunderous pace of my heart is receding, the cloud of anger dissipating. I take a few shaky breathes, trying to calm my nerves.
The realization that I care a lot more about this shitty nerd then I would ever be willing to admit to is slowly encroaching on me, infiltrating my system like a parasite. It's unnerving but it won't stop me from showing up for Deku every single fucking weekend. Despite myself and our history, we had a good day and I'm sure as hell not about to let these wayward feelings fuck it up. Maybe I should be putting myself into fucking gear, Jesus.
Deku looks at me thoughtfully, his head cocked slightly to the side, cards momentarily forgotten. "Thanks for worrying about me Kacchan" he says like it wasn't the most unexpected and fucking mushy thing he could have said. He smiles then, returning to our game like the weirdly intimate moment never happened.