A/N: I finally completed my draft and can say there will be 33 chapters in total assuming I don't think of anything extra I want to add that would need its own chapter.
Thank you to everyone whose taken an interest in my work so far and big thanks to those of you who have commented and given feedback. Lastly, thank you to VAspera for editing for me. You are all awesome!
Izuku's Point of View- Tuesday
Waking up covered in my own fluids and someone else's trickling out of me is not exactly a plus ultra way to start the day. At this moment, I'm thankful for two things. First, the beach house has a washer and dryer so all the sheets and blankets can be washed before tonight. Second, the master bath has a huge whirlpool tub, big enough to accommodate two comfortably. I'm sore in places I can't say I've ever been sore in before and sinking into that hot sudsy water was pure bliss.
Last night exceeded any and all expectations I could have had for my first time and Kacchan was just so amazing. I realized it was something I wanted somewhere in the middle of all the planning. I wanted to show him how much he means to me and how special our relationship is. I didn't expect I'd have to be so forward about it though. I mean, he was going to sleep on the freaking pull out and then when it was finally time, I had to verbalize exactly what I wanted which was so embarrassing!
Kacchan is solid and warm behind me. He's running his soapy fingers through my hair, massaging my scalp in slow circular patterns in such a way that relaxes me and has me feeling like I could pass out any second. The gentle rise and fall of his chest isn't helping things, even though I know we have a big day today, I really just feel like I could take a nap.
"All Might- Texas Smash, Detroit Smash, Oklahoma Smash, Nebraska Sm-"
Suddenly, those expert fingers still against my skin and though I push my head back to encourage more of their heavenly treatment, they don't move. "Deku, why the hell are you listing All Might's attacks off like some kind of weird ass robot?"
"Mmm, so sleepy Kacchan. Trying to stay awake."
He chuckles, the jovial sound echoing throughout the bathroom. "Trying to stay awake, huh? Such a fucking nerd." He's quiet for a minute before adding, "I think I've got a solid way to help you out."
I'm not sure what he means by that, but it sounds like something my very sore bottom wouldn't approve of. Suspicious, I ask, "What do you- Ah!" His fingers, which were once offering me so much joy and relaxation, betray me, taking hold of my head and pushing me under water with zero warning.
Soapy water rushes into my nose and mouth, throwing me into a coughing fit as soon as I rise above the surface. "Kacchan! Why would you do that to me? You're so mean." Water droplets drip from the ends of my hair and into my eyes, forcing me to shake my head a little to get rid of them.
"Oi, you were the one complaining of being tired. I fixed the problem for you. You're welcome." He's laughing again, the jerk, while he anchors his arms around my waist, pulling me back into him.
"Gee, thanks." The sarcasm is prevalent in my annoyed tone, not that I think he would care.
He leans forward, his mouth hovering just by my ear, his hot breath tickling my cheek, giving life to a wave of goosebumps over my skin. "How are you feeling, nerd?" His question is simple enough, but I can hear the worry in his tone. The change in topic gives me a bit of whiplash.
"A little sore, I guess. The warm water really helps." Tilting my head to the side, I meet his lips with my own, sweeping my tongue over his while he holds me tightly to his chest. It's soft and sweet, reminding me that even Kacchan can be gentle when he wants to be. It's a side of him not many get to see and I kind of like it that way. It makes it feel like it's just for me. Part of me wishes we could spend the day like this, just wrapped up in each other, unworried and happy. But we have a full day of activities planned and I'm pumped to go hike up the volcano today. It's going to be amazing.
After we towel off and get dressed, we make our way to the kitchen so Kacchan can make us breakfast while I pack some snacks and supplies for our hike. Kirishima and Kaminari are up already, sitting at the table eating breakfast. Kirishima lifts his head, offering me a wide grin.
"Morning best bros. How'd you two sleep last night?"
"So good! The mattress is super comfy, I was out like a light. How about you?"
"Eh, it took me a minute to actually go to sleep but once I did, I slept through the night." There's a redness to his cheeks, a few shades lighter than his hair color. I wonder what that's about?
"What about you, Kaminari? Sleep well?" I watch as the blond spears a large piece of pineapple with his chopstick, lifting it to eye level for inspection before popping it in his mouth.
"Oh yeah. Once all the yelling and thumping from your side of the wall stopped, I slept real good."
A high-pitched squeaking sound forces its way out of my throat while Kirishima chokes on his orange juice, spluttering it out of his mouth and nose while pounding his hand against his chest. He's as red as a tomato and if the heat around my neck and face is anything to go by, I'm right there with him. I didn't know before today that one could die of mortification. My soul feels like it's trying to flee the confines of my body while Kaminari merrily laughs at my corpse.
"Denki, we talked about this. You promised not to bring it up!" Oh my god, they had a conversation about it. Why is this happening to me?
"Oi, Dunce Face! If you've got a problem with it, you can sleep on the fucking sofa." Kacchan has turned away from the eggs he's frying, pointing his flipper angrily at Kaminari.
"Pft, does that mean there'll be more sexy times for Kacchan and Deku tonight? I'll wear my ear plugs then." Just when I thought this couldn't get any worse…
He shrugs and tries to return to his fruit, unsuspecting of the flipper now hurtling through the air towards his head. Kirishima sees it coming and doesn't even try to stop it and we both watch as it smacks him in the face, bits of half cooked egg flying everywhere.
Kaminari wipes the slimy yellow off his face, seemingly confused. "Dude, what was that for? You got eggs all over me."
"I. Will. Murder. You." The flipper has been replaced by an outraged finger, pointing with murderous intent at Kaminari while he continues to act like he doesn't know why he's in trouble. Meanwhile, I want nothing more than to shrink away and disappear forever.
"But all I was say-" Thank god, Kirishima takes the initiative to slap his hand over our blond friend's mouth, stopping him from finishing whatever salt he was about to rub into my wounds.
"Stop, just stop right now. Sometimes the manliest course of action is to say nothing at all, bro." Shaking his head, Kirishima removes his hand while Kaminari blinks in confusion before shrugging and returning to his food, ignoring the egg still on his shirt and chin.
By now, I've slowly inched my way back to the staircase, fully planning to remove myself from whatever this is, but before I can actually turn around and leave, Kacchan calls out, "Sit the fuck down, Deku. Breakfast is ready and you aren't going anywhere until you eat."
Going to the breakfast counter instead of joining Kiri and Kaminari at the table, I sit at one of the stools and watch as Kacchan places a plate of scrambled eggs and rice, and a bowl of miso soup in front of me. I can't say I feel like eating anymore but most of my morning meds should be taken with food so it's better to just get it over with.
Thankfully the rest of breakfast is peaceful, no one else brings up anything awkward with most of the conversation leaning towards everyone's plans. Kirishima and Kaminari are going to learn to surf while we're on our hike and everyone else has already left for the day. Mina and Sero are having a beach day and Ochaco and Iida went for a jog together and said something about checking out the local dojo later.
After I finished logging my food in my journal and making my morning phone call to mom, we grabbed our bags and headed straight to the beginning of the eight-and-a-half-mile hike. I'm beyond excited. This isn't just an ordinary volcano after all.
"So, Kacchan" I began a few minutes after we hit the trail. "This is the very volcano where they tried to trap and subdue Godzilla in the movies. Pretty cool, don't cha think?"
"Those fuckers had one braincell collectively and that whole situation was a total clusterfuck. Hell, I could have handled it better than those morons."
"I don't know… I think you'd have gotten mad with your teammates and accidently blown them all up." I can see it now. One of them breathes wrong and just like that everything is up in molten flames.
"Fuck you, Deku. You don't know shit."
"I'm pretty sure I've known you since we were toddlers but if you say so."
Most of our journey went in that way, the usual back and forth banter and occasional name calling. It's the way we are and even though we now hold hands while we're arguing and kiss in-between heated discussions, there are just some things that will never change.
The trail carves a scenic path, beginning at one of the ferry ports and weaving through the changing terrain leading to the volcano. At first, we were surrounded by lush greenery, the lull of ocean waves sounding distantly in the background. As the altitude increased, the green scenery decreased, slowly transforming into something of a desert called Ura-Sabaku. It's all inky black sand with some plant life interspersed throughout the otherwise barren landscape. It's unlike anything I've ever seen, giving off eerie, extraterrestrial vibes that give me goosebumps.
The gravel trail takes us all the way to the rim of the volcano, the rest being blocked off by a wire fence. The view is absolutely breathtaking- wispy clouds, clear blue sky, rolling hills that eventually drop off into a deep blue ocean- we can even distantly see the makings of Mount Fuji from here.
Leaning against one of the stakes supporting the wooden fence, I turn to Kacchan. He's staring out into the open, like he's deeply pondering the complexities of life or something. "Ya know, I'm kind of disappointed. I really wanted to get a better look inside the crater."
My words seem to snap him out of his trance and he just kind of looks at me for a second. I can't tell if he's annoyed or not. "They put the fence up because hundreds of people committed suicide here. They just threw themselves over the edge." He shrugs like what he just said wasn't incredibly depressing.
My jaw drops and eyes widen at that news. "That's horrible. I- I couldn't imagine feeling so hopeless and lost that I'd willingly jump into a volcano."
"It's a fucked up way to go, no arguments here."
Bending over the fence, I try to look beyond the jagged edge of the crater and into the maw itself. Smoke billows from the cracks and crevices along the steep rocky walls, there isn't any lava or ash to be seen which is probably a good thing. Kacchan joins me, appreciating the unique view in silence. After a few minutes of taking it all in, and capturing dozens of pictures, we turn around and head back to the port
Our walk back went much faster than our walk there. It was all downhill and since I already saw everything I wanted to, we made fewer stops. We had a late lunch at the little restaurant stationed at the port and afterwards checked out the gift shop next door. I bought mom a little snow globe that contained a replica of the volcano inside and when shook, ash colored confetti churned through the surrounding water. I also bought a book that detailed unique and interesting facts about Mount Mihara and the island.
By the time we return to our beach house, I'm completely beat. Like, I-may-as-well-have-just -participated-in-three-consecutive-triathlons, beat. Looking for a place to rest, I allowed myself to collapse onto the couch, legs stretched out over the cushions, TV turned to the Hero news. We planned on finishing out the day at the beach, but I just don't know if I have it in me. The exhaustion from this morning never really went away, I just powered through it because who knows when I'll get the chance to do any of this again. It seems I might be paying the price for that now.
Suddenly, Kacchan's head appears above me, red eyes narrowed as he pokes my forehead. "Oi, nerd. What are you doing? I thought you wanted to go to the beach."
"I do, well I did- I'm just really tired. I uh, I think maybe I'll stay here for now. Watch Tv or something… You should go though. Everyone else is probably there by now." My eyes flick to the screen before returning to him. Those narrowed eyes have softened, expressing concern instead.
"Deku, are you… Should I be worried?" He gently places the back of his hand to my forehead, staring at me intently as he does.
"No, no. I'm fine really. That hike just really knocked me off my feet, you know?"
"Scoot the fuck over then." He walks around the couch, pushing my legs out of the way so he can sit down before placing them back over his lap. "I'll just destroy you in Mario Kart instead. Too much fucking sand at the beach anyway. I'd be thrilled to not have to rinse it out of my ass crack again tonight."
"Your language is so poetic Kacchan." I say dryly.
"Fuck yeah, it is. What else would you expect?"
And with that colorful image in my head he switches the TV over to the switch, handing me the blue controller while he keeps the red. "You really don't have to stay-"
"I want to, now shut up and accept the ass kicking I'm about to dish out." I kind of feel bad that he's staying here with me instead of going out and having fun with our friends, but this could be fun too. Beating him in any competition is almost always worth the resulting grumpy Kacchan that follows.
"You shouldn't be so confident. I've gotten much better at this game and I'll win for sure!"
With a cocky smirk, Kacchan responds, "Maybe when hell freezes over." God he's so arrogant. I can't wait to see the look on his face when I fly past him and win.
I roll my eyes as he switches the TV over to the start screen. We have all the characters unlocked but despite that we both tend to lean towards our favorites, Bowser for him and Yoshi for me. He selects Grumble Volcano- how appropriate- and I hum along to the upbeat tune of the intro music while Kacchan impatiently taps his foot against the floor.
We must have played the game for hours, only taking a short break somewhere in the middle for dinner. Every time we agreed the current round would be our last, the loser- which was not always me- insisted on redemption. We were on our fifteenth redemption match when the front door swung open, the distraction just enough for Kacchan to get me with a banana peel and steal the lead.
"Oh! Is that Mario Kart? I wanna play, lemme go get my switch!" Kaminari, who looks like he may have lost the battle against sunburn today, dashes toward the stairs, clomping loudly as he retrieves his console.
"Me too, me too!" Mina screeches, yanking the device from Kaminari the moment he's in eyesight so she can take one of the controllers.
"Hey! I want the blue one!"
"I know, that's why I took it." Mina sticks her tongue out at Kaminari before circling over to the other side of the sectional.
"I don't have a switch, but I want to play too. Anyone want to take turns?" Ochaco takes her seat next to Mina who pats her lap with her free hand.
"No worries. Eijiro's got one so you two can share."
"You fuckers are getting sand all over the goddamn floor. You better clean this shit up tonight because if I step on a single grain of sand in the morning, you're dead!" Kacchan was eyeing the small piles of sand collecting beneath our friends with great disdain, eyebrow twitching and everything.
"Yeah, yeah. We hear you Blasty." Kaminari, the brave- or maybe just dumb- soul that he is, takes his seat right next to Kacchan.
Iida hovers over the back of the couch, seemingly discontent with the current happenings. "Everyone, we have an early morning tomorrow. We have to clean and pack so we can be out by ten. This might not be the best use of our time." His robot arm swings mechanically toward the clock, emphasizing the late hour.
"Hey! That's a great idea! Whoever comes in last has to clean the entire beach house tomorrow. Agreed?" I'm not sure Mina got the point of what Iida was trying to say to us, but I guess her interpretation works too.
"You'll all eat my fucking dust. I'm in!" After Kacchan's declaration, everyone else nods their heads in agreement. No one wants to clean tomorrow so what better way to solve that problem then to make some other sucker do it, right?
Spoiler Alert: Kaminari is that sucker.