Disclaimer: This chapter contains child abuse.
Chapter 2:
Izuku thought he felt the corner of his mouth lift slightly for a brief moment, before stepping forward to match Katsuki's pace.
The ramen entering his mouth was like sweet Jesus on a chopstick. Izuku hadn't had an actual meal since he had nearly passed out on stage one time at work, and his boss was forced to revive him in fear of a lawsuit.
Katsuki's father didn't look twice at Izuku — his blood soaked sweater and dirt-streaked face —before making both boys heaping servings of ramen. As Izuku greedily slurped down what could be his last meal in a very long time, he couldn't help but flit his gaze towards Katsuki every so often. The scowling teen was watching him intently, concern etched across the frown of his lips. When Izuku thirstily drank the still-steaming broth, Katsuki yelled across the counter. "Another bowl, pop!"
Izuku immediately waved his hands in refusal, shaking his head in panic. Katsuki twitched his eyebrow up quizzically, silently asking if Izuku was sure. The thin boy nodded frantically, practically bowing every time. His fluffy green mop of hair bounced slightly as he sheepishly held onto his stool, his eyes scrunched together in the most annoying adorable way. This kid…
Katsuki thought better than to push it. "Nevermind, old man! He's fine."
Izuku played with the sleeves of his shirt, picking at the ripped hems as Katsuki continued to stare at him. Am I done now…? He just wanted me to eat with him, right? Or, does he have an ulterior motive? Shit…here it comes. I knew I had gotten my hopes up for nothing. He's gonna make me do it again…he's gonna make me-"Oi." Izuku was jerked from his spiraling thoughts by Katsuki's voice. "You…really mute?"
Izuku was startled at the random question, his fears and doubts dissipating as he pondered the answer. His wide, emerald eyes searched Katsuki's face, wondering how much he could reveal to this new character of his life.
Images of his father flashed through his mind — the countless random and unpredictable outbursts of rage throughout the day. Having scantily-dressed women over while his mother shut herself in her room in a phase of depression. Meager portions of food slid under his door as he was told to not make a single noise, or he would get it again. The silence was a survival mechanism programmed into his throat by his own brain. If you want to eat, if you don't want to get beaten— If you want to live…you must not say a word.
But these were memories he had blocked out. After thinking for a while, Izuku's eyes glazed over slightly as his expression dulled. He nodded. Katsuki propped his chin in his hand, humming his understanding, all while keeping his eyes narrowed and focused.
After a shared moment of silence, Katsuki noticed Izuku raise his crudely bandaged hand to his eye, rubbing it lazily. Under the bright light of the ramen shop, Izuku's under-eye circles were unbelievably dark. Their contrast against his sickly pale skin only made him appear even more exhausted.
"When's the last time you slept?"
Izuku tried to remember. He had a particularly large number of daytime clients today, like the man Katsuki had graciously pounded into the ground earlier on. He didn't even have time to sleep in between 'sessions.' Nights were spent at the club, so there was no chance of rest there.
Katsuki sighed as he hopped off his stool. "Come on, we have a couch inside. Stay the night."
Izuku rose from his stool suddenly, but before he began to protest, Katsuki interjected. "Stay or not, I'm not leaving you." Green eyes widened slightly as a foreign pressure squeezed his heart. Why…?
After weighing his decisions, Izuku figured it would be better to stay here and leave when Katsuki was asleep, versus dragging him around the nighttime alleys and inevitably have to reveal his less-than-ideal occupation. Eyes on his hanging sleeve cuffs, Izuku leaned back down against the stool, a sign of resignation.
"Good. The possibility of meeting your shitty friend again did not sound thrilling."
Izuku tilted his head slightly towards Katsuki at that remark, a pleading gaze dashing across his tired eyes.
"Yeah, yeah, I know he's not actually your friend." Katsuki turned to sling his backpack over his shoulder. It may have been Izuku's imagination, but the atmosphere suddenly became more awkward in that moment. "Ready?"
Izuku slowly pushed himself off the stool to stand, and followed Katsuki passed the rubber curtain separating his home from the shop. There was a tacky orange couch directly to the right of the doorframe, along with a small television and coffee table. Katsuki nudged his head toward the couch, and Izuku understood, walking over and standing awkwardly between it and the coffee table.
His couch will get so dirty if I sit down…and his floor is probably already covered in dirt everywhere I walked…I should've just let him follow me outside and then run off at the first opportunity…fuck, he probably just realized how disgusting I am, and is regretting letting me come inside…now he has to worry about me and I'm gonna end up owing him all over again-
Izuku's inner ramblings slowed as he heard a familiar "Che," the second time Katsuki laughed crudely that day. The ash blond turned around and continued into the small house. Without looking, he spoke over his shoulder. "Stop thinking so hard about everything Deku, for fuck's sake." He disappeared into a room and came out with a pillow and blanket. walking over and tossing them on the couch. The blanket had a giant portrait of All-Might on it, a popular superhero from a cartoon Izuku absolutely loved, despite only having seen a couple disconnected episodes occasionally on store TVs. Following Izuku's gaze, Katsuki's face immediately flushed a light shade of pink.
"Oh- uhh, how do I- that's…I don't, I'm not a—" He scratched the back of his head in embarrassment as he eyed the blanket with regret. Izuku eyes lit up with a slight amusement at seeing the tough teenager blushing from head to toe. At last, he turned back towards his room so fast, Izuku jumped."Shut up, shitty Deku! I don't wanna fucking hear it! Just go to fucking sleep!"
Izuku couldn't help it. Bringing his baggy sleeve up to cover his mouth, he laughed soundlessly, eyes crinkling at the corners. He could barely remember the last time anyone told him to 'shut up.' Katsuki immediately turned back to face him, and the sight that met his scarlet eyes hit him like a tractor-trailer.
Somehow, even in a blood soaked, ripped, worn out sweater, with jeans older than Kirishima's mom, dirt covered feet and eyebags twice the size of his eyes themselves…Izuku looked like an angel. His forest-colored locks shifting back and forth in the amber light, as the entirety of his thin frame shook with laughter. His freckles dark against his adorable eye crinkles, his sleeve covering what was easily the most beautiful smile Katsuki had ever seen.
Huh, maybe I had a damn chance of getting into heaven after all…
Forcibly tearing himself out of his reverie, Katsuki blushed an even deeper red, grumbling his words together as he walked back into his room. "Che…laugh if you want, raccoon eyes…I'm outta here…I don't give a fuck…just a shitty cartoon….fuck.." The door slammed.
Izuku couldn't remember the last time he had genuinely smiled, let alone laughed. Aside from when his clients forced him to do act like he's enjoying himself. His boss made him stand in front of a mirror and practice smiling for hours. Sexy smile, cute smile, cheeky smile…he mastered them all, with a pay raise as incentive. But he had never found himself using them outside of work, until today.
Maybe…Katsuki is different.
But, he still wasn't about to lay his filthy self down on the couch, and especially not that adorable blanket. Suddenly hit by an intense wave of exhaustion, Izuku was just about to lay on the ground before Katsuki came out of his room with a towel and some clothes.
"Since your overthinking ass is probably scared getting the fucking couch dirty, here." He pushed the clothes into Izuku's chest, traces of embarrassment still present in his scowl. "Take a shower. As payback for laughing at me." He motioned to grab Izuku's arm, before quickly pausing and shoving his hand into his pocket, opting to gesture with a nudge of his head again, remembering the last time he had tried that.
Exhaustion overpowering his willpower, Izuku followed the blond across the room. There was an extremely small hallway that lead out of the couch room, just big enough to fit one door on each wall. The one on the right was clearly Katsuki's, while the one on the left was most likely his parents', with the bathroom in between.
When Katsuki walked into the bathroom to turn on the light and hot water, Izuku couldn't help but glance into his slightly ajar bedroom door. A sea of red, yellow and blue All-Might posters were messily stuck to the wall, with some hanging by a corner and others draping lazily off the wall, destined to fall down in a matter of time. The floor was almost completely covered in random articles of clothing, books, wrinkled papers, half-full bottles of water and All-Might posters that had already fallen down. So this is a normal boy's room. Somehow, it filled Izuku's heart with warmth and comfort. What he would give to sleep in that bed, with wrinkled sheets not properly tucked in, pillows halfway out of their cases and blanket draping off the bed messily. A room well-lived in. A place to be comfortable. "All yours."
Izuku managed to not get caught staring as Katsuki brushed passed him on his way out of the bathroom, slipping directly into his room and shutting the door.
Streaks of dirt trailed down the drain the moment water hit Izuku's body. When he ran his fingers through his hair, the water was practically brown. Yeah, I definitely needed this. Even without using soap, the shower felt amazing. Scrubbing at his feet, he was finally able to see the pinkish flesh beneath the dust. Stepping out, he put on the clothes Katsuki gave him: A plain black t-shirt that reached halfway down his thigh, and drawstring basketball shorts hung loose on his hips, even at the tightest setting. Izuku laid the towel out on the pillow, and passed out second he hit the couch.
—
"You gotta name, boy?"
"…"
"Izuku, you fucking brat. Mr. Zhang asked you a question."
"…"
"Oh, you don't wanna listen to your father now, eh? You wanna embarrass your father? You deaf now, ah Izuku?"
Fear.
"Your son is unusually beautiful, Mr. Midoriya. Almost like a porcelain doll…perhaps, instead of your wife…"
"With all due respect, Mr. Zhang, despite how useless he is, Izuku is my only child. If you break him, I'm short two hands and a salary in the future."
"Well of course, we are talking about a much higher rate here. Say, five times."
"He's all yours, Mr. Zhang, all yours! You come pick him up anytime you'd like."
"The only problem is, Mr. Midoriya, if he is mute, he will be unable to fulfill some of my…desires."
"He's not fucking mute, sir, he's just being rebellious. Nah! Izuku!"
Too close. Too close. Smells like smoke and beer.
"If you don't want a limp, kid, you'd better open your fucking mouth and speak. Right. Now."
"…"
The sound of the belt clicking and sliding out of jean loops was too familiar to be traumatizing.
"Gonna talk now?"
"…"
Pain.
"Say something! You useless fucking kid! A year ago, I couldn't get you to shut up!"
Pain.
"Your gonna tell Mr. Zhang-"
Pain.
"Your fucking name-"
Pain.
"This is my last-
Pain.
"Opportunity-"
Pain.
"Got it Izuku?! Huh?! Izuku!"
Blackness.
—
Izuku jolted awake in a cold sweat, his chest heaving. He hadn't had a nightmare in months. It must have been his conversation with Katsuki that triggered his memories. When he looked around, he briefly had no idea where he was. The blond boy, the client, the ramen, the shower…Izuku looked down. At some point, someone had come and draped the All-Might blanket he passed out on top of over his body.
My first sleep on a soft surface in months…
Sleep…
Izuku leapt to his feet. What time is it? My shift! Shit shit shit….His frantic eyes landed upon the tiny, illuminated digits of a DVD player, beneath the TV. 10:51pm.9 minutes to be on stage. He quickly undressed and put his brown sweater and jeans back on, folded as much as he could, and burst through the rubber curtain and into the glowing Tokyo night.
But just like he failed to notice the light on beneath Katsuki's bedroom door in his scramble to get ready, Izuku failed to notice the ash blond teenager watching him sprint down the street from the wide doorframe of the ramen shop.
Where the fuck is this kid going now?