The blaring of his phone's alarm distracted Izuku enough that the small scissors jerked in his grasp, snipping off the corner of the news clipping.

"Noooo… now I'll have to get another newspaper from the supermarket before they run out."

Izuku smoothed out the clipping in his hands. Thankfully, it didn't ruin the picture of Katsuki's unamused frown as he stood next to Commissioner Totsubashi for a press release of his most recent case. Izuku smiled down at the older version of the boy he had grown up with for most of his childhood.

"Another job well done, Kacchan. I knew you would make an outstanding detective."

Izuku carefully slipped the clipping into the simple journal. It was rather inconspicuous, but filled with different newspaper clippings and printed images that all related to one, Katsuki Bakugo. Izuku wasn't a stalker or anything, though. It was a rather innocent situation, really. Back when Izuku was required to follow Mr. Shigaraki around, a passing thought that Katsuki would have recently graduated came to mind, like an afterthought that came and went in the moment of his boredom.

But that innocent thought had piqued Izuku's curiosity, wiggling into his subconscious for days after, until Izuku finally gave in and looked the other boy up on social media, if only to shut his mind up. Seeing the pictures that were posted by auntie of Katsuki grinning, his arms wrapped around friends Izuku had never met, his parents smiling in the background, holding a celebratory bouquet to congratulate his son. It was so picturesque and perfect that Izuku had pulled the images up again and again until he finally printed them out put them into the small journal. So he wasn't stalking really, it was just curiosity on Izuku's part. Izuku was a silent observer as he lived vicariously through his childhood friend, who had accomplished all of his dreams. Every achievement, every milestone. Izuku shared from afar, he celebrated when Katsuki entered the Policy Academy and stressed when Katsuki recovered in the hospital from a minor accident. Every girlfriend, every birthday, dinners, awards, promotions.

It was both thrilling and excruciating at the same time. It was a vicious cycle that Izuku was unwilling to let go of all these years later. Like a scabbed wound that Izuku couldn't help picking at until it reopened and bled out.

So, he wasn't a stalker, Izuku reasoned. And Katsuki wasn't the most active in social media anyway, so most of the pictures were from his auntie's social media and Katsuki's best friend, so Izuku didn't bother to look that often. It was only on those rare days when Izuku's phone would ping with a notification. When Katsuki would decide to post a random selfie that Izuku would fall back into his bad habits, filling his scrap book with every piece of information he could come across.

Katsuki was just part of a life that Izuku had long since abandoned, so he was just happy to see him happy, that was all.

Izuku left the journal in its usual place by his nightstand and went through his warm-ups to prepare for the day. It was more out of habit than because he needed it, but it was so ingrained in his bones at this point that if Izuku missed even a day, he would feel off which only aggravated his thoughts, making his anxiety spike at the smallest provocation. So Izuku didn't bother to stop at this point as he finished his sets, his body waking up as he sat up, wiping the bit of sweat he had built up with his shirt. A quick shower and Izuku went through the struggle of looking through his meager clothing choices as the morning sun peeked through his closed binds.

"I guess the sweater?"

Izuku plucked the baggy sweater that he had picked out in one of the nearby thrift shops. Most of his newish clothes were baggy and oversized. It wasn't a fashion choice, but Izuku found that most people seemed uncomfortable with his build and with the scars. Well, Iida had described him once as a scary thug that looked like he was going to mug someone. Ochako had smacked him after that comment and tried to reassure Izuku afterwards that he wasn't that scary looking, but Izuku worried she was just trying to make him feel better. Even though the weather was already warm, he went with the sweater. He tried to style his hair to something more presentable for today, but Izuku's curls were uncooperative, the sides already growing out. He'd need to save up for another visit to the barber soon.

Izuku remembered to put the usual band aid patch over the scar that ran down from mid-cheek to jaw and he grabbed his phone on the way out the door of his small studio.

He had his shift in the afternoon, so Izuku had time as the surrounding shops opened. He preferred going out when the streets were still quiet and less crowded with people. The palms of his hands itched to pluck out a cigarette that he had in his back pocket, but he wanted to make a good impression when he saw his mom today. Even though it was silly, Izuku didn't want to see her smelling of stale smoke. He knew she would have hated to find out that he had such a nasty habit, but he chalked it up to just another thing on the long list of disappointments.

As he reached the familiar flower shop, the store owner, a sweet older man, waved at him a simple bouquet of white lilies already waiting for Izuku to pick up.

"Good morning sir." Izuku said.

"Good morning, beautiful day." The florist said.

Izuku smiled. They always greeted each other the same way every year. It was pleasant, but never any closer than shallow pleasantries like Izuku wanted it. As Izuku handed him the few bills. His phone rang and Izuku glanced to see Ochako's name across the screen.

"Have a good day." The florist said.

"Thank you, you too." Izuku smiled.

He walked out of the shop; the lilies held in one hand as he answered his phone.

"Bunny, how are you?" Ochako asked.

"I'm fine." Izuku said.

He made his way down the familiar route as more and more people flooded the streets and Izuku did his best to focus on his call, evading running into anyone, if possible. His jaw was tensing up the longer he was outside, but Izuku was doing better now.

"Are you sure? We could go with you." Ochako asked.

"Riri, I'm good really. I hate to say it, but every year gets easier to handle." Izuku said.

"Thats a good thing, Bunny."

"I know, I just hate it." Izuku said.

Izuku made the usual turn off the main street and past the gates. Ochako must have noticed his silence because she changed the subject, her voice over hyped as she tried to distract him.

"You know she's doing fantastic at school."

"Yeah?" Izuku asked, his voice tense.

"Yeah! She's using the journal you bought her. I do not know what she's writing about, but every time I check on her, she's scribbling away. She's taking after you more and more every day." Ochako teased.

Izuku chuckled at the thought, but there was a worried ache in his chest at the thought. He wasn't sure he wanted her to take after him.

"She misses you." Ochako said.

Izuku knew she would say that. This line of conversation was happening more and more with every call. Izuku sighed, kicking at the stones as he stepped onto the simple road paths.

"I'll try to visit soon." Izuku whispered.

"Do you really need to stay away? Can't we figure something else out?" Ochako asked.

"You know why I stay away, Riri. Eri's better off staying away from me." Izuku said.

He knew Ochako didn't agree, but Izuku didn't want to argue about it today and maybe she knew that because she said nothing more about it.

"I promise to call tonight before she goes to bed." Izuku said.

"Okay, see you."

Izuku said his goodbyes and hung up. He stopped as he looked over the simple tombstone with the name Inko Midoriya on the front. It rested under the shade of a beautiful cherry blossom tree. Mr. Shigaraki had been kind enough to fork up the money to buy the spot for his mother.

"Hey mom." Izuku whispered.

Izuku went through cleaning up the tombstone, wiping down some of the dirt that had piled up as he removed the dried flowers and replaced them with the white lilies.

The dried flowers weren't the same ones he had brought her last time, which meant that Mr. Yagi must still visit her. Izuku's eyes watered a bit at the thought of his mentor. He hadn't seen him in many years, so it was a comforting thought to know he was still nearby, even if Izuku couldn't bring himself to face him.

Izuku sat next to his mother's grave as he did his best to catch her up on the normal things that were happening in his life. He even told her about Katsuki's recent win on his case.

"I'm sure auntie is beaming with pride right now, though she probably won't show it. I remember how often she called you gushing over Kacchan's accomplishments at school." Izuku chuckled.

"I promise to bring Eri soon. I know I should have already introduced you, but well, things are still settling down. But she's so pretty mom, knowing you, you would have spoiled her rotten. Or maybe you would have fussed over whether on not she was eating healthy meals." Izuku teased.

Izuku patted the lush grass. He tried to imagine his mother sitting next to him, smiling as Izuku described her granddaughter. Her face was no longer as clear and vivid as it once was. He could only vaguely remember the roundness of her face, which overlapped with the gaunt cheeks on her last days. Izuku shook his head at those thoughts as he tried to keep their conversation light.

"I'm going to work at the front register of the cafe shop. Mrs. Shuzenji is a sweet old lady, you would have liked her. She's been very patient with me." Izuku said.

Izuku was grateful for his new boss. The older woman had given him a chance when most would have turned him away. Izuku continued describing his days to his mom, as he tried to prove he was a good person now. When his alarm went off, Izuku stood up, brushing the petals from his clothes as he bid his mom farewell.

"I'll see you again soon and I promise I'm doing okay now so you can rest well and stop worrying." Izuku said.

Izuku brushed his hands across the cold stone one last time before heading out.

When he reached the cafe, Izuku had a few minutes to spare, so he headed in and got ready for his shift. He went through the back door in the alley where his boss was prepping the next batch of pastries for the shop.

"Izuku! Good, can you bring me the flour? I've run out." Boss said.

Izuku went over to their storage room, grabbing one of the opened sacks with ease and carried it back over to the smaller woman. Izuku set down the sack next to her, keeping his posture crouched forward a bit to make sure he looked smaller and less intimidating. Boss grabbed some of the flour, sprinkling it over the table before slapping down another lump of dough onto the surface. She stopped to look him over as she rested her hands on her hips and she huffed at him in annoyance.

"Stand up straight! You're too young to be slouching like an old man."

Izuku stood a little straighter, though not by much, still unsure as he rubbed the back of his head. He smiled apologetically as he brushed off her fussing. He turned away from her, focusing on moving some of the inventory that had come in this morning. His boss had hired him for this reason since it was getting harder for her to lift some of the heavier items, but he was going to the front today so he was lying if he said he wasn't nervous.

"I just don't want to scare any of the customers away." Izuku said.

"There's no need for that." His boss said.

She went about kneading the dough, her tongue sticking out the side of her mouth as she focused.

"You're just like my late husband. May he rest in peace. That man was rough around the edges too when he can back from his military service. But he was just a big softy like you, so the customers eventually came around and stopped fearing him." Mrs. Shuzenji reassured.

Izuku smiled at her, he knew the only reason she was nice to Izuku was because he reminded her of her late husband, but that only made him feel guilty since he knew the other man was considered a war hero in his community while Izuku was anything but. It felt like Izuku was taking advantage of her kindness, but he didn't want to lose his position here. He had never held a job as long as he had this one and it was much more stable than the part times he took on the side. It was the closest thing to normal that he had.

When Izuku finished moving the products, he took one long breath, his hand resting on the door that was between him and the cafe. There was a lot of pressure on him to show a good first impression. It was more nerve-wracking to be around the cute layout full of normal civilians who lived their normal lives as they grabbed a cup of coffee or lunch. Izuku felt like an outsider trying to disturb their peaceful days.

"Izuku!" his boss called out.

He let out the breath he was holding and went over to where his boss stood by the register.

"I'm going to take a slight break. Just relax and make the drinks like I showed you."

"Yes, ma'am." Izuku said.

As a young couple came up to the register, Izuku's body went back to slouching forward the moment they came up to him. It was automatic to make himself as small as possible.

"W… Welcome..h. can… I help you?" Izuku stuttered.

The couple stared up at him, even slouched Izuku towered them and he noticed the way the girl tightened her hold on her boyfriend's arm as she eyed the band-aid on his face. The boy finally composed himself enough to order for them.

"Um.. two vanilla fraps?" It came out more a question, as if he wasn't sure if that was what they really wanted at this point.

Izuku smiled, which must have been the right thing to do because they seemed to relax a bit, some of the tension between them easing as he rung them up and moved over to work on their order the way his boss had taught him.

The drink part was simple enough, but Izuku still struggled to add the whipped cream, so it came out into a wonky mess as it spilled over the side as he lost his grip on the nozzle. Izuku floundered, trying to find the rag to clean up the mess as his face grew hot from embarrassment. There was the sound of a giggle as the girl watched him curiously.

Maybe the image of a large man struggling with a can of whip cream was absurd enough to calm them down as they leaned over the counter to watch him.

"You don't have to press so hard on the nozzle." The girl offered.

"Oh! Tha… that makes sense." Izuku said.

He cleaned up and tried again; the cream coming out smoother instead of sputtering like before.

"Have you been working here long? It's the first time I see you." The boy asked.

"Oh, I… I'm usually in the b. back, but Boss….W.. wanted me to help up front." Izuku said.

Izuku handed them their drinks, and the girl took a hesitant sip before nodding in approval to Izuku, who grinned, happy that it wasn't a complete failure.

"We come here all the time, so we'll see you again, right?" the girl asked.

"Yes! Please come again!" Izuku said.

The couple gave him a small wave and wished him well on his first day. Izuku sighed once they were gone, satisfied that his first customers were not that bad. His boss appeared next to him, making Izuku jump when he didn't hear her right away.

"See, I told you it wouldn't be as bad as you thought." She said.

Izuku continued with the day, most of it going well, though some customers still avoided him and didn't linger past ordering their drinks, but a few of the regulars who stuck around warmed up to him quickly welcoming Izuku.

By mid shift, they gave Izuku a minor break, so he slipped out to the back alley to have a quick smoke. Even though the day was going well, being around so many people was exhausting as he leaned back against the bricked wall of the cafe. He inhaled the smoke, letting it rest in his lungs as he let the day drain from his tense muscles with the exhale. He took out his phone, finding a text message waiting for him.

It wasn't from his small contact list, just a random number, and the message was simple and nonthreatening, but Izuku still tensed at the words.

'Check in soon'

Izuku stared at the message, letting his body relax back against the wall as he stared down at it. He took another inhale of his cigarette before stubbing the bud under his boot. He shoved the phone back into his back pocket without responding and headed back into the cafe, distracted and ready to go home.

He didn't look up as he walked over to the register, which was why he didn't notice until a nickname he never thought he would ever hear again reached his ears and made him jerk up to meet the wide eyed red irises of Katsuki.

"Deku?"

Izuku did his best to cool his features as he composed himself by looking away, keeping his focus on the buttons of the register. Even as his gut was making flips, Izuku couldn't acknowledge Katsuki's questioning gaze.

"Welcome. What can I get you today?" Izuku asked.

Katsuki ignored his question as he leaned over the counter to get a better look at him as Izuku responded by leaning away, looking over at the pastries instead.

"Excuse me, sir, you need to stay on the other side of the counter." Izuku said.

"Cut the bullshit. It's really you, right?" Katsuki asked.

His voice was raising a bit, his tone was a mix of irritation and excitement. His partner stood next to Katsuki, staring at him disturbed by his actions as he tried to pull Katsuki back, only to be swatted away.

"Man, stop it, what are you doing?" Kirishima asked.

"Is everything okay, Izuku?" his boss asked.

Mrs. Shujenzi came back up to the counter as she eyed Katsuki, her features not giving anything away as she waited for Izuku to decide if she needed to step in or not.

"Holy shit, it really is you!" Katsuki yelled.

Izuku flinched. He knew there was no point in denying it now that his boss had confirmed it. Izuku glanced over at the blond who was looking back at him expectant. If it had been under any other circumstances, Izuku would have been happy to see Katsuki in the flesh and looking excited to see him. The last time he had seen him in person, Katsuki's eyes had been dark with anger, mouth twisted in a scowl as he spat out hateful words that Izuku gave right back at him.

He much preferred this version.

"Hello, Kac…. Katsuki." Izuku said.

Katsuki frowned, but Izuku couldn't figure out what he did, so he turned to his boss with an awkward smile as he tried to explain everything.

"Everything is fine boss, it's just an old class mate I know." Izuku said.

The old woman nodded, leaving them be as she eyed Katsuki one last time with a warning look to behave before going to the back.

Izuku turned back to Katsuki, who now looked offended, but Izuku didn't even try to understand him as he tried to steer back to a safer topic.

"I'm still at work, so if you're not here to order anything, then I'll have to ask you to leave." Izuku warned.

"I'm sorry, we came to order. Can we have a medium coffee black and a vanilla latte?" Kirishima asked.

Katsuki was still staring at him as Izuku rung them up, but thankfully he was keeping his mouth shut for now. Izuku turned to get make order. He went on autopilot, grinding the coffee beans and preparing the cup of black coffee. Before he could stop himself, he was pouring a bit of honey into the dark liquid, remembering Katsuki had liked his coffee strong with a touch of sweetness.

Izuku glanced over to see if they had caught it and met the blond's gaze, who was grinning back at him knowingly. Izuku turned away, his ears hot as he finished making the latte and slid them over to the two of them, hoping it would end the whole situation. Later he could think over how Kacchan looked in his work suit, the red button up making his eyes brighter and his spiked hair finally styled making him look ruggedly handsome. Izuku even caught the sight of his badge attached to his belt, but no matter how much Izuku enjoyed the sight of the other man, he couldn't let it show on his face.

Not yet, later he promised himself.

"When are you getting off?" Katsuki asked.

Izuku glanced up in surprise at the question. Katsuki hadn't moved from his spot after taking his drink. He stood there waiting for Izuku to answer him, his partner exasperated as he glanced back at the customers who were impatiently waiting behind them.

Izuku didn't want to answer, but the line was growing.

"I'm not leaving until you tell me." Katsuki warned.

Scratching the back of his head, Izuku shook his head tired as he gave in. He knew better than anyone how stubborn Katsuki could be.

"I get off in three hours. So please let me get back to work." Izuku pleaded.

Katsuki nodded satisfied as he moved to the side and followed Kirishima who was apologizing to the other customers as they made their way out.

"Man, I can't take you anywhere." Kirishima whined.

As they reached the door, Katsuki turned back to look at him one more time, his gaze intense and making Izuku unable to look away or address his next customer.

"Don't even think of running away." Katsuki warned.

Izuku didn't respond and Katsuki glared before Kirishima pulled him out the door fed up.

As he finished his shift, he tried to ignore the anticipation that was building up inside him. He didn't want to admit that he wanted to see Katsuki again. He couldn't afford to want to see him again. So, as Izuku said his goodbyes to his boss, he tried to sneak out the back door, but as he opened the door, Katsuki was leaning back against the far wall waiting for him with his arms crossed.

"You really think I don't know you enough to know that you'd sneak out the back?" Katsuki accused.

Izuku rolled his eyes as he started heading home and did his best to ignore Katsuki, who was following him.

"Let's just go to my place to talk." Izuku offered.

"Fine." Katsuki huffed.

The trip was quiet, but short since Izuku's studio wasn't far from the cafe. Katsuki said nothing as they made their way up the stairs to Izuku's studio, but he looked around, surprised by the amount of mess when he stepped through the door.

"Whens the last time you cleaned?" Katsuki complained.

"Is that really why you're bothering me, to criticize my cleaning habits?" Izuku asked.

"No." Katsuki muttered.

There was a tense silence between them as Izuku motioned for him to sit down on the ratty futon he had found online for sale. It was lumpy, but it worked. Izuku considered offering him a drink, but then decided against it. A drink meant he was offering him to stay, and he didn't want him lingering.

"How have you been?" Katsuki asked.

Izuku scoffed at the question. Even if he was happy to see Katsuki in person, most of him felt more anxious about the idea of the blond coming back into his life and knowing what Izuku had become. If Izuku had had his way, they would have never crossed paths like this so that Katsuki could continue assuming that Izuku was off living some normal life.

"Why are you here, Katsuki?" Izuku asked.

Katsuki flinched again and Izuku wondered why.

"Deku.."

"Don't call me that." Izuku said.

That name was too close. Katsuki's childish nickname didn't bother Izuku, but it was too close to a version of him that no longer existed. So being called that name just felt wrong now.

"Right, Izuku… you know the last time we saw each other we didn't leave on the best terms…" Katsuki tried to explain.

That was a sugar-coated way of saying they had been ready to kill each other the last time they had been in the other's presence. They had been best friends as far back as Izuku could remember, but by the time they had reached middle school, they had drifted apart like most people do. Katsuki had become the center of the popular crowd, smart and athletic, while Izuku had slowly fallen behind. Mr. Yagi had said he was a late bloomer since Izuku's stature had changed little until late into his teens.

"I told myself if we ever crossed paths again that I'd apologize for not…. you know…. being a better friend." Katsuki said.

His face was a dark pink, his hand rubbing at the back of his neck as he shifted in his seat. Izuku knew how hard it was for Katsuki to admit when he was wrong, though here he was trying to make amends for his past mistakes. It only made the hole in Izuku's chest tighten painfully.

"Its not like you bullied me or anything." Izuku said.

"Yeah, but I didn't really do anything to stop them either, did I?" Katsuki said.

He wasn't lying. Katsuki's friends had been vicious with their words, but Izuku hardly remembered it. When they had moved away, Izuku had learned what real bullying could be like. No, Katsuki's friends were mean, but they never left Izuku bruised and bloodied.

"And that last fight between us? The shit I said…" Katsuki continued.

That last fight had been the turning point in their friendship, but Izuku couldn't even remember it now. He wondered if Katsuki still did. It seemed like this had stayed with him for a long while after, even though Izuku had only held onto the good parts of their friendship. Izuku sighed as he shoved his hands into his front pockets and stared at the matted carpet beneath them.

"It's all water under the bridge now. If you're looking for me to forgive you or something, then, yeah, I forgive you." Izuku offered.

Katsuki didn't look satisfied by his response.

"So… I see you made it to detective congrats." Izuku offered.

Katsuki frowned, becoming more upset. It seemed nothing Izuku said was the right thing.

"You should have been there, too." Katsuki said.

He glared at Izuku as he stood up to stand across from him. Izuku wasn't sure what to say to that, as he looked like he was getting more and more upset. Katsuki looked him over. Though Izuku knew he couldn't really make out much of his figure through the baggy clothes, he knew he looked bigger than the past him.

"You're not that scrawny kid anymore, so why didn't you apply to the Policy Academy?" Katsuki accused.

"What?" Izuku asked.

"I half expected to see you there when I went, but you weren't there, so what happened? The Izuku I know would never have given up on his dream. He wouldn't be some barista and living in this cruddy studio apartment." Katsuki said.

Izuku glared as he gave in to the itching in his hands and pulled out a cigarette. He didn't normally smoke inside, but the direction this was heading was aggravating his nerves, and Izuku needed to keep calm. Katsuki's nose curled at the smell as he looked at him.

"You don't smoke." Katsuki said.

Izuku rubbed the side of his face, picking off the band-aid from his face, revealing the long scar as he took a drag from the cigarette dangling from his lips. He gazed blankly at the other man. His voice came out icy and sharp.

"And what the fuck makes you think you know anything about me?" Izuku said.

The chilling feeling in his chest was a familiar one as Izuku put on the mask of indifference that he was used to wearing for most of his life. Mr. Shigaraki's words filtered at the back of his head like a mantra. Don't give them any opening. You are in the one in control. Show them teeth and always go for the throat.

Izuku smirked, his lips twisted and cruel as he stood to his full height to look down at Katsuki, who flinched back at the harsh words. He blew the smoke in his direction, uncaring as Katsuki glared back at him, fist clenched.

"I mean, aren't you happy? You get to say you were right all along. I didn't become a detective, just like you said." Izuku taunted.

Katsuki's face paled before going red as his mouth opened as if to shout, but he bit his lip before reeling back his reaction and letting out a breath to calm down. Izuku was almost impressed that he held back.

"I didn't mean that before. I was just some snot-nosed brat spouting bullshit because I couldn't handle my shit, but if anyone could make it, I knew you could. Back then we were supposed to do this together, but you weren't keeping up and I don't know why I was so angry at you." Katsuki said.

Izuku didn't allow himself to react to Katsuki's words, seeing him being vulnerable and trying to explain his side of thing was kicking Izuku in the gut and at this point he needed him to leave before Izuku broke down and revealed how much this was all affecting him. So he did his best to say whatever would push Katsuki out the door.

"Are we done? You already apologized, and I said I forgave you, so what are we still doing here Katsuki?" Izuku sighed.

Katsuki looked at him confused and maybe hurt, but Izuku didn't let that stop him as he looked up at the ceiling to avoid looking at him.

"How about we leave it all in the past and we go our separate ways? You can go home and sleep better tonight knowing that you mended your past discretions." Izuku said.

Katsuki finally snapped as he grabbed the front of Izuku's shirt, his eyes glaring up at him bright red and burning. Izuku ignored the way his blood warmed up in response.

"What the hell is your problem!?" Katsuki yelled.

Izuku glared back. This was a Katsuki he was more familiar with. Someone he knew how to handle and he thanked Katsuki's short temper, which made it easier to keep his emotions in check. Taking Katsuki's hand, Izuku forced him to let go of his shirt as he loomed over him invading Katsuki's person space until he almost looked nervous, his pupils dilated to keep eye contact with Izuku.

"Have you ever considered the fact that you're my fucking problem?" Izuku asked.

Izuku moved forward, pushing Katsuki back as the other man stumbled to keep his footing.

"You force your way into my life, talking about past shit I don't even care to remember, asking for forgiveness. I said it was fine, so why are you still here?"

"Izuku." Katsuki whispered.

His voice sounded shaky as he looked up at him, confused.

"I… I just wanted to go back to how things were before. I wanted to try being friends again." Katsuki admitted.

The hold in his chest tightened even further, almost suffocating, but Izuku forced out a laugh.

"Are you fucking kidding me? Why would I want anything to do with you? We're not friends, we're practically strangers. Just two people that knew each other once for a small portion of our lives." Izuku moved away from Katsuki, he flicked his cigarette ash, giving off the practiced air of indifference as he took another drag before glancing back at Katsuki with a cruel smirk. Izuku bit back the acid in his mouth as he scoffed, sounding amused and fed up as he went for the throat like Mr. Shigaraki taught him.

"God, are you that obsessed with me that you've held onto this shit all these years? You really thought this would go in your favor? Hate to break it to you, Katsuki, but I don't give two shits about catering to your pathetic fantasies, so how about you do us both a favor and fuck off?"

The look on Katsuki's face was indescribable. Something like shame, or maybe embarrassment, as his face paled considerably. Katsuki wasn't looking at him anymore, his shoulders shaking as he did his best to compose himself, but they both knew that he was past the point of saving face so with fists clenched Katsuki turned and left the apartment without looking back at Izuku once.

The moment the door slammed shut, Izuku went over to lock it and finally let out the shaky breath he had been holding as he leaned his head against the icy surface of the door. His eyes stung, but he held it in.

This was for the best. No good would come of Katsuki getting tangled in his life. As the darkness in his chest spread through him, poisoning his thoughts and ripping him to shreds, Izuku slammed his head against the surface again and again as punishment.

"I'm sorry Kacchan, I'm sorry."