Ugh. I'm struggling HARD to remember what all went down in Call Me Deku so that I can get that chapter out soon, but, I still had the outline to this chapter saved *Thank Goodness* so at least I'm getting something written/posted!
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A Day In Your Life
Chapter 4
~Time-Skip: 1 Week~
Todoroki tried to keep his amusement to himself as he watched Midoriya struggling—and ultimately failing—to move a single weight block across their gym floor, the body he'd been swapped into unable to handle the unnatural amount of heaviness.
"You're going to pull something…" he drawled in between pull-ups.
"Argh!" Midoriya huffed, finally giving up and curling into a ball on the ground. "I always thought Kacchan was stronger than this!"
"Izuku… That's a thousand pounds…"
Midoriya puffed out his cheeks in displeasure. He knew full well that Bakugo was strong and that this was simply beyond the limits of humans with non-strength quirks, but still, he felt stir crazy after going so long on overdrive.
"I don't know how much longer I can take this… I need to actually spar or do something!" he hissed, pulling on his now spiky blonde hair.
Todoroki dropped down from his bar and sauntered up to Izuku, rubbing his sore arms. He thought about the last week, thinking through each conversation he'd had with Kirishima; the redhead had really started to convince him that maybe change was possible. It was a long shot, but this could be his chance to really and truly help Izuku long term rather than just helping him get by. "Perhaps you could invite Bakugo over; I'm told he is equally as unhappy with being unable to let out his frustrations."
"Are you crazy?" Midoriya squeaked, skyrocketing to his feet. "Kacchan thinks this is my fault. If he comes here and starts using my quirks, he'll seriously kill me!"
"I could invite Kirishima as well… That way there would be three people who could curb his attitude if he gets out of control. But isn't it always you who says Bakugo wouldn't actually do anything truly dangerous? That he's a good person deep down?" Todoroki urged.
Izuku sweat-dropped, hating that his own words were being used against him. "I guess you're right…" he groaned.
Bakugo ground his teeth together as Kirishima continued blabbing about how great it had been working with Todoroki for the past two weeks. "I don't give a fuck how shit has gone with you and Peppermint Prince; stop talking about him."
"Don't be like that, bro! I don't mean that you aren't tough too and of course I still love working with you… It's just that Todoroki has such a cool head, ya know? Like his humor is pretty spot on too… though I'm not really sure that he's meaning to be funny most of the time." Eijiro chuckled.
"Why the fuck are we even going over here again?" Bakugo grunted.
"Aw, come on man, we talked about this! We're going to see if you could train to use Midoriya's quirks and teach him to use yours since Recovery Girl hasn't been able to figure anything out about switching you guys back."
Katsuki slammed the car door again as he got out and stomped towards the house, holding in a hiss at the twinge that pulsed in his shoulder from the movement. The 'medicine' Izuku had given him hadn't done shit to help, but honestly, he hadn't expected that it would. It was the equivalent of using a SuperSoaker in battle when you really needed a nuclear bomb.
"Will you calm down, please?" Kirishima begged as he picked up his pace in order to politely knock on their door. "I'd kind of like to get some training in with Todoroki since he and I aren't 100% used to each others' fighting styles yet and I don't want us getting told to leave before we even make it inside."
Katsuki sucked in another deep breath to calm himself, only to feel a coughing fit coming on. He wasn't sure what was causing it, but it was like Izuku's lungs couldn't handle expanding all the way anymore. It was only by sheer force of will—and probably a great deal of luck—that he was able to get the fit under control before the door opened and he came face to face with Deku.
"Are you alright, Kacchan?" the anxious pro asked worriedly, "I heard you coughing and—"
"I'm fine, Deku." Bakugo rasped, the sensation still present. "Haven't you learned you don't have to baby me yet?"
Midoriya lowered his head and nodded, stepping to the side to allow them in. He could never understand why Bakugo assumed he was trying to 'baby him' or 'show him up'. That's never what any of his concern had been about… Especially now. He knew all too well that living in his body was a waking nightmare, the cough a particularly irritating nuisance he'd had to adjust to.
Kirishima saw Todoroki heading towards them and bounded off after giving them one last hesitant glance, leaving them alone in the entryway. They stood awkwardly for a moment, both still not believing that this little play-date was at all a good idea. Eventually, however, Izuku turned to trail after the others to their training center only to have his arm caught in a tight yet surprisingly unpainful grip.
"Seriously, Deku." Katsuki continued, his voice low and strained but borderline gentle. "If you can put up with this shit every day then I damn well can too; you don't need to worry about me… I'm alright."
The blonde watched as Izuku twitched, sadness lifting slightly from his now tan, sharp features. Bakugo felt the twisted pit in his gut unwind some, a familiar warmth beginning to start in his chest. He'd sporadically been 'kind' to Midoriya in the past and remembered having the same sensation each time, but he'd always considered it a weakness that shouldn't be indulged until now. "Tsk. You know I'm going to kick your ass today though, right? You'd better bring you're A-game Deku; I don't want to fuck up my own body too badly."
Izuku had to blink for a moment, utterly shocked that Bakugo's tone was almost… playful? He'd said the same thing he'd usually say in a situation like this, but there wasn't hate attached to the words. It made him smile, really and truly smile for the first time since this mess had started. "Whatever, Kacchan; I have the home-field advantage…"
Todoroki and Kirishima sat together on one of the benches near the outdoor training area, sweat pouring off of them as they took a much-needed break. It had been hours since they'd started training and they were wiped out, but their respective partners were still going at it.
"You'd think they'd have had enough by now…" Eijiro panted, chugging from his water bottle right after.
Shoto watched the two they were speaking about literally rolling around in the dirt, both too tired to actually fight but unwilling to accept defeat. "I assume we'll just have to wait until they both pass out from exertion…"
Kirishima snorted lightly, though at this rate it was probably true. Bakugo and Midoriya had worked on testing each other's quirks for quite a while before both had gotten too frustrated to be productive, their cooperation devolving into a surprisingly friendly none-quirk sparing match. However, a hesitance soon clouded the redheads usually carefree expression, gaze lowering.
"Todoroki…" he spoke quietly, "I don't want to pry or anything… But Bakugo has been kind of… I can tell he's hurting. It's not really obvious, but I've been around him so much for so long that I guess I'm able to see the difference in how he moves."
Kirishima paused, noticing how Shoto became increasingly tense, the hot summer air chilling considerably. "I'm not asking for any personal information on Midoriya," he assured quickly.
"Then what is it you're asking?"
The redhead rubbed the back of his neck; that actually kind of was what he was doing. "Well, I know Midoriya gave him a bag of supplements, but, I don't think it's helping much…"
"You think his discomfort is severe?" Todoroki questioned, anxiety building in his chest. He'd long known that Izuku suffered from aches and stiffness, but he had always claimed it was fleeting and manageable.
Bakugo was exceptionally prideful and refused to show any sign of weakness whatsoever. If he was hurting to the point that Kirishima noticed, then that meant it was bad… and that, of course, meant that Izuku had been fudging the severity of his symptoms.
"… Yeah, I do…" Eijiro confirmed, not missing the flash of fear and worry that rushed across his friend's face. "I don't want to make things weird between us or between you and Midoriya by being nosy, but…"
Shoto swallowed thickly as he felt compelled to spill every private detail about his best friend that plagued his mind. Izuku was the only person he'd ever felt comfortable confiding in, but with this particular concern being about Izuku, he'd never felt he had someone to talk to. Still, he wasn't sure it was his place to speak about the sensitive nature of Izuku's mental and physical ailments.
"Izuku…" he started, throat choking up. "I'm sorry, Kirishima. I… I can't…"
"Damn, I didn't mean to upset you," Eijiro backtracked, putting a warm hand on Shoto's temperature fluctuating back. "It's cool dude, really. I just wanted to know if I could do anything to help Bakugo, you know like you do for Midoriya. It's hella manly that you protect your bro like that, for real."
Todoroki felt the ache in his own chest ease some, entirely comfortable having the redhead touch him. It was certainly an oddity; as with who he felt he could talk to, Izuku also happened to be the only one he'd ever really allowed into his personal space. Yet here was Kirishima, a relative stranger despite how long they'd known each other, quickly breaking through the barriers he still struggled to let down.
"Could you, maybe… Would you keep a record of what you notice with Bakugo?" he asked hesitantly.
"Sure? You mean like if I see him limping when I go check in on him and stuff like that?"
Shoto nodded, returning his gaze to the two they were speaking about, eternally grateful that Eijiro was so understanding and willing to help.
Bakugo had his head over the toilet as he dry heaved, nothing left in his stomach. After 'training' with Midoriya for the majority of the day, they'd both apparently passed out and their friends had carried them back to the house to rest.
Unfortunately, when he'd woken up the pain he had thought couldn't get worse was just about unbearable. It made him nauseous and lightheaded; he'd barely made it to the bathroom before he'd collapsed to his knees—something he swore he'd never do again with the bone-rattling ache that followed the relatively light impact.
"Ugh…" he groaned, a migraine pulsing in his temples from the tension in his shoulders. "How the fuck does he do it…"
"He reminds himself that his ultimate goal is to be your equal—so that you'll stop treating him like trash and accept him as your friend again."
Bakugo slowly flickered his blurred gaze to the door, able to make out Todoroki's two-colored hair though he easily recognized the voice. He didn't have enough energy to scowl or retort, but even if he did, he wouldn't have done either.
The entire time he'd been working with Izuku on trying to learn how to control his multiple quirks, 'his' body had throbbed to rest. By the time they'd started brawling, it had taken every ounce of willpower he had not to let tears form. No amount of pride or forced hatred could overshadow the respect he felt for Izuku right then… or the guilt he felt for making Izuku believe he had to push this hard.
"Come on, you can't stay on the floor like that." Shoto continued, maneuvering around behind him to help him up.
"I don't… n-need your fucking… help…" Bakugo panted, weakly resisting the assistance.
"If you're going to struggle, I'll have no choice but to call Kirishima in here to help me with you," Todoroki warned, his grip tightening as he dead-lifted.
That was enough to get Katsuki to submit, letting himself lean heavily into Todoroki as he pretty well dragged him back to the bed he'd woken up in. The last thing he needed was the redhead losing his mind over how totally wrecked he was from a sparing match. He felt dizzy as Shoto leaned him back against the pillows, but the plush, supportive mattress did feel infinitely better than the unyielding tile floor.
"Do you want some Ibprophen?" the dual user questioned, already holding out a glass of water for him to take.
"Tsk…" Bakugo scoffed hollowly, "I didn't take you for the mothering type."
"I'm not; Izuku rarely needs my assistance," Todoroki responded pointedly, holding out the little pills. He watched shame blanket Katsuki's freckled cheeks, the look so familiar even if it wasn't Izuku who was expressing it this time. "How could I have not known Izuku was hurting this badly? How can he handle it every day when a single sparing match benched Bakugo?"
Katsuki hesitated, but begrudgingly accepted the pain relievers; he'd go insane if he didn't have some kind of relief soon. "Where's Deku?" he questioned once he'd downed them.
"It's late; I'd imagine he's sleeping."
"Uh-huh…" Katsuki snorted, still convinced that the two of them were at item. "He'd better be in his room and not yours, Icy-hot. I'll fuck both of you up if I find a hickey anywhere on MY skin."
The dual user rolled his eyes, entirely used to the rumors about him and Midoriya at this point. "Believe it or not, Bakugo, our relationship is platonic. We have always been the best of friends, nothing more."
"Fucking liar…" The blonde grunted. They worked together, trained together, lived together; Midoriya and Shoto were inseparable. What's more, Todoroki knew things about Izuku that no one else in the world could even imagine—it seemed impossible that there wasn't more to their 'friendship'.
"You're such a jackass…" Todoroki drawled, turning to leave the mouthy Pro. "I do love Izuku, but not romantically and even if I did, he's already found someone."
Bakugo snapped his head up, mouth falling open slightly. For as long as he could remember, he'd always detested the idea of Midoriya dating anyone. In fact, that sentiment was likely a good part of why he couldn't stand being around Todoroki since everyone whispered that they were a couple.
But nothing had ever been confirmed… Even if he believed the rumors were true, the idea of Izuku falling for and being with Shoto seemed unreal and impermanent—A middle ground between reality and fantasy that he could tolerate. Hearing that Izuku was actually in love took away the cushion of ambiguous denial, that small flicker of jealousy he'd always refused to acknowledge suddenly bursting into a raging firestorm in his chest.
The door clicked shut before his mind could unscramble enough to ask who in the hell it was, leaving him in alone in the darkened room to stew in his physical pain and psychological turmoil. He laid back slowly, eyes stinging with tears.
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I love reading your comments! After awful fast-food work and constant worrying about my grandma, it's so fulfilling to see that I've gotten a review! Thank you to everyone who has left them for me! :)