Hello! Thank you guys for tuning in! I really appreciate all of your support for this story and all the other ones I'm working on! :)
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A Day In Your Life
Chapter 12
"I… I don't understand…" Midoriya whispered, somewhat jogging behind Bakugo as he tried to keep up. "Do you think that maybe they've found something that can fix us—me?"
His previously blonde companion grunted but didn't give a substantial response. All he'd been told was that Nezu wanted to speak with them about several topics and that they needed to get to the UA infirmary as soon as possible.
"Come on, Kacchan!" Midoriya insisted, reaching forward to tug at his crush's sleeve. "What do you think they want to tell us!"
"Ah? How should I know?" Bakugo grumbled, though he slowed his quick pace in order to snatch the hand that had caught on his shirt. He twisted his now crooked fingers around the ones Midoriya currently had, giving his best comforting smile despite how foreign the sensation was. "Just calm down, nerd. Whatever it is, we're going to get through it."
Just like last time they were at UA, every student they passed gawked and whispered, especially when they saw how Bakugo tugged Midoriya closer to him and kept their hands intertwined, but he could hardly pay attention to them this time. Even if it was his own face looking down at him, all Bakugo saw was that sparkling affection that only Midoriya was capable of producing.
"Kacchan…" Midoriya squeaked bashfully. "People are staring at us… Aren't you worried that—won't they get the wrong idea?"
"And what idea is that, nerd?" Bakugo questioned with false confusion.
If it was possible, the tan on Midoriya's cheeks became an even darker shade of crimson, red eyes suddenly finding the walls fascinating. "Well… The way you're holding my hand… It kind of seems like, you know…"
"Tsk," Bakugo scoffed, playing off his incredible fear and nervousness of rejection as best he could. "Let the little twerps talk all they want… unless you're worried your boyfriend is going to get jealous?"
"Grr, Kacchan!" Midoriya groaned with feigned annoyance. "I told you that Shoto and I aren't together, and we never have been!"
"Oh yeah? So Icy-Hot was telling me the truth about you being head over heels for some other guy then, huh?"
The wave of mortification and betrayal that flooded Midoriya's face was enough to stop Bakugo in his tracks, instantly forcing his jealousy over someone else stealing his crush's heart back to controllable levels.
"Sh-Shoto wouldn't—he really told y—"
"Woah, Deku, calm down. Todoroki didn't tell me anything important, I swear." Bakugo assured quickly while readjusting his grip to Midoriya's shoulders. "I was running my mouth about you two being together and he just said you guys didn't like each other like that—he said you were in love with someone else but that's it."
Midoriya didn't look entirely convinced, his face still steaming with embarrassment and doubt. His eyes were watery and frantic like they were trying to find some evidence that Bakugo was lying about not knowing who he was romantically involved with.
"You promise he didn't say anything else? That he didn't tell you who it was?" the One For All user finally questioned, taking a calming breath when he received a confirming nod.
Bakugo stepped away and sized the younger pro up, his gut sinking despite how confused he was by the display. "Fuck, Deku. Does it really matter that much to you to keep your boyfriend's identity a secret?"
"He's not—I don't have a boyfriend, Kacchan," Midoriya grumbled, turning to keep heading towards their destination with terrible sadness in his posture. "The man Shoto told you about… he doesn't love me back…"
Bakugo wisely decided not to say anything else directly after Midoriya had stated what must have been a heartbreaking truth, that the person he'd fallen in love with didn't feel the same way about him. He'd just trailed after Midoriya quietly, watching the way he failed to keep his head up. Now they were sitting in Recovery Girls office silently, both of them staring ahead with awkward tension between them as they waited for their hosts to arrive.
"Good afternoon, former students!" Nezu exclaimed once he entered, followed by Recovery Girl and the very less enthusiastic Aizawa. "How are you both today?"
Bakugo couldn't help but let a glare slip onto his face at the question. Even if he hadn't just accidentally caused Midoriya's downtrodden mood, how the hell were they supposed to be during their current predicament? "Fantastic."
"Well, that's good to hear!" Nezu chirped, gesturing for Recovery Girl to come forward as he ignored the sarcasm in Bakugo's response. "But let's get straight to business!"
"After a great deal of discussion, we've decided to let Eri attempt to heal your injuries, Midoriya." Recovery Girl explained, though she eyed Aizawa warily as she spoke. "However, there are some stipulations, of course. She does need training first; we simply can't allow Eri to start rewinding away at you without any preparation. Furthermore, you two must be switched back into your original bodies before we begin—the reason for that being obvious I suspect."
"Well, no-fucking-duh," Bakugo grunted with irritation. "I thought we all agreed on that shit the last time we had this little merry get-together."
"Kacchan!" Midoriya hissed, already moving to swat the back of his head with a reprimanding blow. "Show some respect!"
Recovery Girl and Nezu laughed at the display while Aizawa's tense demeanor didn't change, his tired gaze stuck to the floor with resignment. It was him that spoke next, reminding everyone of the seriousness of their situation.
"As of right now, the world is down four of the top Pro heroes and despite where each of you fell in the last rankings, it's becoming apparent that you all should have been much higher; Top 5 status, actually. The rise in crime, as well as Eri's insistence on helping, is the only reason I'm indulging this irrational plan, so listen up you two."
"What… what's going on?" Midoriya questioned nervously. "What plan?"
"While it isn't ideal, the fastest way to determine Eri's ability to control her power around people she cares for would be for her to attempt to reverse the damage Red Riot and Duality received during their last fight." Recovery Girl explained.
"W-what?" Midoriya and Bakugo gasped in tandem, the statement sending their nerves ablaze.
Aizawa sighed and sat down in front of them both, weighing his words carefully even though he knew he needed to be blunt. "Look, as you are well aware, Kirishima and Todoroki were gravely—potentially fatally—injured. As difficult as it is to admit, they aren't going to survive in any meaningful way even with the considerable medical advancements and healing quirks we currently have available. Eri doesn't heal people in the traditional way, however. Her quirk is unique in how it affects the body and since no intervention means almost certain death for the both of them—"
"But Mr. Aizawa!" Midoriya interrupted, stumbling over his next words as he struggled to refuse this plan of action. "We can't—Eri shouldn't try—I won't let—"
"We didn't come to this decision lightly, former students," Nezu urged gently. "And we are all of us aware of the risks."
"But Eri is just a kid!" Midoriya argued, finding his voice once more. "And… and she would never forgive herself if something went wrong! That's why I never, ever, would have asked her to help me! Mr. Aizawa, you can't let them try this!"
"No matter who Eri trains on, or how small the training is, the risk will always be the same until she has full control over her abilities." The elder Pro responded honestly. "Though I don't approve of putting so much pressure on her all at once, at least in this way she can't be held responsible for anything going wrong."
"He's got a point, Deku," Bakugo added as he moved to comfort the anxious boy. "Even if Eri did something wrong, she wouldn't be doing any more damage than what they've already been through."
"That's not how Eri is going to see it at all!" Midoriya argued. "If she can't heal them or if they die because she makes a mistake during the process it won't make a difference! She will blame herself regardless and I won't let that happen!
"You're the one that convinced Eri to try and do this, Midoriya," Aizawa responded firmly, remembering how insistent his daughter had been. "Don't forget how frequently you spout that 'how to be a hero' babble around her. You saved her once and now she's determined to be the hero to you, that you were to her."
Bakugo sat outside of Midoriya's bedroom door after taking him home, this time having had the sense to pull a chair over so that he didn't get sore from sitting on the ground. He could hear the young man sniffling as he continued to cry out of frustration, the plan they'd been told about earlier weighing heavily on his heart.
"Come on, Deku…" He called for the countless time since they'd gotten back. "Aizawa said that you could speak to Eri before she tries anything… If it's really true you inadvertently talked her into it, then you can definitely talk her out of it."
Bakugo sighed when all he received was a round of louder sniffling. He knew exactly what was going through the One For All user's head now that he was letting himself be open to his feelings. No matter how ridiculous or distant the connection, Midoriya could find a way to make himself the cause of misfortune.
"Look, Dek—Izuku… You've got to snap out of it, okay? I know this situation sucks, but that doesn't mean that you caused it or that this plan our old teachers came up with is going to fail. And besides, you had a lot of trouble when you first used your quirks, and now, you're headed straight to the Number 1 spot."
"I hurt myself though, Kacchan!" Midoriya argued, shouting through the door with frustration. "It's different with Eri! She could hurt or kill someone else if she can't stop, but I never had that kind of trouble!"
"Tsk. This is fucking Aizawa we're talking about, the king of 'rational'. If he really and truly believed that Eri wouldn't be able to do it at all, then he'd never let her try, right? Because if there was no way she could pull this off it would be 100% irrational which just isn't his style." Bakugo responded just as loudly. "Recovery Girl, Nezu, and Mr. Aizawa all think that with practice, Eri will be able to control her abilities and—"
"And she could lose control with Shoto and Kirishima!" Midoriya snapped, finally coming over to throw the door open. "She could kill them, Kacchan. And I understand, alright? I understand that they're both on death's door anyway but if they die now then… then at least Eri can't think that she failed in some way!"
Bakugo grunted as he got to his feet, knees creaking and popping from the action. "Ah, that's bullshit, Deku. From what it sounds like, Eri is just like you now and if you won't even let her try then she's going to blame herself anyway. I mean fuck, Deku, think back to when I got my ass kidnapped!"
Bakugo took a deep breath as Midoriya looked away, trying to keep himself from getting too worked up; if he lost his cool then it would probably just make things worse. As much as it pained him to admit, he needed to be a calming, steadfast presence for Midoriya like Todoroki had been—he knew from experience it took a lot to rile up the dual user.
"When Shigaraki and the League of Villains captured me, you were ordered to stay away," he continued, lowering his tone to a soothing, gravelly hum. "But you didn't. You couldn't. It's just like Mr. Aizawa said… She wants to be a hero too and I think she's going to try, consequences be damned."
"But Kacchan—"
"Look, Izuku." Bakugo interrupted, this time slapping his palms to the boys' cheeks. "You can try to talk her out of it, but if it doesn't work then you've got to support her decision. If something goes wrong when she's practicing on those two, then you'll be there for her, and I'll be there for you."
"And if she heals those two and moves on to me? What then, Kacchan? Aside from Mr. Aizawa, Mirio, and maybe Tamaki, I'm the person she's closest to; she could very well lose control with me and not with Kirishima and Shoto." Midoriya's eyes glistened as he questioned Bakugo, the sight making his childhood friend's throat clamp up with anxiety; he wasn't necessarily wrong.
But Bakugo was prepared this time. "Then, I'll step up, Izuku. I'll be there for Eri just like you have been if shit hits the fan, and she rewinds you out of existence."
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:) Hero indoctrinated Eri is on the case! Thank you for reading! Please tell me what you think!