He knows. There's no way he doesn't know. Gray must have talked to him. Why else would he want to talk to me? He has to know!
After finding Izuku, Natsu dragged him away from his mail route. Izuku didn't dare fight back. It would probably be worse if he did. Still, he had to figure out a way out of this. He didn't want to die.
Izuku didn't even have Katsuki to save him. While Natsu was dragging Izuku away, Happy said something to the protesting Katsuki. Something along the lines of him being clingy.
Katsuki made a threat about how Happy should have chosen a coffin yesterday and began to chase him.
They hadn't seen the cats since.
Izuku hoped Happy wasn't lying in a ditch somewhere.
"Alright, here should be good."
Natsu let go of his shirt, and Izuku dropped to the ground. He laid there for a moment before getting up. They were in some random part of the forest. Izuku didn't recognize any of it. They were probably far from Porlyusica's home. Even if Izuku wanted to make a run for it, he wouldn't make it very far in this place.
He kept his gaze averted as he dusted himself off. He could feel Natsu watching him. He probably deciding what he was going to do to him. Izuku doubted this would be a painless death.
"You, uh, wanted to talk to me?"
"Yeah, I do."
He dared a glance over at the dragonslayer and saw him standing there with a frown. Izuku looked away.
"What do you want to talk about? Is everything okay?"
"You know I had to bring you back to the guildhall after you visited Gray. We found you out cold on the floor."
Izuku stopped. That wasn't what he was expecting.
"I was worried about Gray. I couldn't sleep, and I decided to visit him. I guess I passed out after a while."
"You've been sleeping in a lot lately. And honestly, you haven't been looking too good, either. You don't sleep a lot, do you?"
"It's easier to stay up and do stuff, and then get all the rest I need in one go. I just needed to catch up on some rest."
"Uh-huh."
Izuku still faced away from him. He didn't want to see what kind of face Natsu was making now. Was this just his way of trying to set him at ease? Lower his guard, so when the blows came, it would be unexpected?
He didn't get it.
"Do you not sleep because you're doing stuff, whatever that means, or because you can't?"
"Huh?"
"Do you remember when we had to sleep in the woods at night? You stayed up, and I found you crying."
"Ah…that."
"You said you stayed up to keep watch because you were afraid of monsters coming to get you. Do you still do that?"
Izuku froze.
He…doesn't. At least, not as much.
He was so concerned about his power, the withdrawal symptoms, and the plan to run away that he hadn't had any time to worry about the monsters. Was the fear still somewhere in the back of his mind? Maybe that was why he stayed up.
At night he was alone, and it was easy to busy himself with another task.
When was the last time he actually thought of those monsters?
When was the last time he thought about his home? His mom? Any of what he left behind?
When was the last time he had a dream? A real dream or nightmare?
Could someone like him even have normal dreams anymore?
Did someone like him deserve dreams?
"I don't blame you if you do. I saw your journal the other day when I brought you back. Those monsters don't look fun to be around."
His heart stopped.
"You…you read my notebook?"
"Yeah, I saw a bunch of your drawings too. Which were pretty cool. You wrote a lot about the people you drew. And you drew some of us too but didn't write a lot. Which I thought was kinda weird. Anyway, I saw the monsters you had to deal with. That's what you're afraid of?"
"...Yeah."
A heavy silence sat between them before Izuku sighed.
"I…I wish that you hadn't read my notebook. It's old, and it's got a lot of personal stuff in there. Not really for others to read."
"I read your other one too."
"That's still not any better."
Natsu shrugged to himself. "Well, I can see why you were scared of them. But that isn't exactly why I dragged you out here."
"Then…" Izuku turned around and froze when he saw Natsu right behind him. He looked upset now. He didn't even get a chance to back away when he grabbed his shirt.
"In your old notebook, I saw a bunch of different guilds you had written down, and the cost of a bunch of other stuff. You crossed out a bunch of the guilds, even Fairy Tail."
Izuku gulped as Natsu continued to stare him down.
"Are you…trying to leave the guild?"
He stared at the dragonslayer in terror before looking away. That was enough of an answer. Natsu's grip on his shirt loosened slightly.
"Why do you want to leave?"
Because I hurt one of you? Because I'm afraid? Because as soon as you all find out what I did, you all will….
"I don't…I-I don't really belong here."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"I mean, I don't belong in a wizard guild specifically. I shouldn't be in one."
"And what do you mean by that?"
Izuku gripped the end of his shirt. "I…I can't use magic. I'm just a regular person, I'm not a wizard. There's no reason for me to be in a wizard guild."
Natsu went quiet. Izuku refused to meet his gaze and waited for something, anything. Some kind of yelling or insult. Or even just a quiet departure.
Instead, Natsu began to shake him furiously.
"What the heck does that matter? What, you think we were gonna kick you out just because you can't use magic? That's stupid!"
"N-Natsu, please stop shaking me!"
He ignored Izuku's plea and continued. "You're part of Fairy Tail now! It doesn't matter if you can use magic or not. Even if you don't have the guild mark, you're still one of us! We see you every day; even if you don't talk to a lot of people, we still see you. You've helped Mira out a bunch with your mail job. And Erza gets a kick out of training you. Or maybe it's just she has someone else to scare. It's hard to tell with her. Do you really think having no magic would make everyone hate you or something?"
Natsu stopped shaking him to let him answer. "I mean…it's just, someone with no magic in a wizard's guild. It's kind of-"
Natsu cut him off by headbutting him and letting him drop to the ground.
Izuku groaned and held his head as Natsu knelt down to eye level. "You know, for someone who seems smart, you're kinda dumb sometimes. It doesn't matter, and you can ask anyone at the guild, and they'll say the same thing. I mean it."
Izuku sat there for a moment, taking in his words. Makarov sort of told him the same thing. He supposed it was true all around.
So much for that excuse…
"I don't know what you had to go through back at your home, I'm sorry about all the bad stuff that happened to you. But you're not on your own anymore, you got that? If you need anything, we'll be there."
Izuku watched him get up and saw Natsu reach out a hand. "Now get up, I'm starving. We should grab something to eat."
"Wh-that's it? That's all you wanted to talk about?"
"Yeah, more or less."
Izuku eyed his hand but got up on his own.
Natsu watched him, then shrugged and walked over to a tree. "I can catch us some lunch real quick. There's a bunch of big fish around here that are tasty. And since Happy isn't here, I can cook it however much I like."
"Happy doesn't like cooked fish?"
"Nah, and he says that any fish I catch is his. So, do you want any? I've got a fishing pole around here somewhere. I can teach you how to fish too if you want."
"N-No, I'm okay. I'm not hungry."
"You sure?"
"Yeah. I don't have much of an appetite."
"Well, sit over here anyway." Natsu motioned for him to come over as he reached into a log.
"I have a feeling I should go find Kacchan. He and Happy have been gone for a while."
Natsu made a triumphant noise as he pulled out a makeshift fishing pole. It was just a long stick with a string attached to the end.
"They'll be fine. Besides, if Happy were in trouble, he'd head this way. Little buddy knows this is where we hang out."
-.-
"Natsu, where are you? Help me!"
"The pyro ain't gonna save you, you little bastard!"
The blue cat screamed as he raced through the sky, with an angry Katsuki right behind him.
-.-
Natsu sat crosslegged by the river and cast a line out. Izuku sat beside him and hugged his backpack close to his chest. He wanted to leave, he knew he probably should, but he couldn't. Something kept him rooted in place and compelled him to watch the water.
If he really thought about it, this was the most time he spent with anyone from the guild, aside from Erza. Even then, it was more fighting than talking.
He didn't really know anybody—none of their interests or magic. He didn't even know their last names. They just existed somewhere outside his radar. He was aware of them, but he wasn't willing to cross that distance to get to know them.
All of them were daunting.
Then again, maybe it was just an excuse.
"Hey, Izuku."
He looked over to see Natsu looking at him.
"When I looked through your notebook, I saw a bunch of the people you wrote in there and stuff. Were those other wizards? Wait, were you part of a guild where you're from? Actually, what is your home like? Anything cool?"
Izuku knew it was a gesture of kindness. Natsu was asking him questions about his home to try and get to know him better. Maybe it was a way to try and keep him from leaving.
He was the one reaching out. He was the one crossing that divide that Izuku was too much of a coward to do himself. He could either reach back or turn away and stay on his side.
I know I'm supposed to be cutting ties, but…I…
He was quiet before he shrugged. "There were a lot of he…wizards where I lived. Pretty much everyone could use magic there and wanted to make it big somehow. At least where we were from. I wasn't part of a guild. I'm too young to join one, not to mention I don't have the qualifications."
"Qualifications? Like you had to apply? That sounds annoying."
"It was just the way things were."
"...What did you have to do to get in a guild? I know you said you don't have magic, but there's gotta be one that you wanted to join or take you in. Not using magic isn't a big deal."
"It is where I'm from…."
Natsu made a face at that.
"To get in a guild or be considered for one, you uh, had to go to a school that helped you learn about the different stuff guild wizards did there. I…actually wanted to join one of the schools that offered that course. Even though I can't use magic, I wanted to try."
"So why didn't you?"
Natsu regretted the question as soon as he saw his face.
"The… The monsters came before I even had the chance to."
Natsu went quiet and glanced to the side to see Izuku hiding his face in his bag. His shoulders shook, and he gripped the bag, so tight his knuckles were white.
"The day they came? That day was the worst day of my life. I lost my home, I lost my future, I lost K…" He stopped himself.
He nodded to himself as Izuku let out a shuddering breath. He couldn't help but feel awkward as the boy took a deep breath and wiped at his eyes.
"I don't…I don't want to talk about it." He muttered. "No offense, but that's not something…I don't know you well enough."
"It's fine, nobody's forcing you."
Izuku sniffed as he fought back his tears. He turned away from Natsu and got to his feet. "T-This was…thanks for this."
"Aw, come on, don't go. I haven't even caught a fish yet."
"I have to head back and drop off the mail." He refused to turn to look at Natsu. "A-And I can eat at the guild."
Natsu frowned and dropped the fishing pole. He walked over and grabbed Izuku's shoulder.
"I meant it when I said that you belong here and that you're not on your own anymore. If something's wrong, you've got Fairy Tail to back you up."
Izuku was quiet until he nodded and shrugged off Natsu's hand. "Right. Thank you. I should go. I need to find K-Kacchan."
"Yeah, and I should probably get Happy. Little buddy's probably looking forward to lunch."
"Hey!"
They looked up to see something flying toward them and dragging a dazed Happy by the tail.
"Oh, hi, Kacchan."
"Shut the hell up." He flew in front of Natsu and dropped the blue cat. "That fleabag is yours."
Natsu reached out and caught him. "What the heck did you do to Happy?"
"He's not dead, dumbass. And he should learn to watch his mouth."
"Kacchan…" Izuku sighed. "I'm sorry Natsu. I-I'll go now, and I'll take Kacchan with me. Sorry about all this, we'll just…yeah."
"Why are you saying sorry? That stupid cat deserved it and-" Katsuki was plucked out of the air by Izuku, and thrashed around as Izuku walked away.
"Natsu…" Happy muttered. "So hungry…"
The dragonslayer sighed and patted his head. "Alright, buddy, I'll get ya something to eat and- wait a second."
"Huh?"
"Hey, Izuku!" Natsu shouted. He continued when he turned around. "You should come by at Lucy's place. If you can't sleep at the guild, maybe you can sleep there. You won't have to keep watch. Happy and I stay over there all the time, we can keep an eye out for ya."
Natsu smiled to himself as Izuku nodded and walked away.
-.-
Izuku stared at the ceiling of his room and listened to Katsuki rummaging around in his bag and trying to get comfortable. The room fell darker when clouds moved to block the moonlight.
"Stupid fucking cat, can't mind his own damn business. Hey, Bush Boy! What did you and the pyro talk about?"
Izuku sighed and pressed his hands against his eyes.
"...Natsu knew about us trying to leave."
"What?"
"But he doesn't know about me hurting Gray. I made an excuse about it being because I don't have magic. I think he bought it, and I'm pretty sure he thinks we're staying."
"You think?"
"Yeah."
"That asshole can't keep his mouth shut to save his life. He's probably gonna tell someone, and then you're gonna have a bunch of other fucking problems!"
"Maybe…"
"Are you not fucking concerned? You're usually all worked up about this shit by now. In fact, I'm surprised you haven't said we should just leave already!"
He sighed and shook his head. "I'll probably panic about it later. Right now, I'm just tired."
"You slept all day, and you're still tired?"
"Like you don't nap in my bag for a couple of hours, then sleep all night."
"Shut up."
Izuku smiled as he heard him continue rummaging through the bag, then go still. As soon as he heard light snores, his smile fell, and he went back to staring at the ceiling.
After Natsu's talk, something in him felt hollowed out. He had been expecting a painful encounter, not…that. Not Natsu reassuring him that he had a place in the guild, and offering comfort for when he had nightmares. Not him reaching out and trying to get to know Izuku.
Not him to invite Izuku to Lucy's house and offer to keep an eye out so he can sleep at night.
Not him trying to be Izuku's friend,
He didn't expect kindness.
He didn't deserve kindness.
Izuku took a shuddering sigh and buried his face in his hands.
That conversation hurt. It hurt in too many ways, and it was shredding apart his insides. He forced down the memories of that day. The day everything went wrong, the day Nomu tore his life apart. The day he lost-
He forced down a sob.
His heart was set on leaving. He had to. If he didn't, he would get hurt. Or someone else would. It's inevitable.
He knew he had to; he wanted to. But something in him wilted at the thought of abandoning them all. It was supposed to be easy. Someone like him should be used to running away by now. From bullies, from monsters, from his problems.
But now, it felt hard.
-.-
"What are you doing?"
"Waiting."
Lucy gave Natsu a look as she toweled her hair dry. She had exited her bathroom to see Natsu and Happy lounging on her couch. She gave the, arguably, appropriate response and asked them why they were there after kicking Natsu in surprise.
It was too late for any of their antics.
She half expected them to be gone by the time she came back out fully dressed. Instead, they were still there, and Natsu was staring intently at the window.
"And what exactly are you waiting for? Are you expecting Erza or Gray to show up or something?"
"Nah," he waved a hand. "I actually invited Izuku to come over."
"Why would you do that? This isn't even your house!"
"You're really loud, Lucy." Happy looked up from the fish he was eating.
"I get to be loud in my apartment. And it's not just a place you can randomly invite people in. You should have asked me first." She threw the towel at him.
He didn't react as it hit him. "Well, you're usually cool with us coming in, so I figured you'd be cool with him too."
Lucy groaned as she sat on her bed. "You two don't ask my permission. You trespass! Although, I guess it wouldn't be too bad having him over. He doesn't seem like the type to rummage through my things. And he's not loud."
Natsu didn't pay attention to the light jab and instead returned his focus to the window.
"Natsu, do you really think he would come through the window?"
"I think he could."
"Doesn't mean he would."
"He could if Katsuki flies him up!" Happy smiled. "I don't think Izuku can climb up like Natsu can."
"That doesn't make it any better guys."
Lucy peeked out her window and saw nothing but the lit streets and the canal below. She couldn't see anyone walking around; most people were at home by now.
"Did you happen to give him a time or anything?" Lucy asked.
"No, just told him to stop by whenever."
Lucy continued to look out the window before shaking her head. "I don't think he's coming. He's probably already asleep by now."
"What makes you think that?"
"Mira said he gets up really early, so he probably goes to bed early."
Natsu snorted. "That's not what he said. He stays up until he can't anymore but doesn't sleep much. I don't think he can. Since he's afraid of monsters coming and all that."
"...I see. You're worried about him. Honestly, I don't blame you. It feels like there's always a reason to worry about him."
"Yeah, it does, huh?" Happy flew over to her side now that he was done eating. He settled down on her pillow and laid there with a sigh. Lucy's home was always comfortable. "But he's always been kinda weird, like you Lucy."
"Watch it, cat."
"I also invited him here because I think he'd like your place too. He'd probably find it comfy." Natsu hopped over and landed beside Happy, who yelped as he caught air. "I don't think he'd wanna stay in the guild hall forever. Maybe he could stay here?"
"Don't go making decisions like that when you're not the one who lives here!" Lucy shook her head. "So if you invited him over, I take it your talk with him went well?"
Natsu watched Happy land back on the pillow and looked back up at Lucy, who was at the edge of the bed now. Which was fair, he was taking up most of the space. "Yeah, it was good I talked to him when I did. Izuku was gonna leave the guild."
"He what?"
Natsu grinned and laid back with his arms behind his head. "Yeah, but I talked him out of it. He said some crazy stuff about not belonging just because he can't use magic."
"He can't use magic?"
He shook his head. "Said he can't. That was why he wanted to leave, but I told him he shouldn't have to leave. It would suck if that happened, and part of me thinks that he didn't wanna leave either."
Lucy bit her thumb as she thought it over. It made sense, in a way, why Izuku would want to leave. As the sole person in Fairy Tail that couldn't use magic, that probably left him feeling inadequate. In a guild full of wizards, he was alone.
Maybe that was why he had his walls up around them and why he was so hesitant to let any of them get close. It was how he kept himself safe and held himself together. Nobody knew he couldn't use magic. Everyone, even her, thought it was just something he kept close to his chest and was on a need-to-know basis.
He must have been terrified this whole time, thinking we wouldn't accept him…but so many people don't use magic. Why is he so worried?
"Lucy?" Happy asked. "Whatcha thinking about?"
"Nothing, don't worry about it." She waved the concern off. "I don't think he'll show up tonight, but I can invite him over later. It might be better coming from the person the apartment belongs to."
"Maybe." Natsu shrugged and got up to peek out the window. "Or I could go to the guild hall and drag him over here." He paused before grinning and opened the window.
Lucy reached over and tugged on his scarf. "Don't you dare! He might be asleep already, and even if he isn't, you barging in while he's probably in bed will scare him! You're supposed to be doing the opposite of that."
"Oh come on, I'm not scary."
"You are with that face. Now get back in here!"
-FH-
"You look terrible, boy."
"I know."
"You're not getting sick again, are you?"
"No, I'm fine. Just a little tired."
"That's an understatement."
Gray eyed Izuku from afar. He stopped eating some time ago and was just staring at the food Mira had given him. Now he was talking to Gramps. The Master was lecturing him on something, probably something along the lines of taking care of himself.
He looked away when he saw Katsuki turn to look around. The cat looked around before turning back to his food.
He had recently found it in himself to return to the guild now that he had recovered. It was easier knowing that Izuku wasn't there.
Fairy Tail, his safe place. His home. Now with a presence that made him feel uneasy. Izuku wasn't there often, only stopping by to drop off mail and occasionally eat. It made him feel somewhat better, but at the same time, Gray couldn't help the creeping anxiety that came with not knowing where he was.
He shuddered as he recalled the feeling. Trapped in an endless field as he died a slow, painful death.
There was no way of telling if Izuku had hurt someone else. He was out all hours of the day. Who knew what he was up to?
What also bothered him was that it seemed like Katsuki knew something about it. He stayed close to Izuku at all times and got defensive whenever someone approached them. He had been more aggressive with everyone but Izuku lately.
He knows…
Gray gripped his cup as tightly as he could. He was still here, still in the real world. He wouldn't sink back into that wasteland again; he refused. And he wouldn't let that happen to anyone else.
"You're looking lively today."
He looked away from the duo and saw Cana had come over to sit beside him.
"What? No smart remark to shoot back?"
"Not in the mood."
Cana raised an eyebrow and then took a long drink from the bottle in hand. "You feeling okay? You're not sick again, are you?"
"No, I'm fine."
"Then what's up with you? You've been acting off lately."
Gray huffed and looked back at Izuku. He was trying to eat but looked nauseous with each bite he took. He saw him shudder as he pushed the plate away.
"I've just been thinking."
She looked over to see who he was staring at. "Yeah? What about?"
"About some stuff."
Cana frowned to herself as she traced his gaze to Izuku and Katsuki. "You worried about Izuku too?"
"What," he asked as he turned to look at her. "No, I'm not worried about him."
"Then why do you keep glaring at him? Knock it off. You're gonna scare the kid."
Gray rolled his eyes but did as she said. He was being obvious about it, but he needed to keep an eye on him. He needed to watch him, at least if he couldn't talk to him.
Oh, did Gray want to talk to him. He wanted to know about the field, about Izuku's powers. About what he did.
Why did he do it?
That was the question that burned at the back of his mind. He wanted to know. He needed to know. Fairy Tail was his home, his family, everything. Izuku…was a threat.
It's not like I want to think the worst, but…
He gritted his teeth and almost slammed his cup down.
I can't take that chance. I need to know what he's going to do. Or what he's doing.
"I'm just keeping an eye on him."
"What for? Since you're supposedly not worried about him."
"...Just to make sure nothing goes wrong with him."
"Uh-huh." Cana rolled her eyes and placed her bottle down. "Listen, if you're gonna try looking out for him, don't look at him as if he stole something from you. Be nice. It's bad enough he's gotten more skittish lately."
Gray looked to the side. "Yeah?"
She nodded. "Mira says to give him time, that he might be working through something. But she's getting worried too. He hasn't been eating much and spends every second he can away from the guild."
He said nothing but felt her eyes on him. She was looking for some kind of reaction. A reason for his behavior.
"Listen, if you want to keep an eye out for him, I get it. But looking like you're going to maim him probably isn't the best way to go about it."
"I'm not going to-"
"I know you won't, but you look like it." She patted his shoulder and got up. "Maybe have a drink, loosen up a bit."
"It's the middle of the day."
"And?"
He shrugged and said nothing. He waited for her to leave, but instead, she lingered. He heard her sigh and looked up as she turned to him.
"Are you doing okay?"
He made a face. "Yeah, of course, I'm fine."
"You sure?"
"Yes."
"If you're not, it's reasonable. After all, losing your magic like that looked pretty intense. You weren't doing well for a while there."
He stared at her until he saw Izuku and Katsuki get up and hurry out of the guild. He huffed and got up to follow them. "I'm fine."
He didn't give Cana a chance to respond as he passed her and walked out.
He needed to take care of this before it got out of hand again.
-.-
Mirajane frowned to herself as she watched Izuku hurry off with his friend in tow. He left behind a half-eaten plate of food.
He wasn't eating very much anymore. He was looking more exhausted nowadays too.
"Master." She looked over at him as she grabbed the plate.
He looked over.
"I'm worried about Izuku. He's been growing distant lately. I thought he needed time, but…."
"I've noticed that as well." He confirmed her worries. "There's something wrong, and as much as I'd like to let him sort it out himself, there comes a time for an intervention. The boy hasn't been eating or sleeping. He can't even look any of us in the eye."
"Are you going to talk to him?"
"Yes, but not today. Perhaps this is a conversation best had away from prying ears. I do need to pay the Magic Council a visit. It would also benefit from having someone turn in the reports and apology letters to the Council."
Mira eyed him before nodding. "Well, if anyone can get through to him, I hope it's you."
-.-
Izuku sighed as he counted through the money that he got from the small errand he had done. It was the only side job he had managed to find all-day.
Izuku felt a weight settle on his backpack, and he held up the money so the other half of the duo could see it.
"That guy pay you the right amount?"
"Yeah, he did. Don't worry."
"How many Jewel do you have now?"
He pocketed the money. "Enough to travel for a while as long as we're careful with it. If we do it right, maybe we can get an apartment when we figure out where we're staying."
Katsuki eyed the money, then Izuku. "Really?"
"Yeah, maybe. Again, if we're careful."
The cat sighed as he hopped off the backpack and summoned his wings. "Did your dumbass even account for buying lacrima on the way?"
"No, but considering I've been fine for a few days with the bomb lacrima magic, I think I'll be fine. I just have to be careful not to use it."
"And you think you can manage that?"
"Yes."
Katsuki rolled his eyes as he flew beside Izuku. "So what now? You gonna go job hunting?"
"I'm not sure. I don't think there's much left to do around the town. I guess for now, we can just bide our time. By all means, we're all set."
"So your brilliant plan is actually working? Huh."
Izuku laughed to himself as Katsuki glared at him."I didn't know you had such little faith in me."
"It should be fucking obvious! Considering a good chunk of your plan is completely dependent on some popsicle fuck not saying shit and…oh damn it."
Izuku looked up. "What is it?"
"Look ahead, dumbass." He failed to be subtle as he pointed at the last person Izuku wanted to see.
Izuku froze as he caught sight of Gray ahead of them. He was standing off to the side, but it was clear he was watching them.
"Oh no…"
"Did the stripper follow us?"
"I-I don't know. You don't think…"
"That he wants to kick your ass? Probably."
Izuku felt his stomach turn, and the feeling got worse as he saw Gray move toward them.
He shuddered and turned away.
"Hey!"
"We need to go."
Izuku wove through the crowd as fast as he could. He muttered quiet apologies for the people he bumped into and pushed through. He could hear Katsuki mutter about some of the rude people, but he kept pace with him.
Why is he here?
He hasn't come up to us- me this whole time. Why now? Why? When we're so close to getting out. Why now?
The sound of the people around him began to fade out at some point. It grew dimmer and dimmer, slowly replaced by his racing heartbeat.
He pulled on the straps of his backpack as he turned a corner. Gray couldn't chase him forever. He had to give up at some point.
He could hear someone yelling at him, but he kept his eyes forward. He couldn't afford to get distracted.
A hazy fog began to settle in his mind, taking up all of his thoughts and pushing his fear forward.
For a moment, he was sure he would drown in it. Until his focus was suddenly pulled back and he was hit with a wave of clarity.
The reason?
He made a wrong turn in his panic and hit a wall. He stumbled back and looked around, then tried to turn back and run out of the alley.
Before he could backtrack, Gray came running around the corner and stopped when he saw Izuku.
Izuku froze, then backed away. His heart continued to race as he pressed his back against the wall.
Gray stared at him before walking forward and stopping a few feet away. He eyed Izuku's hands as he got closer.
Katsuki growled as he flew in front of Izuku.
"The hell do you want, Ice Princess? What have you the bright idea to follow us around like a fucking creep? Have you ever heard of acting like a normal person?"
Gray narrowed his eyes as he took another step forward. "I've been meaning to talk to Izuku for a little while now."
"Why is that?"
He looked the frightened boy in the eye. "I think he knows why."
His heart was pounding painfully against his chest. He tried to keep his breathing steady as he stumbled over words.
"You kn- you know? You r-remember?"
"Did you think I wouldn't?"
"I-I was…I was hoping you wouldn't."
"Well, there goes one gamble," Katsuki muttered. "Why the fuck do you care if you remember? Shouldn't you be afraid of this idiot? He'll take your magic if you keep pushing your luck. What was once not enough for you?"
Gray tensed.
"Kacchan, stop."
"It's him taking magic that concerns me." Gray took another step forward. "And I've got some questions about that."
He wished he could disappear into the wall.
"What does it matter to you, Stripper? He gave you your magic back. That's that."
"It matters because you took my magic. You did it to me. What if you end up doing it to someone else?"
"I-"
"That's our fucking concern, not yours." His tail twitched in anger.
"It is my concern because I want to make sure it won't happen again."
"I-It won't," Izuku muttered. "It won't, I swear."
"How do you intend to make sure of that? I'd like to believe it won't happen again, but you need to remember that Fairy Tail is important to me. I don't want anything to happen to them."
"Nothing will so get off our asses!"
Izuku watched Gray and flinched as he dared another step closer.
"I'm…nothing will happen Gray. You have my word. I-I won't do anything. It never even crossed my mind. I promise."
He tried to make himself smaller as Gray looked over him. In his panic, he couldn't see Gray slightly shaking.
"You-"
"You will never have to see me again!" The words fell out of his mouth before he could think about it. "Y-You won't, I swear I'll leave you all alone. I'll go away. I'll leave! You will never have to see me again! I will disappear, and none of you will ever worry about me again."
Gray looked taken aback, but Izuku couldn't see it. The edges of his vision were beginning to blur. He couldn't focus on what was in front of him.
"That's not what I meant when I said-" He stopped himself and sighed. "You don't have to go, but I need answers about…this because the last thing I want is for anyone else to get hurt."
He could hear Gray talking, but nothing was registering. The ice mage made no move to hurt or attack him, but he still couldn't calm himself. This was the last confrontation he wanted to have, the last person he wanted to talk to. If he had it his way, he never would have crossed paths with Gray again.
"I think I should hurt you. If he isn't an issue, then get away from him. What, you like fucking with people just for kicks?" Katsuki snapped.
"That's not what I'm trying to do. I just…let's start over. Izuku, we can talk somewhere else and-"
The moment he saw a hand reaching for him, Izuku tried to bat it away. In his panic, he lost what little control he had left, and the stolen magic bubbled up to the surface.
A loud explosion rang out that sent Gray stumbling back. He looked up in surprise and saw Izuku's hand outstretched. The explosion tore apart the glove on the hand.
"Izuku." He steadied himself. "Where did you get that magic?"
The boy stood there in stunned silence until panic took over his senses again. He said nothing as he ran past Gray and out to the streets again. He was running on autopilot. He let his legs carry him to wherever they could go.
It was getting hard to breathe, and the world began to dim. Another voice joined in with the first one, then another, and another, then more. It was a cacophony of noise that sent him over the edge.
They were all chasing after him, they all knew now, and now they wanted their pound of flesh.
There were too many people, too many eyes watching him. Too many hands reaching out for him.
His legs finally failed him, and he fell hard to the ground. He gasped for air as he tried to crawl away. He hadn't gone far enough. Everyone was still after him.
He hit something solid, and now he knew he was trapped. He was cornered now, and there was no escape. He stuck around for too long, and now he was paying the price.
He still tried to hide. He pressed himself into the wall and prayed that he'd somehow disappear inside it. It would be better if he could just disappear altogether. Fade away and leave no trace of himself. No more magic stealing curse, no more trouble for the people around him, no more fear, nothing.
Hot tears ran down his face as he waited for the inevitable end. That was the only thing that was left for him. He was drowning and gasping for air. His lungs burned and begged for oxygen he couldn't provide. It was a slow and painful death, and he couldn't even bring himself to open his eyes and face whoever was in front of him.
He could hear a voice, but they sounded like they were underwater. He couldn't make out what they were trying to say.
He felt hands grab his own. He pulled back his right hand, the one with the torn glove. Whoever was there paused and held his other hand in between theirs. There was pressure against his side as well. It was warm, a kindness he didn't deserve.
The hands squeezed his rhythmically. A simple pattern he could follow. Somewhere he made the connection and began to breathe in time with the pattern. He stuttered sometimes but managed to keep time.
He took in greedy gulps of air with each breath. Other sounds began to filter in once his racing heart slowed down.
He took a deep breath and managed to open his eyes. Through blurry vision, he saw Mirajane sitting in front of him and holding his hand. She smiled as he opened his eyes.
Izuku looked around as he tried to figure out where he had ended up. He saw his bed and desk and a mostly closed door to the side.
He would have laughed at himself if he had the energy to. In his panic, he ran to his room in the Fairy Tail guild, full of the very people he was afraid of.
The pressure against his side shifted, and he looked down to see Katsuki sitting beside him and leaning against him. He didn't look at Izuku and instead stared straight ahead.
"Izuku?"
He jumped, then looked at Mirajane.
"Can you hear me?"
He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Instead, he nodded.
She sighed, and her shoulders lost most of their tension. "Good, how are you feeling?"
He felt sick and ready to fall apart. He just wanted to lie down and forget any of this happened. He wanted to hide from everyone until he felt better.
He shook his head.
"That's okay. I'm just glad you're back. Can you breathe okay?"
A nod.
"Good. This probably left you exhausted; you should get some rest. I can bring you some water if you'd like."
He shook his head as she stood up and prompted him to stand as well. He slowly got to his feet and stood on unsteady legs. Izuku was thankful Mira had the patience to help him get to his bed. He sat down and kept his head low.
"Are you sure you don't need anything?"
"He's fine Waiter Girl." Katsuki finally spoke up. He settled down beside Izuku and glared up at her. "I've got him, now go back to your job or whatever."
She looked at him and watched him for a moment before she smiled and nodded. "Alright, I'll come by later to check on you two. Get some rest."
"Yeah, yeah, lady, we hear you. Now get lost."
She gently let go of Izuku's hand and walked out. She gave them one last smile and closed the door. As the door shut, Izuku caught sight of Gray standing beside Makarov and speaking with him.
The door shut, and he couldn't see anything else.
-.-
Lucy stared at the shut door and frowned. She knew Izuku was in there. She had seen him run into the guildhall in a panic. She had come by, meaning to talk to him and invite him over to her apartment.
When Mirajane told her he had left a while ago, she was about to go out and search for him. Only for the boy to burst through the doors, gasping for breath, and run straight to his room. When he ran in, everyone looked his way.
They were concerned. Some of them tried to call out for him or reach out to calm him down. He had disappeared inside his room before any of them could catch him.
When the door failed to close and was left somewhat open, Mirajane was the first to make her way over. She told everyone to leave him be as she went inside and mostly shut the door.
Everyone tried to return to their previous activities. Resuming conversations and returning to their food and drink.
Lucy sat at the bar and watched the door. She was tempted to go over and check on them but refrained. As much as she wanted to help, she knew she couldn't do much.
I'd probably do more harm than good…
Gray ran in not too long after, panting and looking around. He saw Izuku's door was closed and began to walk towards it.
"Don't go in there." Makarov stopped him. "Mirajane is with Izuku. Boy came in running like a bat out of hell. Looked scared out of his mind. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that would you?"
Gray leaned against the bar and sighed. "I do, I came to make sure he was okay." He rubbed his eyes. "I scared him, but I didn't mean to."
"What did you do?" She asked.
Gray glanced at Lucy before shaking his head. "I meant to talk to him about something, but…I probably went about it the wrong way."
"You didn't take off your clothes, did you?"
"Why would I do that?"
"It's a bad habit, and you tend to have the worst timing."
"She's right, you know." Makarov tapped his pipe against the bar counter.
"Oh, come on."
"So what was it you were trying to speak to him about? Nothing too pressing, I hope."
He looked at the old man, then shook his head. "Some personal stuff I wanted to clear up. As I said, I went about it the wrong way. I scared him…I didn't think he'd be afraid of me."
There was a shuffling noise, and they saw Natsu and Happy slowly making their way over to the door. Before Makarov could scold him, he was yanked away by an armored hand.
"Do not go in there." Erza hissed and dragged him away. Natsu groaned as she walked over to the bar. The other members noticed she had something in her other hand.
"Hey, Erza."
"Whatcha got there?"
Natsu glared at the door as they spoke.
"I picked out a job for us." She put it on the counter. "I figured it's been a while since we've gone on a mission, let alone spent some time together."
Gray raised an eyebrow as he looked over the job request. "Really? Now?"
"Yes. Unless you're not feeling up to it."
Gray stared at the door before sighing. "Yeah, sure, I'm up for it. It might be nice to leave town for a bit."
Erza looked to Makarov for approval, and the man nodded.
"Alright then. Come on, let's go. I've already got everything packed."
"You're kidding," Lucy said.
Erza smiled to herself and grabbed her to drag along as well. "Come on now, the sooner we leave the sooner we can finish this job."
Natsu tried to pry himself out of her grip. "Come on, can we at least invite Izuku? He might get a kick out of joining us."
"Did you not see him run into his room? He's not feeling well Natsu, leave him alone."
He glared up at the woman and huffed. "Maybe inviting him to a job would make him feel better."
"No, Natsu." Erza looked down at him. "Leave him be. Mirajane is taking care of him. I think the best thing anyone can give him is space right now."
Gray ignored Natsu's grumbling as he lingered behind. He stared at the door until Makarov cleared his throat.
"Go on Gray, your team is leaving. Don't want to get left behind now, do you?"
He tore his eyes away from the door as it opened and Mirajane came out.
"Fine. See ya Gramps."
"Don't go causing trouble, you lot!"
-FH-
He groaned as he slowly came to. He blinked through bleary vision and looked around.
When did I pass out?
Izuku took stock of what was around him and reminded himself of what had happened. He was back in his room, Mira had calmed him down, and he must have fallen asleep sometime after that.
He let his head fall back on the pillow and stared at the ceiling. He was drained. Every ounce of energy he had was sapped from his body, and now he was left with an exhausted emptiness inside.
Emptiness…
He quickly searched within himself and reached for the magic he had used earlier. A majority of it was gone. All that was left were dregs of what he had taken. He hadn't felt any withdrawal symptoms yet, so he was fine on that front. For now.
He looked down when he felt something shift and saw Katsuki shifting and leaning against his side. He cracked open an eye and saw Izuku was awake.
"About time, you damn nerd." He sounded tired.
"Hi, Kacchan."
The cat got up as Izuku sat up.
"How long was I out?"
"A couple hours."
Katsuki looked up as Izuku sighed and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He watched him for a moment before standing up.
"Hey, nerd."
"Wha-Ow!" Izuku yelped as the cat bit his arm. He bit down hard before letting go and swatting at Izuku.
"You don't get to do that shit again. You hear me? We're supposed to leave and be on the run, and if you can't handle that and you lose it again, I will leave your ass behind. 'You hear me? You don't get to do that again!"
Izuku flinched as he nodded. He held his arm and looked over it. For as much as it hurt, he was surprised to see that there was no blood drawn. He glanced down at Katsuki and saw the cat glaring at him, his hands were clenched into fists.
"Say it. Say that you won't do that again, you ass."
He's…worried. He's worried about me. I scared him….
"I'm sorry for worrying you. I didn't mean to, and I won't do it again."
"You better not!"
A knock interrupted them, and they looked up. The door slowly opened to reveal Makarov looking inside.
"Ah, you're awake."
"Y-Yes sir," Izuku said.
"That's good, I wanted to talk to you two before I left the hall for the night."
The two glanced at each other before looking back to Makarov. "About what?"
"I have a few things to deliver to the Magic Council, now I won't lie. They don't like me very much. Which is fine. I don't like them either. However, as a Guild Master, I still need to attend to duties. One of which is turning in apology letters and different reports to the Council."
Katsuki bristled. "And how does that relate to us, old man?"
"Well, as Fairy Tail's courier, I'd trust you to make the trip to the Council."
"I don't know where they are, though?" Izuku raised an eyebrow.
"That pertains to why I wanted to talk to you. Tomorrow we can make the trip there, and I can show you how to get there and all that. The trip is a pain, but it gives us plenty of time to discuss some things."
His heart stopped. "Some…things?"
The Master nodded. "A few of the others and I have some concerns. I figure we may as well talk things out on our way to the Council."
It took a moment for Izuku to find his words.
"I…um…okay. That, uh, okay."
Makarov nodded and turned away. He paused before looking back at them. "Are you doing alright, boy? Are you feeling better?"
"Yes, sir."
The old man stared at them before shaking his head. "Mirajane left some food for you two should you get hungry. Everyone is gone now. Hopefully, stepping out won't overwhelm you."
"I-I'll be fine, sir. Thank you."
He turned away and shut the door behind him.
When he was sure the elder was gone, Katsuki spoke up.
"You are so fucked."
"Why?"
"The old man is taking you to the Magic Council dipshit!" Katsuki groaned at the look of confusion. "The guys in charge of guilds and shit! The big guys, the ones that dear old gramps over there has to answer to!"
Izuku was quiet before the realization dawned on him. "Oh no…"
"Yeah."
"E-Earlier…when Gray was talking to him he must have-"
"Probably."
"Oh god."
"As I said. You are fucked!"
Izuku shook his head. He couldn't panic, he didn't get to panic now. Right now, he had to keep himself together and think things through.
Izuku got up, and Katsuki hopped off the bed with his wings and followed him.
"So what now, nerd?"
"We expedite our plans. We have to leave, I should have listened to you. We should have left earlier. If we did, we wouldn't be in this mess."
"Damn right. So what are we going to do?"
Izuku pulled his backpack onto his desk. "We make sure the guild hall is cleared out, grab supplies, and leave. Just like that. We can walk along the tracks or go through the forest. We can decide as we go along."
Katsuki huffed. "A solid plan for once."
"Yeah…"
"And if they try to find you?"
Izuku shook his head. "I…just run until I can't anymore. That's the only option I've really got."
He got to his feet and began going through his room. He didn't have much to his name, nothing that was hard to pack up. All he had were two notebooks and a few pencils.
He continued to look through his backpack to see if there was anything he could throw away to lighten the load and make room. The main bag was mostly empty. He looked through one of the side pockets and found old wrappers and crumbled-up pieces of paper. He could forget those.
He stopped short when he looked into the other pocket. He slowly took it out and held it up.
The vial of blood that All Might gave him. He had almost forgotten about it. He looked it over and swirled it around. Much to his surprise, the blood hadn't lost its color over time. It still remained a bright red. As Izuku stared at it, he swore he saw a faint shimmer around it.
He always figured there was something strange about it. All Might gave it to him after all.
I just wish he had told me what to do with it…
"The hell is that supposed to be?"
He jumped and looked at the cat hovering over his shoulder.
"I-It's something really important. Someone gave it to me and…well I'm not sure what to do with it. But it's not something I can just throw away."
Katsuki narrowed his eyes. "What the hell is it supposed to be?"
"...Blood."
"What the fuck?"
"I don't know!"
Katsuki eyed it for a moment. "I dare you to drink it."
"That's disgusting."
The cat snickered and flew off.
They lingered by the door to the room. Checking over to make sure they hadn't forgotten anything from in there. Izuku had his backpack with his few belongings and the sword Erza gave him. He debated about leaving the Fairy Tail pin but kept it. Instead, he shoved it into his pocket
They listened for any noise, then peeked out. The hall was empty and cleaned up for the day. The dark and silence were comforting yet unsettling. A place that was so lively now quiet and dull.
Izuku looked around as Katsuki flew upstairs. He glanced at the tables and remembered where some people would sit. There was a certain table Macao and Wakaba liked to take up. Cana liked a certain seat at the bar, but sometimes she'd sit with the two men.
He looked at the back and saw the table in the corner he had taken back in the beginning. When he was hellbent on leaving as soon as he could.
It was probably going to happen eventually. I wanted to leave from the start, so why is it hard to do it now?
There was a weird security he felt in being with Fairy Tail. Or maybe it felt weird because it was the first stable thing he had in so long. He could count on the people there. They would always be around.
You can't be dragging your feet. You only have so much time.
He turned away and went to grab some first aid items. He could hear Katsuki swearing to himself upstairs.
They probably won't forgive me for running away. Especially Natsu, He wanted me to stay. But if he and anyone else knew about…that, they'd probably want me gone immediately.
Izuku dug through the counter of the bar and found a small kit. Made up of bandages, cotton balls, and some anti-septic. He quietly apologized as he shoved the kit into his backpack. Hopefully, he wouldn't need it at all.
As he left the bar he realized there were two plates out. Both had sandwiches on them.
That's right, he said Mira left food for us.
She was kind, so kind. It left another hole in him as he realized that his disappearance would probably upset her. Hurt her.
You're running away because you're a coward. Because that's all you know how to do!
"Hey, nerd, you find anything?"
"Some first aid stuff. And you?"
He looked over to see Katsuki flying over with a bomb lacrima in hand. "Figured one should be fine for you to eat while I get some more. The bastards moved the lacrimas, I had to dig through a bunch of dusty shit to get to it."
He took the crystal. "Thank you."
Izuku placed his bare hand on the crystal and felt the abyss cling to it and drag out the magic energy. He put the lacrima down and waited for Katsuki to come back. They'd pack up the other lacrimas and then get going. They were close. So close to getting out.
He wrung his hands as he thought about it. Relief and anxiety pooled inside of him. He would have his head start, but they'd probably be chasing him forever. They would cling to him, and the guilt of leaving would stay even if it was for the best.
He groaned as he rubbed his eyes. "We could always give fleeing the country a shot, I guess…"
Izuku looked up as he heard Bakugo cackling to himself.
"They're bomb lacrimas Kacchan, don't make more bombs out of them."
"Fuck off!"
A smile quirked the edge of his lips as he saw the cat fly over the railing and towards him with two lacrima in hand.
Before the cat could reach him, a rumble that shook the guild hall. They both looked around until a shattering and splintering noise filled the room. A giant metal beam came through the ceiling and pierced into the ground, just barely missing Katsuki.
"What the hell?"
Another metal beam appeared and pierced through the building.
Izuku moved forward and grabbed Katsuki out of the air as another beam appeared. The two lacrima he held landed on the floor and rolled away.
"We need to get out. We need to get out!"
"Where the hell are we supposed to go!"
Izuku barely stopped in time to avoid getting impaled.
He panted and ran past it and back into his room. Before Katsuki could object, Izuku threw open the window and chucked the cat and his backpack out. He paid no attention to the cat's shouts as he ducked to avoid another beam.
Izuku waited for a moment as he thought he heard loud cackling. He only began moving again as he heard something outside his room splinter and come apart. A loud groan came from the building, and he clambered out of the window.
Izuku gasped for breath as he picked up his bag and Katsuki. He turned around and backed away from the window to get a look at the hall. Giant beams stuck out of it, like needles out of a pincushion.
Katsuki panted as he looked around. "You know, I'm starting to think you're bad luck, you asshole."
"I wouldn't be opposed to the idea…"
They flinched as the building was impaled again.
Izuku swallowed hard as he began to back away. The attack let up for now, but he didn't want to stick around for too long and see who was responsible.
He was running away. Like a coward.
He let Katsuki go so he could fly and turned to run. He barely took a few steps as something hard slammed into him and sent him tumbling into the ground.
"Izuku!"
He gasped for air as he managed to push himself up. He looked up at the assailant and froze as a man stood over him. In place of his arm was a metal beam.
"Well, well, well, looks like those fairy scum will get another present after all."
-FH-
A big thank you to KeeperofHounds and Bola for beta-ing this chapter!