"Oi, Deku…" Bakugo started, clearing his throat somewhat nervously. "Shoto and I wanted to know if you would be willing to study with us tonight after dinner…"
Midoriya hummed thoughtfully as he carefully set down his backpack and began getting out his textbooks, arms barely able to move without violently tremoring with pain and weakness. "It's still so weird that you guys are best friends now! Study-buddies… I never thought that would happen."
"Tsk, you just had to make it sound weird, didn't you…" Bakugo grumbled, his stomach tight as he glimpsed Todoroki's guilty expression in his peripheral. "So, you in?"
Midoriya took his time responding, not missing the way Bakugo and Todoroki held their breath while waiting. Of course, he had no intention of agreeing, but he had to at least appear to be considering the offer.
"It doesn't have to be tonight," Todoroki added, hoping to make the offer less restrictive. "It could be tomorrow or this weekend… I just want to spend time with you… we both do."
It wasn't lost on any of them that pre-kidnapping, Midoriya wouldn't have even needed to think about accepting such an invitation. In fact, he'd repeatedly attempted to set up similar get-togethers, only for Todoroki and Bakugo to start bickering whenever they'd begrudgingly agree.
"Mmm… I still feel like I need to do more solo studying." Midoriya finally responded, gazing at them with a wry grin. "But maybe you could help me do some physical conditioning today? I mean, if Mr. Aizawa doesn't bench me again, that is…"
The way they perked up at his offer was rather pitiful, if Midoriya really thought about it, but it didn't matter. He'd spent the entire night painstakingly icing and heating his abused arms and nearly overdosed on pain medication before class just so that he could minimally move them. Until All Might unwittingly helped him divert unwanted attention, he had to do something to ensure he was still allowed to train; Bakugo and Todoroki were the obvious answer.
"Uh, is that a yes?" Midoriya snorted after several long moments of shocked silence. "I can always train alone if—"
"No! Yes—I mean, of course, we'll train with you today, Izuku," Todoroki responded, tripping over his words as he attempted to overcome his surprise. "We just weren't expecting you to ask, is all…"
Bakugo nodded quickly in agreement. "You're still just doing strength training, right? What muscle groups are you focusing on today?"
"Core, probably," Midoriya responded sweetly. "But I've got to get the all-clear from Mr. Aizawa first."
As expected, his ex-friends looked extremely determined. Having been turned down so many times over the past few weeks and desperate to 'make things up to him,' Midoriya was certain they'd do their absolute best to convince their teacher to let him exercise.
"All right, quiet down." Mr. Aizawa ordered while he approached the podium. "It's time to get started…"
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Aizawa stared down his nose with gritted teeth, temple pulsing; he should have predicted that Midoriya would rope Bakugo and Todoroki into his scheming. Outside of practical training, the three appeared to be behaving similarly to how they had been before their abduction. They talked during class, ate lunch together, walked as a group, etc… but in the weeks since his return to classes, Midoriya hadn't trained with anyone, and yet when Aizawa walked over to send him to the observation area, Bakugo, and Todoroki were at his side, saying that they intended to train together today. This was outright manipulation, a calculated tactic from his most driven student.
"Midoriya is not cleared for sparing of any kind," Aizawa stated tersely. "And you two have a long way to go on improving your newest techniques; spending the afternoon doing strength training isn't a productive use of your time."
He held up his hand when Bakugo attempted to speak, turning his piercing gaze to Midoriya. "In any case, I'm not approving you for physical activity today. If you thought I didn't notice how much you struggled to write during morning classes, you're mistaken. Your body needs a break, Midoriya."
"Maybe some other time, guys…" Midoriya sighed disappointedly.
"We'll watch him!" Todoroki blurted out, his tone pleading. "Katsuki and I can work on our techniques, and Izuku can exercise right beside us. We'll make sure he doesn't push things too far!"
"Please, Mr. Aizawa," Bakugo practically begged. "We… We promise we won't let him get hurt…"
The Pro could have throttled Midoriya at that point, not for a second fooled by the innocent look on his face as his friends did his dirty work. That being said, Aizawa wasn't blind to how badly Todoroki and Bakugo truly wanted—and maybe even needed—this. They'd struggled for weeks with adjusting to being around Midoriya while harboring such a debilitating secret, and it seemed they were finally getting to a new normal.
Aizawa's rational mind hissed that this was exactly what Midoriya was betting on, that his 'inner softy' would overrule the safer and more logical decision he'd already made. "Fine." He relented, the word leaving him feeling sick to his stomach. "But if I think you two are getting distracted by Midoriya or are letting him push too hard, he goes back to the observation area. Are we clear?"
"Yes, sir!"
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Midoriya choked on every breath he attempted, the side stitch he'd been trying to fight through becoming nearly unbearable. He refused to cut his run short or slow down, however. While he had been allowed to exercise during their practical period, Bakugo and Todoroki had been annoyingly diligent about doing what Aizawa ordered. If he so much as started breaking a sweat, one of them would step in and remind him to take a breather, which meant he had to make up for the difference in effort now.
By the time he'd made it back to Heights Alliance, he was gagging on bile and had to vomit in the bushes, dizziness nipping at his equilibrium. Midoriya determinedly stumbled up the stairs despite how unsteady he was, intent on going back to his room to review what they would be studying next week in class.
"Hey, Midoriya!" Mina shouted the moment he'd limped through the front door. "Dinner's almost finished cooking, so don't try to run off! Come sit with us!"
He held up a finger as he doubled over, desperately trying to prevent himself from retching again in front of his nosey classmates. Sweat poured from his exertion-reddened skin, his clothes soaked through completely. "W-water f-first..."
"Ah, yes. Hydration is critical for physical success!" Iida praised cheerfully. "As is taking a break every once in a while! Please, come join us after you get your glass."
Midoriya nodded with a somewhat forced smile before slipping into the kitchen to get his drink. It did appear that Sato was close to completing their meal, and truthfully, he was woozy enough that he may very well pass out if he tried to make it all the way to his room while so dehydrated, hungry, and exhausted. He might as well appease his classmates now and hope they'd let him leave quickly after eating.
"Whatever Sato's making looks really good! No offense, Kacchan, but I think he might just be a better cook than you," Midoriya joked as he made his way over.
"Ah? What was that, Deku?" Bakugo shouted indignantly, whipping his head around with feigned irritation.
"I'm pretty sure he said your constant yelling is damaging your hearing…" Todoroki quipped. His smirk widened when the blonde turned back around to him, temple pulsing.
The room broke out in laughter at their antics and relaxed, going back to chatting amongst themselves as Midoriya trailed over to sit between his two previously best friends. So far, so good; he just had to keep playing along…
"Sorry, I'm probably really gross right now..." Midoriya hummed sheepishly, using a towel to wipe some of the sweat away from his head and neck after plopping down between them. "I don't mind sitting somewhere else."
"Don't be an idiot, nerd," Bakugo answered while rolling his eyes at the absurdity. "Shoto and I don't give a damn; we'd never think you were gross."
'I wish that were true...' Midoriya thought bitterly. He'd spent a great deal of time the past week vividly reminding himself of how they'd treated him in the month and a half after their abduction, replaying every moment they'd unintentionally shown him how disgusting they thought he was.
"Yes," Todoroki added with a shy smile. "We're just happy to be spending time with you again, sweat and all."
Midoriya simply nodded and sipped his drink, doing his best to keep a smile on his face. As they waited, though, he became increasingly uncomfortable in his now cold, clammy, sweat-laden clothes. "Will you hold this for me, Shoto?" he asked, holding out his glass. I'm going to take off my hoodie."
"Of course," Todoroki stated while taking the cup. "You must have been pushing yourself very hard to have sweat so much, Izuku. If you need me to ice or heat your muscles later, I'd be happy to."
That wouldn't be such a bad idea if it were anyone other than Todoroki offering. But that seemed beyond intimate after going so long with minimal conversation and even less physical contact. "Oh, um..." he started, trying to come up with a good reason for not agreeing to something that would obviously be of great help.
"What the hell! Did the League of Villains do that to you, Midoriya?" Mineta questioned loudly. The content serenity of the room shattered at the outburst, all eyes turning towards Midoriya as he finished stripping out of his soggy sweatshirt.
Peering down, Midoriya became keenly aware that he'd messed up big time. In his attempts to buy more time to respond to Todoroki, he'd failed to notice that his undershirt had stuck to his hoodie, riding up far enough to show some of the lettering carved into his abdomen.
Midoriya's chest tightened momentarily, mouth drying from the foreboding silence and expectant stares. There was no way to get out of this, which meant waiting on All Might to take care of Aizawa was a moot point. Thankfully, the fear-filled paralysis plaguing him was short-lived, replaced by beautiful apathy. If his classmates wanted answers, then he'd provide them.
"Pretty gnarly, right?" Midoriya finally responded, being careful not to say who was directly responsible. He unabashedly pulled the damp material up to show the full glory of the word he'd been branded with. "I was able to stay awake for what was written on my back, but I passed out before this one was finished. It hurt way worse than the other torture I was put through. Well, most of it anyway."
'FAILURE'
Unnatural and unnerving couldn't describe how cavalier Midoriya was about what had obviously been a hellish experience. But the nightmare wasn't nearly over. There were other scars etched into his body that his friends were certain hadn't been there before.
"A-and that?" Kirishima questioned with dread, breaking the eerie silence that had overtaken the alarmed teens.
"Hm?" Midoriya hummed, tucking his chin to see what Kirishima was pointing at now that he'd covered his stomach. Scrunched and disheveled, the 'sleeve' of his muscle shirt no longer completely hid the part of his collarbone that had been bitten during his assault. His smooth, freckled skin was marred by the red imprint of teeth, the implications of which sending waves of horror into everyone's stomachs.
Midoriya pulled the edge of his shirt to the side, examining the area as if it were nothing more than a birthmark. Apparently unphased by the sickly pale hues his classmates now sported, he responded nonchalantly. "One one of them bit me pretty hard."
The varying degrees of mortification and disbelief made most of his friends inert, unable to ask for clarification; most didn't want it, either. Ochaco was the one who managed to summon her voice, albeit weakly. "D-Deku... did they... do you mean you were...?" she stuttered, unable to verbalize what she already knew must have happened.
Midoriya waited patiently until she'd given up on her questions, examining his classmates with a calculated cautiousness. "If you're asking if I was raped during my recent captivity, the answer is yes."
As he'd expected, everyone averted their eyes from him, shifting uncomfortably in their seats. It was a nearly identical rerun of Todoroki and Bakugo's behaviors after waking up in the hospital, though this time with silent tears mixed in. But Midoriya didn't feel anything—no anger or sadness, shame or guilt.
He cleared his throat, repressing the urge to roll his eyes at how poorly they were taking the news. "After they were finished, Shigaraki spoke to me alone. He told me that even my annoying smile wouldn't be able to hide how ruined I was, that I was a filthy slut, and that no one would want to be near something as repulsive as me once they knew what had been done to me… what I'd allowed to be done to me..."
Midoriya kept his gaze forward but checked how Todoroki and Bakugo were behaving in his peripheral, realizing they must not have known about that delightful little conversation. He could see the gears turning in their minds, replaying their hospital stay and afterward. How he'd desperately tried to be near them, and they'd acted like he was diseased. Pitiful. Maybe this could be a vital learning experience for all of them.
"I imagine that most assault victims feel that way even without having it rubbed in their faces. Avoiding eye contact, recoiling, and turning away like you just did... I'd recommend not doing that once you're Pro Heroes since it can come off like all the negative thoughts the victim is already having about themselves are true."
As if an alarm had blared in their ears, everyone's gaze suddenly snapped back up. Iida was on his feet in an instant but could hardly find something worth saying. "M-Midoriya, no. That... That wasn't— We'd never think that way about you—about any victim!"
Midoriya nodded understandingly and re-settled on the couch. "It's okay... I know you didn't mean anything by it; I was just pointing it out. Besides, you guys know I'm a really positive person, so don't worry about it."
"You're a positive person?" Mina sputtered incredulously, her face still stuck in horrified shock. "How the hell could you be 'positive' about being sexually assaulted by what sounds like multiple villains?"
Midoriya's mask slipped momentarily, eyes deadening and head tilting with unsettling innocence as he let the uncomfortable question hang in the air. Why were they pushing this? Hadn't they heard enough? When he did answer, his voice was too even, too calm. "Well, it wasn't ideal, but I'm not a girl, so there was no risk of getting pregnant, and the people who assaulted me didn't have STDs. I'd say those things are positives."
The statement was chillingly effective at shutting his classmate up, and everyone else who looked like they might say something suddenly gulped their words down. Bakugo and Todoroki had curled into themselves with shame, the entire room traumatized.
"Shit," Midoriya growled internally, realizing he needed to backtrack for his naïve, sensitive classmates. Breathing deeply, he rubbed his upper arms and sighed, pretending to look guilty for his 'outburst.' "Sorry, I didn't… I didn't mean for that to come out as crass and cold as it did."
His response was a whimpering sob from someone, though he didn't care to check who it came from. The entirety of his class was now in tears and barely holding their emotions in. Sato's meticulously prepared meal grew cold in its pans, long forgotten at this point, not that anyone had much of an appetite now anyway.
"Look, I know what happened to me was awful, and the way I cope probably doesn't make sense to you guys, but I really am okay. I'm getting counseling for the psychological stuff." Midoriya continued. "And all of you have been so amazing since I was allowed back. It felt like I was drowning at home, but being around everyone has helped me heal, you know?"
Still nothing; They were too distraught to hear him right now. Midoriya ran a hand through his hair sheepishly, behavior just close enough to the 'old him' that only the people who knew him best could tell it was disingenuous. "I… um… I think I'm just going to go up to my room for the night. Maybe we can do something as a class this weekend, though, okay?"