Second Chance Ranch

by Thiefoflight68

Katsuki Bakugou ended up in prison after a gang shootout. Three years later he applies for a post prison program. The job he thinks he's getting and the one fate finds for him are completely different. A chance meeting with a cute freckled face man brings him to the Midoriya Family Ranch, also known as Second Chance Ranch by the prior prisoners that have made a made a home there.

4. Preacher's Point

Grumbling, Katsuki tried the quad again; the spark fired, but the engine didn't catch. Squatting down, he peered into the engine, wincing as his jeans pulled tight across his balls. Steadying himself on the frame, he laughed bitterly. The past few weeks had gone by uneventfully. Well, outside of his bruised balls and ego as he painfully learned to ride.

It seemed like they'd all fallen into a rhythm around the ranch. He'd taken over most of the cooking, once everyone tasted his food. The work shed was finally clean, and he was slowly getting used to the animals. Sighing heavily, he stared at the engine. The only thing not going anywhere were these damn machines.

Somewhere in the distance, Luna started barking. Looking up, he could see the dark clouds thickening in the sky. Kiri and Shinsou had returned earlier that day, warning that a storm was already blowing in from the mountains. He'd need to pull the quad inside before it started raining. Picking up his wrench, he dug back into the engine.

"Well, hello."

The sound of a voice surprised him. Whipping around, he saw Todoroki sauntering towards his work shed. He wore tight blue jeans with a crisp navy-blue button-up, his hat was set back so his two-toned hair just brushed over his eyes. Katsuki wiped his greasy hands on a towel and stood slowly.

"Hello," he kept his voice neutral but was already bristling.

What had changed was Freckles.

The laughter had disappeared, and no matter what he said or did, he couldn't get him to even crack a smile. A state of gloom had rolled in over that green head and nothing seemed to change his sullen attitude. Of course, this fucker was the reason. Shouto had been popping by almost daily, usually ignoring everyone to hang out with Freckles. But today it looked like it was his turn.

"What brings you by?" Katsuki leaned on the quad.

Shouto smiled slyly as his eyes lingered on the dirt smudges on his face and shirt. "This is basically my ranch, I can come by anytime to check on the help."

Asshole, Katsuki seethed. Of course, he was covered in grime and grease, not that he cared, but right now, being looked down on by this asshole was pricking his pride. Hiking up his jeans nonchalantly, he crossed his arms. "Izuku doesn't tell you what's going on?"

"He always does," he flicked his gaze up and down his body. "But I find it's better to see for myself."

"Well," Katsuki snarled, "I got shit to do, so, I'll be going." Grabbing the handlebars of the quad, he dismissed the damn prick and rolled the machine into the work shed. The sound of his boots on the concrete floor echoed behind him as he followed him inside. A low whistle sounded. Turning, Katsuki saw him checking out the huge new tool caddy that Freckles had bought.

"Wow," Shouto pulled open the drawers with all his tools neatly stacked and sorted. "Did they teach you this in prison?" He cast an innocent look over his shoulder.

Katsuki glared at him as he set the brake. It was obvious he was just trying to get a rise out of him and what was more annoying was that it was actually working.

"Is it true?" Shouto smiled watching him intently, clearly enjoying seeing him react. "I've heard that some of the bigger penitentiaries have classes."

Crossing his arms, he debated leaving, but the two-toned invader seemed to understand what he was thinking. Sliding sideways, he blocked his exit.

Sighing, Katsuki gave up on escaping and leaned against the long worktable. This asshole wanted something and the sooner he got what he wanted, the sooner he could get rid of him. He'd have to play along for now. "No, I learned from my dad. He owned a garage."

"Huh? So, you had a good job as a mechanic but still landed in the slammer?"

"Are you asking me why I went to prison?"

"No," Shouto grinned again, "I saw your file. Gang stuff."

Clenching his fists, Katsuki wanted to rip his damn eyes out. Jerk, he growled to himself. "Then why the twenty questions if you already know the answers?"

Shrugging Shouto pulled out a pack of gum and popped a piece in his mouth. "Want some?"

Pushing off the bench, he took a stick. Unwrapping the gum, he threw it into his mouth, chewing as those blue and grey eyes stared at him. Holding his gaze, he settled back on the workbench. "So, Shouto Todoroki, why are you really here?" His eyes twinkled mischievously in response, he was absolutely enjoying himself.

"Picking up Iz, we're going to dinner with the family. Wedding plans."

"I heard you were in some marriage contract."

"Yep, but we'd be married either way. That was just his mom's way of ensuring their family heritage stays safe. Around here, that's the only important thing."

"Family heritage over happiness?"

Shouto tensed for a moment, and then the easy smile returned. "In our case we get both, pretty special."

"Sounds like it," Katsuki was ready to choke over the word vomit spewing from this guy's mouth. Shouto spun around slowly, feigning interest in the workshop. When he finally looked back, his eyes had narrowed menacingly. Here it was. Katsuki braced himself.

"I noticed you seemed close to Iz the other day when I came by."

"The other day?" Katsuki tried to think of a time he would've been with Freckles and Shouto together. He gave up. "You've come by here almost every day."

"Your riding lesson." Shouto took a few steps towards him, a dark look now crossing his face. "You didn't see me though, I'd stopped by earlier than usual, a lot of meetings at the bank. When I couldn't find anyone, I went to the arena and was able to watch you ride." He smirked, "or at least try."

Clicking his tongue, Katsuki squeezed the workbench tightly. They'd never seen him. "Why didn't you say hi, maybe you could've given me some pointers." He was ready to spit nails, this rat faced stalker had been spying on them.

Laughing, Shouto gave him a condescending smile, "I doubt even my skills could help you. But then, your shitty riding isn't why I came by today." His intense gaze never wavered. "You seemed to enjoy your time with Iz, he's an easy guy to get along with, but…" Shouto closed the gap between them. "It kinda seemed like you were flirting with my fiance."

"If you call cracking jokes about my balls being sore as flirting, then yeah, I guess I was." He knew it was best to be honest. They'd done nothing wrong, but anyone could twist the most innocent scene into something shameful with the right words.

Shouto tipped his head, studying his face, "that's why I'm here today. I wanted to remind you of the rules."

"Rules?"

"Only two rules you need to mind. One, keep away from what's mine and two," he held up two fingers, "start looking for a new place to land." Shouto threw his gum wrapper on the floor. "As soon as we're married, you and those other losers are out."

"Does Izuku know that?" The anger that had been simmering since he'd seen him was boiling over now. This prick could come at him all day, but clearly, he was just a possessive lunatic that had it out for the whole crew, who'd done nothing but work their asses off.

"He always does what he's told," Shouto shot him a cocky smile.

"Seems to me he's the one running the ranch, not you."

"All for show," Shouto sighed. "His mom knows what to do and she still makes the important decisions…for now at least. Iz will follow her lead until I'm in charge." Stepping back, he flashed him an insincere smile. "Don't make me remind you again, Kacchan." He spit the last word out.

Shit. Katsuki felt his stomach drop. He didn't want Freckles to get blindsided by any accusations. "You like the nickname? He calls me that bec-"

"Don't really care," Shouto cut him off, but the 'black as fuck aura' he was giving off told Katsuki he did, and Freckles would probably take the brunt of his own stupidly persistent flirting.

Why hadn't he backed off when he pushed him away?

He must've known Shouto was like this and now Katsuki had fucked shit up… again. "It was all me, Izuku didn't do anything."

"Well, now you do sound guilty of something," Shouto tipped his hat back further, one brow arched high. "You say he didn't do anything? I find that hard to believe. Iz has a habit of shaking that cute ass enough to make you look."

Holding back from tearing the guy apart was taking every bit of willpower he possessed.

"It's not the first time," Shouto waved his hand dismissively. "His innocent act. So, I trust you understand?"

Katsuki didn't move as the feelings of anger and dread coiled tightly in his gut.

"Come on," Shouto snapped his fingers. "I don't have all night. I plan on fucking my fiance before dinner. Wanna tap that tight little ass." He smiled smugly. "Now," he coaxed, "let me hear you say it. Do you understand the rules?"

"Yes," was all he could hiss out.

"Good," Shouto let his eyes roam over his body. "I know being in prison can be hard, so, if you need to get laid… let me know. I can take you to a place just outside of town. I bet they'd even service someone like you." Chuckling, he walked off.

Katsuki let out his breath, he didn't realize he'd been even holding it. The cool mint gum was thick in his mouth, leaning over the trash barrel he spit it out.

"Asshole," he wiped his lips. Chills swept over his arms and not from the wind that had started to blow through the shop. The two-toned asshole had been watching them, listening to their conversations and then waited until today to say anything.

How long had he been stalking them?

Katsuki went over the past few weeks in his mind, outside of their lessons in the morning, he rarely spent time with Freckles anymore. He tried to shake the uneasiness that pricked along his scalp.

Grabbing his wrench, he sat down heavily next to the quad and tried to focus but he couldn't get the conversation out of his mind, especially at the end. "Place outside of town," he muttered. Of course, he knew a place like that, he probably went there all the time.

Closing his eyes he knew he was just getting worked up, but shit, he hoped that he hadn't fucked anything up for Freckles. Especially since he'd been the one pushing his buttons. Shouto was an ass, but he didn't seem to be dangerous, at least towards Freckles. Katsuki tried to quiet his mind and tried the quad again, this time it sputtered to life. Playing with the choke, the engine ran rough, then began to smooth out. Killing the motor, he smiled. At least he had good news for Freckles when he saw him tomorrow.

The sound of raindrops hitting the metal roof echoed inside the workroom. The rain was here. Packing up his stuff, he closed the shed and dashed to the cabin to grab his raincoat.

"Where are we going?" Izuku peered through the rain soaked windshield of Shouto's truck. The town lights were blurry as the sheets of water drenched the glass. He was surprised they weren't going to his family's ranch.

"My dad's favorite place." Pulling into the restaurant, Shouto parked. Reaching behind the seat, he grabbed their parkas, pausing as he leaned over to kiss his forehead. Izuku tried not to tense under his soft lips.

"Iz…" he breathed out heavily. "Kiss me babe." Grabbing his hand, Shouto put it between his legs. "Look what you do to me, so sexy, damn I wanna fuck you."

Feeling his hard cock, Izuku froze. "What?! Sho…" He laughed nervously. "Everyone's waiting for us. We have to go to dinner." Forcing a smile on his face he tugged his hand away and shoved it into his jacket pocket. His fingers brushed the note card that was folded inside.

His speech.

Squeezing it, he drew every bit of courage he could from what he'd finally decided to say to everyone tonight.

I'm not going to marry Shouto Todoroki.

Just thinking those words made his stomach plummet as if he'd jumped from a cliff.

Shouto reached out and slapped his cheek lightly, squeezing his mouth. "Why don't you suck me off then? I'm so close, won't take much." He grinned wickedly. "Then we can fool around later, after dinner? Come back to the house tonight." Sliding his hand up his leg, he kissed his check, "I miss not living with you."

"I - I can't," Panic welled up so fast it caused his heart to race painfully. It'd been a while since he'd pounced on him like this, and it was never easy to escape. "I - I've got stuff in the morning. You know I'm short-staffed at the ranch." He didn't need to be dealing with Sho's horny ass on top of everything else.

"Huh," Shouto drew back and studied him. "You can't? Or you won't? Am I just the wrong person? Maybe if I had spiky blonde hair and a rough, more dangerous look?"

Drawing in a quick breath, tears pricked Izuku's eyes. "H-How dare you!" Why did he have to be so damn hurtful? He screwed up his face and glared at him. "I admitted he was good-looking and yes, we're friends but I've drawn the line there! I can't help it if someone likes me! I've been nothing but professional with all my employees."

"Employees," he huffed disdainfully and looked out the driver's side window, he seemed lost in his thoughts for the moment.

Izuku reached for his raincoat, relief washing over him . "We need to-"

Suddenly Shouto lunged sideways and grabbed a fistful of his hair, dragging him across the cab. Izuku yelped in shock and pain.

"What am I going to do with you?" He seethed, twisting his fist. In the flashing lights of the neon sign Sho's eyes glittered menacingly as he sneered at him. "What you need is a reminder of who exactly you belong to, and it isn't that mangy convict."

"Sho-" Izuku gasped.

"Shut up! Here's what's going to happen," Shouto began to unbuckle his pants with his other hand.

"Sho?! What-"

"I said shut the fuck up!" His fist tightened with every word, ripping pieces of his hair from their roots. Tears spilled over as the pain shot through his scalp. "First," he growled angrily. "You're gonna get that sweet mouth on me. Then we'll have dinner, that is… if you're still hungry," he snorted. "And after that," his hand deftly freed his swelling cock, "you will come over and spend the night so I can ravage that sweet little ass of yours."

Seeing his hard dick, Izuku lurched back, twisting and fighting with every ounce of his strength, ignoring the pain as his hair began to tear away. There was no way in hell he was doing anything with Shouto. Desperately fumbling for the latch to his door, he managed to rip the rest of his hair away from Shouto's death grip just as his fingers felt the metal of the handle. Pulling it, he heard the door open, and the interior light popped on.

"Where do you think you're going?!" Stretching across him, Shouto caught the door and slammed it shut.

"Fuck!" Izuku shoved at him, but Shouto grabbed his arm in an iron grip. Jerking away, he tried to get free. "Stop it, that hurts!"

"It's supposed to," he jeered and flung him face down onto the center console, slamming his chin into the plastic cup holder. White spots danced in his vision as his teeth sank into his tongue, blood coated his mouth. "Stay there," he hissed.

"Shouto," Izuku gagged on the sickly metallic taste. Bracing his hands on the floor, he tried to get up.

"I said stay there!" The tip of his elbow rammed into his back, digging into his spine and pinned him down. He snapped the keys in the ignition and started the truck.

Wiggling harder, Izuku swallowed against the fear clawing its way into his throat, he'd never hurt him like this before. "W-What are you doing?"

Slamming the truck into reverse, Shouto maneuvered the truck from the parking lot roughly, causing the tires to screech and skip on the wet pavement. The sudden acceleration on the road threw Izuku's face into the vent, more blood soaked into his mouth. The truck swung wildly again, this time throwing him off the center console and into his door.

"What the hell?!" Izuku clambered to sit upright. "Let me out!" He grabbed for the door, hearing the click as the child locks engaged. The handle lifted uselessly in his hand.

"Don't think you're jumping out of my truck," Shouto snarled.

"Wh-Where are you going?" He stammered trying to get a sense of where they were, he could barely see through the rain and darkness, but he could tell they weren't headed back to the ranch. The truck swerved again as Shouto gassed it around the tight curves. "Slow down!" Izuku yelled at him and yanked his seatbelt across his body, desperate to keep from flying around the cab anymore. As he took another tight turn, Izuku braced himself, glancing over. "Are you fucking crazy?! You'll flip the damn truck!"

Shouto just stared out the windshield, his face was lit by the lights on his display, the usual stony mask was replaced by a malicious twist to his lips. "Just a fun little ride," he smiled contemptuously. "Well," he laughed, "fun for me."

"What?!" Fear radiated uncontrollably through his body now and as they rounded the bend, high cliff walls came into view on either side of the road. "Eastern ridge?" Izuku peered out of the window as the wipers worked furiously under the pouring rain. "Why are we going this way?" On this side of the valley there was only a wildlife preserve, there were no ranches or houses, just darkness. "Are…are you going to Preacher's Point?"

Shouto stayed silent, one hand draped over the wheel looking for all the world like he was on a Sunday drive except they were going way too fast.

"Did you hear me? Slow down at least before you kill us!" Izuku looked at the glowing speedometer. The truck only sped up in response.

"Shouto!" He yelled, his voice climbing higher. "You're scaring me!"

"Good, I think it's time you finally learn who's in control of this relationship." Suddenly he spun the wheel, hard. The truck swerved sideways as the back tires slid across the pavement, squealing. Shouto hit the gas and the whole truck shuddered and tipped. Izuku dug his fingers into the dashboard as his body whipped into the door. Finally, the tires found traction on the wet asphalt and propelled the truck down a dirt road. The big wheels churned the thick mud as the back fishtailed behind them.

Izuku clung to the dashboard as the truck shimmied violently. Since Shouto was concentrating on the road ahead and talking wasn't getting him anywhere, Izuku sank into the seat, holding himself steady while the wheels jumped through every ditch in the road. Hitting the last incline, Shouto gassed the engine, and the truck clawed its way to the top of the ridge. Slamming on the brakes, Izuku flew forward just as his seat belt snapped tight across his body, pulling him back with a thud. The truck lights lit up the rain as the windshield wipers squeaked steadily.

The sudden quiet was deafening.

"Shouto?" Izuku finally let out a shaky breath.

"Did you think I wouldn't notice?" His voice was so low Izuku had to strain to hear him. "You disgust me… panting after that blonde like a damn dog in heat." He squeezed the wheel so hard his knuckles blanched white. "Have you fucked him?"

"Are you kidding me?" Unbuckling his seatbelt, Izuku plastered himself against the door trying to stay as far away from him as possible. He closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath. "Bakugou is friendly. We crack jokes together, but I've been firm about our relationship. He's learning about the ranch and I'm teaching him to ride, that's all." He replied as calmly as possible.

"Teaching that greasy gangster mechanic to ride," he snickered. "What's next? Will he be roping cattle with the other convicts?" Turning, his hand lashed out and snatched Izuku's shirt and yanked him across the cab. Leaning over, Shouto pressed his face close, his voice still so low it was a raspy whisper. "It doesn't matter, because your little program is ending. I'll send over regular hands this weekend."

"I said stop!" Izuku planted his feet on the floorboard and clenching his fist tight, he spun around and slugged him in the jaw. Shouto's head snapped back. "Leave me the fuck alone!" Izuku scrambled back to the door, wiping his knuckles where he'd sliced his skin on Shouto's teeth.

A slow deep chuckle filled the truck.

"That's right, I forgot how much you like having all your men around you." Shouto looked into his rearview mirror at the cut on his lip. Casting him a sideways glance, he licked the blood dripping down, "I see you're learning the delicate art of conversation from your prison friends."

"Shut up," Izuku gritted out, his fear melting away as anger boiled so fiercely now that his body was vibrating. "I know you don't love me." He was shaking so hard, he was sure he would explode. "It was always me that loved you, wasn't it?" He swiped angrily at his tears, trying to stop them. "I loved you," the unwanted tears continued to spill over. "You didn't love me, not until… he showed up."

Shouto sat back in his seat and continued to play with the cut. "I wouldn't marry you if I didn't love you."

"Really?" Izuku scoffed.

"Being sarcastic with me?" He eyed him then let out a sharp sigh. "Everything will be fine after the wedding."

"Like I'm going to marry you now?" Izuku laughed hysterically. "Are you crazy?" He rubbed his chin which was still tingling numbly. "You fucker."

"Iz?" Shouto turned to look at him, his eyes flashing angrily. "Can't you see I'm jealous, don't you understand? I… love you so much that it's making me crazy."

Izuku gaped at him. "Seriously, t-that's your excuse? You abuse me and… and kidnap me and you still expect me to trot down the aisle with you? I think you've gone nuts!"

"You can be such a dumb little bastard sometimes."

Something snapped, like a dam cracking from too heavy a weight. "Bastard?" Izuku hissed. " I'm the bastard!?" Pure rage flowed out with his words. Taking in several deep breaths he could see Shouto roll his eyes and look away.

"So dramatic."

"I… saw... you," every word dripped with pain. "I saw you that day, when you thought I'd gone with my mom."

"What day, Iz? You're not making sense." From the dash Shouto's phone began to buzz. "My dad…" He started to answer.

"I SAW YOU!" His ragged scream rattled the windows of the truck.

Shouto blinked a few times, his phone dropping from his hand. "Saw me?"

"With Shin," Izuku crumpled, sagging into himself. Everything was escaping now, breaking free. "You…him… Sh-Sho-" He broke down sobbing, his breath coming in waves of hiccups. "I… I loved you… so… much. How… how could you?"

Sitting back in his seat, Shouto picked up his phone and casually laid it back on the dashboard. He stroked his jaw as if thinking about something. "You didn't go with your mom?"

"No." Izuku looked away, he didn't want Shouto to see him so vulnerable and hurt. He didn't deserve it.

"Iz, I'm sorry… I didn't know how to tell you." He paused, "it was Shin… he came on to me, started kissing me after the party."

"B-Bullshit," Izuku could barely speak around the grief and sorrow. "He would never do that, we were friends."

"Iz!" Shouto snarled, "that man is a psychopath! He only wanted what you had, he was insane with jealousy. He said it himself, he wanted to screw you over."

Staring out at the rain falling through the lights of the truck, Izuku tried to push away Shouto's words. But… he'd always wondered. Why had Shin done that with him?

"Iz," Shouto started to reach for him but stopped at the warning look he shot at him.

"Don't touch me. I don't believe you," he lied. He couldn't let his doubts win, that was how Shouto operated. He always managed to find a way to break him. "We were all good friends. He wouldn't." Catching his breath, he pressed on his eyes trying to stop the flow of tears.

"Yeah, well he did," Shouto snorted derisively, "even more reason to shut this shitty ass program down. I can't let those people be around you anymore, it isn't safe. Why do you think I want them gone? To protect you."

"I can't marry you." He finally said the words that had held his heart for so long.

Shouto laughed. "That's not really an option anymore."

"I'm going to talk to my mom," Izuku whispered.

"Stop talking fucking nonsense. That day… it was all Shin's fault, he was all over me," Shouto growled. "I can prove it. I did nothing wrong Iz, so drop it. This is a ridiculous conversation. We need to go back." His phone began flashing. "My dad is texting, they're worried about us."

"Now you care?" Izuku bit out. "Fine, but if we go back, then it's only to announce that we're not getting married." Turning he could just see Shouto's face lit up by the dull lights of the console. His white hair glowed on one side hanging just over those beautiful eyes. Izuku could feel more tears starting to fall. Shouto still looked so young, as gorgeous as the day he'd seen him in school, when he'd fallen for him. "I can't, I…" He closed his eyes, "I don't love you anymore."

"Yes, you do!" Shouto grabbed his shoulder, squeezing him tightly. "Don't do this Iz. You're just confused because of that stupid mutt. Another no-good convict who could care less about you, just like Shinsou. Learn your lesson already! Don't throw away your life on them!"

Izuku stared down at his hand gripping him. "What lesson?" He laughed weakly, "how to get your heartbroken by the love of your life?"

Shouto let out a loud growl. "You said it! I am the love of your life. Let's start over, Iz. Clean house of those prisoners. I'll come by and help you get set up with new hands. Then we'll be married and run the ranch together."

"Don't you understand?" Izuku jerked out of his grip as more laughter bubbled up. "I finally see what's important. It's not you, but them. I love them. Sero, Kiri and… and even Shin."

"Stupid id-"

"I'm not stupid!" Izuku shouted at him. "You don't know anything! They would do anything for me! Sacrifice themselves which they have over and over, not just for the ranch, but for me and my family." He covered his mouth and began to laugh.

"You're as crazy as them."

"Maybe I am," he quieted his laughter and sighed. The pain of lost love and betrayal was tearing at him, but now that he'd said his piece, he felt good, better than he had in a long time. "I don't know what I'll do now but I just need you to understand that the marriage is off, I can't be with you anymore."

"Dammit!" Shouto slammed his hand on the wheel, the horn blared making him jump. "Who cares if we love each other?! We're perfect for each other, that's all that matters." Closing his eyes, he tipped his head back. "We have to get married Iz, do you understand? Those men you love so much are nobodies, not good for you or your family! I'll talk to your mom and my dad, we are clearing out the ranch and getting married. You have NO other choice!"

"Yes, I do," Izuku jerked the handle of the door, he felt more confident than ever. He wanted to be away from him starting this instant. "You go back and spew your lies, I'm staying here. Let me out."

"Right, like I'm going to do that." Shouto started the truck, "we're leaving."

Pounding on his window, Izuku yanked the handle harder. "I'm not going anywhere with you! Let me out, Shouto!"

"Iz, baby, it's raining," he checked his side view mirror to back up.

"Don't you dare call me baby, or hon, or anything else! Now let me out!" Izuku could feel his anger bursting.

"We're in the middle of nowhere, what the hell do you want me to do?"

"I'd rather be here in the rain and dark, than anywhere with you. I'm not getting married to you, I'm not ending the program, or letting one person go! Now let me out! We're finished, Shouto Todoroki, do you understand me?!"

"Fine," unlocking the door, Shouto snarled. "You want to sit out here and pout, go fucking right ahead, but know this… we're not done! And you better be fucking prepared to get married."

"The hell we are!" Izuku yelled over his shoulder as he leapt down, barely closing the door as the truck shimmied backwards. Grinding through the thick grass, the wheels churned up more mud as Shouto spun the truck around leaving Izuku in the dark. He stood for a moment watching as he drove away, the headlamps bouncing down the road. The sound of the truck faded until he could only hear the patter of rain on his hat.

Running for cover under a tree, Izuku ducked under the thick branches and pressed his back up against the wet bark. His shirt was already soaked as the rain continued to pour heavily, dripping down through the leaves. Looking out at the cloudy night, he hugged himself. He'd done it, he'd finally done what he'd been trying to do for five years. Pulling out his phone he called Sero.

Sitting in the cab of Sero's truck, Shinsou clipped off another long length of thick wire. A buzzing noise vibrated from the dashboard. Looking over the front seat, he saw Sero's phone in the cradle flashing, it was Iz. Reaching from the back, he answered the phone. "Hey Iz!"

"Sh..Shin?"

"Yeah, are you okay?" His voice sounded strange. Thunder echoed through the line, suddenly a few seconds later he could hear the same sound rumbling overhead. "Wait? Are you outside?"

"I.. um…I need a ride."

"A ride?" Shinsou leaned further over the seat trying to hear him better.

"Y-Yeah, I'm up at Preacher's Point. I need Sero to come get me with his truck. I'm right at the top of the ridge."

Laughing, Shinsou grabbed the phone and sat back. "What the hell? Did you guys break down or something?" Playing with the wire cutters Shinsou knew that Preacher's Point was also known as make-out ridge. Had they gone there to screw around? Glancing out the window, he frowned. Stupid in this rain considering it was almost impossible to get up there in good weather. "What are you doing up there Iz?" He realized the question sounded almost like an accusation.

"Shouto and I had a fight. I… I said some stuff and got out of his truck, I refused to go anywhere with him, so he left. I need a ride."

"That prick!" Shinsou snarled. Lunging over the front seat he pressed his hand down hard on the horn. The loud blaring got the attention of Kiri and Sero, who were working on the downed fence. Both men stopped and began trudging back to the truck.

"Shin? What was that noise?"

The truck doors opened as they both climbed into the front of the cab. Hitting the speaker, Shinsou held up the phone. "It's Iz, he's stuck on Preacher's Point, fuck face left him there."

"Iz?" Sero snagged the phone.

"Why're you all together?" Alarm rang through his voice. "Why did Shin answer your phone Sero?"

"Some lightning hit a tree in the south pasture, took down part of the fence line. Scared the crap out of the mama's and babies so half took off into the forest. We're fixing what we can to keep the rest of them in, we'll have to replace the whole section of fence and round up everyone after this blows through."

"Crap." There was the sound of muttering. "What are the chances? Can anyone come get me?"

"Katsuki's up at the house." Sero worried his lip with his teeth, "but the only vehicle is your truck. I doubt it could get up there in this rain. I bet that whole road is just mud."

"It is, Shouto barely made it up here." There was a long pause. "Okay, I can walk down to the main road and meet him."

"That's three miles!" Sero barked at him. "Idiot! In the dark and rain. You'll kill yourself."

"I'll be fine."

"Hang on, I'm radioing Bakugou," Kiri buzzed the house on his walkie talkie.

The loud crackle from the radio snapped Katsuki awake. Jerking in the chair, he grabbed the unit off the table. Clicking the button, he rubbed his eyes, he hadn't meant to drift off. "What's up? You need help?"

Sero had pulled him from his bed in the cabin yelling that a tree had been hit by lightning and they had to go deal with the damage. They'd all hopped into Sero's truck and told him to have warm food and coffee ready the minute they got back. Shaking his head he tried to wake up, his brain still half-asleep.

"No, but Iz needs help."

"Freckles?" The radio went quiet. Sudden laughter broke out over the walkie talkie. Katsuki pinched the bridge of his nose. "Fuck."

Kiri was having trouble talking over his laughter. "I'm not touching that with a ten foot pole. Listen," he quieted down. "I heard you making all that racket at your workshop. Did you finally get one of those quads up and running?"

Getting past his embarrassment, Katsuki pushed the button, "I did." They were going to rib him hard on this one.

"Do you think that thing could traverse a muddy road in this rain?"

"Of course, that's what they're built for," Katsuki walked to the coffee pot and poured a cup. He needed to wake up before he said anything else stupid. "Do you need help with the cows?"

"Do you think that thing would fit in the back of Iz's… I mean… pfft." Kiri started laughing. " Freckles' truck?"

Sipping the hot liquid, Katsuki cocked a brow, refusing to take the bait. "I think so, what's going on?"

"Hang on Bakugou." The line went dead. Sitting back down Katsuki let out a pained sigh. He'd fucking called him Freckles.

Pulling his phone from his ear at the roar of laughter, Izuku covered his face. He was going to kill him. Suddenly Kiri came back on the line. "Iz, can you send Katsuki or me your location?"

Opening the locator app, he shared his position with both of them. "I just did. Great idea on the quad." While he would've made the trek, he was relieved not to have to walk. Sero was right, in the mud and dark he would've probably fallen and hurt himself. A rivulet of water ran off his hat splashing on his phone. "Crap, Kiri I'm hanging up, tell Kacchan to text me when he gets to the dirt road." Clicking off the phone he hitched up the leg of his jeans and slid it into his boot. It was the driest place on his body right now. Leaning back he closed his eyes, he figured he might as well try to relax, it would be a while before he got here. Feeling the heavy droplets slipping through the leaves, he listened to the steady drumming of the rain.

He hadn't been prepared to hear Shin's voice. His stomach clenched tightly. After all these years he would have to confront him. It was time though to shake all the skeletons from their closets. Plus his mom… "Shit," snapping his eyes open, he tugged his phone from his boot. Finding his mom in his contacts he hit send.

"Baby?"

Her voice was breathless, the sound of laughter in the background. "Hey mom, are you at the restaurant?"

"I am, Shouto just got here, he said you weren't feeling well. You didn't have to call."

Of course that's what he'd done. Izuku wasn't sure what he'd expected him to do after he'd left. But, Shouto going back to the restaurant acting like everything was normal was exactly what he should've anticipated. "I need to talk to you mom, are you with everyone?"

"No, I ran out to the porch. It's too loud to hear anything in there."

"Mom…" His heart hammered in his chest so fast he was dizzy. "I… can't," he squeaked. Taking a deep breath, he pushed the words out, "I can't marry Shouto." He wanted to hang up and throw the phone over the ridge. Facing her reaction was harder than saying the one thing he'd been trying to say to her for five years.

"Izuku? Baby? Wait… what?"

A streak of lightning pierced the sky, lighting up the grass and surrounding bushes for a brief moment. Izuku could just see the mountains in the distance before everything went dark again. "I haven't wanted to marry him for a long-time , mom. I was just going along with everything… for you, for grandpa and the ranch." He could hear his mom breathing heavily. She made a series of small noises, like she was unsure of what to say. Then her voice finally came across, small and thin. She almost sounded like a little child.

"So, why not keep going along with it then?"

Izuku furrowed his brow. "What?" He shoved his finger in his other ear. Had he heard her wrong? "Did you just say go along with it? Do you mean just go along with the marriage?" His voice ratcheted up in disbelief.

"Not like that," she twittered nervously. "You're just saying things you don't understand. You're sick, baby. You love Shouto." She whispered. "You always have, sweetie. Now you get to marry the man you love."

If the cold rain hadn't been splattering over his skin, he would've pinched himself to see if he was dreaming. "Mom…" He couldn't think of what to say next.

"Iz, I shouldn't have dumped the ranch on you so suddenly. It's been hard on you."

"No! Mom! I'm not sick. I really don't love him anymore. We got into a fight, that's why I'm not there. I broke up with him. You need to understand that I'm not going to marry him." The wind blew hard causing a sudden shower of large drops to land on him, he shivered under the cold wetness now seeping past his skin and into his bones.

"Listen," her voice grew terse. "I have to go back home tonight. Don't make any decisions right now. Wait until I can come back next week… we need to talk." The line went dead.

"Mom?" Izuku pulled back to look at the screen thinking he'd lost the signal, but it showed a few bars of reception. She'd hung up on him. Sliding it back in his boot, her clipped words echoed in his head.

We need to talk.

Letting out an exasperated sigh, he knew there'd be no talking. He wanted out of this marriage and now that he'd found his voice, there was no way he'd go back. Hugging his knees he tried to press against his thighs for any bit of warmth.

The memories began to drift through his mind. The smell of the hay, the way Medusa had been acting nervous in her stall and then… Shouto had said it was Shin's fault. The day his world was turned upside down. Squeezing his eyes shut tight, he tried to hold back the grief. He'd lost the man he loved and his best friend in one afternoon. But… he drew in a ragged breath as guilt twisted deep in his heart. Had he really been surprised? Giving into the tears again, he could feel their heat soak through his cold jeans.

The very reason he'd stayed silent for so long was that he'd felt responsible in some strange way. Shin had been a gangly awkward teenager that had shown up at the ranch and latched onto him. At first it was funny but when he'd seen that it fueled a jealousy he hadn't realized existed in Shouto, he'd egged it on by lavishing his attention on him, delighted in having the man he loved actually want him. Then they'd started dating, which had been mind boggling. Floating on clouds couldn't have been any dreamier than being with Shouto but it'd been short-lived and now, the source of his regret.

He wanted to believe Shouto was wrong about Shin. Yet, he'd succumbed to mind-numbing jealousy and anger, blaming his best friend and pushing him away without ever letting him defend himself. He'd shoved his head into the sand and ignored everything, just going along with everyone else's demands.

And then he'd fallen on the tide pool rocks.

He'd met Kacchan.

His life with Shouto had been like living in an isolated cold world, but with Kacchan, everything was different. With him, he felt like he'd come home to good company and a warm fire. Wiggling his toes inside his boots, he laughed softly, no… more like a raging inferno. Those red eyes about undid him every time they looked his way. These past few weeks had been torture. He'd been trying so hard to make him laugh or smile that he'd almost cracked, but under Shouto's watchful eye, Izuku had known he had to be careful.

Biting his lip he smiled. Not anymore.

It was finally over.

A high-pitched whining noise pierced his brain. Shivering, Izuku sat up, water pouring off his hat. The noise echoed from below, it sounded like an engine. Standing up, he legs buckled. Grabbing the tree, he groaned as a thousand tiny needles stabbed at his skin, everything was numb below his waist. Shaking out his legs, he saw a single headlight bobbing and dipping on the road below.

He was here.

Tears sprang into his eyes unexpectedly as he realized this was the only person he had wanted to be with right now.

Walking as fast as possible, he limped to the edge of the road and waited. The sound of the motor grew louder until at last it came around the bend just below the ridge. Jumping up and down, he waved as the quad dug and kicked its way up the steep incline, finally stopping in front of him. The headlight shone in his face. Pushing back his parka, Kacchan pulled up his goggles. Izuku wished could see his face in the dark, but the headlight blinded him.

"Shit!" Kacchan yelled and waved him over.

Slogging through the slick mud, Izuku grabbed the quad to steady himself. "Hey," he yelled over the loud motor. "I appreciate you coming." He just nodded and stared at him. Even in the dark he could see his jaw was clenched tight.

"You're fucking soaked!"

"I am," Izuku pulled at his wet clothes. There was a flurry of movement as Kacchan whipped off his parka and shoved it over his head, the hood catching on his hat.

"Put this on."

"No!" He yelled, but Kacchan plucked his hat off his head and tugged it on the rest of the way. "Stop!" Izuku tried to push it off. "I'm already wet, at least you stay dry."

"Don't argue with me, Freckles!" His voice roared over the whining engine as he stuck his hat back on his head. "Now get on the bike!" He patted the seat behind him and moved forward to give him room.

Fixing the parka, Izuku tried to ignore the disappointment that stung. Kacchan was angry.

Of course he was.

This was the second time the poor guy was bailing him out of a fiasco. Izuku slid onto the seat and gripped the bar off the back of the seat.

"... me!"

Izuku tipped his head up, he hadn't heard him. "What?"

He turned and grabbed his arm, pulling it towards his body. "I said, hold onto me! You'll fall off otherwise, this thing spins out all over the damn place." Izuku nodded and carefully wrapped his arms around him loosely. Amazingly he heard him click his tongue.

"I won't fucking bite you, hold on tighter." To prove his point, he gassed the quad a bit and it jerked, spraying mud. Instinctively Izuku squeezed him for dear life as his body whipped backwards. He could feel him laugh more than heard him. "There you go!" The quad roared again as he turned it around and began to maneuver back down the road. "Now don't let go!"

As if he could! Izuku could barely think as the quad bounced over bone-jarring rocks and ditches. He could tell Kacchan was trying to find the flattest route but it was impossible. The mud had begun to flick painfully against his skin so much that he'd buried his face into his back. His warmth was incredible. Even though the cold rain had begun to soak into Kacchan's shirt, Izuku could feel the raging inferno that seemed to radiate from him. He remembered this warmth when he'd carried him on the beach. He frowned, why did he always cause him problems?

It must have been a bitch loading the quad by himself and then driving up to the ridge, only to take him back down and now he was drenched. They hit another big ditch and Izuku felt his body leave the seat. Kacchan slowed and turned his head, swiping at his goggles. "You okay?"

"I'm fine!" He yelled. Taking a moment, Kacchan nodded and continued driving. It felt like it was taking them forever to get to the road. By the time the headlight lit up the pavement, Izuku's arms were aching from holding on so tightly. When they finally stopped he was trembling as he slid off the seat. Even with the slight warmth from the parka, the chill that had seeped deep into his body was making him feel slightly nauseous.

Jumping off the bike, Kacchan reached into his jean pocket. "Here." He dropped the truck keys into his hand. "Get in the truck and turn on the heater. I'll load this up." A gust of wind blew, splashing rain across his face melting the mud that was caked on his cheeks. Izuku could see Kacchan's lips were slightly blue. He had to be freezing too.

"No, I'll help, it'll go faster." Even though it was dark, he could still see the flicker of annoyance in his crimson eyes.

Leaning down, Kacchan moved his mouth close to his ear. "Don't argue." He squeezed his fingers around his hand holding the keys. "Get in the truck and get warm so I don't have to haul your sick ass to the hospital… again."

Izuku was thankful for the dark because he was blushing hot with embarrassment. "I don't get sick from a little rain," he spat back and reached for the quad. "I said I'd help."

"Dammit," he yelled and grabbed his arm, half-dragging him to the truck. Flinging open the passenger door, Kacchan pushed him into the cab. Luna's tongue was the first thing that hit Izuku's face as her wet body pushed heavily into him. "Why'd you bring her?" He spun back just as he was closing the door.

Kacchan rolled his eyes. "Like I had a choice, either she came with me or I wasn't getting into the truck." As he turned to leave, Izuku kicked the door back open.

"Wait! At least take this back," he wiggled out of the parka and threw it at him. Grunting, he caught it and pulled it over his head and then without another word slammed the door shut.

Mumbling, Izuku managed to slide past Luna and start the engine. This night had turned into a disaster. The feeling of relief after telling Shouto it was over had evaporated. His whole body felt sore, and his brain was sluggish from the stress. He'd never fought with Shouto so violently and his last words were making him uneasy. Then, seeing Kacchan so angry at him, he felt sick now.

The back of the truck dipped and rocked as Kacchan loaded the quad. He tried to see what he was doing in the rearview mirrors, but he could only catch glimpses of the bright yellow raincoat as he moved around. His heart and head were too tired to think anymore. Finally, the heat started swirling around the cab of the truck. Turning up the dial, he blasted the air, holding his fingers in front of the fan.

Suddenly, his face popped into the window, and he knocked on the glass. Izuku jumped unconsciously.

"Unlock it and move over," Kacchan yelled.

Shaking his head, Izuku put on his seat belt and pointed to the passenger side. "I'll drive." He called back. If he didn't take control at this point, he thought he might actually go crazy. He was tired of everyone else dragging him around and now all he wanted was to get home as fast as possible.

Kacchan knocked on the window again and then shaking his head, trotted around the truck. Opening the passenger door, he pushed the hood of the parka back. "Just be careful, the quad is secure, but it makes the truck lean a little to the left. I think I need to rotate your tires." Putting on his seat belt he sat back and mumbled something about stubborn asses.

"Thanks," Izuku started down the road and experimented a bit with the wheel. He was right, the truck was pulling towards the left. Concentrating on the wet road he wound his way out of the ridge and back to the valley, his whole body relaxing as they rolled into the courtyard. The storm hadn't let up, even a bit, as rain slammed into the windshield. Izuku glanced up at the dark sky, the wipers worked furiously. Glancing sideways at Kacchan, he could see he looked exhausted. His arm slung over limply over Luna, his eyes were half-closed. Thinning his lips, he knew Kacchan still had to unload the quad from the back of the truck to get it out of the rain. Even if he did let him help, it would still be at least another thirty minutes in this wretched weather.

Across the courtyard, he could see the barn doors were wide open, the light had been left on in the office. Driving up slowly, he gauged the size of the entrance. Kacchan looked at him questioningly.

"You're gonna end up in the barn at this rate," he laughed softly.

"I know," lining up the truck, Izuku pulled it carefully inside. A white head popped over one of the stalls, big eyes blinking at the invading machinery. Izuku chuckled. "Float is trying to figure out what I'm up to."

"What are you up to?"

"This way I figure we can leave the four-wheeler in the back until the rain stops. There's just enough room to get out."

"Okay." Izuku could hear the fatigue in Kacchan's voice. He smiled to himself, he'd guessed right, he was just as exhausted as himself. Wedging the door open carefully, Izuku propped it against the horse stall and climbed out. He could hear Kacchan doing the same on his side. Luna looked between the two, trying to figure out which way to go, finally she moved over to Kacchan's side and jumped down behind him. Izuku laughed at her mutiny and slid along the wall to get out.

Riot knickered softly and popped his big head over the stall door on Kacchan's side. "Shit," stopping in his tracks, he realized the horse was blocking his path. Looking behind him, the front of the truck flared too wide to go the other way. "Crap," he muttered.

Izuku burst out laughing at his predicament and immediately clamped his mouth shut when he narrowed his eyes and glared at him.

"Funny?"

"Sorry," Izuku hadn't meant to laugh, but his reaction had been too funny and after so many horrible emotions tonight, it felt good. "Want me to help?"

"No," he reached out to pet Riot's cheek. "I need to learn to deal with the horses myself."

"But I owe you." Izuku mused as he leaned against the tailgate, not really moving to help him. He glanced over at him, red eyes studying him closely for a moment, then his face tightened.

"It was my fault," Kacchan breathed out. "If I hadn't been flirting, Shouto wouldn't have fucked with you." He took a deep breath, "I'm sorry."

"No, it wasn't you at all!" Izuku was shocked by his apology. "Don't blame yourself. This has been something that was going to happen eventually." He paused and smiled. "I think you were just the spark of courage I needed to start the fire." Kacchan snorted loudly, still petting Riot. Izuku propped his chin on his arm and watched him. "It was me, I'm the one that ended up causing trouble and making my hero save me again."

"Maybe I like saving you."

"You do?" He hadn't expected that answer. "But the rain and everything, it must've been hell! Seriously, had I known… I was just calling for Sero to come get me in his truck. I didn't realize you'd be stuck getting me." He mumbled, pushing his mouth into his wet shirt.

"I wasn't stuck doing anything."

"Right…" Izuku harrumphed. "You say that now, but I know you were angry up there on the ridge and I don't blame you." He kicked the ground with his boot and sighed. "I'm tired, let's go up."

"I was angry at your fiance." He spit the word out venomously. "Look at you, fucking cold as shit." Stretching across the truck, Kacchan touched his lips lightly. Izuku felt the warmth of his hand radiate through his entire body. "That jerk left you up there alone in the rain. I don't care what happened, you don't do that to someone you love… hell," he scowled, "I wouldn't even leave Shinsou up there."

Izuku just stared at him dumbly, feeling his thumb pressing down on his lip.

"And since I'm your hero," a seductive smile spread across his face. "You better not call Sero to rescue you anymore."

Izuku felt a new warmth curl into his belly as Kacchan's eyes glowed tenderly. Turning, he hid his flushed cheeks.

"Look at me."

Glancing up, he saw that his hooded eyes seemed to spark even brighter. "Don't say stuff like that," Izuku whispered quietly.

"Stuff like what? Like how fucking adorable you are, even after being abandoned in the rain." He clicked his tongue softly.

"Kacchan!" Izuku dipped his head down, seeing that sexy smile full force was beyond unnerving against his already raw emotions. "You're teasing me."

"Hell yes, I am. I've missed your freckled smile these past few weeks."

"Sorry."

"You say sorry a lot, but I think you forget this isn't your fault."

"Maybe."

Letting out a long sigh, he frowned. "It isn't and the sooner you get that through your thick skull the better. Your fiance… ex-fiance I guess now?"

"Yeah," Izuku took a moment thinking about that. "Although he says it's not over, but… I already told my mom." He felt the weight of the night pressing on his shoulders again.

"Good, you finally came to your senses."

"Did I?" Screwing up his face, he tried to smile but failed, he was suddenly very tired and cold. "Are we sleeping in the barn or are you gonna get past Riot? I'd like to get warm." The corners of his mouth twitched up.

"Wait," Kacchan smirked, "is that a smile?"

"I guess," Izuku couldn't help but laugh. The way his blonde hair drooped in thick clumps around his head and his eyes were rimmed with mud from where his goggles had been. Kacchan looked slightly crazy.

"Gotcha!" Rubbing Riot's head, he took a deep breath, "now to get past this big guy." The horse bobbed his head and reached out for the truck, running his lips along the side. Suddenly he pushed his nose high in the air and flipped his upper lip backwards on itself as he stretched his neck long. "What happened?" Kacchan backed up a step.

Izuku burst out laughing.

Kacchan flicked a quick look at him and smiled. "I like that sound Freckles, normally I'd be annoyed that you're making fun of me, but tonight, I'm gonna let it pass." He stepped closer to Riot.

"Sure about that?" He giggled as Kacchan scowled at him playfully and kept moving. The horse tipped his ears back keeping his eye on him as he moved cautiously towards him.

"Hey there Riot," he held out his hand. The horse turned to brush his lips against his palm, his lips wiggling fast. "That tickles," he chuckled, holding still to let him investigate his hand and wrist.

"He's always been a character," Izuku was mesmerized watching the two interact. "Horses tend to have big personalities and his is probably the biggest on the ranch."

"You gonna bite me?" Kacchan pushed his head away and pressed against the truck to squeeze by him. Not wanting the fun to end, Riot grabbed at his parka as he tried to pass. "Hey!" He pulled back startled but slid by him with no damage outside of horse slobber on his clothes. "That was close," he swiped at the foamy mess.

"Well, I'd say you passed the test." Izuku realized how exhausted he was, every bit of energy was drained from his body. Straightening, his smile slipped as he held onto the truck for balance, everything was spinning. "We should head up." Pushing off the tailgate, his boots tripped over each other, and he stumbled.

Lunging forward and catching him, Kacchan pulled him close. "Now that's the Deku I remember," he chuckled. "Do I need to carry you up to the house?"

"No," he whispered but didn't push away. Tears flooded his eyes suddenly, everything was closing in on him. He sank his face against the cold parka, trying to keep from completely breaking down.

"Oi, Freckles, are you okay?"

Izuku didn't answer, he couldn't. He was afraid if he said anything he'd lose it. Sighing heavily, Kacchan ran his hand up his back and tugged gently at the soggy hair that curled at the nape of his neck. Izuku shivered as it sent course chills across his skin.

"You gotta be cold," he wrapped his arms around him.

Izuku closed his eyes and listened to the sound of the horses moving in the straw and the rain pattering on the metal roof. As much as it was comforting to be here in this moment, he still needed to process his breakup and the ramifications of canceling the wedding. Tears pricked hot in his eyes. He didn't have the bandwidth to think of how he felt about the man holding him right now. Putting his hands around Kacchan's waist for more support, he felt him flinch. Jerking back, he realized that his clothes were completely soaked under the parka. "You're cold! I'm so sorry," he turned trying to get away, but he didn't let him go. "I'm really sorry," Izuku mumbled.

"Believe me, I'm anything but cold holding onto you," Kacchan pushed his hat further back and brushed the curls that clung to his forehead to the side, he frowned seeing the tears that had pooled in his eyes. Izuku wiped at them.

"Ah, Freckles," he hugged him again, "I'm sorry."

"I told my mom," Izuku blurted out, his mind was a mess.

"You said that. What did you tell her?"

"That I broke up with him and I want out of the marriage, I…" he took a quick breath, letting go of all the anxiety. "I don't want to marry him, Kacchan."

Stroking his cheek, he smiled reassuringly. "Then, you don't have to," a flash of lightning lit up the courtyard. "As nice as this is though, we really need to get you into a warm bath," grabbing his hand, he laced their fingers together. "If you won't let me carry you, then at least hold my hand while we make a run for the house."

Sitting in the kitchen with a towel draped over his head, Katsuki relished being warm and basically dry. He'd managed to get Freckles into his room and a hot tub. Then he'd dashed through the rain back to his own cabin, cleaning up as quickly as he could and running back only to find him in his bed, passed out, wet hair drenching his pillow. Waking him up had been impossible so he'd wrapped his head in a towel and went back to the kitchen to radio the guys. They said that they were about finished fixing the fence line and would come up soon.

Making some quick biscuits, he brewed fresh coffee and pulled out the leftover ham. He heard them as they headed down the long porch and coming into the kitchen, they all looked half-dead. "You want coffee?" Not waiting for an answer, he poured three cups as they all said yes in unison. Pulling the fresh biscuits from the oven he put them out with the rest of the food.

"I'm soooo hungry," Sero shoved an entire biscuit in his mouth, his eyes fluttering as he chewed. "Mmma-y mme" He muffled around a mouthful of dough.

Kiri made himself a ham sandwich and took a bite and smiled. "Sorry Sero," he punched his friend, "if he marries you, he stops making us food, so I can't let that happen."

Sero sighed dramatically as he washed down the food with a mouthful of hot coffee. "Man, best I felt all night."

"How about we figure out Izuku's marriage first before I decide on your offer," Katsuki wanted to laugh but it was a bit too sad.

"You mean Freckles," Kiri giggled between bites.

"How is he?" Shinsou rolled his eyes, tearing off flakes of the biscuit and slathering them in butter.

Shrugging he set down his coffee. "He's asleep right now."

"I'm gonna beat the crap out of that asshole when I see him," Shinsou seethed.

"Get in line," Sero swallowed his huge mouthful. They grew quiet as the fire popped and crackled in the fireplace.

"What's next?" Katsuki wasn't sure what the hell was going to happen now.

"We cut up the tree and fix the fence, then go round up the cows that escaped," Kiri rubbed his face.

"No, I meant with Izuku."

"Oh," Kiri sighed and glanced at Sero. "I'm guessing Todoroki will be back at some point."

"He said that he told his mom," all three stared at him, their mouths falling open.

"He what!?" Shinsou recovered first, almost jumping from his chair.

Katsuki realized he sounded happy, "I'm guessing that's good?"

"It's freaking fantastic!" Shinsou laughed loudly and sat back down, he took a huge bite of his buttery biscuit.

Looking back at the other two, he noticed they exchanged looks that were not as excited. "He's never told her before?"

"No!" Shinsou muffled, his mouth full.

"Not that we know of," Sero stared at the biscuit in his hand.

"Is it good that he told his mom?" Katsuki took another sip of coffee, Sero was clearly worried.

Taking a deep breath Sero set down the biscuit and stretched. "I dunno. I'm so tired, I can't make heads or tails of anything right now." He stared at the adjoining door, "if he told his mom, then we'll find out soon enough."

"I think we should call it a night," Kiri cleared his dishes and rinsed them off.

"Breakfast as usual tomorrow?" Katsuki packed up the leftover food.

Looking at his watch, Sero frowned, "It's almost two in the morning. Yeah, sorry," he shook out his shoulders. "Can you man a chainsaw?"

"If it's a machine, I can figure it out."

"Good," Sero put on his parka. "There's three chainsaws, we'll take turns cutting up the tree." Opening the door, he left quietly, not saying goodnight.

"Shit," Shinsou swallowed the last of his biscuit. "Tomorrow is going to be horrible." Kiri dried his hands and pulled on his own raincoat.

"How big is the tree?" Katsuki sat back down.

Shinsou frowned, "biggest one down there. At least we'll have plenty of firewood for the winter." He smiled and put on his coat, "thanks for the grub, it hit the spot. See you in a few hours." Joining Kiri, they headed out into the rain.

Sitting alone at the table Katsuki knew the next few days were going to be rough. He needed to prepare some meals to make it easier on himself. Getting up, he peered in the freezer but there was no meat left. Wandering down the hallway, he found a large utility room with a washer and dryer. In one corner was a massive freezer. Opening it up, it was filled with what appeared to be meat wrapped in a thick peach colored paper. Pulling out several steaks and ground beef, he figured that would be enough. Pouring another cup of coffee, he began working on a few quick dishes.

"Iz?" Shinsou set the tray of soup down by his bed and nudged him gently. "Hey, Iz, I got some food for you." The body under the blanket moved and groaned at the same time. "Sorry Iz, but Katsuki insisted I feed you while he's working."

"No…" his moan was barely audible.

Shinsou pulled back the covers and grimaced. Iz looked white as a ghost, his freckles sharp brown against his skin. His thick curls matted in greasy clumps. He'd half-covered his face and was peeking between his fingers.

"Do…" the word sounded like a croak. Clearing his throat, Iz tried again. "Do I look that bad?"

"You do," Shinsou brushed the sweaty hair off his forehead. "You wanna take a bath?"

"God no," he shook his head and winced. "Any medicine? My head feels like a horse is kicking it in." Shinsou opened the bottle he'd brought with the food and handed him some pills. Sitting up, he gulped them down and fell back again.

"Wait, sit up again." Shinsou fluffed his pillows. "I brought a little bit of food."

Glaring at him, Iz shook his head. "No."

Shinsou pursed his lips. "Don't be stubborn and sit up." Finally getting him upright, Iz gasped, a look of sheer pain crossed his face. Shinsou held him still as he moved the tray to his lap. "You have to eat a bit of broth, okay?"

"I'll throw up."

"After you took medicine? What's the point then?" He smiled and spooned some soup, holding it up to his lips.

"I guess I have no choice." Huffing Iz sipped at the broth.

Shinsou chuckled and scooped more broth into the spoon. Iz glanced at him a few times and then looked back at the tray.

"You look feverish Iz." Shinsou frowned as his skin grew red. "Do you think I should call Katsuki to come up?"

Staring back at him, Iz furrowed his brow. "Did I hear you right? Since when do you call him about me?"

Shinsou shrugged and pushed the broth towards him. "Eat."

Sipping the soup, he winced as he swallowed. "Shin, what's up with you two?"

"Well, he told me to take care of you," he stirred the soup roughly, causing some of the broth to slosh over the side of the bowl. "I'm supposed to radio him after I feed you." He wasn't sure when it had happened, but somewhere over the past three days he'd just taken charge of Iz.

"Where is he now?"

"They're finishing cutting up the tree."

"Finishing?!" Izuku shot forward and fell back groaning in pain immediately. He held his head. "How long have I been laying here?"

"About three days," Shinsou steadied the tray to keep it from flying off his lap.

"Three days!" He sank into the pillow.

"You scared us Iz," Shinsou spooned more broth. "Eat," he waited until he slurped the broth.

"Has… uh, Shouto come by?"

Shinsou tensed and glanced at the door. "Yeah. He did."

Iz coughed on the food. "Is he here right now?" He choked out.

"Hell no," Shinsou pursed his lips.

"What happened?"

Shrugging he spooned more soup. "We told him you were sick, he barged in to confirm it himself, told us to fuck off and left."

Iz narrowed his eyes at him, "that's it?"

Shinsou gripped the spoon tightly, busying himself with the broth. He didn't want to get into what had really happened. "Are you done? I have to go help with the tree."

Laying a hand on his arm, Iz stopped him. "What happened, Shin? Did he say anything to you?" He struggled to sit up. "I broke up with him and I… I'm worried about what he might do."

" Might do?" Shinsou almost laughed then stopped himself. "Nothing happened. We had some words…" he shrugged. "I let my temper get away from me."

"That's all?"

"Yeah, I promise," he lied and looked down at the tray. The truth was that he'd spewed words of hate at the man when he'd come at him and been ready to kill him. Shinsou clenched his fist tightly trying to block everything out before the anxieties could take hold in his mind.

"Were you here alone?" Iz sounded stressed

Shinsou nodded slowly in response, not looking up at him. "Well, at some point Sero showed up," he sighed, not admitting that if Sero hadn't wandered up from his cabin, his rifle slung casually in his arm, he'd probably be sitting in jail again. "He basically told him to go home." He'd been relieved at first, since Shouto booked it off the ranch the minute he saw the gun. But then Sero gave him a curious look. Now he worried if he'd heard Shouto. Stirring the soup faster, the heavy prickling of anxiety seared his brain. What if he found out… if any of them did… Shinsou made a small sound in the back of his throat trying not to think about what would happen.

"Did he threaten you?" Iz's soft voice cut through his thoughts.

"Me?" Shinsou snorted loudly. "He can try. I'm not afraid of that fucker."

"No I suppose you're not."

"What the hell could he threaten me with anyway?" His voice felt tight in his throat.

Iz gave him a sad smile. "I know Shin, I've always known."

Shinsou snapped his head up and narrowed his eyes. "Know what? That I hate him? Shit, everyone knows that!" Fear crawled up his spine. That's all he knows.

"Shin," Iz squeezed his arm. "Can you tell me one thing?" He paused. "Why? Why'd you do it?"

Freezing, Shinsou felt his gut twist with guilt and rage, he tried to breath but his lungs constricted. "Why'd I do it?" He forced a laugh that sounded more like a squeak. "Why? That's a great question about most of what I do, I'm a screw up. A crazy man Iz, you know that."

"No, you're not," he snapped back, then grew quiet.

Shinsou started rocking back and forth in his chair. Nobody knows… Nobody knows.

After a few seconds, Iz looked up, his eyes filled with unshed tears that shimmered with raw pain. "I saw you that day in Medusa's stall. Y-You were on your knees with his, um…" he blushed a hot red and stopped. "Why…did you do that with him? You knew… how I felt about him." A huge tear spilled over and dripped down his cheek.

A strangled noise erupted from Shinsou's mouth that was high pitched and garbled. Jerking back, he clamped his hand over his mouth and leapt off the chair. Leaning against the wall for support, his mind shattered into the familiar spiral of shame.

"Shin!" Iz struggled to get up, sending the tray bouncing to the side as the soup flipped, splattering across the bedding. "Wait," he panted as he stood. "Oh, shit." Suddenly his eyes rolled back as his knees buckled and he began to collapse. Shinsou lunged forward and grabbed him just as he fell, sinking down to the ground with him until they were cradled together on the floor.

"Iz..." The words were stuck, lodged so deep that pulling them out was going to hurt.

What would happen now? Would Iz send him away?

Shinsou drew in a ragged breath.

"Just tell me Shin. It's been so long now." Iz croaked hoarsely. "Sometimes when I see you laughing or relaxed it makes me remember the way we used to be and I miss that." His lip quivered.

The guilt wrenched tighter and deeper as the memories punched brutally through his mind. "I didn't…he was..." He tried to breathe. Iz's warm hand touched his neck, then his lips brushed his cheek. Pulling back surprised, Shinsou tipped his head, "why'd you kiss me?"

"Because it doesn't matter what happened, I love you Hitoshi Shinsou, you're my best friend. I've been so stupid not to talk to you all these years and I realize that now."

"I love you too, Iz." A sudden ache welled up in his throat as a wrenching sob broke free, leaning on Iz's shoulder Shinsou began to cry. His voice was barely understandable as the story that had haunted him for so long tumbled from his lips.

TOL - 😢 Happy for Izuku... really am but... Shin! 😭 I feel like I'm stuck on Preacher's Point in the rain, just waiting for my Katsuki to show up.