How Can I Make it Okay? - A BakuDeku Story

After the Fight

It had been two years since Midoriya left UA and two and a half years since Bakugo and Midoriya fought at Ground Beta. They were in their final year and still, no one had heard from Midoriya. The only glimpses they got were the rare photograph taken by a civilian. Bakugo's classmates had mostly accepted that he wasn't coming back, but he and Aizawa hadn't. They were the only ones that still held out hope.

Bakugo stood in front of his bathroom mirror. In the last two years he had grown taller, almost crossing 6'5 and his muscles had become more defined, more pronounced. But so had the weight of the world he felt on his shoulders. He stared at his phone for a moment, thinking back to the night after he had dragged the nerd out to Ground Beta to beat the shit out of him, only to end up in tears. He had spent his whole life wanting to be the number one hero. He was always taller, stronger, faster, more aggressive, more willing to go the extra mile. He wanted to win. It was his passion that fueled him, even when his anger got the best of him. And still, Midoriya managed to catch up to him, to be better than him. The idiot got to be the number one hero's favorite. Got to train with him. Got taken under his wing. It ate away at him back then, more so that night than any other time. Despite All Might's speech, he still felt he was the reason the man had lost his power. And even then, Midoriya understood. He could see it on his face, hear it even as he told Bakugo how much he looked up to him. He hadn't realized the impact he had on the nerds life until that night and god it made him feel like an asshole. He had spent years beating up a kid who just wanted to be like him. He was Midoriya's All Might. That's essentially what he had said that night and it broke him.

The day after the Ground Beta fight, he felt something different. When he saw Midoriya, he didn't see the annoying kid that got on his nerves anymore. He saw a true rival. Someone that had the same goal as him and would do anything to get there. But there was also something else.

------------

2 and a half years ago – The day after Ground Beta

Bakugo had heard the nerd making shitty excuses to everyone stopping him, asking where he was going, but Kirishima saw through the bullshit.

"You're lying," Kirishima said. Midoriya had just told Aoyama and Denki that Kirishima had left homework for him with Bakugo, but Aizawa had given the class strict orders to not share any notes with either of them. They would just have to catch up.

"I didn't take Bakugo any work, Aizawa told us we couldn't, so where are you heading Midoriya?"

Bakugo wanted to swing open the door, but he was more curious to hear where the conversation would go.

"I know something happened between you and Bakugo," Kirishima said in a hushed tone. "He wont tell me, but he seems spooked so if you're going to check on him, I understand why you don't want anyone to know. But he's my friend, so if it's bad, please, I want to know, to help."

Kirishima wasn't always the brightest bulb, but he was good, Bakugo thought to himself.

"I just want to check on him," Midoriya whispered.

"Okay," Kirishima answered. He heard Shitty Hair's footsteps retreat and opened the door to Midoriya, standing there looking shocked.

"Sorry, I was trying to – " he started.

"To lead people off your trail in the worst possible way," Bakugo mumbled.

Midoriya ducked under his arm and sat at his desk. Bakugo closed his door and took a deep breath in. He had spent the whole day with the nerd cleaning and for some reason, he couldn't get him out his mind. It was infuriating. The night before he couldn't sleep, his mind always leading him back to Deku. The kid had fallen asleep on the couch, and in order to keep them both out of trouble when Aizawa returned, he carried him back to his room and left a note so he wasn't confused. Damn nerd had slept through dinner so Bakugo snuck a plate up to his room and texted him to stop by.