What Makes A Traitor

[11]

As soon as I was out of the room I leaned against the door and released a breath I wasn't aware that I had been holding. I touched my temple, a pang of pain shooting through my head. I shakily stood straight up and started walking with no clear plan as to where I was going. 

"Izuku."

"Hey! Izuku!" Kirishima jogged backwards in front of me, watching me confused. "You didn't see me standing there? I was waiting for you? What'd you need from that fiery jerk?" He asked jokingly. 

"I have a headache, Kiri, please don't talk so loud." I said cringing. 

"Oh, Sorry, Izu. What'd you need to talk to Bakugo about?" He asked curiously.  

"I don't remember...i-it doesn't matter." I sighed. "Now would you mind getting out of my way, I have stuff I need to do."

"You don't re-"

"Kirishima! Stop!" I said loudly, stopping. He stopped jogging too and stared at me surprised. 

"Yeesh, sorry. Are you alright?" He asked.

"Ugh why do you care?! I'm nobody to you, Kirishima! I've never been worth anything to anyone s-so why do you hang around me acting like you care?" I yelled. My entire was body was shaking and I got the unshakable urge to get the pent up energy out. "I was WORTHLESS to everyone but my mom and she's gone now! My mom is- My mom is dead. I-" 

"Izuku, please calm down-" He came towards me and I stumbled away from him.

"D-don't tell me to fucking calm down, I am calm! You look at me like I'm some pitiful orphan with issues when I'm not!I can handle myself without you feeling sorry for me!" Another pang of pain shot through my head and I cringed again. 

"Izuku!" He said startled. "I do genuinely care about you, just listen to me!"

"YOU CAN'T CARE!" I yelled accusingly as I pointed at him paranoid. "No one can...No one but my mom...I need to fix this." I balled my hands into fists, a new wave of determination coming over me. I activated my quirk and ran off, ignoring his calls from behind. 

First POV Shift! Third Person:

Kirishima watched worriedly knowing that even if he tried, I wouldn't catch up with him. Izuku looked off, completely shaken up by something. He worked hard not to be hurt by his words. He knew, logically, they weren't from a place of sincerity but hearing that from your best friend was still painful. At some point, Bakugo had sidled up to him and was standing next to him also watching the quickly disappearing Midoriya. Kirishima looked at him angrily.

"You did something." He said.

"I didn't do shit." He grumbled, feeling too drained to match his energy.

"What the hell were you guys talking about just now?"

"Fuck off." He said, beginning to walk away. 

"Bakugo" He sighed, reigning in his anger. "Please." 

"I was confessing to him." He said, back still to Kirishima. 

"You were what? I knew it." He said rolling his eyes annoyed. 

"Oh don't worry, he rejected it. Harshly. Apparently he's been leading me on for several months in order to get back at me for what I did." Kirishima stifled a chuckle at the idea of sweet Izuku breaking the heart of Katsuki Bakugo and tried to have empathy for him.

"He told me to kill myself." He added quietly as Kiri's face dropped. "Just like I told him all those years ago." Kirishima was taken aback, now that was odd.

"I'm sorry but that doesn't sound like Izuku."

"You weren't sitting there staring him in the eyes as he did it." Bakugo said. 

"He...He seems off right now, Bakugo. Although he has every right to hate you, methodically breaking your heart doesn't seem like something he'd do. He seems upset right now, he's gone through a lot especially between the two of you." Bakugo remained silent, still facing away.

"I'm going to find him. Wanna come?" He saw a slight shaking of his head in response.

"That was the first fucking time that I put my heart out there, Kirishima." He said. "The first time I expressed my emotions in such a fucking vulnerable way and he...brutally rejected me. I've never felt so heartbroken before." He said, his voice breaking slightly. "He pointed out every insecurity of mine and destroyed any semblance I had of hope to be a better person, any sign that I thought said that I did deserve to be a hero, to have love. I was absolutely terrified to tell him all that I did, I somewhat expected a rejection but...not like that." He reached up and wiped at his face roughly. The last thing he wanted was for Kirishima to see him crying. It was just incredibly overwhelming for him. A man who avoids dealing with emotions at all costs suddenly being hit by them like a ton of bricks was a lot. It was completely throwing the arrogant future hero off. 

"So after everything, you're just going to give up on him?" Kirishima asked simply, crossing his arms. Bakugo turned around to face him, livid.

"HE GAVE UP ON ME FIRST!" Bakugo yelled, his eyes showing his pain.

"WRONG. THAT'S WHERE YOU'RE FUCKING DEAD WRONG." He shouted back. "Izuku hopelessly followed you around for what? Ten years?! Constantly forgiving you and praising you and making excuses for you that you didn't deserve! You were the one who methodically isolated and berated and beat him! HE forgave you over and over again until finally he realized he couldn't. So we get to UA and he's still merciful by not exposing you! And then FINALLY he lets you become friends with you again for several months and you think that he was really just using that to string you along???" 

"THAT'S WHAT HE SAID! You weren't there when he looked me in the eyes, grinning at my defeat. Smiling like the hero finally won." He shot back. The smile on Midoriya's face was whirling around in his head, mocking him for thinking, even for a second, that he had a chance. 

"HE TALKS ABOUT YOU! YOU KNOW THAT?! If he was really just trying to make you fall in love then why would he need to go on about you to me? Huh?! Why did he come to me numerous times asking me to forgive you when you weren't around? Why did he explain on your behalf why you are the way that you are. He is my BEST friend, I know him. I know that-that he wouldn't do something that cruel even if it is entirely justified." Kirishima could feel tears falling but he didn't care. "I-I'm in love with him." He said quietly. "My best friend is hurting so badly that he's not himself and I don't know how to help him." He added in a muted tone, somewhat talking to himself. Bakugo gritted his teeth and looked away scowling. 

"So if you want to give up on him despite everything. Despite all the chances he gave to you, all the benefit of the doubt he afforded you then that's fine but don't think for a second that I will." He said. Kirishima waited for a response from Bakugo impatiently until Bakugo turned on his heel and walked away. He didn't saying anything else to try and stop him. Bakugo wasn't his concern. He turned and walked the opposite direction.