Post Vitam

Prologue - The Blossoms

Anyone would be reasonably scared or at least a little nervous standing alone under a tree in a barely populated park. It was late in the afternoon heading towards evening. The sun still shining brightly but clearly moving slowly to the horizon. The breeze carrying cherry blossom petals, eternally beautiful. This breeze had a subtle scent, noticeable only to those who with a keen sense of smell or if they are familiar with the source.

Izuku Midoriya smirked amused when he picked up the scent. Recognizing it immediately he let go of a breath he didn't know he was holding in. The scent conjured memories of comfort and familiarity, of a simpler time in his short ten years life. How could he not know this scent or who it belonged to?!

It seemed like it been committed to his very core. Like it's always been a part of him, it permeates even his earliest memories. Even before reaching the age where their quirks would be able to manifest. The time where none of it matters. Before society determines your worth and children can just be children. Somehow it surrounded him even then. The smell of caramel on the stove nearing the edge of burning. That moment just before it is ruined and turns bitter. That was him after all... Well only if you took the time to actually know him - perfectly balancing the point between sweet and bitter. THE Katsuki Bakugo...

The boy he admired and awed at anything he did. He seemed to be able to do it all. No matter what he tried he did perfectly. This was his hero and the future number one of Japan. Kacchan. The nickname coming from when they were even younger still. Midoriya had had trouble properly pronouncing Katsuki's name.

Before society forced them into predetermined roles, Kacchan was his world. His only and best friend. Midoriya's inspiration and his very reason for carrying on. Life had not been kind to young Midoriya. Nobody knew or cared about that though, nor did he let it show. His hero would save him. His Kacchan.

Time passed and nobody would believe that was how Midoriya saw Bakugo at any point in his life. Nobody would dare even suggest the two were actually friends at any point in their lives. No, to everyone else they were childhood friends of circumstance, their mothers forcing them to be in the same room. Nothing beyond their mothers being college friends connected them. They have nothing in common.

Everyone with an outward perspective can easily and confidently say that Bakugo hated Midoriya. So much so that he's leading the charge in the daily bullying campaign of Midoriya. Nobody beyond the school faculty called him that though. To everyone else he was Deku, the nasty nickname said campaign had spawned. Useless. Weak. Worthless.

Odd then it would seem that Midoriya started to relax and even etch the beginnings of a smile as his former friend turned tormentor drew ever closer to him. Surely anyone sensible and a modicum of survival instinct would run. Avoid another beating. Avoid new raw burned patches of skin thanks to his tormentor's quirk. A powerful one at that as it can create localized explosions depending on how much nitroglycerin laced sweat he mixed into it. Yet he remained unmoving and perplexingly almost seemed giddy at the prospect of Bakugo's presence.

Bakugo sneaked closer with each second confident he hasn't been detected yet. "This is it, the nerd won't see this coming!" he thought to himself smirking wickedly. As he inched closer he noticed his target deep in thought with the hint of a smile. "a smile huh?! Who made you smile like that eh?! Tch! I'll teach you..."

Deep in thought Midoriya's vision went dark as a pair of hands obscured it, accompanied by a voice. "What are you smiling at ya damn nerd?!" the explosive boy growled with a surprisingly playful tone... Beaming brightly with a smile that could rival the sun he grabbed one of the hands covering his face and spun around at a dizzying speed. "Y-YOU CAME KACCHAN!!" Midoriya said a bit too loudly scaring a nearby flock of birds.