Post Vitam

Chapter 02

Izuku had put all his hopes and dreams on the time when he would almost turn eleven. The age most late bloomers manifest their quirks. However he wasn't going to let fate be the one responsible for his future like when he was four years old. No the last time he blindly trusted things would just happen his whole world collapsed and he woke up in the hellscape that is his current life.

He made plans upon plans. He would see them through no matter the cost. When he was six he saw the news about how a quirkless girl had manifested a quirk through stressed induced trauma. She had barely survived falling off scaffolding and woke up with a quirk that let her control water. Izuku was obsessed and doubled down on his plans.

He earned a mumble habit that annoyed his already irritable mother forcing him to internalize it. Giving him a crazed look sometimes when he was mumbling inside his head. When primary school had started he had a plan.

He was already stressed out to the max at home basically living in a minefield trying desperately to not step on something that would set his mother off. Hard thing to accomplish when his very existence is an affront to her.

So he decided to approach the one person he could trust and who never changed how he treated him. His best friend Kacchan. The chance to have him help Izuku came one morning when his mother woke him up by banging on his open door "WAKE UP USELESS! We need to meet Mitsuki and take you and her son to buy school clothes. Thank fuck you're finally going to school and will be out from under my sight for once!"

Izuku got ready as fast as he could and raced downstairs to not keep his mother waiting. He got a smack to the back of his head as he got at the landing. "Don't ruin the wood on my stairs! Grab a banana and lets go" She said slamming the front door going to the car. Izuku raced to grab the banana and snuck an apple for Kacchan into his pocket. He got in the car and closed the door as gently as he could but still got an angry look from his mother. "Are you on a mission to destroy all of my property today?!" She said smacking the back of his head again...

When they pulled into the parking lot Inko turned to her son with a huge fake smile that would fool anyone who hadn't seen her true colours. She started to use her telekinesis to choke him. "You know the rules brat, I'm a loving doting mother who has to endure the cruelty of the world having to raise a son by myself. You don't talk about our home affairs, okay?!" The disconnect between the actual words and her sweet tone with such a innocent face was enough to terrify anyone.

"Y-yes m-mmommy!" The choking got worse hearing this. "I TOLD YOU TO NOT CALL ME THAT!" Inko letting the façade break. "S-Sssorry mmm-mam" Izuku barely managed to get out struggling for breath. "I bet you are. Damn useless..." Then she put on her fake face again and got out of the car. Izuku sat there wanting to cry so badly but he had to get out. He had to pretend he is ok or it would only get worse. Besides he had Kacchan to look forward to.

The rest of the day went by uneventfully and both Izuku and Katsuki got their first school uniforms. The mothers took the boys to a nearby park for ice-cream. The boys got their ice cream cones and went running of to a spot they saw when they got to the park.

Giggling as they raced to the tree careful not to drop their cones as they went. "I WIN IZUKU!!!" Kacchan shouted triumphantly puffing out his chest as he did. "Of course you did Kacchan, you're amazing!" Boosting the blond's confidence even further. "I am aren't I?" He replied teasingly laughing at Izuku.

He sat down with his back leaning against the cherry blossom tree they spotted when they got to the park. Licking his cone and the bit of ice cream that had dripped down his hand. "So you have another plan don't you?" He asked already knowing the green headed boy always had plans for how to get his quirk to wake up.

"YEP!" Was all Izuku said while licking his own cone teasing his friend by not answering him. "Spill it or I will tickle you!" Kacchan threatened. Wide eyed and teasing Izuku replied "you wouldn't dare Kacchan!" Causing both of them to giggle. They sat and joked around finishing the ice cream.

Bakugo asked again "C'mon tell me for real this time or I will actually tickle you this time" This only caused Izuku to giggle harder tears of laughter now rolling down his face. Bakugo now pretended to be annoyed and put an exaggerated pout on his bottom lip sending Izuku into orbit and actually rolling around laughing. He loved making his friend laugh.

After catching his breath he sat up and looked at Bakugo in the eyes. "thanks Kacchan, I needed that." Before he could even wonder what he had meant Izuku just kept going. "So here's the plan, since we are going to school now I need you to start bullying me"

"HAH?!"

Izuku quickly covered Bakugo's mouth. "Not so loud Kacchan!" Izuku hadn't removed his hand quick enough for his liking so Bakugo licked it. "EWWW KACCHAN!" Izuku moaned wiping his hand on his jeans Izuku while looking at Bakugo.

"Don't say stupid stuff then, what do you mean you need me to start bullying you?! Why would I do that?! You're my best friend! Heck you're my only friend. The other idiots just hang around me because they think I'm cool" 

Izuku raised an eyebrow at this. "But you are cool though?!"

"Tch, not the point Izuku!"

"It kind of is though Kacchan"

"now I'm even more confused... Izuku just tell me what this plan is, because so far I don't like it"

"It's for two reasons. One part is causing me more stress and maybe that'll unlock my quirk. Having you at school and mom at home stressing me maybe it'll work." Izuku said earning a confused look from Bakugo.

He's so comfortable around Bakugo it's hard to remember he doesn't automatically know everything about him. He rushed past his slip up of mentioning his mom and hoped Bakugo wouldn't bring it up later. 

"Second part is you know how people treat me because I don't have my quirk yet. I see how people talk about the quirkless, how they are treated. Until my quirk decides to stop hiding I'm basically one of them. Everybody around me suffers because of it." Izuku sat on edge waiting for how Bakugo would respond.

Bakugo studied his friend. He didn't want to bully his friend but this was his plan and he knew once Izuku has a plan there's not much anybody can do to change his mind. He also knew what Izuku meant when he was talking about how people treated the quirkless or those around them. He hated that it was true and he hated more that if he was honest how the thought of being bullied just because he knew Izuku scared him somehow...

"Until when?"

"So you'll do it then?" Izuku said hopeful. Bakugo didn't answer and waited for Izuku to answer his question instead. "Till I'm old enough for a late bloomer appointment with the quirk doctors... Basically a bit under or over four years."

"FOUR YEARS! Izu!?!" He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Being only six makes everything seem longer than it really is. So to him four years was basically forever. "You want me to be mean to you for FOUR YEARS?!" Izuku giggled at Bakugo. "it's not that long plus it's only when we are in school so people don't bully you for knowing me.."

"It's not all the time?" Bakugo asked confused.

"nope not all the time, only when other people are around so they think you hate me and there's no way you'd even think of me as a friend" Izuku said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Bakugo considered it for what seemed like forever and only came to when Izuku was waving a hand in front of his face... "Earth to Kacchan. -bzzzt- Come in Kacchan -bzzzt-" Sending both of them into a giggle fit.

After they calmed down Bakugo wiped his face, sighed and said "If it's not always I guess it's fine. I still don't like it at all but I know better than to try and change your mind." Izuku smiled and hugged Bakugo.

"Thanks Kacchan, I'll for sure get my quirk now"