Yes, Maybe, No | BakuDeku ✔

chapter-21

Returning to his house filled Izuku with fear—Katsuki had become his escape, a fantasy, while his mother represented the harsh reality awaiting him. Anticipating an unpleasant exchange and serious discussions with his mother, Izuku dreaded the resurgence of abuse triggered by the sight of his mother drowning her sorrows on the couch.

"Hey, mom..." Izuku declared his arrival as he entered the house. Removing his shoes and placing his coat on the rack, he glanced into the compact living room that doubled as the kitchen and dining area.

Inko appeared furious, and Izuku could sense that tonight wouldn't be pleasant. Slowly rising from the couch, she clutched the bottle of wine in her hand and hurled it in Izuku's direction. Swiftly dodging, he evaded the projectile, and the bottle shattered against the wall behind him.

"Where on hell have you been?! I called your workplace expecting you to bring me some food, and they informed me you called in sick today! What's going on?" She shouted again, hurrying towards Izuku and seizing him by the collar.

Izuku hiccuped, and his mother shot him a piercing look. She desired him to understand that his rendezvous with Katsuki was a blunder. She insisted he should avoid seeing him again—this was all in his head because she had no idea who he was dating. However, Izuku couldn't bring himself to do that. Even after resorting to self-harm as a means to cope with pain and alleviate stress, he believed that Katsuki was the one who could help him become a better person.

When Izuku didn't respond promptly, she impatiently delivered a slap across his face before forcefully pushing him away. Head bowed, tears welled in Izuku's eyes as he instinctively touched his stinging cheek. Finally, he raised his gaze to meet his mother's, anger vividly etched across his face.

Izuku felt the urge to lash out at his mother with every fiber of his being. He longed for her to comprehend the pain he endured from her hurtful actions and words over the years, but... he held back, refusing to become the kind of man who resorts to such behavior. Taking a few deep breaths, Izuku turned around and walked towards his bedroom.

"Goodnight, Mom," Izuku uttered before gently closing the door behind him. 

He slid down his door, pulling his knees to his chest, allowing himself to cry. The tears came painfully. It took him about twenty minutes to gather the strength to lift himself from the cold floor to his bed. Once there, he retrieved his phone and dialed Katsuki's number.

"Hello?" Katsuki answered. There was a brief pause before he heard Izuku's sniffles. "Hey, what's wrong?" he quickly responded, concern evident.

"Can I stay with you for a couple of days? My mom isn't herself right now..." Izuku cried into the phone. Without another word, Katsuki gave him the 'okay' and assured him that he would receive him whenever Izuku chose to come.

"Please, don't hang up," Izuku implored after a while. Katsuki made a noise, indicating his agreement with Izuku's plea. Lying on his bed with eyes closed beneath the covers, Izuku sat silently with Katsuki, listening to his breathing through the phone.

The next day, Izuku woke up with a sore throat and a stuffy nose, sensing the onset of a cold. Ignoring the symptoms, he proceeded to his closet to pack some clothes before heading to Katsuki's studio. Since he had never been to Katsuki's place, he asked the blond to send him the address. Despite Katsuki's offer to pick him up, Izuku was reluctant, not wanting his mother to be aware of his departure. To ensure his whereabouts remained unknown, he left his phone on the nightstand, making it impossible for Inko to reach or track him down.

Izuku quietly stepped out of his room and approached his mother's door. Peering through the grating, he saw her sound asleep. A slight smile crossed his face before he headed to the front door, slipping out silently. Releasing a held breath and fearing that his mother might wake up, he went to the bus station.

On the journey, he decided to stop briefly at his workplace. There, he planned to request two days off from his manager, explaining that he would be spending that time indoors with Katsuki—assuming, at least, that he would be with him for those two days. Afterward, Izuku intended to meet Katsuki outside his studio with open arms.

Once enveloped in Katsuki's embrace, Izuku let out a breath of relief. "I'm so glad you said yes," Izuku said with a soft sniffle. The blond gently pushed him backward to see his tired face.

"Let's go inside. I'll make you a warm cup of tea," Katsuki said as he wrapped an arm around Izuku's shoulder, retrieving Izuku's luggage. The two walked into the blond's studio and settled in for the remainder of the day.

Even though it was the beginning of the day, Izuku strongly desired to be lazy. Throughout his memory, there hadn't been a single day when he could truly relax. As the man of the house with his mother working double shifts, he took on all the responsibilities his mother would typically handle if his dad were still around: sweeping the floors, mopping, cleaning the dishes, preparing meals, and handling various daily chores.

Then, school arrived, and Izuku still found himself responsible for all the chores because his mother was seldom around. When she did appear, she was often inebriated, mindlessly subjecting young Izuku to abuse without his full awareness. As a coping mechanism, he eventually jogged in the early morning to release the built-up stress that had accumulated throughout his life up until now.

Izuku was relieved to sit on Katsuki's porch, overlooking the city. The blond joined him, carrying two cups of tea and passing one to Izuku. After settling down, Katsuki placed a blanket over them to ward off the early morning chill. Izuku snuggled into Katsuki's chest, sipping his tea, his eyes gently closing.

Katsuki leaned forward and kissed the top of Izuku's head. "Feeling any better?" he asked, taking a quick sip of his tea and sticking his tongue out briefly due to its warmth. Izuku giggled at the sight.

"Much better, thanks," Izuku replied, his gaze fixed on the horizon, where the sunrise was uplifting his entire mood.

"Do you have classes today?" Katsuki asked as he looked down at Izuku's curls and started mindlessly counting them as he awaited his response.

"Yeah, but I don't feel like attending college today..." Izuku confessed with anxiety. Despite the impending need to attend his classes to finish the semester, the prospect of encountering his best friend troubled him, knowing that Iida would inquire about his well-being.

Katsuki chuckled before turning his gaze towards the sunrise. "Yeah, fuck school," he remarked, eliciting a small chuckle from Izuku. Izuku looked up at Katsuki, playfully bopped his nose, and exchanged a quick kiss.

As the sun continued its ascent, casting warm hues across the city, Katsuki and Izuku lingered on the porch, wrapped in each other's embrace. With the promise of a new day, they shared quiet moments, finding solace in the simplicity of the morning. The whispers of the wind, the distant city sounds, and the comforting presence of one another created a tranquil atmosphere, offering a brief respite from their challenges. As the chapter closed, the sunrise painted a hopeful canvas, symbolizing a fresh start for the two souls finding refuge in each other.