Cold.
Everything was cold.
Why did everything feel so rough?
Why does everything hurt?
He was hungry again
He felt empty again.
Was he back at his old home?
Without food?
Without warmth?
Was all of his UA life a dream?
Questions kept popping up in Deku's mind as he awoke in such dingy conditions. He hadn't even opened his eyes yet, but his mind still went into full damage mode. It didn't feel like he was outside, eventhough he was incredibly cold. It wasn't the same rubbly texture as the alleyway, which was the last thing he remembered. He finally opened his eyes. It was a boxy room, nothing inside other than himself and a bucket next to him which he didn't even want to know what it's use was. There was no lights, the only thing illuminating his surroundings was coming from the small window on the bolted door on the left of him. He didn't have the strength to move, his head was pounding like crazy. He moved his hand towards his head, trying to calm down his thumbing headache but was met with an unfamiliar jingling sound and was followed with something around his wrists restricting his movement. In that moment he suddenly sprung to life, realising the severity of his situation. He was bolted to the wall by chains connecting to both his wrists and ankles, the cold mental tightly grasping, leaving not enough ample room to even fit his pinky figure between. He struggled for a moment, hopelessly pulling away as if he could escape whilst doing so. He fell back in defeat. Memories of what happened slowly swarmed his thoughts. 'Stain.... iida.... I attacked him... I was about to be defeated until Todoroki and..' his mind jumped to the one person and one person only. For the first time in a suprisingly long time, tears streamed down his face in pure unfiltered fear.
"KACCHAN!!" He screamed, struggling to reach for the door as if his chains were going to miraculously break now, even though his previous failed attempt. He kept screaming that childish name over and over again, almost wishing that he would appear right in front of him, if he said it enough. He failed his promise, he failed to keep himself safe, he failed to keep him safe, he watched as stain took his lifeless, sleeping body whilst he was unable to do anything. He needed to know if he was safe, he needed to know where he is. This feeling, this unfiltered feeling of fear, regret, loneliness, made him feel like he was back at the beginning of the year, he was back at aquare one. All that confidence build up, all those tactics of evaluating his situations and adapting to it, all his hard earned relationships, all flushed down the drain. He could feel his voice gettting strained as he screamed his boyfriend's name, each pronunciation itching the back of his throat. He probably was only screaming for 30 seconds, but to him it felt like an eternity, an eternity without his beloved. He fell to the floor in defeat, his wrists and ankles burning due to how hard he was trying to pull, his sobbing was mixed with a cacophony of panting and sniffling. The world had gone silent, his room had gotten dark, and Deku had felt empty. Until...
"Deku?" A soft voice spoke from the other side of wall behind the small green haired boy. He froze, unable to tell if it was his mind playing dirty tricks on him. He patiently waited... listening out for another sign of life. He clutched into the dirt below him, of course it was just a trick, of course he wasn't actually her- "Deku are you there?" The voice spoke again. This couldn't be true, this was still his mind playing tricks on him. If not, then he couldn't tell if this was a good thing or a bad thing. "Kacchan ?" He spoke out, swiveling his petite body towards the wall and delicately placed his ear on it, tears were on hold as he patiently waited.
"DEKU!! TELL ME THIS ISN'T SOME FUCKED UP DREAM!! TELL ME I HAVEN'T DEVELOPED SCHIZOPHRENIA AND NOW IM TORTURING MYSELF BY TRICKING MYSELF INTO LISTENING TO YOUR BEAUTIFUL VOICE?" Bakugo suddenly shouted, causing Deku to recoil due to the hearing damage he had gained from the volume of the others voice. Bakugo, was patiently waiting on the other side, chained up the same way on the opposite side of the wall. He had previously was taking a nap until he heard his boyfriend's desperate muffled screams. When he first woke up, he felt like he was going to puke, the world spun as he tried to regain his bearings. He was equally surprised to the new environment, feeling the darkness of the room tighten around his throat. He panicked knowing that Deku might still be fighting the sicko as he was asleep, and he to began to scream his boyfriend's name the same as Deku did, but to no avail. He passed out an hour before Deku had awoken, making him fall asleep in a world without his beloved. The soft voice was enough to move him to tears, but he didn't trust his mind to the fullest, knowing that this could all be an illusion or even a dream. The atmosphere was thick, as bakugo anticipated a response from the voice behind the wall.
"W-What's schizophrenia?" That was certainly not the response he was expecting, but it did sound like reality. "No you are definitely the real Deku." He slightly chuckled to himself. He pressed his forehead against the stone wall, the cold and almost damp texture sending a shiver down his spine. However, he didn't care if the obviously bacteria-filled moody wall was connecting with his pampered skin, Deku was here. Deku was alive with him.
"I'm so glad you are ok, I thought I was alon-.... Deku, are you crying?" His joy was interrupted by the soft sounds of sobbing. Deku had burst into tears once again, clinging onto he wall as if it was his boyfriends body. Guilt and shame written all over his face though the other couldn't see it. "I'm so sorry kacchan, I brought you into this mess. I should have listened to you, I was going to keep myself safe for you but it only brought you to fall with me." He cried, his words occasionally being interrupted by sniffs and hiccups. "Shhh, hey hey bun, it's ok. I'm here." The surprisingly soft comforting voice on the other side made deku's heart flutter, but he felt like he didn't deserve that.
"Exactly!! You shouldn't be !! And I shouldn't be happy about it !!" The atmosphere thickened, the words hang over him like a noose beckoning. He had knelt down, unintentionally in apology position, feeling more of that guilt and shame wash over him as he soaked the already damp floor below him.
" I hate this... the moment I heard your voice through this wall, I felt relief, isn't that terrible ? I shouldn't have been relieved that you are in this predicament with me, I shouldn't be happy to share my pain. I should have been alone, but you are here, and now I have put my fears onto you. At the end of the day, I will always be a useless, pathetic... Deku." He sadly laughed, he had forgotten all about the connotation that came with that nickname, it had lost its meaning the minute he came to UA. He really was useless, he really didn't deserve the happiness he was given. It already felt like a distant dream. The silence grew deafening, making deku believe that the boy on the other side of the wall agreed with him. He wanted to crawl into a ball and drowned in his mistakes, a punishment he was worth of. He was ready to accept it all.
"Well that's not the Deku I know. I think you might not be the real Deku after all... schizophrenia's a bitch huh." A sarcastic voice burst through deku's depressive episode, making his sobs stop with a screeching hault. "W-What do you mean?" He stuttered, the only words that seemed to be able to slip through his tongue. The other scoffed, Deku could sense the arms being crossed and the disagreeable look on the blond's face. "Well if you have to know, mr illusion, the REAL Deku would try to think positively in this situation, the REAL Deku would probably blame himself sure, but he would come up with a convoluted plan to get us the fuck out of here, probably finding a way to break a few bones or two. The Real Deku, MY Deku, would find away to use his big, stupid, freckled head of his to burst down this stupid wall to be a sentimental little shit and give me the biggest hug possible, because that's who he is, a sentimental asshole who knows just what to do, but does it in the stupidest way possible." His sarcastic words surprisingly held up so much meaning, making deku silently let the tears fall, wishing he could see the softness in his boyfriends face. "It's not your fault you wanted to help someone in need, you are a Deku but you are also human. I shouldn't have put that pressure on you to not do anything, that's not who you are and I don't want that to change." Bakugo continued, it was like the wall wasn't even there, both boys had they head against the wall, feeling each other's presence. The world became a little bit brighter.
"I love you, you small dumb idiot." Bakugo finally sighed, knowing that his words would definitely get through to the anxious green headed boy, that's just the type of person he is, takes everything to heart, and bakugo loved that about him. Deku felt his heart pound with the other's, finally feeling a smile creep up the side of his scarred cheek. "I love you too kacchan.." he said lovingly, still a tinge of sadness in his tone, which bakugo wanted to correct. "What ?! No childish insult.... maybe you really are just my imagination." He teased, putting on a pouty face though the other could not see it. Deku giggled at the playful nature of kacchan's 'tsundere' demeanour, making them feel like they were in their rooms again, re-watching Disney films.
"... shut up you... Pomeranian." He stuttered, trying to think of a fake insult. This resulted in bakugo bursting into a soft laughter, making deku feel like heart skip a beat. "I wish I could see you laughing." He murmured loud enough for the blond to hear.
"You will.... don't worry, I'm not going anywhere."
"That's what i am afraid of."
Suddenly, deku's door swung open with the force of a thousand men, making the small defenseless body yelp with fear, holding his chest to not make his heart explode out of it. He couldn't make out who or what was there, but he could only hear the muffled voice of a grown man. "Now shut up and play nice, offerwise daddy will put you with the feral one instead." The figure shouted, before throwing a smaller figure into the room and slamming the door, darkness and fear engulfing the teenager once again.
~*
Deku pressed his back against wall, trying his best not to move. He couldn't see what the new figure in his room was, it could be a ravage animal for all he new. Was it sent in here to kill him? Were they supposed to fight? He couldn't contain his panicked breathing, the muffled sounds of kacchan's equally as panicked questions from behind the wall echoed in the back of his mind. He could feel his breathing hitch as the small figure began to move. They seemed equally as panicked, rushing to the door, banging at it. The figure was covered by a small ragged blanket, which slowly slipped of as the small figure stood. All Deku could do was observe, as the grey, long, knotted locks were revealed. It was a body of a child, skinny beyond belief, Deku assumed they were a girl due to the long hair that flowed behind her. She seemed desperate to escape, to terrified to look behind her. In that moment, Deku was the adult of room, he had no reason to be scared. He calmed himself down, trying his best to bring back his warm inviting self.
"Hello?" He said as softly as he could, sitting with his legs crossed in order to look the least bit threatening. The girl turned her head in fear, pressing her back against the wall like Deku did a moment prior. Deku was taken aback at how delicate her face was. She had the biggest eyes possible, highlighting those beautiful crimson eyes. They looked exactly like kacchan's, both being his favourite colour. Her arms and legs seemed to be bandaged all over, not completely covering the various bruises and cuts on her arms and legs, sending worried thoughts in Deku's head. She looked so frightened, but Deku related and knew she probably hadn't seen a friendly face in a long time.
"Hey, I'm not going to hurt you. See, even if I wanted to, which I don't, I couldn't attack you, so you have nothing to worry about." He said, showcasing his tough chains as proof of his restriction. He flashed his brightest smile he could give. Though the words weren't as comforting as it sounded in his head, the young girl seemed to calm down only a little bit, allowing her body to slide down the metal door as she relaxed. Deku was surprisingly ok with kids, and after the Kota incident, he had grown a new familiarity of wanting to protect them. However, it wasn't hard to believe that people feel safe around him, due to his overwhelming PMA. "What's your name?" He said, gently offering his hand as a symbol of kindness, offering the opportunity for her to come closer. Though she seemed hesitant to speak at first, she slowly got up and moved towards the teenager.
"E-Eri..." her voice was shaky at best, as if she was afraid to even make a sound. Deku persisted, brightly smiling as eri sat arms length away. "That's a beautiful name. My name is Izuku Midoriya, you can call me Izuku." His warming smile smoothed the little girl's soul. She had never seen such a trusting face as clear as day as this, his presence made her want to cry, but she was scared he would shout at her if she did. Eri hesitated, remembering why he would be here in the first place. "A-Are you the same as me ?" Her eyes filled with dread, knowing what he will go through if he truly was the same. Deku looked puzzled, he nervously smiled whilst rubbing the back of his neck, the chains still jingling at the movement. "T-the same as yo-?"
"Hey !! Deku !! I hear you talking, what the fuck is going on ? Are you ok ?" A worried gruff voice shouted from the other side of the wall, startling both Eri and Deku who were just getting use to the calm surroundings. Deku sighed happily whilst Eri feared for the worst. "I'm fine kacchan... I've made a friend, That's all." Deku said, cheerfully winking at Eri to symbolize that the voice was no threat,
"That's not fucking sketchy at all.".... though the voice wasn't helping in doing so. Deku brushed off the angry sarcastic comment and smiled towards Eri, just as brightly as before. "Eri, this is my friend kacchan, he might seem feral, but trust me he is a big softie." Eri thought for a moment, gently pressing her index finger again her lip, which Deku found adorable.
"Am I.... his friend ?" She replied, suddenly shocked by her discovery, her eyes becoming some what bigger than before. "Of course you are !! Isn't that right kacchan?" He said excitedly, directing his words towards the wall like a madman. They heard a grumbled response echoed from behind the wall, the little girl left wondering what kind of face did this sour voice belong to. "Tch, sure whatever." He said clearly, though it was less grumbled as before. Deku recognised that tone, Deku had a hunch that his blond counterpart was blushing immensely, to which he was correct. He giggled at his boyfriend, being.....well, kaachan as always. Nevertheless, that soft moment was shortly interrupted by soft sobbing, that was certainly not coming for the voice behind the wall. Deku turned around, and found eri clutching onto the rim of her dirty, ripped dress and letting her tears fall onto the back of her hands. Deku instantly felt his body try to move towards her, but his chained movement restricted him. He settled with the defensive route. "Why are you crying Eri?" He asked softly, wishing more than anything to push away her tangled knots out of her face. She looked up with a sadness that felt very similar to his own, he saw himself in her, maybe they really were alike.
"I... never had a... friend before." She said, her eyes glistening against the little light they had in the room. Deku didn't know what to say, he didn't know how to feel either. How can you explain what it's like to have a friend when you are still new to the concept yourself? He felt unqualified to say anything, other than offer the one thing that makes him feel safe. "Do you want a hug ?" He extended his arms out the best he could, smiling sweetly with a hint of sadness within it. Eri at first, flinched at the sudden movement, not knowing what to do, but she knew not to cower in fear infront of this bright boy, she felt like she could trust him. So instead of the fear of the unknown, she simple just asked. "What's a hug ?" Deku's heart stopped, sadness flushing his face. 'What has happened to this kid to restrict her from knowing what a hug is?' Eri felt guilty for asking such a question to make the happy teenager suddenly turn somber, was it something she should know ?
"Well... it's when you hold someone as an act of affection or comfort, it really helps me feel better in tough situations. Especially from my friends and even more from kacchan!" Deku explained in an understanding manner, trying his best not to make the child feel like she was dumb for not knowing. Hugs were something he had grown accustomed to, he was so touched starved at the beginning of UA, and yet he still got hugs from his mother. He could not imagine what this child was going through. Eri tilted her head like a lost puppy, "But you are to big for me to hold." She said, looking at her small hands compared to deku's body. Deku couldn't help but chuckle at the adorable statement, the mind of child will always be a wonderful experience, wether or not they have been through hell. Eri began to panic at the weird noise that was coming out of the green-haired boy, waving her hands to get his attention.
"W-Why are you crying ? I'm sorry!" Eri stuttered, unable to understand why Izuku was crying whilst smiling. Deku looked up, this kid was someone he had to protect, he had to help her understand happy emotions. Deku smiled sweetly, wiping away his joyous tears. "Im not crying, Im laughing. And don't worry about it, you are just really amazing Eri. I can hold you if you want." He said sincerely, reaching out his arms once again. Eri once again hesitates, did she really trust this guy? How did she know that this wasn't some dirty trick for him to attack her? She looked into his sparkling eyes, they seemed so pure, they were not the kind of eyes like her dad had. She took a leap of faith, standing up and careful walking into his arms. Deku didn't inclose his arms until Eri was fully ready, resting her head on his delicate shoulder. He carefully rapped his arms around her fragile body, not even really holding her as he was massive compared to her. Eri had never really felt warmth before in her life, other than the sickening feeling of her own blood trickling down her body. This was very different, her heart was pounding, but in a good way? Her face felt flushed, but in a good way ? This was so drastically different to her previously life. She clung onto the ragged weird suit that Izuku had and squeezed tighter as she never wanted to let go.
"Is that better ?" Midoriya asked, he could feel how confused but happy she was, which made his heart bubble with excitement, 'step one of saving this child. Make her feel safe'. He stroked her knotted hair, calming down her rapid heart. "Good, get some rest, it looks like you need it." He hushed, his calming voice making Eri soften her stance and melted into his embrace further, feeling her eyes droop. Eri slowly looked up, both of their round eyes meeting . "Izuku? Are you going to stay with me?" She asked, eyes glistening with a pleading sensation. Deku didn't know what to say, they can't stay here, this place is obviously not a friendly environment. However, he refused to leave her here, he will find a way to save everyone, Eri, kacchan, and himself. He smiled, leaning back further onto the wall,
"Of course."
~*
"Kacchan, are you awake ?" A small voiced echoed from behind the wall. Bakugo was eagerly awaiting Deku to be the first one to speak, as he too was unsure if his boyfriend was awake. "Of course, I don't even know if it is night or day in this hell hole." He scoffed, curling himself into a tighter ball, wishing he could hold the greenette. According to Bakugo's calculations, it had been an hour since Eri, the small child in deku's room, had fallen asleep in that nerd's arms. Deku had remained silent since then, which obviously made the blond worry, but was too caution to wake either of them up. He was annoyed, he didn't know what Deku looked like in that situation, he didn't know how bad deku's state was, he didn't even know what the girl who was currently hugging his soulmate looked like. He was completely out of the blue. He wish he had superpowers to knock down this barrier between them, because he felt like he wasn't even a part of their world.
"How are you holding up" Deku croakily asked, making bakugo realise he probably did just wake up from a nap, which made him glad not to speak up first. "Sore.... and fucking thirsty as shit." He admitted, rubbing his throat as if deku could see him. He felt a guilt crawl in his mind, he held back his condition in order for deku not to worry, but the truth is that he was littered with infected cuts and bruises. Without food or water, he could already feel the difference, he wasn't as use to it as deku. They don't know how long they were out before they awoke, but bakugo had a hunch that it hadn't been an overnight development. He heard a soft muffled chuckle, making him wish he could hear it more clearly. "Typical kacchan." Deku sweetly sighed, as if they were not even in this predicament in the first place. Deku seemed to have a tendency of just going with the flow, even in dangerous situations. It disturbed bakugo how such a young, wide-eyed child could go through so much injustice and despair... and is able to just go with the flow.
"Is the kid asleep?" Bakugo huffed, knowing that the kid will be deku's top priority for a while, which he knew he didn't have competition but he still felt jealousy boil his blood. It's not that kacchan didn't care about the child, they were in such an unsafe environment that anyone wouldn't want any children to stay. However, he was never really good with kids, he had good intentions but he always came out too scary or agressive. Plus he couldn't have the same emotional attachment as Deku to Eri due to not knowing what the hell she looked like. Bakugo could hear shuffling behind the wall, probably Deku moving Eri off him due to their uncomfortable sleeping position. Deku gently placed Eri on his lap, they had fallen asleep in each other's arms, which caused his back to ache immensely. "Yea........ Kacchan, she is covered in bruises, head to toe." He said softly, placed the back of his head against the wall whilst looking at the ceiling.
"Jesus-" was what Kacchan was going to reply before he was interrupted. "That's not all, it look like she had injection marks on her. It seems like they are taking blood from her, they are not disinfected or anything though." He mumbled, clearly in his own motherly world. Bakugo didn't even stop his mumbling this time, unconsciously loving the sound of his boyfriends voice, though he did pause to himself. "What would they want with a little girl's blood?" He thought aloud, enough for deku to hear. "I don't know, but I have a bad feeling about this place." Deku's tone sounded determined, yet still laced with fear for what was going to come. He had speculated that something bad is going to happen soon, and it might be related to the fact that he wasn't affected by stain's poisoned blades. Why was he immune to literal tranquilliser?! And what was with that sketchy question about 'being the same' as Eri? So many questions, and too many unsettling hypotheses. He was soon interrupted by a roar coming from his boisterous boyfriend.
"No shit Sherlock, we are chained to the wall!" He practically shouted with sarcasm, stating the obvious. "Shhh, not so loud kacchan and you know what I mean." Deku whispered in contrast to his partner, slightly chuckling at the boldness of his beloved. Bakugo got the hint and calmed down, feeling his body relax as he leaned against the hard, moldy brick surface. None of them realised that they were perfectly symmetrical to each other, their breathing was in sync and both of them longing to hold the other's hand. "Look Deku, just get some rest, you can't protect her if you are up worrying all night." Bakugo finally stated, knowing that Deku would take any and all opportunity to protect either one of them. The green haired boy sighed, as he stroked the grey hair below him the best he could without getting his hand caught in the knots.
"I guess you are right, thanks kacchan."
"I'm always right idiot."
After a few moments of silence, bakugo assumed Deku had finally taken his advice and was left in the cold and dark room he was locked in. He hated being such an outsider, especially since he was just out of reach to the one thing that kept him sane. He curled up into a ball, trying to trick his mind into thinking he was hugging the small green haired boy. He missed his eyes, he missed his hesitant but genuine smile, he even missed those stupid scars that were plastered on his freckled face, god did he miss those freckles. He also almost felt into a blissful slumber, hoping if he woke up, he would be greeted to a soft bed, warm sunlight and those rosy freckled cheeks, like he did not that long ago.
"She has the same colour eyes as you. It's nice.... it's like you are here with me."Deku unexpectedly remarked, bakugo instantaneously returned to his new reality. Before he could shout at deku for not going to sleep yet, he thought about his words. Deku must also be feeling the longing for him, as Deku doesn't have much in life other than that stupid blond, so of course he would feel the absence just as much as bakugo did. "I am here with you, idiot." He scoffed, though without any malicious intent, like he never did when it came to Deku. Fortunately and unfortunately, they were in it together, but at least they still had each other. The green haired boy smiled, enjoying to calm before the storm.
"I know."
~*
Bakugo was suddenly awakened by the sound of a rusty door opening, the struggling noises of a little girl echoing in his ears as he quickly rubbed out the sleep in his eyes. He was flung into full panic mode, almost turning completely feral and about to attack anyone that would come close. In his still sleepy blurry vision, he noticed how the door suddenly slammed shut, leaving a whimpering sound of a child clinging to the door, begging for mercy. Bakugo's eyes sharpened as bright piercing red eyes were highlighted by tangled grey hair. Due to the element of elimination, he detected that this must be...
"Eri?" He called out, his voice still groggy from his slumber. The girl noticed the figure in the corner and jumped at his harsh sounding voice, until she realized its familiarity. "K-Kacchan?" The girly voice spoke as clear as day, sounding completely different compared to the muffled mess he had experienced the first time. That name rang in his ears, it felt wrong, it felt way too wrong. "Please kid, don't call me that. Only de-...Izuku can call me that ok? You can call me Katsuki." He requested, yawning at the beginning of the sentence. He was going to stretch until he remembered his limbs were bound. Eri looked grief and guilt stricken, stuttering a quiet "S-sorry." As she anxiously stepped over towards Katsuki, slightly hoping for a hug after what she had just been through. Kacchan's mind finally clocked, dread filling his mind.
"Don't be. What are you doing here ? Where is Dek-... Izuku?" He asked urgently, 'if eri is here, where is the nerd ?' Eri's guilty looking face only grew, as tears began to form into her eye sockets. "T-they took him away!" She stuttered, scared of what they were going to do to her new companion. Bakugo felt his heart stop, "What do you mean they took him away!" He asked with even more urgency than before, his mind plagued with dark thoughts. His overprotective boyfriend mode engaged to the max, he better be ok, for his sake and for theirs. Suddenly he was met with a suprisingly confident and desperate hug, as two bruised and skinny arms wrapped around his neck.
"M-My father does t-tests on people like me, he takes them and... and" she cried, clinging onto bakugo like a decrepit jungle gym, without the joy of course. Bakugo felt all the anger in his body wash away. Those big red eyes, though different in colour, were exactly like deku's, full of wonder and yet had seen some serious shit. The way she held him with such desperation, just reminded how Deku clung to him after their first sparring session, or during the nights when he had a nightmare. For once in a long time, he didn't feel grouchy, he wasn't fearing his appending doom, he was calm. He went into autopilot due to the weird news feeling in his body. He careful rubbed the back of this small child, using his 'Deku-is-in-trouble-must-be-soft' mode. He understood now, why Deku was already protective of her. Truth is, both males see each other in the girl, being a good medium for them both.
"Shh, kid it's ok.... I think Deku will be fine, he had survived through a lot worse." He spoke in such a soft low tone, something eri would have never expected from the voice behind the wall. He seemed so... moody, he never this calm when she was with Izuku. Is this what it is like to be alone with him ? Furthermore, those words of Katsuki's confused her, wondering what could possibly be more life threatening than their terrible situation they were in now. "What do you mean ?" She innocently asked, still clinging onto Katsuki but using her palm to wipe away her decreasing tears. "Well.... let's just say he has already.....been to hell and back." Katsuki didn't find it appropriate to tell her that her new guardian had actually died only a few months prior. They sat in the uncomfortable damp room, though Eri was protected by Katsuki's unusually warm body.
"Katsuki?" The little girl finally grew the courage to speak up. Katsuki hummed as a response, feeling his body lose that adrenaline he had gained from the surprised awakening. Eri shuffled in his grasp, getting more comfortable in his presence. "Why do you and Izuku have names for each other? Why can't I call you kacchan?" Eri quietly asked, just in case it was a sensitive topic. Bakugo thought for a moment, he guessed it was pretty unreasonable to ask her to not call him the only name Deku had been naming him. He smiled to himself, looking out longingly at the mere mention of that dork. "Well, it's a very important name that Izuku gave to me, he has called me that since we were younger than you are now. It's a symbol of our bond and it's just something personal, ya know? We, urmm, have a long history. We are boyfriends after all." He patiently explained, feeling an over-grown blush form across his no longer untouched soft cheeks, Never-minding the fact he didn't know deku's whereabouts in that second of time. Eri moved away slightly to look up at bakugo in the eyes.
"What's a boyfriend ?" She titled her head, very similar to Deku. 'Something you are not going to get until you are 18' his fatherly instinct kicking in, though he knew that wouldn't be appropriate, and he would have been a massive hypocrite. He rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled at the naivety of this child. "Jeez kid, have you never read a book befor-" he instantly stopped himself before he made a wrong move, feeling Deku's metaphorical mother eyes on him if he picked on her. Plus, he didn't want to make her feel stupid, he wasn't that much of a asshole to bully a child. "Urrrmmm, well. It's when two people love each other and they want to be with them forever and it's called having a girlfriend or a boyfriend. Me and Izuku are both boys, meaning we are boyfriends." He brushed off his previous comment, congratulating himself for a nice save.
"Can I be your girlfriend then?" ...... record scratch. Well this was awkward. Bakugo froze at the comment, if he had water to drink, he would have choked on it. He felt his face flush with embarrassment, feeling incredibly unqualified to deal with such an uncomfortable moment. "Pfft, E-Eri no. You are way to young for me and Deku to date you! That would be wrong and... highly illegal. plus, even if you were the same age, you can't be our...... girlfriend.... because both me and Deku are gay, meaning we like guys and we are not poly.... I guess you wouldn't understand that either... we only love each other romantically." He rambled, feeling his midoriya showing. Was this what Deku felt like in a constant basis ? Unfiltered awkwardness and embarrassment?Bakugo gain a new appreciation for his boyfriend. The Deku in his mind must be reeling right now. As Katsuki was focused on his embarrassed state, Eri fiddled with her thumbs and looked down sadly, not understanding the concept of relationships, both because she had been trapped in a literal dungeon all her life and because she was too young.
"Then what am I to you?" She asked again, big sparkly eyes of wonder looking up at the spiky blond. He thought for a moment, finally letting himself calm down from his previous shock of self-consciousness. "Can you two be my dads?" .... NEVER MIND IT GOT WORSE. He looked down at the girl with surprise, which slowly morphed into sympathy as the inequity of the situation was mercifulness. Did he really want to say that they were just strangers ? She seems so desperate to create bonds with labels attached. On the other hand, he couldn't get her hopes up by saying yes, because both of them are underaged to have children, plus bakugo wanted to fulfill his career before even thinking about having brats around.
"No, we are two young to have kids. Think of us as your carers for now, or maybe your brothers?"He simply stated, a small hint of guilt lit his face as his words must have surely hurt her hopes. However, to his astoundment, he was instead met with a smile as bright as the sun and eyes lit up like butter wouldn't melt. "I like brothers better!" She said excitedly, probably the first time she had smiled in a very long time, and it showed. Bakugo could feel tears prick at his eyes, the hidden smile was something he had been blessed with over and over again, Deku and Eri are truly similar, and bakugo was glad to experience both of them. Eri snuggled in close to bakugo, excepting his warm brotherly embrace. "I hope I can find a nicer dad soon." She stated longingly, grateful for the new 'siblings' that she had just acquired.
"I'm sure you will eri, as soon as we get out of this hell hole." He replied, holding back the urge to see his beautiful boyfriends face. They began to get use to each other more and more, relaxing as bakugo softly held her in his arms... on a normal day, he probably wouldn't allow this, but he was incredibly touched starved , so a hug couldn't hurt. They both began to sooth until they were startling interrupted by the harsh sound of a door opening. They both jumped, scared by their new visitors... but alas... their door wasn't even open.
Their confused thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the sound of a coughing fit and sounds of struggling.... coming from the other side of the wall.
~*
The sporadic plaintive sounds of whimpering and coughing became to much to bare. Kacchan released his protective grasp of the small girl, who was also shaking with fear. Bakugo banged at the wall, barely making an sound and not even making a dent on the stone. For a barrier that looked rather old and decrepit, it sure was tough. "Deku?! Deku can you hear me ?!" His frantic words almost hidden by his panicked breathing. Eri gently placed her hand on the wall, letting tears fall down to her feet. Bakugo repeatedly banged against the wall, feeling the skin incasing his fists begin to get sore. His own tears began to fall due to the lack of response, the coughing had died down, replaced with heavy breathing, which was occasionally interrupted with hitches and hisses had come from the other side of that barricade. Both Eri and bakugo awaited a response, no longer frantically panicking but instead wide eyed and senses heightened, trying to listen out for a sign of life.
"Kac....Chan?" The smallest, weakest squeak finally spoke, sending both worried kids to go into a frantic relief. Oh thank fuck he was alive, otherwise bakugo wouldn't know what to do with himself, letting his boyfriend be hurt to the point of death once again. "I'm here !! I'm here ! What happened, you have to speak to me!" His words gave him a weird sense of deja-vu, though he already knew he had said those words too many times. He was met with more coughs and groans, his chains eerily quiet as he laid on the ground, lifeless.
"Is eri..... with y-you?" He quietly asked, literally making bakugo have to press his ear against the germ filled rubble wall. He sighed, of course the nerd would care more about the kid. "Yea she is right next to me," bakugo replied, his lip unintentionally quivering with worrisome, making eye contact with the little girl in question, letting her know that she should probably talk to ease the boy. Eri hesitated like she always would, feeling guilt bubble in her tiny body. Tears still flowing down those delicate young cheeks. "Izuku ? Are you ok ?" She spoke softly, both wishing and dreading to see what his condition was.
"I'm fine, I'm.... f-fine." He coughed, barely able to make his words decipherable. Bakugo scoffed, "You are clearly NOT fine, what happened!" He demanded to know the answer, crying out inside, just wishing that he could be closer to the nerd, be there to help his broken body. Deku winced by the mere mention of remembering what just happened, feeling the overwhelming amount of pain hit him once again, reliving the memory. "They.... they t-took me ... to this bright r-room. They strapped me to a t-table... I couldn't move. Be-Before I knew it..... they stuck s-something in my a-arms and legs, and I could f-feel the blood pumping out of me. E-each time I was about to pass out, they would stick something e-else in me which made me as awake as ever. I can still feel it, the blood... f-fuck." He swore, indicating to kacchan that this was some serious painful shit.
Though he didn't want to show it in front of Eri, he was shaking with anger, feeling a deep hatred resonated within him. As soon as he sees who is behind this, he was sure that he would make them pay. Bakugo felt himself baring his teeth, almost like a rapid beast who just got his prey taken away. Eri looked up, noticing this protective stance, though she understood why bakugo could be considered 'feral', for some strange reason it didn't scare her as much as she imagined. In fact, it kind of made her feel inspired, seeing someone so in love to the point of anger. Eri was too small to understand love, especially as she had never received any, but after seeing someone so angry at the people who hurt their loved one, made her understand a little bit better what it meant. However, now she felt even more guilty, as she believed she had unintentionally hurt both of her new siblings.
"Damn it... Deku hang on, I'm sure you will be fin-" bakugo tried you say calmly through gritted teeth, but he was interrupted by a hurried cough. "I c-couldn't hear much, but I heard that I'll s-start the 'proper tests' tomorrow.... kacchan, Im scared." Hearing those words sent Bakugo's body to go cold for once in his life. For the past few months, Deku had been so confident, so sure in himself, not even the hate from the media got him down. They were right back to the beginning, right back to the hospital, right back to the camp, right back to the diner. Back to the dorms, back to middle school.... back at those woods. He hated hearing Deku so unsure of life, hearing his otherwise so cheerful boyfriend fear for the future. He would mostly stand up to things he feared or found unjustified, regardless of the obstacle.... even if it was a fucking bullet. Bakugo stance became less tense, falling onto the wall placing his forehead on it, swearing at himself and their situation. He was so traumatized by the onslaught of memories hitting him like a moving train, that he didn't notice the trembling body next to him.
"Izuku no..." Eri just stared into the wall with pure unfiltered terror. She knew the pain that they are going to put on him tomorrow, she had gone through it a thousand times, and each time became more unbearable. Her heart was racing, feeling the pain, feeling the anguish... and now her new friend had to do that too ? Did Katsuki have to as well? The blond looked up, noticing Eri's breathing getting rapid. He broke out of his depressed phase and moved towards her, afraid to touch her just incase he triggers something. However, curiosity drowned over his mind. "Eri, do you know what they are going to do to him?" He asked quietly, trying not to sound aggressive. The little one looked up at him, finally letting her sobs break through and she grabbed onto him, crying into his shoulder. "Eri... kid shhh I'm here, I'm here" bakugo shakily rubbed her back. He was in shock by the sudden contact and was also emotionally drained after hearing the deathly whimpers of his boyfriend. Speaking of, Deku was still on the ground wincing at any sudden movements, his arms and legs were practically unusable, as he still had injection marks that leaked what little blood was left in his body. He could hear eri's cries, opting to move closer to the wall no matter the pain or lack of strength. He army crawled until he was able to grab the hard surface, trying to prop himself up so he wasn't talking in the dirt. "E-eri? I'm fine..... a-are you be-ing good for Ka-cchan ?" He spoke, his world still litered with hiccups and gaps of moments he felt like he was going to faint.
"Mhm" was the only response he could hear on the other end, the rest was more crying and whimpering from the other end, this time he couldn't tell who was crying, knowing how worried kacchan must be at this exact moment. "Wonderful, you are so great... er..i....... Ka....chan." That little army crawl had taken a tole on him, making his body go into shut down mode, letting his head collapse into a deep slumber. From the other end, it just sounded like a thud, followed by silence, which only made bakugo send a shiver down his spine. "DEKU!? DEKU CAN YOU HEAR ME ?!" He screamed, letting go of Eri and pounded at the wall once again. He listened in close, waiting for a sign of life, dread welling up inside him. He was met with soft snores and a few hitches in the other sides. He took a sigh of relief, letting his body calm down from this adrenaline boost of a 'reunion'. "I can hear him breathing, he's probably just unconscious." He reassured the little one, who patiently waited for the verdict of what bakugo could hear. She couldn't know what katsuki must be feeling right now, she couldn't imagine the amount of stress this has put on him, and she felt partially responsible. She slowly regained her position in bakugo's lap, hugging him around his neck as if she wanted to comfort him, taking the blond by surprise.
"I'm sorry Katsuki.... i hurt your boyfriend." She said through his shoulder, gripping tightly due to her own insecurities. Bakugo sighed, this must be so confusing and terrifying for only a little kid, for fuck sake he was a teenager and he still felt every moment like this gut wrenching. He wrapped his own arms around her, Deku was always good at comforting people, which was kacchan's weakness. But if deku is not here at the moment, he was going to have to step up his game. "You didn't do anything..... it's whoever those assholes that are behind the door's fault." Katsuki's kind word slowly turned agressive by the mere mention of the perpetrators. He sighed, trying to calm himself down. "Both you and Izuku are alike, blaming yourselves for no godamn reason." He sadly chuckled, remembering the unconscious body in the room next to him.
"B-but-" eri had started until kacchan tried to sound as enthusiastic as he could. "No buts!! You need some sleep kiddo, let's worry about it when Izuku wakes up ok?" This was new to him, he sounded very much like Deku, or even someone like all might. When had he ever said the word kiddo before, what was this child doing to him. He ruffled her unwashed hair, promisingly himself he will have to find a way to brush it out. The little one stayed in his lap, pensively thinking until she felt a thought creep at the back of her mind. She blushed and looked up and Katsuki's glistening eyes.
"Katsuki..... is it ok if I say I love you two... obviously not in that way?" Her face unintentionally doing puppy dog eyes. Katsuki's heart skipped a beat. He would have never expected anyone else he would have allowed to say that other than his precious Deku, he especially didn't expect somebody to want to either. Though he was still young, he definitely believed that when life turns normal, he and Deku would spend the rest of their lives together, because he knew he was the one. But he hadn't even considered a proper family with him, though the idea wasn't all bad, meaning that he would have to get use to little brats saying I love you. He smiled at the mere though of his future with deku, the one bright think in his life. He smiled, and looked down, his face as soft as it can be.
"Of course, we ... love you too Eri."
~*
A tall man stood at his window door, looking at the outside world from a high enough view. He wasn't doing much, other than looking at the few people that would pass his quaint little home, watching them smiling and laughing like they had nothing lose... completely unaware of underground base that held prisoners against their will. He smirked, though the outside world couldn't see it due to the weird pointy mask he used to cover the bottom half of his face, as if a global pandemic might strike any minute. His white pat toned glove stretched over his elongated fingers, which was gently placed on the clear glass. Look at all those little people, the naïve little people unaware of the injustices of his world, it was an exhilarating feeling. He reveled in the quiet nature of his office, without that little brat to look after, his office finally became his sanctuary once again. Look stared at the people below him, smiling, laughing.... he wanted to crush them, he wanted them to suddenly feel the pain that he had been putting on his victims... he wanted to watch them suffer.
"Sir ?" A voice requested at his door, interrupted his malice thoughts... his peaceful break between his duties. He slicked his short brown hair back in annoyance, the urge of chucking some sort of weapon into his assistance's face grew quite immensely. "What is it? Can't you see I'm busy?" He sighed, his kiwi looking eyes stared directly at the other male's soul, which made his lip quiver with fear. "I apologize but... I got the results back from that green kid?" The man's subordinate spoke, his words filled with anxiety with knowing the power this young man holds. The kiwi eyes shrank as the sclera grew, the only thing that was indicating the masked man's surprised yet exhilarating look.
"Well what the fuck are you waiting for ? Fucking show me?" He ordered, completely contradicting his previous statement. The subordinate edged in closer, handing him a file that contain all the information they had gathered. He swung the fake plastic binder open, ignoring all the boring extra information before hand and got straight to the juicy part... his rank. He was only a kid so his rank must be below a rank 4 right ? After his little run in with that half-wit Shigaraki, he must be higher than rank 1. At this point he didn't care, they were running low on product, so this kid was useful either way. He looked down and read his number.
"Holy shit !" Chisaki shouted, using his free hand to grab his hair. 'Rank 4+?! Meaning he was over the largest record ?! But he is not at the speculated and rather unachievable rank 5 yet, but he could be.' The masked man's mind was reeling. What could have possibly happened to this kid for him to be so... broken? Chisaki thought for a moment and then realised something...
He didn't give a flying fuck.
"Get him ready for today's fun~." He said with a crazed delight in his voice, Ecstatic to be able to experience what above rank 4 blood felt like. He felt the adrenaline rush though his body by the mere amount of strength he would gain in the moment, rank 4 was already a high boost, this was going to be exhilarating. "But sir, he is already above the chart. If we push his levels more, who knows what can happen." The worried subordinate warned, knowing that if they pushed it over the edge, it could possibly die of shock or quite possibly the symptoms. Chisaki waved his hand in dismissal, "He's already damaged enough, there is no way he is coming back from this, might as well push more. If there is a chance we can push up his levels even further, I'll sure as hell will take it." He scoffed, moving away from his worker and decided to sit down at his desk, legs on the table with a happy content.
"Understood sir." The other was about to walk away until another question plagued his thoughts. "sir... what are we going to do with the blond one ? He is a candidate for the blood too." He stated before leaving. Chisaki sighed, 'oh right... the other one.' He leaned back further, he didn't understand why his trusty pet, stain, was so willing to give both of them as a packaged deal, though he said it could be used to their benefit. Chisaki had a wicked smirk that could kill a man, he was lucky it was tucked away behind his bird-beaked mask. "From what I have gathered, he is very... protective of the green haired brat. We aren't going to to do anything to him, other than mess around with him when we like. We are going to to make him watch his precious boy toy's body slowly convert to nothing but a drug machine. From what I can tell, that's the best way to boost up his levels." He evilly chuckled, this was a perfect way to no only get full use of his new premium merchandise, but to develop another one along with it.
"Now fuck off, get that kid ready. Let's see how quickly these children crack."