“(Y/N)!” Uraraka called out, waving me to them across the cafeteria.
Deku, Iida, and Tsuyu sat next to her. Tsuyu was a classmate of mine and had long blackish-green hair that tied at the end like a bow and had a frog quirk.
“(Y/N)!” Kirishima called out from his own table.
He was sitting next to Ashido, a girl with pink skin and little antenna things poking out of her skull with an acid quirk. There was also Denki, a boy with bright blonde hair that had a black lightning bolt dyed on it and an electricity quirk. The boy across from Ashido was Sero, who had black hair and large elbows that produced a super-strong tape. The last person in the group was Katsuki.
But not the same Katsuki that shared his deepest insecurities with me.
The Katsuki I hated since I started Middle School.
Biting my lip I looked between the two groups, trying desperately to decide where to go.
I liked just about everyone in the class, except Mineta, a little grape boy that should be ground into the floor.
‘Wait, he’d probably like that.’
Class 1-A was full of strong students with incredible potential.
They were all really nice, except Katsuki.
But I don’t include him in any of my assessments.
Todoroki, the boy with dual hair, wasn’t very social, choosing to keep to himself with a blank expression, but he seemed relatively nice if a little rude.
Stain wouldn’t stop calling, asking about my classmates.
Every time he called I answered, no matter if I was in class or during training or when I was hanging out with my…classmates.
But my answer was always the same.
‘They were good people, even the teachers.’
I always left Almight out of my assessments, Stain never liked anyone talking bad about the hero.
Honestly, Deku has a rival in Almight’s biggest fan.
‘Deku...’ He keeps lying to me.
Sighing, I smiled at Kirishima and joined his table, sneaking a glance at Katsuki. Katsuki stared at me suspiciously.
“What, not gonna sit with the nerd?” I looked down at the table and shrugged.
“Just thought I’d sit here today.”
Katsuki stared at me, a look in his eyes I couldn’t quite place. He scoffed and resumed stuffing his face viciously.
“So, (Y/N). Who’s your idol?” Ashido asked, and I blinked at her.
She giggled and clarified, saying “You know, your favorite hero?”
I frowned, fingers twitching and mouth fighting viciously to turn itself into a snarl. Schooling my features I smiled gently.
“I don’t know. They’re all pretty cool aren't they?”
“No silly, I mean your favorite. Who do you like the most?”
I bit my lip at Ashido’s naive comprehension of my responses.
“I guess Aizawa is,” I said at last because, in all honesty, he was.
He was a good man, he taught us well and took care of us.
I can only assume that’s what he does out in the field.
Ashido giggled and punched Denki.
“She’s got a crush on Aizawa!” I leaned back in surprise, eyebrows flying high.
Kirishima laughed with Sero, but Katsuki scoffed.
“What? You like his ‘I haven’t showered in a week’ hair?”
I furrowed my eyebrows and pursed my lips.
“Don’t be jealous Bakugo!” Denki chuckled, patting him on the back. Katsuki growled at him and rolled his eyes.
“I’m not-”
“Aizawa’s a good man.” I said, watching as all of them stopped to stare at me.
“He’s a hero.”
I bit my lip and turned around to look at Deku.
“Like Deku.” I said sadly, knowing that his lying created a rift too far to bridge.
Katsuki scowled, snorting.
“Deku? Really?” He growled out and I glared at him.
“He saved your ass didn’t he?” I snapped back and Katsuki fell quiet.
His confession from before rang inside my head and I backpedaled.
“You’re strong Katsuki, but strength isn’t everything. Deku’s different, and I’m starting to think Aizawa is too. Honestly, I think there are a lot of people I was wrong about here. And I'm just starting to realize it."
They stared at me in confusion.
"That why you've been acting so fucking weird? Seriously, who was that on the phone? What's with the sudden sullenness? Why the fuck aren't you fighting with me?" Katsuki growled out, staring me dead in the eye.
Everyone looked between us and I cursed.
“Katsuki, we’re all growing up. Maturing. I’ve just decided fighting with you is childish.”
Katsuki looked like he was going to blow a gasket.
Kirishima laughed and slung an arm over Katsuki’s shoulder.
“Relax Bakubro.” He said, sending me a charming smile.
Katsuki rolled his eyes and turned his head, but he side glanced at me with a calculating glare.
There was a ringing and I froze.
I always froze.
Every time Stain calls I feel worse and worse, guilt clawing at my ribs, fear ripping at my heart.
Pushing everything else aside I answered the phone.
“Report.” I frowned, looking down at the table instead of my classmates.
“I’m in school.” I said instead, getting up from my spot.
I felt Katsuki’s eyes burning a hole through my hand.
“Now.” Stain demanded and I sighed, rubbing my forehead.
Walking out of the cafeteria I made sure I wasn’t followed and dipped into an empty classroom.
“You have to stop calling me during school. You’re making me suspicious.”
Stain snorted and then groaned in pain.
“Well, I need your help. Get your ass to our old training spot.”
“What? I can’t just-”
“Are you disobeying me? Come to think of it, your reports have been lacking. Perhaps you're forgetting your place.”
Snapping my mouth shut I closed my eyes.
“There’s no fakes here Stain. They’re good people. Everyone-well almost everyone- is-”
“Almost? What aren’t you telling me?”
I snapped my mouth shut, flinching. “(Y/N).”
“Almight.” I gasp out, knowing Stain wouldn’t be happy.
“Almight’s the only fake here.”
Stain was quiet for a moment.
“Get here. Now.”
Then he hung up.
Shaking I tried to slow my racing heart. Shaking my head I squeezed my eyes shut.
‘I can’t do this anymore!’
A sob worked its way out of my throat and I slammed a hand over my mouth. Falling to my knees I tried to quiet my tears.
Arms found their way around me and I flinched, springing myself away. Katsuki stared at me with no trace of surprise.
He reached out for me and I let him drag me back to him, let him pull me to his chest, let him bury his hand into my hair.
“What’s going on (Y/N)?” He asked softly, softer than I ever heard him.
But it was enough to break the bubble I was in and I pushed him away.
“It’s nothing. My boyfriend just broke up with me.”
I tried to fix my hair and the uniform I wore. Katsuki and I stood up, but it was clear he didn’t believe me.
“Your boyfriend?”
I nodded my head and Katsuki scoffed. Brushing past him I headed for the door.
“Where are you going?” He asked, his aggressive timber back.
“Away from here.” I said, slamming the door behind me and booking it out of the school.
‘If I don’t go, Stain will kill me.’
I glared at the sidewalk as I ran my way to him, fighting every urge to flee the other way.
When I made it to the clearing I slowed down to catch my breath.
Stain was sitting against a tree, his hand holding his stomach.
Slowly I walked to him and he stirred, looking up at me with a sneer.
"Took you long enough." He bit out and I kneeled down beside him.
He removed his hand and I gasped at the large cut across his abdomen.
"Fix it." He said, hand falling to the side.
I stared at him, feeling his energy dropping.
I could leave him, fix everything.
He wouldn't be able to torment me anymore, I wouldn't have to live in fear.
With shaking hands I pushed energy into him, focusing it on his wound.
'No. This would haunt me far more.’
I've been training my quirk in a variety of different ways, one way was to speed up healing by pushing energy into the cells, causing them to grow rapidly.
It wasn't perfected, but it was good enough.
I got a good portion of the wound healed before the world started to sway, the plant life around me withering away as I drained from it.
Blinking the blurriness from my eyes I tried to pull in energy from elsewhere, stopping the momentary withdrawal from my own body.
Just as the last of the wound stitched itself back up, the ground lurched up and the world fell dark.