Chapter Text
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 is still shining brightly but clearly moving slowly toward the horizon. The breeze carrying cherry blossom petals, eternally beautiful. This breeze had a subtle scent, noticeable only to those with a keen sense of smell, or if they are familiar with its source.
Izuku Midoriya smirked amused when he picked up the scent. Recognizing it immediately he visibly exhaled the subconscious tension in his raised shoulders. 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 was committed to his very core, as if it has 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 arbitrarily determines your worth and when children can still just be children. Somehow it surrounded him even then.
The smell of caramel on a stove constantly 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 bitter and sweet.
THE Katsuki Bakugo…
The boy Izuku 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 comes 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 had ever seen 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 just childhood friends of forced circumstance, their mothers insisting them to interact for their sakes.Nothing beyond their mothers being college friends connected them. They have never had anything in common with each other.
Everyone with an outward perspective can easily and confidently say that Bakugo hated Midoriya. So much so that he's led the charge in the daily bullying campaign of Midoriya for years now. Nobody beyond the school faculty called him that though. To everyone else he was just Deku, the nasty nickname the nonstop bullying campaign had spawned.
Useless.
Weak.
Worthless.
Odd then it would seem to others that Midoriya had relaxed so much now, he even had the etching beginnings of a smile on his face. Only growing in with as his former friend turned tormentor drew ever closer to him. Surely anyone sensible and with 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 nitroglycerine laced sweat he mixed into it. Yet Izuku remained unmoving and almost seemed giddy at the prospect of Bakugo's presence.
Bakugo snuck closer with each second, confident he hadn't been detected yet. This is it, the nerd won't see this coming! he thought to himself, smirking wickedly.
However 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.
"Tch. Not so damn loud Deku." he whisper-yelled a bit annoyed but more scared that they would be discovered. "S-ss-sorry Kacchan" Midoriya stuttered with a dusting of pink covering his freckled cheeks.
"Sorry won't help if those extras find us and it ruins FOUR YEARS of this shit..." Bakugo sighed heavily. Gazing up he was amazed yet again how the sun bounced off of the smaller boy's green hair. His gaze shifted and landed on the eyes before him. How it slightly changed green eyes into a slight mix of yellow and green in this level of sunlight. He looked away before he got caught. Deciding instead to gather courage and ask his pointless but important question for what seemed like the hundredth time. "Look Izu-"
Midoriya was expecting this and cut him off when he heard his first name starting to form, it was coupled with that familiar desperate look behind his Kacchan's ruby red eyes. A look that he sadly knew all too well by now. Izuku wished he could have fulfilled this wish sooner but he couldn't. He wouldn't allow it. To let Kacchan endure what he has to was unthinkable to him.
"I’ve said no! Just stop this already Kacchan!" he aggressively whispers at the blond. Bakugo had tried to hide his true feelings but his face had betrayed him and Midoriya knew his words came off harsher than he intended...
Sighing a heavy sigh now he got ready to repeat some version of what he always tells Kacchan when this is brought up. "I've told you this so many times before Kacchan… You know exactly why we do this besi - "
" OFCOURSE I KNOW WHY! FOUR YEARS I'VE DONE THIS! I HATE IT, I DON'T WANT TO DO THIS ANYMORE!! " Bakugo yelled, cutting Izuku off this time. Completely forgetting how he not just a few moments ago had scolded the other boy for being too loud. This caused Midoriya to raise an eyebrow and ask teasingly "Who's being loud now Kacchan?"
"Tch. Damn nerd." he blushed slightly. Taking a breath to calm down Bakugo started again. "I don't want to hear the same old thing yet again. So just let me get this out okay Izu?" Midoriya decided since this was likely the last time he'll just let it go. He wanted to make the most of the time they had before it all changed. Before everything would either get somewhat better or horrifically worse for him. With that in mind he smiled and nods but not without some words of warning to him -
"Fine Kacchan, I'll hear what you have to say but you know where I stand and nothing in this world will change that" He stayed silent now urging Bakugo to speak uninterrupted this time.
He knew it was pointless but he had to try yet again. "I know I can't convince you to end this but I have to ask Izu. I-I just have to. I can see what it's - No not IT, but ME..." tears starting to threaten the corners of his eyes "What I am doing to you, I'm going to end up pushing you down the road uncle went" A tear finally escaped the eyes despite Bakugo trying very hard to deny its existence.
"Please Izuku, I don't care about the plan anymore I don't want to bully you" Bakugo tightened the grip on the hand Midoriya grabbed when he snuck up on him and he did something that would shock anyone who knew him. Bakugo got down on both knees. "I'm begging you here Izu... let's stop this"
Midoriya didn't expect this at all... He knew Bakugo would ask to stop the bullying like always but to go so far as to actually beg? It hurt his very core.
Knowing he was the reason his friend and hero was here now kneeling before him broken by his own plans... Before he could spiral into the darkness he's too familiar with he remembered why he slipped a note to Kacchan during today's beating. "Kacchan– look at me" he started and helped him off from his knees.
"Did you even read the note I slipped you today?" Bakugo looked at him confused, answering that question without even speaking. Midoriya sighed again "The note in your jacket pocket Kacchan… The one asking you to meet me under our cherry blossom tree?!" he asked, almost annoyed.
"If i've told you once i've told you a hundred times I don't feel you putting notes in my pockets you damn reverse pickpocket nerd" he finally let go of Midoriya's hand and started the search for this infamous note.
Midoriya only just now realized that they were holding hands the entire time... He quickly turned a shade of red any tomato would've been envious of. He coughed out "inner top pocket on the left"
Wide eyed and having never even considered an inner pocket he asked the smaller boy "H-how did you even manage this?!"
"Easy actually Kacchan, one of your lackeys is easily distracted. I can teach you how if you want"
"They aren't my lackeys dammit! I hate their stupid empty headed faces, following me around like some ugly lost dogs. At least real dogs serve a purpose. Tch!" Retrieving the note from the indicated pocket, unfolding it he started to read.
K
Meet me where it started, it might be ending soon...
Izuku
"Oh..."
"But wait, what do you mean it might be ending soon?! Do you have an appointment soon? Why did you let me make such a scene then" It was Bakugo's turn to cause tomato envy.
"Well I was going to explain but someone interrupted me..." Izuku replied playfully and started poking Bakugo in the ribs with every second word. This only deepened the shade of red the explosive boy was turning. He tried and failed to hide how ticklish his sides are.
"To answer your question though Kacchan, I do have an appointment tomorrow morning, yes.” Izuku sighed watching a few birds fly overhead.
“Either way we'll know if I can finally manifest my latent quirk or if I have to accept reality that it might never actually activate"
"That means today was the last day then right?!" Bakugo exclaimed happily, nearly jumping up and down. Midoriya, not wanting to sour the mood again, said nothing to take away this happiness from his friend. Glad he wasn't down on the ground begging and crying at his feet anymore.
"C'mon let's sit down and have a mini picnic to celebrate" Izuku said, throwing Bakugo a juice box and an apple. They sat down under the cherry blossom tree enjoying the snacks. All the while the rapidly approaching sunset and all the wondrous colors it filled the sky with painted a happy scene. They talked about everything and nothing in particular.
As they left to go home, Izuku waved goodbye to Bakugo with a bright smile. He turned back when the blond was no longer in view. Eyes now focused on the tree with the occasional petal still floating away from its branches now and then.
Smiling a small sad smile convinced it's been the best day of his life he said to nobody in particular turning to walk home "If only I could actually be that happy..."