Paroxysm

Chapter Two

It had been a long day for the group of youngsters that had set out to explore in the woods. Despite seizing the evening prior, Mitsuki caved and let Katsuki go out and play. She couldn't have denied that she felt queasy at the prospect, but the boy hadn't been out to play in a solid week and was getting moody. All the other children eventually went home with the beginnings of the setting sun.

All of them except Katsuki and Izuku Midoriya.

Katsuki had never known just how he was supposed to feel about Izuku. On one hand, he seemed to always be on his side. On the other hand, he was annoying. Izuku always seemed bent on pleasing everyone, and Katsuki wasn't sure why, but it always rubbed him the wrong way. It wasn't so much that Izuku was a doormat, but rather, he couldn't stand to see anyone upset. He was a bit of a doormat, as well. He drove Katsuki up the walls. Maybe it was because he was jealous of Izuku's heroic instincts. Maybe he was bitter because he didn't have the same bravery. Or maybe, he was simply annoyed by the green-haired boy. Regardless, the two of them had begun their trek home from the woods.

They had gone quite far in for such young children, but they'd taken no notice. It had begun with Katsuki showing off his quirk on some rocks after Izuku had pestered him into showing him what he could do. Katsuki pretended to be nonchalant about it, but deep down he wasn't hesitant at all. He loved showing off his quirk, especially to Izuku. The thing about Izuku was that since he was quirkless, his reactions went beyond what he could get out of other kids. Izuku was so fascinated that it was difficult to say no when Katsuki knew all he'd get was praise from the other boy.

Now, however, Katsuki had begun feeling groggy. His walking had slowed a bit, allowing for Izuku to catch up to him rather than jogging behind. The large stick that the blond had carried before as a weapon became a source of balance as he walked groggily.

Izuku began to notice that something was up with his companion and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Kacchan?" he asked, "are you alright?" Katsuki turned his head to face Izuku, not quite sure of what he had said. He could hardly understand what Izuku was saying, as though he was saying it miles away from him.

As soon as Izuku saw his friend's eyes, he knew something was wrong. Katsuki's eyes seemed to look at nothing, with a dazed sort of look.

"Tch," Katsuki grumbled as he shook Izuku's hand away. While the shake of that arm had been voluntary, the tremor in his right arm was not. Izuku watched as the blond's arm stiffened and twitched upward in a patternless manner.

"Hey," Izuku tried again, opting not to touch him this time, "you don't look so good Kacchan. Is something wrong?"

Without warning, Katsuki's eyes rolled back into his head as he stumbled, before plummeting forward, hitting the ground with a thud. Izuku felt as though he was seeing this happen in slow motion.

What's going on? he thought. He knelt by his friend's side only to see his whole body stiff, fists clenched, trembling. Izuku rolled his shaking friend over. Katsuki had a small cut beneath his eye from falling, but other than that he seemed unharmed. His eyes were squeezed shut as his brows twitched; he looked like he was having a nightmare while the rest of his body seemed to be under a spell. His jaw was clamped shut as he heaved and hyperventilated through his teeth, creating a tortured hissing sound.

"Kacchan?!" Katsuki showed no reaction to the cry, as though he couldn't hear a thing. Izuku watched in horror as his friend's head started thudding against the earth beneath him, his face unchanging as though he couldn't feel it. Frantic, Izuku slipped a hand beneath his head, trying to stop it. He wanted to stop whatever was happening immediately, but it just seemed to go on forever.

Choked, strangled sounds came from the blond's throat as his jaw fell open. Watery coughs made their way through his throat, and Izuku started to panic as he realized his friend couldn't breathe. He turned him over onto his side, and his body forced up water as his convulsions seemed to lessen.

Eventually, Katsuki's shaking began to die down, and his body went limp. His breathing began to slow, as the convulsions in his chest reduced to shallow inhale and exhales. The only remainder of the incident was an intermittent twitch in his right hand.

Izuku hadn't even noticed he'd started crying until it was over, and bashfully wiped his eyes. Even though no one could see him, he was still embarrassed. He knew Katsuki wouldn't have cried had the roles been reversed, but he couldn't help himself.

He watched as Katsuki's eyes fluttered open, his gaze slowly settling on Izuku. He looked confused at first, before his eyes filled with dread as he winced, a look of frustration on his face as he looked away from the green-haired boy.

"Kacchan? Can you hear me?" Izuku asked, his voice trembling involuntarily. Katsuki said nothing in response, although it sounded like he was trying to as he mumbled incoherently. His eyes began to droop, and in a panic, Izuku shook his friend. "Stay awake!" he cried, startling the blond. "Please," he added in a whisper.

Katsuki blinked slowly as his eyes seemed to adjust to what was around him. His brow furrowed once more as an exasperated sigh escaped his lips.

"Midoriya?" he asked dumbly, looking up.

Izuku nodded."Yup, it's me. What happened just now?" he asked hesitantly. Katsuki shut his eyes and shook his head as he began to stand.

This decision was instantly regretted as a wave of dizziness and nausea hit him, and he stumbled before falling to the ground once more.

"Kacchan!" Izuku was instantly by his friend.

"I'm fine!" he muttered aggressively, "just..." he mumbled, a flush on his face. He looked like he wanted to say something but didn't know quite how to get the words out.

"Help me," he whispered. He sounded small and defeated, unlike anything Izuku had ever seen from him. Katsuki Bakugo was not the sort to ask for any kind of help, and certainly not from someone like Izuku, but he knew he didn't have much of a choice.

The pair began their trek towards their homes, Izuku keeping a close eye on his now willowy companion. It was odd to him to see Katsuki so...weak. He had always seen him as being unbeatable, the toughest kid around. Now, it was as if he'd been broken down.

What happened? Izuku wondered.

Eventually, the two made it to their homes. The sun had already set, and the orange in the sky had gone dark. Mitsuki and Inko were standing together in front of the apartment complex the two of them arrived, anxiously awaiting the arrival of their two boys.

Inko quickly enveloped her son in a tight embrace. "Izuku, where have you been? I've been worried sick!" she cried, holding him tight. She then held him by the shoulders and looked at her son sternly. "I'm happy that you're okay, but this will never happen again, okay? I can't let you be out this late on your own."

"I know, but there was an emergency. Kacchan–" he began but was cut off by Mitsuki yelping as her son collapsed into her arms. The realization of what must have happened hit her as she lifted him, brushing his hair out of his face.

"We'll be going home now. Thank you, Izuku, for getting him home," she said curtly before hastily carrying her son to her car. Izuku stood there, dumbfounded, watching as the mother and child vanished around the corner.

"Mum, what's wrong with Kacchan?" he asked.

Inko took her son's hand and began walking him home. "Katsuki's got some health issues, dear. It happens to some kids. Don't worry about it okay? All you have to worry about tonight is getting to bed."

And that was the end of what Izuku knew. He asked Katsuki a few days later when they were with some of the other neighbourhood kids. "Izuku, are you just trying to make me look weak? It isn't my problem that you're a quirkless runt. Quit making stuff up."

On this very same day, the nickname "Deku" was born, and Katsuki never treated Izuku the same after that. He diminished him whenever he could, and eventually the memory of what had happened that one summer evening dulled. But Izuku never forgot. He never could, even if he tried.