Redemption From a Father [REVISE]

[ REVISE ] Old Habits Hard To Die Especially For The Wonder Duo

It's just after lunch when he wanders back into the dorms. The moment he steps inside, he notices how... empty it is. No shouting, no explosions, no Kaminari electrocuting himself by accident. Just quiet.

Weird.

Maybe everyone's in their rooms. Or training. Or somehow collectively decided to leave him alone on purpose. Honestly? Wouldn't blame them.

The common room is his, and it should feel relaxing, like finally getting the blanket to yourself. Instead, it's just him, a couch, and silence staring back.

He flops down, sinking deep like a tired burrito, eyes fixed on absolutely nothing. His brain, however, refuses to chill. It runs laps full of yesterday, this morning, All Might's voice, emotions he didn't ask for, his father, everything buzzing in the background like a broken tv.

At least he's breathing easier now. Not perfect, but better than the tight chested panic he had earlier. Talking to All Might helped more than he expected.

And walking in without being ambushed by anxious classmates? Bless. No "Midoriya are you okay???" swarm. No pity stares. He hates those. He would honestly rather fight a villain than deal with soft sympathetic eyes again.

He drags his hand down his face and groans into his palm.

'Am I really that clueless about my own feelings?'

Yeah. Probably.

Turns out repressing eighteen years of trauma and calling it "being positive" wasn't emotional growth. It was emotional... whatever the opposite of growth was. Composting. Emotional composting maybe the right words of it.

He always thought being cheerful and hopeful made him strong. And maybe it did. But it also made him lie to himself.

Growing up he learned early how to swallow emotions before they swallowed him. People pitying him, people ignoring him, people whispering like he was already a cracked toy. He remembers all of it.

So he built himself, brick by shaky brick, into someone bright. Somebody who smiles first. Someone who believes being kind makes the world less sharp.

Because heroes save people. Even if the person that needs saving is yourself. He just wasn't good at that second part. He presses his palm to his face.

A beat after that, the dorm door creaked and a familiar voice through his thoughts.

"Oy. Nerd."

Izuku doesn't move. Just groans into the couch cushion. "Five minutes of peace, was that too much to ask..."

Katsuki walked in still carrying that faint, irritated of 'my therapist told me uncomfortable truths again' energy, after just come back from his session.

His shoulders were tense, jaw tight, and he had the look of someone who just spent an hour being gently told he has feelings and hated every second of it.

He dropped his bag, scowled at the floor like it insulted him, and muttered something under his breath that definitely sounded like, "Stupid woman telling me I care like I don't know that, shut up. Beside, feelings are dumb-"

The echo of "You care about Midoriya more than you admit" still haunted him, and every time the sentence replayed in his head, he's one inch closer to blew up for every street lamp he met on the way back just because remembering it. Feelings. Gross.

Without warning, Katsuki stomped over and dropped right next to him, shoulder bumping his like there was no such thing as personal space. Classic Bakugou. He didn't sit like a normal person either, he slouched aggressively, legs spread like he owned the whole sofa and the world should thank him.