Green Hope :: BakuDeku

South

TW :: use of the 'F' slur

"Mother fucker," Katsuki groaned, looking out the window.

Izuku looked up from packing up his things. "What?"

The blond waved him over and moved out of the way. "There's no way in hell I'll be able to make it through that..."

Humming, Izuku's eyes flicked through the crowd in the street, lips twitching slightly as he counted. "Four Runners, the Brute and more than a dozen Biters that I can see. No Screamers, though."

"Okay, what the actual fuck is a Brute?" Katsuki whisked the curtain shut, Izuku flinching and jumping back, startled by the sudden motion. "You talk about it as if it's a daily fuckin' occurrence. I've never seen one of those things before."

Izuku blinked up at him a few times. "You're serious? I really thought yesterday you were just in shock and couldn't think of what it was because whatever happened, happened suddenly. You've seriously never encountered a Brute before? How often did you leave the dorms to not know they existed? Did you never listen to the radio?"

"First of all, you talk too damn much. Second, never saw one, like I just said. Third, only left the fucking dorms as often as we needed supplies, and forth, never had a radio. Didn't even know the radios worked, still."

Katsuki did not like the stare Izuku had him under.

Izuku licked his lips and breathed deeply, folding his arms. "How big is your group, Katsuki..?"

"Why's that fuckin' matter?"

"How big?"

"Seventeen, okay!? There's seventeen of us!"

Izuku's eyes blew wide, startled so much by the number he didn't even remind Katsuki to quiet down. "Seventeen..? There's..." He ran a hand down his face and turned away. "That's impossible... So many..."

"How is that so impossible?" Katsuki sat on the pullout, hip starting to hurt again from standing.

"You're in the middle of the city with no way to make your own resources!" Izuku's voice nearly broke from the pitch he spoke in. "If there were seven or eight of you, maybe even ten, sure, it could be plausible and make sense, even if that as well is a lot, but seventeen? That's too much. Especially since- ah, the city only has so much supply you can go and get. You just had to resort to going into the hospital. Hospitals are no-go-zones. Death sentences. You're lucky you got out with such a minor injury. You're friends probably all got out, too, just fine since all the infected were distracted by you. Who knows, though, if you'd survive a second run into the hospital! Or a mall!?"

"Oh my God, shut the fuck up," Katsuki hissed. "How have you survived, all on your own, hah?"

The greenette snapped his mouth shut and looked away. "I had to..."

Katsuki huffed and lay back. "We have to, too."

Izuku slowly sat down, hands in his lap. "Well... I need to go. I've already stayed here much longer than intended."

"So, what? You're gonna make me go through that shit on my own after practically forcing me into a sleep-over so I wouldn't go through that shit on my own?"

"No!" The shorter huffed, crossing his arms. "Just... You're still injured and can't make it back on your own, especially with that herd out there... So you should come with me."

Katsuki knew that the words that came out of his mouth next shouldn't be spoken, but he said them anyway with an arrogant smirk. "Damn, how could I forget that you're such a faggot? You just want me with so you can suck on my cock. You probably haven't had good cock in a long time, huh?"

Instead of the reaction Katsuki remembers - trembling shoulders, watery eyes that were too terrified to dare look up at him, backing into a wall to get as far from Katsuki as possible - he got dark, dangerous eyes boring into his own, head raising high and shoulders squaring. Izuku is challenging Katsuki right back, standing up for himself.

"I was also going to suggest you find a place for your group to actually live... But if you really want to fend for yourself with that injury and that herd out there, be my fucking guest, Katsuki." Izuku's voice was stern and sharp, unswaying under Katsuki's bullshit. He turned and started grabbing his things, Katsuki still in the shock of being bitten right back.

He licked his lips and swallowed hard, gripping the edge of the mattress. "I... I'm sorry... I don't know why I said that..."

Izuku slowed until he came to a stop. He glanced over to Katsuki.

"Fuck, I..." He carded his fingers through his blond locks, now unable to look at the other man. "Shit- you're right. I really haven't changed."

Green eyes softened and Izuku sat on the bed, facing Katsuki. "You have if you can apologize like that... Or even admit someone else is right..."

They both sat quietly for a while, Izuku glancing back to the window.

"I need to head out," he whispered and stood, going back to his things. "Are you coming with, or not..?"

Katsuki licked his lips, rubbing his hands together. He'd counted his bullets that morning - only seven left and he had no cartridges - and his machete was only going to get him so far in a herd. He winced as he pushed himself to his feet. Definitely can't just run through with his hip aching like that. He'll risk reinjuring himself and/or getting caught and eaten. He's dead if he attempts going back to the dormitory by himself.

"You really think I can find a better place for my group..?"

Izuku smiled softly, shouldering his knapsack. "I know you can."

The older rolled his shoulders and crossed his arms. "Where are you headed?"

"South. I need to get to the CDC."

Katsuki nodded, grabbing Izuku's duffle. "South it is."

~

His bruise is nasty as shit, hideous and swollen, all kinds of colors already, but it doesn't seem to be serious. He limped behind Izuku, following him as they weaved through abandoned cars and ducked into dark buildings.

Izuku kept glancing back to him, rolling his eyes when he'd get a sharp sneer or glare. Izuku was clearly going much slower than he's used to and it pissed Katsuki off to know he was the cause of it.

"Down!" Izuku hissed, reaching back and grabbing Katsuki's shirt as he dropped to his knees, quickly followed by the blond.

Katsuki grit his teeth at the sudden movement, but didn't say anything. He stayed still and quiet, head low as they hid behind a car.

He closed his eyes and grit his teeth as heavy footsteps dragged across the pavement, just on the other side of the car. Deep groans came from the sick, unbothered as it bumped into the car. Izuku's fingers curled tighter into Katsuki's shirt and he bit into his lip. Katsuki tried to keep his breathing even and soft until Izuku gave him the okay and they began to move again.

"Two brutes so close together," Izuku whispered, Katsuki glancing back.

That sick was shorter than the other 'Brute', but just as broad and heavy.

Izuku kept quiet all the way to the edge of the city until Katsuki limped into an alley.

"What are you doing?"

Katsuki grunted, grabbing a discarded piece of cardboard. He snatched Izuku's backpack, the greenette gasping and scrabbling to grab it back. He grinned as he grabbed a sharpie and waved it.

Izuku groaned softly, looking back over his shoulder to make sure no infected were too close. He waited until Katsuki finished and snatched his things right back, this time buckling the knapsack over his chest.

The blond only rolled his eyes, limping to a car in the middle of the road to prop his sign up on. He then gestured to the road ahead of them.

Sighing, the greenette lead the way, staying quiet and slow, keeping pace with his injured companion.

-----

1342 words

A little shorter than the others but it's fine.