If I told you, would you cry?

5

"I don't get it!"
"Well then fucking listen dipshit!"

The study group sniggered as Kaminari sighed for the nth time that hour, shoulders sagging in defeat as the biology textbook refused to bestow it's secrets. A look of distaste flashed in his eyes, he ruefully imagined burning it allowing a lazy smile to peruse his lips.

"What are you smiling for dunce face? You haven't gotten a single question right so far!" Katsuki crossed his arms, shadow covering Denki and menace spilling into the atmosphere. He'd been dragged into this session, he sure as hell was going to make them learn something.

Denki's brows furrowed as his friend loomed above him.
"Bakugo, I know I'm struggling, you don't have to be cruel about it." The hurt and irritation pushed into his gaze made the other pause, cool regret dousing the flames of frustration. He grumbled before standing back, taking his seat beside Kirishima.

After a calloused hand dragged down his face he turned back to Denki, shoulders slacking as he muttered:
"I'm sorry, it was uncalled for."
He continued rubbing as his eyes, sleepless nights itching at the skin and purple bags hanging beneath his eyes.

"Are you okay bro? You seem a bit stressed." Kirishima eyed Bakugo from the side, sipping at his water as the group all relaxed, silently agreeing to take a break.

"I haven't been sleeping." Bakugo muttered, irritation present in his tone.

"Exam stress?" Sero queried cocking a brow whilst flicking his pen back and forth across his knuckles.

"Nope." Obviously Katsuki didn't really want to discuss his late night affairs, but Mina pressed him, sensing something deeper than a bit of late night study.

"If you don't tell us we won't be able to help. You don't want to be this tired for the final next week do you?" She goaded him slightly, a glare half heartedly thrown her way before he relented with a sigh.

"Im worried. And it keeps me awake."
"About...." Mina coaxed.
He grumbled, cursing under his breath - something about being a nosey bugger with boundary problems. Never the less he continued:

"About Deku okay? I'm worried about him and it's driving me crazy because I know it shouldn't be that big of a deal but every time I look at him there are alarm bells screaming in my head - and I don't know why!" exasperation was a new shade on their friend, and for a moment the conversation paused as each collected their thoughts.

"What do you think is wrong with Midoriya?" Mina asked quietly, seriousness pouring into the atmosphere turning it leaden.

"You see it too huh?" A humourless chuckle escaped his lips. She only nodded slightly, the rest of the group dipping their heads in agreement as well.

"He won't tell me. I ask, he lies, we move on." Katsuki had now taken to glaring at the carpet, gaze picking feverishly at some miscellaneous stain. They were in Sero's room, all cramped around a low coffee table that had just about enough room to hold their books and pens. They'd chosen his room for the privacy, and for the fact that this year he'd decorated the least giving them more room to work in. They should have chosen Katsuki's room as it was obviously the cleanest but since he was forced into this agreement they weren't exactly about to wrangle another miracle. When they even mentioned it the blonde became volatile; they'd glimpsed a fragment of the past as first year Bakugo reared his angry, violent head.

"He always seems... tired." Sero commented absent-minded, gazing off into the distant with a worried glint to his eye.

"And I noticed he's got this cough he can't shake." added Kirishima. Mina hummed in agreement.

"Plus, don't you think he's looking a bit thin? I saw him in the corner of my eye and almost did a double take - I thought he was All Might..." Denki's words trailed off and if possible their surroundings became heavier still.

All might had died earlier this year - January. In his sleep, thank god, he'd been through too much to deserve any less than that. They knew his life was draining; that the little flicker of light was fading behind the sunken eyes and skeletal face, but it still hurt when they'd heard. On the day of the funeral it was raining; and long after the cameras and reporters and even his friends had left, Izuku remained standing above the freshly dug grave.

Bakugo remembers looking at him standing alone before the polished headstone, remembers pretending that they were raindrops - not tears that trailed from his shaded eyes, remembers that look of defeat and sad acceptance. And then he turned away; leaving the boy to mourn the loss of the closest thing he'd had to a father alone.

"It's his smile. His smile scares me the most." Breaking the prolonging silence Katsuki spoke, trying to shake memories of that day away as he pushed back the guilt. No one spoke so he continued, "they... they're not normal - don't reach his eyes I guess. I don't know maybe I'm imagining things." Katsuki prayed he was, everything was fine and he was reading too far into things. But now that others were seeing it too...

"No, I don't think you are. I haven't noticed the smile thing but you know him better than I do; probably better than anyone really. However, something's not okay with Midoriya - definitely." Kirishima spoke aloud, voicing the one thing he dreaded to hear: that is wasn't in his head. Colour fell from his cheeks and his mouth pulled into a hard line. Deep down he knew his suspicions were valid but the terrifying ramifications of them scared him immeasurably.

He wanted to scream, shout at an unknown enemy for hurting his boyfriend, but he remembered that was exactly what it was: unknown. Which then made him bitter and resentful to the other as thoughts of mistrust and notions of worthiness crossed his frantic mind. Then the fear seeped in like crude oil, dirtying everything it touched with needling anxiety, thoughts becoming painful. His head began to spin as he ran through every option, every possibility of why the boy was distressed considered before moving on to the next wild racing thought.

Knock
Knock

Green curls sprouted from the cracked doorway, smile pushing at his lips as he almost sung 'dinner's ready'. But when all eyes trained on him dangerously, heavy atmosphere battering him almost immediately, the smile faltered giving way to a more concerned twist in his brow. "Umm.. Everything okay?"

No one spoke for a moment, all eyes wrapped around him as he shuffled from one foot to another. He met Katsuki's eyes but winced back the second he saw that angry scowl directly towards him. "Uhhh..." he didn't know quite what to say.

"We're okay Izuku, are you?" Still there was a sharp edge to his scarlet eyes, but they softened massively. As well as that his tone was gentler, quiet. It was reserved only for special occasions. Izuku gulped.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine." But for that moment, a sliced fragment of time, katsuki saw a stranger look at him, that same one at the park with the swirling eyes that he couldn't recognise. He hoped the others could see it too.

"Okay. Well then get down to dinner, the food's getting cold." He just stepped away from the door, not even bothering to close it as began moving off to the next person on his list.

"Well?"
"I saw it. Just for a second he looked unreadable."
"Same."

"He doesn't become unreadable," Katsuki 'tched', "it's like he's a stranger through." They all hummed their agreement, but abandoned their books and made their way to the dinner table. Wouldn't want to waste food right?

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Vote if you want, and comment please too!
I didn't have a plan for this chapter, so bon appetite!