The Serpent in the Garden - [todoshindeku] - Villain Izuku

Chapter Eleven

   The days passed methodically, time flying past in a blur of training and school. Now spring had rolled around, the horrid rain had left with the cold, training less of an arduous task now the air was warmer — the morning runs refreshing as the cool air, rid of the rigid freeze the winter wind usually bore, blew past him. Blossoms had also begun poking their heads out, the trees surrounding the park they spent their Sundays in a pleasing mixture of fresh green and pink.

After those few hectic weeks a few months ago, life had surprisingly slowed down, settling into a rhythmic pace of day-to-day life. Izuku, if he was being honest, wasn't unhappy about this turn of events; now that he and Shinsou had fallen back into their usual pattern, he could feel himself steadily but surely allowing himself to settle into this new normal — a normal he'd almost never let himself think of let alone actually believe in, even just a few months earlier. Shinsou knew, and he didn't care, and now they were just two friends again, but without all the annoying secrets held between them, taking up space where there was now a layer of trust and acceptance — however cheesy that sounded to put into words — and if they wished, they could talk freely, and they both knew that the other would never judge them for it.

Shinsou, along with his new tired acceptance of his role as the heir to Kakureta, had been "progressing marvellously" as his father loved to say at any given chance. And now that he wasn't fighting his father constantly, his home life too had calmed considerably, even if Shinsou found the happiness his parents felt at his recent willingness tasteless, and the motions of playing along akin to a sick parody (Izuku told him he was perhaps being a bit dramatic when he said that). Shinsou had, however, admitted that seeing the intricacies of an underground company like Kakureta was quite interesting, if only to get a peek into Izuku's world. Izuku had counted this as a resounding success, as had Satoru, who had called him up personally to thank him for whatever he'd done to convince Shinsou to finally become compliant. Izuku had merely smiled and reminded the man of his unpaid favours.

And as for Izuku, he'd found himself once more in the usual maddening loop that had conducted most of his middle school years: desperately wanting to make more progress with the "plan" but distinctly unable to unless a moment of luck arose. Only the knowledge that he would be attending UA in just several short months calmed the bubbling inferno inside him that was only ever soothed whenever progress was made.

Well, that was until he arrived at the beach, just a couple of short weeks until the entrance exam, to find the place completely empty.

Izuku stopped, pausing on the footpath above the slope down to the sand. Glancing down, he frowned, eyes scanning the clear expanse of the beach in confusion. He hadn't exactly been keeping up on how much more cleaning up he and Shinsou still had left, but he was sure they hadn't been this close to finishing. A little way up the street he could see the truck that Yagi had hired to tote all the rubbish to landfill, bed only partly full. Beside it, he could see two familiar shapes, sitting with their backs against the side of the vehicle. Izuku jogged over, studiously ignoring the sour taste that always rose up his throat whenever he was around All Might.

"I didn't think I was that late." He huffed as he neared them, slowing down before slumping down beside Shinsou and grabbing his water bottle, ignoring his friend's indignant squawk as he gulped the last few mouthfuls.

"You weren't, I just woke up early." Shinsou said, gazing mournfully at the now-empty plastic bottle. "That was the last of my water." He added, unnecessarily.

"I'll buy you some more." Izuku dismissed, before frowning over at his friend, concerned despite the regularity of the other boy's sleeplessness. "You didn't sleep at all, did you?"

Shinsou shifted uncomfortably, then sighed. Shrugged. "No."

Izuku gave him his we're discussing this later look, but elected to move the conversation on, since All Might was right there. "So what happened? I could swear we still had at least a few more days worth of trash to clean up."