The 𝑔ℎ𝑜𝑠𝑡 of UA

Swan dive

Izuku looked into Katsuki's hopeless, dull red eyes- what once was full of wrath and confidence burnt down to mere fear and regret.

The ghost stood up wordlessly and started to shrink his body- black, lifeless eyes slowly morphing into his previous emerald green. The image of Katsuki's childhood friend.

A small glowing toddler with the innocence of a thousand. His aspirations and kindness high, a smile and soft, welcoming hand greeted Bakugou at the door; waiting for him in silence. Perhaps he was dreaming again.

He wouldn't be surprised if this was all a thing in his mind, after all most of the torment so far had been. Bakugou just wanted it to be over, he wanted to go home. He wanted to apologise.

Apologise to Inko, seek forgiveness from izuku, even if he knew there was none left. Midoriya was but a hollow shell of his, kind former self. Though when Katsuki looked at him, that little toddler with a becoming smile; the blonde felt comfortable for once.

He wanted to jump into the boy's arms, even if his body would warp and fade at contact.

Katsuki swiped away his tears, standing up on shaky legs and taking cautious steps towards the hallway. The only light provided was an ill green shine resting almost angelically on the 'child's' body.

Izuku's small hand swished almost hypnotically in the air, Katsuki dragged himself towards him - body and mind utterly exhausted. It felt as if someone had taken a hoover to his skull and completely drained his insides till he was left nothing but a shell of regret.

Bakugou dragged his sweat-soaked sleeve across his face to wipe away tears and mucus, he looked an absolute disaster, but that was the least of his worries right now.

Was izuku going to comply to his request and actually kill him?..

"Come on Kacchan! Let's play!" The dark surrounding suddenly melted and formed a beautiful summer's day. Youthful giggles permeated through the clear air. They belonged to Izuku... and him. They were sweet, innocent in a newborn animal type of way.

Inko perched on a oak wood bench; a slender woman with oceans of long green hair tumbled over her shoulders, fanning around her back in the gentle breeze which screamed euphoria. Her eyes were strained on two children, lips singed into a smile.

"Hey wait! Slow down!" A spiked hair boy complained, fists whitening while climbing up a red ladder to keep up with his excitable friend, throwing himself on the top of the climbing frame with a pant.

Katsuki looked shakily down at his hands, they were small and pudgy - sweat beading the little palms. Honestly, at this point the boy shouldn't be surprised at all. Not at the fact he was literally a child, nor how he couldn't even control his own body or speech. This had happened aplenty times, another one of Deku's sick tricks.

But the thing was... should he take it seriously this time? The air felt different, not like in that school of horrors.

Nearby, a large TV screen plastered on a skyscraper projected a news report. People gathered like clusters of flies to a nightlight, eyes glued to the blonde woman replaying a video of the recently convicted All Might in prison - having a conversation with a woman who was out of view.

Katsuki felt himself twisted between two realities, on one hand, there was the real world. The present tense. But at the same time, here he and Izuku were; toddlers on a playground.