For a moment, Izuku thought about Shinso and his conversation. He done the very thing he was trying to avoid and as a result, his mind wondered to his deepest darkest thoughts. He stumbled across his mother, while he had gone through his train of thoughts.
He hated to admit that Katsuki was right. He'd been avoiding his mother. The detective that questioned him spent most of his time trying to get information about his family background. Then, when they found his mother's location, Izuku made it his life-long mission to never meet the woman.
He didn't hate her.
In fact, as he confessed, he wanted to see her. But he had to keep a distance. He couldn't meet her - he couldn't.
Then, he remembered the word 'love', which led him to thinking about his father. Shinso told him that the relationships between adults affected a child. Loving and supportive parents meant a happy child - in most cases but the statement far from law. And a family that argued, rather than sorting out their problems in a civilized way, ended up being messed up and broken--
Why am I thinking about this now? Izuku thought, glancing away from any student's prying eyes. He laid his head on his arm that was placed on his table. It's not like my parents fought. We never saw that sperm-donor enough to have meaningless arguments.
Izuku covered his face with his free arm, but before he could close his eyes, he heard someone call him. The voice was naturally rough and deep. He wondered for a second if his voice hurt after a day or two.
"Deku," Bakugou Katsuki said.
Izuku peeked up at him but ignored him and covered his face again. He was in no mood to say anything to him and if he had to answer for whatever reason, his lips stayed glued together. What would he even say to this guy after all that happened?
"Hey," he called again. His voice hinted with annoyance, albeit Katsuki successfully kept his cool for a few more seconds.
Those seconds passed as Izuku said nothing, so Bakugou lost his patience. A loud bang sounded in the classroom, causing nearby students - who remained inside for lunch - to look their way. By the looks of it, Bakugou's hand had slammed onto his own desk.
"I need to talk to you," Katsuki calmly said, while he took his other hand out of his pocket. "Let's go outside."
Izuku peered at Katsuki from the gap between his crossed arms.
Katsuki lifted himself up from his seat, not leaving any room for Izuku to refuse a second time. He isn't taking 'no' for an answer, huh?
"It's important."
Midoriya lifted his head, while he rested his chin on his arms. He noted the seriousness in his childhood friend's eyes - it was unlike any expressions he saw plaster his face. Was it hints of solemnity he heard in his voice too?
Midoriya sighed. He stood up and shrugged his shoulders. I have nothing better to do.
Uraraka left minutes ago to the cafeteria with the rest of the girls in their class; Iida mentioned he had to go to a Class Representative meeting with Momo Yaoyorozu and Shinso left without a word. Izuku took a wild guess and thought he was either sick of him or met with his previous class teacher.
Left with nothing but boredom, of course, Izuku chose something interesting. However, conversing with Katsuki Bakugou proved to be a troublesome quest. Izuku could only be amused for an amount of time before his eardrums hurt.
"It's about Aunt Inko," Bakugou said when they reached a hall without a soul in sight. "She wants to meet you before the provisional licensing exams."
And there, their first conversation - after their argument - started in an undesirable way.
Midoriya's eyes, previously narrowed into a glare, widened before contorting for the third time back into a glare - this time, directed at the ground. He hid his clenched hands by crossing them, but his arms couldn't stay still.
"What should I do?" Izuku let out a strained laugh and looked up into Bakugou's scrutinizing eyes. "I don't want to meet her."
Katsuki's face twisted from his rarely calm expression to a grimace. His hand reached for his neck's nape. "Look," he said, "for whatever reason, and I don't know what possessed them to ask me this, that detective and my mom keep nagging me to convince you. So either you just go meet her or tell that detective-guy directly why you don't want to! I don't want to be dragged anymore into this and you can't keep avoiding what happened that day--"
"Jeez, you're so loud," Izuku mumbled, "But I don't hear anything that concerns me. Sounds like a you problem."
Bakugou glared at Izuku and gritted his teeth. "Hey, what's with that attitude?"
Suddenly, a devilish grin spread across Bakugou's face. And in a mocking voice, he said: "Oh, is it because you can't - act innocent, I mean. Because you know I am right and you don't want to admit it."
"There's no use acting like you're just some innocent guy dragged into things you can't control anymore, playing the victim. You've gone too far to be the victim now."
Izuku scoffed, his hands visibly trembling. "Every time I talk to you, I seem to lose my nerves. Just what are you even trying to do?"
"Why do you think you lose your nerve?" Bakugou asked smugly before adding in a lower tone, "Because you can't handle the truth."
Izuku squeezed his arm tightly. "You know why I can't."
"Because everything I say," Bakugo continued to say.
"I can't, Katsuki."
"You know deep down--"
"Katsuki!"
"-- that I'm right." Bakugou's smile fell. "Coward."
"Stop it!" Izuku shouted.
He released his arms from his nails' grip and instead, dug them into his palms.
Again, for the second time, his face tensed up as slightly visible irks formed onto his forehead and between his creased eyebrows. "You know more than anyone, why I'm like this. You know why I'm afraid of facing her!"
"Afraid, you say?" Katsuki raised an eyebrow.
He finally admitted it.
➵
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