Because (BNHA x Male OC)

30: Culmination

Izuku saw Chiharu the moment he arrived at Ground Beta. 

"Haru? What are you doing here?" He asked, confused. "Where's Bakugou?". 

"He's not coming." Haru replied with a shrug. He forced a small smile onto his face, not wanting to start this off with hostility. 

Izuku just looked confused. "He's not? Could we go get him then? I think what he had to say was really important and-". 

Chiharu's small falling caused Izuku's words to dry up in his throat. His friend had never looked at him with that sort of an expression before. 

"What, is your rivalry with Bakugou more important than our friendship?" Haru questioned, "You'd rather fight him then have a conversation with your best friend?". 

"Is proving yourself against him more important than me to you?". 

"No that's not it." Izuku backtracked. "He just-he said something I need to ask him about. About my quirk and other things. I need to know what he knows.". 

Chiharu had overheard quite a lot about Izuku's quirk. Heard a bit about it too. It was probably important that Izuku and Katsuki spoke about whatever was going on, but not as important. 

This was a near lifelong friendship that could be broken and Chiharu didn't want that. 

"He probably wanted to just fight and I have to prove to him that I'm strong enough now." Izuku finished. 

Chiharu felt a twinge of annoyance. "If your looking for a fight, why not just fight me?" He asked with, fueled by some random boost of confidence. "There's more than enough pent up shit between us to warrant a fight at this point.". 

Izuku gave his oldest friend a shocked look. He looked horrified. "I'd never fight you." He said, his tone heartfelt. 

"Why? Don't wanna fight me because I'm not a challenge like Katsuki is? You think it'll be an easy win?" Chiharu questioned, his mixed emotions turning to anger pretty quickly. "We've both been trained by top heroes for the same amount of time, what makes you think you're stronger than me?". 

"Haru, please." Izuku begged, "I don't want to fight you. Whether I won or lost, I could never stand the thought that I hurt you in the process.". 

"What, are you delusional enough to think you can actually hurt me?" Chiharu asked bitterly. 

"This is what I've been trying to tell you about for years!" Izuku shouted, "You think just because your body's strong that you can't get hurt. You can, Haru! You're not indestructible in every way, you have feelings too.". 

Chiharu flinched. "You're the one pretending you can't get hurt!" He screamed back. "What were you doing back there, putting yourself and others in so much danger? Have you ever thought about how much it hurts me and Inko, the people that actually care about you, to see you try to throw your life away constantly?! Have some fucking self preservation because you're also not invincible!". 

Izuku glared at him. He must have struck a nerve. "Stop worrying about me. If you only became my friend out of pity, or because you thought the quirkless kid needed protection from someone stronger than him then you shouldn't have become my friend at all!". 

"Izu, that was never what I thought of you!" Chiharu protested, a lump forming in his throat. 

"No! I don't need a fucking babysitter Chiharu!" The green haired boy shouted. "I don't need you hovering over me constantly and following me everywhere like you're my fucking protector!". 

Haru stilled, feeling tears leak from his eyes. How long had Izuku thought that about their friendship? That Chiharu didn't think of him as equal? 

That had never been the case, not even once. He had been in love with Izuku, that's why he was so desperate to help him. He just wanted Izuku to love him back as more than friends.