Post Vitam

Chapter 88

Izuku was beyond confused. What are the chances of running into the very person that is looking for you like some ridiculous romantic comedy. Not that Izuku thought Shigaraki had any romantic intentions. He barely expressed any emotion, though Izuku suspected it had to do with his skin condition. Perhaps making expressions are painful and threatens a skin tear? 

Izuku caught himself before he let his mind wander too far into the complexities of someone else's medical conditions or how exactly the condition of his skin is directly related to his quirk. He had to know the reason he was looking for Izuku. 

"Why were you looking for me Shigaraki, have we met before?" Hoping beyond hope Izuku didn't forget a long lost friend. The thought didn't last long as he remembered he never had friends beyond Bakugo and he wasn't for quite a few years.

"In a way." He answered cryptically.

The longer he interacted with Shigaraki the more the hairs on the back of his neck pricked up. His whole body was trying to get away from this guy. He didn't want to be entirely rude just because his behavior is odd so he did his best to take the sting out of his next sentence. 

"okay you have to start making sense here dude coz I'm kind of creeped out here. How did we meet before? I'm sure I would remember you if we did before."

It was certainly true, Izuku felt he would remember someone he had to be careful to not touch their skin, not to mention in a world of multi-colored hair being natural Shigaraki's light blue is still rare enough to stand out to some degree.

"Well i've known about you for quite some time now but you didn't know about me by design."

Shigaraki's answer didn't help with Izuku's body wanting to escape this situation. He found himself being acutely aware of directions he could run to if it came to that. Forgetting entirely that the sky is an actual option for him. Against his better judgement he stayed to at least find out what this is all about. Izuku was slightly loosing his patience though with Shigaraki's cryptic clues that lead nowhere. 

"Look I'm sure you're nice, heck before this bit I thought you'd be interesting to get to know but this conversation is not helping the creep factor here Shigaraki. . ."

"Well it wasn't my intention to creep you out as you put it." He replied with a smile entirely contradicting what he just said. Like he was actually there just to creep Izuku out.

Izuku felt literal chills spread down his spine at Shigaraki's smile, still he pressed on knowing this conversation has gone too far for him to just leave abruptly. This guy looked capable of hurting someone if he was upset enough. "So what did you intend, why were you looking for me then?"

Shigaraki defied what Izuku thought possible given his state of chapped lips but he gave a wider smile as he rummaged in his jacket pockets clearly looking for something specific. "I'm supposed to deliver something to you."

Izuku thought for a split second there might a misunderstanding of some kind. Perhaps Shigaraki is just a delivery person and he is looking for someone who's name is close to his? "Oh? I didn't order anything though." Hoping this would sort this out and Shigaraki could go far away from him. 

No such luck though as he just replied plainly. "No it's a gift. Now where did I. . . AH! here it is." Pulling an envelope with some sort of wax seal on the back from his pocket.

Izuku was confused. Who still wrights letters in this day and age? Must be from someone old or technologically inept right? Though who Izuku had no idea. "a letter? From who?"

As he asked that another thought popped into his head. How come Shigaraki was surprised that he is who he's looking for. Did he not know what Izuku looked like? He voiced this before Shigaraki even had a chance to answer his previous question. "Also it just occurred to me, you know about me but not how I look? What's up with that?"

Shigaraki's creepy smile was back making Izuku regret even asking. "Not my place to say. Maybe it's all explained in the letter, maybe it's not. I'm just the messenger today."

Izuku had enough of this now so he took the letter and steered the conversation to a close. "Uh... well thanks I guess Shigaraki. . ."

He nodded and bowed again. As he turned to leave he winked at Izuku saying "No problem"

Izuku felt the shivers from earlier renew themselves. As he watched Shigaraki to make sure he actually leaves it almost looked like he disappeared into thin air. One moment he was there the next he was not. Izuku was too relieved he was gone to care how it happened at the moment.

Now that Shigaraki had left Izuku found himself looking the letter over in his hands. It was quite thick and appeared to be an expensive parchment type and not some run of the mill printer paper. There in fancy letters was his name. IZUKU. Though no surname which Izuku found slightly odd.

He was about to find somewhere to open the letter when Bakugo and Kirishima came rushing over with ice cream in a bowl. Izuku smirked to himself, they probably couldn't find milk so opted for the next best thing. As they drew closer Izuku found himself hiding the letter, he wasn't sure why but it felt right.

Kirishima was first to reach him handing over the Ice cream he carried. "Here you go Deku-bro we couldn't find any milk and the vending machine is broken. . ." He cut off his sentence upon looking at Izuku again. "Oh you look fine?!"

Izuku rubbed the back of his neck feeling guilty for having the guys go in search of something that ended up not being needed "Yeah I fell on my way to the restroom and cut my hand." He chose to leave out the part with Shigaraki for some reason.

"It kicked my healing into action, not sure why it didn't work right away though. Sorry for making you guys run around, but yay Ice cream! Kacchan you even got my favourite type!"

Izuku forgot where they were and how many people were around them and instantly hugged Bakugo only to back off when he remembered and felt the slight tension in his body. "Sorry I kind of forgot."

Seeing that Izuku was slightly hurt by his less than enthusiastic reaction the hug he tried to reassure him. "No worries. It's just Kiri here."

Izuku play hit him on his shoulder for reducing his friend to just a third wheel even if he was secretly happy, making him feel guilty all over again. "Kacchan that's not nice."

Bakugo just scoffed "Weren't you the one being clingy because you were jealous?"

Izuku was taken aback but this, he had no idea Bakugo had noticed his behavior. "W-what?" he stammered out.

Bakugo just rolled his eyes "I know you better than anyone else ya damn nerd"

Izuku was bright red now. "Was I that obvious?" He asked to nobody in particular before turning his attention to Kirishima. "I'm sorry Kirishima if I made you uncomfortable, I invited you with us and then acted like a brat. . ."

Kirishima gave him a kind smile. "No need to apologize. I get it, Baku-bro is a catch, but I don't have a crush on him like back at camp. It was more about him being able to be somewhat happy with himself when I still hate that part of myself." Loosing the smile at the last bit.

Izuku draped an arm over Kirishima's shoulder. "Hopefully that changes soon because every part of you is awesome, I wouldn't have been so worried if you weren't. Anyone would be lucky to have you share a part of you with them."

Kirishima didn't have time to respond as Bakugo had reached his limit of emotional honesty. "Ugh enough mush, let's go ride stuff already!"

Kirishima and Izuku shared a look and nodded. "Lead the way Kacchan!" Izuku called out still holding Kirishima by his shoulder they walked after Bakugo to enjoy the various activities and rides the carnival had to offer.