Frailty /Depressed! Deku x Bakugou/

Chapter 1

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The longer he fought the harder it became to keep his eyes open as the exhaustion crept upon his entire body. And at that slight second of distraction, his feet lost balance.

Izuku stumbled backwards as the blast from Yugo's belt unexpectedly grew tenacious at last. His head spun as he lost all senses. His opponent was even caught off guard by the greenette not dodging. The team behind the duo consisted of Katsuki and Eijiro who also seemed to have stopped sparring. Katsuki's back was turned against Izuku's and reacting fast, he caught the smaller boy.

As the ash blond's toned arms wrapped around Izuku's torso, he paused; forgetting everything else for a slight moment. He had expected to at least relocate his foot to keep his composure but he hadn't even struggled holding his childhood friend.

Izuku was light.

No one should be that light... almost as small as a toddler. Light as a feather... He wondered when was the last time Izuku was this skinny. He could almost feel his ribs underneath the greenette's hero suit.

He recalled lunch, and did his best to remember breakfast but Izuku wasn't around for either of them. He'd wondered where the greenette had gone to, now he knew the boy likely hadn't eaten anything all day.

Once he noticed that Izuku stood on his own feet, he let go. Still, his mind ran a mile per second thinking why the green-eyed boy felt so small. Maybe he was exaggerating. Yeah, that had to be it. Izuku was fine, he had always been smaller than him. Not to mention the fact that Katsuki himself trained every day, lifting and working out, putting on muscle... Izuku must have felt lighter than usual when he thought about it that way.

But it did nothing to explain his absence during meals.

"Midoriya-Kun? Are you alright mon ami?" Yugo asked, a worried look on his face as he both felt proud that he managed to catch the top of the class stumbled but also felt concerned knowing well that the expression he held wasn't right.

It felt wrong.

Izuku didn't answer, holding his head and unwillingly admiring the scratched-up training ground as Katsuki reached for his shoulder to know if he was alright while Eijiro walked over to them from the other side.

"Oi, Nerd! You good?" Katsuki asked, concealing his worry beneath the attitude. The boy flinching didn't go unnoticed by both him and his red-haired friend. "Yeah dude, are you okay? Do you need Recovery Girl?"

"What are you gonna say, hero?"

"Y-Yeah, 'm fine... just a headache, Kacchan." Izuku spoke with a cracking voice, his skin had paled even further.

"Do you always lie to him?"

Izuku hated it when someone asked if he was alright. Because sometimes they would push it. They would ask over and over again if he was okay until he would break and tears would flow uncontrollably. He wanted someone to talk to, someone to be by his side that would understand him but he also believed he didn't deserve it. So he always smiled reassuringly and said he was fine, even convincing himself that he was 'fine'.

"You're pathetic."

His eyes caught a glimpse of darkness, maybe a shadow. He shook his head, ignoring the worried glances of his friends.

"I think you should fucking sit out the training, nerd. You don't look so good right now." Katsuki spoke this time, snapping Izuku out of his trace of thoughts. If he stayed here any longer he would pass out, his vision had been blurry ever since he lost his ground against Yugo.

"That... that sounds like a good idea... yeah..." he mumbles quietly as Katsuki takes the opportunity to go after the greenette. "I'll take you to your fucking dorm." Izuku didn't want to be alone. Alone meant miserable yet he had found comfort in his dark bubble.