Stay with me!

Chapter 31 - the same, same day

The doors closed in on him as he stepped further into the cuboid, his body falling onto the chair as he leaned forward against his desk. The slippery wood helped him shift until until he met comfort. The hollow board, on its last days, presenting a PowerPoint of information on languages across the world, particularly ways of saying hello.

The blonde student pressed his palms together and examined the stubby nails attached, soon after picking at the skin around as his mind left the classroom again. And again.

His boyfriend watched-- out of a accident as he caught Midoriya's drifting view. It wasn't the first time Bakugo held that expression. It was almost like he was distracted but more than that, lost? Confused? He could have sworn he knew the name for it. It was likely another difficult day for Bakugo and he was assured to help at the good opportunity.

After the next two hours being uncharacteristically quiet, Midoriya shifted towards the silent stepping blonde, eventually in a pursuit that one would define as chasing. Outstretched polkadots along his arms that sprinted with the shorter boy as he tilted past crowds to make sure his Kacchan was in sight. These extras, Midoriya smirked, in thought.

Eventually he stood in reach of the other, shielded by a rustling blossom through. Crickets of students surrounded the area so he needed to clear his throat to get Bakugo's attention and it worked.

"I didn't think you knew Yandere Simulator." He remarked, without any visuals of amusement despite the dash of a joking reference.

It worked as it made the shorter boy break into a blush; before waving his arms around, determined as he reassured that it "wasn't like that".

"Yeah, right. Whatever, Izuku." Bakugo watched, expecting for the moment to finish but neither moved for a few minutes. It irked the blonde how Izuku could read him so well, he didn't want him to pick up on anything and worry. He wanted to keep the other nurtured and tended for, so he needed to give the other distance - besides, he was more than capable of handling this on his own.

He planted a plucked daisy into Izuku's green curls, the other raised an eyebrow. "Hmm?"

"Don't worry about it."

"I'm already worrying." He added, trying to get the other to speak more on how he's feeling.

Bakugo stared at the daisys, gripping into his palms as the wind brushed past his neck. He was almost in reach, almost but his feet stepped away with closed eyes and a deep breath. "Keep the flowers in your hair."

"The huh?" Izuku repeated, watching the other drift into the crowd. He didn't expect Bakugo to be happy opening up on the spot so Midoriya stretched his shoulders and searched for his friend group, there'll always be a time to talk, when he is ready.

If it was like any other time, he would be at that point where he breaks down, something gives but there was nothing inside or outside. He couldn't do or be anything in the moment, a long buzzing lived inside him and made a family of micro buzzes. He also didn't feel real, though that defied science. And obviously he was a living being but... his soul didn't agree, he lacked the vitality. Whether anger or cackling, it was living. Was there a thing to describe it or was he truly disconnected, like a plug ripped in half.

His palms hit the desk and it made him realise that he sat in class, without a clue on how long remained. The lesson was--

"Concentrate class, differentiation isn't an easy topic."

Maths and boy, was he slacking in it. From being near the top to mediocre as his body constantly wanted to move, tap, roll, staying still began a trip into overthinking and then the day ended.

He doesn't remember how the lesson ended or what part they're even at but he knew what class was next; food nutrition, once every two weeks and it was his favourite, cooking was one of the ways he could forgot about things and relax. The scents, textures and tools to slice the ingredients. True pleasure.

Well, the lesson could have gone worse... After dropping two peppers and needing Aizawa to bring spares, he thought about his dad. Whenever he made a mistake with cooking (most likely spilling water), he would yell or groan at his son, frustrated at the inconvenience of having to get up and help. But it wasn't only that, the disappointment in his eyes, an image that would always remain, sealed with guilt. He let him down, he couldn't do anything.

And now he was bleeding. It was accidental. He misplaced the knife and it caught a finger instead of the garlic, but his hand was neutral without the signs of stinging. The blood slowly pooled and he winced loudly, finally sensing his hand and it alerted a few classmates.

"Oh shit."

"Bakubro! That looks bad!"

His hand trembled as he held it with the other, breathing softly. Aizawa was quickly there and concerned about the poor concentration his student had today. Or was it more than that? He still seemed out of it, dissociated.

Only a few lawyers of bandages were needed to cover and prevent the bleeding. Soon after Bakugo was led back to resume his cooking under Aizawa's watchful eye. The others were also cautious but didn't pry so the blonde wasn't uncomfortable.

Not a word left his mouth and he didn't know what to say, slowly bringing himself back to grips on where he left his meal. He brought over the pan of chopped vegetables and herbs to the stove and waited for it to cook.

"Kacchan, is everything okay?" Izuku asked, moving his pan as close to his boyfriend's as possible. His eyes caught the white glove on his hand. "That looks painful."

Bakugo didn't speak, tilting the contents of his meal around. He had nothing to give or say so he will keep put.

"Hey, Kacchan."

Bakugo turned his head and watched a gentle scarred hand tuck a daisy from earlier into a layer of his bandages. A smile tugged his lips.

As Bakugo clicked the container shut and shoved it in his backpack to take home as the school day ended, his teacher asked for him to wait a few minutes as his teacher cleaned up after the laziest students. Discarding greasy pans and boards would never be something the blonde does. Sitting on a chair until his teacher finished, he saw Midoriya's curls waiting outside the door, he always waited.

The taller man with a bun sat at his desk, waiting for the student to begin.

"Sorry sensei."

"No, no. What's going on with you today? Uncharacteristic all through, you know you can talk to people if you want to, okay?"

Bakugo looked at the peeking daisy, as if it was giving him a prep talk. "I know."

Aizawa didn't intend on keeping his student for longer than that, his goal was to remind the blonde of possible support.

The door closed behind him and Midoriya locked his arms with the other teen, guiding him outside the school as they walked back to their homes.