Scars That Mend - Kiribaku Emergency Services AU

UA High School: Second Year (Autumn)

Summer was officially over, and the leaves started to turn red and auburn on the trees. A chill crept into the air, and I was glad to have my varsity jacket as I made my way to school in the crisp morning air, passing through the park I usually went to with Katsuki.

The blonde hadn't reached out for over a month. We ran into each other at practice and games, but he steered clear of me as much as physically possible. Mina suggested sending him a message, but I just couldn't bring myself to hit send. He was already freaked out by my unplanned confession - I was also freaked out by it. One conversation had somehow scrapped all the time we'd spent together, and now we were more distant than before. Gone were the sideways glances and intense glares, replaced by...nothing. 

I told myself to just wait it out. Eventually, he'd tell me - one way or the other. 

I made it to school just on time, rushing into homeroom as Sasaki-Sensei was pulling up his chair. He shook his head and waved me in; I took my seat, casting a quick glance at Katsuki as I passed the second row. He didn't look up, eyes trained on the sheets of notes in front of him. 

I slouched into my seat, pulling out my Japanese notes and going through them for the rest of the period. Mina and Denki both shot me a sympathetic glance as I bit my lip, finding my eyes trailing to the back of blonde hair every time I lost concentration. He never looked back, though.

~

We had football practice that day, and I was slowly starting to regret trying out. Coach was putting us through our paces multiple times a week, since our team was doing well in the tournament. I was doing a lap of the field when I saw a blur of blonde hair heading towards the locker room. Katsuki disappeared into the building, leaving Coach stood beside Izuku with a frown. I quickly finished up my lap and excused myself, finding the blonde hunched over on one of the benches. 

He didn't move as I approached, sitting at the furthest end of the bench. Even from a distance, I could see his body shaking slightly. His face was obscured, but his body language said enough.

"What happened?" I ventured, my voice small in the echoey locker room. 

"Tch." He scoffed, his voice cracking in his throat. "None of your business."

"You're still my teammate, Bakugo." I replied, biting the inside of my cheek. "I'm worried about you."

"You shouldn't be." He huffed, burying his face into his hands. "You...you fucking bared your soul to me and I walked away like it was nothing. You should hate me."

"I don't." I shrugged. "I'm not fragile - my feelings aren't fragile. You said you needed time, so I gave it to you."

Katsuki shook his head. "It's...fucking Deku. I was doing great, I hadn't fucked with the nerd for weeks. Then the bastard got in my way and I just..." His voice quivered. "I fucking snapped."

"Did Coach say something?"

The blonde nodded. "He said it's my last chance. One more incident..." He trailed off, his voice growing small. "One more fuck up and I'm off the team."

I felt my body freeze up. Katsuki's only passion was football. To lose that...it would be like losing everything. 

"I was better," He offered, glancing up at me finally. His crimson eyes danced with emotion. "I was a better person when we were..." He paused. "Friends."

Friends. The word hit me like a ton of bricks. This was his response to my confession - there was no denying it. I'd told myself I would be okay with his response regardless, but I'd still been holding on to a tiny flicker of hope that he might like me back.