Admiring From Afar (BkDk)

7 - 'Tough Act'

"We rode it to a dead end
Saying goodbye to a best friend
Is the bad part of the right thing to do"

Deku POV
We were friends until the bitter end I guess. I didn't think I'd ever see that end though. I know I always had to say goodbye to him, my old best friend. Now my bully. It hurts but I know I have to do this. I might be hard to handle, but honestly so is he. We finally burnt out, just like a candle on a cake. The pictures of us together on the fireplace aren't true. They're fake now, like everything else. He ended things so quickly, like it never mattered at all to him, I never mattered.

Everybody knows that an end to a friendship is easier when there's someone to hate. But he was my favorite person for years. And somehow I'd still say that. Especially after Wednesday night. Somehow I still can't quite get over him. I loved him so much but now he might have to truly be gone.

I know the reasons we have to separate. It took some time to believe them to be honest. Since everything is over now, I can't help but still want him on the other end of my phone line. Even when all I've known of is something that I have to give up on. I have cut him off like nothing ever happened. I have to, but I can't.

He is one tough act to follow.

I pull him aside to talk to him. Even after everything, I just need a reason to run back into his arms. An excuse that will make everything he's done okay and justified. But how?

"What the hell do you want?" He scoffs at me as I sigh.

"I got diagnosed as quirkless and you suddenly didn't miss me when I wasn't around anyway. Like you forgot about my entire existence. Since but you aren't who I grew up with anymore." I explain as he rolls his eyes. "You were distracted and the end of our friendship is killing me. Even so, how could you just ignore what we did together the other night." I scold him as I feel tears begin to run down my face. He clenches his teeth as he glares at me.

"Easily." He says with a smirk as I hold my breath, waiting for a better answer.

"I'm aware that we weren't flawless. But I'd still run back to you in a freaking heartbeat. I'm supposed to hate you, I know that much. But I just can't. I can't forget how you've made me feel. For better or for worse." I say nervously as he seems surprised.

"I never had feelings for you dumb nerd. You were just a convenient use of time to me." He scoffs at me again as I nod, face full of tears.

"Well, then I hope you meet someone tomorrow. And that she's everything you ever wanted in life. Someone like that French exchange girl." He rolls his eyes at me again.

"I hope I'm one tough act to follow." I whisper with a smile before walking away. I know he wasn't expecting that, hell, neither was I. I just told him how I felt in words, not just my imagination.

Bakugou POV
What the hell does that mean? Does the nerd not like me either. Is he really that okay with me moving on and liking someone else. How could he not care who I date and kiss. Did what we shared mean so little to him.

I can't believe what I just heard. I can't stop thinking about him now, no matter how much I try. Why does he always have this effect on me? Why can't I just forget him like I did before. He's making it so hard to ignore him. I'm supposed to be alone forever, I can't go back to him. I don't deserve him. No, he doesn't deserve me.

I know why he should hate me, hell, everybody knows why he should hate me. But somehow, he still acted. For better or worse, I'm not sure that's ever gonna change.

I just need to be rid of him already. I can't handle feeling this way about anyone anymore. Kissing him was a mistake, clearly. I'll never do that again if I can help it.

But why didn't he stop me? Did he really want to kiss me or did I scare him so much he didn't want to say no. He had a smile on his face Thursday morning at school but it faded by the second half of the day.

Maybe I'm over analyzing this. Damn, I'm started to sound like the nerd with all this unnecessary blabbering about my feelings.

I start to walk out of the hallway and toward my chemistry class. I can't help but look over at the nerd to see him looking perfectly normal again. Like he wasn't crying just an hour ago. He got over that quickly. Guess I wasn't as much of a tough act to follow as he was to me.

I sigh as I head out of the classroom. Our friendship is dead at this point, but that's what I wanted. I wanted him gone away from my side. I wanted him to stop pestering me. Right?

That kiss we shared won't leave my mind though. I can't tell anyone though. I refuse to admit to anything. After all, it meant nothing to me. As does he.

Finally, I feel some mental clarity as I let out a sigh. Right, he's dead to me. And I'm dead to him. Exactly what I wanted when I started to bully him. So why does it hurt so much?

As I'm walking out of the school though, I grab him and pull him into the hallway again. He stares at me in shock and fear as I glare down at him.

"Kacchan?" He mutters weakly as he trembles. He's scared of me, good.

"Tell anyone about the other night and you're dead." I threaten and he nods quickly.

"It meant nothing to me and neither do you. It was a fucking mistake." I say with a smirk as a single tear drop leaves his green eyes. He looks sad at my comment but doesn't seem surprised to be honest. Why isn't he shocked? Am I really that mean to him?

No, this is exactly what needs to happen. I can't be close with him again, he's quirkless. He'll die as a hero. Which means I can't be his friend, ever again.

He's on his own.