Dabi x Deku

Chapter 13: (Breaking Point)

The night was colder now, and the quiet hum of the city felt oddly distant as Izuku and Dabi walked back toward the dorms. Izuku kept his pace steady, glancing at Dabi every so often. He could sense the tension lingering in the air, and the weight of their earlier conversation was still on his mind. But he couldn't shake the feeling that Dabi was still holding something back.

"You know," Izuku began, his voice a little hesitant, "I know you're not fine, Dabi. And I get that you want to keep this all to yourself, but—"

"Stop," Dabi interrupted sharply, his tone colder than usual. He stopped in his tracks, turning to face Izuku, his eyes flashing with irritation. "I told you already — you don't get it. I don't need your help."

Izuku was taken aback, his heart skipping a beat. "I'm just trying to—"

"Trying to what, huh?" Dabi snapped, his voice rising with frustration. "You think I'm just gonna let you waltz into my shit and pretend like everything's gonna be okay? Like I'm gonna sit here and spill my guts to you because you're 'worried'? I don't need you butting into things that don't concern you!"

Izuku took a step back, a little stunned by Dabi's sudden outburst. "I—I didn't mean to—"

"Well, you did!" Dabi growled, his hands balling into fists at his sides. "I'm sick of everyone trying to play hero when they don't know a damn thing about what's really going on. You have no idea what you're dealing with, and you're just making it worse by pushing me like this!"

Izuku's throat tightened. He didn't want to back off, but he hadn't expected Dabi to lash out at him like this. "Dabi... I'm not trying to make things worse. I just... I care about you, okay? You don't have to do this alone."

Dabi's eyes narrowed, his breath sharp in the cold air. "I never asked for your damn sympathy!" His voice cracked, the anger giving way to something else—something raw and vulnerable, like he was barely holding himself together. "I didn't ask for anyone to care! So stop pretending like you can fix me, Deku. You're just another person who's gonna get hurt because of me."

Izuku stood there, silence hanging heavy between them. For a moment, it felt like the world around them had frozen, the tension thick enough to suffocate.

The air felt like ice as Izuku stood there, the sting of Dabi's words still ringing in his ears. He hadn't expected Dabi to lash out at him so suddenly. He'd only wanted to help, to be there for him, but Dabi... Dabi had made it clear that he wasn't welcome. That he wasn't wanted.

Izuku's chest ached, the sting of rejection mixing with the confusion and hurt swirling inside him. He took a step back, then another, his feet moving faster than his mind could keep up with. His eyes stung, but he refused to let the tears fall. He didn't want Dabi to see him like this — weak, pathetic, someone who couldn't even handle a simple rejection.

But the more he tried to push the hurt away, the more it built up inside him. Without thinking, he turned on his heel and sprinted away from Dabi, his breath coming out in ragged gasps as he ran down the empty streets, the cool night air doing nothing to ease the pain in his chest.

He didn't stop until he reached the dorms, slamming the door behind him and leaning against it, panting, trying to steady himself. His heart pounded painfully in his chest, but it wasn't from running. It was the weight of everything — Dabi's anger, his own uselessness, and the fact that, once again, he'd tried to be the hero and failed.

"Why... why am I always the one who gets left behind?" Izuku whispered to himself, his voice barely audible over the noise in his head.

He didn't realize he was crying until he wiped his eyes, feeling the hot tears slip down his cheeks. He swallowed hard, trying to choke back the sobs, but it was no use. The tears came faster, burning his eyes as the weight of everything came crashing down on him.

"I'm just trying to be a good friend..." Izuku muttered, his voice breaking. "Why can't he just let me in?"

As he turned to walk further into the dorm, his shoulders shaking, he suddenly froze. Someone was standing at the end of the hall, leaning casually against the wall with their arms crossed. It was Bakugo.

"What the hell, Deku?" Bakugo's voice was gruff, but there was a rare edge of concern there that made Izuku's heart stutter. "Why the hell are you out of breath and crying like some damn baby?"

Izuku tried to force a smile, but it came out weak and broken. He wiped his eyes furiously, but it was no use. "I—I'm fine, Bakugo. Just... it's nothing."

Bakugo's narrowed gaze didn't miss a thing. "Bullshit. You're a mess. What happened?" He pushed off from the wall and stalked toward Izuku, his usual harshness softened by something else, something almost protective.

Izuku opened his mouth to deny it, to brush it off, but the words caught in his throat. The dam he'd been holding back broke. "I—I just... I tried to help him. I tried to be there for him, but he... he didn't want me. He told me to leave him alone, and I just... I just wanted to help!" His voice cracked on the last words, and the sobs came harder, more uncontrollable.

Bakugo stood still for a moment, clearly caught off guard by the outburst. Izuku had always been the one who pushed through, the one who tried to stay strong, no matter what. Seeing him break down like this... it shook Bakugo.

"Damn it, you idiot," Bakugo muttered under his breath. "You always do this, don't you?"

Izuku looked up at him, confusion and pain clouding his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"You always think you have to save everyone," Bakugo said, his voice a bit softer now, but still holding that familiar frustration. "You try to carry everyone's shit on your shoulders like it's your problem, and then you break yourself in the process."

Izuku shook his head, his hands trembling. "I just want to help... I don't want to be useless, like always. But it feels like... like no one cares about me the way I care about them."

Bakugo snorted, crossing his arms. "Idiot," he said again, but this time, there was a softness in his tone. He stepped closer, standing directly in front of Izuku. "You think Dabi doesn't care? You think you're the only one who feels like crap?"

Izuku was silent for a moment, staring at the floor, too afraid to look Bakugo in the eye. "But I'm not strong enough," he whispered. "I couldn't even help him..."

Bakugo's expression hardened, but the fire in his eyes had dimmed just a bit. "Stop being a damn martyr, Deku. You don't have to carry everyone's pain. You're not some hero-in-training on your own. You've got people who care about you — even if you can't see it right now."

Izuku let out a shaky breath, his shoulders trembling with the weight of it all. He didn't have all the answers, and he didn't know how to fix things with Dabi, but maybe... maybe it was okay to lean on someone else, for once.

Bakugo didn't say anything more. Instead, he slapped Izuku's shoulder hard, the gesture rough but familiar. "Get some damn sleep. You look like a wreck."

Izuku nodded, wiping his eyes one last time. He still felt raw, but Bakugo's presence—his gruff, blunt support—was strangely comforting.

"Thanks, Bakugo," Izuku murmured, his voice small but sincere.

Bakugo rolled his eyes but muttered, "Whatever, nerd. Don't make me repeat myself."

Izuku couldn't help but smile a little, even as the tears still stung his eyes. Maybe things weren't as hopeless as they felt. Maybe, just maybe, he didn't have to carry it all alone.