Can't Choose

Chapter Three

Bakugou growled to himself as he arrived at the running track. There was that green-haired boy, with the coach. The kid really did want to join the team. Bakugou walked up to the coach, ignoring Izuku. The kid didn't get the message.

"H-hey...Kacchan."

Bakugou's red eyes darted to Izuku's face. And that small, timid smile. "Shut up, you useless Deku," the blond snarled. Kirishima wouldn't be proud, but he wasn't here right now. He watched as Izuku's smile vanished, and he looked away from Bakugou, hurt.

Bakugou wondered why the universe had tried to curse him. He thought he'd escaped that damn nerd when they went to different high schools, but now he was was here again! He never stopped following him, even now, when they were teenagers! And he just had to join the track team, too. What did he ever do to deserve this? (Don't answer that.)

Bakugou refused to acknowledge the presence of that green-haired nerd for the rest of practice. He had to admit, though... the boy could run. He was an okay sprinter, but his endurance was good. Almost as good as Bakugou's. No one on the team was better than him, of course. (Though Iida was definitely sprinting competition.)

Izuku had gotten onto the distance team, while Bakugou had managed to get onto both sprinting and distance. He alternated practice days. Honestly, both had some benefit now. Sprinting meant he could avoid Deku. Distance meant he could show him up.

Bakugou and the rest of the distance runners jogged off the track at their coach's request. Time for a water break. Bakugou grabbed his water bottle and poured some of it down his face, which was red from running. He pretended not to notice the glances that Deku was giving him. Well, at least trying to. He finally got too annoyed.

"Why the hell are you staring at me!?"

Deku's green eyes went wide, and his face flushed. "S-sorry, Kacchan!"

"Don't call me that! We're not kids anymore, damn it!" Deku winced at the harsh words. He opened his mouth, and Bakugou knew he was probably going to stutter out some idiot response. Before the shorter boy could say anything, though, he was interrupted by someone.

"Bakugou, isn't that the new kid? Midoriya?" It was Jirou, who was one of the sprinters.

Bakugou only glared at her. She sighed and rolled her eyes, pulling out her ever-present earbuds for a bit. She turned to Izuku. "Hey, I'm Kyouka Jirou." She held out her hand to shake.

"I-Izuku Midoriya." He shook her hand with a tiny smile.

"Bakugou isn't bothering you, is he? I swear, he's like an angry Pomeranian."

Izuku couldn't hold back a small laugh. Bakugou reddened in anger. "Shut the hell up! Why are you even over here! Go back to the sprinters!"

"I just heard you over here snarling at poor Midoriya, so I came to save him." She seemed unfazed by Bakugou's fury, and Izuku was slightly awed. To think someone that brave even existed. Izuku smiled at Jirou with gratitude in his green eyes.

"I'm fine," he said. She nodded, giving a friendly wave before jogging off towards the rest of the sprinters, who were grouped up nearby.

"Look at you, making friends," Bakugou muttered, though Izuku didn't catch it.

"What was that, Kacchan?"

"Nothing, you damn Deku! And quit calling me that!" The blond stalked off and returned to the track to get away from Deku. He started a brisk jog around the track, going for four more laps before practice ended. He almost regretted it though; the track always seemed smaller when you weren't on it, and he was already a bit tired.