The Emerald Prince

Chapter 129: Cake Day

This one...is unnecessary and clichéd angst that is beneath me as a writer, and beneath your intelligence to deign yourselves to read.
But I don't care
And it's exactly why most of you are here.

Also, thank you for your patience, Bakudeku shippers.

———

Izuku stayed in Shinsou's room most of the following day. He didn't have the strength to face the world, so as he didn't need to attend school, he didn't.
He sat in Shinsou's bed, wearing Shoto's hoodie, on his phone, and loving every second of it until 7:00pm when Bakugou came in.

The blond took a moment to process Izuku with his bed hair and oversized hoodie, before speaking. "It's Ponytail's birthday. You coming down nerd?"
"Oh of course! I didn't know!"
He hopped out the bed, and then registered what he was wearing and flushed a little. "I'll just change, don't bother waiting..."
"Wasn't planning on it." Grouched Bakugou more out of reflex, and left.

He'd been a lot quieter recently. He was unhappy, very unhappy, and Izuku wished he could help, but he couldn't now. He'd a deadline to face, and if he made it past that...then he could focus on other things. He needed to plan to his utmost to make sure everyone survives into next week, and Kaachan deserved more than to only get a fifth of his attention.
He reluctantly took off the hoodie, though decided to be 'forgetful' and not return it.
Pulling on his dark turquoise turtle neck jumper and black jeans before leaving to join the others.

When he came in, the whole class were there, Yaoyorozu at the head of the table, Jirou's arms around her. However what immediately caught Izuku's attention was the cake Satou was clutching with pride, and the candles on it.

"Hey Izuku!" Said the brown haired boy cheerfully, his words followed by a chorus of similar greetings from the rest, not that Izuku noticed. He was gawking at the cake.
"Happy birthday Momo! Satou that cake's amazing!" He exclaimed.
Satou flushed a little, "not really, just a Victoria sponge..."
"Was it your idea to put candles on a cake?" Elaborated Izuku, eyes sparkling, "That's mad! It looks so cool!"

He looked confused when the entire room silenced, the class gazing at him in horror.

He gulped nervously, and caught Bakugou's gaze.
His voice wavered slightly as he asked, "not good?"
The blond looked at him with so much sadness it made Izuku want to risk his life and hug him.
"Bit not good, Deku." He answered, very softly.
"O-Oh." Izuku coughed slightly as he moved away from the situation, "I think I'll leave you guys to it... I was...just joking! Enjoy your party Yaomomo!"
He called the last part as he darted out the door, ignoring the worried calls of several of his friends as he fled.

He'd fucked it up. He'd managed months of pretending to be normal...well more or less...and now it was ruined. He could still feel them staring at his back in judgement and stupid pity as he darted toward the stairs.

He ran as hard as he could until he ran out of stairs to climb, and sprinted down the corridor until there was no corridor left, leaving him outside Bakugou's room. He almost fell into the room, diving onto the bed, and enveloping himself in the duvet and the faint familiar smell of burnt caramel.

———

Kirishima shared panicked looks with most of their class before he spoke breaking the tense silence.
"Should we look for him?" He asked Bakugou.
"That's not the goddamn question you ask him." Growled Jirou, "the question you ask is how in the ever loving fuck does Izuku not know what a birthday cake looks like. As a 'childhood friend' I should think he has a bigger fucking clue that the rest of us."
Bakugou spoke up stiffly, "we were only really that close until I got my quirk. I don't remember much of being five."
"But you do know why he didn't know what a birthday cake was." Clarified Hagakure in a slightly threatening tone.
The blond nodded, before standing, "as you may have fucking gathered, it isn't something he is ready to share. So if I were you guys, I'd leave him to his future boyfriends to deal with, and make like teenagers and enjoy this party."
He left, Shoto and Hitoshi following.