Green Hope :: BakuDeku

Shower

For two days it was beans and rice with the last of Izuku's jerky.

A lot of countryside, too. Countryside meant less infected, though. Less worry about volume.

"The ref totally made the wrong Goddamn call!"

"You didn't even see what happened! Adam got swipped, yes, but it was totally legal!"

"It was not! And they tried blaming me!"

Izuku laughed. "You were totally using him as a shield, Mr. Quarterback."

Katsuki groaned and shoved him. "That ain't what got him swipped, stupid. He wasn't fast enough, and Jacksonville was totally cheating!"

"They weren't cheating! Playing dirty? Absolutely. Cheating? Not quite."

"What do you even know about football, nerd?"

Izuku raised a brow and smirked at him. "Did you forget that a star football player raised me? The best of the best? Your idol?"

"Right, right," Katsuki scoffed with an eye roll.

Izuku chuckled, folding his arms. "Just because I didn't play doesn't mean I don't know anything about it."

"Whatever, nerd." Katsuki slouched forward, hands in his pockets as he barely contained his pout. Then he slowed and sighed. "How was the old man..? Before... You know..."

The greenette inhaled deeply through his nose, shoulders drooping slightly. "He was... He was good. Really good. Positive, as always. Back when this first started he just kept saying that it'll be over soon... It'll be taken care of and things will return to normal. Well... Two years in and two parents down, nothing has been taken care of and nothing is normal. We've had to make our new normal... I wonder what he would think of everything now..."

Katsuki looked down at the cracked asphalt, kicking the loose chunks. "He'd be proud of you, ya know..."

"I've tried to kill myself."

"And look at you now." Katsuki nudged him. "Stronger than ever."

Slowly, a small smile tugged at Izuku's lips and he hummed. "All I wanted was for him to be proud... I always worried that he was disappointed he didn't get a son that played football, but... He was always in my corner, boosting me up for whatever I decided I wanted. He never pressured me into anything. Sure, he was kinda awkward and struggled to understand what I liked, but he tried... And because of that, I never cared to try and find my biological father... I already had a dad."

Katsuki nodded, taking his hand. Holding his hand is starting to feel so natural. "You got pretty lucky in the whole parent department."

Izuku laughed and nodded. "Yeah, I did. They were both great. I just... I wish they were still here..."

Katsuki gave his hand a squeeze before entwining his fingers through Izuku's. The greenette leaned into him.

They were quiet for a while, walking just like this.

"Katsuki, look!" Izuku pulled away and jogged ahead a couple of steps, looking passed the treeline.

The blond raised a brow and picked up his pace, adjusting the duffle bag. He halted, eyes widening.

A little farmhouse. One with a steadily rotating water wheel.

"Race ya!" Izuku reached back and slapped Katsuki's arm in his excitement and made a break for the house.

"Hey-" Katsuki sprinted after him, holding the duffle bag tighter so it didn't swing harshly against his side.

Izuku leapt over a broken part of the fence. Katsuki followed suit, both slowing as they approached the house, panting softly. Izuku grinned as he admired the water wheel, then peered in through some of the windows.