Don't Be Afraid of Shadows (BakuDeku)

◅ Chapter 6 ▻

'The marks humans leave are too often scars'
John Green

The following day started as frustratingly for Katsuki as Monday had. Still not a single text from Deku, even though Katsuki had bit down his pride and texted the little shit last night saying he hoped he felt better soon. It was a bit soppy for his liking but it was the truth. He wanted to see the green eyed fucker again. He'd missed the playful banter in their texts too. Surprisingly, the last text wasn't even read. Katsuki had stared at the little hollow checkmark so long it burned into his retina and he had to blink rapidly to remove it from his vision.

When the Squad finally all climbed out of his car, he made his excuses and stomped his boot-clad feet down the Yamada's first period English class, just where he'd found Deku this time last week.

He pushed his hands into the pockets of his monogrammed football jacket, hitching his backpack higher up his shoulder as he entered the classroom only to find it empty. His head swiveled left and right, as if he might have somehow missed Izuku sitting there. He sat on top of the greenette's desk and pulled out his phone to check the time. Deku was here this time last week, but he could afford to wait a little. 

Ten minutes passed and Katsuki was beginning to think Izuku wasn't going to be in school again today. He stood from the desk, debating whether it would be weird if he asked Deku's idiot friends where he was. He shook his head, who was he kidding, with Katsuki's reputation they could get the wrong idea and think they were fucking or that fucking was all Katsuki wanted. Best to wait to see the freckled boy himself.

He pulled his bag tight over one shoulder and made to leave the classroom, instantly stopped in his tracks as Izuku walked in, head down as he rifled through his open backpack. 

"Oi! Nerd, playing hard to get or-" 

Katsuki's words died in his throat as Deku raised his head up to meet his gaze. 

His green eyes blew wide at the blond's unexpected presence. 

Deku had a black eye. The bruise was fresh, a dark purple that faded out as it reached the corner of his left eye where the lid was slightly swollen under his brow bone. There was the hint of a yellowing bruise tucked away along the right corner of his sharp jawline, and the tip of an angry red mark protruding from the neck of his oversized green hoodie. 

Katsuki's eyes had widened and he moved forward without much thought, reaching a hand out towards Izuku's face. Just before his fingers could make contact with his bruised flesh, the hand that was rifling through Deku's bag shot up to knock Katsuki's fingers aside. Clutched in his grasp was an old style mobile phone, the basic nine button panel, answer and decline buttons, with nothing but the time on its small display.

The quarterback was both upset and offended by the suddenness of his reaction, but was stopped before he could even get started down that train of thought as he stared at the phone in Deku's hand.

"The fuck is that?" He asked, much sharper than he should have, seeing Deku's eyes narrow. 

As his mouth moved to answer another student knocked past him to enter the room and Izuku seemed to decide this was his cue to make a move.

There wasn't a cat in hell's chance he was getting away from Katsuki before he got to the bottom of this shit. 

He reached out for the back of Izuku's hoodie, grabbing the fabric firmly and yanking him back off his feet. He heard the greenette's bag land with a heavy 'thud' as it fell from his grasp.

Katsuki knew that Deku had closer friends than him, he'd only really known the kid a week, but his desire to be closer to him, to protect him, flooded out all other thoughts, and he needed to know what the fuck happened to him.