To Love, To Lose, To Leave

Chapter Eleven

Thursday

Dead leaves littered the pathway from the dorm buildings towards the main UA buildings, the chilly morning breeze softly rustling them about every which way as Izuku made his way down the path. The leaves crunched, flattening under his feet as he strolled forward. A strange feeling of emptiness seemed to fill his mind.

It's so weird walking to school alone. Even back in elementary, I'd always go to and from home with...Kacchan.

Izuku stands still, frozen as a memory washes over him.

—

— —

Ten Months Ago

— —

—

Izuku jolts awake at the first beep of his alarm, heart already pounding rapidly in his chest. He had set his alarm earlier than usual the night before, overly worried at the idea of accidentally sleeping in. He swings his legs off his bed and stares at the ground, taking a deep breath.

You can do this, Izuku. You've fought the most powerful villains and defeated them, too. This is nothing compared to that, you'll be fine.

With that, Izuku bounces up, quickly grabbing his uniform off the hanger and putting it on, shoving his schoolbooks into his backpack and slinging it over his shoulder before making his way down on the elevator to the commons floor.

The floor was completely empty, which wasn't much of a surprise to Izuku. After the war, most of the class had issues with sleeping. They all tended to milk out every last drop of sleep before getting up and starting their day.

As Izuku makes his way to the kitchen, he spots a fresh bunch of bananas sitting in the communal fruits basket.

"Recovery Girl did say I was low on potassium at my last check up..." Izuku murmurs. He reaches for a banana, snapping it off and separating it from the bunch as he takes a seat at one of the bar stools at the kitchen island. He peels the skin, then takes a large bite.

Speaking of that check up, maybe I should try finding workout smoothies that have bananas in them, Izuku muses. Then I could get in all that extra potassium and—

"You're up early today."

Izuku almost chokes on the banana in his mouth, whipping his head around to the source of the voice.

His heart stutters in his chest.

Kacchan was standing on the other side of the island. His uniform was on like usual—except for the tie, Kacchan never liked them much—and his messenger bag was slung over his shoulder. A bright, red apple was in his hand—it's clear that Kacchan had just grabbed it from the fruit basket.

Red, like Kacchan's eyes.

Belatedly, Izuku realizes that he still hasn't replied to Kacchan, whose eyes were intently staring at him.

"Uh, yeah! Yeah, I am, haha," Izuku chuckles, mind already racing.

To be honest, he's still kind of in disbelief at the fact that him and Kacchan are a thing now.

Him and Kacchan...are boyfriends.

It was Izuku's reality, though. Kacchan confessed to him exactly a week ago, and Izuku reciprocated, obviously. They haven't really done much since then, but Izuku doesn't mind.

To be honest, just thinking about the fact that him and Kacchan are dating now is enough to send his mind into an endless spiral of thought—happiness and disbelief and guilt and joy and swirling about, leaving Izuku practically rendered speechless with the urge to both run away and also to never leave Kacchan's side.