The Proximation of Hello and Goodbye

36

Shinobu can still remember the first time that he and Izuku walked into that house. Shinobu had carried two boxes in and Izuku had brought in a few small trinkets that he'd held on to for the entire car ride up here. He remembers the way that Izuku smiled at him and kissed his cheek after he saw the layout of the house for the first time. He can still see Izuku jumping with glee as he looked at the backyard. And, the muttering, he can hear it. The soft but excited muttering of a man who was already trying to plan a layout for the house and how they would decorate it. Of course, none of it came to pass as Shinobu had already paid someone to make sure it met his own standards, but it's still nice to recall a time when Izuku was excited to be sharing a home with him.

And, now, he stands in the abandoned shell of their old home, wondering where it all went wrong. Why he didn't get to experience things a second time with Izuku? He'd earned it, hadn't he? He'd done everything to make him happy? Why wasn't it enough? He frowns. That's it. It was enough. But, there was something that Izuku wanted something else. Izuku wanted Katsuki . That's where it all went wrong. When was it? Was it when they first got here or that night that Izuku showed up at the house earlier than he thought he would because some stranger had given him a ride? What about Katsuki made Izuku decide that he was better? Whatever it was, Shinobu knew he'd destroy it and make Izuku see how worthless he is without it. He'd have Izuku back one way or the other, but why wait? He can handle more than one task at a time, right?

He rolls his shoulders back and starts to get to work out a plan to make sure he can get Izuku back this time.

*

With Katsuki at an important meeting, Izuku, Ena, and Akasuki are making their way to Ena's apartment, against Izuku's better judgment. Ena needs to gather some pads and tampons, and she says it's better than going to the store. When Izuku said it'd be better to wait on Katsuki, Ena rolled her eyes and scoffed. She said that she wasn't asking that dunce to grab her tampons. So, here they are making their way into Ena's apartment to grab her things. She huffs as soon as she walks in and frowns, "That's weird."

"What's that?" Izuku asks.

Ena looks around the apartment and then at Akasuki, "I turned out the lights when we left, didn't I?"

Akasuki nods, "Only because I yelled at you to. But, you definitely turned them off."

Izuku starts to make his way back to the door and jumps back at the sudden feeling of someone's chest against his back. He looks over his shoulder to see a tall, burly man he'd never seen before standing by the door. He starts to back up toward his friends and he scrambles for one of their hands. "Ena, Ena. We're not alone," he whispers.

"I can see that," she murmurs, not bothering to look in Izuku's direction. Izuku faces the direction that Ena is facing to see more strangers surrounding them from the other side. He can feel his stomach sinking to his feet in a matter of seconds, his blood running completely cold in an instant. He knew this was a bad idea, and now here they are cornered because he didn't bother texting Katsuki to let him know they were leaving. Stupid, stupid, stupid. I should have known better. Okay, this isn't the time for this. Think, Izuku. How do we get out of this? His brain races with thoughts of the apartment, its layout, where all of the windows and doors are located, and anything that might help them make it out of this unscathed. The kitchen .

"Just hang tight," he whispers to his friends. He rushes toward the group standing ahead of Ena and shoves past them with some struggle and makes his way to the kitchen with them hot on his heels. He grabs the skillet filled with food which has since molded over sitting on the stove and throws it directly to the man closest to him and hits him in the head. He next reaches for a knife, granted he won't know how to use it all that well, and another pot, throwing it at the window over the sink. He makes a break for it, not too worried about the glass or the fall. Both of those things have to be better than the alternative. His hands, clothes, and body are all sliced to pieces when he shimmies through the window. The impact of the ground against his body causes his head to spin and his breath to escape him but he has to keep going. He can already hear somebody making their way out of the door along with several of their accomplices.