Yuanfen [Bakudeku]

Chapter 12

"This is a bad idea." Izuku mumbles, tying up his shoes as Katsuki waits with a big smile next to him.

"Well, did you ever try volleyball after your accident?" Katsuki immediately asks, smirking when Izuku answers no.

"Exactly. It's been 3 years, and even if you aren't back to normal, you've made quite an recovery. I saw you jumping the other day trying to get something from the highest shelf.

"It's not that you can't Izuku, you just assumed you can't and now you aren't ready to even try. Look, we're all your friends, it's okay if it hurts too bad and you wanna give up, but I just want you to try."

The day before Katsuki's departure to Tokyo, he had decided to visit Izuku again to clear up their misunderstandings.

Maybe they won't be anything more than friends, but at least they won't blatantly ignore each other and refuse to acknowledge the scandal between them. 

And Izuku hesitantly agreed to be friends, though Katsuki assured him they've never been more than anything but friends (who have been on one shitty date) so things won't change between them. They didn't have to be awkward about their past, just a little cautious about paparazzi. 

So that's how Izuku was pulled to Katsuki's training grounds early in the morning, stating he wanted to see Izuku play. 

It was true that Izuku didn't try playing after the surgery. And it's not like his knee is magically healed now so he can play however he wants.

But all that Katsuki wants, was for him to live his dream. At east once, so everytime he thinks of giving up, he knows how strong he actually is.

Katsuki forcefully passes the ball to Izuku, who catches it with slight difficulty. The ball hit his jaw a little too hard.

"Why don't you try a jump serve? I heard you're really good at it." Katsuki encourages Izuku, who looks at him wearily, but still walks outside the court to try.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Aizawa asks next to him, eyes squinting as he watches Izuku walk away.

"It's either the best idea ever, or the worst idea in the world. But I swear, Sensei, I think he can do it, probably not the best, but somewhat." Katsuki explains, rubbing his palms in anticipation.

Izuku looks a little hesitant, rolling the ball in his arms as he takes in the feeling of holding the ball in his hands after a very long time.

The nostalgia washed into his bones, goosebumps softly appearing on his skin without his knowledge. 

He softly throws the ball into the air, catching it a couple times before he takes a deep breath. Izuku looks over to Katsuki, who had his fist on his mouth.

Izuku chuckles softly when he realises Katsuki was more nervous than he was.

Izuku promises himself that he wouldn't let Katsuki feel disappointed. Especially when he believed Izuku could do so much.

Izuku throws the ball high into the air, gathering momentum as he jumps, hitting the ball with all his might.

The ball dashes past all of them, the speed astonishing Katsuki. The ball flies past the court, hitting about 2 inches away from the line.

"Ah- seriously?" Katsuki screams, his hands flying up to his hair as he adjusts them.

Just then, Katsuki notices Izuku sitting down, looking at his knees with an unreadable expression. Did it hurt him?

Katsuki runs towards Izuku, ignoring Aizawa calling out to him. "Hey- are you- are you alright?" Katsuki questions, crouching down.

"I-" Izuku mumbles, trailing off as he looks at his own eye weirdly.

"Sorry?" Katsuki questions again, feeling Aizawa stand next to him, probably just as concerned.

"No it's just that- it didn't hurt that bad... I was thinking of like, you know, excruciating pain shooting up my bone and probably even loosing balance and breaking my bones but... This wasn't bad." Izuku concludes, his getting happier.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah! It just feels like a bad cramp and I don't think I should torture my knee even more. But- just maybe. I could play again slowly. Probably not as a player but just, for fun." Izuku whispers dreamily, looking at Aizawa and Katsuki with a huge smile.

"You don't have to be a professional to play, Izuku." Katsuki adds, kneeling down better next to Izuku.

Izuku bursts into tears, surprising Katsuki and Aizawa. "Thank you! I don't know how to express it but- i don't know Katsuki, volleyball is my life and-"

Katsuki cuts him off with a small shush. Katsuki doesn't comment on Izuku's sobs, but he does know how to make him feel better.

"You can use this court if you ever like blowing off some steam, I'm sure Aizawa wouldn't mind."

And hours later, Izuku still has a dazed smile on his face.

"How's your knee?" Iida immediately asks as he enters the house, to which he replies with a shy smile.

"It's okay, just felt like a small cramp." Izuku explains with a blissful smile.

"Bakugo knew what he was doing when he took you out to play." Todoroki says, chuckling to himself.

Unfortunately, Katsuki hadn't gone up to Izuku's home to drop him, he had to pack for his trip and was already slacking off too much, so he headed home.

"What do you mean?" Izuku questions half-mindedly, his thoughts still at the time when he held the ball after a very long time.

"Bakugo is leaving Midoriya. There's a high chance he might soon get settled in Tokyo. And you guys weren't in your best place, after all the scandal drama.

He probably just wanted you to have happy memories of him." Todoroki explains as Izuku slowly comes to a stop.

"You're talking as if he's dying, Todoroki. It's just Tokyo, we're still in the same country." Izuku nervously chuckles, rubbing his nape.

"Might as well." Todoroki grumbles before shaking his head and sighing, "It's just that, the now better he gets, the more he's going to travel.

"And Bakugo is not the person to be, you know, family-bound or anything. He loves himself. He loves doing everything for himself. That's how his parents brought him up.

"He said he might almost never come back and I know, he's in the same country, but more the practice, less the time. But you don't have to worry about it, he probably just wanted to enjoy sometime with you." Todoroki cuts himself off and finishes leaving Izuku all by himself.

Katsuki would never come back?