Fresh Flesh (Bkdk, Dkbk)

- 23: Is It Up To Me -

Tsuyu turns off the car, cutting off the song and bathing them back in complete darkness. Izuku doesn't wait another second, his legs stinging with that familiar feeling of the lack of blood flow. He gets out of the car, his feet crunching against the small pebbles on the ground. 

The cool air of the night brushes against him, and he shoves his hands in his pockets, keeping warm. The creature looks down at him, staring. Izuku glares at it, and turns away, looking at the trees. If he walks forward just a couple of steps, then he would be completely lost in all of those trees. 

He stares at it until his eyes grow blurry and he has to blink. He turns back and Todoroki is putting on one of the backpacks from the trunk, the other three doing the same. It looks like he's the only one who forgot to bring one. 

Todoroki looks at him and holds out a flashlight, its concentrated beam of light focused on the ground. Izuku takes it, and their fingers brush. He angles the flashlight so he can see the other boy better. 

"We can share a backpack, Midoriya. If you want." 

He feels his cheeks heat up. Great. Now because he forgot to bring his own stuff, he has to inconvenience his friend. 

"Thanks, that would be amazing! Sorry I forgot my own stuff." 

Todoroki has a faint smile on his face, which Izuku rarely gets to see. He smiles back. 

"It's okay, I want to share with you." 

Izuku would have found the statement nice, if not for the creature glitching in front of him. 

"Th... Thanks." 

The other looks like he's waiting to say something else, but Tsuyu calls them over from the trunk, everyone having their backpacks, ready to go. 

"Alright! I looked at the maps online, and if we head this way," 

Tsuyu points left with her own green flashlight, 

"We should get to the spot people say is the most haunted!" 

Izuku didn't even notice his shoulders were tense until he feels them relax. This was his favorite thing in the whole world! He should be focused on having fun. Izuku walks ahead, right by Tsuyu as they both light the way. 

It's not silent, the chirping of insects, the wind, and the sound of their own footsteps keep them company. Izuku scans his flashlight over the trees as the group weaves through them. They walk for a couple more minutes. 

Uraraka pulls her scarf closer around her neck, her other hand holding Iida's, who is focused on keeping an eye on their surroundings. Todoroki is quiet, eyes ahead. Tsuyu brings out her phone to make sure they are going in the right direction. 

The screen illuminates her face, and she puts it away, pointing her flashlight again. 

"Just up ahead. If anyone sees symbols carved into the trees, we know we're in the right place." 

Uraraka's face scrunches up in distaste. "We're going to get cursed or something."