Bakudeku/Dekubaku Oneshots AU

War Documentary

Ground Beta really isn’t designed for this, but somehow that hasn’t stopped the faculty from planning this event anyway.

The entire school is camped out on the ground, some of them on folding chairs or loveseats they’ve dragged from the dorm, and others lying or sitting on blankets of their own. A giant screen is set up in front of them, towering over the assembled students courtesy of Cementoss and Momo and Power Loader.

It’s not exactly the same sort of lively energy you would normally expect for a high school movie night, but it seems fitting, for this particular occasion.

A year and a half later, after scars have faded and wounds have mostly healed, at least the visible ones, the business course is finally releasing their famed war documentary. The faculty wanted to premiere it at UA; they thought it would be better for the students to see it here, rather than hear about it in the press.

Class 3A appreciated the sentiment, at least. They all had starring roles, after all, even as uncomfortable or upset as it still makes some of them. And none of them particularly want to watch it, really, but… It’s important. It’s hero history, as much as they might hate to admit it, and they wanted to support their fellow students.

So now they’re here, surrounded by the entire student body, nestled in one close-knit group as they wait for the movie to start. Izuku sits with his head on Katsuki’s shoulder, absent-mindedly swiping his thumb across the back of his hand every so often and trying to soothe the churning in his stomach. Katsuki leans over to press tiny kisses into his hair, like he’s trying to do the same thing and appear relaxed.

Izuku knows that he isn’t, though. This has been weighing on him more strongly than anyone else except for Izuku himself. They were the closest to it all, after all.

The whole class had given interviews for the film, as hard as it was to do. Izuku remembers being sequestered for hours with a camera in his face, and he had to answer some very uncomfortable questions. Lord only knows the things they asked Kacchan, when it was his turn.

As if on cue, Katsuki squeezes his hand, both of their scars shining in the light. “You good?”

Izuku nods, taking a deep breath. “Yeah.” He scoots in a little closer, and Katsuki lets out a tiny heh, letting go of his hand to wrap an arm around him fully. “We’ve already lived it, right?” And dreamed about it. And talked about it with therapists and doctors and police and heroes, and…

“Yeah. Stupid movie shouldn’t hold a candle to the real deal. We can ditch this place early though, if you want.”

Izuku shakes his head. That wouldn’t be fair. The whole class agreed to come. “We should stay.”

Katsuki shrugs, but he lets the subject drop, tracing patterns into Izuku’s bicep as silence falls again. Their friends are all in similar positions: couples embracing, friends leaning on each other for moral support. Everyone looks varying degrees of nervous, but not overly uncomfortable. It’s been long enough now that they’ve gotten better at dealing with their own wounds, both together and on their own. They wouldn’t be here if they weren’t.

Eventually, the massive screen lights up, the UA logo shining bright against the cement backdrop. Izuku leans against Katsuki a little more, heart thumping uncomfortably, as the movie starts to play.

It’s innocuous enough, at first. It’s mostly background on All Might, and All For One, and One For All, even though Izuku is grateful to see that most of the finer details have been left out. It chronicles the leadup to the first war in sporadic detail, featuring interviews with most of the major players: Endeavor, All Might, Tsukauchi, Best Jeanist, Hawks… and of course, Class A themselves.