Damned

Chapter Twenty-Two

Izuku trekked through the moist forest and listened as the heavy rain pattered against the trees. The summer air had turned frigid and Midoryia shivered as the breeze gave his skin goose bumps. The boy bit the inside of his cheek as he began to grow close to the Uraraka household, and stuffed his hands into his pockets as he walked up the small set of wooden stairs to the home.  The boy pulled one of his hands from his pants and reached for the handle, but stopped when he saw the damage he had done to the door frame. The wood was cracked and the door had been chipped."I-I did this ?", whispered the boy as he studied the damage. Deku took a fearful gulp before opening the door.

Izuku peered into the home prior to stepping in and let out a thankful sigh when he saw no-one."Must be asleep," muttered the boy before slipping off his muddy high-tops.

Midoryia placed the shoes on the hardwood floor by the entryway and shook his skull in an attempt to fling the rainwater from his head. Deku then gingerly walked up the home's stair and towards Ochaco's room. The boy had spent hours in the forest after his encounter with Dakyoi, and he hoped that the girl had passes out since he walked off. 

Izuku slowly turned the brass handle and lightly tapped the door with his index finger to open it. The door slowly faded away from the boy and towards the room's pink wall, and Deku was thankful it didn't make an untimely creak.

The room was pitch black expect for the glow in the dark sticker on the teenage girl's ceiling and Izuku let out a relived sigh.'I'm good.'

"D-Deku ?", called a shaky voiced in the void. Izuku stayed outside the door and stood silently."Is that you ?"

"Yeah," answered back the green-eyed boy in a low voice.

The girl laying in bed shot up and pulled the chain on her lamp. The white light illuminated the girl's face, but wasn't strong enough to light the entire room."Are ya gonna come in ?"

"M-Maybe I should sleep downstairs tonight," suggested the messy-haired boy as he pointed to the stairway to the left of him.

"No !" Ochaco cringed when she realized she had yelled."Sorry, I just...don't think you should do that."

"Why's that," questioned Izuku as he looked at the girl's shinning face.

"B-Because I know you don't want to ?" Izuku looked away from the brunette and focused on the hallway behind him."I know you're feelin' bad right now, and you'll just sit on it like always."

"Why would I be-"

"Because you heard me earlier."

"I didn't hear any-"

"Please stop lyin' to me Deku, I don't like it when you do," pleaded Ochaco.

"I swear I didn't hear anything."

"Yes you did." Ochaco began to twiddle her thumbs."I-I didn't mean for you to hear all of that."

Deku stepped into the dark room and asked,"Why not tell me, huh ?"

"Cause I knew you'd do this."

Deku stepped farther into the room's void."And what's 'this' ?"

"Blame yourself," cried the girl.

"What else am I suppose to do, feel good about my friend being crippled because of me ?"

"This isn't your fault."

"Yes it is !"

.....

Izuku's loud outburst stirred both of Ochaco's parents awake and Mr. Uraraka tried to roll of the bed, but a small hand hovering over him stopped the man. The man's short-haired wife told him,"Let them handle this ?"

"B-But-"

"This is a talk they need to have. Go back to bed."

The man threw his arms up in the air and sighed,"Okay." The bearded man then rolled back over and laid his head down.

.....

"How is this your fault ?"

"Cause I could've killed him," whimpered Deku as tears flowed down his freckled cheeks.

"No-one can take him, he wiped the floor with All Might !"

"You just don't get it do you !"

"No I don't ! Deku you u-used your quirk against him and he was still to strong."

"It's not a quirk, it's a damn curse !"

"What does that even mean ?"

Midoryia took a deep breath before continuing."That night I used what I can control, but w-when I go beyond fifteen percent I loose myself."

"L-Lo-Lose your self ?"

"Yes, it takes over and people get hurt, but I can fight with Dakyoi toe to toe."

"What do you mean by...? "

Izuku threw his hands into the air in frustration."I-I can't explain it, but if I had just-"

Ochaco reached out from the light that shun on her and blindly tried to grab Deku. The only thing she caught was a wrinkle in his shirt and pulled on him, but he didn't budge, instead he stood alone in the black hole engulfing most of the room."It hurts to know I won't be doin' hero work to help my parents..." The typically bright girl then began to cry."But I'd rather have you than that ! Ho-How would I be able to live with myself knowing something happened to you cause no-one could keep themselves safe ?"

"You shouldn't waste yourself on me Ochaco, everything I touch dies !"

The girl reached out again, but this time she got a fist full of Izuku."I don't care !" Ochaco then pulled Izuku into the light and wrapped him in a tight hug before he fell onto her bed."I-I want to be your friend forever Deku. You're my hero, I-I don't know if I-I'd push myself so hard to recovering if it wasn't for you."

The boy stuttered out,"Y-You don't mean that."

Ochaco began to cry even more."I want to be able to goof off with you again. Go for dumb hikes, run around outside, wrestle, and all of the other things we did before. I miss it so much, and even i-if I can't be a hero like you will, at least I can have you."

"Ura-Uraraka," whispered a shell-shocked Izuku.

"Please don't go away again, I-I can't do it if you do," bawled Ochaco.

Izuku wrapped one of his hands around the back of her head,"I-I won't."