✓THE SPACE BETWEEN THE STARS|| BakuDeku Au

Chapter Two: Izu The Artist *Chef Kisses*

Buzzcut Season↲ 
Lorde

"We ride the bus with the knees pulled in, people should see how we're living
(We ride the bus with the knees pulled in) Shut my eyes to the song that plays . . ."

≡ 

The sun's iridescent glow flowed effortlessly into Izuku's listless and quiescent room, kissing his milky skin as he hunched over at his desk. Pen in hand as he hurriedly scribbled down the last of his essay in a rush, emerald orbs constantly flickering over to the small digital clock resting in the corner of said desk; he had exactly thirty minutes left before class started, and four minutes before the city bus made its stop outside of his house. Pushing aside the burning pain of his hand cramping up, the green-haired college student continues his motions as he finishes up the last sentence. You would think he'd stop procrastinating and doing his work last minute every time — however, you'd be sadly mistaken to think so.

Snapping his journal shut, Izuku briskly throws the tattered book into his bag while keeping his chewed up pen in his hand. His thumb brushing over the button of the retractable pen as he dashed out of his room and out of the house; successfully avoiding his mother in the process.

As soon as his body was fully placed outside on his porch a bitter air scathed the open parts of his skin uncovered by his coat, painting his cheeks with random patches of carmine. Ignoring the arctic zephyr, he makes his way down the pavement and to the bus stop. Fingers wrapping around the icy pole embedded into the cement — iridescent green eyes snapping from side to side in search of the city bus. His fingers tingled and slightly stung as he continued to grip onto the metal pole; the pads of Izuku's digits morphing into the same color as his freckled cheeks.

If anything he was holding onto the metal post because of how cold it was, a haphazard venture at waking himself up. Hoping the hyperborean feeling would jolt some type of energy within him.

Sure, mornings such as these were always hectic and unplanned, and if he were being frank he didn't like them most of the time. That is until this part came, waiting for the bus, getting on the bus — those were Izuku's favorite parts of his day. Maybe it had something to do with how peaceful it was, how he was able to shift into the background of everything around him; going unnoticed by all. He loved it.

The screeching noise of the bus's tires pulling to a stop caused a shift in his train of thought, inevitably pulling him down to reality once more. Quickly getting on and paying his due fines, the small-framed male trudges off to the very back — seeing as though the front was overcrowded; tucking his earbuds safely into his ears. 

With his eyes fluttering shut Izuku's head leans back into the seat's cheap cushion, feeling the reverberating thrum of the bus moving once again. As the random song played freely from his phone and into his earbuds he relaxed his body, letting any of his worries that had been plaguing him beforehand fade away into the distance . . . Just as he did. 

It was as if all his troubles just . . . drifted.

Of course, they'd reappear later on but — right now? Well, right now they were being locked in the back of his mind.

Being a college student was hard, everyone knew this but unless you were actually living it then . . . you didn't truly know what they went through. At least what the broke ones went through. Tuition was hard enough to pay as it is, and as much as Izuku loved living in the dorms he and his mother's bank accounts didn't agree. Add that with his mother's alcohol addiction and regular bills for the house then . . . the card just never seemed to be in his favor.

Just like today, for his ringtone soon replaced the relaxing melody that once pooled into his ears. Quickly scanning over the caller ID Izuku heaves an amused sigh as he answers.