(Sin)namon Rolls

Chapter 19: Deku vs. Deku

    I don't know how long I spent drenching Kacchan's shirt in snot and tears, but at some point I stopped crying. When I lifted my head from his shoulder to look up at him, he smiled. The quivering arch of his lips contrasted so sharply with his puffy bloodshot eyes and tear-streaked cheeks. I grimaced. My vision misted.
     Kacchan brushed his thumb over my face to swipe away a teardrop.
     "Fuckin' crybaby," he said.
     I emitted a sound somewhere in between a laugh and a sob. Kacchan tousled my hair.
     "Let's go downstairs, yeah?"
     I nodded.
     Kacchan stood up. He held out his hand to help me to my feet.
     I didn't notice until I sat up, but my back got pretty messed up when I was thrown across the room and forcibly pinned to a wall. My breathing was labored too. I hadn't slept or eaten well in days.
     I had to stand still for a moment to steady myself once I'd gotten up and let go of Kacchan.
     "Think you can walk on your own?" he asked.
     "Yeah. I think so."
     "You sure? I can carry you if I have to."
     "I can do it."
     Kacchan gave me a doubtful look. He sighed. I followed him out of the bedroom and down the hall to the top of the staircase.
     "Don't break your head open on my stairs, Deku."
      I tensed up.
      Deku...
      Deku. The name I assumed while I was ruining the lives of innocent people.
     Deku. The name that used to be Kacchan's and Kacchan's alone and now belonged to everyone.
     The name I stole from him.
     The name I violated.
     The name of a villain. The name of a monster.
     "Hey," Kacchan said quietly.
     I turned to him.
     "I'm gonna keep you safe, no matter what, you got that?"
     The resolve in his eyes mollified the commotion in my mind. But even so, the thought of him putting his life on the line for me after everything I'd done to him... it wasn't right.
     "Kacchan, all of this... it's my fault. I'm the one who has to pay the consequences. There's no reason why you should have to do that too."
     "I wasn't asking for permission."
     Kacchan walked down the steps. I trailed after him hesitantly.
     About halfway down the steps where the wall separating the staircase from the living room ended, Kacchan grabbed hold of the railing and flung himself over it.
     "Kacchan!"
     I jogged down the stairs. I stopped when I could see the area he'd jumped into.
     Kacchan was standing on the couch with his right arm outstretched. Shoto, intimidating as ever in a black jumpsuit, was standing on the other side of the room, also holding out his right arm. A bag was in his left hand.
     Crap. I completely forgot about that.
     "Kacchan—"
     "Go back upstairs, Deku. Daddy's gonna roast a motherfucker."
     That probably wouldn't have been a good time to ask him not to refer to himself as "Daddy" ever again, right?
     Shoto put his hand down.
     "Deku?" he questioned.
     I figured acting like I was still a villain was worth a shot. Shoto was easy to convince.
     "Uh... Um, get back here, hero scum! How dare you run from me!"
     Kacchan turned around to look at me in extreme disappointment. Shoto looked thoroughly confused.
     Lying was a lot easier when I wasn't questioning everything I'd ever known.
     Shoto's perplexed expression became one of wrath. He and Kacchan resumed their fighting stances.
     "What did you do to him?" Shoto spat.
     "What the fuck are you talking about?"
     "You broke him."
     "'Broke him'?! Well, slap my ass and call me Zero, this fucker's with the League, isn't he?"
     "Ah, you're not as dull as you look."
      I panicked briefly before realizing Shoto blowing the entire operation with a single sentence was okay because I'd already snafued it beyond repair myself and was no longer a villain at all.
     "Deku, say the word and I'll kill this freak," Kacchan said.
     "What?! No! Don't do that! Definitely do not do that!"
     "Good choice, Deku. I knew you were still on our side," Shoto said.
     "I'm— huh?! No, I'm not on your side! I... I..."
     They weren't listening to me anymore. Frost was beginning to materialize around Shoto's hand. Small popping explosions were going off around Kacchan's.
     I groaned in exasperation.
     "I'm tired! I am tired! I haven't slept in two days. I feel sick. My back hurts. And saying I'm going through an identity crisis right now would be a massive understatement! Both of you, calm down! If you fight here, you'll just attract a lot of attention that none of us want. So, can you please act like rational adults for five minutes?!"
     Kacchan and Shoto eyed one another skeptically. They lowered their arms. Kacchan hopped off the couch.
     "Thank you," I said.
     I walked down the rest of the stairs and into the living room.
     "Kacchan, do you still have alcohol?"
     "Um, yeah."
     "I would really like to have some."
     "I don't think that's a good idea."
     "I hate to say it, but I agree with him, Deku," Shoto said.
     I shrugged and headed towards the kitchen. Kacchan and Shoto followed me there. I started to sift through Kacchan's cabinets.
     "Deku. Deku, please don't drink my alcohol. Deku, baby, I—"
     I stopped.
     "What did you just call me?"
     "I called you Deku."
     "You called me baby."
     "Yeah. You're a whiney bitch. Like a baby."
     I blinked at Kacchan.
     I didn't have the mental capacity to process that yet.
     I resumed my search.
     "Where's the vodka?"
     "Gone."
     "No, it's not."
     "Deku, please."
     "Deku—" Shoto began.
     "Stop! Stop calling me that! It's driving me insane!"
     I hadn't meant to burst out like that.
     "I'm sorry," I said. "That was uncalled for."
     Kacchan rushed over to me and put a hand on my shoulder whilst conveniently steering me away from the cabinets.
     "No, Izuku, it's okay. I understand. I do," he cooed.
     Kacchan sat me down at the counter and took the stool next to me. He kicked the chair on the other side of the counter aggressively as an indication for Shoto to sit there. Shoto glared at him, but sat down anyways.
      "You're not going by Deku anymore?" Shoto asked.
     "I don't know."
     "You aren't coming back to the League, are you?"
     "I don't know."
     "Of course he isn't, dumbass. Right, Izuku?"
     "I don't know. I really don't."
     "Well. Whatever you do, I'll do it with you," Shoto decided.
     What was with these people?
     "Back off," Kacchan threatened.
     "He's okay, Kacchan. I trust him."
     "I don't."
     "Do you trust me?" I asked him.
     "What kind of question is that? Obviously."
      "Then trust him. And Shoto, I need you to trust Kacchan. I have a plan, but it won't work if you're fighting against each other the whole time."
     "Course you have a plan. Fuckin' nerd," Kacchan muttered.
     "Kacchan."
     "He's a villain, Izuku."
     "So am I."
     "No, you're not. Not anymore."
     "Okay, well, by that logic, neither is he."
     "If De..." Shoto paused and looked at me.
     "Just call me Midoriya."
     "If Midoriya's not a villain, then I'm not a villain either. If he trusts you, I'll trust you too, Bakugo."
     Kacchan glanced between the two of us with narrowed eyes.
     "Fine," he said.
     I smiled. Kacchan rolled his eyes.
     "What's your plan?" he asked.
     "Well... it might be a little crazy, but to be fair, I'm a little crazy at the moment, so... just bear with me, okay?"
     I looked at Shoto and Kacchan to ensure I had their full attention.
     "Okay. Here goes. Kacchan, you can't stay here anymore. Urarak— the League knows this address. If Shoto and I don't return - and we won't, but I'll get to that in a second - they'll know something went wrong, and they'll come for you. You won't be able to break through their conditioning, believe me. So, basically, if you continue living here, you'll die."
     "Ah," Kacchan said.
     "So, you need to move somewhere else. Preferably with a roommate. Living alone wouldn't be wise in your situation. Do you have someone you can stay with?"
     "Yeah. I know somebody who can help out. But I need to stay in Japan. The other heroes stationed here suck ass. If I leave, shit'll get fucked."
     "Okay. That makes sense, I guess. Now, Shoto... we have to, um... we have to leave the country."
     "What?" Shoto blurted at the same time that Kacchan rose out of his chair and slammed his hand down on the counter.
     "No the fuck you don't!" he rebuffed.
     "Kacchan, let me explain."
     He thumped back into his seat with an "Ugh!"
     "Are you calm now?" I asked.
     "I'm mad fucking calm. Calm as shit. Never felt more calm. Fucking tranquil in this bitch."
     "Good. I'm glad. Do you have any properties outside of Japan?"
     "Yeah. I got safe houses in a couple different countries."
     "And you waited to bring this up until now because...?" Shoto queried.
     Kacchan stared daggers at him. Shoto looked away in fear.
     "How about the U.S.?" I asked.
     "Uh-huh. I have one in Arizona."
     "That'll work. So, what I was thinking is... Kacchan, you're rich, right?"
     "Oh, fuck yeah."
     "Do you have, like... a plane?"
     "Pfft. dO i hAvE a pLaNe¿ Yeah. I have a fucking plane. Private. Self-flying."
     "Holy crap. Really?"
     "Pick your jaw up off the floor. You look like a fish. Yes, really, morons. What'd you expect? I'm the number one fucking hero."
     I beamed.
     ...Huh. Guess the fanboy in me had resurfaced.
     I reigned in my geeky excitement about how Kacchan was actually, genuinely, truthfully the number one pro hero in the whole world so I could continue explaining the plan.
     "Shoto, we won't stand a chance of escaping the League if we stay within close proximity of it like we are now. You and I can try our best to start new lives in hiding far away, but we'll still be on the run all the time. Moving to the States... it's the best I can come up with. It isn't a way out, but it's the closest we can get. What do you say? Are you with me?"
     "Yes."
     He didn't hesitate in the slightest.
     "Okay. That takes care of that. Next, Kacchan, you need a cover story to tell the press - a believable explanation for our breakup that won't get me put on any more kill lists."
     "That's gonna be a pain in the ass. If I say anything that places the blame on you, you're fucked, and if I say it's my fault, I'm fucked."
     "You could tell them I'm straight?"
     Kacchan guffawed. "Nobody's gonna buy that shit."
     "Well, it's not not true."
     "Vetoed. Peppermint Hair, you got any ideas?"
     Shoto raised his eyebrows. "You're asking me?"
     "You see anyone else here with candy cane hair?"
     "Hm... I don't know. Maybe you realized you and Midoriya were better suited for friendship. You were so caught up in the relief of having him back, that you mixed up your emotions. You confused romantic love with platonic affection. Neither of you really felt any attraction to the other. You just... missed having one another around. So, you didn't want to end your relationship altogether. Instead, you reached a mutual agreement to continue it as friends."
     We stared at Shoto in stupefaction.
     "I don't know if that's any good. It was just a suggestion," he said.
     "No, no, that's... that's great," I assured.
     "For a shitty douchebag, that wasn't half bad."
     "Oh. Uh, thanks."
     "Fuck you. We're wasting time. If we're gonna be skipping town, we need to start packing shit up."
     "Good point. There's just one more thing... Shoto, you didn't happen to bring the duffel bags, did you?"
     "No, I didn't think we'd need them."
     "That's what I figured."
     "I can go back and get them if you want me to."
     "It would certainly be helpful to have them, but if getting them is too much of a hassle, we can make do."
     "It won't be a hassle." Shoto held up the bag in his hand. "I should return this anyway."
     "Hold on. What the hell are 'the duffel bags'?" Kacchan interjected.
     "Each member of the League has a duffel bag filled with emergency supplies," Shoto answered. "Fake IDs, clothes, weaponry, stuff like that. They're for in case we need to evacuate headquarters."
     I nodded. "The safest choice would be for Shoto to go back to HQ alone while Kacchan and I stay here to pack, but we don't have that kind of time. It's risky, but my plan is for the three of us to pack up here, and on the way to the airfield, Kacchan will stop at HQ. After that, Shoto and I will fly out to Arizona. Kacchan, you'll go straight to your new place from there."
     "Are you out of your fucking mind?!"
     "Yes!"
      "What do you want me to do? Drop you fuckers off at the League of Villains's hideout, like, 'bye, sweeties, have a good day at evil school!', wait for you to come back, alone in my car, like a sitting duck, and just drive off?!"
     "No! Don't be absurd, Kacchan. ...I'm not going in. I'm gonna be in the car with you while Shoto goes in," I mumbled.
     Kacchan pinched the bridge of his nose. He exhaled loudly.
      "Alright. Fuck it. Let's do it. Get up, bitches. We've got packing to do."
•••
     Kacchan told me to only pack a week's worth of clothes. He wouldn't tell me why, but I assumed he would elaborate later when we weren't in as much of a rush. I packed extra unbeknownst to him. There was only a single outfit in each duffel bag, enough clothing for a civilian disguise but that was all. Shoto couldn't spend a week alternating between dress pants and a cat suit, so I put some clothing items in my suitcase that I thought might fit him.
     With all three of us working together, we were able to leave in just under an hour. Kacchan and I changed out of our clothes from the gala into all black for stealth purposes, then we stuffed our bags in the trunk, got in his car, and headed off.
     Shoto gave Kacchan directions from the backseat. Luckily, HQ did end up being on the way to Kacchan's airfield. Both locations had to be moderately far away from the city, so I supposed that made sense. HQ was out in a wooded area. The building itself was obscured to a degree by trees. It was made to look like a house, almost like a large cabin, but once you were inside it, it felt like a scientist's laboratory or the head office of an important corporation. 
     The place where Shoto instructed Kacchan to park was too far away for HQ to actually be seen, but that was the point. It meant we were out of the League's sight, too.
     Shoto unbuckled his seatbelt.
     "Don't fuck this up, Candy Cane."
     "I won't."
     "Be careful in there, okay?"
     "I will."
     He gathered the bag he'd brought to Kacchan's house up from the floor and opened the car door. He stepped out, closed it behind him, and walked off.
      I tried to take a deep breath.
     We were in a near desolate area and Kacchan had tinted windows. The chances of us being recognized were slim to none. Despite that, I had this feeling that Uraraka knew; that she was in there waiting for us.
     Kacchan and I waited in silence for a couple minutes.
    Had she known all along that things would end up this way? Did she want me to fail, just so she could torment me for doing so? What if the mission was a ruse? What if I was the real target? Shoto could have been lying. I didn't have any real reason to trust him. I felt safer around him than I did the other members strictly because he'd left me with less bruises than they had. He was the only one who treated me like a human being, but that could have all been faked. It was highly likely that it had been a ploy to give me a false sense of security. Any minute, someone would come out and shoot us. I knew how those people worked. Oh, god. Kacchan was going to die. Kacchan was going to die because of me. I brought him there. I did this. I— 
     "Izuku?"
     I gasped and just about jumped out of my seat. I held my hand to my chest.
     "Sorry. Y-you scared me," I said with an agitated laugh.
     I cut myself off when I caught sight of Kacchan's expression. He was staring ahead, jaw clenched, eyes hard and angry.
     "That name you said before... Ura-something... he's the boss, isn't he?"
     "Kacchan, no. Stop thinking what you're thinking."
     "I told you I'd keep you safe. If those assholes are still out there, you're in danger."
     "If you go after them, they'll kill you!"
     "Bullshit! I'll fucking blow their heads off before they leave a damn scratch on me!"
     "Uraraka's not like any villain you've ever faced. She's more than a criminal, she's a genius. She's ruthlessly powerful. And she hates you. If you try to pursue her, you won't make it out alive."
     "Sounds like fun. I haven't had a badass fight in awhile. I've been waiting for a good opponent."
     "I can't stop you, can I?"
     "Nope."
     "You're impossible."
     "You're a quirkless runt."
     Kacchan glanced at me and smirked. I couldn't help but smile back.
     "Dork."
     Shoto opened the car door and got in. I screamed. Kacchan slapped his hand over my mouth.
     "Shut up!" he hissed. "You got everything?"
     I heard a rustling sound. The duffel bags. I breathed a sigh of relief. Kacchan promptly let go of my face.
     "Alright then. Mission accomplished, assholes. Time to get you whores on a plane."
     After everything that had happened, Kacchan was still a stubborn jerk. Thank god. I don't know what I'd do with myself if that ever changed.
•••
     A twenty minute car ride later, we came to a tall chainlink fence. Kacchan parked the car outside of it and got out. Shoto and I collected our belongings and followed suit. Lights on the other side of the gate illuminated the gravel road we walked on.
     Kacchan pressed some buttons on a keypad attached to the fence. It came apart in the center, clearing the way for us to walk forward. Kacchan pressed another button to close the gate behind us. We hiked onward as he led the way.
   Grass that had flanked the gravel enveloped it when we reached the plane. It was situated at the closer end of a long stretch of dirt built into the grassy field. It was rather small; about the size I expected a private jet to be.
     Kacchan stopped and turned around in front of the plane.
     "Listen well, plebs," he began. "It's basically impossible for you to screw this up. All you have to do is not touch the controls. Except after you've landed when you will touch the controls because you have to send that thing back here. That sound doable to you?"
     "Uh-huh."
     "Yeah."
     Kacchan took us inside the plane. After we put our luggage up, he showed us how we'd send it back - twice, to make sure we really understood - and set a course for the safe house.
    I asked to speak to Kacchan outside before we took off. We stepped back out of the plane. I led him a few feet away from the jet.
     "Alright, nerd, you—"
     I threw my arms around Kacchan's waist and hugged him with crushing force. He stumbled backwards, but held me back instantly.
     "Thank you... Thank you for everything." I felt myself beginning to tear up. "You're my hero, too, you know that, right?"
     "Fuckin' wimpy ass crybaby dork," Kacchan croaked.
      I laughed. He did, too. I pulled back from him and wiped my eyes.
     "You better fucking call me when you get there. I want a phone call at least once a week."
     "You'll visit, won't you?"
     "I'll try my best."
     "You better."
     "Don't go bossing me around, Izuku. You're still a little bitch. Don't you forget it."
     "I wouldn't dream of it."
      We looked at each other for a few beats. There was still so much I wanted to tell him. So much I needed to say. There just wasn't time.
     "Go get your ass on that plane."
     I hugged him one more time. And then I got my ass on that plane.
•••
     I was exhausted. It was almost five o'clock in the morning by the time we took off. But I couldn't sleep yet. There was still something I had to get off my chest.
     Shoto sat in the seat across the aisle from me. He looked pretty tired, too.
     "Shoto?"
    He turned his attention away from the window to me.
     "I don't think I'll ever be able to live with myself," I confessed. "Not with the way things are now. So... when we get to the U.S., I don't want to sit around in a safe house all day. I... I want to save people. I know I can't be a hero, but... maybe—"
     "Maybe we could be vigilantes."
     I cracked a tiny smile. I hadn't expected him to be on board so fast.
     "Yeah... vigilantes."