Plus Ultra! [BNHA One-Shots]

Retry [6/6]

CW: Blood & Injury, Canon-Typical Violence, Temporary Character Death

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Chapter Summary:

Brothers help brothers...
(Oh no. Why would I use that phrase. It only hurts my own feelings D:)
...and the adventure comes to a close.

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"Deku-" Kacchan started, then bit his tongue and screwed up his face, shoulders squaring and hands plunging into pockets. "Izuku."

"You can call me Deku," Izuku responded automatically, chewing on the end of his pencil before scribbling something down in his notebook as he walked. "It's kinda like dekiru, I like it..."

"Deku," Kacchan began again, his grinding teeth practically audible as he stormed alongside the boy. "Teach me."

"Teach y-?" He lifted his head, blinking in surprise and half-tempted to teasingly ask his friend to clarify, but that would be a bad idea. "To fight, you mean?"

"And all the other shit," he grunted in confirmation, lower jaw jutted out and his crimson gaze glaring forwards.

"You mean like... laws, first-aid, tactics, approachability-"

"Yes," Kacchan snapped forcefully, looking like the action pained him, paces turning into stomps.

"Right- um, okay, uh-" Izuku fumbled to close his notebook, swinging his bag over one shoulder to dump both bits of stationary inside and cast a curious glance sideways. "How about right now? Well, not right now right now, but I mean-"

"Fine."

"Really?" He could only gape for a second, although was quick to shake himself and move forward was a bounce in his step, hands clasped around the straps of his bag. "Great! First, I need to go home, so you can say hi to Tenko-kun if you want - do you have gym clothes to change into? Because we can grab a snack and then go for a run, and in the park we can practise fighting techniques together. How long are you allowed to stay out for? Because we'll be tired after sparring so we could take a break, or do some studying together if you want – oh, we got homework today, we could work on that-"

"What happened, that night?" Kacchan asked, his tone hushed and unexpectedly soft. "You weren't at school for weeks, Deku, then you come back with scars and you're prattling on about having a new brother, as if nothing weird ever happened."

Izuku faltered for a moment, memories of fire and destruction and fear rising in his mind, but a small smile tugged as his lips nonetheless. "You know that big villain fight All Might got in? I was in the area at the time. Um... I found Tenko-kun, and we tried to run away together, but... it was really dangerous, Kacchan. But it turned out okay, anyway, so... Tenko-kun has no living family, so he was going to go into the foster system, but, well, you know what my mum is like. She went through the paperwork and legal issues and she fostered Tenko-kun, which is good, really, because I don't think he'd be as happy or feel as safe anywhere else. So he's kind of my brother now, I guess? It's nice." He paused, side-eyeing his friend who had a frown. "Please be kind to him, Kacchan. He's been through a lot."

Kacchan remained quiet, his narrowed gaze flicking to the other boy before he made a vague grunt of acknowledgement. Izuku opened his mouth but shut it again, not knowing what else to say. The two of them walked the rest of the way home in a sort-of-comfortable-but-not-really silence, both of them deep in thought. Inko opened the door and brightened considerably when she saw the blond, who snarled in protest as he was drawn into a soft hug but didn't make any moves to pull away.