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A Home Within The Light

Chapter 37: Chapter Twenty-Six, "The Weeping World That Bleeds Around Me"

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Training drew on and on, far longer than Izuku wished. The time felt especially slow knowing, feeling Katsuki’s eyes drill into his skull whenever his classmates were to switch partners. With that said… Katsuki’s distracted nature led quite a few of their classmates including Tokoyami, Iida, and Aoyama getting in some good hits on Katsuki. Izuku wasn’t sure what worried him more… that Katsuki still wanted something from him, or that others were able to break his ‘untouchable’ sparring legacy. To say no one was going easy on him felt criminally wrong- Izuku and Katsuki’s classmates were throwing everything they had at Katsuki with rage fueling their every move. Of course, they were just as careful not to go too far and have Mr. Aizawa tie them up or get scolded

The only one who seemed to genuinely play fair with Katsuki and treat it as training, not vengeance, was Mina. Sweet Mina Ashido, who was as friendly and spunky as ever, even when Katsuki snapped at her halfway through sparring, screaming something about her needing to stop treating him like a recently clean druggie on the verge of slipping into another binge. Still… Mina had only hardened her stare and nodded firmly as if ready to get back in the groove. She grasped what Izuku had a long time ago. The best way to care for Katsuki when he was messed up was not to treat him as though he was fragile or explosive, but rather as if nothing had changed. Katsuki needed that assurance that despite his outbursts his people… his family, friends, his mentors, still loved him. Even now. Katsuki’s regret was deep… but he never showed it, the same as now. His face was unreadable and his body language volatile… even his eyes held a range of emotions but none showing more than another. Whatever he was thinking, no one would know.

Though talking with the boys intermittently was a soothing enough thing, Izuku’s nerves were frazzled by the end of training and an uncomfortable sort of buzz was left itching under his skin. The same kind he thought he’d recently been growing out of with Tomura’s help… As he had as a child, playing alone indoors, or in middle school when he’d tuck himself into a corner of the courtyard to scribble in his notebooks and hide away from the watchful eyes of the world, he couldn’t wait to get away from the rest of the human race.

As soon as Mr. Aizawa announced to the class that training was over, Izuku was the first up and down the hall to the 1-A homeroom. He messily gathered his book bag and papers into his arms before skittering back to his room at full speed. He didn’t plan on waiting up to earn another weird interaction from Katsuki or some more far too personal questioning from the others. He just needed a break . No talking. No eyes peering into his soul. Away from all of it. From the sorrowful stares his classmates aimed towards him to the little devil on his shoulder that told him Mr. Aizawa knew something was wrong and that he was hiding something, that he was going to be found out.

It was as soon as his shoes met the carpet floor of his dorm that Izuku leaned against his door to shut it. He panted as he tried to catch his breath and dug through his bag for his phone. Something like a bad addiction, he was desperate to see if Tomura had gotten back to him yet. He hadn’t heard from his crush since the day before yesterday when they’d went to the amusement park… It left him with numerous thoughts that he squashed like bugs as soon as they came to mind- things like, He’s already sick of you. Or, You were such a mess at the park he doesn’t want to deal with you… Stupid things that he’d learned early on in life and was still re-teaching himself. All Might, Toshinori, had helped with healing so many of those deep invisible scars Izuku had left… and meeting Tomura… it was all changing. He didn’t want to go back, he didn’t want things to get bad again.

But, his heart fell when he opened the TalkTime app just to see he had zero messages from Tomura and the first message he’d sent yesterday about having a good time had gone completely unread. He gnawed at his lip, fingers idly tapping along the edges of his phone case as he thought for a moment. Then, he pushed himself off the door and started toward his balcony.

From: TheChosen01 : Hey Tomura, you feeling okay? I haven’t heard from you since Tuesday  night and just wanted to check up on you!

“No…” Izuku groaned as he deleted the message and turned on his heel. He began to pace back and forth across the carpet. It felt idiotic to send something like that… it wasn’t like Tomura was supposed to text him every single day... It wasn’t like they were dating or anything… he couldn’t expect Tomura to speak with him, give him his attention every day. But still a little part of him craved that.

From : TheChosen01 : Hey Tomu, Katsuki came back to classes today, do you have any time to talk?

Izuku swallowed hard against his dry throat. That message didn’t feel much better. What if he thinks I’m only texting him because I need something from him… Soon he sighed in shamed worry that his wanting to speak would be taken the wrong way and he deleted that message too. As he finally stopped pacing he sunk down to sit on the edge of his bed and stared at the empty text box. How was it there were so many things he wanted to say and yet… he couldn’t think up one simple sentence? 

From: TheChosen01 : I meant to text you this morning but classes start early-

Izuku harmlessly kicked at the air as he flopped back into his bedding and deleted that too, shaking his head as he closed out of the app, turned his phone off, and threw it somewhere beside him on his bed. He brought his callosed hands up to his face to rub his eyes and push his hair back. I just want you to respond just so we can talk… so you can antagonize me and say something stupid and sweet that’d make me stop worrying… Tomura had a magical way of doing that. Even with insults or taunts, there was something warm about his words and Izuku could only hope it wasn’t his teenage mind reading into some falsified underlying meaning. Izuku’s heart clenched tight in his chest as he thought about Tomura’s lack of speaking. 

Was it possible that Tomura knew? About the drawings and the threats… Had it been a test that Izuku had failed? The teenager felt like everything was wrong, like he’d done exactly what he’d set out not to do when becoming a hero. He had not-so-carefully crafted a web of intertangled lies… and now he was no longer lying and keeping things just from his classmates, teachers, and mentor- but now from the one person he’d begun lying for in the first place! His mother would be ashamed of him…

After a minute Izuku swallowed hard as he peered through his fingers just enough to see his bookshelf. On the bottom, away from his nickknacks and numerous novels, amongst the sea of his old hero analysis journals, there was one that drew his eyes in. The notebook from his last year of middle school… With patchy scorch marks and the ink on the cover smeared, it was the worst looking out of his collection but it was the only one he knew was safe . His classmates  knew better than to look through his notebooks without his permission. Usually it was to see if he had any ideas on their attacks or quirk uses. But that one… that one, the one that Katsuki had flung out of the window and into a koi pond back in middle school, out of any of them, that one was least likely to be looked through… especially by Katsuki.

Easing himself off his bed onto the floor, Izuku scooched until he was sat just in front of the shelf. With a cautious hand he tugged the fragile-feeling notebook out and cautiously flipped through the pages until he found them. Eri’s drawings… He’d tucked them in here for safe keeping after deciding it was the sneakiest but quickest to grab place they could be in. His fingers splayed out over the old crayon markings, along the torn and fraying edges, and the creased lines from where it’d been folded up for some time. Possibly hidden somewhere…

Deep breaths… He soothed himself as he studied it. He couldn’t risk freaking out or having some sort a panic attack like he had at the amusement park. He needed to keep it together and get to the bottom of this. If not for himself than at least for Eri’s sake, he needed to think. Overhaul or not, whoever left this must now know Izuku and Tomura’s shared secret. They were on the train with us… Izuku paused, not having remembered anyone else getting out with them. Then again… he’d been tired and out of it, Tomura helping with his stumbling and whatnot. Pulling the folded paper free, Izuku closed the old analysis notebook and set it on the floor in front of himself. He squinted and looked closer for anything he could have missed the first time. But there was nothing… nothing to point where this had come from or where it had been prior. Besides the obvious assumption…

Izuku sighed, he wasn’t sure what he’d expected to see anyway, maybe something he’d missed in his panic before but- it relly was just some crayon on a page… Running his fingers over the crayon, he felt it. There were indentations… shallow but… Izuku clambered to his feet as he eyed over his desk for a pencil and paper to try and get a rub of it. There was no time as the moment he took his first step toward his desk a sharp knock had him nearly tearing the paper in two he was so startled. In a haphazard panic, Izuku shoved it underneath the books Tomura had given him. He tried to look as calm as he usually did when Eijirou finally swung the door open. There was somewhat of a relief that washed though Izuku… as if he’d been expecting it to be Overhaul or the stalker. Easy… easy… breathe… They couldn’t get this deep into the school and the dorms, even if they wanted to.  

Eijirou peeked around the door, further into the room with that little, nervous grin of his. Possibly sensing Izuku’s unease the redhead held up his pillow and backpack for Izuku to see with a meek, “Is now cool?”

Izuku let out a small breath and forced himself to smile back, “Yea! Yes- I mean, of course! Is Kacchan is showering?” It was easy to guess that Eijirou had decided to use that sliver of an opening to group up his things from his room and rush hide out with Izuku. Eijirou nodded as he stepped in and gingerly set his stuff near the foot of the bed. After closing the door as softly as possible Eijirou then toed his shoes off and respectfully set them aside and out of Izuku’s way. Izuku just stood there, watching as he continued to give his warm, reassuring smile. Eijirou had seen Izuku’s room a handful of times and hung out once or twice but with their recent development in their friendship, he tried to seem relaxed and at home as he plopped down on the edge of Izuku’s bed. 

Izuku wasn’t the only one pretending. He’d long mastered the art of a fake smile and could see right through Eijirou as he half-subtly kicked his notebook under his bookshelf and sat down with his friend. “How’s your hand doing?...” Even if his mood was a bit faked, Izuku’s care was very real as he asked this.

A quiet sniffle was the only response Izuku got for a minute before Eijirou was shaking his head and wiping his eyes dry with the ends of his long-sleeve. “It’s alright, hurts but uh-” Izuku took the initiative from his friend and pulled Eijirou’s hand into his lap, sparing one glance to the tears continuing well up before he looked back to the wrapping. It doesn’t look dirty… has he been changing it? Izuku felt a small spark of pride burn in his heart. It was silly, given that Eijirou was a hero-in-training like him… of course, they could handle little cuts and something as simple as changing their bandaging but… if he were honest, he’d been frightened that Eijirou might have really been done in by Katsuki’s actions.

Izuku was worried that maybe Eijirou would have become depressive like he had once been. Maybe that the boy would have stopped properly caring for himself. Stopped keeping things like cuts clean and eating three times a day… overworking himself… not talking to those around him. Just thinking about Eijirou’s bright, courageous attitude being put out like a bucket of water over a spark made the uncomfortable gnawing feeling deep in Izuku’s stomach worsen by tenfold.

Gentle as he unwrapped the bandaging, Izuku took a good look at the cut. “This looks good…” He agreed with Eijirou’s previous, unfinished statement. “I can get you something though. If it hurts, I mean… I always try and keep something on hand… heh… pushing my luck with Recovery Girl can really get me in trouble sometimes.” That admission, paired with a sheepish smile, seemed to lighten the mood as Eijirou responded with a slow but soft nod. Izuku gave Eijirou take his hand back as he got to his feet and reached for his nightstand drawer, careful in his avoidence of the note Tomura had left some nights ago. Instead, he pulled out a smaller bottle of pain pills

“Thank you man… really. You- oh god, you’re a great friend and… Bakugou is really lucky to have you. Even if he’s stupid about it sometimes.”

“He’s lucky to have you too, Eijirou… even if he’s stupid about it sometimes.” Izuku repeated back as he grabbed Eijirou’s pillow, moving his own to one side so both fit nicely at the head of the bed. The air fell silent but… in a way that Izuku felt ease with. It was comfortable as Eijirou took a few pills before he dug that night’s homework out from his bag. Homework. Izuku realized, nearly forgetting that he had some too- and he had yet to turn in his packet to Mr. Aizawa. It was a miracle he’d finished it at all… what with everything that was happening.

Getting up from the bed, Izuku grabbed his own bag to dig through it for the loose pages they were supposed to do. He tried and failed to silence a slight laugh when he heard Eijirou groan loudly from behind him. “I forgot we had English homework!...”  EIjirou cried the words as if he’d been hit in battle. Izuku gave back a small hum as he climbed back to his feet and laid the papers out on the edge of his desk. His eyes lingered on his pencil holder and the loose sheets he knew were in the second drawer. He could not forget to try and get a rub of that etching whenever Eijirou was out next… “Man- please tell me you’re good at it? I usually study with-” Katsuki. 

Izuku’s focus came back to Eijirou, sidetracked. Sometimes, other people tended to miss that because Katsuki Bakugou was such a hot headed, stubborn bastard, who threw himself into battle with seemingly little to no care whatsoever, that he was actually one of the smartest in their class. “Yea, I’m okay with it, All Might has spent some time in America so he’s tutored me a couple of times… I’m not as good as Kacchan is but- I’m close, I hope?” That seemed to further soothe Eijirou’s worries and he scooted towards the edge of the bed to meet Izuku halfway.

“I’m sure your fantastic- it means the world Midoriya.”

“Izuku.”

Izuku smiled as Eijirou paused, taken aback before looking at him puzzled for a few moments. Slowly, one of his more genuine smiles, the ones that crinkled the corners of his mouth up and showed his dimples. “Izuku?” He double-checked, only furthering Izuku’s satisfaction in his choice, he nodded. “Alright… That’s hella manly, Izuku.”

“Yea, it is Eijirou.” Izuku grabbed the spare fold-up chair he kept tucked away in his closet for this very reason. When both were comfy they started on the work in front of them. Izuku should have known by now he wouldn’t have ever been that lucky though… both about jumped out of their chairs when the door was flung open with just a hint more rush and force than usually necessary. If Izuku outright squeak-yelped at the intrusion he hoped neither would say anything about it as he, Eijirou, and a red-faced, out of breath Toshinori all stared at one another.

Izuku thought something might have been wrong given the way Yagi was panting, clearly having been running- hell, the old man might not have even bothered with an elevator and simply rushed up the stairs. Something like a sigh of relief slipped out when he saw Izuku. Then, it clicked. Izuku had been so in his head and mulling so much over he had yet to speak to All Might after Katsuki’s and his fight. “Young Izuku,” He breathed, coughing into his sleeve before giving a thankful smile in seeing Izuku was doing well. “Young Kirishima.” He added, extra warm, as if able to tell just by looking that both boys needed a special care.

“Woah- Hey, All Might!” Eijirou gave a small, soldier salute before scooting back so Izuku could get up. Izuku doubted that Yagi would be mad at him given how their last talk went… but he still found himself surprised when Yagi stepped forward to pull him into a hug. It was about as tight as a hug came from the Yagi Toshinori, what with his old injuries and little old body.

What’s more, as Izuku wrapped his arms back around his mentor, Yagi didn’t show care for the formalities or trying to put on a more mentoring, less fatherly figure in front of Eijirou as he asked a soft, “Are you alright? I’m sorry I wasn’t here sooner…” Izuku just blinked. Is he blaming himself for this happening to me? It was Katsuki. What did he think he would have done? Given the blonde a good talking to just as Eijirou had? He was better at most then keeping the boys grounded, sure… but Izuku wasn’t sure if it would have done anything this time.

“I’m- I’m alright, Yagi…” Izuku mumbled shyly into the large form enveloping him in a hug. He let himself relax into the firm pressure. It felt good… better than good. Yagi had come running to make sure he was okay. He went so far as to apologize for not having been here sooner… Was it because Katsuki had come back today that he had this sudden show of kindness? “You seem out of breath, would you like to sit? I- where have you been?” Although he offered, Izuku didn’t want Yagi to let go yet. Despite having gotten held by Tomura the night Katsuki had attacked him, being hugged by Mirio and Eri the day after, and nearly all of his classmates since then… none of them matched this hug. This is what he needed. While Tomura’s kind, gentle hugs put Izuku in a space that felt safe, Yagi’s deep, hard bear hugs felt like Izuku was at home, the same way he felt when his mother held him.

Was this what having a father was supposed to feel like? Izuku threw the thought out as soon as it appeared. Yagi was his mentor and nothing else. Even if he took care of Izuku as if he were his own, it was only because Izuku was carrying a great weight on his shoulders and Yagi wanted his student to be perfect. He couldn’t let Izuku crumble under that weight. He didn’t- he couldn’t love Izuku as a son, it just wasn’t possible.

“I was out of the country, helping a friend out…” Yagi said after he let out a breath of relief. Then, pulling back to look at Izuku, the teenager could do nothing more than sit there as large, thin hands cupped his round cheeks in his hands and turned his face back and forth. He let his mentor tilt his head side to side as he looked for any leftover injuries. But besides the fainter bruising and sadness deep in the most distant parts of Izuku’s eyes, there was virtually no signs that he and Katsuki had ever been in a fight. He’d certainly seen better days but- he’d also seen worse… much worse. With another sigh, Yagi simply held Izuku’s face in his hands, a look of something fond and apologetic in his sunken eyes as he let go. “I came as soon as I got the call.”

Izuku mustered the softest, most reassuring smile as he possibly could as Yagi set a hand to his shoulder and turned him in a circle for one final check over. He obeyed easily with the familiar movement and turned in a circle before assuring, “I’m okay… really. ” If anything, Izuku was surprised that Yagi hadn’t been called by principal Nezu or Mr. Aizawa sooner. Everyone knew Yagi was Izuku’s mentor. He could only believe it was because both his principal and teacher had been trying to figure out how to explain the situation without leaving Yagi and his fragile health in too bad of shape. Giving the one and only All Might a heart attack would be quite the headline… Not that their caution was doing much good now as Yagi took a seat on the corner of Izuku’s bed.

“And you, young Kirishima? I was told you, Sero, and Todoroki bravely stepped in on Izuku’s behalf during the fight?” Such praise coming from someone like All Might had Eijirou’s face and the tips of his ears darkening in color so that they matched his hair as he turned his eyes toward his lap.

“Yes sir, it was a one sided battle… Izuku wasn’t fighting back and Bakugou just…” With a shake of his head, Eijirou turned his face away to hide the hurt and tears that threatened to come back. Yagi, in his age and wise with all his years could easily see the ache of Eijirou’s heart and didn’t further push for any information on the subject. Instead, he simply reached over to give a few gentle pats to Eijirou’s shoulder. “It was nothing…” Eijirou tried, but Yagi’s smile said he didn’t believe it.

With his sights moving back to Izuku, Yagi spoke again, “It means a lot to me to know young Izuku has people like yourself looking out for him when the teachers and myself cannot. When you all graduate, having one another’s backs in new agencies and out on the street in fights with villains… well, it will be the most important and crucial key to keeping yourselves, each other, and other innocents safe.” Izuku smiled, as warmed and proud-feeling as ever to have Yagi as his mentor. Though, he still wasn’t quite sure what he’d done to deserve such care, to call him by his first name, or to have so much support from the greatest hero to live… Izuku reached a hand up to scratch the side of his head. Yagi was never unwelcome, of course. But it still left Izuku to wonder if besides checking on him, if his mentor had more he wanted to say.

As though Yagi read his mind, the old man straightened himself up. “If you aren’t busy, young Izuku… I was hoping to talk to you for a bit but, if you’re occupied with schoolwork I understand and encourage you to continue being so productive.” Opening and shutting his mouth as he glanced to Eijirou, Izuku didn’t know how to answer. He didn’t want to kick the boy out after promising that he could stay in but he wasn’t sure if he should leave Eijirou alone at a time like this either. 

Eijirou surely sensed Izuku’s hesitance and blew a loud raspberry, “He’s free, sir. Go do your mentor talk thing, man. If it were Fat here I’m sure you’d tell me to do the same.” Glancing at the homework the redhead had laid out for himself, he shuffled his english papers into a pile. “I’ll do everything else first and you and I can hammer out English when you get back man- Seriously, go on, you haven’t seen All Might in like a week. That’s wayyy too long when it comes to you guys. You’re wicked close, I know.” Eijirou gave his usual shark-toothed grin and while Izuku wasn’t sure if it’d been that long… with all the time he’d been spending with Tomura and dealing with unconscious bouts and sleeping in… he didn’t think he was tracking time the best- either way Izuku tried to look at it, Eijirou was right.

Izuku gave an appreciative sigh to his friend and stepped over to hug Eijirou, the boy happily reciprocating. Yagi gave a soft, adoring hum at the sight of Izuku being so close with his classmate and carefully took up Tomura’s jacket, which hung from the back of Izuku’s door, holding it open for the boy to wiggle into. Izuku looked to the jacket his mentor was holding out for him… would Yagi still offer it if he knew who it came from? Who it belonged to? Would he see it as a villainous act even if he knew what Izuku did? That the jacket, like many of Tomura’s others, was stolen only so himself and the other members of the League didn’t freeze to death? 

A pang of guilt ripped through Izuku hard enough he thought he ight have gotten whiplash but stepped forward to slide his arms in the warm, dirty fabric anyway. After it was on and Izuku had zipped himself up inside of it and pulled his sneakers on, he looked up to his tall, lanky mentor. “I’ll give you a minute-” Yagi ruffled his hair and slipped out the door, leaving Izuku to stare at Eijirou.

“Are you sure you’ll be okay, Eijirou?...”

And this had his classmate stopping, if only for a moment, tapping his pencil against his paper before shrugging a bit. “I’m not perfect right now, I gotta admit…” He gave a sheepish smile, “But I’m not gonna do anything stupid, if that’s what you’re asking. And I’m sure as heck not gonna lay around and pout either-”

“No one would fault you if you did… Kacchan has a serious asshole streak going...” Izuku grumbled barely, accidentally cutting Eijirou off. Both boys met eyes, wide and full of surprise before both fell into small fits of laughter. Izuku realized with Eijirou… he felt similar to how he felt with Tomura- he didn’t have a crush on him but… that subtle, safe feeling was with Eijirou too. There would never be judgment from him… not for a little cursing or saying something blunt that they were both thinking anyway.

“You’re way cooler than the others think, Izuku…” He snorted a bit, “I promise, I’ll still be just like I am now when you get back dude. Go, he missed you and I’m thinkin you missed him too, huh?”

Izuku flushed a teeny bit, nodding, “Usually when Kacchan and I get all…” He made a slightly uncomfortable face and waved his hands, “All Might steps in to check on us both- kinda mediates for us most of the time… It’s been… weird not having him around since the fight.” Izuku explained, urging Eijiro to nod understandingly. When neither said another word after that, the green-haired boy opened and closed his mouth before nodding firmly, “I’ll be back quick.” And with a wave, Izuku exited his room and smiled at his mentor. 

“So… Where are we going this time?” Izuku inquired as he looked up to his mentor, shyly clasping his hands in front of himself. The last time, they’d gotten a few things for Eri from the store, so he could only wonder if Toshinori planned on spoiling him some more. He watched as his mentor pursed his lips, a thin arm coming up to brush his wild blond hair back before he tugged his coat tighter to him. “ Just if you had anywhere in mind is all I mean!” Izuku suddenly burst out, waving his hands frantically as he continued, “This can just be a walk if that’s easier-”

“I was thinking of the mall.” Yagi responded fondly as he wrapped an arm around Izuku, tugging him to his side, effectively cutting off his worried rant. “Maybe…” The blond tilted his head back and forth, “We could find something for Eijirou? You two are close as of recent, and you seem worried about him…”

Izuku let his shoulders slump a bit as he nodded along, not surprised that he’d been so easy to read. “Yeah… That sounds great, Mr.-” He only barely caught himself slipping up, “That sounds great, Yagi.” Izuku recalled the last time they’d talked and leaned further into the protective figure. “Kirishima- Eijirou, I mean… Part of Kacchan and my fight was due to Eijirou… not directly! Kacchan just blew things way out of proportion and he snapped at Eijirou… They’re best friends too and things are just… they’re a little rough right now- I dunno… EIjirou understands how…”

A laugh bubbled up from Yagi’s chest, “How hard it is to be friends, to be close with young Katsuki?” He finished, leaving Izuku to blush some in embarrassment. That wasn’t the way I would have worded it… Izuku thought but nodded along nonetheless. “Katsuki is a particularly hard person for even me to understand. And I’ve met just about every which way they come….” The older admitted as he retrained his eyes to the sidewalk, “It isn’t that he’s shallow, I know you know. It’s because he’s so very emotionally deep… and that emotional depth is intricate inside of him.”

“Like walking in a room full of mouse traps.” Izuku sighed in agreement, earning another chuckle from Yagi,

“Plain but simple- just like you Izuku.” Yagi poked fun, earning a hard jab to his side from Izuku who smiled at his feet. “I’m only playing of course… I chose you because you were anything but.” Izuku didn’t need the verbal confirmation but didn’t bother stopping Yagi either. “You two are two halves of the same coin, I’m sure you’ve noticed. While Katsuki’s emotional depth makes him intricate and hard to unwind, yours makes you vulnerable and as easy to read as an open book.” 

Izuku supposed he was right…  Though he wasn’t sure if Yagi meant that as an insult or a compliment. “Kacchan really got himself deep into it this time, sir. Eijirou really thinks that this could be it for their friendship… I just. I wish Kacchan would talk to me. I wish I could just get inside his head and figure out what’s going on! He’s had reasons before so… so he must now, right?” The boy thought aloud, urging Yagi to nod along. 

After a long minute of silence, Izuku continued, “You know… Do you know anywhere in the mall I might be able to get a nice frame?”

“For a picture?” Yagi tilted his head. WHen Izuku nodded, Yagi’s face screwed up in concentration, “Come to think of it… I think a little store opened up on the far end, homey stuff. They probably have some nice ones in there.” Izuku’s spirits felt lifted, that was something he could do. He couldn’t fix Katsuki and Eijirou’s friendship… but… Maybe I can fix that picture for you Eij… 

Notes:

Hello my lovelies! I am back again with more! Chapters may be slow going the next couple months as with a busy lifestyle but I will try and keep them semi-frequently! It feels good to be back and reading you guys comments, as per usual, has just wiped the fucking floor with me. I could cry you guys are so precious and I love love LOVE seeing your theories and epic points as to who the stalker is, why Katsuki is being a raging cunt, and just in general seeing you guys point out things about Uraraka and the others is amazing I love to know you guys pay such close attention! It's so cool!!!!! For now... some fluff with a hint of vague concern... in two weeks? Who knows what may happen... things may get better... or things may get much... MUCH worse...

P.S. Recently I had a pretty bad medical issue with my chronic illness and I just wanted to remind everyone out there that if you deal with a chronic illness or a mental illness, you're very real. Whether or not other people can see it, it's very real and you should never EVER doubt yourself for the things you feel because of it. Pain, worry, fear, all of it that comes tied up with a neat little bow in your brain or body is real and I know a large part with both chronic illnesses like my own and mental illnesses is not coming to terms with it yourself but your loved ones coming to terms with it. So, if you have someone chronically ill or mentally ill around you, I urge you to be patient with them and when that moment comes where you might wonder if they're being dramatic or if it's really as bad as it seems- it is. Trust them, love them, be there for them, and just think of how badly you'd want them to do the same for you. Being chronically ill especially is just... it's just fucking tiring, knowing that whatever we deal with, the bad stuff can happen any time. At any point in time, even if we do our best and we take care of ourselves, it's only remission. We're better until suddenly (or not so suddenly, sometimes it's a building thing) we aren't. It's painful, and exhausting, and beyond all just frustrating so if you or a loved one deal with illness in any form... know there are people out here who understand what you're going through and knowing that the fear of 'things getting bad again' is a universal fear. You're loved and I promise you will get through it. And if it isn't you going through it, please just sit with those who are. That's the best thing you can do... just be there for those who need it and I promise they'll be there too.

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