TW :: use of the 'f' slur, depictions of death and blood and gore, suicial thoughts

Izuku remembers the day he first met Katsuki.

Second semester, freshman year in High School. He had just transferred due to... Issues, and the relief that he had from,those issues were freeing. No one laughed at him, mocked him, no one treated him as... A freak.

He had bumped into Katsuki in the hall, rushing to his class. He mixed up the directions and was late to his third period. He crashed right into the blond and both tumbled to the floor.

"Oh my God!" Izuku cried, sitting up straight. "I'm so so sorry! I didn't mean to- oh my God- my things are- oh, and I caused you to fall too and now you're probably going to be late too, I'm so sorry-"

"Do you ever shut up?"

Izuku blinked, taken aback by the harsh words that were spoken in a rather amused tone. The blond had a raised brow, posture relaxed as he leaned back onto his hands instead of pushing himself to his feet.

"It's no big deal. Teach sent me out to grab shit anyway. What's got you in such a rush? You the new kid?"

The greenette swallowed hard and nodded slowly, focusing on not blushing. The boy in front of him was just so... Handsome. Spikey blond locks, calm red eyes and flawless fair skin. "I-Izuku Midoriya..." He wanted to curse himself for stuttering.

The boy in front of him hummed. "Katsuki Bakugou."

Izuku smiled, thanking Katsuki as he helped pick up Izuku's things that had been scattered about the hallway.

In the week that followed, Izuku thought he had a friend. Katsuki had nasty language, but seemed genuine and kind. He sat with Izuku at lunch and offered to help tutor him, although that was more to show off his own academic skills than to actually help Izuku.

It only lasted the one week, though. Only five days, he had a friend. Only five days without being tormented because of his sexuality.

He walked into home room, a sinking, cold pit in his stomach forming as he spotted his classmates surrounding one desk. Terror clutched his chest as he heard his recorded voice confessing his feelings for another boy.

Katsuki was the first to spot him. Izuku knew it was foolish to hope that maybe it would be different here, but he still did for a few fleeting moments.

"You're gay..?"

"W-well," Izuku sputtered, shrinking back, "I'm actually bisexual, but-"

"You're still a fucking faggot!"

Izuku flinched, biting his lip and tearing up as the others joined in.

He'll never escape it. He should never have dared to hope this school would be different.

~

High school was literal hell. He dreaded every day, but didn't want to worry his parents any more. They had already moved once to be able to transfer him, and moving was so difficult for his step-father.

Katsuki called him names, knocked his things onto the floor, shoved him to the floor and against the lockers. He mocked him, laughed in his face, told him he'd never amount to anything.

And maybe he was right.

It really came to a head Junior year. Katsuki had it all. He's top of the class, he's popular, he's a shoe-in for Quarterback in the school's football team. All Izuku has is his friend Ochako and his Teachers' kindness.

Before Christmas, Katsuki had approached Izuku, cruel grin stretching his lips as he pinned the younger to the lockers. "You should probably just do everyone a favor and dive off the roof. Pray you'll be born unbroken in your next life, useless nerd."

Izuku winced as he was shoved. He later stood on his balcony at home, staring down to the ground. His home is only two stories, so while he would wind up pretty injured, he likely would come out fine.

That still didn't stop him from thinking about jumping and trying to end it all.

Maybe that's all it would take to get away from the names and the taunts.

A text from Ochako had distracted him. Probably saved his life. It wasn't a special text or anything. She was just ranting about a movie she had just finished, but it was enough for Izuku.

When Izuku was named Saluditorian and Katsuki Valedictorian, he was grateful no one really came after him. No one told him he didn't deserve it, no one spat in his face that faggots aren't smart or worthy of such a title. Though he had noticed the bullying mellow slightly during senior year.

Katsuki was so focused on studies and applying for colleges and football.

He also was focused on keeping Shindo in line. Shindo came off as very kind, outgoing and witty. He'd smile and wink, acting playful and cheerful when not on the field. Out in the field, he was a powerhouse of a Runnerback. He challenged Katsuki and his leadership.

Izuku, though, tried not to give that too much thought.

Graduation day took longer than Izuku's nerves could handle, but the following day, he had received a letter.

"Accepted," was the only word he could process before he burst into tears, his parents holding him, congratulating and crying with him(mostly his mother).

"I'm so proud of you, Izuku," Yagi murmured, gently nudging Izuku as they did the dishes that night.

Izuku blushed and smiled. "I'm just so happy I got in... And you and mom don't have to pay for it. You guys already do so much for me. I just... I know you wanted me to play football and all-"

"Don't you worry about that, my boy." Yagi switched off the faucet, placing his hand tenderly on Izuku's shoulder. "It's not something you wanted and I wasn't going to force my passions onto you. Besides, brain is much better than brawn. You have a lot more options that way."

They both chuckled and returned to dishes.

~

Izuku and Ochako's romantic relationship was very short-lived. They tried it, both having had mild crushes on each other. Several dates and awkward interactions and little kisses later, they decided staying friends would be best.

A few weeks after they broke up, Izuku had run into Shindo Yo.

Very similarly to the way he'd ran into Katsuki. Though, no one fell on their asses this time.

"Izuku?"

The shorter smiled shyly and held his textbooks tighter. He was just returning home from studying at the library. Although Shindo himself never directly bullied him, never even really talked to him, Izuku was still nervous to be so close to him. He had hoped to never see anyone from high school except Ochako ever again.

"H-hi, Shindo..."

"I thought you'd be off at college about now. What're you doing here?"

Izuku gulped and smiled. "I'm doing all my pre-recs online."

Shindo grinned, slinging an arm over Izuku's shoulder and lead him down the sidewalk. "That's neat! I wish I had that option. I'm just on a break now, so I came back to just kinda check in on the old man."

They went to lunch together to catch up. It had been a year since graduation, a year since Izuku had been bullied and shoved around, and he began to relax with Shindo.

They exchanged numbers and texted every night after studies.

Two months later, Shindo confessed. He had shown up at Izuku's new dorm room, having asked for the address with the claim he was going to help Izuku move in. Instead, he showed up with a flower, a box of Izuku's favorite sweets, and a nervous smile.

"I think I like you, Izuku Midoriya."

~

Izuku was in love. Shindo video called him every weekend when they couldn't see each other, texted him good morning and goodnight, and sent him gifts. Izuku, of course, returned the gestures, and when they were able to see each other, they would go back and forth on who would pay for their date.

Shindo took him to the amusement park, to fancy restaurants and movie nights. Izuku felt so spoiled.

His boyfriend was kind and attentive and understanding. He didn't push he liked to dote on him, he liked spending as much time together as possible.

That's why he wanted Shindo to be his first.

It may sound so cheesy and corny, but it was what Izuku wanted. They've been together for nearly a year when Izuku decided. He started to plan for their first, which may sound weird. Planning for the loss of your virginity.

It was going to be the weekend.

But, unfortunately, shit happens.

"Mom," Izuku sighed, sinking into the sofa beside his mother. "Shindo just called. His flight's been cancelled. There were infected people in his airport."

Inko hummed and reached up to pet his hair. "I'm sorry, love. I know you were excited to see him again."

Izuku leaned on her, pursing his lips. "Yeah... Didn't the CDC say they had it under control..?"

"Not technically," Yagi pipped in, drying his hands as he walked over from doing the dishes. "The President said that the CDC had it under control."

Inko rolled her eyes. "Please don't feed into the conspiracies. I'm sure they'll handle it just fine. They'll figure out the sickness and find a cure or a vaccine." She patted Izuku, then leaned over to continue folding the laundry.

~

The night before his flight back to college, Izuku lay in his bed, staring up at the ceiling. He wasn't sure what was keeping him awake, but he also thought about a lot of strange things. Like, for some reason, he was thinking about Katsuki Bakugou. Why he was thinking about the blond, he doesn't really know.

Maybe just thinking about if they could have stayed friends... If Katsuki hadn't cared that Izuku was bisexual. Would Katsuki's attitude towards him have changed if he'd joined the football team? Seemed... Straighter?

He shouldn't care. Not like he'll ever see Katsuki again, anyway.

Screams and shrieks had Izuku leaping out of bed and running out of his room. "Mom!? Mom!"

"I'm here!" Inko and Yagi rushed out of their room, Izuku falling into her arms.

Yagi stepped to a window and peered through the blinds. "I can't see what's going on. Inko, Izuku, make sure the doors are locked."

Izuku ran to the back door while his mother dashed for the entrance. Once sure the doors were locked and windows covered, the three gathered in the living area.

"What's going on," Inko whimpered, holding her son tight as if afraid he might slip away.

"There must be infected outside," Yagi murmured, guiding them both to the sofa. "Just stay quiet and stay away from the windows. I'm sure everything will be okay..."

~

Everything was not okay.

The Americas were shut down, the sickness spreading too fast and the infected near-impossible to contain - especially the infected known as Brutes and the ones called Runners.

The first infected Izuku had seen in person was a Runner. He had looked out his window and watched as she bolted across the street on all fours and launched herself into the man Izuku recognized as her husband. She sank her teeth into his throat, fingers digging into his abdomen. Izuku turned and rushed to the nearest toilet to vomit when he saw her shoving his bloody intestines into her ravenous mouth.

He really hoped this was all just a fever dream he struggled to wake from.

~

After a month of being locked in the house, the small family realized they would have to start making food runs. Water was still running, so they didn't need to get any bottled, luckily. More room for food.

They would all three go, Yagi and Izuku holding baseball bats while Inko had a kitchen knife.

None of these particularly helpful, but they had peace of mind. They raided the houses surrounding them, bringing home canned foods and picking from the gardens. It was fall, so there wasn't really much, but the fresh food was still nice to have.

Two months after the lock down was when they first ventured out of the neighborhood. They hadn't dealt with any infected due to them being drawn to the noise in the city.

Yagi lead them to the gas station a mile up the road from their neighborhood. He had a gun this time, having found a couple in one of their neighbor's homes. Izuku and Inko both held guns as well, but neither had any gun knowledge.

Izuku guarded the door, gaze flicking up and down the street, glancing every once in a while to the little shack across the deserted road. He thought he saw movement in there, but each time he'd look, he wouldn't see anything definitive.

Not until one of his parents had dropped something inside the station.

"Hello?"

Izuku jumped and pointed the gun to the shack. Not that he could actually hit anything, he was shaking like a leaf. "Hello," he called back with a stutter.

"Help! Can you help me? I'm scared!"

He swallowed hard, steadily approaching the shack. A girl shuffled out of the cracked-open door, brunette hair matted.

Izuku relaxed and lowered his weapon. "Are you hurt? What's your name?"

"Not hurt. I'm scared. Please help me." Her voice was soft and pleading. She was pale, clothes disheveled and the laces on one of her shoes was untied.

He smiled reassuringly and walked closer. He held his hand out. "It's okay. We can help. Are you hungry? We have food at our place."

She just whimpered, hands partically covering her face. Izuku kept towards her, trying to coax her nearer. Once close enough, she reached out as well, taking his hand.

Izuku smiled wider, nodding when she looked up to him. Her fingers suddenly dug into his flesh, catching him off guard. She snarled and bit down on his hand and he screamed.

He pulled and struggled and she bit harder. His parents ran from the station, Yagi shouting something as he shoved his bag into Inko's arms before bolting across the street to Izuku.

She shrieked as she was bashed across the head with the butt of a gun, Runners calling back in the not-so-far distance.

Yagi ushered him away, Izuku gasping and cradling his injured hand to his chest.

Inko grabbed onto him, shouting something about rushing back home.

"There's Runners! I'll distract them! Get him home, Inko!"

Izuku sobbed and shook as his mother pulled him along. She shushed him, stroking his hair, nudging him forward, but she couldn't quiet him.

Inko left the door unlocked when they finally reached home and sat Izuku on the couch.

"Baby, baby I need you to look at me!" She grabbed his face, tears in her own eyes.

"I-I'm bit," he gasped, blood soaking his coat and undoubtedly through to his shirt. "I've been- I was bit- I'm gonna- I'll be-"

"Hush, baby, shh, settle!" Inko shook just as bad as he did, petting his hair. "I'm going to clean it and wrap it, okay?"

"I'm infected-!"

"Quiet, Izuku! We can't draw the sick to us! Your father will be back, soon!" She rushed to the kitchen, gathering supplies from their medicine cabinet.

Izuku just sat and trembled, tears streaking his cheeks. Is this shock? Is this what shock feels like? So terrified you can't move? So panicked you can't even blink? He actually jumped when his mother shuffled in front of him and grabbed his arm.

He whimpered as she grabbed the bottle of hydrogen peroxide. She held his hand with a towel, pouring the liquid generously over the fresh wound.

Izuku bit his lip and squeezed the cushion of the sofa with his uninjured hand.

Inko sniffed, but kept up her work. She gently wiped the wound down, poured the hydrogen peroxide again, then padded the wound with gauze before wrapping his hand. "There... That should hold just fine..."

"Mom," he stuttered out weakly, voice breaking. "I'll be sick... There's no point..."

The older woman scowled. That's a look he's not used to. "Things will be fine, dear. You'll be okay. You're not sick, yet. We'll just wait for Yagi to come home..."

~

They waited.

Typically, according to the CDC, once infected, the sickness can take anywhere from three minutes, to twenty-eight hours to activate.

Izuku counted. It's been twenty-nine hours and he's had no symptoms. No fever, no hunger. No heat-flashes or dissasociation.

And no Yagi.

Yagi still had not returned home.

Inko sat on the sofa, holding their radio. Izuku walked in, sniffling softly.

She looked up and smiled weakly. "CDC just updated again... They discovered... A Mimic... Like what you saw..."

Izuku slowly sat beside her.

She sniffed, setting the radio on the coffee table. "They sound like and look like normal people... They coax people in rather than hunt..."

"And they're called... Mimics..?"

"Yes... And no one will respond to me... No one is telling me why you aren't having any symptoms..."

Izuku looked down. "Let's just... Take a break from the radio, mom... Go in the garden for a minute..."

She nodded as he helped her to her feet. "Outside sounds nice..."

~

Inko picked up a fever. She was nauseous and had a terrible migraine. The medicine they had didn't help. Izuku kept the blinds closed and all sounds kept quiet. He whispered when he spoke to her and lay beside her each night.

The bite on his hand was just a scar, now. Yagi never returned home. Inko was getting worse.

"You need to go to the CDC," she murmured one day as he lay beside her.

Izuku tilted his head, then nodded slowly. "Yeah. They might be able to help you. I'm sure we can get the car started and make our way down-"

"No, baby..." She interrupted him with a sigh, reaching over to take his hand. "No... You need to go to the CDC... You're immune to the sickness. You might be able to find a cure, or at least a vaccine..."

A frown slowly settled on his lips and he shook his head. "No. No, I'm not going to leave you. If I go, you're coming with."

Inko breathed deeply. "Sweetheart, I'll only drag you down... I don't know the first thing about shooting a gun or swinging a bat. I don't think I could even stab an infected... They're still alive. They're still people... Just sick, and I can't... I'm not brave enough and I'm not strong enough... You're my strong, brave boy. I know you can make it down to the CDC and help..."

His lip trembled and tears gathered in his eyes. "No, I'll stay here. I'll stay and take care of you. You'll be better in no time." He reached over and tucked the comforter tighter around her. It's early spring, now, but still so cold.

"Izuku... I've been sick all winter... I don't think I'm going to get better."

"You will." Izuku sat up quickly and got out of bed. "I'll make you some soup. It'll be fine."

Inko frowned and sighed again, watching him leave the room. "Alright..."

~

Izuku awoke with a start, blinking a couple times. He thought he heard a gunshot. Maybe it was a dream. He breathed deeply a few times and looked around. He patted the sofa cushions, then tossed the blanket off himself. The light of dawn was beginning to stream through the windows, so he felt no need to attempt to go back to sleep.

He yawned and stretched as he stood, rubbing his face.

First thing's first - breakfast. Canned fruit and squirrel jerky he's made himself. He's not so great at it, but he's getting better each time, as well as hunting the squirrels and rabbits in the backyard.

Plate on a tray with a cup of water, he made his way to Inko's bedroom. He slowly pushed the door open, knowing that knocking could cause her pain.

"Morning, mom. I've got breakfast ready and-"

He looked up to her, a shock going through his body and causing him to freeze up.

The tray fell from his hand, food scattered across the floor.

She lay still on the bed, gun in hand and eyes closed, a hole under her chin trickling with blood. The head board and pillow behind her head were smattered with blood and chunks of... Brain. Skull. Hair.

Bile rose in his throat as he collapsed to his knees. Vomit splashed across the hardwood beneath him, tears staining his cheeks and lungs suddenly desprate for air.

He fell to his side, choking on sobs with the rancid taste of stomach acid on his tongue.

~

It took three days to dig a hole big enough in the back yard.

Izuku also struggled to carry her, ending up having to drag her out after wrapping her in the bedding.

Burying her was not something he thought he would have to do so soon, let alone do it himself and by himself. Covering her cold body took up a fourth day.

He didn't realize he wasn't really eating during that time either until the day after. His stomach twisted and rumbled, physically in pain from the lack of food.

All he could force himself to eat was a few small pieces of his jerky and half a can of beef stew. Something was better than nothing, he supposed.

He never set foot in his mother's room again. That door stayed shut.

~

Things were warming up, so Izuku braved the road, finally. A month after his mothers death, a month of living alone and surviving off of canned foods and jerky. He didn't have much jerky left, though.

It took him a week to reach Maine's border into New Hampshire. Walking was exhausting, but he walked until he felt like he could collapse.

He was nearly devastated when he saw the border sign and realized it took an entire week to pass through two cities. He went into the gas station behind the sign, hoping for something to add to his stash. If he was taking this long, he was going to need to carry more.

Hopefully there were water bottles or some canned goods. Maybe some medicine for just in case-

The bell over the entrance door rang and Izuku dropped behind the shelves. He held his breath, listening to boot steps.

They sounded steady and heavy, unlike the dragging and shuffling of an infected.

Must be someone not yet infected.

Still, Izuku had to be cautious. He's heard on the radio about groups attacking other groups, people taking other survivor's things and leaving them for dead.

He crawled to the other end of the shelf, hoping to run out before being seen.

The boot steps halted and Izuku froze. He held his breath, worried he'd been heard.

They turned, still again.

Izuku slowly scooted forward, careful not to make a sound.

Suddenly, the boots rushed around.

He squeaked and scampered to his feet, dashing for the door.

"Stop, or I'll shoot!"

Izuku gasped, skidding to a halt. He glanced at the other man's reflection in the glass door, swallowing hard as he spotted the gun nozzle pointed at him.

"Turn now, hands in the air."

Slowly, Izuku obeyed the demand, hands up first.

Their eyes met and both had instant recognition.

"Izuku?"

"Shindo?"

-----

3918 words

Okay, so I wanted his entire back story in one chapter... I don't think that's happening... This is WAY longer than I wanted.