TW :: Mentions of sexual assault/rape

Katsuki hummed and shifted as he woke, groaning as the sun hit his eyes.

"Good morning, sunshine," Izuku mused, walking into the living area and stopping by Katsuki. He recieved a tired glare in response. "Breakfast is ready."

"Breakfast?" Katsuki echoed, voice raspy. He sat up, taking the offered plate. Izuku must have stole those from the cupboard. "Where'd you get this..? Eggs?"

Izuku sat on the chair across the coffee table from Katsuki and ate. "I went out and scavenged the houses around us. Got some water, some canned foods, and I found some wild chickens and their nests. I only grabbed four eggs, two for the both of us, made a fire out back and cooked 'em. If we carry any eggs with us, they'll just go bad."

Katsuki hummed and nodded, taking a bite. He then sighed, slouching back. He doesn't remember the last time he ate anything so fresh. Izuku chuckled at him, but didn't say anything. If he did, Katsuki likely would've snapped back with something meaner.

~

"Why didn't you wake me to help you look for water?"

Izuku paused as he pulled on his boots, looking up at the blond. "Uhm... Because I woke while it was still dark, and you're still healing."

"You saying I would've slowed you down?" Katsuki crossed his arms, scowling at Izuku.

The greenette breathed deeply, leaning back. "Oh my God, seriously? No, I was just letting you rest more. I don't think you're weak or anything." He stood and shouldered his bag. "Now, do you want to argue about it, or get on the road?"

Katsuki frowned and grabbed the duffle with more aggression than the action required.

Izuku nodded and turned towards the door.

~

Katsuki kept his eyes on Izuku as they walked down the street. His limp was gone, so he was keeping a better pace, but the bruise still ached and Izuku still kept slow. He watched each flinch at any noise, saw the way he studied the area around them and how he stepped lighter than air.

He's so similar yet so different from what Katsuki remembers.

Izuku is a survivor and Katsuki knows there's more to him than what the greenette has expressed to him. He probably won't ever express it. Katsuki's a dick. He was back in high school and still is now. Besides, they'd probably never see each other once Katsuki finds a place for his group and Izuku continues to the CDC.

Katsuki doesn't need to know what happened since they last saw each other. He doesn't.

~

They're moving through this city a lot faster than the previous. Katsuki recognizes everything, but doesn't at the same time. He remembers being dragged to that club, he remembers picking up the 'Bakusquad' from that bar. He remembers how great that bakery's pastries were.

God, back when he could use a damn car, he'd have been here in less than two hours. It's taken them about three days to get here.

"We aren't moving very fast," he muttered once he realized the previous two hour commute.

Izuku sighed, gesturing to the dark, crumbling buildings around them.

Right. Not supposed to make any noise.

~

As the sun began to set, Katsuki realized just how fast they were losing light. They had yet to find a place to hunker down for the night.

He looked around, frown deepening as Izuku didn't even look into possible options. They're currently walking through a disastrous suburban neighborhood. Cars and clothes strewn across the street, decomposed bodies and partial skeletons scattered among the mess, but they could still clear one of the houses to rest.

Izuku must be distracted. By what, Katsuki has no idea.

So, he reaches out. He doesn't realize he's never reached out to Izuku and touched him of his own accord up until the moment he touches Izuku's arm.

The greenette whipped around fast enough to give Katsuki's whiplash, fist curling tight around Katsuki's wrist. Katsuki's eyes widened as he looked at Izuku's face, pale and guarded, eyes big and fearful, but glaring through the sudden terror Katsuki isn't sure he caused but possibly triggered.

"Don't touch me," the shorter hissed beneath his breath, shoving Katsuki's hand into his own chest before continuing forward.

He stared after Izuku for a few seconds, shocked still to his spot. Slowly, he raised his arm to look at the reddened mark on his wrist.

~

Katsuki stayed quiet as he untied his boots, watching as Izuku unrolled their blankets for the night.

Neither had spoken since the incident just over an hour earlier and Katsuki was buzzing. Scenarios of what could have caused such a reaction, what could have happened in his past, why Izuku just skimmed over everything when telling Katsuki about it.

He had so many questions.

He inhaled and leaned back, folding his arms. Izuku ignored it. Katsuki grit his teeth and stood. Still no attention from the greenette.

"What the hell happened to you?"

Izuku finally paused, furrowing his brows. "What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean. What the fuck happened to you? You're so- you're-" Katsuki gestured frustratedly towards Izuku as the greenette faced him. "I don't know- different!"

The younger scowled, cocking his hip as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I don't know, Katsuki. Maybe it might be the pandemic? The end of the world? The fucking apocolypse?"

Katsuki scoffed, glaring down to him. "You know that's not what I mean."

"I mean, my parents dying was pretty significant-"

"No, you fucking-" Katsuki stopped himself and rubbed his face. He needed to lower his voice. Can't draw any unwanted attention to the house they had just cleared.

Izuku waited with a tight jaw and dark eyes.

"It was that first group..."

The shorter stiffened, eyes widening a fraction. Katsuki looked to him, then gestured. "You said you escaped. Why did you have to escape them instead of just leave?"

Izuku gulped, posture faltering. "I didn't- I didn't say that-"

"Yes you did," Katsuki cut off quickly, stepping closer. Izuku gasped softly and jerked back a few steps. "You tried to correct yourself, but I heard it. You escaped from them. Why? What happened there? I barely fucking touched you earlier and I thought you were going to rip my arm off and cry." Katsuki refuses to let Izuku avoid his question. He needs to know what happened.

The greenette reached out, gripping the back of the couch to ground himself. "I don't have to tell you anything..."

Katsuki nodded, narrowing his eyes. "You are absolutely right, but I'm going to bug the shit out of you until you tell me. So, make this easy for the both of us and tell me."

"You think talking about whatever happened in my past will be easy?"

"Tell me! Did they use you as bait or some shit!?"

"No!" Izuku finally snapped back, eyes shiny with tears.

Katsuki shut his mouth and stared.

The greenette swallowed thickly and looked away. "I wasn't... I wasn't bait..."

"So what were you? What did they do? Kill your dad?"

"No- no... Dad died before mom... I..." Izuku's shoulders slowly fell forward, wrapping his arms around himself. "Do you... Do you remember Shindo Yo..?"

Katsuki blinked a few times, brows creasing as he tried to figure out what the douche Runnerback from Highschool had to do with anything. "Sure. He was jealous and pissed that I was Quarterback. Was he part of that group?"

Izuku sighed. "He and I, we... We started a relationship a few months after Ochako and I broke up."

"First of all- when did you and pink cheeks date?"

"Right out of school, just- listen." Izuku ran his fingers through his unruly hair, Katsuki's expression still stern and unwavering. "We were still technically together when everything happened... But my parents were my priority, so I never looked for him... Well, my parents died, and... I needed to start for the CDC. Just two weeks after I left home, I ran into him." He took a shuddering breath, Katsuki's gut clenching. "I was so... I was happy to see someone I knew and cared about, so I followed him willingly to his group..."

"Did that motherfucker rape you!?" The words were out before he could stop himself. He startled Izuku with the outburst.

"No-no!" The greenette gasped and stuttered, raising his hands. He then winced and lowered his head more. "It's... It's hard to... Explain..." Izuku stepped back once more.

Katsuki steeled his jaw, anger writhing in his stomach with his fingers digging into his biceps.

Izuku's gaze shifted across the floor and over the sofas. "They... He offered me to them... I didn't understand and... Some seemed... I don't know, hesitant..? Because I'm a guy..? But they... They liked my face, so... So they would, uhm..." His voice began to quake, lip trembling as he tried to blink away tears. "They'd tie me or... Hold me down, sometimes... Or they just... Held a gun to my head when they'd... They would put it in my mouth... Until they were done..."

He could puke. Katsuki could throw up in disgust and horror as he pictured it.

Hands tied behind his back, gun to his head and tears in his eyes as some greedy, vile man fucked into his mouth. Small Izuku being taken advantage of because he's alive and alone and pretty.

"Are you... Are you fucking stupid?"

Izuku shook, watery eyes confused as he finally met Katsuki's gaze again.

"You fucking moron- you were raped! Repeatedly, apparently! Just because they didn't put it in your ass doesn't mean you weren't raped- Jesus fuck!" Katsuki ran his hands through his hair. His heart raced in his chest, the beginnings of tears in his own eyes.

Izuku huffed and rubbed his cheeks, turning away. "What do you even care..? You hate me."

Katsuki clenched his jaw, dropping his arms by his sides. "I never hated you..." Izuku halted, bag in his hands. "I... I'm gay, too..."

-----

1679 words

So much revealed in one conversation that will continue on into the next chapter! We're getting somewhere!