"One should rather die than be betrayed. There is no deceit in death. It delivers precisely what it has promised. Betrayal, though ... betrayal is the willful slaughter of hope."

Steven Deitz

____

Katsuki was starting to get frustrated. No matter what the fuck he did, Izuku was still avoiding and ignoring them.

Ignoring him.

It hurts, but he also knows that he has no right to complain, seeing as what the class did to him must have hurt even more. That, plus the fact that he thought that his brothers were a part of it, or simply ignored what was going on around them.

Still, it hurts being ignored by his childhood best friend. His brother in all but blood. The person who had been with him since diapers. The only person who had been a constant in his life since he was born. Since he could remember.

Katsuki, with no other option or idea as to what to do, decided that his Papa was his last resort.

Yes, he could go to Dad, but he knows dad is still missed, and the fact that they need to still have a conversation about this whole ordeal.

The thought alone makes him shudder.

So, Papa it is.

Even then, it took him more than a week to ask the man for advice.

No matter how much he tries to convince himself it's because he was busy, he knows the truth.

The truth where he feels ashamed.

Ashamed because he needs help. Ashamed because he didn't notice, and he let it continue for as long as it did.

Adhamed because his own friends and significant other were a part of it.

Eventually, though, he knew he couldn't drag this out anymore. He needed to have this misunderstanding between them and Izuku sorted. The sooner the better.

So, that Saturday evening, he made his way to his parents' on-campus apartment. It was safe, he knew because Dad was at the station with Uncle Taka working on another case.

Arriving, he stopped, taking in a few calming breaths before knocking.

Logically, he knows that there was no need for him to knock, but they always did. It was a habit all of them picked io from Izuku, and for that he was thankful. All of them.

It had saved them their innocence and sanity from certain bits of...activities that their parents got up to.

Thank fuck for that.

Not a minute later, his Papa opened up the door. The man looked comfortable in his grey sweatpants and white t-shirt with his hair down. He wore his normal description glasses in place of his usual yellow glasses that go with his hero persona.

When Hizashi sees him, he smiles softly while opening the door wide enough for him to come through.

He goes to sit on the couch as his Papa makes his way to the kitchen. A few my it's later, he comes back with some tea and biscuits, setting them on the table in front of the couch, and taking a place next to Katsuki.

After taking a sip from his tea, he turns his attention fully to Katsuki and waits. Clearly knowing what the problem was, but needing him to say it. Voicing his concerns and need for help.

And so, Katsuki does.

When he finished, Hizashi was deep in thought, taking sips all the while.

"Kats, I understand what you want to do, and I support that. But you also need to understand this from Zuku's point of view. To him, not only was he betrayed by people he clearly saw as friends, but also by his family. While you may not have partaken in all of this, to him you also did nothing to stop them. You know what I mean?" Hizashi explained, wanting his son to understand the position they were in.

"I know that. But that's what I'm trying to fix. I want to talk to him, but I can't do that if he keeps on fucking disappearing every time we try to talk to him," Katsuki fumed, clearly frustrated with the situation.

Katsuki startles when he feels a flick to his forehead.

Dumbfounded, he looks up at his father, who looked at him with a stern expression.

"No cursing, Katsuki. While I commend you for being able to identify and trying to rectify your mistake, you need to change your approach. Don't try to corner your brother Katsuki. It won't work, and the perfect example of that is your class. Make sure he is willing Kat, don't force him." Hisashi gently scolded, trying to make his son see reason.

Katsuki nodded, before standing and making his way to the door. Before he could leave, though, Hizashi stops him.

"Katsuki, remember that Izuku feels betrayed. And that hurts him more than ever. It is easier to forgive the betrayal of an enemy than it is to forgive the betrayal of a friend. Remember that."

Once more, Katsuki just nodded and made his way to the door. Before leaving, he turned toward his father and bid him a quick goodbye.

____

S

Sundays were reserved solely for family time.

During the week they were busy with school, hero work, and so on. During the week it was friends and study groups.

But Sundays were set to focus only on family, to catch up on what happened during the week. What was new, who did what, and all of that.

This Sunday though was quiet.

Not a comfortable kind of quiet, where you just sit in each other's company. No, it was an awkward kind of silence.

With the latest incident still fresh, no one was talking to each other. There wasn't anything to really say, and whatever could be said was sure to start a fight.

Hizashi didn't know how long he could sit in this silence. He was naturally a talkative person, but now he was starting to get anxious with everyone quiet and in a foul mood.

If someone didn't say anything in the next two seconds...

"So, ruined any more people's lives lately?" Izuku spoke up, asking it in such a bitter tone, it made them cringe.

This was not what Hizashi meant.

"Izuku!" Hizashi yelled, knowing this was going to start a fight that won't end pretty.

And he was right.

Immediately the four boys started to yell over each other, creating chaos.

Just as he was about to speak up, a loud bang rang out throughout the apartment.

All screaming stopped as the boys were startled. Looking for the reason for the noise, they found their father standing, both palms flat on the table from where he slammed them down.

"Every single one of you will go to your room. Quietly. If I hear so much as a peep from any of you, I promise you that you will not enjoy the consequences. I will be there in a minute. Understand?" he said, voice calm, but it held promise.

Nodding, the boys quickly stood and make their way to their rooms, not making a sound, but walking fast enough to almost call it running.

Taking a deep breath, Aizawa sat down, before downing the cup of coffee he has.

Yamada just looked at him in concern and was about to ask if he was okay when his husband stood up once more.

He kissed him on the lips and made his way to the stairs.

"If you'll excuse me, I have four little children to discipline."

And he was gone.

Hizashi was praying for his sons. They were going to need it because he can't remember the last time he saw his husband this angry.

____

It was Monday night and the four brothers were sitting in the common room on their father's orders.

They were not to leave until they talk this out. The others were sent up to their room, with the orders that, if they were caught outside of it, they would not like what comes after that.

Izuku squirmed with the memory of last night. His dad was really fucking mad last night, and he'd rather not test his patience.

So he sits there, avoiding looking at everyone by looking at his hands in his lap.

Hitoshi was the one who eventually spoke up.

"Look, Zuku. We know we hurt you, okay? This whole situation isn't okay and there is no way to justify their actions. We're sorry. Okay? We really didn't know that they were doing this."

Izuku scoffs, still refusing to look at them or acknowledge them.

Katsuki, it seems, finally lost his temper despite trying to hold it in. He goes and grabs his brother by the front of the shirt, bringing them face to face.

"Izuku, dammit. Look at us! We're sorry okay? You know we wouldn't do that to you, you know we would've stopped it had we found out! Hell, I would've beaten the class into the ducking afterlife for even having thought of it. Why won't you just listen?!" he yelled, desperation and frustration lacing his voice.

Izuku, getting sick of being pushed around by the people around him pushes Katsuki away from him and then promptly punches him in the jaw, hard enough to have him sit his ass on the ground.

Both Hitoshi and Shoto stood up, ready to interfere and stop them if they decided to get physical.

Luckily Katsuki was too stunned to retaliate.

"I was the one wronged! I was the one hurt and betrayed! It was me who was being punished for things I haven't even done! I'm the one our parents lost faith in, and I'm the one they looked at in disappointment the whole time this was going on! It was me! Not you, not Shoto, and not Hitoshi. I feel like I have the right to choose not to forgive," Izuku said, chest heaving by the end of his rant.

He looked at all of them.
swimming in his eyes.

"Just leave me alone, okay? You all got what you wanted. Be happy you succeeded."

With that, he turned on his heels and left through the front don't, fast enough before any of them could stop him.

Not even two minutes later, their father walks in, takes in the scene and the missing child, before sighing, looking at them with slight disappointment.

Yeah, this isn't going to be easy to fix, thought Hitoshi.

____

I

zuku sat against a tree near one of the other dorms, but far enough from their dorms.

His knees pulled up to his chest with his arms surrounding them, his head laid on top of them as he tries to hold in the worst of his sobs.

He isn't a child anymore, he has no reason to cry.

Hell, he's going to become a hero, how is he expected to save villains and save people if he can't even handle something like this without crying like a baby?

Too busy trying to get himself to stop crying, he doesn't notice someone walking toward him.

His head snaps up, though, when the person speaks up.

"Midoriya?"

____

Hihi! How are we all doing?

This chapter is a lot longer than all previous chapters, but I do hope you enjoy it.

What did you think? It took me two rewrites, three days, and half of my story not being saved for it to become what it is.

Enjoy your day/night. Remember to stay safe and healthy.

Bye bye!