Chapter 1

Promised Guardian

It was a special day today. Unlike any other old day. It was Katsuki's birthday! His second! Ever since the tiny ashy blond was born, he knew that he was special. So, where, he wondered, were the balloons and streamers? The presents?! The cake?! On his super special most important day ever?

"I wonna eat cwake!" Katsuki whined to his mother. Pulling at the hem of his mother's dress. He glared up at her, refusing to let go while she was preparing food.

"Now, Katsuki, don't be like that." The small woman said with a shake of her head. "We're having guests over, today. And we need to show them some hospitality. They even have a young boy the same age as you! Wouldn't it be nice if the two of you became friends?" She asked sweetly.

Katsuki frowned, pouting with puffed out cheeks. Ignoring her comment, he refused to look her in the eyes. He didn't need friends. He was awesome, therefore, he didn't need anything as useless as 'friends' that would drag his awesomeness down!

The world revolved around him and only him! Not these 'neighbors' that stole his birthday from him! Why would he possibly want them as friends?

"I wun wike dem!"

"Oh, don't be like that. I'm sure you'll love the Midoriyas."

"I wund!" Katsuki insisted again, staring at his feet. There was no way in hell that he would ever like these people that ruined his birthday! And he will never become friends with them. That was a promise!

–

Katsuki stood there staring with wide eyes at the two adults standing at his doorway.

The woman was young looking, maybe even younger than his mom. Though, she was easily a few inches taller than her. She was slender and really pretty. Her dark green hair was pulled back into a short thick ponytail with long hair falling over the sides of her face.

Besides her, was a man that easily stood taller than either woman. He was a normal average looking salary-man but his build was a bit more thicker (in the muscular sense) as his body strained slightly against his dress clothes. The only thing that was out of the ordinary was that instead of a normal human head, he had a dragon's head with a small tuft of spiky green hair at the top. He was probably the same height as his dad but with his scaly reptilian head, it gave off the illusion of something more massive and frightening.

Katsuki hadn't realized that his mind was lost in his staring and that his mouth was hanging agape. Eyes blank. He was only brought out of his daze when the pretty woman started to talk to him.

"Hello, Katsuki-kun! It's really nice to meet you, I've heard so many things from your mother!" The woman said with a soft cheer, giving him a small wave as if she was afraid of scaring him away. He blushed at the gesture, crossing his arms and looking away with a glare in his eyes. His mother tried to contain her giggle from behind him.

"Hey, Izuku-kun, come out and greet little Katsuki-kun." The Midoriya woman cooed, turning over her shoulder to someone behind her. Getting Katsuki's attention. He raised an eyebrow, not having realized that there was another person there. Then he remembered his mother's words about the neighbors having a son his age and he stood on slight tip toes to try to see around the couple. "I hope you two become good friends," the woman said with a small smile as she gave a gentle nudge at the small figure in her hands. Pushing her son in front of the ashy blond boy's view.

Katsuki felt his breath hitch when their eyes met.

Brilliant tangerine staring into watery jade. A hidden spark shone from deep under those dark pupils.

The small freckled face shyly looked away from him when their eyes had met. And Katsuki felt both irritated and relieved that he could no longer gaze at those mesmerizing jewels. Allowing him to take in the rest of the other boy. He was around the same height as Katsuki, though he felt smaller. His hair was messy and unruly while somewhat curly, a dark shade of black with the tips tinting into a shinier grassy green, not yet a full set of green like his parents. And his skin was a light milky tone that threatened to burn if left too long under the sun.

Everything about the boy was just...

Katsuki was just at a lost for words until the other boy turned back to look up at him. His bubbly cheeks burned red as he tried to prevent himself from staring at his own feet as he was talking to Katsuki. "Wise to meed chu, Kat...Kat..." He kept pausing. His words caught in his throat, trying to finish his sentence. Katsuki couldn't help but stare wide eyes, watching the other boy's lips move, wanting to hear his name being called. Then, "Kachwan." he said, failing to say his name. Yet, he found himself even more elated, satisfied with the sudden nickname given to him.

Rushing up to the frail looking boy, he pulled the young Izuku into a tight bear hug. Looking over his shoulders to his mother, he said, "I wun need a pwesent anymores." Absolute conviction filled his sparkling eyes before he ran off with Izuku in tow. The two boys disappeared into the halls as the door to Katsuki's room was slammed shut.

The adults stood there, watching the two sets of feet disappear behind the closed door. Laughing at the childish display of affection.

"Twake this!" Katsuki ordered and Izuku suddenly found an object being shoved into his arms. He looked down at the object in question only to gasp in shock and look back at the ashy blond with wide starstruck eyes. It was an action figure! And not just any action figure! It was of a muscular man sporting two large lightning shaped ahoges and with a perpetual smile on his face. It was All Might! The greatest superhero in the world! The man who protects the innocent and vanquish the evil-doers with a smile!

"Bwaaugh?" Izuku started to drool.

"Huoy! Dund dwool on ib!" Katsuki complained, palming him in the face, and grabbing the toy out of his hand.

The other boy only looked at him in pain, seeing that he wasn't allowed to touch it anymore. He started sniffling before flat out bawling in heavy tears. His face was flooded from the sticky hot liquid running down his face, a mixture of saliva and snot.

Katsuki frowned and looked at the toy in his hand and back at the tearful Izuku. Sighing, he handed the toy back to the boy.

"Youse can keeps id!" He explains, refusing to look at him, waiting for Izuku to take it.

Izuku smiled but his tears and snot didn't lessen at all as he took a hold of the All Might action figure, hugging it tightly into his arms.

"Stawp cwying! I guv you the duoy back!" Katsuki complained again, shoving another palm into Izuku's face but not taking the toy back this time.

Izuku kept crying and sniffling, looking down at his feet. "I-I-I cund stawp mayself! And-And I'm juss soe habbi. Daht twas the noicest ding anywun ewer dun fur me." He said with a smile, still crying. He wiped at his nose with his elbow and looked at Katsuki with envious eyes. "Yuar the bestest!"

Katsuki widened his eyes at the words and crossed his arms. "It's nuwthin. I dun wary kare abuut him anyways, sense I pwan on being the nwumber one superiest hero wunz I get my Qurik!"

"Ooh!" Izuku clapped his hand together. "Cun we beh a teum wun I git my Qurik, toos?"

"Pft!" Katsuki scoffed and opened his mouth to say no but stopped when he gazed into Izuku's hopeful eyes. He turned his head and frowned. "Maybuh..." He said with a huff. He couldn't help but smile when he saw Izuku's lips stretch from ear to ear in joy. It wasn't a bad idea...

–

The Midoriyas and Bakugous were sitting around the table, chatting playfully when suddenly Katsuki ran up to the Bakugou woman. Clutching her by the dress in tight fists. His eyes were red and tears threatened to fall.

"I'm sowwy! Sowwy! Sowwy!" He apologized, clenching his eyes shut. "Pwease hwelp Izeeku!"

"What's wrong, Katsuki-kun?" The Midoriya woman asked firmly. Her husband already got up and rushed towards his room while she continued prodding him.

"Izeeku gut hurd!" Katsuki whimpered, his eyes were dead with fear and worry. "Id's muh fawlt!"

"Please, Katsuki-kun, tell me everything!" Midoriya's mother continued, holding her breath.

"I..I...I," Katsuki tried to speak up but his head was full of too much confusion and pain. He didn't know what was going on. Everything was just happening all too fast. One moment he brought Izuku into his room and they started playing with his toys then...blood. "Bruud!" Everywhere, blood! Izuku's blood!

That was when everything he held in fell out with reckless abandon as the poor ash blond cried and cried, hugging his mother even tighter. His parents looked from him to the almost-mechanical woman. Their mouths hung open, unsure of what to say.

"Ayaka!" The Midoriya man huffed as he rushed back into the living room, carrying his son wrapped under his arms. Izuku was unconscious and there was blood all over his clothing.

"Oh, dear! Izuku-kun?!/Izeeku!" The Bakugous (while Katsuki dug his face into his mother's leg and cried even more) almost jumped at the shock of seeing the injured young boy.

"He's fine...for now." The dragon-headed man said, shaking his head.

"That's good..." The young Midoriya woman sighed as she slowly got up from her knees and stood beside her husband. Her expression was somber. Looking at her son, she gave him a weak smile, holding back her own tears as she gave him a tight hug. She gave him a light peck on the forehead before letting go.

"Ayaka?" Katsuki's mother asked, nervously. "Is...Is there something wrong with Izuku-kun?"

The woman refused to look her in the eye. Her husband looked from her then to his son, sighing.

"Izuku...Izuku is..." He looked at his wife again who just gave a soft shriek, hugging him and their son again. Still refusing to look up. He gave a weary eye towards the other couple. Only giving them a shaking dismissal. "I'm sorry that you had to deal with this."

The older Midoriya male turned to walk but was stopped by a small tug on the hem of his pants. He turned to see the young Katsuki with teary red eyes staring up at him. Determination and sadness filled his gaze.

"Pwease! Dun weave! I'm sowwy! I wund hurd Izeeku agun!" He said, trying to stop his tears from falling with one hand over the side of his face. It was silent with only the sounds of young Katsuki's sniffling and sobbing filling the air.

His parents came up to him and each placed a hand over his shoulders.

"Katsuki, please let go of Mr. Midoriya. He needs to take Izuku-kun away." His mother said gingerly. Kneeling down so that she was standing at his height.

"Noooah! I dun wund hem to weave!" Katsuki brought another hand up to hold tightly onto Izuku's father. "I promwise I wund do id agun!"

"Kats-kun, listen to your mother." His father's deep voice rang out. "Izuku-kun can come back when he's better, isn't that right Ryoichi?" The man looks at his neighbor with beaming eyes.

The dragon-headed man smiles, snorting a small burst flames from his nostrils.

"Yeah, Izuku-kun can come play with you again when he gets better." He bends down and ruffles Katsuki's messy locks.

Izuku wakes up slightly in his father's arm, blinking in drowsy confusion. He looks around the room with blank eyes but when his eyes lands on Katsuki he gives a weak smile. Blood still smeared on his lips.

"Hewwo, Kachwan! Aww yuu rewdy to pway agun?" He asks but makes an 'O' with his mouth when he feels his father hug him tightly. "Owtou-cchwan!" He tries to move away from his father's pestering but to no avail. He slaps his dad in the face, trailing his stubby palms across Mr. Midoriya's face.

Everyone smiles at the young boy. All of the bad air just seemed to disappear. The atmosphere was no longer thick that even Katsuki seemed to stop worrying.

"We cwan pway agun, Izeeku!" Katsuki tells his new friend.

"Cwan we pway noah?" Izuku asks but his father shakes his head and pokes him in the nose. He frowns and slaps his father's hands away. Yawning.

Everyone laughs at the boy's defiance to keep playing despite obviously being tired.

"We need to go home, Izuku-kun," his father says weakly. Then all three Midoriyas leave, waving farewell to the Bakugous.

–

It was sometime after Katsuki's fourth birthday that he soon discovered his Quirk: Explosion.

Of all of the Quirk's that he could've gotten, this was definitely in the top ten! It was the best Quirk that he could ever hope for! It was powerful! Strong! And there were so much that he could do with it! Not to mention that all he needed to make it work was a little sweat! With a Quirk that revolved around heat blasts, that was easy peasy!

He was grinning from ear to ear.

This is exactly what he wanted! A powerful Quirk to show off to Izuku! The little boy wouldn't know what hit him! He'd worship him like the god he truly was!

And secretly, it was the kind of powerhouse Quirk he needed to protect the little green-haired shrub! Though, he'd never admit that to the other boy's face.

He ran to Izuku's house, trying his best to hold in his excitement. He made sure to not run around blasting everything with his Quirk. He wanted to surprise the Midoriya boy. The flashier the better!

When he was at the doorstep of his friend's house, he jumped up on tip-toes, ringing the doorbell obnoxiously as much as he could.

There were voices from the other side, one female and one male but the male was too young to be Izuku's father. He could hear a set of footsteps growing closer to the door but it only made him press the button more madly. Impatient.

He stared hard at the door, just as it made a clicking noise before it slowly pulled open to reveal Izuku's mother wearing an apron. She looked like she had just got done cooking. When she realized who was at the door she smiled at him and turned.

"Izuku-kun! Katsuki-kun's here!" She yelled out.

One of the curtains on a nearby window flew open. Izuku was kneeling into the window and a huge grin spread across his lips when his eyes made contact with Katsuki and he disappeared as quickly as he came. There was yelling from inside the house that Katsuki easily recognized as Izuku, making him smirk.

Moments later, Izuku appeared with a cage in one hand and a bug net in the other. He looked like he had just run a marathon, huffing and puffing from besides his mother.

"Kacchan!" Izuku roared, nearly jumping at the ashy blond. Catching him off guard. He went a few feet ahead of him.

"Play it safe, Izuku-kun. Don't do anything too dangerous!" His mother called from behind. She bent down and leaned into Katsuki's ears, whispering to him, "Make sure you take good care of our little man, Mr. Hero." She giggled.

He looked at her with intense eyes, nodding his head up and down in all seriousness. Then he turned and ran after her son.

"Come on, Izuku-kun!" Katsuki roared.

The woman sighs blissfully, happy that her son had made such a wonderful friend before she went back inside the house.

The two of them were at their favorite playing spots, a nice little forest area with a tiny brook, far away from the prying eyes of annoying adults. It was also a great spot to catch some large cicadas.

"Kacchan! Hewp me catch some suh-cadas!" Izuku said. He made a face when he saw a cicada sitting on the bark of the tree and clenched his eyes shut as he slammed the net at the bug, missing horribly. The bug chirped before it flew up into his face before disappearing into the leaves in the tree above.

Katsuki just laughed at Izuku, pointing his fingers at him.

"That's not how you do it, Izuku-kun! Lemme show you!" He walked over to Izuku and snatched the bug net from his hands. He looked around and spotted a cicada nearby, easily catching it with a single swipe.

He threw it into Izuku's face who spat at it when it landed on his mouth.

"Ewww! Kacchan!" Izuku moaned, falling to his butt.

Katsuki couldn't help but smirk at his friend, gently whacking the bug net over his head. "Look, I caught another cicada but it looks like a deku!" He laughed.

"Don't be so cruel!" Izuku whined but it only made Katsuki want to tease him more.

"Hey, Izuku-kun, wanna know something funner than catching stupid bugs?" He asked and Izuku looked at him with a huge question mark over his head. "Look at this!" He raised a hand, balling it into a fist before he slams it down on a nearby rock. It exploded from the impact into a million little pieces.

Izuku stares up at him, dropping his jaw, dumbfounded. He looks from Katsuki to the rock. Confusion fills his eyes for a while before it finally dons on him and stars surround the young boy. He gets up and runs towards Katsuki with open arms, hugging him as he giddly jumps up and down.

"Oh my god! Oh my god! Kacchan! That's so awesome! I can't beweave you got your Quirk! It's so awesome!" Izuku just hugs him tighter and tigher, refusing to let go.

Katsuki smirks to himself. Everything went just as plan. He raised his hand to pat his friend on the back of his head but flinch in pain, seeing that his hand was bleeding with some of his skin torn. He quickly takes his hand back and try to rub the blood away before Izuku noticed.

"I knew you would get an awesome Quirk!" Izuku cheered, holding his arms out so that he could look at Katsuki. "I can't wait for my Quirk to come out! What do you think it might be? Do you think I'd get an awesome Quirk like yours? We could be explosion friends! Or I could freeze stuff with my breath! Or I could control time! Or—!" Katsuki quickly puts a hand over the bubbly boy's mouth to get him to shut up.

"Think again, Izuku-kun, you'll never get a Quirk as awesome as mines. You'll be lucky enough to get a Quirk where you be like a frog or something!" Katsuki laughed, making Izuku look downcast.

"You're probably right... I mean I'm not as strong as you or as cool as you. There's no way that I could ever be as good as you." Izuku moped but then he looked back up at Katsuki with starry, hopeful eyes. "But we can still be a super hero team, right?"

"Eh, sure. Of course we can. But remember that I'm Number 1!" Katsuki said conceitedly before giving him a punch in the shoulders.

The two of them were enjoying themselves as they played pretend. Katsuki was blasting rocks and trees with his explosion Quirk and Izuku was pretending to have heat vision and melting things alongside his friend. In the background he kept eying Izuku, making sure the boy wouldn't overexert himself. It was fun pretending to be heroes but in all honesty, Katsuki prayed to the gods that Izuku wouldn't get a Quirk.

He remembered his parents talking one day about Izuku.

They were talking to Izuku's parents over the phone and what they had said made him worried—"Izuku-kun was not going to live for much longer..." they had said.

He took a silent gulp and shook his head.

As long as he was Izuku's hero, he wouldn't let anything bad happen to him.

Several months later, Katsuki got his wish.

Apparently, Izuku couldn't have a Quirk because he had a certain bone in his foot or something. Katsuki didn't know how in the hell bones had anything to do with getting Quirks but the doctors had said it was impossible.

"Come on, Izuku-kun stop being a deku!" Katsuki said, trying to cheer his friend up but the dark green tinted haired boy just sat there moping with a creepy smile on his face.

He kept mumbling to himself, saying that he wanted to be a hero. Making the ashy blond angry.

"Stop being like that, I can be hero enough for the both of us! I'll even beat that stupid All Might in his face!" He stated, pointing a thumb at his chest in superiority. "Now cheer up, you deku!" He slapped Izuku in the back of his shoulders but immediately regretted it when Izuku started coughing up blood.

"O-Okay, Kacchan..." Izuku seemed to ignore the blood dripping from his mouth and looked back up at Katsuki, giving him a forced smile. It made Katsuki's heart sink to see his friend like that but it was for the better.

Izuku was meant to be at the sidelines. Watching. He wasn't supposed to be there in the action. And when Katsuki becomes the Number 1 hero, he'll make sure no danger will ever come Izuku's way.

That was a promise.

–

Despite being told that it was impossible for Izuku to have a Quirk, it didn't diminish his desires to become a great hero in the least! Which only made Katsuki more angry and stressed out. And he was getting more and more frustrated with his friend.

No matter what he said, Izuku refused to see the truth. Holding onto that sliver of hope of becoming like that wretched All Might. Wanting to be a super awesome hero like him and it pissed Katsuki off to no end!

It was sometime around kindergarten when Izuku grew full headed of himself, trying to become a hero without a Quirk. At first it was a mild annoyance. It was almost even cute! But when Katsuki could only watch in horror as Izuku put himself in unnecessary harm's way, time and time again, he grew furious!

It went from small things like recycling or returning an old lady her fallen purse but then it got worst. He got chased by dogs. Almost got ran over by a car. And now he was defending this pathetic boy who was getting on Katsuki's nerves.

"Kacchan! Please, don't hurt him!" Izuku cried, hugging the freak under his arms. An angry tick grew on Katsuki's forehead at the horrid display of 'heroism'.

"Move it, Deku!" Katsuki started, calling him by the (at first friendly) insult that gradually turned into his nickname. Worthless. Just like every endeavor of the poor dark-haired boy's to be a goddamned hero.

But Izuku refused to move, continuing to hug that sack of worthless trash. Like he always did! Izuku didn't realize, no, he refused to realize what a bug that boy was. That Shoushin!

"Move it, Deku! Or you'll get it, too!" Katsuki threatened. If Izuku refused to listen to reason, then he had to beat the fear of being a hero into him!

It was a blur as he punched Izuku and two other classmates ganged on the other stupid boy. He tried to hold his punches as much as he could but he needed Izuku to realize that he was nothing but a deku! Maybe then, will he finally stop putting himself into life threatening situations!

Katsuki immediately regretted it though when he watched in horror as Izuku burst into a coughing fit, vomiting more blood than he's ever seen him do before. He made the two classmates go for the teacher while he held onto Izuku, hugging him into his lap.

"You stupid Deku! Why won't you stop being a hero?!" He asked, tears filling his eyes. The conversation from before began to repeat in his head—"Izuku will die," over and over again.

"B-But Kacchan! I (cough) I want to (cough) be a hero...like you..." Izuku said, reaching over towards Katsuki but his hand fell before he could touch him. Katsuki just hugged his friend's bloody head up against him, trying to force his tears away.

"Oh, my god! Katsuki-kun! What happened?" Their kindergarten teacher finally showed up, ripping Izuku from his arms and dragging him to the infirmary.

Time flew by fast.

Izuku was hospitalized for a few weeks. And the kid that Katsuki was bullying quickly moved away, going to a faraway country on an unrelated note. He thinks it was the United States or something but none of that really mattered.

All of the adults thought that Katsuki was being a hero, holding onto his friend for dear life before the teacher had come even though that was far from the truth. They had all told him what a wonderful friend he was but he knew that wasn't the case. The adults were just too stupid to know what actually was going on. It didn't help that Izuku refused to tell them that Katsuki was the one who had caused it.

He never actually apologized to Izuku for what he did. And his guilt was eating up at him as the days went on by. At first, he had trouble looking Izuku in those pure shining green eyes of his. Then he just stopped seeing him less often until finally he just stopped visiting.

Neither his parents nor Izuku's questioned the drift, attributing it to puberty or some other bull.

Whenever they asked, Katsuki would just say that he saw Izuku enough at school that he didn't need to see the sickly boy outside of school.

A few years passed and there was an incident where Izuku was hospitalized for the entire school year. Izuku's parents had informed his parents about it and they had offered him to visit Izuku but Katsuki refused. He couldn't go see Izuku after what happened.

He always ate away at himself, hoping that Izuku would get better that he wouldn't...die. But as the clock ticked and ticked, his worries only grew more and more.

Finally, Izuku's parents called again. One last time.

It seemed the doctors were more sure of it now that today would've been Izuku's last day. And it was time to say farewell to him.

Katsuki refused to meet with them, even after they had told him that Izuku specifically requested for him. He sat there in his room. Moping.

Izuku won't die. Izuku won't die. Izuku won't die. Izuku won't die. Izuku won't die. Izuku won't die. Izuku won't die. Izuku won't die. Izuku won't die. Izuku won't die. Izuku won't die. Izuku won't die. Izuku won't die. Izuku won't die. Izuku won't die. Izuku won't die.

He kept thinking to himself until finally he gave in.

He ran up to his dad and punched him in the knee.

"Take me to Izuku-kun, old man!" Katsuki whined, frowning at him.

His parents looked at him in disbelief but shrugged it off, knowing full well how Katsuki must be feeling, especially after he's been ignoring his friend for some time.

When he got there, Katsuki's heart sank to the deepest pit of hell it could go.

Izuku was strapped to the bed. Multiple wires and machines were hooked up to him. Blood flowing in and out of him. It looked like he was dead. It was Katsuki's worst nightmare!

"Izuku-kun!" Katsuki screamed, running towards the bed. His parents stayed near the doorway to let them have some space. His mother held onto his father, hiding her face into his chest.

As if stirred by his voice, Izuku blinked. Eyes slowly opening and he turned to see Katsuki staring up at him with sharp eyes.

He smiled from under the oxygen mask strapped to his face, waving weakly at him.

Katsuki wrapped his arms around Izuku's frail stomach and laid his head there crying. Unfortunately, it seemed that the doctors had drugged Izuku and the poor boy quickly fell back to sleep. Occasionally waking back up but never coherent in either case.

It really did look like it was the end for him.

–

Katsuki frowned where he sat in class. He was much older now. Currently in middle school but not for long. It was only a few more months before he graduated and went to a high school of his choosing.

His eyes occasionally darting over the classroom at the green-haired young man a far distance away in another desk. The other boy was busy scribbling something into his notebook.

It was obviously something stupid and hero related.

He frowned to himself, glaring at the boy. The boy seemed to jump up, shivering to himself before turning around to look for what was giving him the cold shoulder.

When green eyes met orange, the boy shirked away, giving Katsuki a weak wave and a light chuckle. Only making Katsuki glare even deeper at him. The green-haired boy quickly duck his head back in fear.

"Fuckin' Deku!" Katsuki said under his breath, frowning in annoyance.

Why did he have to fall in love with an idiot like him?