"Deku!" Kacchan called out, running up to where Midoriya was.

"Good morning Kacchan!" Midoriya said, his usual smile gracing his face.

"What are you so happy about?" Kacchan growled at him.

Laughing out, Midoriya put his arm around Kacchan's shoulders, ignoring his growls and kept walking. At least Kacchan had not blasted him away like he would have weeks ago, things were different now- better. It made him happy as they continued to walk, even happier that Kacchan never took his arm off his shoulder.

"Did you practice your distance for jumps?" Kacchan asked him.

"I passed out as soon as I got home… didn't even have dinner."

Kacchan stopped and glared at him, "You need to eat and fucking practice or you will never catch up to me! You want me kicking your ass every day or something?"

Having Kacchan yell at him for something so trivial only made Midoriya laugh even more. Never in a million years would he thought Kacchan cared.

"Just fucking take care of yourself, when I beat you I want it fair and square!" Kacchan said before walking again, taking the hand on his shoulder, pulling Midoriya along with him. "Did you at least get your worksheets done?"

"I'll do them in the free period we have."

"Dammit! Deku! Not only are you not taking care of yourself, you are going to fucking fail!"

"I like it when you care," Midoriya said.

Growling, Kacchan pulled Midoriya over behind a row of trees, pushing him against one. There was a deep scowl on his face as he stared at him.

"You think I would put up with your stupid shit if I didn't care?" Kacchan asked.

"You have the weirdest way of showing it."

A hand over the plate on his chest, and Kacchan leaned in, pressing his mouth firmly on his. It hurt, but everything with Kacchan hurt. They trained hard together, pushing each other to exhaustion. Every press of his mouth, bite on his lip, the hand squeezing over the plate on his chest, only showed him how much he cared.

When he pulled back, Midoriya knew he face was flushed and his lips as swollen as Kacchan's were.

"Don't ever fucking question my feelings," Kacchan said, before punching him in the shoulder-hard- and walking away.

Midoriya stood there, his hand over the plate on his chest, feeling where his heart had sped up and thumped against the plate. He had never tried to give his heart to another before, but the way it was beating right now, made him want to try it.

A heart is a fickle thing, they do not always match. Regardless how one feels for another, if they do not fit, it will not last. One's head may play tricks, thinking your heart is the one driving you- but alas, a true fit will come easy, there is no work involved. If you have to work at it- it won't work.

He went at everything hard and with fight. Why else do it any other way? Bakugou had goals set in mind and no one was going to get in the way. Not even that Deku asshole that had been around all his life.

He was always there, regardless where he looked. Deku had saved his ass more times than he would ever care to admit, and it pissed him off every time he looked over at him. Always smiling, waving and laughing. No one can be that nice.

He felt the slamming of his heart against the plate in his chest. It was not that it hurt, it was just annoying as hell. Growling, he slammed his fist against the plate.

"Easy man, you are gonna damage it," Kirishima said.

"What the fuck do you care?" he spit out.

"I don't feel like walking with your dumb ass to get a new plate… again."

"The fuck! Twice! That is all! You are fucking lucky yours just hardeneds up!" slamming his fist on the table, he felt like punching his chest to prove a point.

"Calm down! Sheesh, such a hot head."

His chest was itchy, he had hated this feeling, Scratching at the plate, he could feel his heart banging against the plate wall.

"Damn thing won't stop itching."

"Maybe it is ready to… you know… come out," Kirishima said with a shrug.

"Why the hell would it do that?"

"You think I don't know about you and-"

Bakugou blasted Kirishima before he could say another word. Even as Kirishima slammed into the back wall, he didn't care- asshole needed to not speak out of turn. Turning to look over where Deku was, laughing with his friends, not even looking his way, he felt the itch on his plate again, and the banging so loud he was sure everyone could hear.

Excusing himself, he needed a moment just to clear his mind. What he really wanted was a room full of things he could blast and explode, but that was not happening. The gym had a wall that was made so he could punch over and over.

Scratching at his plate again, he lifted his shirt and saw how red his chest was. The place where his plate form was fine, it was his damn heart acting up. Slipping the plate off, he held his heart for a moment in his hand, watching it jump up and down.

"You fucking annoy me!" he screamed at the pulsing heart in his hand. He wanted it to recoil or do anything other than jump again. Growling, he pushed it back into its socket and left he plate off. Maybe he needed a new plate that wouldn't itch so bad.

Punching the wall, he thought it would make him feel better, but all he could think of was Deku's stupid hair and face. The more he punched, the more he saw his face. He wasn't even pretending to hit his face, he was thinking of other things… things that made his heart flutter in his chest and make his skin itch.

Kacchan was pulling his hair, he was always pulling his hair. They were able to sneak off after school and practice in a training yard. It was hard and Kacchan challenged him at every turn.

They would fight hard till they couldn't anymore, learning where their boundaries where.

The more he pulled at his hair, the harder his tongue plunged into his mouth. It felt like the air was being sucked right out of his body. Pushing at his shoulders, all Midoriya was think about was needing air. Gasping and panting, he laid his head on Kacchan's chest, hearing the way his heart was slamming in his chest. Gently placing his hand over it, he could feel it.

"Yours does it too?" he whispered.

"Of course it does, why the fuck wouldn't it?"

Looking up, he saw the familiar glare from Kacchan, the face only a mother could love. Why when he looked at him, with his guard down, did his heart beat harder?

"Have you ever… you know?" Midoriya asked, placing his hand over his own heart, feeling the way they both were beating, completely out of sync, but rapid.

"No! Why… you want to…" Kacchan trailed off. That was what made Midoriya blush and smile.

Kacchan had thought about it.

"I mean… we could… try," he said, knowing his face was lit crimson at this point.

Kacchan rolled his eyes and lifted his shirt. His chest was red around his plate. Taking his fingers, Midoriya traced around the edges of his plate. A deep growl from Kacchan and he was pressed against the building again, his hair being pulled and his mouth being dominated.

It was the one thing he did not fight with Kacchan. No, they fought at everything, but not this. It was an outlet for them, their release from all their stress and hard work. Every kiss and pull of his hair only reminded him why they did this.

They needed each other more than they would admit.

It was the push, and the pull that drove them together. Every battle, every triumph, the shadow of the other was always there.

A bite at his lip made Midoriya hiss out, his hand firmly against the plate in Bakugou's chest, his finger tracing around the edges. A pull at his shirt, and a warm sweaty palm was over his breastplate.

It was now or never.

Licking gently at Kacchan's mouth, Midoriya tapped his finger on the plate. They were going to try this. It was not like it was permanent, they could exchange them back- it was a deeper intimacy.

Pressing his forehead to Kacchan's, he stared into those hard glaring eyes.

"Ok… let's do this."

Pulling his shirt up, he slid the plate from his chest. His fingers trembled so hard the plate fell to ground, echoing all around them.

"Smooth, Deku."

"Shut up!"

Shaking his head, Kacchan slid his plate off and pocketed it. That was when he saw it- Bakugou's heart was a different shape. Hard edges and jagged, just like Bakugou was. It looked hard even though it was throbbing in his chest.

Taking his finger, Midoriya stroked at it in the socket of Kacchan's chest. It felt different from his, harder.

He could feel the cold sweat of Kacchan's fingers as they entered his socket, caressing around his heart. His was smoother, softer. It fluttered as it was touched, almost like a cat starting to purr.

Never taking his eyes off of him, Midoriya slid the jagged heart out, holding it in his hand. He had never held another's heart before, only his from the few times he was curious and pulled it out.

It surprised him how gentle Kacchan was with his heart. For everything he ever did, it was hard and fast, but this was different. His fingers carefully wrapped around his heart, caressing it as he slowly pulled it out.

Both of them stood there, holding the other's heart in their hands. There were no words either of them could say, all they could do was stare at the object in their hand.

"Well… let's do it," Midoriya whispered.

Pain was not a word to describe it. The moment he pushed Kacchan's heart in his chest- his chest lit up like someone set fire to him. This was beyond breaking any bones in his body- it came from within. The hard edges scratching at his inner socket making his gasp out- too unbearable to even scream. Falling to his knees, he clutched as chest as Kacchan fell next to him.

Neither could yell out, their voices strangled and their chest on fire. Darkness surrounded his vision as the heart in his chest popped out next to him. The last thing Midoriya remembers was wrapping his fingers around Bakugou's heart before it all went black.

How long had it been? Where was he? His mind was confused and his body hurt so bad. They had not practiced any harder than any other day. Blinking as his eyes adjusted, Bakugou saw the messy hair of Deku next to him, and his heart in his hand.

"What the fuck?" he whispered, wrapping his fingers around the smooth soft heart in his hand. The last thing he remembered was holding Deku's heart, excited over the idea of placing it in his chest. Pain! Agonizing pain was what happen next.

How was it that it hurt? It is not suppose to hurt.

Deku was breathing softly, but clearly still out.

What does this mean? The mere idea that they were not compatible never crossed his mind. He knew it was rare that people were not at all compatible, in some ways almost everyone was compatible with someone… but with Deku, this was different.

Deku was always there, since they were little, chasing him, helping him. He never wanted it, never asked for it. But fuck, he could count on turning around and that stupid smile being there.

He was suppose to be the only one from school at UA. Deku was suppose to continue looking up to him.

It was not the same anymore.

Caressing his thumb over the smooth heart in his hand, it was different than his. He could see his heart curling into Deku's fingers. Sitting up and leaning against the wall, he pulled Deku's head in his lap and ran his free hand through his tangled hair.

We fucked up so hard… I have fought you so much… maybe this is why? Maybe we don't work because I have always pushed you away. It was always you Deku… stupid fucking Deku… always saving my ass, making me work harder to stay ahead. Little do you know, lately I have been chasing after you. I can only see you moving further ahead of me… away from me.

Running his hand through Deku's hair, the dirt and sweat all built up at the roots, Bakugou didn't care. He wanted to grab his heart from Deku's fingers and squeeze it till it exploded. Maybe that would teach it not to work.

But what is one without a heart?

Their heart led them, guided them. Sharing yours with another was the most intimate thing two people could do, it completes you.

Then why was there so much pain?

He could hear Deku mumbling as he started to come too. Removing his hand from his hair, he held Deku's heart gently- the heart that was so unlike his own.

"What happened?" Midoriya asked, sitting up and next to Kacchan.

"I don't know," Kacchan whispered.

"Are you ok?" he asked, turning to check Kacchan out. "Are you hurt?"

He was pushed away. "Fuck off! I am fine," Kacchan spit out, then thrusted his hand forward, "Here, take this stupid thing… I'm tired of hold it."

Looking down at his hand, Midoriya saw Kacchan's heart in his hand, the one so unlike his. Gently squeezing it, he felt he had done something wrong, but he did not know what.

"I'm sorry," Midoriya said, choking back on tears.

"Don't start that shit… we will just try again another day."

"Try again?"

"Well yeah, you aren't going to just give up, are you? You think cause it didn't work the first time we should just give up? Did you give up when your first broke half the bones in your damn body?"

"Well-"

"We will try again later," Kacchan said, taking the heart from Midoriya's hand and giving him back his. When he lifted his shirt, Midoriya saw a scar on the inside of his socket.

"Kacchan, wait!" he said, taking his hand and holding it to Kacchan's chest. Looking closer, there was a clear scar in his socket. "There is… a scar."

"Yeah so what?" Kacchan said, pushing him back and cramming his heart back in before slamming the plate back over it.

"You should be gentler," he said.

"Fuck off!"

Sighing, Midoriya lifted his shirt and looked over at Kacchan, "Do I… well… have a scar?"

Kacchan growled as he pushed Midoriya to the wall, holding his wrist in his hands. His eyes were so hard as they looked at him, he was not sure if it was hatred or loathing, he always had the hardest time reading Kacchan. Another growl and their mouths were pushing against each other.

His head was spinning. Just moments ago all he could remember was searing pain, and now he had Bakugou being cold and kissing him. He felt like they had gone back a few steps.

Even with Kacchan kissing him, his tongue plunging his mouth, he felt something different coming from Kacchan, something he could not place his finger on. When Kacchan pulled back, he looked down at Midoriya's chest.

"Looks like we have matching wounds."

This was supposed to have brought them closer together. He had never felt further away from Kacchan.

There was not enough on the internet to find out about this. Midoriya had been checking for days now. There was so much on compatibility, but nothing else. It either worked or it didn't.

He had no clue who to ask either. Kacchan kept telling him that they had to work harder at it, that they just had to keep trying.

Looking in the mirror in the bathroom, Midoriya removed his plate and heart. He could see the marks clearly in the mirror. There were four scars in his socket. They did not hurt that much, he could touch them and be ok, more so uncomfortable. Kacchan didn't seem all that worried over it.

Rushing to get ready, Midoriya threw his uniform on and ran out the door waving goodbye to his mother.

He was not sure he could do this again today. Last night had been bad. They stayed conscious this time, but the pain was still burning bright in his mind. There was no physical pain, no that left the moment Kacchan's heart left his body.

Could it be from acquiring a quirk and Kacchan born with one? Was this his fault? He already knew he had to work harder than most to get where he was, but does one have to work twice as hard in a relationship too?

Holding his head down, he walked to school, worried Kacchan wanted to try again today. He didn't know if he could take it anymore. Couldn't they just be together without exchanging hearts?

It was a question that had been weighing on him for days. Could they be together and still be apart? It was very rare couples never exchanged hearts- it was never heard of.

Could they still do this?

His mind was elsewhere all day as the morning classes went by. He knew he should pay attention, but his mind raced to his chest, where his heart slowly beat in his chest.

Why can't anything just be easy?

It was almost comical. Nothing in his life was ever easy. Growing up quirkless- you lived a hard life. Bullying, knowing you'll just have a piss poor job at the police station or behind some desk. That was not what he wanted.

Receiving the best quirk ever, he thought he had gotten everything he could have ever wanted. That was till Kacchan. That push and pull that drove them together- was going to drive them apart.

"You haven't touched your food," someone at his table said.

Wow, he knew he was out of it, but so bad he had missed most of lunch, lost in his own thoughts.

"So Deku, did you hear? There are third years walking around with exchanged hearts!" Uraraka said, her smile lighting up their table.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah! Isn't it amazing! If you look around, you can see which ones they are… they are practically glowing!"

Taking a moment to look, he saw exactly what she meant. It was as if a huge arrow was pointing to them. There was a glow to them. It looked easy, it look effortless. Glancing over to Kacchan, he saw him grinding his teeth and clutching the table.

"Those fuckers shouldn't be doing that at school!" Kacchan screamed as he stormed from the table.

"What is his deal?" Uraraka asked.

"I don't know, let me go check on him," he said before jumping up and chasing after Kacchan.

"Kacchan!"

Stopping, Bakugou turned and glared at Deku. "What?"

"Are… are you ok?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well… back there just a minute ago-"

He didn't want to talk about it. Taking Deku's hand, he pulled him behind him up the stairwell to the roof. He needed to get away from all the happy couples. Not that him and Deku were a couple… or were they?

"Kacchan… why-"

He didn't want to talk. That was the last thing he wanted. Pushing Deku down, he kissed him hard, harder than he should have. But Deku always took it. It didn't matter how he treated him, Deku always took it.

Why did he deserve someone like Deku? Maybe that was why their hearts didn't fit. He was scared he would lose Deku over this, knowing it would never be enough for him. He thought he would be ok without Deku's heart, just knowing Deku was there would be good enough.

He was not sure anymore.

Deku had consumed his mind. He wanted so badly to be able to accept Deku's heart and every passing day it did not work only meant their imminent failure.

Hands at his chest, over his plate, where pushing him away. Why did he always feel pushed away? Scratching at his plate, damn thing was itching again, he looked as Deku sat up.

"Kacchan… we can do other things, we don't have to exchange…" Deku trailed off, his cheeks a crimson color.

Squinting, scratching at his chest some more- he knew really needed a new plate, he was sure of that.

"What are you going on about?"

Deku leaned over, pushing him back and started kissing him. He was not used to this. Usually it was him commanding how it all went down. Hands on his hips, right under his shirt, caused him to catch his breath. Every rub of Deku's thumb over his hip bones making his heart slam against his plate.

Deku didn't kiss him as hard as he liked, but he put a lot of passion into it. It was a need behind it he could almost taste. Even while those thumbs traced up and down his hip bones- it was not what he wanted.

Pushing Deku away, he pulled his knees to his chest, rubbing the plate on his chest.

"Don't cheapen us with that shit," he growled out, knowing Deku was hinting a more physical intimacy.

He knew it was mean, he knew Deku would cry. Turning his head, he couldn't even watch as the first tear trailed down Deku's face.

"I… I can't keep trying," Deku whispered before getting up and walking back into the school.

Dropping his head to his arms, Bakugou took a deep breath then slid the annoying plate from his chest. It was itching and his heart was hurting. He wasn't sure if the pain was from the plate, or by Deku walking away.

Deku never walked away.

"Try again!" Kacchan said, pulling his heart out, holding at arm's length to Midoriya.

"We can't keep doing this!" Midoriya said, tears filling his eyes- cramming his fist into his eyes, rubbing the fall of tears building up. Every day they did this, every day they failed. He did not want to give up, but the pain had become unbearable.

"I'll fucking blast you! Try again!" Kacchan said, pushing him against the wall. Pulling up Midoriya's shirt, he saw where his heart sat, not even covered. "You don't even have your plate on."

"Why should I bother! I'd rather crush this stupid heart than deal with this pain!" he screamed out. It had become too much. Why did he have to fall for the one person whose heart only hurt him?

Midoriya was sniffling, tears starting to fall more his eyes, he saw the way Kacchan was clutching his own heart, determine to make this work. It never worked, they would never work. Shaking his head, a cry escaped his lips as he felt familiar fingers wrap around his heart, slowly pulling it out.

"They don't fit!" Midoriya cried out, knowing the pain that was coming.

"We will make them fit," Kacchan growled, shoving his heart into Midoriya's chest. Gasping, Midoriya fell to his knees, clutching at his chest. The pain was too much, it was not compatible with him, the edges were too sharp, they didn't line up- it hurt so fucking bad.

"Kacchan!" Midoriya said, holding his hand out to him, trying to not fade completely out, the blinding pain searing through his body.

Kacchan cried out, pressing Midoriya's heart into his chest, falling to his knees next to Midoriya. "It is the only way…" he breathed out, "We have to keep… trying!"

The tears fell from Midoriya's eyes, dripping to the floor. It was as if someone had set off a fire in his chest, one he could never put out. They thought the more they tried, the easier it would get. Every day. Every single day. It only got worse.

Only a heart that truly fits will complete you.

"It hurts!" Midoriya gasped out.

"You have had worse pain than this!" Bakugou said, blasting at the wall behind them, sending rubble down all around them. Bakugou grabbed at Midoriya's arms, staring him in the eyes. "We can do this!"

"It hurts!" Midoriya cried out, holding Kacchan's shirt tightly, his head falling on his shoulder. "I can't… keep doing this." The fire in his chest was spreading through his body, making his limbs tremble, his body weakening by the moment.

"Just concentrate dammit!" Kacchan growled out. "We can endure this!"

Midoriya's mouth opened as he cried out again, spit dripping down his chin. It hurt too bad. They would never work, it would never fit.

"I can't!"

"You fucking can and you will!"

Both of them collapsing on the ground, clutching to their chest. The pain was too much.

Cause try and try as they might, it will never fucking fit.

It was these moments when Midoriya came back too, looking over where Kacchan sat, staring at him that hurt the worst. All around Kacchan's heart socket was blood red from his itching at it, the plate was possibly the wrong metal for his body. He had told him he would go next week and get a new plate, but Midoriya did not even both wearing his.

What good was having a heart if you could not even use it?

There were no words they could say anymore. They had tried everything they could. Looking into his palm, the jagged, sharp edges of Kacchan's heart jumping in his hand, he knew there would be no more.

It would never work. They would never work.

He couldn't look at Kacchan either. He knew Kacchan was in pain, and only consoling him would make it worse. Holding his arm out, he wanted him to just take his heart. If he was lucky, Kacchan would do him a favor and blast his.

The weight of the heart removed from is hand only left a weight heavier than the world. Midoriya choked as he felt the soft flutter of his heart. Pressing it into his chest, he stood up- not looking back.

There was never good that happen from looking back.

He could hear the sniffles, he could only imagine the pain.

Why even have a heart if you cannot give it away?

"Deku," he heard Kacchan whispered, "we can still do this."

They both knew it was not true. Their sockets were nothing but scars and it was only getting worse. Their bodies were weakened and their sockets could not take much more.

They just were not compatible. They would never work. Regardless how hard they try.

He couldn't turn around, he knew if he looked at Kacchan all his resolve would be over.

"Bakugou, become the best hero, but know, I will be greater," Midoriya said, before slowly walking away.

He left his heart that night with Kacchan, though it beats in his own chest.