Chapter 16

Deku didn't come back that evening, and I gotta admit, I was kinda disappointed. I was somehow looking forward to teasing him about being able to sleep in my bed, but not in his own. Maybe it was better like this though, since I still didn't have a damn death wish.

When I was about to go to bed, a strange smell hit my nose. Not in a bad way, but it was unknown and a bit unsettling. Was this the way Deku smelled? I should find out, because if not, I ought to assume we had mice in the house. Although I highly doubted mice smelled like cinnamon, cherry blossoms and blood.

Blood…

Why did Deku always smell like blood? The first time he showed up, when he cut me up, when we fought, now… Every time I got somewhat close to him, the metallic scent of thick, red blood lingered in my nose. Either Deku was constantly injured, constantly bloodstained or he always killed/injured someone before dropping by.

I didn't like any of the options above.

Eventually, I pushed these thoughts aside and went to bed. Bad idea. Somewhere beneath my lower back was a hollow where Deku had lied and the sickening smell it gave off was everywhere. In the end, I had had to change the sheets or I couldn't have slept. No fucking wonder Deku was sleepless.

I felt like a pile of crap when I woke up the next day, don't ask me why. Something unsettling had been in my headspace the whole night, I couldn't put my finger on it, but it was there. I was… concerned about something, I eventually realized. No damn idea what about.

My question was answered when Deku hopped through my bedroom window around noon and I was suddenly at ease. "Hi Kacchan! Your teacher is an idiot." I snorted. "Nothing new. Why didn't you come back yesterday? I already thought someone had finally gotten rid of your dumbass." Deku dropped his head to the side. "Aw, did you miss me?"

I just rolled my eyes and continued doing my homework. Deku took his knife out of his pocket and started playing with it. Again. "Both your Teacher and Annoying-shima asked to talk to me now. I wonder when they'll see they'll never get anything out of me. Well, your rock of a friend is scared of me now."

I growled. "Don't talk about Kirishima like that. He may be an idiot that doesn't know when to quit being nosy, but he's my fucking idiot." Dekus face was like a block of marble. "Seems like I've given you the gay. Didn't know that was contagious." I didn't budge. "That's that then, I guess."

Deku hopped off the window seat and positioned himself next to me. "Oh, so you've gotten over your intolerance?" I turned towards him. "I ain't intolerant, I'm rude. See the fucking difference." "Oh, I do, and I still hate you." Deku grabbed onto the hair above my ears, forced my head back and grinned at me from above.

I didn't budge or make noise when he lightly lied his knife down on my throat and moved closer to my face. Then he smiled darkly. "I really do enjoy the silence you give me as a reaction on being scared rather than screaming or crying."

My voice was slightly raspier than normal when I answered. "Why do you keep assuming I'm scared?" Deku chuckled and tapped my nose. "Because, Kacchan… Fear is the only emotion you never showed, and silence is the only reaction you never gave. If none of the logical is the solution, the illogical has to be the right thing."

I smirked. "Are you assuming I ever showed love?" Deku came even closer into my face. "Are you telling me you love me?" My expression dropped and Deku picked up my smirk. "Thought so. If you got nothing relevant to say, just shut up." Then he let go of my hair, lightly slid his hand down behind my ear and took a step back.

Dekus favorite silence was heavy the next few seconds. Finally, I released a breath I hadn't realized I had been holding and lowered my eyes. I heard Dekus knife lightly tapping against the wall. "But you were expecting something, weren't you?" My head shot up to him and his strangely soft expression. "What?!"

"You were expecting me to do something to you, and it wasn't pain you were awaiting." The tapping became louder. I glared up to Deku with narrow eyes. "What's it to you?! What if I was?!" He turned his back to me. "It's not much to me… But it could be the thing sealing your fate to you."

I stood up. "Well, good for me that I didn't. And by the way… My fate was already sealed when you vanished. You're inevitable." Deku laughed wearily. "A nice way of saying you're predictable. Don't worry, I'll make you miss me. I'll make myself so much more inevitable to you…"

I decided to ignore his little prophecy. "Why do you always smell like blood?" Deku tottered his head a bit. "Not always. It's more a consequence of the current events." He shook his left sleeve up, giving me access to a disturbing view. His whole arm was littered with fresh cuts, some healing, some still open.

I couldn't hide how disturbed I was. "What the fuck, Deku?! Didn't you say you didn't 'cut'-cut yourself?!" He pulled his sleeve down again. "I did, and I didn't lie. He just won't shut up!" I furrowed my eyebrows. "Izuku?" Deku nodded with an aggravated expression.

I flicked my tongue. "Tch. Can't blame him. You pledge him to hurt me and don't even fulfill the damn deal. I still haven't exchanged a single word with Izuku, and it's been a week." Deku shrugged. "I'd like to have you beg for him."

I just stared at him until he sighed. "Alright, I guess you do deserve it. But let me tell you something-" Deku slopped onto my bed backwards and pressed his knife against his throat. "Do anything weird and this is the end of the story." A thin trace of blood ran down his neck.

I nodded slowly, internally flinching at the sight of Dekus blood.