Lost Boys
written for Tiny Twin Stars,
​a BKDK childhood zine
Midoriya knew this was a bad idea. If the keep out signs they passed three hours ago weren’t enough of an indication, the growing ache in his feet surely was. Midoriya couldn’t remember why he had initially felt compelled to follow Kacchan this deep into the mountains, but the darkening skies and the increasingly mangled thickets were quickly causing him to rethink his decision. It was probably his imagination, but the wind seemed to howl and bite too harshly for a breezy summer day.
“Kacchan, are you sure we’re going the right way?” Midoriya asked, unable to keep the worry from his voice.
“You ask me that one more time and I’m going to leave you here by yourself,” Bakugou growled out.
In truth, Bakugou was lost two hours ago. But he couldn’t tell the stupid nerd that. Not when Deku already looked on the verge of tears. Besides, the last thing Bakugou needed right now was a bawling distraction.
Midoriya tried his best to contain himself and successfully stayed silent for a whole two minutes before he felt a dreaded, familiar tingling.
“How much longer?” Midoriya called. “I have to pee.”
“Just go in the damned bushes, stupid.” Bakugou knew Deku only asked dumb questions when he was anxious.
Midoriya fidgeted. He knew Bakugou would get angry if he asked, but at the same time, he needed to ensure Bakugou wouldn’t just storm off somewhere.
“Will you wait for me?” Midoriya asked finally, then in a moment of panic, uselessly added, “Please?”
Another stupid question. At this point, Bakugou seriously considered saying no. The helpless look on Midoriya’s face pissed him off. Why the hell did the damned nerd even come if he was just going to be dead weight? Yet, regardless of how much Bakugou wanted to ditch Deku, he knew he couldn’t. Because Bakugou was the leader. Not some fake leader-in-name-only, but a true earned-the-shitty-shiny-title leader. And true leaders had responsibilities, something Bakugou was intimately familiar with. Besides, his grating, hag-of-a-mother, Mitsuki, would no doubt give him an earful if he returned home alone. Not to mention, Bakugou sure as hell didn’t want the weighing guilt of seeing a grown-ass Inko cry—lest he wanted to get drenched. So, sighing heavily, he swallowed his frustrations.
“You have ten seconds, nerd. Make it quick,” Bakugou grounded out.
Midoriya, who had not been expecting such a favorable response, took a minute to process Bakugou’s words.
“Ten, nine…”
Jolted into action by the sudden countdown, Midoriya barely had time to find a bush, darting instead behind the closest tree while simultaneously tearing down his pants. By the time Bakugou reached zero, Midoriya had half his shirt tucked back in and his fly yanked up partway. As Deku fumbled with his clothes, he suddenly caught sight of something that made his blood run cold.
“Your time’s up, nerd. Better come out now, or I’m leaving you behind,” Bakugou yelled.
The look of pure panic on Midoriya’s face as he emerged from the thicket caused Bakugou’s heart to stop.
Oh shit. Empty threats weren’t enough to warrant that kind of an expression. Something had rattled Deku, and it wasn’t Kacchan’s words.
Bakugou’s mind raced over every possible worst-case scenario that could happen to two kids wandering alone in the mountains. Venomous snakes, wild boars, giant hornets, forest fires, bears. The fact that Deku still hadn’t made a peep wasn’t helping him win in his guessing game.
Before Bakugou could yell at Deku to just spit out whatever the fuck was up already, the green-headed boy hiccupped.
“We’re lost, aren’t we?” Midoriya sniffled, eyes glistening as he scrunched up his face trying to hold back the tears.
“Hah?” Out of all the scenarios Deku could have revealed, it never crossed Bakugou’s mind that he would stumble on the truth. In fact, Bakugou didn’t think Deku was smart enough to figure it out for himself. But he did. And Bakugou had to think quick if he wanted to avoid the waterworks.
“The hell we are.” Bakugou tried for false bravado.
“Don’t lie to me!” Midoriya shouted. Both sets of eyes widened. Midoriya rarely lost his temper, but something about the situation must have set him off.
“What makes you think we’re lost, idiot?” Bakugou wondered if there was some way to salvage the circumstance.
Midoriya jabbed a pudgy finger at the tree he had just relieved himself behind.
“We passed that tree already,” Midoriya mumbled begrudgingly. “You’re leading us in circles.”
Bakugou would have exploded on Deku for getting cheeky with him, but the ash-blond was too distracted by the fact that Deku could now suddenly differentiate the woodland. The scenery looked the same. Unless Deku’s quirk just manifested and had something to do with botany, there was no way he could tell tree 1 from tree 2, unless…
Before Bakugou could ask, Deku grabbed Kacchan by the hand and urgently pulled him behind the tree.
“Look!” Midoriya pointed emphatically at a red peace-sign scrawled hastily into the peeling trunk. “I marked the trees we had hunted so we know not to search there again.”
Bakugou stared incredulously at Deku. Normally, Deku’s tendency to sweat the details was annoying and downright useless. But this time, it might’ve just saved their asses—a notion Bakugou would eagerly eat dirt than admit.
“You’re such a nerd,” Bakugou quipped, but he couldn’t stop his lips from quirking into a small grin as a new idea began to take root in his head. “We’re not lost, dumbass, we can just follow your stupid peace-signs all the way back to where we started.”
Midoriya hesitated.
“That’s the thing. I… I didn’t mark all the trees…”
“What? Why the hell not?” And, just like that, what sliver of admiration Bakugou had held for Deku came crashing back down. What kind of an idiot would waste time marking trees if he wouldn’t even remember to mark them all?
Midoriya balled up his fists.
“I couldn’t mark all the trees, because you kept yelling at me to move faster.”
Bakugou couldn’t believe Deku was trying to turn this around on him.
“Oh, so this is my fault now?”
Bakugou’s glare had Deku quaking in his sneakers. Normally, Midoriya would be too intimidated to respond. However, the skies cracked open in that moment and the minute Midoriya felt the first drop of rain, he lost all sense of caution. Bakugou was scary, but he wasn’t scarier than the thought of being lost forever in the mountains, exposed to hazardous weather, with no assurance they wouldn’t get eaten by bears.
“Of course, it’s your fault! This whole thing was your fault. If you hadn’t insisted on looking for your stupid King of the Stag Beetles, then we wouldn’t be lost in the middle of nowhere!”
Bakugou hadn’t expected Deku to explode on him like that, but the thought of the nerd actually growing a pair had Bakugou steaming.
“If you weren’t such a useless sidekick, we would’ve caught the sucker by now. Quit pointing fingers, loser. If you want someone to blame, then you can blame your slow-ass self.”
Midoriya was livid. He’d never felt this angry before and, quite frankly, he wasn’t sure what to do with all his pent-up emotions. Kacchan honestly knew how to bring out the worst in him sometimes.
“If we’d gone slower, I’d have marked all the trees, dummy. This is not my fault, and you know it.”
“What the hell did you just call me? Take a look in the mirror, you nerd. No one asked you to follow me. You put yourself in this situation all on your own. I never asked for your help.”
Arguing with Kacchan was as useless as arguing with a mule. Not only was he ridiculously headstrong, but, half the time, it was like he wasn’t even speaking the same language. Deku could feel the hot tears brimming at the corners of his eyes. Why was it so hard to get Kacchan to understand?
“My help isn’t something you have to ask for, you idiot.”
A loud clap of thunder punctuated his words. Midoriya couldn’t tell if Kacchan had gone rigid with surprise, anger, or contemplation. But his next words made Deku want to cry.
“Then keep it to yourself, dumbass.”
The drizzle had turned into a downpour by now. Both boys were exhausted, physically and mentally.
“We need to find shelter,” Bakugou stated.
“But Kacchan…” Midoriya wasn’t done with their earlier conversation.
“One more word, Deku, and I swear to hell, I will hang you on this tree by your underwear.”
Midoriya fell silent, immediately.
The two boys picked their way forward until they found a hollowed cedar. After warily checking for bears, snakes, and other dangerous assortments, they hunkered down into the empty crevice. There wasn’t much room, so they shared, reluctantly brushing wet arms, shoulders, bodies, and legs. They were still mad at each other, so neither of them spoke.
Soon enough, the sound of rainfall and distant thunder lulled their tired minds to sleep.
Midoriya was the first to wake up, roused by the sunlight hitting his eyes and the chittering of unidentifiable birds. The trees and ground were wet with rain, and in the late afternoon sun, nature glistened.
As Deku craned his neck, mesmerized by the world’s beauty, he suddenly spotted something that had him gasping out loud.
“Kacchan, Kacchan! Wake up!”
Bakugou was not a morning person. He was always crabby after waking up, which was why Mitsuki didn’t often let him take naps. Not that Bakugou wanted or needed naps anyway. He used to fight her every step of the way, complaining about how naps were for losers. So, he was surprised and angry to find that he had fallen asleep. And it didn’t help that Deku was now rudely shaking him awake.
“What is it?”
Bakugou’s grouchy tone should have caused Midoriya to hesitate, but he was too excited to care, gripping Kacchan’s shoulder even tighter in his urgency.
“Look, up there!” Midoriya exclaimed.
Bakugou was about to shake off Deku’s hold, but when he looked towards where Midoriya was pointing, he froze.
There, crawling lazily across a tall tree branch, was the chunkiest stag beetle the boys had ever seen.
“That’s got to be the King, right?” Midoriya asked, eyes glinting in wonder. As he watched the beetle waddle, Midoriya questioned whether they would even be able to hold it; its thick body looked to be the size of his entire hand.
Bakugou was enraptured by the iridescent armor and the long pincers. From afar, the beetle looked almost majestic. Like a crown jewel waiting to be plucked. Bakugou couldn’t wait to show off his stolen treasure to everyone at school.
Before Midoriya could stop him, Bakugou was already racing for the tree. He had gotten halfway up the trunk when Midoriya called up to him.
“Wait, Kacchan, don’t you want a net?” Deku fumbled with his backpack, fighting to separate the blue poles.
“No, I’ll catch the sucker with my bare hands,” Bakugou replied. If All Might could beat up villains with his naked fists, then Bakugou could surely ensnare a bug with his.
Midoriya watched partly nervous and partly fascinated as Bakugou scaled the tree. Kacchan never wavered. That was the one thing Midoriya would always look up to Bakugou for. He wasn’t scared of anything. And even if he was, he was always good at pretending he wasn’t.
As Midoriya watched Bakugou stalk towards the King, he was struck by a sudden understanding. If their positions were switched, Midoriya knew he would be a trembling mess, rustling like the leaves in the wind, too conscious of how high up he was. But Kacchan moved with the sort of grace and confidence that Deku couldn’t attain unless he knew there was something there to break his fall.
And just like that, Midoriya suddenly remembered why he had decided to follow Kacchan into the woods. Although Bakugou’s rude comments and malicious threats weren’t fun to deal with, Midoriya knew that no matter what happened, Kacchan would be there. Like an indestructible safety net. Kacchan would always know what to do. He would show up and save the day. Always. Deku knew in his heart, even if no adult would acknowledge it, Bakugou was already a true hero.
When Bakugou pounced on the King of Beetles, gripping it tightly in his small chubby hands, Deku couldn’t help but cry out, sharing in his secret idol’s victory.
“Deku, get the carrier ready!” Kacchan called, turning to climb down the tree.
Normally, Deku would be racing to unpack the carrier, but for once, he was glad he dawdled to admire Kacchan’s skills. If not, Midoriya would have surely missed the moment Bakugou’s foot slipped on the wet branch.
It was funny, Midoriya had always been a scaredy-cat, never trusting in his own abilities. But when he watched Bakugou drop—all curled in on himself, his tiny back braced against the ground, both hands clutching the King of Beetles to his chest—Midoriya knew there wasn’t time to think or worry. He just moved.
There was a sickening snap and Midoriya had to bite his lips from crying out in pain. His vision swam, and he vaguely noticed a weight tumbling off.
“Deku?” Midoriya could hear the worry bleeding through Bakugou’s voice. When his eyesight cleared up, he saw Kacchan staring down at him, face contorted in concern.
“Are you hurt?” Midoriya asked, voice wavering with pain.
Bakugou couldn’t believe Deku was asking whether he was okay. Especially not when it was Deku’s ankles that were twisted the wrong way.
“No, but you are,” Bakugou retorted. “Idiot, why would you run under me like that? Are you stupid or something?”
Midoriya smiled genuinely.
“I’m really glad you’re okay, Kacchan. I told you, didn’t I? My help isn’t something you have to ask for.”
Bakugou stared at Deku dumbstruck. Half of him wanted to yell at his clingy sidekick to just mind his own damned business. But Kacchan also knew if Deku hadn’t dived under him like he did, then Bakugou wouldn’t be getting away with just scrapes and bruises.
Seeing the dumbfounded look on Bakugou’s face, Midoriya couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Aren’t you glad I didn’t keep it to myself?” he teased, weakly.
“Shut up,” Bakugou retorted.
A pause.
“I could have saved myself you know?”
Midoriya stifled a sigh. It wasn’t like Deku was expecting to be thanked. He knew Kacchan’s personality well enough to know gratitude wasn’t something he just casually handed out. Deciding it would be best to go along with his pride, Deku just nodded.
“I know.”
“My arms aren’t broken. I could have braced myself if I wanted to.”
“I know.”
“I just didn’t, because I didn’t want the King to fly away.”
“I know.”
“That would have defeated the purpose of our mission.”
“I know.”
“Would you stop saying I know!”
“Okay.”
Bakugou made a guttural sound. For some reason “okay” was just as bad.
Midoriya heard the warning and quickly opted to change the subject. Their usual banter slightly distracted him from the pain in his foot. He found that if he didn’t wriggle his ankle, then it really didn’t hurt that much.
“Can I see him?” Deku asked, voice now filling with curious excitement.
As if remembering he still had the King trapped in his hands, Bakugou unfurled his fingers.
“Wow!” Midoriya exclaimed, eyes lighting up in awe.
The beetle was huge. Bakugou had to use both hands to secure it. Midoriya stared, mesmerized. He had never seen colors like that on a bug; Deku would bet everything in his backpack that all the colors of the rainbow were painted on that shell.
“I can’t believe we caught it!” Deku beamed.
“You mean I caught it,” Bakugou shot reflexively, but paused.
Bakugou had never once considered sharing what was, so often, rightfully his. It wasn’t like Deku was the one who had climbed the tree. It wasn’t like he had even touched the bug; he just spotted it. And it most definitely wasn’t like Bakugou had asked for Deku’s help. Yet no matter how Bakugou tried to twist it so he could take all the glory, he knew he couldn’t. Because truthfully, if Deku hadn’t been there to break his fall, Bakugou knew the outcome could have been disastrous.
Bakugou hadn’t mentioned it to Deku, but lately, the sweat on his palms would get hot enough to burn. It usually happened when he was startled or angry. One time, he scorched a hole through his sheets while having a nightmare. Bakugou didn’t want to think about what could’ve happened to the King if his back had hit the ground.
Bakugou sighed. He didn’t need Deku’s help—that was a fact he would believe until the day he died. But still, even though he didn’t ask for it, Bakugou was kind of glad Deku had offered it. Just kind of.
“But… I guess…” Bakugou frowned. This was harder to put into words than he imagined.
“You can say you helped,” he managed out finally.
Midoriya froze. It wasn’t an appreciation. It wasn’t even an apology. It was better than any of that. It was an acceptance—albeit a reluctant one. To anyone else, those words probably wouldn’t have seemed like a big deal. But because it was coming from Kacchan, the only person Deku thought could maybe be cooler than All Might, the only person Deku would forever give anything to chase after, well… having Kacchan’s acknowledgement truly meant the world.
Midoriya smiled.
Then, laughed.
Then, cried.
Honestly, he was feeling so much right now, he didn’t quite know how to regulate his emotions.
Bakugou froze. Deku was always quick to cry, so it wasn’t like seeing his tears were anything new. But laughing and crying… well, that was unchartered territory.
“Oi! What’s gotten into you?” Bakugou grumbled.
Midoriya hiccupped.
“I… I…” he blubbered before dissolving into wails.
Bakugou fought the urge to rattle some sense into him.
“What? You think it’s not enough? You want a trophy or something?”
Midoriya shook his head—no, it wasn’t that.
“Is it your ankle, then? Does it hurt? Or, maybe you’re scared we won’t make it off this mountain?”
Another shake. Another sob.
Bakugou scratched the back of his head. He was getting tired of guessing.
“Would you just speak up, damn it.”
Midoriya couldn’t tell Bakugou that he was crying out of happiness. Out of finally receiving some recognition from the person he looked up to the most—asides from All Might. Because, frankly, it would be too gross. Because he had a feeling if he said it, Kacchan wouldn’t hesitate to leave him out here to die alone. So, he kept it to himself.
“I… I can’t stand,” Midoriya managed out finally.
“Hah?!” Bakugou expelled. “So, it is your ankle.”
Midoriya scratched a tear-streaked freckle, sheepishly.
“W-will you help me up…? Please?”
“Tch.”
Bakugou didn’t like the thought of having to stoop down to Deku’s level. But he also couldn’t discount the fact that Deku had gotten hurt because of him. Well, technically, it was Deku’s own choice and therefore his own fault. But still… Bakugou didn’t like the thought of owing the nerd anything.
Heaving a sigh, Bakugou crouched down and wordlessly lent Deku his shoulders. Midoriya made to get up but immediately hissed at the pain that shot through his foot and stumbled back onto his bum.
“Kacchan… I don’t think I can walk.”
In truth, Bakugou had anticipated this. The moment he saw Deku’s injured ankle, he knew it most likely wasn’t just a sprain.
Heaving another sigh, Bakugou tugged harshly on Deku’s arm. Midoriya yelped as his full weight tumbled onto Kacchan’s back. Grabbing Deku’s legs, Bakugou stood up, bouncing on his toes to even out the added weight.
“I’m only doing this once, you nerd. So, don’t get comfortable,” Bakugou huffed, before he started to walk.
Midoriya tightened his grip around Kacchan.
“Do you know how to get back?” Midoriya whispered, hesitantly.
“If you keep asking stupid questions, I’m going to throw you into a bush.”
Midoriya smiled softly.
His words held his signature bite, but Kacchan’s back was so warm and so solid, Midoriya couldn’t bring himself to care. Even though he was injured, even though he was certain they’d be burning fevers tomorrow from getting rained on, even though neither of them really knew the way back home, even though a rescue team was still hours away, Midoriya wasn’t scared.
​
Because Deku knew—as long as he had Kacchan, he was safe.
​
Author's Note:
"Deku", "Kacchan", "Bakugou", and "Midoriya" are used interchangeably in the narrative. Please note that this was a literary choice. Not keeping the narrative consistent was a common mistake I made when I first started writing. As this was a childhood BKDK zine, I found it fitting to incorporate some of my early writing experiences in order to give my piece some character.