Chapter Text
"Counting on with the story, apparently, the boy that has been missing for two weeks has been found near the outskirts of the mountains. Reports say—"
The news anchor drones on with the details of the story. The words mesh, becoming a muddle of nonsense in his ears. Izuku doesn't need to hear it, he lived it. Waking up lost, aching, and confused about his surroundings. He should've died—he did die. Izuku felt it when the incisors clamped down on his skin, and pierced it open like the film covering the hole for a juice box. The blood from his body was drained out of him. It wasn't pretty, it hurt. It hurt like hell. His shoulder muscle being torn open, bleeding and seeping out of his body, and it being lapped up like a dog desperate for water.
Yellow eyes.
Izuku doesn't know who attacked him, he was just at the wrong place at the wrong time. So much for not being afraid of the supernatural. He loved it before, always exploring the shallow areas of the woods pretending he was an investigator, watching hours of online videos of supernatural creatures, and wanting to be a monster hunter when he got older.
But now, he might just stay away. It's not all it's cut out to be. He never got to continue his adventures with Kacchan, he never got to go on the field trip that was set in those two weeks, and he never got to celebrate his dad's birthday with his mom.
All he got was this nonsense.
Being cold, terrified, and alone inside a creepy forest.
He bled out.
He died.
And yet, he's inside a local hospital wearing a medical gown with nurses checking up on him every hour. Checking fluids, inserting IVs, MRI scans, and a whole list of other things. It feels exhausting going through it, the constant tests, and different diagnoses for each issue that pops up. Every now and then, they would bring up his odor. Izuku doesn't understand what they mean when the doctors bring it up.
Izuku is just in a state of confusion.
Even more so after talking with local police about his disappearance. Although, Izuku understands.
Everyone is puzzled on how a boy like him survived the forest intact after two weeks of no food or water.
Especially after wandering around in the streets, and almost getting hit by a police car.
Izuku is puzzled too, but for a different reason. His shoulder was mauled, bitten, and bleeding. But when he awoke, dried blood caked his skin on his shoulder. His intact shoulder. His appetite has been dwindling, food doesn't taste the same anymore. It's dull. His tongue doesn't pick up on the seasonings or spices used at all. Which means he can't appreciate his mom's food again. Something he noticed in himself is his capability of hearing a lot further than he should. Doctors discussing Izuku's possible conditions, nurses gossiping under their breath. Their heartbeats. His eyes are more sensitive to light, a flashlight to his face has him recoiling into himself.
His room has to be a lot dimmer than other rooms, the light just gets too bright sometimes.
Another annoyance is his thirst. No matter how much water he drinks—he's still thirsty.
It's one problem after another.
His staring problem has gotten worse. But, it's not even to people's faces. Just their neck, and shoulders.
His body feels like it isn't his anymore. Izuku didn't used to be this strong, he didn't have quick reaction times. Not like this.
His senses are in overdrive, processing everything. He can see much clearer in the dark than he used to, the smell of the alcohol would assault his nose much worse than before. He gets random chills on his body.
His mind is all over the place.
Call him crazy but Izuku might not be human anymore.
He just wants to go back before he made the dumb decision of trying to explore the restricted part of the forest. A failed attempt at a supposed final ghost hunting trip.
At least his mom is seated near him, something familiar to keep him grounded. Though, he hates himself for making her worry. However, Izuku is grateful he isn't alone anymore.
During the first few days of the hospital stay, the medical staff ran tests with his mother nearby for consent. Then, after three days, a few classmates came by. His friends from school. Iida, the class president, always found it important to include everyone and uplift. Which is why he, Uraraka, and Todoroki would consistently drop by. They gave him wellness baskets and caught him up to speed with high school life.
"We're glad you're feeling better, Midoriya. You really had people worried there." Iida places a firm hand on Izuku's shoulder
"Yeah, we were thinking that you might've been gone for good." Uraraka fiddled with her fingers, "I'm really glad that we were wrong!" A smile carves on her face
Todoroki nods, "If you need help with a few assignments, my door is always open for study." He fishes out a granola bar from his pocket, "I heard these are good for bringing back energy." He hands it to Izuku
Izuku accepted it, a false smile of gratitude paved his lips, "Thanks Todoroki." Izuku looks at the packaging, it's a honey glazed granola bar. He opens the wrapper and takes a bite. Hoping and praying that he can taste something.
Nothing.
The sweetness from the honey?
Nonexistent.
The taste of the salted mixed nuts and oat?
No such thing.
Izuku puts on a fake mask of appreciation for the snack given to him. If he had been given this two weeks ago, he might've liked it. Right now? It just feels like he's chewing on edible pebbles. He wants to gag, throw it up, and not eat it. But his friends are here, he shouldn't.
So with each dreaded bite he takes, he smiles, and chews on the granola.
Soon enough, his classmates leave. He waits for the sound of their footsteps to disappear, and then grabs the trash can nearby. He spits out the leftover granola stuck in his mouth, it seems as though his body can't stomach regular food that much anymore.
Izuku cleans himself up, and replays the interaction over in his mind. Wondering if he was performing well enough. He already had a life altering event happen to his body, he doesn't want that for his social life too. He's worked hard to be presentable and normal enough to be approachable. He doesn't need this event to derail his hard work for his social life.
Still, he's noticed something every time his classmates come. They've been visiting him more frequently and coming closer to his space. Just now, before they left, they were practically encroaching on his space. Iida on his right, Uraraka sitting on his bed, and Todoroki hovering over him on his left. Izuku's not sure if they notice it, but he does. And it confuses him.
Thankfully he gets discharged in two days, his vitals read normal, and no physical abnormalities. Well, other than accidentally breaking off the door handle for the bathroom once, he's perfectly normal.
He hopes.
His mom comes to his room straight from work, and they share a meal together. It's bland, but his mom's company is all he needs right now. He tries not to think about someone else who he would want to see.
Kacchan wanted nothing to do with him during middle school, and now in high school the sentiment hasn't really wavered. Even though they're both in the same class again. He just hopes Kacchan is doing alright.
"Is something on your mind, Izuku?" His mother asks, pausing her meal
Izuku's focus zeroes in on his mom, "Oh, uh, it's nothing. I just really want to go back home." He lies straight through his teeth
It would be pathetic to miss someone who cut the connection after elementary.
"Ah yes, that would be nice. Being in your own bed is something to look forward to, right?"
Izuku smiles and then laughs, "Yeah, that would be nice." He takes another bite
Bland. Unappealing. Disgusting.
"Oh yeah," Inko suddenly remembers, "Mitsuki asked if she and her family could come visit you. They're all worried about you."
Mitsuki. And her family. Auntie and Uncle. Kacchan.
They want to visit? Kacchan wants to visit? More than likely, Auntie is speaking for the majority. Her and Uncle would like to visit him. That sounds plausible. Kacchan? Not so much.
"How does that sound, Izuku?" Inko takes another bite of her food
Might as well have a chance to see Kacchan, even if it's low. "That sounds great, I haven't seen them in a while."
After more small talk, his mom calls it a night. She hugs Izuku and leaves. A nurse comes in and takes his vitals and checks the IV. Izuku has enough fluids in his body, yet the itch for something to drink persists on his tongue. The nurse bids him a goodnight, then leaves, closing the door gently behind her.
Izuku really has nothing to do after everyone leaves, his stuff is still at the station being processed for any fingerprints or animal DNA based on Izuku's testimony. So all he has is the TV mounted on the wall playing reruns of old shows and documentaries.
Izuku watches a few before he wants to call it a night. Unfortunately, sleep evaded Izuku for hours into the night until four in the morning, where he would fall asleep. But then he would wake back up again at seven in the morning. The worst part, he doesn't feel the loss of energy a regular person would. Mild tiredness sure, but the psychological and physical effects of sleep deprivation doesn't present in Izuku.
It's the little things that remind Izuku that he doesn't feel human anymore. He's not the same as he used to be before he woke up. And it disturbs him. Enough to make him cry silently in the night, it's the only thing he can do. Tonight is one of those nights. No amount of TV consumption could distract from the dread of feeling inhuman. Losing the normal experiences he used to have.
He used to just be fascinated with the supernatural. He used to enjoy the taste of food. He used to sleep. He used to not hear things. He used to not be light sensitive. He used to be human.
Tears pricked his eyes as his face flushed with anger, resentment, and fear.
Izuku hates who he is now.
He should've stayed dead in that forest. At least then he would've kept the feeling of being a normal person.
He curls into his pillow, maybe he'll wake up in his room, with the dream he went to the forest and ended up in the hospital. However, each time, he still wakes up in the dreaded hospital room.
Like always, his pitiful tears subsided, and he sleeps. Always around four in the morning.
Izuku wakes up and feels the same. The grogginess of waking up early? Doesn't exist. The TV is still playing the same show as it did yesterday. He's so ready to leave the hospital.
A few minutes later, he hears footsteps coming closer to his door. A pair of flat heels, slacks, and tennis shoes. It's them. Though, why are they early?
The steps stop in front of his door, and low whispers between the family. Izuku can hear it just fine.
"Why are we here so early?" Kacchan grumbles under his breath
Mitsuki lets out a sharp sigh, "Because Katsuki, you have after-school activities today right when we originally planned to visit."
Izuku can hear the low curse under Kacchan's breath, Auntie must've tugged on his ear. She normally does it when she wants a point across or has cuteness aggression.
"So you visit in the morning, and we visit in the afternoon." She attempts to whisper
Kacchan clicks his tongue, "Do I really have to do this?"
This much resistance from Kacchan is to be expected, but it still rubs the wound with salt. Izuku's heart is still sensitive from his crying session yesterday.
"Inko says Izuku hasn't been in the best spirits ever since he's been back. I'm sure a friendly visit from a familiar face could lift his spirits." Mitsuki whispers softly, encouraging, "Plus, you won't go to the city if you say no." Playfulness etched in her tone
Nothing is whispered for a moment.
"Fine, I'll do it." Kacchan sighs
Izuku can hear Mitsuki's tone lighten up, "Great, it's early in the morning so, here's a bento I made for Izuku for him to get his energy up."
Izuku can make out the soft sound of bento being passed between Mitsuki and Kacchan.
Oh boy.
"Nothing for me?" Kacchan asks rhetorically
Mitsuki clicks her tongue, "I feed you every day, now go in there." She shushed Kacchan and forced him to knock on the door
Well, time for Izuku to feign ignorance.
"Come in." Izuku says, fiddling with the thin, white blanket
Kacchan opens the door, and only he enters. Izuku can hear his heartbeat tick upwards—he's nervous. "Hey." Kacchan says
Izuku returns the greeting, "Hey, Kacchan."
Kacchan scans the rooms before his eyes land on Izuku.
Izuku felt something inside him shift. His heartbeat increased.
Kacchan quickly breaks eye contact, "My mom made you something." He holds up the bento higher to Izuku's line of sight
Izuku feigns his surprise, "Oh, thank you. Auntie does make really good food."
Kacchan walks closer, and sets it right next to Izuku's thigh before retreating slightly. "She kinda wants you to eat it now. Breakfast and all." He scratches the side of his neck
Izuku stares.
Saliva pools in Izuku's mouth, he swallows. He feels a pang in his stomach. Perhaps he is hungry.
"Yeah, for sure."
He breaks his line of sight and refocuses on the box of prepared food in front of him.
Izuku grabs the neatly tied bento, and opens the cloth. Taking out the chopsticks inside, grabbing a piece of tamagoyaki, and placing it inside his mouth.
Each time Izuku eats, the hope of tasting anything dwindles. Each time, he has to fake the joy of eating something. Not knowing if it's actually delicious or just really terrible.
It tastes like mush.
Izuku tries some of the other food. A futile attempt of trying to taste something, anything.
Maybe he isn't hungry.
Izuku swallows, "It's good. Auntie makes the best food—"
Kacchan interrupts, "Stop lying." Shoving his hands in his pockets
Izuku feels thrown off, "What?" Izuku looks back at Kacchan
Staring.
"If you don't want to eat, just say it. You look miserable trying to eat." Kacchan's face has turned to a frown
Of course Kacchan notices, he doesn't look like it, but Kacchan has an eye for detail. One of the perks of being a child of a mom who's a designer and a dad who's a sheriff, Izuku assumes.
"Oh, I do?" He tilts his head in confusion
Kacchan doesn't say anything for a moment, he wets his lips then asks, "What happened in the woods?" His face was neutral, with thin lines under his eyes
Izuku was hoping that he wouldn't ask. Izuku doesn't know how to lie properly to Kacchan. In their childhood, Izuku had always told Kacchan everything, and vice versa.
"A lot of things happened. I don't really remember well, but I'm happy to be here again." Izuku answers, fiddling with his food
Kacchan watches him closely, maybe thinking that if he stares hard enough, he'll get his answers, "When are you coming back?"
"I get to be discharged tomorrow." The only silver lining to Izuku's situation so far, "Can't wait to get back to my own bed again." Izuku attempts to lighten the room with humor
"Don't do that stupid shit again. Auntie almost had to plan a funeral because of your dumbass stunt." Kacchan said, irritated
His heartbeat picked up again.
In all honesty, Kacchan is right. Even though most said it wasn't his fault, or that things like this happen sometimes. Izuku chose to go into the restricted area, he chose to make the plan. No one really blames Izuku, but Kacchan does. Kacchan is there to criticize him, hold Izuku accountable for the reckless choices he made. When others would coddle him, Kacchan chastised him.
Though his mom told him to never scare her like that again, the mental picture of his mother having to plan his own funeral made him understand the gravity of his actions more clearly.
He looks away, "Sorry, Kacchan." Izuku says almost automatically
"Don't say that to me, I ain't your mom." Kacchan huffs, and looks away
"Right." Izuku picks up another piece and eats it
"Don't eat it if you don't want it." Kacchan tells him again
"Your mom made it, it would be a shame for it to go to waste." Izuku dares to look at Kacchan, "Unless you want it?"
Kacchan gives a face of disgust, "Hell no, it has your nerd germs." His excuse is as flimsy as a first grader's.
Izuku chuckles, "If you say so." He takes another bite, still bland, yet it doesn't bother him as much.
Silence falls once more, although with less awkwardness. Kacchan glances at the TV and then the surroundings. His heartbeat is growing steady, calm. He isn't as nervous anymore.
Though, Kacchan has bitten down on his lips a few times. Is he struggling to say something?
"I'm heading out." Kacchan abruptly says, taking steps towards the door
"Oh okay, it was nice talking to you again, Kacchan." Izuku smiles, and this time it's earnest
Kacchan looks back at him for a moment, before breaking eye contact, "Yeah, sure."
Izuku hears the conversation outside, Mitsuki asking how it went, and Kacchan downplaying the conversation they had. The steps slowly receded until he couldn't hear them anymore.
Well, that went better than he expected.
Izuku finishes the bento. He doesn't feel satisfied, but better. Maybe things won't be so horrible.
Later, his mom visits with Mitsuki and Masaru in tow. They talk for hours, Izuku mainly observing them. Jumping into the conversation every now and then. Soon, it reached late evening, everyone said their goodbyes, and Izuku was left to his own devices again.
Just a few more hours and he's home free.
He just has to wait in the night. Where he's restless and wide awake. Izuku tries to replay the interaction he had with Kacchan. Something he realized after Kacchan left, he felt hungry looking at Kacchan's neck. Watching the way Kacchan's trimmed fingernail scraped along his pale skin felt stimulating. Seeing Kacchan's neck made Izuku have a physical reaction.
Hunger.
Maybe things wouldn't be alright.
———————————————
In the morning he woke up like always, mild tiredness without hints of human exhaustion from a late night. His new normal.
Izuku's first day back at school, and he feels like a nervous wreck.
He tried brushing his teeth in front of his mirror, tried brushing his hair the best he could. His body wouldn't stop trembling when he was trying to get ready for school. He had to stop a few times and breathe.
Though eventually, he was able to get dressed and eat with his mom. It was a small conversation, but it was nice nonetheless. And wore new shoes his mom bought him. The ones he was found in were too dirty to save, at least that's what his mother says.
His mom also told him to take a jacket with him, but he already felt sweaty and nervous. A jacket was not going to help. He disregards the suggestion and heads out. It's not even that cold.
Walking the same trail he took to school felt nostalgic, normal everyday action juxtaposed to Izuku's shaken mind.
The gravel of the man-made trail provided some comfort to his altered state. Though, he walks this trail alone, so there's only so much comfort gravel can provide. Gripping onto the straps of his yellow backpack, Izuku hastens his pace to arrive at school faster.
Izuku nearly trips over his own mind and his two left feet. He just wanted to quicken his pace a little. How he got from the gravel path to concrete streets feels like a mystery. It takes 10 minutes for Izuku to get to the main concrete sidewalk, yet he got there in less than 10 seconds. Oh dear, this is bad. Maybe he could skip school? Izuku hasn't fully documented his changes in his notebook yet. Apparently, super speed is something he has. Adding that to the mountain of new attributes Izuku now has.
He hopes nobody saw how quickly he sped through the streets, it would be pretty difficult to explain.
The town he lives in isn't small, though, it's a town for a reason. People know each other. Rumors and gossip spread like wildfire. And there was a lot of gossiping in the hospital. Izuku just hopes it hasn't hit his high school yet.
Walking closer to foot traffic, Izuku can tell people are staring at him. Makes sense. The boy who mysteriously disappeared for two weeks, and then suddenly reappeared unharmed, is hot gossip.
Even walking up past the gates to his school he spots his peers and upperclassmen staring at him, like he's an anomaly. Well, he is, but no one needs to know that.
Izuku suddenly feels self conscious again. Like he's suddenly back in middle school with zero friends and no social life.
He hears his name being called. Izuku turns around to see Uraraka again. Right, this isn't middle school anymore. He talks to people regularly now, like Uraraka. He slows down his steps until she can catch up, her heart pounding inside her chest like a war drum.
Izuku does not want to know that.
"Woah Izuku, usually I'm the one by the gates by now. How'd you get here so fast?" She does breathing exercises, trying to relax the thrum of her adrenaline spike
He could see the slight pulse in her neck, warm and alive. Izuku swallows down his saliva.
Izuku tries to answer her question, "Oh, I uh, woke up earlier? Couldn't exactly sleep last night." Izuku diverts his eyes away from her neck
"Me either, I'm really happy you're back at school again!" Uraraka beams at Izuku,
Her joy rubs off on Izuku and he begins to smile too.
"Though, aren't you cold? Kinda freezing for me." She jokes
Izuku didn't realize it, but then he noticed she was wearing a jacket. In fact, everyone is. Except him. Maybe that's why they're staring. "Oh, is it? I hadn't realized. Maybe I got used to the cold." He makes up a lame excuse for something really weird
"Well, that's something I would love to have right now." She shivers under her jacket, "But don't worry too much, I know the others will be happy to see you! We really missed you while you were gone." Uraraka continues, "Well, almost all of us." She looks away
Izuku's interest piqued with that statement, "What do you mean?"
Uraraka sighs, "Bakugo wasn't a fan of us talking about you while you were missing. My guess is that maybe he didn't want the thought of you being gone to be real. And all of us talking about it made it real." She thinks aloud, "I dunno. But besides that, how are you feeling on your first day back?" She refocused her attention on Izuku
Izuku couldn't help but attach himself to that thought.
"He didn't want the thought of you being gone to be real."
A quick thought passes his mind, 'Did he miss me?' Though, just as quickly it was discarded.
"I feel nervous, but maybe it's because I haven't been to school for three weeks." Izuku messes with the yellow straps
"Yeah, Mr. Aizawa is gonna be rough on you." She giggles, "But don't worry, Iida and I can help you take notes. Plus, Todoroki also offered his help too. We got your back!" Uraraka comforts him
"Thanks Uraraka, I don't know what I'd do with you." He praises her
A shoulder check forces his attention to look elsewhere, Kacchan.
He walks past both of them, not saying or acknowledging them. Just making his own presence noted for Izuku. He remembers their conversation from yesterday. Izuku has to be more careful from now on.
"What was that?" Uraraka asks, puzzled
"Not sure." Izuku says
With that, they carry on with their small conversation until they reach the classroom, where Izuku's classmates circle him, and bombard him with all sorts of 'Welcome back!' from their lips. Izuku hadn't realized that he was that significant in his class.
"Wow, Midoriya you smell good today." Ashido got really close to him
"Huh?" That question threw him for a loop, "Really?"
"Yeah, you kinda smell nice Midoriya." Hakagure chimes in, "Are you wearing cologne?"
No, Izuku is not wearing cologne. Nor does he shower with scented soap. Izuku isn't sure if he should say yes or no. Either outcome could prove disastrous.
"Uh..." He trails off
"Oh man, you aren't wearing any cologne? You smell nice Midoriya. Maybe I should get lost in the woods next." Kaminari laughs, patting his back
"C'mon dude, don't joke about that stuff. You heard what happened to Midoriya." Kirishima chastises him
Kaminari realized his insensitivity, "Oh, sorry Midoriya. No hard feelings right?" He asks
Izuku laughs it off, "No not at all. It's okay, really."
"See, Midoriya says it's okay." Kaminari goes off to Kirishima
Izuku makes his way to his own desk, right behind Kacchan. He stayed in his seat when everyone else greeted him. Some things don't change, even when Izuku disappears for two weeks.
Mr. Aizawa walks in, and class begins.
To say Izuku is lost is an understatement, he has no idea where the lessons begins or ends. The only way he knows when the subject changes is when the teachers switch. Dear god, Izuku is in deep academic shit.
He needs to take up Todoroki's offer to study.
During lunch, Izuku sits with his peers as they ask him about what happened. He doesn't mind. Really, he doesn't. However, he can't help but notice Kacchan sitting farther than usual.
Normally he'd sit at a table or two away from Izuku. But now, Kacchan is four tables away from Izuku. Did Izuku do something wrong?
He feels something inside himself flare up.
"Are you doing alright, Midoriya?" Iida asks him
"Hmm? Yeah, I'm doing okay." Izuku tries to ease his worries
Iida isn't so convinced, "You haven't touched your food."
Shit, he forgot.
"I'm just not that hungry, that's all." Izuku explains
"Are you sure? I haven't seen you eat at all." Asui points out
Izuku isn't sure what else to do, so he holds down his mild disgust and takes a few bites out of his food. He swallows, "There, see guys, I'm eating."
"If you say so." Asui replies
The rest of the day drags on. More confusing lectures, more questions, more concerns—Izuku's just about had it. He just wants space to breathe for a moment. Though Izuku doesn't want to be impolite, so he grits his teeth and bears it.
The final bell for the school tolls and Izuku can go home. For some reason, he feels irritated. More than usual, and considering his new condition, he should head home straight away.
Iida and Uraraka offer to walk home with him, and as much as he wants to. He declines. He doesn't want to accidentally do something to hurt someone. Especially his friends. He's been swallowing down saliva the entire school day. Every time he sees an open, vulnerable neck, his mouth waters almost uncontrollably. Even more so with Kacchan. He has to leave. He feels something strange, something wrong in himself.
Izuku tries to speed walk home the most humane way possible. He doesn't want another repeat of the morning, especially when everyone is walking around in daylight. Shit, his eyes hurt. The bright sun shining down is aggravating Izuku more than it should. It's the sun, humans need the sun. Although, does Izuku even qualify as one anymore?
His skin breaks out in goosebumps as hot flashes and chills resonate throughout his body. He needs to get out of the sun now. Once his foot touches gravel, all caution is thrown out the window as he books for the forest. The wind hits his face as if he's inside a moving car. He trips over his own feet and crashes onto the forest bed. He can't go home right, not until his issue is dealt with. The problem is, he doesn't know how to fix it.
Leaves and scratches mark litter his body, and he forces himself upright, stumbling slightly. The irritation Izuku had increased to a headache. He throws off his backpack and his school blazer to the ground. The hot flashes and goosebumps aren't leaving him. Sweat builds up on his joints and—
A snap of the tree branch can be heard slightly left of him. His eyes quickly scan and spot a rabbit chewing on greenery. It doesn't notice him, more than likely because Izuku is five miles away from the rabbit. Yet, Izuku can spot his prey with clear vision. It's feeding, unaware of the claim Izuku has over it now. Izuku slowly stalks closer, waiting for the best time to strike.
Right...
Now.
If Izuku had any doubt that he wasn't inhuman, it would surely be crushed to dust by now. Wiping off the leftover blood on his face, Izuku isn't sure what to do with the remains. It's too mauled to still be considered a rabbit, fur and muscles shredded beyond recognition.
At least his headache went away.
At least his thirst quelled.
At least he tasted something.
And at least he has an answer for the monstrosity he has become.
He's a blood-sucking monster.
Izuku's a vampire.
———————————————
At first, Izuku just had a label to confirm all the weird changes in his body. Then, as he's discarding the rabbit corpse throughout the forest to feed the carnivore population, it hits him heavily. Izuku isn't human anymore. He hasn't been ever since he woke up in the damn restricted part of the forest. And he has no one to blame his tomfoolery on other than himself.
Although he can't just naturally change into a vampire all on his own. It's the thing. The thing that ambushed, mauled, and killed him. A flash of yellow eyes before it took his life. He wonders if it still lurks, waiting for new prey.
The damn vampire that cursed Izuku with its own abilities. Will Izuku turn into that too? His heart drops at the thought of that. He doesn't want to hurt anyone.
Oh god.
Could Izuku hurt someone like he hurt that rabbit? The first signs of a serial killer are harming animals. But, is consuming the flesh and blood of a rabbit considered as animal abuse?
Izuku hopes it doesn't.
Although in old folklore, vampires are considered humanity's greatest foe. Luring and eating humans at any chance they had. Of course, pop culture has changed the way vampires are viewed. And for a split second, Izuku felt special.
Yet, when he looks at the poor remains of the furry creature, all joy and uniqueness disappear. Izuku's dangerous. Like, a hazard to society, dangerous. Looking at someone the wrong way, dangerous.
How in the hell is he supposed to live normally now? Izuku looks at the ground once more. Well, maybe not normal. But how is he supposed to live now? Does he just feed on rabbits for the rest of his life?
Izuku is more disappointed with the thought than he would like to be. However, who would want to spend time chasing down rabbits and consuming them like a wolf?
Not Izuku.
Once Izuku decides he's had enough scattering the remains of the rabbit, he searches for his backpack and blazer. He finds his things eventually, but struggles with what to do now. His hands, button up, and face is stained with rabbit's blood.
Izuku thinks of something, he's not sure if it's stupid, but it's a plan. He begins to unbutton his shirt and with it, wipes off as much as he can from his face and hands. With his face, and hands mostly clean, he throws on his blazer, and backpack then makes his way home.
Hopefully, he hasn't taken too much time in the forest. His mom could get worried. And bombard him with questions, questions he can't answer. His mother doesn't have a strong belief in the supernatural, in the way Izuku did. She believed in an afterlife, and that was it. Would she even believe him if he said he's a vampire?
Izuku hopes he'd never have to say anything about it to his mom.
He continues to think while he walks his way home, all the instances of his vampire tendencies flaring up during his stay at the hospital. It all makes sense now. It seems so obvious looking back on it now. Izuku needs to write down everything he's experiencing inside his notebook. Although reserved for the paranormal and supernatural, it seems like Izuku qualifies to be written into his own notebook now.
Reaching the familiar streets of his home, Izuku takes off his shoes at the genkan and announces his arrival. There's no one to greet him back, his mom's at work. Great.
Izuku quickly rushes to his room, accidentally slams his face on the door, and hurriedly changes out of his uniform into his house clothes. Izuku isn't entirely sure what to do with his bloodied button-up, until he remembers the plastic bucket outside with the outdoor hose. He could possibly wash off the gunk outside.
With a dirty shirt in tow, Izuku heads outside and throws the shirt in the bucket, grabs the outdoor hose, and pours water inside the bucket. And after a few failed attempts of washing his shirt, and searching up tutorials, Izuku finally got it white enough that he could put the button up with the rest of the white clothes.
Now the evidence of him ever eating a rabbit is gone. The animals will take care of the rabbit carcass for him. Now, time to document his personal findings of himself. Izuku heads back to his room and pulls out the secret notebook he has in his drawer and flips to a new, untouched page. The task of filling up a page with information always brought Izuku joy. He grabs and twirls the mechanical pencil in his hand. The pencil passes in a smooth transition between his fingers. Huh, seems like being a vampire gives him better hand coordination.
Maybe he'll write that down first. Titling the page 'Vampirism 101' Izuku jots down everything he remembers experiencing since the day he opened his eyes inside the woods. Izuku loses track of time, as he always does when he tunnel visions on writing in his notebook, like he used to. He works on making it neat, comprehensive, yet adding little notes of things he remembers.
His mother comes home and checks up on him. He must be in a cheery mood with the way his mother smiled so lovingly and brought sliced fruit to him. She didn't have to, but that's what made Inko the greatest mom in the world.
Soon enough, it becomes nightfall. His mother calls him for dinner, and the food doesn't taste too bland somehow. He washes up, and returns to his room.
And for once, Izuku felt the need to go to bed near the hour he usually slept. Though, of course, he didn't have the similar tug of exhaustion weighing on his eyelids anymore.
Izuku puts his things away, and lies in bed, pondering. He worries that the yellow-eyed vampire is still roaming around his town. Is it a resident here, like Izuku? Is the vampire somewhat similar to him at all?
Could Izuku turn someone into a vampire too? He prays that he couldn't, living like this isn't fun. He doesn't want anyone else to go through this either.
Is he stuck like this? To rely on animal blood to sustain him? Is there something he could do to be rid of it? Is there a cure?
Izuku really wants a cure to exist, but does it even? Could his body become human after this?
So many questions to ask, yet little to no answers.
Izuku closes his eyes and attempts to sleep.
The morning light shines gently on his face, and yet, he doesn't react the same way as yesterday. No goosebumps, no hot flashes, no chills. He feels the same, well, almost. His eyes are still sensitive, but less reactive than yesterday. This, this is good. Izuku could possibly live almost normally.
He gets up, and heads to the bathroom to start his day. Then he dresses himself in his spring button up. Maybe if he covers it with his school blazer, people won't notice? Kacchan might notice, but he doesn't come up to Izuku during school hours. It's a long shot, but he might as well try. Izuku eats breakfast with his mom, she hands him a scarf and jacket, then he heads out. The day feels nice, despite it being in the middle of November. Though it's a little warm with the scarf and jacket on. People might become suspicious of Izuku not wearing a jacket, so he'll just put away his scarf for now. Izuku stops for a moment, then he grabs the scarf, folds it neatly, and places it inside his backpack.
That feels much better, the soft breeze passes through, and Izuku is feeling a lot calmer than he did before. He continues his trail to school, people still stare, but it's not as intense as yesterday. Thank goodness for the jacket.
As he walks through the gates of his school, he thinks as though more people are staring. Mostly the girls whispering among themselves, and stealing glances every now and then. His ears attuned to one of these groups. Izuku feels bad, but he's curious.
"Do you think he actually smells good?" One of the girls whispered
"Mina from class 1-A said he did, apparently had the smell of a hunky man." Another girl chimes in
The words hunky man to describe Izuku felt strange, but didn't stop him from getting flustered.
"I heard he smells divine."
"No way that's true."
"Apparently, that guy smells great and all the girls are talking about it."
"As if, he's probably wearing cologne or something."
"Hey, it's that guy Toru mentioned."
"His name's Midoriya right?"
Wait no, these voices aren't a part of that group of girls. They're from all over. Shit, his hearing picks up conversations from everywhere.
Izuku shakes his head to lower his range to what it used to be. He finds that it helps to do that. Although, now Izuku wants to go inside and avoid the attention. Which is somehow the worst idea he's done, there's more people here. They all glance at him before muttering under their breaths. They might as well shout it, Izuku can hear them loud and clear.
Izuku puts his shoes in his cubby, slips on his school shoes, and heads to his class.
He's early. As in, he's here before Kacchan early. Oh man, he's never been earlier than Kacchan before. Despite his rough demeanor, Kacchan is a straight-A student. Makes sense, Kacchan wants out of this town. Can't make it big in a town like this.
Before, they dreamed that they would be internet celebrities doing ghost-hunting videos. Kacchan was the only one who wasn't afraid of the supernatural. Maybe, because he knew it wasn't real. Maybe that's why he didn't stay.
Izuku walks to his seat and pulls out his materials for the day. A few of his classmates walk up to him and strike up a conversation. They talk about menial things and offer notes for class. Izuku appreciates the gesture, he really does. He just feels overwhelmed with the amount of attention he's receiving today. And the day has just started.
Kacchan walks in midway through a conversation, he sits down and fiddles with his pencil.
"If you'd like, I could—"
"Quit your yammering, and talk somewhere else. Can't think with all this noise behind me." Kacchan complains loudly
Izuku quickly tries to remedy the situation, "We can talk later." He says
They save their chat for later and walk away.
Call Izuku delusional, but maybe Kacchan saw how tired Izuku felt, "Thank you, Kacchan." He whispers
He hears it, "Shut up, not everything's about you." There's no real bite to it.
Though, the edge brings back some comfort to Izuku. A smile, one he tries to bite down.
Ow.
What?
Izuku sensed the indent with his tongue, the mild taste of copper filled his taste buds. And he checks with his finger to double confirm it, a smear of blood on his finger. Yep, there's an indent on his skin. But that shouldn't happen. Normally, when he bites his lip, it takes a lot more force to create an indent. Especially one that bleeds.
Where's his handkerchief? He knows he had it in his backpack somewhere. Izuku tries rustling through his backpack when something soft lands on his desk. His attention diverts to the handkerchief on his desk.
It's not his. It's Kacchan's.
Izuku looks up and sees that Kacchan is looking at him. More accurately, analyzing him. His focused eyes and slightly narrowed brows always gave that away. Though Izuku didn't see him turn around, but apparently Kacchan noticed his small blunder.
"Don't bleed all over the desk." He just says
"Oh, thank you Kacchan."
Izuku picks up the handkerchief and presses to his mouth, the scent of the cloth reaches his nose. It smells...wonderful. No, amazing.
It smelled like Kacchan. Of course it does, it's his handkerchief. But it smells...enticing. He keeps the handkerchief pressed up against the lower half of his face. He breathes in Kacchan's smell. He can't help it, it smells too good to rip away from.
It smells almost sweet, even.
Izuku can sense his muscles loosen, and relax. He closes his eyes, just for a moment. Just focusing on the scent and how saliva secretes from his mouth.
The handkerchief is ripped away from him, so suddenly too. He freezes in shock. Izuku quickly opens his eyes, he wants to know who took away something so sweet to him. It's Kacchan. And he's staring weirdly at Izuku.
Uh oh.
Did Kacchan notice him smelling the cloth—of course he did, why else would he be staring at Izuku like that?
Kacchan's heart uptick while staring at him. Is he nervous again?
"What the hell are you doing?" Kacchan finally speaks
"I—"
The bells jingle and Mr. Aizawa arrives.
"Alright class, to your seats." He addresses the class with a monotone voice
Kacchan begrudgingly returns to face the front of the class.
Saved by the bell, literally.
And the rest of the day, Izuku tries to avoid being alone with Kacchan. If they're alone, Kacchan would definitely try to confront him. However, on his way home, Izuku hears a conversation happening nearby.
"The police are saying it was just wild animals that shredded the poor rabbit?" An older woman asks
"Apparently so, but I have never seen an animal do something like that." A man's stern voice comes through, "Whatever it did, it sure as hell isn't human."
Human.
Isn't human.
Yeah, Izuku sure as hell isn't human.
And that reminder always gutted him.
The woman sighs, "Oh those poor kids, we need to tell them to stay away from the forest for right now."
Oh, shit.
Kids discovered the carcass? As in, small children?
Seems like Izuku shouldn't leave the discarded remains around the forest. Honestly, thinking back on it now, it wasn't the smartest choice.
But this is his first time being a vampire, he doesn't know what to do.
What he does need to do is keep his vampire status a secret. If the supernatural exists, then there are sure to be hunters as well.
And that's how most of his days are spent. Waking up, getting dressed, going to school, and avoiding Kacchan. At some point he took down all the fake supernatural trinkets and posters he had. It just didn't feel right to have them around his room anymore, but he didn't have the heart to throw it away either. Just stuffed in boxes and shoved under his bed.
Not to mention, trying to quell the small admirers he has. Which was quite a shock to Izuku. It didn't help when the school held the fitness test, Izuku scored almost higher than the athletes in the school. Which drew even more attention to him. Something he didn't really want.
He's really bad at keeping things under wraps.
Seems like being a secret vampire has put him in the forefront of popularity. Izuku isn't used to the amount of attention he's been receiving recently. Study groups, hangouts, and invites are all Izuku has been receiving the past two weeks. It would've been nice to receive them while he was human.
He can't fully appreciate it without consuming blood and calming his thirst. The longer he goes without blood, the more agitated and aggressive he feels. The most he could go without blood is two weeks. Before the goosebumps and chills manifest. So every two weeks, he hunts for rabbits to eat. And now, with a shovel in tow.
Maybe that's the reason for what happened after his first day at school. He's been without blood for weeks, he was practically starving himself. Izuku doesn't want to know what happens if that's pushed further. Nor will he try to. He's been testing the limitations and abilities his new body has, then jotting them down in his notebook. Might as well be a journal with how much personal information he writes down. Mainly inside the woods, in areas nobody dares to enter. It's the only place he wouldn't be disturbed.
Izuku thought he was starting to do good again. He's focused on his school, he's making more friends, and he's learning to control his vampire tendencies from flaring up. And today is his feeding day.
One problem.
"Back of the school, 10 minutes." Kacchan demands
Worst of all, Kacchan wasn't in front of him. No, he was on the opposite side of the classroom. Whispering. And he's staring at Izuku, and then he leaves. Oh god, Kacchan knows.
School just ended, his classmates are filing out the doors, and into the entrance to swap shoes. Izuku does the same quickly and attempts to hurry to the location.
Uraraka calls out to him, "Hey do you want to walk home together?"
Under different circumstances, Izuku would appreciate that, "Sorry, I can't today. Maybe next time?" Izuku quickly apologizes
"Sure, get home safe. Okay?" Uraraka smiles before she departs
"Yeah, see you tomorrow." Izuku waves
He tries to quietly scuttle his way to the back of the school. There's no after-school activities for the athletic teams, so it should be empty. Maybe that's why Kacchan told him to meet him there today. Hopefully he can make it quickly so he can eat.
Izuku tries to keep calm, but the anxiety of someone, Kacchan, finding out is terrifying. Izuku makes it to the back of the school, where he finds Kacchan waiting. Leaning on the wall, he looks over at Izuku. Izuku felt shivers run down his spine.
He walks slowly towards Kacchan, uncertain how the conversation is going to play out. "Kacchan—?"
He grabs Izuku by the sleeve and drags him to an enclosed area of the building, still open yet more secluded. Izuku feels like he's so screwed. Kacchan throws him in there and grabs Izuku by the collar of his button-up.
"Are you taking drugs?" Kacchan asks, ninety percent pissed off, and ten percent worried
The question came out of left field, Izuku was dumbfounded, "I...What?! Why would you ask something like that?!" To be honest, Izuku felt offended
Kacchan did not have a vampire in his list of diagnoses.
"How else can you explain the crazy shit going on? Your weirdness, running off into the woods, the fitness test, and your weird smelling habits?"
"You followed me?" Izuku's mind stuck to that line, 'running off into the woods'. He tried to make sure no one spotted him coming in and out of the woods. "Why?"
"Cause you're different now. You didn't even wear a jacket when you came back dammit." Kacchan points out
But why?
"It wasn't that cold Kacchan." Izuku tried to reason
"It's ten degrees, dammit, it has been for the past month." Kacchan shot back
Oh.
Izuku hadn't realized it had gotten colder at all.
"Oh." He says, it's all he can say
"What happened?" Kacchan's grip on Izuku tightens
His heartbeat too.
Kacchan's brows furrow, "You're different." He states
"You're different too, Kacchan." Izuku shoots back, though weakly
"This isn't about me, this is about you. What changed?" Kacchan stayed focused on his objective
So this is what Kacchan was trying to do. Interrogate Izuku. He already talked to the police about what happened. Izuku doesn't want to focus on that anymore.
"Nothing changed, I'm fine." Izuku spits out
"Then why the hell did my dad mention a little rabbit mauled in the same forest you like to hide in? And you changed your shirt the day people talked about it? Don't think I didn't see that." Kacchan got really close to him, "Whatever the fuck you're doing, stop it."
Izuku's teeth ache, "I didn't do anything." Pressing their foreheads together, "I'm normal, Kacchan." His fingers twitch
"As if. You're not normal, Deku. You never were." Kacchan jabs at Izuku
And in different circumstances, Izuku wouldn't take it to heart. Kacchan's always seen Izuku as weird and that's something Izuku accepted. But he's irritated and hungry. With more force than necessary, Izuku grabs Kacchan's wrists, switches their positions, and slams him against the wall.
Kacchan groans in pain, "What the fuck." He mutters
"I'm normal." Izuku growls, getting really close to Kacchan's face
Kacchan looks Izuku in the eyes, and recoils. His heartbeat thumps loud in Izuku's ears. He can feel Kacchan's body tremble under his grip, but Kacchan can't run no matter how many times he attempts to loosen his grip. He's caged in.
Izuku is trying really hard to control himself. He's breathing heavily and drooling out of his mouth. He's trying hard to close his mouth but it's difficult. He's starving.
Even though Kacchan tries to put on a brave face, there's no denying the physical reaction his body is going through. Kacchan's in flight mode. It's futile though.
His prey isn't going anywhere.
His prey.
His...prey?
Kacchan?
Izuku snaps out of it, the thought of seeing Kacchan as prey scares him. Right as he regained his own composure, Kacchan's body went limp, he fainted.
That's a first.
Izuku carefully picks up Kacchan and carries him bridal style. Kacchan feels almost weightless. Then again, Izuku has attempted to pick up boulders before. He almost can. Besides that, Izuku needs to get Kacchan home before he wakes up. Hurrying as humanly as possible, Izuku makes it to Kacchan's residence, and rings the doorbell by the gate.
He needs to hurry. Just drop off Kacchan, and feed right after. His teeth ache, wanting to sink into flesh. Soon enough, Kacchan's mom walks out, and sees both of them. She quickly walks over and asks, "What happened?"
"I'm not sure, but maybe he just got too cold?" Izuku lies terribly, it's not his strongest suit
"Let's go inside, it's supposed to get colder tonight." Mitsuki urges the both of them inside
Izuku is ushered inside the home, "Oh um, I don't think I can stay for long." Izuku says
She dismissed his worries, "Nonsense, I can ask Inko if you can stay for the night. Just like old times." She puts the back of her hand to his cheek, "After all you're very cold Izuku, why don't you warm up a little. Okay?"
Izuku tries to plead his case, "I uh—"
Mitsuki swaps her shoes at the genkan, "Take Katsuki to his room, would ya? You can hang out there while I make some soup." She leaves
Left at the genkan, Izuku is trapped. Well, might as well do what she asks. If he argues with her she'll be suspicious of him too. Izuku takes off his shoes the best he can while trying to not stir Kacchan, Izuku slips on the guest slippers and makes his way up the stairs. The house is familiar to him, he doesn't need directions to the place he hung out in for years.
The door to Kacchan's room is slightly open. Yes! That makes it easier to enter Kacchan's room. He opens the door further with his back and stalks closer to Kacchan's bed. Then, carefully, he slowly lowers to his bed and gently places Kacchan on his bed.
He stirs, Izuku freezes. Like a predator being spotted by its prey. Then Kacchan relaxes again. Izuku isn't sure how he can, Kacchan's still wearing his backpack. Regardless, Izuku slowly takes out his arms that are underneath Kacchan and stretches them. That was nerve-wracking.
Izuku steps away from Kacchan and closes the door to muffle the outside noise coming from the kitchen. Call him selfish, but Izuku wants to see what Kacchan's current room looks like. The walls are mostly blank except for a pinboard with events, reminders, and ideas scribbled on paper tacked on.
Izuku glances through some, a few are interesting to look at. Kacchan's so ambitious, and he works hard to get it. Kacchan had always been fearless in doing everything he wanted.
He was fearless.
Until earlier, when Izuku had Kacchan pinned and cornered like a helpless animal. Kacchan could deny it, but Izuku felt it.
Primal fear.
It was too much for Kacchan, that's why he fainted. It's why Izuku should never let anyone find out. If Izuku's too much for him, then he's too much for anyone. Izuku looks back at Kacchan's sleeping figure, then he notices that Kacchan still has his shoes on.
Oh dear, Kacchan wouldn't like that. Izuku walks over and kneels towards Kacchan's legs then begins carefully taking off his shoes and placing them sideways on the floor.
Izuku then stands up and checks on Kacchan. His face is turned away from Izuku, exposing his neck. Izuku's eyes are fixed on the open area. The defined lines in Kacchan's neck are too irresistible to look away. He wants to feel, to touch.
And so he does.
A finger to his neck, Izuku can feel the steady pulse of his artery against his neck. Kacchan's heart has calmed down. That's good. Though one thing that isn't good is how Izuku is drowning in Kacchan's scent. Of course he is, Izuku's is in his room surrounded by his things. It was a bad idea to close the door, nothing is ventilating Kacchan's room. If Izuku wasn't starving for blood, he would've appreciated this more.
However, his index finger is pressed against Kacchan's pale, soft skin. The sight, smell, and sound of Kacchan is intoxicating. A free meal, waiting right in front of him. His finger caresses the line of Kacchan's neck, drool spills out of the corner of his mouth.
His finger trails off and places his hand on the mattress. The other hand snaking to the other side of Kacchan, his knee dipping into the bed, and his movement stabilized. His mouth slowly, and silently inching closer to the prize.
He finally gets to eat, to quench his hunger.
His saliva is almost uncontrollably dripping out of his mouth, it pools and drops down. It spills on Kacchan's neck and he stirs.
Kacchan wakes up.