~ Third Person P.O.V ~

Heavy, pressurized water beat down from the showerhead above-- caressing and folding deep into the crevices of Shoto's scalp. The showers were a somewhat open space for the soldiers, the only thing keeping others from seeing their bare bottoms were the small cubicle spaces with showerheads in them. Soap-suds lingered across the boy's naked chest, shoulders, hair; some of them sliding downwards, threatening the safety of his eyes. However, per usual, he was too deep in thought to either care or notice. Dirt, sweat, musk from his tasks a few hours prior to his shower gliding off the muscled span of his body. Swirling down the drain, which gurgled and grunted from having hair stuck in it.

The muscles in his arms flexed and popped as the steaming water unknotted and relaxed them, seemingly lifting a weight off his shoulders. Laughter and hollers echoed throughout the building as soldiers came in and out-- others lingering to converse with their friends. The unnecessary noise that escaped their mouths all fading into the background of Shoto's mind.

He couldn't be bothered to pay attention to their racket at the moment.

The more and more he thought, his mind became a catalyst for berating himself. He didn't understand why not being able to read Izuku got to him the way it did.

Maybe it was because when all else failed he had that one quality to rely on.

Or maybe it was because of the simple fact that it meant he wasn't as great as he thought he was. If he were, reading the boy would come easy for him. Maybe it was because if he weren't great, perfect, whatever the hell you want to call it-- then that meant all those hours of pain, and suffering was for nothing. That all those years of having his father train, teach and beat everything military down his throat was for nothing.

All of it.

And God damn it, that sucked. Of course, the logical side of him knew that he was probably overreacting or thinking too deep into things-- as he tends to do from time to time. But the illogical side of him had snapped back to that scared, shaking, naïve five-year-old. The same little kid who got whipped for being anything less than perfect.

And made a vow to never feel or be that kid again.

There were a lot of underlining issues, and childhood trauma under his frustration for not knowing something. Because growing up it was expected of him to know everything, to be flawless . . . pristine.

He knew it wasn't necessarily Izuku's fault, and maybe if he kept chipping he'd see that it wasn't his fault either. But that didn't put a halt to his consternation on the entire ordeal.

With a loud huff, Shoto rinses off the remaining soap-suds jerking the water off with more force than needed-- grabbing his towel and tightening it around his waist. As to be expected, as soon as he made himself known by walking out of his cubicle a plethora of soldiers scurried out; especially when taking note of the steeled expression displayed across his features.

"You sure know how to clear a crowd,"

The corners of Shoto's mouth twitched, fighting off a smile as he walked over to his makeshift locker where his clothes laid. "It's a gift, really," He quipped, raking his hands through his hair.

"What's wrong?" Katsuki asked, allowing his towel to drop to the floor as he slipped on a pair of underwear. "You've been pissed all day, did something happen?"

"Mmm, not exactly," The elder replied slowly, face scrunching up into a grimace.

Now you see, the two weren't too bothered of being naked in front of one another-- only for the simple facts of one: they're in the army, you get used to being naked in front of others sometimes, and two: they grew up with one another. Their mothers would give them baths together at times. So to them, it was nothing.

"Did the Small Fry give you trouble this morning?" Katsuki probed, noting the twitch in Shoto's jaw. "So he did do something . . . What was it?"

"Nothing, just drop it Bakugou . . ." Shoto dismissed, throwing slipping a shirt over his head.

Burrowing his eyebrows together, the blond folds his arms over his bare chest-- lips pressed together tightly and eyes scrutinizing his friend hard. "Shoto," He growled, "Tell. Me."

Sitting down on the bench behind him, the duel haired boy curbs the compulsion to do a roll of his eyes. Instead opting for flashing his heated, yet cold eyes onto the floor-- an infusion of dulled adrenaline rocking through his body.

"It's not what he did, it's what I failed to do," He muttered, never breaking his eyes away from the floor. "Look, I know what I'm about to say is going to sound stupid but . . . You know I've always been good at telling other people's emotions-- that's my thing, but with him . . ."

"You never know what he's really feeling?" Katsuki finished, taking a seat next to him. "That's not stupid Todo . . . that's just how your fucking mind works. It's not your fault, it's you dad's-- so for you it's normal to feel that way."

Pursing his lips, the elder spares his best friend a quick glance-- a soft smile managing to slip over the barrier of his lips. "You're a real pain in my ass Bakugou, you know that?" Which was basically slang for, 'I appreciate you'.

"What can I say, it's a 'gift', really," The blond mocks, earning a well-deserved slap to the back-- which would surely leave a red, pulsing mark later on. "Asshole," He muttered under his breath.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Izuku found himself staring out the tiny window in the back of the room whilst waiting for the two men to arrive with food and water. Euphoria and exhilaration dancing, and twirling in his iridescent emerald eyes as he took in the night fallen sky. Vibrant, lucent stars licking the inky atmosphere above-- adorned by the full, milky moon emerging over the grassy hills. The lamp in the room was off, allowing all the vibrancy of the outside to shine through. He couldn't help but think that his mother and grandparents were staring at the same sky right now; and it warmed his heart.

Soon enough, he discovered a smile uplifting his lips . . . the first genuine one since he got here. His eyes darted to a certain blinking star in the far left corner, that particular one shimmering brighter than the others-- standing out to him the most, drawing a light laugh past his mouth.

In the midst of all the chaos going on throughout the world at least, he had the sky and its vast existence to keep him at ease.

"Pretty isn't it?"

Izuku jolted at the new voice filling his ears, somewhat relaxing when he noticed Katsuki and Shoto standing on either side of him. "Mhm," He hummed in response, flickering his eyes back outside.

"Look a shooting star!" Shoto beamed, and sure enough there one went-- blazing across the night sky in a picturesque hurry.

"My mother always said to make a wish on them," Izuku murmured, "I always thought it was silly to do that."

"Well right now, we can use all the wishes we can get, huh?" Katsuki snickered quietly, scarlet orbs becoming opalescent under the moon's light.

"Yeah . . ."