Day 5 - Memory Loss

Day 5 - Memory loss

Event: Angstpril 2025 by @chaos-company

Fandom: My Hero Academia

Ship: Bakugou Katsuk x Izuku Midoriya

Rating: T

Tags: Old married men in love, 800 words

Age 60

The morning sun creeps through pale curtains, spilling across the floor. Bakugou watches Izuku stir awake in their bed, the frown already tugging at his brows before consciousness even settles.

“Where am I?” Izuku whispers.

Bakugou swallows. “Home. You’re safe.”

A pause, “…Do I know you?”

It’s been twenty nine days since the last spark of recognition. Bakugou forces a breath through his nose and nods, even if it stings. “Yeah,” he murmurs. “I’m your husband, dumbass.”

There’s something flickering in Izuku’s eyes. Guilt? He looks around the room like it’s a museum exhibit. There’s a wall of photos. A desk cluttered with journals. Sticky notes lining the doorway. Bright, hopeful. Desperate. And then there’s the one by his bed, in green ink.

If you don’t remember, ask Katsuki. He’ll help.

Age 24

“You’ve been writing things down more,” Bakugou mutters, plucking the notebook off the nightstand. “You’re twenty-four, nerd. You really need a grocery list just to remember eggs?”

Midoriya blushes, tugging the blanket up to his chin. “My head’s just… busy.”

Bakugou reads the entry.

Lunch with Iida at 1pmText Mom backBakugou likes black coffee now! don’t forget.

“Damn right I do,” Bakugou mutters, tossing the book back into the sheets. He ruffles green curls and grins when Midoriya bats his hand away, flustered and smiling.

Age 51

“Can I go outside?” Izuku asks quietly.

Bakugou lifts his gaze from the journal, heart tight. “Not without me. You got lost last time.”

Izuku’s brows furrow. “I did?”

“Yeah,” Bakugou says, softer. “You did.”

There’s a flicker of frustration, the kind that makes Izuku rub his temple.

“I’m sorry,” he says.

Bakugou reaches for his hand, grounding him. “I’d rather find you a hundred times than lose you once.”

Age 27

The notebook habit only got worse. Or better. Depending who you asked.

Bakugou didn’t complain anymore, not when he found entire pages about him. Scribbled in tiny green ink:

Kacchan always takes his tea at bedtime. Kacchan gets quiet when he’s worried. Don’t push, just sit beside him. Kacchan said he loved me for the first time today. I didn’t say it back fast enough, and I think he thought I didn’t mean it. I’ll write it here 100 times to make up for it: I love him. I love him. I love him…

Bakugou had cried reading that. Privately. In the kitchen. Over fucking soup.

Age 57

Izuku’s handwriting is shaky now.

Bakugou flips through the most recent journal and sees a mess of half-formed sentences. Some pages are drawings.Of their house, their cat, a hero costume from years ago. But some are terrifyingly blank.

He found today’s entry.

There’s a blonde man. He looks sad when I forget him. He says he loves me. I might be crazy…but I think I love him, too.

Age 30

Midoriya stands in their bathroom, holding a toothbrush and frowning at it like it’s a math problem.

Bakugou leans on the doorframe, arms crossed. “You okay?”

Midoriya shakes himself out of it. “Yeah. Just zoned out.”

“You’ve been forgetting little stuff more,” Bakugou says.

Midoriya shrugs. “Stress, maybe. Work’s been…”

“Izuku,” Bakugou says, voice low, “you forgot your mom’s birthday.”

That shuts him up. Midoriya looks at the floor. “I wrote it down,” he says.

“I know,” Bakugou whispers. “But you didn’t check.”

Age 59

The sun rises like it always does. And like always, Izuku blinks awake.

He sees the man beside him, asleep in a chair by the bed, arms crossed, chin dipped down. His hair is a mess. His face is older than the boy in Izuku’s dreams. There’s gray at his temples now.

Izuku frowns. Then offers a wobbly smile, “Katsuki?”

Bakugou jerks awake. For a heartbeat, he doesn’t speak. Just stares. “You remember?” he breathes.

“I… I think so.” Izuku reaches out, fingers trembling. “You’re my husband.”

Bakugou grabs his hand and presses it to his lips, his eyes already wet. “Yeah, nerd. I am.”

Izuku looks at the photos on the wall. The cat curled on the windowsill. The green notebook by his bed. It has his name written over and over on the cover. Izuku Midoriya. You. You. You.

He looks back at Bakugou. “I dreamed about you,” he says softly. “I think I always do.”

Bakugou holds his face like he’s scared he’ll vanish. “Then come back to me,” he whispers.

Tears fall. “I’m trying.”

Age 20

Bakugou finds him asleep at his desk, head on a pile of notes.

He reads the top one.

Kacchan’s birthday: April 20. Don’t forget. You always forget. You don’t want to hurt him again.

Bakugou traces the ink with his thumb.

“Izuku,” he whispers, barely audible. “You never forget the stuff that matters.”

Age 60

The journal on the nightstand is open. There, waiting for tomorrow are the fresh scribbles.

I remembered him. I remembered us. Don’t let it slip away again. Fight for it. Fight for him.

Bakugou adds one line at the bottom in bold, jagged handwriting:

I will always find you, Nerd.

En Pointe

Event: Angstpril 2025 by @chaos-company

Fandom: Haikyuu

Ship: Kuroo/Ken

Rating: T

Tags: Angst, rejection

The rehearsal studio smelled like perfume and sweat. Kenma’s hands were trembling against the barre, knuckles white, trying not to cry.

“You weren’t supposed to take the role,” he said, voice a half-gone whisper.

Kuroo didn’t respond at first. He stood by the center mark, hair tousled from the practice. The light hit him perfectly. Principal dancer. Star of the show.

“You dropped out, Kenma,” he said finally. It sounded like an excuse.

“I sprained my ankle. I told the director I’d be back in two weeks at most. It wasn’t permanent.” Kenma turned around. His cat eyes sharp as the cuts in their pas de deux. “You told me you’d cover for me, not replace me.”

Kuroo looked down, jaw clenching. “The gala’s in six days. They needed someone.”

“They needed you, apparently.” He spit. The air between them crackled.

Kenma took a step forward. A jolt shot through his joints. He wasn’t supposed to be dancing yet, but he’d been practicing alone. Hidden. Waiting for his return to the stage where he belonged. But this was wrong. It was supposed to be with Kuroo. “You could’ve said no.” Tears ebbed at the corners of his eyes.

“I couldn’t,” Kuroo said, swallowing. “You don’t get it, Kenma. This isn’t like before. They were going to pull the entire piece if they didn’t have a name. I thought…”

“What? That I’d be okay with you dancing our routine with someone else?”

‘It’s not like that.”

“Don’t lie to me!”

Kuroo moved toward him, but Kenma backed away.

“I trusted you,” Kenma said again, softer this time, like a ghost speaking from beyond. “Out of everyone in this company, you. You were supposed to be on my side.”

Kuroo ruffled, “I am on your side, goddammit!”

“Then why does it feel like I’ve been pushed offstage?” The silence returned, heavier now. Harsher.

Kuroo reached out, his hand hovering over Kenma’s shoulder. So close to touching, but not daring to make contact. “I didn’t want to lose it,” he said. “The piece. Us. I thought if I could keep it alive until you were ready-”

“You killed it,” Kenma said, full tears spilling over “Because now every time I hear that music, I won’t think of us. I’ll think of you and her.”

Kuroo flinched. “I just wanted to protect it,” he whispered.

Kenma looked at him for a long moment. Then, finally, stepped forward and rested his forehead against Kuroo’s shoulder. “You can’t protect something by pretending it doesn’t hurt,” he said, voice cracking. “Next time... just dance with me. Or not at all.”

Kuroo wrapped his arms around him, tentative, guilty. “Next time,” he promised.

Temporary

Event: Angstpril 2025 by @chaos-company Fandom: Arcane Ship: Ekko x Jinx | Timebomb Rating: M Tags: MCD Beta: @crypt-exe

She still had his blood on her hands.

She…

Still had his blood….

On her. Cooling. Sticky. Dripping…

…down her face.

He isn’t moving anymore. Limp. He isn’t moving. He…he isn’t breathing.

She’d learned that long ago. People had to breathe. Human’s need air in their lungs. She scrambles to her bruised knees. He’d bruised them when he pushed her out of the way. He’d shoved her. “YOU’RE AN ASSHOLE!” she screamed at him. Leaning over him. His eyes were open. Staring into the void. “You pushed me asshole. You don’t push ladies!”

Hot droplets leaking from her fierce violet eyes lands on him. Maybe they’d warm him up. Like he’d do with her. Wrap her in warm hugs. She’d never told him he gives good hugs. She’d shrug them off. That’s what she was supposed to do. Never let them get close.

She was a Jinx after all.

“C’mon. You gotta get up. They’re gonna find us.” She whispers. “Ekko. C’mon. You gotta get up!”

They were walking home. He’d taken her for ice cream.

All she had asked was “what did it taste like?”

She forgot to warn him. She put in new traps. She’d had dreams. Bad dreams. Nightmares. They followed her. The eyes. They. she had…to. She had to put the traps in. Nobody could…find them. They were precious. He.

He is precious. Worth protecting.

He stayed with her. It’s dangerous with her. HE HAD TO BE PROTECTED!!!

He took one step off the beaten path. One step. boom.

It was a small pop. Barely a marble hitting the ground. But….now Ekko….

She could fix it. She…she can fix him. Stitch him back together. Make him one piece again. She’d tell him she loved his hugs. She…there’s still time.

“BLINK IF YOU CAN HEAR ME!” She screams. She pounds her fists against his chest, but it’s caving in. She kisses him. His lips are cold. Breathes into him.

Nothing. Stillness. Silence.

If he didn’t push her out of the way. If she’d told him. If she was a second faster. Her ears are ringing.

Silence.

Not….not even…an..echo…

Not

Not even. An. But his hugs… Not. Even. An. Ekko.

“I love you.” She says for the first time. “Come home.” she says for the last.