hanahaki au
Izuku has grown up knowing a few things as irrefutable facts: that he is quirkless and he’s going to die young choking on the flower in his chest. It hasn’t been forever, but he’s gone the last several years
Sure, he could try to get over Bakugou Katsuki, or get the plant – and his memories if his first friend – removed, but Izuku would rather die in pain and never become a hero than forget the person he loves.
Not like he would become a hero, with the lack of quirk, no matter how hard he tries.
So Izuku resigns himself for doing his best, even though heroics is a pipe dream.
But then he meets All Might and becomes the latest successor of One for All.
And dying young suddenly isn’t an option anymore because he has to become the new Symbol of Peace as All Might falters.
So possible continuation scenarios include…
○ Izuku decides to pursue Katsuki now that they’re both in high school (and hilarity ensues because holy shit is Izuku the least smooth of all, even including Mineta),
○ Izuku actually honestly tries to get over Katsuki (Iida, Shinshou, Uraraka, Todoroki, Mirio… p much anyone would be a legit alternative),
○ Izuku decides to get the surgery to remove the flower – and his memories – of Katsuki, so when he turns up at the first day of classes at U.A., Bakugou would be all sorts of pissed because there is now a Deku with no memory of him (which… causes a lot of issues because of just the sheer amount of Izuku’s childhood and psyche is wrapped up in his relationship with him),
○ Izuku doesn’t decide by the time he starts classes so he’s trying to hide the symptoms from everyone and it goes about as well as you expect (which is not at all).