Katsuki X Midoriya - Tumblr Posts

Recovered Doesn’t Mean It Never Happen (Hitoshi x Izuku)

Fandom: BNHA / MHA Type: Angst   Pairing: Shinso x Midoriya x Cheater!Bakugo Warnings: Cheating, mentions of sex, mentions of alcohol  Requested by: No one, but requests are open! Word Count: 4,117 Summary: No one would have thought Bakugo would give up a relationship with the only person who could ever love him completely, but things almost never go to plan. Without his childhood friend to wipe his tears, Izuku had no other choice than to leave- and love always comes to those who need it. For every broken heart, there is an open door and a warm bed with someone waiting with open arms. A broken heart can move on, but an empty heart can never be full once it rips. 

———————–

     He wasn’t sure if he should even go to the party. If it had been a year earlier he would have gone in a heartbeat, with a bright smile lighting up his face. Izuku knew that he would be there, and he hadn’t talked to his ex-boyfriend since it happened. His friends told him it wasn’t healthy to avoid discussing it, but it took weeks before Midoriya could look a blonde stranger in the eyes again and not start crying. He was so hurt, and his heart felt like it was breaking inside of him. He can still remember the day, a year in between yet it feels like it was yesterday, and still, the green-haired boy could throw himself back into the hallway of their apartment, leaning up against the hard-wood door.

The rain had intensified while he was on patrol, and Izuku couldn’t care less about his ever-dampening hair. All he could do was smile and remember his blond-haired boyfriend was waiting for him, most likely on their couch on his phone, while the tv was running in the background. Red Riot watched him as they jumped from rooftop to rooftop, and while he knew he should be looking down at the streets, he could only stare at his friend and wonder why his best friend would hurt him so much.

When they had finished, Midoriya scratched the back of his neck and said that he should head home to Bakugo, as he would get annoyed if he came home too late. Kirishima nodded in agreement, but he almost stopped him. He opened his mouth to talk to him, to tell him, but no sound came from him. Kirishima wanted to save Midoriya the pain from finding out from something else, but could he bring himself to betray his best friend like that? But if he didn’t tell Midoriya while he has the chance, is that betraying him as well? He felt like there was no good option, so he just let him go.

Izuku saw their apartment building, and he smiled as he walked through the door. He greeted the manager who stood at his desk with a smile on his face. He returned the greeting, said something about the weather, and let Midoriya pass through to the residential floors. He dashed through the dark-wood floors and ran to their apartment. He took out his keys and was inserting them into the lock when a sound made him pause. It was a voice he had never heard before, it was a guy’s voice, but it was an octave higher than natural, and it made dread run through Izuku’s body.

But, Kaachan wouldn’t do that, right? He would never… So, Midoriya shook the idea from his head and turned his key to unlock the door, and he walked in. He looked to his left and he saw that he was right, Bakugo was, in fact, on the couch… but he wasn’t on his phone. He was hovering over a guy he didn’t recognize. Strangely, at that moment, he didn’t recognize Bakugo either.

Midoriya shook the thoughts from his head, he didn’t need to be thinking about that before the party. It was the ten-year reunion of their year, and he would be damned if he let his fears ruin this for him. Besides, it’s not like he hasn’t moved on, he has gone on a few dates, but he’s never made it passed the third before someone ended it. At least he was trying.

He had gotten back into touch with some of his old classmates though. Most of the students grew apart after high school, some odd pairs worked together, others were dating, and some just couldn’t let go. Midoriya wasn’t one of these people, and he had severed all ties after what happened, he felt so betrayed.

After he walked in on Bakugo, and who he later learned was a bartender from two blocks over, he went straight to Kirishima, Mina, and Denki, who he had grown close to and fond of during his time with Bakugo. He went to them crying, and he started to tell them all that had happened when he got home, but he quickly realized they already knew. They knew, and they didn’t tell him. Kirishima started to explain, telling him that Bakugo was going to call it off and be a better boyfriend, but he never did, and they were going to tell him after a week. That just hurt more. So, he left.

Midoriya went out on his own, and he rented a small apartment. He befriended his new landlord, found a new barber, fell in love with a new coffee shop, and made some new friends. He was reserved at first, but he would always be Izuku Midoriya, and people would always think he was the nicest person alive. He started out by befriending his neighbor, who just so append to be another friend of his UA days, Shinso Hitoshi.

It was surprising to them both, but Shinso invited him out to dinner with some of his friends after a few more meetings in their shared hallway. Midoriya accepted, and he made friends with some other heroes and side-kicks that Shinso worked with, Midoriya warmed up to all of them, and it wasn’t long until the large group all hung out together every Friday at either Shinso or Izukus apartment.

And, after six months, Shinso asked Izuku out on a date. And, after six months of getting over Bakugo, Izuku said yes. The first date was simple, they went to a movie that Izuku had mentioned during one of their Friday night game sprees. The second date was even better, they went to a thrift shop, and they both bought a book and cd for the other, and then they exchanged, went home, and listened to their music while they read their books. Their third date was amazing. Shinso had transformed the rooftop into a picnic area, it was lit up with lights, there was a fire in the fire-pit, there was a blanket on the floor, and a large blanket for them to sit under, there was throw pillows, and most importantly, there was a basket of Izukus favorite home-cooked meal. It truly was magical. And then, somehow, the pattern broke. They went on a fourth date. They went to a firework show in town, and they had the time of their lives.

Now, they were both getting ready to go to their high-school reunion. To say Shinso was worried about his boyfriend was an understatement. He knew that right now, he only had a little piece of Midoriya’s heart. The other parts? They belonged to a man who shattered him, heart and soul. The other parts belonged to Bakugo. Shinso wasn’t going to lie, he was a little insecure. Before they started dating, Midoriya knocked on his door at two am, crying and wrapped up in a blanket. He was a mess, so Shinso took him in. They sat on his couch, drinking tea while Midoriya cried his heart out. He told Shinso what happened, and how Bakugo hurt him so much, but he still loved him.

Shinso fell for Midoriya the moment he saw his freckled face again. And, his heart broke when he realized that Izuku loved another, and it broke a little more every time he went on a date with a new guy. But, it hurt, even more, when he came crying to Shinso late at night, sobbing out Bakugo’s name.

He was insecure, and sometimes he wondered if Bakugo came to him and apologized, if he came over and asked if Izuku would take him back, he wondered if Midoriya would go to him. He would be naive to think that Izuku loved him as much ad Shinso loved him, he knew better. When Izuku slept over at his place, he still heard him whimper out Bakugo’s name at nights when he didn’t wake up, and it hurt so fucking much.

But, no matter how much it hurt, it was him that made Izuku smile, made him blush, it was him that Izuku kissed goodnight, who he woke up to, it was him that Izuku went on dates with, it was him that Izuku held on to, it was him, and it wasn’t Bakugo. He put on his jacket, and he sighed at his lame excuss at a tie. He was never taught how to properly tie one, enter him embarrassingly walking into Izuku’s apartment to ask him to help. Izuku laughed at him but complied and tied it for him.

“Good god, you’re adorable,” Shinso said breathlessly, as Izuku looked up at him after finishing his tie. Izuku turned into a spluttering mess whenever Shinso complimented him, especially if there was no prompting.

“Hi-Hitoshi…” He whined, before turning away to try and hide his blushing face by looking away.

“Oh yeah. Before I forget,” Shinso took a green rose out of his jacket, and put it behind Izukus ear,  "I saw this, and I thought of you.“

Once they were both ready, the got into Shinso’s car; and they started to drive to the school for the first time in a long while.

"So, are you worried about seeing him again?” Hitshoi asked, keeping his eyes glued to the rode. The cool air that poured in through the vents nipped at Izuku’s skin as he thought about how familiar the feeling in his stomach felt.

“I don’t even want to think about it,” Midoriya hates how he had let Katsuki control him he like did, but mostly he hates how he didn’t notice sooner. It all became so clear when he found out, hindsight is 20/20 after all. All the ignored phone calls, all the late nights, why he was so adamant about them not sharing an apartment in the beginning, it all made so much sense, Izuku felt like a fool for not noticing.

A hand squeezing his pulled him from his mind. Shinso kept his eyes on the road, but he took his right hand of the wheel to try and comfort his boyfriend. It might have been seen as a small effort at comforting him, but Izuku and he loved holding hands. Afterall, Katsuki would never let him hold his hand in public unless someone was flirting with him. Shinso, however, loved holding hands while they walked. Especially if they were in large crowds, one of them would wrap their own pinky around the others. It was a small, nice way to show affection for each other.

And, that’s how they entered the school. They reminisced about their high school days, and the passed through their old classrooms, it felt so nice to think back on all the memories. Izuku laughed when they reached the classroom 1-A. Shinso looked at with questioningly, but he had a smile nonetheless. 

“This is where we first met, remember?”

Hitoshi groaned, he had been such an awkward teen, he was reveling in stress and depression, and he really didn’t think he was as rude as he actually was in high school.

“You don’t have to remind me,” he had playfully snapped at his boyfriend.

“We had a lot of fun in this room,” he said, sighing contently at the rush of memories which entered his thoughts.

Midoriya just snorted and continued their way down the halls until they reached the large gym/workout room that had been decked out at a party.

Hitoshi grabbed a hold of his sleeve before they entered, “Hey, take a second. I’m here, okay? So there’s no need to worry.”

Izuku held on tight to his boyfriend’s hand, and he took in several deep and long breaths. He squeezed lightly, and Midoriya smiled reassuringly. 

“With you, I can do anything,” 

Shinso smiled at how confident Izuku was in him, and he pulled him by his hand so their chests were against one another. They both grinned into the kiss, happiness surrounded them. 

“Ready?” Shinso asked as they both grabbed a hold of one of the doors.

“As I’ll ever be,”

They swung the door open, and what they saw was, more or less, what they were expecting. It was dimly lighted, but not so much as to hinder vision. There were tables scattered around, and the music was light and classy. Teachers and students were all in mixed groups, the entire class was gathered together, and they all seemed to be having a good time. Some were sitting, others were dancing already, and a few had gotten a jump-start at the bar.

Shinso had been flagged down by his old friends in 1-b, but he promised he’d be back in a minute. Izuku didn’t have to worry, he still had some friends from UA, even though they hadn’t talked for years, it just gave them more to catch up on!

Midoriya looked around, and his eyes finally locked down on Uraraka and Iida, who was standing next to the buffet table, having a pleasant conversation and eating.

He had made his way over, and they easily fell back into old habits. They joked around, and it was like they were back in high school.

“So Uraraka, I noticed the rock on your finger,” Midoriya pointed out, and she blushed and looked away.

“Yeah,” she trailed off. “Tsu and I got really close after graduation, our agencies were in the same district, so we bumped into each other often,” she said, blushing like her life depended on it.

“Well, what about you? Who are you with, Deku?” Se asked, suddenly flustered and defensive.

“I uhh,” he scratched the back of his head, “I’m actually in a pretty serious relationship myself?”

“Oh? Anyone, we know?” Iida asked, curious as to who gained the affection of the number one hero.

“Actually, it’s-”

“Pretty serious relationship, are we?” a deep-voiced asked, as a man placed his chin on the crook of Midoriya’s neck. Izuku had tensed, but he relaxed as soon as the man spoke.

“Hitoshi?!” Uraraka and Iida shouted, startled by the revelation.

“Yeah, we’ve been together for around a year and a half,” Shinso answered, not completely shocked by his old classmate’s response.

“And you never thought to tell me?” Uraraka asked, hitting Izuku on the shoulder.

“Well, we kinda cut off all connections with our classmates awhile ago- don’t take it personally,”

She huffed but accepted it as an answer.

“Speaking of,” Iida said, gaining attention from their tiny group, “I have only heard half-thought rumors and speculations, and I believe none of it completely. Can I hear in your words, what happened two years ago?”

Hitoshi stood up rigidly, and he wrapped his arms protectively around his boyfriend. “You don’t have to answer-”

“It’s fine Tosh’,” Izuku said, patting his boyfriend’s arm, “It’s really simple Iida. I was dating Bakugo, he fell out of love with me, and we broke up.”

“I see,” the blue-haired man said, “though I can’t help but wonder how much of that is true, and how much is censored and coated in sugar.”

“Hey, babe?” Hitoshi said, gaining Midoriya’s attention. “Can you go get us some drinks, I have a feeling we’re going to need them soon,”

It would take a blind man who had lost his hearing to miss Hitoshi’s anger.  Midoriya’s past relationships have always been a sore spot for Shinso. A mixture of second-hand anger in addition to his own insecurities ate at him whenever he heard the blond-haired man’s name. He was right, if there was no alcohol in his system for another minute he was sure to explode.

Having sensed this, Midoriya smiled softly and went to the bar. He was never one for drinking, but a glass or two might help to soften the edge of tonight. The tension was high, and he hadn’t even seen he-who-must-not-be-named yet.

“Hey, can I have a stinger on the rocks and a snakebite up?” While he wasn’t a drinker, Izuku’s new crowd loved to go out every Friday night, and with their different backgrounds he was shown many different orders- but a particular friend of Britain had introduced him to the snakebite, and the cider -alcohol mix always tasted amazing. 

“Sure thing,” the bartender said, as he turned to make his drinks. While he didn’t recognize him right off the bat, it wasn’t all that difficult to identify the dark-haired man as Kaibara Sen, a student he had only seen once or twice, but he made quite the impression. 

“How long have you been bartending Kaibara-san?” 

He chuckled a little and shook his head, “Here I thought you didn’t recognize me. I’ve been doing it professionally for a little over a year now- couldn’t refuse UA a favor after all they did to help me out now could I?” 

“Yeah,” Midoriya leaned onto the bar, “We all owe them a debt or two.”

“After all the shit you put me through, I’d say you better make it three,” A gruff voice rang through his ears, and it sounded so close to being familiar- he just couldn’t place it.

“Aizawa-Sensai?” The name hit him like a ton of bricks.

The black-haired man winced before stumbling a little closer to the bar. “You’re not a kid anymore, you can drop the honorific,”

“Right,” he blushed lightly, “sorry about that,”

“So Midoriya,” Aizawa signaled for a beer, “you and Bakugo still at each other’s throats?”

The teacher had noticed Kaibara’s posture stiffen the moment his previous student’s name fell past his lips. The teacher sent him a curious look before giving Midoriya his attention. Had he hit a sore spot? He knew they never got along, but that was just a childish rivalry, right? There was no way his two students were as immature as All might and Endeavor.

“Babe, what’s taking so long?”

Midoriya let out a sigh of relief as his boyfriend appeared to rescue him. “Sorry love, Kaibara-san isn’t as good as a bartender as he makes himself out to be,” he teased lightly, before going back to his teacher. 

“Sorry Aizawa-San, but I’ve got to get back to the rest of my group- I have to make sure Iida doesn’t stop Uraraka from spiking the punch. It was nice to catch up with you!” His wrist was seized by Shinso as soon as he got a hold of their drinks.

“What was that about?” The gruff man asked, waiting for his beer that as stored in a cooler. 

Kaibara shook his head lightly, “After the rest of the old general studies group caught wind of the situation, we all just assumed the teachers heard too. I guess it makes sense that you were all left out of the loop,” He handed Aizawa his drink.

The man quirked an eyebrow, silently asking for him to go on.

“Midoriya and Bakugo were in a relationship. They were doing great up until about a year or so ago. He came home and found Bakugo with someone on their sofa. Stories say it was another student, but I’m not too sure. Wouldn’t be surprised though- with the way Midoriya avoided everyone like the black plague up until today,”

“Apparently not everyone,” Aizawa chimed in, noting how close his prodigy was to Midoriya.  

“Oh, you mean Midoriya and Hitoshi?” He chuckled, “Yeah, they/ve been dating ever since the breakup. I heard they moved in together, but it didn’t come from a reliable source. What I do know for sure, is that they are both head-over-heels for each other, like rose-petals and chariot love. The kind of thing where they would say ‘If all the world was to be burned by morning, the flames would lack the heat of my heart beating for you,’ throw-up-you-lunch kinda love,” 

“You seem to know quite a bit, Kaibara,” the tired man mused.

“What can I say?” He shrugged, “People love to talk to bartenders.”

Aizawa grumbled. as he walked away. He never pegged Bakugo as a cheater, but he wasn’t one for second-hand gossip either. He’ll wait and see what else he can dig up.

————————————————

The night haad gone surprisingly well! The Deku-squad was back together, and everyone seemed to catch on like a house on fire. Time flew by, and a slow dance had taken over the party. Without a run-in with the blast boy, it seemed like everything had fallen into place.

“Dance with me?” Shinso asked, lightly rubbing a circle on the back of Izuku’s hand.

“I would love to,”

The two swayed together, and they held each other close. Every now and then they would separate a little but only ever enough so that they could gaze into each other’s eyes. Izuku smiled so widely his eyes hurt, and Shinso couldn’t help but grin back. They were so in love, and they would never be able to get enough of each other. 

Little did they know, they were being watched. Ruby red eyes stared at them from across the gym. Tracing their every movement, studying every syllable they said to each other, he made note of every time they touched each other. Kirishima stood by Bakugo all night. 

While the blonde downed drink after drink, his red-haired friend couldn’t help but look on in sympathy. He saw first hand how this breakup shattered Katsuki and, no matter how much the blonde refused to admit it, having Midoriya in his life made him a better person- to himself and others. 

Drink after drink, shot after shot, he did almost anything he could to numb the pain, but no matter what he did, it still hurt. Everything hurt. Whether he had the memories or not, it didn’t seem to matter. Izuku was gone, but he was still there.

His sent stayed in the apartment for months, and his things were still scattered about. His voice still answered the voicemail, and his jacket was still on the hook. Every part of him was there, but he wasn’t. His laugh didn’t echo around the walls, and his coffee was never made in the morning. The pancakes he made would never see their old pan, and his clean laundry would never be dumped on the couch to be folded. He was there in every sense of the word if time was stopped. 

He slammed his final shot glass back down on the make-shift bar and sighed. “I’m going for a walk,”

“Katsuki, let me come with-”

“I need some air,” Kirishima was nice to have around, but he really needed his space.

Memories haunted him whether he was awake or asleep. Waking up with his love by his side, going to sleep with the love of his life, but sleeping with people who didn’t matter- people who will never matter. It hurt no know it was over, and it hurt to know it will never be fixed.

The door closed behind him after a few seconds, and he sensed someone behind him. 

“Bakugo?” He winced at the name that fell from his past lover’s lips.

“Please,” he whispered, “please call me Kaa-chan,”

Izuku kicked the top of his foot at the ground, “I don’t think that’s gonna happened Bakugo,”

The blonde looked up to Midoriya, and he took in his appearance. He looked healthy, and his outfit was well put together. A flower was in his outside coat pocket, he could only guess where he had gotten it.

“I miss you,” He admitted, sighing at the relief that came with admitting it.

“Yeah, I guess it has been a while,”

The nonchalant response simply dug deeper into his heart, and it seemed that whenever Izzuku spoke, it just cut his deeper. 

“God,” Bakugo pushed at the skin next to his eyes, “I’m such a fucking mess without you.”

“That’s not my problem, Bakugo. I know it sounds rude, but that honestly is just your own fault,”

He could feel his anger bubble up, and it seemed like it took nothing to push him over the edge.

“Why are you fine? How are you fine! Why are you pretending to be so perfectly fucking dandy, like everything’s all sunshine and fucking rainbows when it’s not!? You don’t need to pretend with me- I know you’re not okay.”

“I’m sorry to disappoint, Bakugo,” He said, walking back to the door. He stopped right after he passed the door, and he held it open, “but I really am 100 percent, completely and absolutely over you, and I’m doing just fine without you.”

When had this started? Where had he gone wrong? He would never know, but Bakugo believed that it started with something about a swan dive.

Will We Ever Learn? (we've been here before)

my hero academia

teen+

warnings: strong language, major injuries

an: my take on Izuku & Katsuki’s relationship (could be read platonic or romantic)

        Eraserhead was five blocks away when he saw the building collapse. He heard it before he saw it, the shifting rumble and snap that sounded so much closer, and then he heard the world erupt into noise, just to fall back to silence. He turned and all he saw was smoke.   

            “Status report?”

            He winced at the voice in his head, “Few blocks out, already in motion.” It was true, even as he spoke the man had begun to swing off firescapes to build the momentum for his capture weapon. He hadn’t had to grapple in a little while, and the cloth fabric was giving him a run for his money. 

            The operator paused a moment, “ And Dekiru and the angry one?”

            No response from the boys, just what are they doing at that boring speech?

            “They’re with the head of the Safety Correlation doing a minor security detail while I patrol the east side.” 

            “This is Woods, Matsuura-san has been pronounced dead upon arrival.”

            And that’s when it hit him. The change of venue update he’d barley glanced at while propelling between buildings, the ping from Midoriya just on time with the scheduled updates,  it all fell together and his chest began to squeeze. Because yes , the mass casualties of a collapsed building is devastating to hundreds of people and families, but the building being the same one he sent his students into? It’s just, it’s…

            It makes him sick. It makes the shops he swings by blur stronger into nothing but background noise, makes nothing in the world matter, not the creaking of his arms, not the snarl he couldn’t ease off his face, because a building just collapsed.

            “Has the cause been determined?”

            “ Not yet- fire’s on sight now talking with the first responders.”

_______________________________________________________________

            There’s not much to be said about the relationship between Izuku Midoriya and Katsuki Bakugou. They were childhood friends, and now they’re not; see? It’s simple really. Just like how there wasn’t much to be said about this supervised protection detail, until everything came crashing down. It was a simple assignment, now it wasn’t; do you see?

            “Kaachan?” 

            The voice, his voice, was so soft– so delicate and fragile and heart wrenching that Bakugo’s eyes clenched shut to barricade his tears when it reached his ears. Tiny gasps reverberated off the cement surrounding them, circling him and mocking him, and his first thought was that Deku was such a cry baby; then he realized they were coming from him. 

            “I um,” Izuku started, “I’m not really sure what to say.” And wasn’t that the truth. Because standing in front of him was Izuku. Tall and bloody, covered in a thick layer of dust, posed like Atlas. Midoriya had caught the building they were evacuating. Standing below him- he had to blink away the nausea-  was the assignment laying with a steel pipe skewering his throat.

            Katsuki could hear the joints creak in his elbows as his legs braced most of the weight– a seven-story building all crushing down on this one weight-bearing beam that Izuku was posted under– keeping them both alive.

            The thought washed over him like a freezing cup of water was just thrown onto his face– If Izuku hadn’t caught the building I’d be dead. If that wasn’t the most terrifying realization; and suddenly everything became so real. He was thrown into this hyperaware state of mind. The dust filling the air, pebbles hitting the ground from above, debris cracking and shifting and buckling much like Deku was, everything was so real and it was terrifying. 

            “I-” A beep from their coms cut off Midoriya's voice after the first syllable. 

            “Boys?” A frantic, desperate voice crackled in their ears. “if you don’t respond right now I,” 

            “We’re here, Aizawa-Sensei.”

            “Midoriya,” His voice was thickly coated with relief, sounding through like molasses.

            “Yeah, we’re fine.” His eyes flicked up to Deku’s body, which had begun to shake ever so slightly, gaining a soft sheen, “Mostly fine.”

            A pause. 

            “Mostly?”

            Izuku made eye contact with his friend, his once friend, and spoke: “We’re in a little predicament right now, sensei, but I don’t think either of us are majorly injured. 

            “Okay, Okay.” They heard a deep breath before a much more steady version of Aizawa rang out, “What’s the predicament? We have scouting dogs looking for you two so we know where to start digging. Max time is around twenty minutes with how much debris is around before we can get drilling. Will you be able to hold out till then?”

            “Oh sure sensei-”

            “Deku’s holding up the fucking building.” 

.

            “What?”

            “You heard me over the shitty ass coms,” he bit, despite the sharp edge being taken away with how laced his voice was with concern– and fear. “Deku’s supporting whatever weight is on top of us, and seeing how the building crumbled inwards and we’re near the middle of the stupid fucking parking garage, that’s all of the fucking weight.”

            “Midoriya?”

            “Yes, Sensei?”

            A hesitation, “I need you to be one hundred percent honest with me here, understand?” 

            “Yes.” And If Bakugou thought Izuku had been at his limit before, the twitching supernova answering their teacher with one barely-there syllable had cemented that thought.

            “How long can you keep your hold on that ceiling?”

            He took a broken gasp of air before answering “I’m not,” he readjusted his hands ever so slightly and the entire world shook , “not really sure, Uhm.” He shook his head just barely to disperse the dust around his head that filled the void around them, “As long as I need?”

            “That’s not an answer, kid.”

            “I really don’t know,” he gasped as, above them, a slab of cement holding a pile of debris snapped and shifted its weight, “This is pretty different than the mountain Muscular put on top of me. If it was just the weight I could probably fight my way through a half-hour; but,”

            “But the building’s still crumbling.”

            Izuku’s eyes searched Katsuki’s face and, whatever he was looking for, he must have found it because in less than a second his face hardened– “However long I need.” 

            A silence, however brief, hung over them like an eternity. “Understood. We’ll keep you updated, but I need you to tell me if anything changes down there alright?”

            “Yes sir.” 

            And in all honesty, neither was quite sure who spoke; because immediately following the response one of the few remaining weight-bearing poles crumbled in the middle. 

            “Shit-” Izuku’s stance widened, as some two hundred more tons came crashing down on him. Katsuki’s hands began to shake, in what he distantly recognized as both fear and anticipation. 

            “I could-”

            “Absolutely not.” Izuku had never spoken so curtly towards him before , “If you even think about setting off an explosion I’ll drop this building in a second.”

            “But if I could just-” 

            “We both know you’re not at the point where you could set off a blast strong enough to pulverize a building and cause no flying debris. As it is, if you even try, you’d be more likely to kill us with the explosion and everyone else with the shards of metal and steel flying in the air.”

            He fell silent, and a sticky slick of embarrassment came over him.

            “Look,” Izuku sighed, “I appreciate your thoughts but I think all we can do now is..”

            And so they waited

            and waited

            waited

            and waited some more.

                                               …

            Until finally, something new. 

            “Boys? Are you still there?” His voice filled the space so suddenly and completely Katsuki wanted to flinch, but knowing Izuku is right there just standing he couldn’t move a muscle.

            “ Yes ,” Izuku wheezed the response, and Katsuki, who had been looking at his squeezed shut eyes the entire time, was semi startled back into awareness and the sound of a water droplet splashing against the ground. 

            His eyes flickered. Midoriya had produced a dark circle ring around his shadow. “Sir, I have no clue what shitty plan you lot of extras are throwing together up there, but get a fucking move on.”

            The or else of that statement was silent but remained well heard. Any other circumstances and Eraserhead wouldn’t have hesitated to sideline the young hero and lecture until he’d been thoroughly scandalized for swearing over the open comms, but he knew Bakugo wasn’t angry.

            No, there was no burning under his tone; instead it was a shaking ocean miles off shore where the waves crashed inwards on itself. Katsuki was scared, and Aizawa doubted.

            “ Status report Dekiru?” 

            A brief silence passed, “Uhm,” a heavy rasp escaped him by force, “I’ve seen better days, Sir.” 

            “That’s an understatement if I’ve ever heard one.”

            “Kid?”

            “It’s fine, Eraserhead.” Izuku’s voice cemented, and Katsuki was watching when his eyes opened.

            He felt it in his chest first, the harsh clench from his lungs and the flip of his stomach; his limbs were next, hair rising involuntarily. He saw green lightning flicker as Izuku’s glowing eyes began to illuminate the shoddily lit room of patchwork light. The pressure was enough for Katsuki to crush under. 

            His stance didn’t widen, but it hardened. His breathing was strong and short and reliable, the low air quality seemingly not affecting his oxygen level while Bakugo was pretty sure the dark spots around his vision were growing. Izuku’s face darkened and Katsuki almost felt more fear than before.

            “I’m not done just yet.” 

            He’s pretty sure everyone’s ignoring Katsukis gasp and light pants out of respect or at least horror. Still, they’re put on full display as the line once again goes quiet.

            “ That’s good, kid. You can’t back out now, we’re figuring it out but it’s all for nothing if you’re not there when we get through.” 

            “Trust me,” gritted through grinding teeth, “we’re not going anywhere.” 

            And wasn’t that so true ? Wasn’t that the very basis of everything they were? Not, not humans, or heroes , or even Izuku and Katsuki, but Kaachan and Deku, who they are in their core , and who they are together?

            “Why don’t we?”

            “Huh?” Izuku looked at him, fully looked at him , and Bakugou couldn’t breathe , couldn’t think couldn’t move couldn’t, couldn’t even comprehend because his eyes were shining . Shining so unnaturally it almost made him look like a.. like a..           a god.

            And wasn’t that something? Deku the god. Dekiru , probably, because Deku had never made him think even for a second that Katsuki Bakugou couldn’t do something. That’s how it’s always been, but Dekiru almost looks like a sculpture designed to be marveled and gawked and cowered at; drawn specifically to show the great distance between man and god.

            He couldn’t do that. 

            “Go anywhere?”

            Izuku blinked, then laughed. Bakugou’s voice had been so void of anything in tone that it was.. scary. Scary at least to Izuku. “Because we like to stay in? Because we always want to stay in. You want to stay in.”

            “But you don’t.” And while this wasn’t the kind of going anywhere Bakugou meant- because yes he meant why don’t we go out ? Why can’t you lift the building and fly like you so obviously can ? Why not show this incredible power to the world instead of hiding it somewhere so plainly as here and to no one but me ? “You want to go out.”

            Izuku paused and a thicker drop of sweat fell from his curls- dark and stuck to his skin in tight ringlets. It makes Bakugou all the more unsteady, he’s been waiting for Deku to finish styling his hair every morning since forever. He was so proud of his fluffy soft curls, no matter what poof they make. 

            “I like staying in,” his eyes seemed to peer straight into his soul with that shine of his, seeing the deeper part Bakugou is sure no one could ever see, “as long as i’m with you.”

            “We could go out,” a lump had grown in Bakugou's throat as the minutes continued to pass. He wasn’t sure how long it’d been since he heard anything on the coms or since he’s heard anything in general, “if you wanted to.”

            “I know.” 

            And this time Bakugou looked in his eyes, not the shine. Past that glowing ethereal shine was a perfectly hidden iris belonging to one Izuku Midoriya. It was still him, still Deku. It made him feel a little less like he might die but a little more not okay. Before, before he looked and saw that it really is Izuku standing there, the same Izuku he’d grown up playing hero’s with, the same Izuku he trains with daily, before he saw it's really him under there. Before he seemed almost omnipotent in his power, like even if he did die it would be near a god and doesn’t that make it more meaningful by connection? 

            “I wouldn’t mind going out,” if it was with you.

            Why can’t he say it? He wants to say it? He should say it. 

            “I know.”

            But just like always he doesn’t have to. Not with Deku. Not since they were much much smaller, because Deku just seems to understand him in a way most people can’t. Deku doesn’t need words or time beyond training, Deku knows what’s important and Deku agrees . Except, Bakugou wants to be number one, and Deku wants to be a person able to catch the building.

            “We’re so different.”

            “You’re just now realizing that?”

            “No, I-” As if he hadn’t spent hours upon hours comparing every component of them against eachother to understand just what made them so far always so fucking far from one another, “obviously I know.”

            “Then why say it?” Izuku arched a brow and it oddly fit perfectly into place on his sweaty chiseled face contoured by effort.

            “Why respond?”

            “ Glad to see you two are lively as ever. ”

            “Crude humor Sensei,” Izuku panted each word but his diction was still strong. Katsuki appraised him and it seemed much the same; supported, firm. 

            “Y’all are takin your fuckin time huh? What is it, happy hour? Sippin’ mimosas on the job?” 

            “We’ve located your position, the problem is on the superior levels of the building. A few people have tried to pave the way for the extraction team but-” the comms screeched in their ears for a moment, just a moment, but Deku, Deku’s neck, ever so fragilely placed  beneath his shoulder stretched, the shoulder that stood between Bakugou Katsuki and death, the shoulder holding up his life, his world shook. What was he to do? What when the comms yelled and the world rolled down between his shoulder blades. Less supported, less holding, more, more, more surviving. More being crushed.

            Izuku’s body rippled like waves, muscles straining and shifting and relaxing just to begin once again. Why am I just standing here ? Bakugou turned away from Midoriya. He took a few steps before bracing his knees and throwing up hot, thin, acidic stomach fluid. He hadn’t had time for breakfast. He couldn’t help a glance at Deku despite the tears which distorted his vision; he was completely still. Unaffected and unrelenting, he endured and Bakugou may have been sick but he feels much more here . 

            “What the fuck have you punk-ass above ground bitches been up to.”

            “ Not staying above ground .”

            “Sensei?” And it’s a good thing Midoriya responded because Bakugou thought his next words would be we’re coming to get you.

            Instead, he got “ The upper floors are still completely unstable, same goes with the debris piled on top. A few have tried to, to shift the weight. They only managed to add some.”

            He looked to Deku, Deku who has plans. Deku who always knows , not like him. Bakugou could never just know . Bakugou had to wait . He had to observe and learn . He had to fight for growth. Izuku, Izuku just seemed to.. to.. 

            Except Izuku hadn’t just transformed overnight. It wasn’t sudden or recent, it just felt that way because they are childhood friends, and now they’re not. When Izuku had come to him in middleschool, all bloody and bruised and weak, weak in a way Bakugou didn’t understand– he wanted Izuku to grow to become more when he was a kid, if only he knew what that shrimp would becom e- and asked what they were, what happened, wanting to know why things changed, that’s what he’d responded. Now they’re not.

           As if he could unwrite the years of scripture etched by their youthful hands. They wrote each other's souls and Bakugou dismissed it, covered it up like a blemish. The boy keeping him alive. The boy that just seemed to know where he had to learn . The boy who would never look at him but rather, rather around him. 

            Every interaction seemed like an evasion, even as they spoke. It doesn’t matter, Bakugou will catch up. He’ll catch up and be able to make Deku look at him. He’ll see him.

            The collapse happened before anyone could even react. One second, everything was tense but stable, and the next, it all shifted, a chorus of crushing concrete and snapping steel. Dust filled the already stifling air, cutting visibility down to nothing, turning the world into a thick, choking blur of sound and movement.

            Bakugou's ears rang, his breath caught, and he heard—no, felt—Izuku's desperate grunt beside him. His first instinct was to scream something—anything—but the words refused to form, locked behind fear and frustration lodged in his throat. Instead, all he could do was stumble, blinking rapidly against the sting in his eyes as he tried to comprehend what had happened.

            “Kaachan,” the voice rasped out from the settling haze, and it was softer than a whisper, as though the building had swallowed everything, including Izuku's voice.

            Katsuki's head snapped toward the sound, heart pounding, and there was Deku. Still there. Still standing. Still holding. The green lightning danced across his form, barely flickering now, but it was there, and the sheer sight of it made Bakugou feel something he rarely allowed himself to feel—something that wasn’t rage, wasn’t spite, wasn’t blinding ambition.

            Relief.

            “Deku!” Bakugou’s voice was strained, barely masking the fear that tore through him. He clenched his fists, his palms heating up with the barest spark of an explosion that never made it out. He wanted to do something. To help. To fix it. “Are you still—”

            “I’m... still here,” Izuku answered, his voice cracking under the weight of his effort. Katsuki saw him brace again, muscles locking, feet digging deeper into the rubble-strewn ground. His arms trembled, the world above them threatening to press down harder, as if it somehow knew they were reaching the end of whatever strength Izuku had left. "I said... we're not going anywhere, didn't I?"

            And Bakugou swallowed, that lump still stuck in his throat, hard to dislodge. He hated this—this waiting, this feeling of uselessness gnawing at him, screaming in his chest. He wanted to fight something, anything, but all he could do was stand there, and it killed him. The world was ending around them, and Deku, stupid, heroic Deku, stood there with it all on his shoulders, just like he always did.

            “Stop looking like you’re about to cry, Kaachan,” Izuku forced out, and there was a smile—small, pained, but somehow still Izuku—cracking across his dusty face. “We’re almost there, alright?”

            The pressure on Bakugou’s chest almost doubled, the words failing him once more. He looked away, biting down hard on the inside of his cheek, the taste of iron spreading in his mouth. Deku, with that stupid smile, always had to make it seem okay. As if they weren’t standing at the edge of disaster, seconds away from everything coming down.

            “Who the hell do you think you're talking to?” Bakugou finally bit out, voice rough, the edge of desperation there for anyone who knew him well enough to hear it. “I don’t need your reassurances, dumbass. I need you to—”

            He didn't know how to finish that sentence. He needed Deku to what? Be okay? Keep holding? Make it out of here?

            Live?

            It was all too much, too heavy, and yet none of those thoughts managed to make it out of his mouth. Instead, it was just another harsh inhale, the sting of dust and uncertainty clogging his throat.

            “I know,” Izuku said, as if he heard it all anyway, the words Bakugou didn’t say. “But I need you to trust me. Just a little longer, okay?”

            “Trust you?” Bakugou scoffed, the familiar heat finally sparking behind his eyes, his heart hammering with the weight of it all. He glared at Izuku, saw the strain, the muscles that were seconds from giving in but refused to, just because that was who Izuku was. "I’ve always—always—"

            “ Boys !” A voice shouted through the comm, Aizawa’s, but it was muffled, static-laden, almost lost to the rumbling in Katsuki’s ears. “We’re starting the extraction now—hold on!”

            A rush of something unnameable went through him, relief so sharp it almost hurt, and his gaze locked onto Izuku’s. He saw it—saw the exhaustion, saw the pain, but also saw the flicker of hope, the determination in those glowing eyes. They were going to make it. Somehow, against all odds, they were going to—

            The ceiling groaned, an awful, grating noise, and Katsuki’s heart stopped. 

            The sound was deafening—a deep, aching groan that reverberated through the walls and the ground beneath them. Dust poured from above, and Katsuki's gaze darted upwards just in time to see the concrete begin to shift, tiny cracks spidering out like veins. It felt like everything slowed down, the looming threat of the collapse freezing the world in place.

            Bakugou’s breath caught in his chest as he saw Izuku’s knees start to buckle, the weight of the entire building pressing down on him like an unforgiving tidal wave. It wasn’t enough—Izuku’s strength, his will, his quirk—it wasn’t enough, and Bakugou knew it. The green lightning, once so bright and so powerful, flickered like a dying ember, the last vestiges of energy draining from Deku’s body.

            Izuku had  to widen his stance into a deep squat  as the debris shifting down his back; in a moment of instinct so desperate he couldn’t explain, Dekiru reached a hand out to Bakugou where he sat in horror.

            Katsuki’s heart pounded in his ears, louder than the crumbling around them. He had to move. He had to do something.

            Anything.

            “Deku!” Bakugou roared, his voice breaking through the noise, rough and desperate. He lunged forward, his body reacting before his mind could catch up, and grabbed Izuku by the shoulders and ignoring the eclectic zap that went through him. “You’re not giving up, you hear me?!”

            Izuku’s eyes widened, the shock cutting through the exhaustion for just a moment, and Bakugou saw the spark there—saw that even now, even with the weight of everything literally crushing down on them, Deku still wasn’t ready to let go.

            “I… I’m not…” Izuku managed, his voice so strained it was almost inaudible. His gaze met Bakugou’s, filled with something that was too much—too many emotions, too much pain, too much hope. His arms shook, the muscles visibly trembling as they struggled to keep the ceiling above them from collapsing completely.

            Katsuki grit his teeth, feeling the burn of frustration mix with fear, and did the only thing he could think of—he planted his feet, held onto Izuku, and began to channel everything he had left.

            “Damn it,” Bakugou snarled, sweat dripping down his face as his palms began to glow, the sparks of an explosion igniting in his hands. “We’re gonna blast our way out of this. You’re not allowed to die here, Deku. Not while I’m still standing.”

            Izuku blinked, his green eyes wide as the heat from Bakugou’s explosions built up, the warmth spreading through the air. Bakugou could see the realization slowly coming to Izuku, and even though he looked like he was on the verge of collapse, he nodded, a small, tired smile tugging at his lips.

            “Right…” Izuku breathed out, his grip tightening on the rubble. “I trust you, Kaachan, just don’t take anyone else out with us.”

            The words were soft, but they struck Bakugou harder than any punch he’d ever taken. He looked away, scowling, trying to ignore the warmth in his chest that had nothing to do with his quirk.

            “Yeah, well… don’t be an idiot,” Bakugou muttered, his voice cracking as he spoke. He let out a deep breath, and then yelled into his comm, “Aizawa! We’re getting ready to blow this thing! Get everyone out of the way!”

            Static filled the comm for a moment before Aizawa’s voice came through, barely audible over the chaos. “Bakugou, wait for the—”

            “No time!” Bakugou cut him off, his voice raw with determination. He looked at Izuku, and in that instant, they both knew. There was no more waiting, no more holding back. It was now or never.

            “Deku,” Katsuki said, his eyes blazing with intensity. “Brace yourself.”

            Izuku nodded, every muscle in his body straining as he pushed up with everything he had left. The green lightning surged, flaring brighter, the energy building. Katsuki gripped his collar tighter, the heat in his palms growing until it was almost unbearable.

            And then, with a scream that tore through his chest, Bakugou let loose, the explosion bursting from his hands in a blinding flash of light and power. The force ripped through the debris, the concrete above them shattering, crumbling, the blast creating an opening—a path to freedom.

            The air rushed around them, dust swirling violently, and Bakugou could feel the ground tremble beneath him. Izuku’s legs nearly gave out, but Katsuki held him up, pulling him along as they moved, as fast as they could manage. He could see the opening, the light beyond the dust, and he refused to let it slip away.

            “We’re almost there!” Katsuki shouted, his voice raw, and Izuku nodded, his breath coming in ragged gasps.

            The world was chaos—a mix of dust, noise, and blinding light—but somehow, against all odds, they pushed forward. Katsuki could hear voices—Aizawa, other heroes, shouting their names—but all he could focus on was the way Deku’s hand gripped his arm, the way they were still standing.

            And then, suddenly, they were through, the pressure easing, the light overwhelming, and Katsuki stumbled out of the rubble, Izuku beside him, both of them gasping for air.

            The voices grew louder, hands reached for them, pulling them to safety, and Katsuki finally let himself collapse, his body screaming in exhaustion, his breaths coming in ragged, uneven bursts.

            He looked over at Deku, who was lying on the ground beside him, his eyes half-lidded, his body trembling from the effort. But he was alive. They both were.

            And for the first time in what felt like an eternity, Bakugou let himself breathe, the tension in his chest loosening, the fear finally fading.

            They had made it.

            Bakugou blinked up at the sky, the light of day almost surreal after the dim, dust-choked world they'd been trapped in moments ago. His heart still pounded, the adrenaline still rushing, but there was an emptiness to it now—like his body hadn't quite figured out how to come down from the edge of disaster.

            Around them, heroes moved quickly—checking the rubble, pulling out survivors, making sure the area was secure. But all of that seemed distant, muted. Katsuki's ears still rang, and the only thing that seemed sharp, that seemed real , was the wheezing breath beside him.

            He turned his head to look at Izuku, who was still flat on his back, staring up at the sky with a dazed expression. His face was caked in dust, a bruise blooming across his cheek, and there was a weariness in his eyes that cut Katsuki deeper than he'd expected.

            "Oi," Bakugou rasped, his voice hoarse. He hated the way it sounded—weak, raw—but he couldn't seem to find anything better. "You look like crap, Deku."

            Izuku huffed a laugh, the corners of his mouth pulling up just slightly. "Thanks, Kaachan," he murmured, his voice just as rough. "You don't look much better."

            Katsuki scowled, the retort forming automatically, but when he opened his mouth to fire back, nothing came out. Instead, he let the words fade, swallowed them down, and looked away.

            They were alive. That was what mattered. The rest—the yelling, the fighting, the constant push and pull—that could wait.

            For now, he just needed to breathe.

            "Bakugou! Midoriya!" Aizawa's voice cut through the haze, and Katsuki forced himself to sit up, grimacing at the way his body protested. Aizawa was pushing through the chaos, his expression as unreadable as ever, but there was something in his eyes—something almost like relief.

            "Sensei," Izuku mumbled, trying—and failing—to push himself up. Katsuki rolled his eyes, shoving his arm under Deku's shoulders and hauling him up with a grunt of effort.

            "Take it easy, problem child," Aizawa said, his gaze softening slightly. He looked between the two of them, the tension in his shoulders easing as he seemed to take in the fact that they were, indeed, both in one piece.

            "We're… we're okay," Izuku managed, though his voice wavered. He glanced at Katsuki, a small smile tugging at his lips again. "Thanks to Kaachan."

            Katsuki felt a flush rise to his face, and he scowled, looking away. "Don't get all sappy, idiot. We just did what we had to do."

            Aizawa watched them both for a moment, his eyes narrowing slightly before he let out a sigh, shaking his head. "You two are going to be the death of me," he muttered, but there was no real heat in his words. Instead, he stepped forward, placing a hand on each of their shoulders. "But… good job. You made it."

            For a moment, silence stretched between them, the weight of what they had just been through settling in. Katsuki glanced at Deku, saw the exhaustion there, but also the determination—the same determination that had been there when he'd stood alone, holding up a collapsing building just because it was the only thing he could do.

            And Bakugou knew, with a certainty that he hated to admit, that they really had made it together. Somehow, despite everything, despite the chaos and the fear and the rage, they had made it.

            He let out a deep breath, nodding once. "Yeah," he muttered, his voice softer than usual, the fight finally fading out of it. "We made it."

            Izuku smiled, tired but genuine, and for the first time in a long time, Bakugou let himself return it—just a little.

            And then, before the moment could linger, before it could become something he wasn't ready to deal with, Katsuki shoved Deku's shoulder lightly, a scowl pulling back into place.

            "Don't think this means anything, nerd. We're not done yet."

            Izuku let out a soft laugh, his eyes closing as he leaned back, his body finally giving in to the exhaustion. "I know, Kaachan. I know."

            Bakugou looked at him for a moment longer, then turned away, his gaze fixed forward. There was still so much to do—so much to fight, so much to fix. But for now, they had each other. And somehow, that was enough.