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His favorite color was green.
Not the green you’d see on a leaf, but the green you’d see in those beautiful orbs that accompanied the boy within. The green that lifted from his hair the moment the sun hit it just right.
That green had always been his favorite.
Had.
“Deku! Get out of my face you shit.”
“Kacchan! You can’t just barge in by yourself! Someone will get hu-”
“I said move, dumbass!”
“Wait!”
He stood alone. Dressed in his best, his heart racing. He just wanted to see that green. He’d do anything to protect that green. The smile, the laugh it accompanied. He just wanted that. He needed it so badly.
“Kacchan, listen to me for once! It’s too dangerous! We need to wait for the others!”
Katsuki spun around and glared daggers into Izuku. “Look, you shit. Just because we’re on better terms now does NOT mean I need your help. I don’t want your help! Back off!”
It was just supposed to be a simple mission.
Just an ambush of a minor drug cartel.
It was supposed to be simple.
Izuku grabbed Katsuki’s hand and yanked him back to face him. “Kacchan, I know what i'm talking about. There’s something off. Just please!”
Katsuki ripped himself away, his fingers popping. “Deku! Shut up!” He spun back around and kept going. “If you try to stop me one more time I’ll-”
It happened too quickly.
An explosion triggered by a motion detector as Katsuki and Izuku came within several feet of the entrance to the location they had tracked down. Several feet didn’t give Katsuki enough time to react. He tried fruitlessly to shield his face as the blinding light invaded his whole visual field.
He heard Izuku scream his name and felt a body wrap itself around the front of him just before he was violently thrown back from the force of the explosion.
Crashing hard to the ground on his back, he was then winded by something hard landing on top of him. It was as if he had been crushed by debris.
That green.
Katsuki groaned in pain, grabbing at his head. He had hit it hard on impact and he was surprised that he wasn’t knocked out.
Hissing from the entire ache of his body, he tried to blink the light and blurriness out of his eyes. His ears rang deafeningly and his nose stung with the stench of gunpowder and chemicals. It also reeked of blood and rotting meat.
Was he bleeding? Was he injured?
“Fuck”
The words came out as a painful groan. His throat stung and his chest ached. Blinking, he realized he needed to get out from under this debris before it crushed him. With painful effort, he lifted his arm and swiped at his chest to grab at what was on top of him.
But he didn’t feel debris, however. He felt a… body?
He’d give anything for that green. He’d throw himself in front of anything for it. The boy, the boy full of green wondrous light. The one who’d sacrifice his own life to save…
Deku?
“Oi! What the shit, Deku. Get off.” Katsuki prodded at the boy he found laying on top of him, but there was no movement. He suddenly felt uneasy, and the pain in his chest felt like it had started closing in.
“Deku! Hey, I said get off!”
Still nothing. Katsuki felt his breath quicken and a heavy feeling in his stomach made him swallow dryly. He not so generously resorted to shoving Izuku off from on top of him so he could sit up. Izuku limply rolled off of him and onto the ground. Katsuki huffed as he sat up.
Rubbing his eyes to attempt clearing his vision, Katsuki proceeded to prod Izuku. “Get up, dumbass. Gonna let a little explosion knock you out?”
He was alone.
Blinking, his vision finally clearing, he looked to Izuku meaning to pester him more, when he froze.
He was holding stupid flowers.
Izuku lay limply, his head lolled to the side. Katsuki’s eyes crashed to an object jutting out of Izuku’s stomach. A large jagged piece of metal was imbedded in the boy. Blood pooled from his wound and onto the ground. The blonde raised a trembling hand and found blood soaked fingers from when he shoved Izuku.
He was crying quietly.
“Deku?”
He swallowed, his mouth suddenly dry. He felt his tongue thickly stick to the roof of his mouth as he spoke. “Deku, answer me.”
Nothing.
“Stop fucking around Deku. Stop…”
A surge of panic washed over him like the wave of a tsunami. His body quaked as if the earth danced over erupting lava.
Katsuki moved his violently shaking hand toward Izuku, numbly checking his pulse.
He was crying, silently. God forbid he show others his weakness.
There was a pulse. It was there but it gave Katsuki no reason to be relieved. It was weak, uneven and wavering. He looked at his face.
Izuku was conscious. Katsuki cursed aloud and shifted himself so that he was leaning over Izuku. He looked into faded green, half lidded eyes. He sharply inhaled as blood seeped through Izuku’s mouth and dripped down his cheeks. He was gasping and gagging for air.
“Oh my God you- what did you do!? Why!” Katsuki ran bloody fingers through his hair and felt hot tears sting the open cuts covering his face. He began to hyperventilate.
Ripping off his shirt, Katsuki numbly balled it into a tight wad and pressed it against the wound. He didn’t touch the metal for fear of making it worse. Izuku winced and gasped.
“You fucking idiot! Why? Why do you have to be so fucking perfect and risk your life for- for people, huh!? I said I didn’t need your help you- you idiot! You should have listened- !”
Izuku smiled slightly, shaking his head. He attempted to speak but instead gasped wetly.
“J-just shut up. Help- help is coming. You’ll be fine, dumbass.”
The green haired boy blinked slowly. He shuddered and Katsuki could see tears form in his eyes.
“Don’t be stupid, Deku. Y-you’re gonna be fine… Y-you’re always fine. Nothing b-bad will-”
His mouth felt dry, vision blurry.
“-you’ll be fine.”
Izuku gently placed his hand on Katsuki’s. He smiled partly before a spew of blood poured from his mouth. “I-I’m-”
Katsuki inhaled deeply. “Deku c-cmon okay just hold on. You’ll b-be fine and I’ll- I’m gonna kick your ass later for this. You hear me?”
His voice broke, he pounded his fist on the ground with a force that flew dust everywhere, causing him to cough. His chest burned and his heart was in his throat making it hard for him to breath. Katsuki’s ears were ringing again as he screamed.
It was almost time to go out there and face this. Face that green, the selfless boy who sacrificed everything.
Izuku’s eyes glazed over and his hand fell back to his side. If Katsuki hadn’t been panicking before, he was now.
“Deku!” He checked for a pulse.
Nothing.
There was no turning back now. He has to face this.
“Deku! No!” Katsuki screamed, his voice carrying agony for ages. “Deku! I-I’m sorry! No! Please!”
Nothing.
He swallowed thickly, breathing quick.
“D-Deku! Wake up!”
To the world around him he shouted. “Help! Someone!”
Nothing.
Those stupid flowers were green. But not his green.
Katsuki screamed, and screamed. even as others surrounded them. Even as Izuku was whisked away from him and out of sight. Even as arms wrapped around him, embracing him with “I’m sorry” and “It’s okay”
It was time.
He closed his eyes.
“Deku! Come back! I’m sorry! I’m-”
“Hey, bro. Are you okay?” Kirishima spoke, pulling him from his memory. He shuddered and nodded.
“Nervous?”
He shrugged.
“Yeah, me too.” The red head scratched his arm. “So, it’s time to do this. Are- ” He licked his lips. “Are you ready? It’s gonna be a long road but I’m sure you’ll pull through.”
He nodded shakily.
“Well, then, let’s go.”
A pair of doors opened before him and he sniffled, quickly wiping the tears from his face.
At the end of the isle was that green. His green. The green he swore to protect all those years ago. As he walked down that isle, the green smiled and looked at him. Those flowers he held were no comparison to the green orbs that bore into his.
Katsuki’s favorite color was green.
And that green was now his, until death do they part.