Archive of Our Own

There were chills of fear and panic running up Katsuki’s spine. He wondered if the cold he felt was from the chilled air or blood loss; it was hard to tell. The only source of light that Katsuki and Eijirou had was from Eijirou’s cell phone light; not enough, but better than nothing.

Katsuki leaned against the rocks, then looked up in the hopes of finding the smallest hole, the faintest sliver of sunlight through some tiny crack, but he was only met with more of the rock and concrete that buried them. They were stuck and they knew they didn’t have a way out.

They were going to die here.

Katsuki opened his mouth to speak, but when he tried, his vocal cords strained and ached; the only thing he could get out was wet coughing. The blood dripped down his lips and chin. He wiped it off with the back of his hand even though he knew it was basically a moot effort, especially with the gaping hole in his side.

He had less than thirty minutes to live.

Eijirou tried to reach out, but when he shifted and put pressure on his leg, he winced in pain. He used the strength in his arms to drag himself to where Katsuki was sitting. When he settled next to Katsuki, he took his bloody and calloused hand in his own and squeezed in weak reassurance. Katsuki couldn’t reciprocate, but he didn’t pull his hand away, either.

Katsuki swallowed thickly, pushing the sick taste of salt and iron on his lips. He took in a few wheezing breaths and rasped out, “I think we’re gonna have to postpone that hiking trip, Ei.”

Eijirou huffed out a dry laugh and it hurt . “I guess so.” After a few moments of silence, Eijirou suggested, “How about in two weeks?”

Katsuki nodded, his vision swimming when he tilted his head. “Sounds good.”

Eijirou smiled despite the painful dry cracks on his lips. “Great. Two weeks.”

“Two weeks.”

They barely had twenty minutes left.

There was nothing to do but wait for some miracle.

Katsuki was sure the crime scene must look severe from the outside, having been a fairly challenging battle with a group of strong villains. Too many civilian casualties. Too much property damage. Too much of too much.

Eijirou and Katsuki did their job. They did everything in their ability to save the innocent and win the fight. If Katsuki and Eijirou died because the civilians were being saved before them, then they were okay with that. They understood that their careers could always end like this in some way. Both of them knew that sometimes winning the battle meant not returning from it.

Loss was hot and cold, frustrating, and heavy.

Now, Katsuki felt like it all finally made sense.

Twenty-seven years old, Bakugou Katsuki (a.k.a. Ground Zero), was the number one hero. He had the most solved cases, had a very dedicated fanbase who loved his ferociousness, and he never gave up. Katsuki had incredible friends that became his family. He lived with his best friend and love of his life. It was good. He felt accomplished.

Of course, Katsuki didn’t want to die here; he was battling himself so hard to stay awake and responsive. This really was the closest he’s been to death. The only consolation he had was the fact that he was going to die by the one person he loved the most on this godforsaken planet. 

Eijirou let out a pained sigh. “I could really go for some ramen right now,” he complained childishly. “With lots of pork.”

“Let’s get some right after this,” Katsuki spoke quieter than intended. “You’re ass is paying.”

Eijirou chuckled, “Alright, alright. I’ll pay.”

Katsuki knew they were both pretending. It was all a game. They played to pass the time before meeting the inevitable.

Eijirou leaned into Katsuki’s space a little bit. He sighed again, but this time it was truly tired , the one thing giving away how he really felt. “I gotta say something.”

“What is it?”

“Before we get ramen, I just want to let you know that I love you, Katsuki,” he confessed. Katsuki was pretty sure he had actually died already. “I love you so much. I’ve loved you for so long that–”

“Eijirou,” Katsuki cut in, “I knew that. How could I not? You’re obvious.”

Eijirou froze. In a controlled voice, he said, “I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable and you had to tolerate it–”

“Stop it. You didn’t–” Katsuki winced at the sudden sharp sting of pain shooting through his side. He pressed down on his wound more, trying all he could to stop the bleeding. “I don’t tolerate anyone I don’t want to be around. If I’m here it’s because I value our friendship too much to lose it. Eijirou, I–” He hissed when his torn muscles strained at the smallest movements. “You’re my best friend on the entire fucking planet. We’ve been saving each other’s asses for years. We live together, you idiot. I knew you loved me and I stayed because I wanted to, because doing something fucking stupid to push you away would be the dumbest shit of my life because you’re just, you’re not–” He took in a few breaths and blinked to try and clear his vision. Katsuki tried to get his muggy thoughts back in order. “I’m not tolerating jack shit. I stay because we’re friends. Friends , Eijirou.” He coughed; more blood. “Friends,” he croaked out at the end.

They were both silent.

Eijirou’s heart nearly shattered at those words, but there was a mad flurry of thoughts and emotions going through him: sadness, happiness, grief, love, love, and even more love–

Then, Eijirou remembered that they were going to die.

At least the weight on his chest was relieved.

“Friends,” Eijirou said quietly, nodding in confirmation. “You’re my best friend.”

“Just friends,” Katsuki mumbled, voice cracking at the end.

“Just friends.”

The silence was heavy.

Katsuki broke it.

“Y’know,” he struggled to get out, “sometimes I wish I fucking believed that, too.  Just being friends. When we were younger, I was fucking stupid and had no idea what I was feeling. How the hell could I describe the feeling of being by your side, fighting and saving people?” His dry laugh was sad and hollow. “How the fuck do I describe the feeling of just wanting you all the time?” Eijirou’s breath hitched, but he said nothing. “It’s so fucking dumb, Ei. It’s the dumbest, most ridiculous shit on the planet, this feeling. This...simple feeling. Waking up, making breakfast for us, watching TV, lazying around, training– God , how the hell did I not realize?” He groaned and Eijirou saw how much blood there was– it was so bad . “I can’t even lie or hide anything because where the fuck am I going to run?” Katsuki put all of his energy into focusing on Eijirou. “I’ve been in love with you for years.”

Eijirou felt both of their hands trembling.

Katsuki tried to squeeze Eijirou’s hand, but failed. “I’ve been in love with you for years and it’s fucking killing me.” He looked down at his wound, a hit he took for Eijirou. “Well, literally this time, I guess.”

“Katsuki, please, stop talking–”

“The whole thing fucking sucks and I hate myself for not saying all of this shit years ago, but fuck , I really love you. I just really fucking love you.”

“Katsuki–”

“Eijirou, please.”

Please made him stop.

“Just...just hold me.” Katsuki felt the weakness seeping into every cell of his dying body. 

Eijirou wrapped his arms around Katsuki and, fuck , Eijirou realized how cold he was. Eijirou’s heart was tearing itself into pieces, ripping his insides apart. Tears rolled down his cheeks and the shaking sobs only made his own wound worse.

Eijirou didn’t have much time left, either.

Gently, Eijirou ran his fingers through Katsuki’s unruly, singed, dirty, but incredibly soft hair. His voice came out trembling, but he tried to sound bright. “I’m glad we got to spend the rest of our lives together.”

When Katsuki laughed, it was pained, but genuine.

Katsuki spoke in a croaky voice and whispered, “It’s so fucking cheesy, but a spring wedding would be nice.”

“I choose the suits again.”

Eijirou felt so weak.

“Yeah...your job…”

“Sunflowers and roses.”

Why was talking so hard?

“Rings…”

“Tattoos.”

“Yeah…”

“A dog named Aki.”

“Cat…”

“Haruki.”

Katsuki weakly grunted, “Mn,” with closed eyes and slow breathing. 

Eijirou kept trying. “I’ll cook more.” Everything hurt. “I’ll be with you.”

“You…”

“I love you, Katsuki.”

The tears were overflowing.

“I love...I…” Katsuki was going limp.

Eijirou felt the tears being torn out of him, unable to stop the cries that broke out of him. “I love you, too. I do, I do. I love you so much.”

Katsuki’s grasp slipped, his body only being supported by Eijirou. The energy faded from Katsuki and he fell limp in Eijirou’s arms. His breathing stopped. He couldn’t hear a steady heartbeat. 

Katsuki was gone.

He was gone and Eijirou never had enough time.

“We’ll revamp the apartment like you wanted,” Eijirou cried, his words almost unintelligible. “We’ll go that new Thai place down the street. We have to finish our Legal V marathon, Katsuki. We’ll do so much together. I’ll do anything you want.” Ejirou held Katsuki closer. The sobs wracked his whole body. “Please, just don’t leave me, don’t leave me, don’t–” He couldn’t push the words past his lips. It was the worst primal burning inside of him, forcing the intense grief and mourning wails.

The irresistible fatigue was taking over and Eijirou knew he was falling, too. The tears, the weeping, and the absolute pure agony stole his energy. The pain in his shattered legs was overwhelming him. Their blood pooled around their bodies. 

Eijirou couldn’t resist it. He couldn’t fight it. This was the end.

Eijirou sank into darkness.

The only warmth buried under several tonnes of concrete was how they held each other in the end.

Izuku was, frankly, really tired.

The battle itself was as intense as it was equally tragic. Half of the heroes present needed to be kept in the hospital overnight, while others only suffered minor injuries.

Thankfully, Izuku was barely harmed and was able to help with the rescue, relief, and cleanup efforts. They continued searching for survivors in the wreckage. As Izuku moved large slabs of concrete to look for missing bodies underneath, Ochako spoke into their comms.

“Has anyone seen Ground Zero and Red Riot?”

Izuku frowned and dropped the concrete he held up, finding it extremely odd that they had not been one of the first heroes to be out dealing with cleanup as well. “I haven’t seen them. What was their last known location? I’m going to look for them.”

“Hold on,” she replied, “I’ll send it to you right now.”

Izuku followed the map to the section of destruction Kacchan and Kirishima were reported to be at, but he saw no one. A horrible feeling swirled in the pit of his stomach. Immediately, he began moving aside the concrete and rubble, praying that they were okay.

The panic started rising when fifteen minutes of searching had passed and he still hadn’t found him. He had no way of knowing if they were okay and he knew that if they were in one piece, they would’ve been out by now or at least called for assistance. Izuku needed to stay levelheaded, but that was proving to be a bit too difficult with the desperation sitting on his shoulders.

Then, he heard loud cries.

No, it wasn’t crying.

It was wailing ; it was the rawest form of excruciating pain without words, all too recognizable to Izuku after years of being a hero. When the strangling mourning cries quieted down, Izuku panicked and ran. He headed in the direction of the sobbing, but it stopped all too quickly. 

Izuku’s hands were shaking; the cries sounded like Kirishima and it froze him to the core. He almost lost his cool, but he spotted Katsuki’s broken gauntlet and sprinted to it. The gauntlet laid on a small mountain of concrete piled on each other, and between the cracks, there was a small pit; two people could fit and be trapped with no way out. The sharp smell of gasoline hit Izuku’s nose and now he understood–

Katsuki would not have been able to save them.

Quickly and carefully, Izuku began lifting and pushing the rubble away. The rays of sunshine slipped in the hole and illuminated the darkness beneath. Izuku gasped, seeing Kirishima’s still body holding Kacchan’s limp form. Izuku forced down the panic, pushing it as deep as he possibly could; he couldn’t risk losing focus. He had a job to do.

Izuku jumped in the pit and examined them properly. They both rested against the concrete, both of them extremely injured, especially Kacchan with the baseball-sized hole in his side. Kirishima’s leg was painful to look at; it reminded Izuku of when he was younger and still learning how to use One For All; how red, purple, and bloodied his limbs would be after shattering his bones into a million pieces. 

Izuku pressed his earpiece and ordered, “I need medics here now !”

“Did you find them?” Ochako asked.

“Are they okay?” Ashido piped up in the comms.

“Please say they’re okay,” Kaminari nearly begged.

Izuku leaned forward and reached out, trying to feel for a pulse. There were stretched out seconds turning into an eternity of nothingness, and Izuku was close to breaking down from the loss of two friends.

Then, relief washed over him like a wave when the faintest heartbeats jumped against Izuku’s fingers and his eyes watered from how thankful he was. “Really weak,” he replied. “A foot in the grave.”

“Fuck,” Shouto swore on the other end.

“Medics have been dispatched to your location,” Tenya relayed. “Stay where you are and keep them alive.”

“I’d never leave them,” Izuku swore firmly. He ripped a piece of his sleeve using the fabric to stop Kacchan’s bleeding as best he could.

The medics arrived less than a minute later, but each moment had Izuku more and more worried; it was the seconds that determined life or death. Hitoshi came in tow to assist, having also studied medicine, becoming another medical hero. 

Immediately, they got to work. Izuku moved out of the way, ignoring his selfish impulse to block everyone so he could protect his friends, but he knew there was nothing he could do to help. He needed to let the professionals do what they did best: Save Lives. 

When Izuku returned to the main gathering point, he kept himself steady and strong as they all watched Kacchan and Kirishima being lifted on the stretchers and rolled into the ambulance. Finally, Izuku clutched at his chest and let out a long shaky breath. His heart was beating like a kicking jackrabbit, his mind spinning with a million different thoughts and worries. Suddenly exhausted, he leaned against the wall of a damaged apartment complex. 

Izuku’s eyes were closed when Ochako said, “I saw them. They look bad.” He opened his eyes and she was only a couple of meters away, getting closer with each step she took.  

“It was more than bad,” Izuku replied. His fists tightened, the white of his knuckles showing prominently. “I’m scared, Ochako,” he admitted. “They’re strong and I know they can pull through, but it’s just…” He sighed heavily, running a hand through his knotted curls in pure stress and frustration. “I wish none of this had happened, which is a silly thought.”

Ochako laid her hand on his shoulder and squeezed gently, reassuring him of her presence and support. “It’s going to be okay,” she said, but it was apparent in her somewhat weak tone that she wasn’t so sure of that, either. “We’ll go straight to the hospital after we’re done here. All of us. Together.”

Izuku nodded, but he stopped short and shook his head with a sigh. “I don’t know if the country can handle the loss of another number one, not with Endeavor retiring five years ago, Hawks getting arrested for being a double agent–”

“I still think he’s innocent,” Ochako interrupted. “He did good work to keep everyone safe.”

“He doesn’t belong behind bars,” he agreed. “We can’t take any more loss. Especially not since–” not since All Might’s passing last year, but he couldn’t seem to say it without choking up. “Ochako, I don’t know what I’ll do if Kacchan dies. I’d have to move on because this is my job and I can’t change what happened, but I don’t know if I could ever move on. The very thought–”

Ochako cut him off with her hands suddenly capturing his face as she said, “Izuku, please, you need to calm down.”

Izuku shook his head, though it was somewhat difficult to do so while in her grasp. “I can’t stop thinking about it. I grew up with him. We went through so much together. We watched each other as we grew and struggled over the years. He’s my rival, my friend, my brother–” He bit his bottom lip. He pulled Ochako’s hands away with care. “I’ll be lost.”

The hug she pulled him into was more than welcome. “He won’t go that easy,” she said with a firm sense of finality. “He won’t go that easy. Like you, he has no idea how to give up, and neither does Eijirou. It’s not in their nature, Izuku.”

Izuku wrapped his arms around her waist and he rested his head on her shoulder. All he needed was the physical touch of a loved one and all the warmth that came with it. After the horrible day they had all endured, the one thing he wanted most was to go home and sit on the couch with Ochako while drinking tea and watching a bad horror movie, but they had a job to finish. 

“How are the others?” Izuku asked once they separated. “Any other major injuries?”

She shook her head and he let out a breath of relief. “No, nothing severe. Tenya is just resting his legs, and Tsuyu had to get her arm patched up from a nasty scratch, but otherwise, everyone is fine. We’re all okay, Izuku.”

Some of the tension locked in his shoulders melted away, his arms falling to his sides. “Good,” he said. “I’m relieved.”

Hours later, after what seemed like an agonizing eternity, when everyone had passed the tortuous threshold of fatigue and stinging body pains, they all pushed through it to rush over to the hospital and check on Kacchan and Kirishima’s condition. The biggest fear they had was the doctor somberly delivering the news of their deaths. 

The receptionist informed the group that they were both in surgery and it would take some time due to the severity of their injuries. 

“It’s a miracle they even managed to get here alive ,” a nurse told them. “It must’ve been a horrible scene. I’m sorry you had to go through it. Thank you for doing your jobs and saving everyone. You’re all very brave.”

The hours passed and there was no news. They waited and waited, some of them falling asleep in their chairs. Civilians whispered and pointed at the group when they were spotted, amazed to see top heroes in the same hospital as them. However, they were all respectful and nobody bothered them.

Ashido was sleeping in between Sero and Kaminari, her head resting on the back of the couch, her mouth open and snoring quietly. If this were under better circumstances, Izuku would’ve found the scene to be kind of funny. When Izuku looked at Jirou, she was on her phone with sharp focus, dark circles under her eyes. “I’m making them playlists for when they wake up,” she murmured. “They’ll want some healing music.”

They were Kacchan’s best friends.

Izuku felt sorry for them. 

He was just grateful that Kacchan and Kirishima always had their support. 

After nine hours, the doctors finally came out to share an update on Kacchan and Kirishima’s conditions. The whole group was tense with anticipation, hope, and fear.

The doctor looked just as tired as they all felt, but even with all of that, he smiled. “They both pulled through and are in stable condition. However, they–”

“Thank God!” Ashido cried in relief, bursting into tears immediately. She dropped her head on Kaminari’s shoulder and he rubbed her back for comfort. 

“ However ,” the doctor continued, they are not allowed visitors until tomorrow. Even then, the visitations are limited to family only.”

“With all due respect,” Shouto said in a tone that didn’t really show any respect, “we just saved the city. Those are our coworkers and close friends. I doubt their families can be here tomorrow as they are currently abroad for the holidays. When they wake up, we need to be there.”

“I’m sorry,” the doctor said with a sympathetic smile. “I really am. We just can’t allow that.”

Shouto looked ready to argue, but Izuku stopped him. He didn’t seem pleased about it, but he backed off. Then, Izuku had the chance to ask, “When will they wake up?”

“Red Riot is expected to wake up by tomorrow,” the doctor replied. “However, Ground Zero is, unfortunately, most likely going to be asleep for a little while more.”

Jirou stepped forward. “What? Why?”

“His injuries were the most severe,” the doctor explained. “Several organs were damaged, he lost significant amounts of blood, he had broken ribs, a dislocated shoulder, a concussion, and a gaping hole in his side. It’s a wonder he’s alive; he really pushed through the hardest.”

Once they were all reassured of their stable health, they had no choice but to go home.

By the time Izuku and Ochako arrived at their apartment, Ochako was basically sleepwalking and Izuku felt like he was going to collapse the very moment the front door closed behind them. They forced themselves to shower before going to bed because even though they were dead on their feet, they also felt beyond disgusting and grimy. Izuku was amazed that neither of them passed out in the shower.

Izuku also wanted some tea, but he was too tired to prepare it himself, and he got upset. It was such a childish thing to get upset over, but at this point, his mind had let go of maturity and only wanted the human basics: food and sleep, except he couldn’t figure out what order.

In the end, he didn’t have a choice; Ochako forced him to sleep and he couldn’t complain. 

When they woke up the following morning, it felt like a fast slumber where they emerged completely rested. Izuku glanced at the clock and realized they had slept for almost thirteen hours. Truly, they were lucky they didn’t have to work. 

Ochako was still sleeping, laying on her front, mouth open and snoring loudly. It was an incredibly unattractive sight and Izuku thought it was the cutest thing in the world. Not wanting to disturb her, Izuku climbed out of bed quietly and went to the bathroom. 

A little while later, he was occupied making breakfast in the kitchen. Ochako shuffled in, announcing her presence with a yawn. She was blinking the sleep out of her eyes and she smiled softly. “Good morning,” she greeted.

“Good morning.” He turned to hand her a mug. “Tea.”

“Oh my God, thank you .”

“I’ll make coffee if you want.”

She waved her hand dismissively and said, “It’s fine. I’ll do it myself. You just keep cooking.” On her way to the coffee maker, she kissed him and smiled wider. “I told you everything would be okay, didn’t I?”

Izuku chuckled, “Yeah, I guess you did.”

With a happy hum, Ochako turned her attention to the coffee maker and they said nothing else on the matter.

They waited for the days to pass.

Kirishima’s boisterous laughter rang through his hospital room. Kaminari had only made one stupid comment about how messy Kirishima looked and, loopy from the pain, he started laughing so hard that Izuku was worried he’d tear some stitches. 

“I missed you guys.” Kirishima pouted and his eyes began to water.

“Ei, we were with you when you woke up,” Ashido reminded him with a smile. “We were right here. How could you miss us?”

Nobody mentioned the fact that they managed to bribe some of the hospital staff to allow them to see Kirishima and Kacchan.

“Because,” Kirishima replied, bottom lip trembling. 

“Oh God, dude, don’t cry,” Kaminari begged. “That’ll be the third time.” Even with that, a tear slipped out of Kirishima’s eye. “Ei, why are you crying, man?”

“I love you guys,” Kirishima cried, voice cracking. “And I love Katsuki, but they won’t let me see him.”

“Aww,” Sero cooed with a smirk on his face. “He’s right next door, bro.”

Kirishima only cried harder. “I know ! That’s worse!”

“How is that worse?” Jirou asked, trying to hide a grin of enjoyment. 

Kirishima sniffled. “Because,” he started, then paused to cough. “Because I wanna see him so bad,” he whined.

“You’ll get to see Bakugou soon,” Tsuyu assured him. “He’s still asleep. Maybe by the time you’re allowed to see him, he’ll be awake.”

Kirishima nodded slowly, still very much out of it, but levelheaded enough to agree with that logic. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. Just kinda sad I can’t see him right now because he’s really cute when he sleeps.”

“Doubt it,” Shouto mumbled.

Kirishima dropped his head on the pillow and let out a long and sad sigh. “Did I tell you guys that I confessed? We confessed. Bakugou confessed to me and then I thought he died and–” He dragged a hand down his face. “This is a lot.”

“You and Bakugou are going to be fine,” Jirou said. “Your recovery period isn’t long.”

Despite her words, they all saw the lingering fear and anxiety in his eyes. 

“Ei,” Kaminari said, placing a gentle hand on Kirishima’s shoulder, “you’re gonna see him soon. The doctors said he’s probably gonna wake up tomorrow. It’s all chill, man.”

“Yeah!” Mina grinned and reassured, “You’ll be there for him, okay?”

After a pause, Kirishima agreed. “Alright.”

The pain behind Kirishima’s eyes– that was something Izuku was all too familiar with. Kirishima’s best friend (Boyfriend? Lover? Were they ever going to talk about it?) was in the adjacent room and couldn’t get to him despite the overwhelming desire to do so. It was the pain of yearning.

They had all stopped by Kacchan’s room earlier, before seeing Kirishima, and Izuku wanted to leave as soon as he walked in. The very thought made him feel terribly guilty. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to see Kacchan, but rather he didn’t want to see Kacchan like that. It was extremely unpleasant to see him unmoving, wrapped in bandages and casts, hooked up to different machines and monitors, and the room too stiff for Izuku. His body was pale, bruised, and broken. Kacchan was alive, yes, but all the evidence of being much too close to the grave was everywhere. It was an ugly sight. 

Izuku couldn’t imagine what Kirishima was feeling right now because the relationship they had with Kacchan were very different, but their shared pain was equally valid and distressing.

Kaminari looked down at his beeping phone and frowned. He silenced his cell and stuffed it in his back pocket. “Alright, dude. I gotta head out. We’ll stop by tomorrow, okay?”

“We promise,” Ashido added.

Kirishima nodded with a dopey smile. “Thanks, you guys. I love you all so much.”

“Please,” Sero sighed, “don’t cry again.”

As they all prepared to leave, Kirishima called out, “Hey, Midoriya. Can I talk to you alone for a sec?”

Izuku glanced at Ochako, who said, “I’ll meet you in the lobby?” When Izuku smiled, she kissed his cheek and left the room.

It was just Izuku and Kirishima.

“They told me you’re the one who found us,” Kirishima said. “Why didn’t you mention it before?”

“Well,” Izuku started, “I didn’t consider it to be all that important, really, especially under the current circumstances.” He looked at Kirishima’s bandages and said, “There were more vital things that needed to be taken care of.” He smiled a bit. “And you know that I don’t look for glory or anything like that. You’re both my friends and I care about you more than I can say, so I didn’t have to think. I just went in to do it. Really, I just never want to see that again. So, if you and Kacchan could be a bit more careful next time, I’d really appreciate it,” he ended on a light note.

Kirishima chuckled. “Man, you’re way too good to be true. It’s not about glory and you’ve always been so noble.” The small smile slipped away and he sighed. “What if Katsuki doesn’t remember that we confessed when he wakes up? What if everything goes back to what it used to be?”

Oh, that was a problem. In reality, that was a genuine possibility. There was a real chance that Kacchan could have forgotten those last moments before passing out.

“What if he only said all that because he was dying and delirious?”

Okay, that was wrong.

“Kirishima,” Izuku said, “I can assure you that Kacchan wasn’t lying, if that’s what you’re really worried about.”

Kirishima frowned. “Well, not lying , but–”

“He also wasn’t doing it just because he was out of his mind,” Izuku stated, his tone non-negotiable. “He really does love you, Kirishima. I know this because I’ve seen it develop over the years. And also because he told me.”

Kirishima’s brows flew to his hairline as he sent Izuku an incredulous face. “He what ?”

Kacchan and Izuku went to a bar a few months ago. They discovered they could have tame, and oftentimes deep , conversations over a drink in a neutral space unrelated to their careers. Izuku had expressed his desire to propose to Ochako soon and Kacchan called him an idiot for waiting so long. Izuku didn’t admit that Kacchan was probably right in his assessment. 

“You’re practically fucking married already,” Kacchan groaned, already slightly tipsy. “You two sick love birds have been together since our second year at U.A. and you still haven’t popped the question. Good God, you pathetic worm, it’s been almost ten whole motherfucking years.”

Izuku moaned in despair into his glass of sake. “I’m nervous,” he whined. “It’s killing me.”

“I’m about to kill you for real if you don’t put your fuckin’ big boy pants on.” Kacchan shook his head and took another drink of his sake. “You’ve lived together since graduation, you have an agency together, you’re house shopping together– shit, you idiot .”

Izuku scoffed. “That’s rich coming from you, actually.”

“Fuckin’ excuse me?”

“You’re excused.” Before Kacchan could literally blow up the bar, Izuku quickly added, “You’ve been with Kirishima for the same amount of time, and nothing has happened.”

Kacchan’s frown deepened into a scowl. He looked two seconds away from shattering the glass in his hands. Instead of damaging the bar’s property, he said, “It’s not the same. Not even close.”

Izuku snorted, equally amused and unamused. “Wait, hold on, how is this not similar? You’ve been friends since our first year, you have an apartment together, you work at the same agency– the one you founded together , by the way– and also–”

“Okay, okay! Shut the fuck up!” Kacchan demanded, slapping a hand over Izuku’s mouth. “I said it’s not the fucking same.”

Izuku removed Kacchan’s calloused hand from his face. “And why’s that?”

“Eijirou and I aren’t romantically involved, you moron.” Kacchan’s scowl relaxed, turning into more of a pout than real anger. “We’re...just friends.”

Izuku couldn’t help the annoyed groan that escaped him. “Yeah, and I’m Spider-Man.”

“Shut up, you fucking nerd.”

It took a few more moments of waiting, but Kacchan finally admitted, “I love that dipshit.” The storm of emotions on Kacchan’s face was more intense than Izuku understood, but the yearning was clear in every detail of his being. “He’s dumb as hell, but also smart in his own stupid way. Eijirou is strong and hot as fuck. He makes me laugh my ass off until my sides hurt and I hate it, but I love it, too.” Kacchan’s mouth formed a tight line. “I’m not…” He sighed. “I’m not fucking... good with words, but he is. He knows how to talk about emotions and shit, like it’s natural and easy for him to do. I don’t get him sometimes, but I also get him all the time. I don’t know what the hell it is about him, but he’s just... there. He’s always there for some fucking reason.”

“There?” Izuku asked. “Where exactly?”

Kacchan vaguely gestured at the bar around him and himself. “I don’t fucking know– everywhere , okay? It’s just always him .” He ran a hand through his hair and let out a self-deprecating and frustrated dry laugh. “God, this was so much easier when we were kids and I was ignoring all this shit. I just...I can’t do that anymore. If I could, I’d breathe with a clear chest, but that’s not where I’m at right now.” He stared down at his sake like it personally offended him. “If I see him walk out of the bathroom buck-ass naked with that fuckin’ Adonis body one more fuckin’ time, I’m gonna–”

Izuku waved his hands in Kacchan’s face and shook his head hurriedly. “Nope, no , stop it, I don’t wanna hear th–”

“I’m allowed to talk about–”

“No!”

“Shut up!”

They glared at each other, but Izuku finally backed down first. 

“You can just talk to him, you know. Like a normal person.”

“If I say something, my brain is gonna jump right into a damn marriage proposal before a casual date,” Kacchan grumbled. “Not fuckin’ tame.”

Izuku frowned and said, “No, you are not proposing before me. I swear to God Herself–”

“Calm the hell down, Deku,” Kacchan growled. “I’m not doing jack shit right now. I’m just tryna figure out how to fucking confess .”

“Just tell him.”

“Hah?”

Izuku shrugged. “Just tell him,” he said. “You’re both in love. Go up to him and say, ‘Hey, I love you, bro, dude, my man,’ whatever you guys call each other, then date. You’re making this more complicated than it is.”

“It’s not that fucking simple–”

“But it is, actually.” Izuku put his glass down on the wooden counter. “Look, the love is mutually requited, and don’t try to tell me you haven’t suspected it. Kacchan, he is not subtle. At all. Last time I checked, you’re not dumb, so I know you’ve seen it, too. Really, it is that simple. I get that our lives are busy and there’s a lot going on at all times. Part of why it’s taking me so long to propose is because I worry about when we’re even going to have the time to do the whole wedding, but a confession is where it starts.” Izuku smiled. “If you confess, there’s no time limit. It’s just you two together, then you progress from there however you both want. But first, you need to actually say something. Don’t live with regrets, Kacchan.”

That night at the bar, Kacchan seemed to understand. He said nothing more on the subject.

And now, in the present, Kirishima and Kacchan were in hospital beds, they couldn’t see each other, and they had reached closer to death than ever before. Being told that Kacchan confessed right before nearly dying made Izuku want to punch him. It was like being back to square one, but with Kirishima. Izuku decided to hand him the same advice.

“Then you confess again,” Izuku replied. “If he forgot, just say it again. Tell him he also confessed to you and you want to be together. That’s it. It’s that easy.”

Unlike Kacchan, Kirishima was actually open to suggestions from friends.

“Yeah,” Kirishima murmured. “Yeah, I’ll do that.”

Izuku could finally let out a long sigh of relief.

The next morning, when Eijirou’s nurses left his room, he waited a few minutes until the coast was clear. 

Eijirou tip-toed quietly out of his room.

The first thought Katsuki had upon regaining consciousness was, “Holy shit. I’m awake? I’m not dead?”

He slowly blinked his sleep-heavy eyelids open, wincing from the bright sunlight streaming in from the windows. His mouth was dry as hell, head foggy as fuck ( morphine , he guessed), and there was a solid weight on his right hand.

Katsuki turned his head with unreasonable difficulty and saw Eijirou resting his head on the bed, his left hand holding Katsuki’s right, and small snores were leaving his lips. Katsuki’s heart filled with warmth, but the anxiety began to travel through his nerves.

When Katsuki tried to move and reach Eijirou to shake him awake, Eijirou woke on his own and sleepily mumbled, “Katsuki? You awake?”

“Yeah,” he replied, his voice croaky from disuse. “Water.”

Eijirou nodded, alert now, and handed him the cup of water on the bedside table. 

The water was a full-body relief. Katsuki felt like he could relate to a man dying of thirst in the desert. Eijirou’s hand on his own was an intense comfort, something he didn’t know he needed before, but it was something he wanted so desperately all the time.

“How long was I out?”

Eijirou rubbed the back of his neck. “I was asleep for about three days, but you’ve been out for nearly a week.”

Katsuki frowned.

“Yeah…”

Katsuki dropped his head back on the pillow. “Great.”

“Why’re you so upset?”

Katsuki grunted, displeased. “That means it was bad and I’ll be stuck in recovery for a couple more weeks before I can work again. It’s fucking annoying.”

Eijirou chuckled. “Can you relax for a bit, please? You being alive is a miracle in itself. Chill.”

Katsuki sighed sharply through his nose. Perhaps he was being a bit childish, but he didn’t care and he certainly wasn’t going to admit it. “Whatever.” He noticed the dark circles under Eijirou’s eyes and the strained smile he kept on his chapped lips. Despite the happy mask he wore, there was some hurt there. “Spit it out,” Katsuki demanded.

“Huh?”

“You’re looking like a kicked puppy.” Katsuki frowned in concern. “What is it?”

Eijirou hummed under his breath. “I mean, you almost died. We almost died. I just thought…” He sighed, closing his eyes. “I thought you really died, Katsuki– right there in my arms.” His eyebrows furrowed, but he finally looked at Katsuki. “You love me. I love you.”

At that moment, everything came rushing back all at once. 

Getting impaled, Eijirou as his shield, falling into a hole, covered by concrete, gasoline dripping through the cracks, desperation clawing his insides, overwhelming bursts of love–

Right.

That happened.

“Sorry,” Katsuki said after a long pause. “I should’ve told you sooner. Kind of a dick move to do that at the last minute–”

“What you did wasn’t a dick move.” Eijirou gently squeezed his hand. “I wish the situation had been different, but it made me really happy.”

“You were...happy,” he echoed flatly.

“Yeah, Katsuki!” he laughed. “You love me, you’re alive– what else could I ever ask for?”

Eijirou had saved Katsuki so many times. He was there in what they thought would be their last moments. Eijirou never asked for anything in return. Katsuki was selfish. Being selfish didn’t bother him much, though. Katsuki was there for Eijirou just like Eijirou was there for him. They had fought together and being with Eijirou was exhilarating, calming, and home all wrapped into one.

Katsuki always asked for far too much. Katsuki was selfish.

So, he decided that, in that moment, he would be selfish. He wanted to be greedy and take what he fought so hard to have. Nothing material– something more precious and meaningful that could never be held and was meant to fly free. 

More selfishness couldn’t hurt.

Katsuki wanted to be selfish once more.

“Eijirou.”

“Yeah?”

“Marry me.”

Eijirou stilled, his eyes blew wide open, and Katsuki could feel his heartbeat speeding up as he touched Eijirou’s wrist. “Katsuki–”

“No, this is not because of the drugs they’re pumping into my veins. I really want to marry you.”

Eijirou’s huffed out a laugh, both joyful and almost distressed. “Why now?”

“Because I don’t want to live my life with regrets.”

The longer the silent pause stretched between them, the more anxiety shot through his nerves. Was he wrong? Was this too much? He knew he would jump headfirst into marriage the second he opened his mouth. It was a lot–

Katsuki raised his head when he heard sniffling. Dragging himself out of his own thoughts, he looked at Eijirou and panicked at the sight of thick tears falling down his cheeks. 

“Hold on, why’re you–”

“I’m sorry, I just–” Eijirou tried to say, but the words trembled in the air. “So much has been happening. That surprised me. That’s all. I’m just really happy.” He let out a wet laugh, one full of genuine excitement. “Marriage, huh? You really are all or nothing.”

“What’s the point of waiting? We’re practically there, anyway,” Katsuki reasoned. “We work together, we’ve been friends for eleven years, we do everything together, and, for fucks sakes , we’re in each other’s wills , Eijirou. Just fucking marry me. I don’t need to know the dating phase. We already did all of that without the romance. Now, we can just add that element in after we get married. Or right now. Preferably right now.”

Eijirou smiled so brightly, Katsuki thought he was going to go blind. He was still crying, but he was calmer. He leaned in to kiss Katsuki’s head and he rested their foreheads together. Katsuki could feel Eijirou’s breath on his cheek, and he closed his eyes.

“Yes,” Eijirou finally said. “ Yes , I’ll marry you, Katsuki. I’ll follow you always.”

Katsuki gently pushed him away, but only enough to get a proper look at Eijirou, and his mind exploded with how beautiful he was. Happiness came off Eijirou’s entire being like a tsunami, and Katsuki wanted to be broken down and drown in it. Most of their communication relied on body language, on and off the job. They knew each other’s tells, the small movements, the slightest downturn of their eyes, the stiffness of their shoulders–

They read each other perfectly.

Wordlessly leaning into the kiss was natural.

Katsuki’s heart monitor beeped faster and Eijirou broke the kiss with a laugh. “You like that?”

Katsuki internally swore at the heart monitor betraying him.

“That’s not a no,” Eijirou teased. 

“You’re annoying,” Katsuki replied.

Eijirou wasted no time in kissing him again, and again, and again, and Katsuki knew the lightheadedness wasn’t from the morphine.

“I love you, Kirishima Eijirou,” Katsuki whispered against his lips.

Eijirou smiled and, Lord , he was obsessed with it. He would never tire of Eijirou’s happiness. “And I love you, Bakugou Katsuki.”

Katsuki huffed out a laugh, a real one tied with warmth. “So…”

“So…?”

“A spring wedding?” 

“How cheesy,” Eijirou said, his voice full of mirth. “I would love that.”

“Perfect.”

And it really was perfect. Yes, he almost died, but he didn’t. He was alive. And life was that much brighter.

Eijirou’s love was the best win Katsuki had ever earned. No man was as lucky as he was, and he counted his miracles, every single one, and nothing could compare. Eijirou was the best blessing of them all.

Later on that night, Katsuki dialed Deku’s number.

“Hey, Deku.”

“Hm? What’s up, Kacchan?”

Katsuki smirked. “I beat you.”

“Uh, what’re you talking about?”

“Eijirou’s my fiancé.” 

Deku was silent. Katsuki could practically see his face going through the five stages of anger until he finally blew up. “Are you kidding me right now?! I hate you so much! What the fuck, Kacchan!”

“Hahaha! Suck it, you lil’ bitch!”

“Fuck you!”

Katsuki disconnected the call and placed his phone face down on the bedside table and smiled smugly, ignoring all the blasting texts from Deku and his rage. Silently, he enjoyed his time running his hands through Eijirou’s soft ungelled hair as he drifted back to sleep.