Chapter Text
“Kacchan?”
Katsuki grunts in pain as he tries to respond to the voice. He’s known that voice all his life, been there for its first cry, first laugh, first word. Katsuki knows that voice and the person it belongs to better than he knows himself. And there is nothing that pains Katsuki more than knowing it’s here right now. Katsuki tries to adjust his body position, but he’s stuck in place. Katsuki coughs, trying to sit himself up enough to respond to the person he’s loved all his life.
“De-Deku.”
“Kacchan!” yells the voice again. Katsuki hears footsteps, knows that Deku is sprinting towards him. The sound of his ratty red sneakers against the puddles of rain (or blood, Katsuki can’t tell which is which in this darkness), makes a plip plip sound as Deku comes closer. Katsuki’s eyes are half open, and he wishes he was alone.
“Deku,” Katsuki croaks again. He hates that he has to use this.
“Don’t come, Deku.”
“But Kacchan-” the voice says, otherwise not reacting to the words that have always haunted him, “you’re hurt! I need to help you!”
Katsuki frowns, confused. Now that he thinks about it, Deku shouldn't even be here. This is a different Deku. And, Katsuki realizes, there is something different about Deku’s voice. It seems lighter, much less tired. It hasn’t been through half as much hell as Katsuki’s Deku has, but it’s still been through hell.
Mostly because of Katsuki.
“Deku,” Katsuki calls out, “how-how old are you?”
Katsuki can see Deku’s figure now, rushing towards him with panic in his eyes. Deku kneels in front of Katsuki, right next to his damaged body, and Deku gasps. Tears immediately fill his eyes as his hands hesitantly reach for Katsuki’s face.
“Thirteen,” Deku responds, “but-why are you-”
“Deku,” Katsuki rasps, “I’m twenty-three. You’re not supposed to be here.”
“Yes I am,” Deku says resolutely, hands scrabbling all over Katsuki’s body, trying to find the best place to start fixing his wounds. Katsuki wants to tell him it's useless, but he’s tired of always being the person who takes away Deku’s hope.
“I belong wherever Kacchan is,” Deku continues, “any Kacchan.”
Katsuki’s heart clenches. “What-what are you doing here?”
“I was hit by some kind of time-travel quirk,” Deku responds. His voice is eerily calm, not at all matching the way his hands stutter over the largest wound, the one that pierces through Katsuki’s abdomen. The way Deku’s tears roll down his face, eyes wide and scared.
“Ah,” Katsuki nods, “Deku-you’re in middle school.”
“I know,” Deku says, “don’t worry about that, Kacchan. Let me help you.”
“Why?” Katsuki wheezes, “why are you being-so nice to me? After-after everything? Deku, I-”
“Shhhh,” Deku whispers, “don’t, Kacchan. Please."
Katsuki hears the undertones of desperation in his voice. He nods.
Deku’s hands are covered in blood. He scrutinizes them as he lifts them away from Katsuki’s wounds, watching as blood drips onto the concrete.
“Kacchan, what happened to you?”
“I’m a hero,” Kacchan replies, “I did what I had to do.”
Deku lowers his head, tears falling onto Katsuki’s hero costume, dripping in between the orange crosses. “And where am I?”
“Right here.”
“No,” Deku argues, “where is your me? Why isn’t he right here with you?”
“I-” Katsuki takes a moment to think, “Deku’s with his wife.”
“His wife?” Deku frowns, “I get married? I don’t stay with you?”
“Why the hell would you stay with me?” Katsuki almost laughs, “you’ve always been crazy, you know. But my you came to his senses. Stopped following me.”
“I would never,” Deku disagrees, running his hands over Katsuki’s blood-covered stomach, over his bruised muscles, torn and damaged. “I get into UA with you, right?”
Katsuki smiles at Deku’s optimism. “Of course you do. You’re a hero, Deku.”
“Without a quirk?”
“You get someone else’s quirk.” Deku looks at him in confusion, and Katsuki sighs, “it’s complicated. You’ll learn when it's time.”
Deku nods. “But if your Deku is a hero, why isn’t he here?”
Katsuki sighs. “I told you-”
“If I were your Deku,” Deku interrupts, “I would be your hero partner. Fighting alongside you. I would have been there to make sure this never happened.”
“By what?” Katsuki’s scoff is harsh, harsher than he wanted it to be, “taking the hit for me? That’s exactly why we’re not hero partners, Deku. You’re too self-sacrificial around me. You don’t even take hits for Uraraka like you take hits for me.”
“Uraraka?”
“Your wife.”
“Oh.”
Deku’s eyes are black as he roams them over Katsuki’s deadweight figure. Tears are still steadily falling, and Katsuki clears his throat. Deku looks up.
“It’s okay,” Katsuki says, “Deku is safe. That’s all that matters.”
"But what about Kacchan? Why doesn't it matter if he's not safe?"
Katsuki sighs, decides to be honest. "I don't know."
Deku picks up one of Katsuki’s limp hands. Holds it in his own.
“You love me, don’t you?”
Katsuki exhales. “I do.”
Deku puts Katsuki’s hand on his heart. It’s warm. “I love you, Kacchan. Well, my you. Even though he pushes me around. I always knew you’d come back to me.”
“I did,” Katsuki assures, “I do. We get so many years together, Deku. I get my head out of my ass, and apologize, and we become real friends.”
Deku sniffles. “Why’d I get married to someone else?”
“You didn’t love me anymore,” Katsuki says, “simple as that. You realized you deserved better and you chose someone who made you feel good.”
“I don’t understand,” Deku pinches his brows together in thought, “you’re the only one I love. Even in this future, you should be the only one I love.”
Katsuki coughs; a little blood dribbles down his face. Deku is immediately at attention, bringing his small fingers to rest on Katsuki’s cheek, tracing his jawline and slowly sweeping the blood away. Deku smiles, soft and sad.
“I’m glad you came back to me, Kacchan.”
Katsuki tries for a small smile in return. “Me too. It’s only a few more years, Deku. And then we’ll work things out and I’ll apologize. I promise.”
“You don’t need to,” Deku shakes his head, “I already believe you. And I’m going to do things right. I’m going to love you the way you should be loved. I’ll be fighting right by your side in this battle, and neither one of us will take the hit.”
Katsuki likes the sound of that future. He also knows that- “if anyone can make that happen, it’s you, Deku. I know you can. You’re a hero, you save people.”
“With a smile,” Deku agrees. Then, he sombers.
“Kacchan.”
“Deku.”
“Are you going to die?”
Kacchan lifts his head the slightest bit, takes into account the pole boring a hole through his stomach. The gash bleeding out on his head. How the arm that Deku isn’t holding to his chest is limp and boneless. How utterly helpless he feels.
“Yes,” Katsuki answers.
Deku’s tears fall faster. Katsuki reaches his hand up, off of Deku’s chest and to his face. Wipes the tears away with soft, careful fingers. Nothing like the explosions and smoke this young Deku would be used to from him. Katsuki feels sick.
“I’ll change the future,” Deku says, resolutely, “I’ll save you.”
Katsuki manages a real smile this time, eyes fluttering closed.
The last thing he sees is Deku, crying. Crying over Katsuki.
Deku, promising to save him. Katsuki heaves one last breath.
“You already have, Deku.”
Twenty-three year old Katsuki Bakugou dies. Thirteen year old Izuku Midoriya lifts his head to the pitch-black skies, rain falling on cold cheeks, and he screams.