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Dread spread painfully in Katsuki’s chest as he watched Todoroki and Ida drag Deku’s limp body between them. His green curls obstructing Katsuki from seeing his face as his head lolled lifelessly. Katsuki could feel his heart pounding against his ribs as he thought the worst.
As they neared, he caught the paleness of his skin, a light sheen of sweat coating his face and wetting his damned ‘T-Shirt’ T-shirt. Then, starkly standing out on Deku’s sickly appearance, Katsuki saw the dark, oozing bite wound on Deku’s shoulder.
“What the fuck happened?” Katsuki yelled at the search party. Todoroki, Ida, Kirishima, Monoma and Deku had gone to scavenge for supplies and as unpredictable as the Apocalypse could be, he knew his friends to be stealthy when they needed to. How had this gone so wrong?
At his question, Todoroki threw a dirty look at Monoma, “Ask him.”
Now, Monoma was not counted as Katsuki’s friends. The other blonde rolled his eyes at Todoroki, “Stop making such a big deal out of it.”
Kirishima and Ida shot disgusted glares at the other blonde and that was enough information for Katsuki. He collided with the Monoma with rage rapidly pulsing through him. Grabbing onto his collar, Katsuki growled, “You had something to do with this?”
Monoma lowered his eyelids in a taunt, “Please, you care about him now? Didn’t you tell him to kill himself not too long ago.”
Behind Katsuki, Todoroki laid Deku down on his sleeping bag, one of the spoils from scavenging and Ochaco and Mina rushed forward to see what the commotion was about. Ochaco uttered a small and shocked, “Deku-kun.” Before she began examining the wound.
Mina blanched, “Oh my gods, what happened?”
Todoroki was on his feet in the next second, charging towards Monoma. His eyes alight with fury, “This asshole used Midoriya has a human shield.”
Katsuki’s grip on Monoma’s collar unconsciously tightened.
Monoma scoffed, “You’re exaggerating, Todoroki-san.”
Todoroki told Bakugou, gritting his teeth in anger, “We ran into a pack of Infected at the drug store. We were all fighting and this one headed towards Monoma and he just pulled Midoriya in front of him like a fucking coward.”
“It was going to kill me!”
“I saw it! If you’d waited one second, I would have got it! You don’t sacrifice your friends!” Todoroki yelled back.
Monoma groaned in annoyance, “He’s immune. So what?”
Katsuki punched him. He wasn’t sure which word triggered the violent reflex, only that he had heard enough to determine Monoma deserved it.
Monoma stumbled down with the force, but before he could right himself. Katsuki swung his fist crashing with satisfaction onto Monoma’s stupid face. Todoroki did nothing to stop Bakugou’s outburst, still seething and likely enjoying punishment due.
It was Iida who called for Katsuki to stop, “Bakugou, enough. Midoriya wouldn’t want us to be fighting among ourselves now.”
Despite his words, Ida as well as the others seemed reluctant to physically come between them. Either fearing Katsuki or respecting his judgement.
“I want him fucking gone.” Katsuki spat, shoving Monoma away from him.
“We shouldn’t make rash decisions, Bakugou.” Ida said, feebly.
“This isn’t a fucking rash decision! Deku is gonna be going through hell with this fever. Monoma has been nothing but a thorn in our side since he joined. I want him gone!”
Ochaco sighed almost defeatedly, “Deku-kun wouldn’t want us to let anyone go.”
“I don’t fucking care what Deku wants.” Katsuki retorted, “Deku would save a fucking zombie kitten if he could, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t burn it before it kills us.”
Monoma clutched his bleeding nose and spat blood at Katsuki’s feet, “Fuck you all, I’m leaving. I don’t have to deal with this shit.” He grabbed onto is backpack, muttering profanities as he stumbled away.
Katsuki huffed through his nose like a bull cooling off, “Good fucking riddance.”
Mina’s eyes followed Monoma impassively, “Midoriya is not gonna be happy about that.”
Katsuki scowled, “Well, tough. How is his bite?”
The anger filtered out of Katsuki, replaced with concern. Ochaco had already bandaged Deku’s shoulder with a clean cream cloth and likely disinfected it with the bottle of antiseptic solution they’d found. Todoroki placed a folded red rag soaked in water over Deku’s forehead and Mina had placed the thinnest blanket they had over his body. His friends tried to make Deku as comfortable as possible for his battle against the fever demons.
Ochaco’s eyes lowered solemnly down to the wound, “I cleaned it as best as I could but we won’t know if he’s gonna be… okay until the fever breaks.”
We don’t know if he’ll turn was left in the air to warn the small group.
They had managed to snag a small warehouse as a hideout, the group of Kirishima, Mina, Ochaco, Todoroki, Ida, Bakugou, Deku and the newest among them, Monoma.
Katsuki and Izuku had known each other for nearly all their lives. From childhood to Middleschool, through friendship and bullying, nothing could make their paths diverge from one another. Until the Apocalypse arrived.
It had been by chance that they’d found each other again when the world turned destroyed convenience stores and running to stay alive. Izuku had barely looked at Katsuki before he’d rushed to the boy, arms wide to embrace. Katsuki had been more in shock than anything else and hadn’t responded but Izuku hadn’t cared. The greenette squeezed Katsuki with relief, as though they hadn’t been bully and bullied the last time they’d met. The smaller boy had gone off on his ramble, saying how glad he was that Katsuki was okay and that he wasn’t hurt. He’d showed Katsuki the friends he’d made in the apocalypse; Ida, Todoroki and Ochaco.
Kirishima and Mina, who had tagged along with Katsuki were more than curious of the boy who had tackled their temperamental companion with no hint of fear or hesitancy.
Katsuki had blown it off at the time, but in his heart a little pressure was alleviated at seeing Izuku alive and in fairly good condition. At least there was one person from his old life that had made it through.
It had been at that time however, that they’d found out that Izuku was immune.
A pack of Infected had cornered them. In retrospect, they’d probably been out in the open talking for much too long. The two groups fought as one despite having met only minutes before. Katsuki was surprised that Izuku’s friends were able to hold their own against the horde. They’d managed to defeat all the Infected, except one. An infected dog foaming at the mouth, resembling a Labrador or something similar, had pounced from the shadows to Katsuki. Only it never reached.
Izuku had stepped in front of Katsuki, his arm held out horizontally like an offering. The dog had latched onto Izuku’s arm and yanked at it in a sick game of tug-of-war. Katsuki had snapped to his senses quick enough to lift his nailed club and smash the dog’s body until it lay limp.
Izuku staggered, stumbling on the sudden weight of the large dead dog. He breathed heavily as the jaws that latched onto him slipped off his arm.
The bite on his forearm, seeped in dark liquid as he held it up. His frightful green eyes locked on Katsuki and he whimpered with fear, “Kacchan.”
Katsuki stepped toward him without thinking or believing what he was seeing and what it meant. He caught Izuku as the smaller boy fell and his eyes rolled to the back of his head. His skin already beginning to lose color. His friends crowded him, Ochaco bursting into tears and sniffling, “Deku-kun.”
When the world had just frozen for Katsuki. He hadn’t seen the boy in 2 months and yet here he was dying in Katsuki’s arms. Dying because he’d saved Katsuki. Katsuki stared dumbly down at his unconscious body almost hoping it was some sort of sick dream, not really the boy he’d grown up.
Kirishima had cast a pitying gaze onto the group he barely knew, saying what no one else wanted to say, “We’ll have to put him to rest. He shouldn’t be forced to become one of those things.”
Ochaco had buried her face into Ida’s chest at those words. Todoroki looked almost lost, staring at Izuku like he couldn’t believe that he lay there close to death.
Katsuki couldn’t accept that. He wouldn’t accept that.
“No.” Katsuki said.
Mina’s eyes softened with sympathy, “Kat-“
“Maybe he’s immune.” Katsuki blurted.
Kirishima sighed, “There’s no such thing.”
“But we don’t know that.” Katsuki persisted, “We should try.”
“Katsuki,” Kirishima said, seriously, “you’re just going to make it harder on yourself in the end-”
“No, no he’s right. We should try it. We won’t know.” Todoroki said. The boy sounded somewhat desperate for how stoic he’d been when they’d met.
Ochaco was quick to agree, “If there’s a chance to save, Deku-kun, we should take it.”
Katsuki could tell that Kirishima, Mina and Ida didn’t believe that Izuku could be immune to the disease that had infected and killed over 80% of the world’s population, but he didn’t care. They’d broke into a pet shop and grabbed some of the heavier dog chains, tied Izuku to a chair in a backroom and for surety, tied him again to a sturdy looking pipe.
It had felt wrong, handling Izuku’s limp body and restraining him like a monster, when the boy had only ever been the kindest and most pure human to exist.
While the others flittered in and out of the back room. Katsuki had watched Izuku like a hawk the entire 24 hours that he slept in that chair. Watched how the fever had ridden through his body like it’s own personal playground, how he’s whimper in some moments and his breathing would become shallow.
Kirishima had tried to offer Katsuki sleep, but Katsuki couldn’t stand to leave him. In those 24 hours, many emotions passed through him. He was angry, angry that Izuku had felt the need to step in, that he’d tried to save him just like when they were kids. He was irritated from guilt as though Izuku had intentionally saved Katsuki to saddle him with guilt for the rest of his life. So that he would always think back to Izuku saving him. But most of all Katsuki felt this pang against his chest, this awful and harsh pang that told him, His friend was dying, Izuku was dying.
When Izuku finally did wake up, Katsuki was just considering taking a small nap when a disgruntled sound alerted him. Izuku was shaking his head side to side, blinking blearily around him like he couldn’t quite see yet. When eventually his gaze focused on Katsuki, he croaked through his dry throat, “Kachan?”
Katsuki’s first instinct wasn’t to untie the boy or to rejoice that he was alive and not infected. No, his first impulse was to yell.
Katsuki had lashed out, “Never fucking save me again, you stupid fucking nerd. I don’t fucking need your help. Do you hear me?!”
Izuku had still been in a fever daze and had responded with an ever eloquent, “Huh?”
After that they’d rejoiced at the miracle that was discovering Izuku’s immunity. Their groups had joined, while there were more mouths to feed, the bigger group gave them a sense of family and safety in numbers.
The bite and the fever happened once after that, when Mina had a close call but Deku had saved her too. The same 24 hours, but this time there were no chains. They all just trusted that he’d be okay.
It was no less easy though. To watch as Izuku fought his fever. Watching him writhe in body and fight his demons in his dreams. To watch him whisper pleas for help. But Katsuki had watched him this time too. Afraid that if the infection doesn’t take him, the fever would with how violently it wracked his body.
Now, Katsuki stared down at his childhood friend. His face as white as paper, his head making small jerks’ side to side as the fever took hold of his body, claiming his dreams it’s play field for the night.
“I’m taking him over there.” Katsuki stated and no one questioned. He knew Deku wouldn’t want everyone to have to watch him suffer through the illness. Katsuki wanted to give him a little bit of privacy to fight this thing off. That isn’t to say, Katsuki wouldn’t be staring him down, daring him to die on Katsuki’s watch.
Katsuki dragged the sleeping bag that Deku lay on, blanket and all, and pulled it to a corner of the warehouse where he wouldn’t be in everyone’s line of sight but Katsuki could still see the circle of bedrolls and sleeping bags if he tilted his head. He settled on the floor and lifted Izuku’s head to lay on his lap.
Todoroki shot him a curious look but didn’t say anything. So what if he wanted the nerd to be a little more comfortable as he’s tormented? Half and Half should mind his own business.
Katsuki gazed down at the green haired boy in his lap. Then the bandages at his shoulder feeling a bubbling rage. How fucking dare Monoma use Deku as a human shield? If he ever sees that bastard again, he’d string him up for the Infected himself.
Katsuki huffed his anger out and settled as comfortably as he could on the hard, cold metal at his back.
He couldn’t deny in the past few months with Deku, he’d felt this tugging at his heart pulling him to the boy. That when Izuku gazed at him with bright emerald eyes that captured all the beauty of nature in them, that they didn’t call to Katsuki like a sweet siren’s song. That when they scouted for Infected or scavenged for food, they didn’t have fun with their little competitions of who could get the most. That they hadn’t come so close to each other that their breaths crowded other’s the last time they were alone.
Katsuki glared down at the boy. How dare he tempt Katsuki like that and then end up in a situation like this? Leaving Katsuki to worry after him like a housewife. Katsuki refused to spend the rest of the apocalypse babysitting Izuku.
On his lap, Izuku squeezed his eyes and whimpered and the anger dissipated just as fast as it had come. Katsuki combed his hand through Izuku’s sweat-damp hair in an attempt to sooth him.
But he continued to whine, his mouth forming words that his shallow breaths couldn’t give life to. Katsuki only made out one word among the many. A word he probably wouldn’t have heard if it had not already been hardwired into his brain by repetition.
Izuku whimpered as he writhe under Katsuki’s focused gaze, “…Kacchan…”
Katsuki sighed and whispered as he stroked the boy’s hair, “I’m here, Izuku, I’m not leaving you.”
***
Katsuki’s head snapped down when he felt a movement much stronger than the small ones Izuku had been making. He found Izuku slowly blinking sleep out of his eyes and eventually focusing on Katsuki’s glaring rubies.
His lips broke into a wide, tired smile, “Hello, Kacchan.”
His voice sounded like sandpaper had rubbed his throat raw but Katsuki was still grateful to hear him speak in full consciousness.
“You sound like shit.” Katsuki replied, politely. He held up a bottle of water and slide his hand under Izuku’s head to help him drink.
Izuku smiled in thanks as his head thumped back to Katsuki’s thighs, then asked, “Is Monoma okay?”
Katsuki snarled at that, “I don’t know and I don’t fucking care.”
Izuku scrunched his eyebrows and pouted up at him like a puppy, “Kacchan, you didn’t send him out alone, did you?”
“He used you as a fucking shield! He can’t stay here!”
“He’ll die out there, Kacchan.” Izuku pleaded.
“Good riddance.” Katsuki scoffed.
“Kacchan!” Izuku scolded and huffed cutely through his nose, “We should go look for him.”
Izuku sat up too suddenly. Katsuki didn’t try to stop him anticipating the wave of dizziness that always hit Izuku after the fever. Izuku’s eyes unfocused and he fell back onto Katsuki’s lap. His chest heaved with his heavy breaths as though the effort with the minimal movement was too much.
Katsuki raised an eyebrow at him, “You’ll get yourself killed in this state, idiot.”
Izuku was still trying to shake off the dizziness. He groaned softly in discomfort.
“How can you still want him here after what he did to you?” Katsuki demanded of the disorientated boy.
“I mean it’s not like he tried to use one of the others.” Izuku defended, “I’m immune so it doesn’t matter.”
“It does fucking matter.” Katsuki growled, enraged, “I know these fevers take a toll on you, even if you pretend they don’t. I see the way you wobble when we move bases. The way, you’re miraculously ‘not that hungry’ and pretend like you’re eating food for days. I’m awake when you’re dry heaving, thinking you’re far enough for us not to hear.”
Izuku sighs, “But that doesn’t matter. I can deal with all those things. I can’t deal with losing one of you.”
Katsuki scowled at his answer, “And what if you turn? Can you deal with that too?”
Izuku avoided Katsuki’s eyes but said quietly, “That would be something for Kacchan to deal with.”
Katsuki stilled at that. “Excuse me?” Katsuki demanded with deathly calm.
“If I turn, Kacchan will kill me.” Izuku said with a strange confidence.
“Have you fucking thought about this?!”
Izuku shrank a little into Katsuki’s thigh, but admitted, “I wonder sometimes if my immunity will wear off and the infection will overtake me.”
“And what? You just had me written down as your murderer? Are you fucking insane?”
Izuku looked up with those wide green galaxies trapped in his eyes, “It’s not murder not really. I just wouldn’t want to hurt you or anyone else. If I turned, I trust you to kill me.”
Katsuki’s heart tugged painfully in his chest, “And what about me huh? Did you think of me in this little plan you concocted?”
“I always think of Kacchan.” Izuku said with a small pout.
“Well, did you not think of how I feel about you turning? About you risking your life over and over again to save others? Of you not even being freaking angry that Monoma risked your life to save his own skin? You think I like that you walk around acting like everyone else’s life is worth more than yours? How the fuck am I supposed to live without you Deku? Actually, how the fuck am I supposed to go on after killing you? Do you really think I’m so heartless that that wouldn’t affect me?”
Tears burned at Katsuki’s throat. He urged to shove the idiotic boy off his lap and would have if he didn’t just see Deku collapse a minute ago.
Deku stared up at Katsuki, shocked by Katsuki expressive outburst. Quietly, he said, “I’m sorry Kacchan… I didn’t think- I didn’t consider that you were affected by it…”
An agitation simmered through Katsuki and he leaned down, grabbed Izuku’s collar and pulled him up to meet his chapped lips in a brief but passionate kiss. Katsuki then unceremoniously let go of his shirt so Izuku could fall back to his lap, knocking a light gasp out of him.
Izuku looked comically shellshocked, a light blush dusting his upper cheeks.
“That’s how much it affects me, you stupid fucking idiot.” Katsuki muttered.
Izuku continued to stare as though his brain had shut off.
“Ay, stupid. Stop staring like that.” Katsuki barked through the blush raising to his cheeks.
“I didn’t- Hold on really? This isn’t one of my fever dreams, right?” Izuku demands, eyes flicking around the warehouse like he was trying to tell whether everything is real.
“Don’t act like you didn’t know, fucking tease. You almost kissed my last week.” Katsuki spat back.
Izuku at least had the dignity to look sheepish, “Yeah, almost ‘cause I didn’t think you felt the same.”
Katsuki turned away from him exasperated, “I swear I fell in love with a fucking idiot.”
“Wait, you’re in love with me?!” Izuku yelped.
“Can you keep your confessions down please? Some of us single people are trying to sleep!” shouted Ochaco from her bedroll.
“Stop being nosy, you little shit, and sleep then.” Katsuki yelled back.
Ochaco shot her hand up in a middle finger.
Izuku called after apologetically, “Sorry, Ochaco.”
“I don’t blame you Izuku. Glad to see you’re okay.”
“Thank you.”
Katsuki yelled back, “Fuck you too, Round Face!”
Izuku giggled at the two’s antics, but Katsuki could tell from the bags under his eyes that he was still very tired. Though he’s asleep for the fever, he never truly gets any rest.
“Hey, Deku, let me out.”
Izuku pouts a little but obeys. He lifts himself up gingerly and let Katsuki slip out from under his head of curls.
Then Katsuki is slipping into Izuku’s sleeping bag. Izuku’s eyes widen to saucers to which Katsuki only replies, “Shut up.”
Izuku nods and still doesn’t say anything as Katsuki tugs him onto is chest. The nerd is stiff for a moment, probably still processing what was happening, but slowly he melts onto Katsuki. His head nuzzling into Katsuki’s warmth. He lets out a small dreamy sigh and relaxes completely, “I’ve always wanted this.”
“Great, now you have it. Shut up and sleep.” Katsuki responds, romantically.
They enjoy the bliss only a moment before Deku asked, tentatively, “Hey, Kacchan, about Monoma-"
“We’ll talk about it tomorrow. Get some rest.” Katsuki says, firmly.
“Okay.”
There’s another pause where Deku is still but Katsuki knows he’s not asleep, “What is it, Nerd?”
“I love you, Kacchan.” He rushes out and then braces like he’s expecting something to explode in his face.
Katsuki lightly flicks his forehead, “I love you too, fucking Deku. Now, sleep, idiot.”