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In his entire life, Bakugou never thought he would ever bet on someone like Deku. In fact, if you had asked him years ago, he would have laughed in your face and told you to go to hell.
Not until now, when Deku was fighting against quite possibly the strongest villain of their pro-hero career.
It felt just like All For One vs All Might, except Pros we’re told to stay out of the way. All he could do was watch. And bet. Bet that Deku would win, even if it looked like he was losing, battered and bruised on the cracked concrete. Deku would never lose to that asshole.
Even if Deku was bleeding out. He wouldn’t lose.
Even if… He stumbles. He can’t lose!
Even if Bakugou ends up running in through the crowd shouting for him to stay behind like he was told, to beat the shit out of that guy with him. He won’t…
Even if he has to catch Deku as he falls.
Even as Katsuki holds him gently and calls him an idiot through the haze of angry, fearful tears; even as those tears dropped softly onto Izuku’s face, as the idiot gave him a gentle smile.
He just couldn’t…
Deku cradles his dear rival's cheek...
“Go. Be number one for me, Kacchan.”
And with that.
The number one hero died.
Katsuki’s scream was probably the most heartbreaking thing.
It was terrible.
It echoed with grief and with sorrow.
He couldn’t leave him all alone, surrounded by the debris of the battle that killed their Deku, this was no place for number one to rest.
For the first time in a while, Katsuki cried. He wouldn’t let Izuku go.
Not even as Kirishima tried to pry him away. Not even when the ambulances came.
Letting him go meant accepting that… that he was gone.
No more laughing off their injuries in a hospital bed.
No more scolding him to be more careful when replacing his bandages.
No more Deku, no more Izuku.
He was gone for good this time.
In the end, a gentle hand was placed on his shoulder and he finally looked, a familiar touch and radiant warmth to snap him out of his grief. Inko Midoriya stood in the crater of the final blow, by Katsuki's side, tears rolling down her cheeks and she held her arms open for him.
“He’s gone, Katsuki.”
That was all she said and it was enough.
Katsuki let him go.
And threw himself into her arms, she was so short but he somehow felt small. The woman immediately burst into sobs as he held her trying to be strong even now.
“My baby… my baby!”
Was all she could say, over and over, as Katsuki gently rocked her.
Emergency personnel finally entered the scene to take Izuku away and Katsuki had to close his eyes, still shielding Inko from their surroundings. He couldn’t bare the thought of that bright smile being gone. The smile that bugged him daily, the one that he eventually ended up falling in love with when he woke up to it every day.
The smile that could light up a room and make you feel comforted even seconds away from death.
Yeah… He was going to miss that nerd and his stupid freckled face.