Chapter Text
Bakugo doesn’t know exactly when the coil in his heart started to get taut whenever he did something like this. It vibrated, it made him feel worthy, but he'd never admit that out loud. Of course, that’s just the metaphorical tip of the iceberg on this goddamned beach before this instant of clarity.
For the most part, it was annoying thinking that one way or the other, they’d find themselves in this position. Having to fight tooth and nail against some seemingly indestructible force of evil, that’s comically absurd. While he did want to be the number one hero, this was getting tiresome. Wasn’t the war the end of it?
Of course not, he’s now in an array of heroes fighting a gigantic piece of sea… creature, a blob of God-knows-what with punches that knock the air out of him with every hit. He winced, trying to get his stamina and sweat up after at the latest one, having realized two punches ago that the thing was strong. The tentacles that sprout out of its top make it look like an evil pasta plate, but they were powerful enough to make him reel back. There’s all sorts of jokes he thinks regarding this ridiculous situation, but keeps the mockery to himself while landing an explosion near what he hoped were the eyes.
They don’t have time to waste, his team and him are not faring as expected, for obvious reasons. It doesn’t help that IcyHot is getting his ass handed over because the thing apparently is fire and ice resistant, or that Shittyhair is getting flung into the air for the nth time in less than ten minutes. He sees him use the force of coming down from the latest flight to puncture the creature. Sadly, aside from a little nick that oozes purple gooey blood, it seems like the creature is getting the upper hand on all of them.
This was supposed to be easy. His agency thought it could be good to have an easy one for him to get back to the fray, y’know, keeping his heart in check. Ridiculous! He wasn’t going to fight against that, whatever gets him out the door and into something that makes his heart pump. That makes him feel alive.
This, however, was annoying the fuck out of him. The creature stood 5 stories tall, and he was going to blow the face off whoever said that this was a “lesser villain” because by sheer size alone and it’s now apparent invulnerability, this was proving to be more challenging than expected. The three of them were not particularly suited for fighting against this kind of creature, obviously. Another thing he’d never admit.
The tentacle that crept up from the right nearly took him out, but with a blast he managed to get away. “Goddamnit, fucking fish!” he screamed as he landed a series of explosions where he could clearly see the eyes of the thing. It was not as effective in harming it, but in pissing it off this time.
He felt it even before seeing it, and he managed to get away from the Blob’s latest attack as a green sparkle appeared from the horizon. “Fucking nerd” he thought as he went to back up Kirishima’s attack, wanting to avoid direct contact with Deku.
After thinking that his quirk was gone, he didn’t have much time to process anything aside from his own shit. More so, he didn’t want to face the past and the latest months. He couldn't think that from that day forward, he didn’t have to look in front of him for Deku’s prowess. It bothered him, of course, but he was proud of managing to keep up and nip at his heels for the most time.
Now he had his broken heart (in the most literal sense of the fucking word) and the knowledge that Deku’s quirk somehow reappeared after a few months. According to someone he definitely eavesdropped on, the embers of his power were fueled by something that he didn’t quite catch in the convo, and while not in its full past glory, the nerd could still access some of its powers. It was good, but still, not good enough to assuage his guilt over making him feel like shit for years.
Without intros, Deku simply jumped into the fight, going directly for the Blob’s stomach. Curious and unexpected, for sure, but it got the creature retreating back into the sea. More than what the three of them accomplished thus far, that’s for fucking sure. A win, he thought. Away from the city.
“Finally!” screamed Shitty hair while running upwards one of the tentacles. “Shoto’s doing his best to dehydrate this thing but is hard”
“Deku!” Shoto called out, “you came just in time”
“Hey! Get me up to speed. I punched it to gauge its strength but that was…”
“Yes, it’s absurd” replied the red-head, harshly.
“We don’t know its origin or source of power yet” said Shoto, not quite releasing the fire output he aimed at the eyes of the creature.
“Yeah, that’s why your agency called, it seems the creature is not… human, so you needed an extra hand from someone with… experience” said the nerd without looking at him.
Something about that phrase felt particularly off, but he decided not to take the comment to heart considering that he’d have to peel his eyes away from the tentacle coming back for him. Goddamned sea blob.
He didn’t mind getting his blood pumping while fighting. That’s what he was here for, not to gossip or nitpick every word out of the nerd’s mouth. So he flung into action, that’s what he was here for.
In two seconds he was pushing blows into the exact spot where the nerd tried a minute before. And the Bakusquad followed through with his initiative.
A beat later, they’ve managed to break a piece of the blob’s goey armor, and it was starting to look like a won battle.
Another pair of tentacles sprouted from underneath it, like a goddamn Hydra. One with a pointed tip was directly aimed at the most bothersome puncher of the group, Deku. So, much like before, he moved without thinking to get him away from harm’s way.
The coil of energy focused on protection he had only for Izuku sprung in him before his brain could catch up.
“Kacchan, watch o-!”
“Huh?!” he grunted, noncommittally.
He didn’t see it.
He left the tipped tentacle behind him while pushing the nerd out of the way, right?
He couldn’t have seen it, because this goddamned third pointed piece of sea creature sprouted directly beneath him.
The piercing tip of a tentacle slashed through his skin like nothing.
“Not this shit again” he thought, remembering that this was the fucking third time he got stabbed like a fucking corndog. It seemed like Deku was a charm for him to get pierced by whatever enemy they had.
Fucking nerd.
Bakugo was just tired of this shit. But there was something wrong with this time, something in his head was screaming at him and time slowed down instantly. He felt it before actually processing the sensation across his limbs. Like a corrosive heartbeat, his body got a surge of… weakness. “Poison” he thought.
B-thum.
Another surge that took the strength out of his muscles, he couldn’t keep himself in the air.
B-thum.
He processed the time they’d been on this fucking beach fighting the blob. It was close to sunset.
B-thum.
Time was moving in slow motion, and he liked that while his head was telling him his body was being destroyed, he couldn’t feel it.
B-thum.
He saw them. The faces of the other three were a mix of anger and shock. But Deku’s…
From the green eyes, familiar flames bursted like fountains straight into the sky. Something was slightly off in them, he’s never seen them that bright. They burned in a way that was beyond what he….
But, once again, he’s never seen Deku rage for him.
For the greater good, yes. For the world, absolutely. But Bakugo only got word of the depths of Deku’s anger over his wounds from second hand comments. He was mostly half-dead or kidnapped whenever it had happened, right? He couldn’t bring himself to ask. That’s just too embarrassing, too obvious for him to go around.
But he can see it now, while his vision blurs. For now, he just knows that seeing him rage incandescent green on his behalf, it makes for the most stunning contrast against the sunset glittering over the sea.
That’s at least, what he can see from the drop down while his vision blurs and goes dark.
He knows that this could be the last time he sees Deku, so tries to regain control over his eyes.
Fighting against the poison, he sees the fire building wings behind the green figure. Is he dreaming? Is this a mirage? Because with the last of his strength, he sees a bright green pair of fluffy, unnatural wings sprout from behind the Nerd, and his face… his face looks unearthly. And he’s showing a pained expression that looks like the painting of angels from the museum.
Good thing time is passing by so slowly. He can admire, if only for a second.
With the last of his strength, he just thinks that the coil in his heart got even tighter when he understood that once again, he saved the nerd. He did it and while it might be the last time, he could go to the slumber that was calling him, knowing that whatever this mirage was, it was going to live.
This thing that held him in a warmth he’d never felt before, this was... He didn’t know how, but his weakened body was in the nerd’s arms and being surrounded by the gigantic bright green wings sprouting from behind him.
He couldn’t be sure he was going to see what or who it was, though. Bakugo understood only its warmth.
B-thum.
At last, the coil in his heart snapped as he closed his eyes.