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Here Izuku is, lying on his bed. At 7 pm, eyes blank, his mind the opposite. Ever since the end of the war he can't get over Shimura Tenko, and the embers. Will things ever go back the way they were? Everyone is still recovering mentally. Maybe if Izuku keeps up his cheery persona everyone will be more optimistic! But surely that fake personality will break soon. He doesn't know what to do anymore. He doesn't have a purpose; he shouldn't be living. He should've died with Tenko. He feels so horrible, every, single, day. He can't even get out of his bed. Not even to eat, or shower, or go to the bathroom. Only to go to class, rarely.
These migraines are killing him, not like he doesn't feel dead already. He just wants to get out, leave this place, this world. He should be happy right? The war is over, and they won! Yet he still can't feel closure. Closure? For someone who has hurt many people. It doesn't make sense, it shouldn't. He can't even feel closure for his best friend. Katsuki. Sure, he's alive but that doesn't change the fact that he died. He was dead, right there in front of Izuku's eyes. With the All Might card he had since he was a kid next to him. It was a horrible sight, Izuku doesn't want to experience that again. Thinking about it just makes him shiver in his bed. He curls up into a ball, trying to fall asleep early to keep these thoughts out of his head.
But they don't stop. Why won't they stop? He needs them to stop, he can't do this. If he had died instead, he wouldn't be having these horrible thoughts. He would've been happy. Maybe he would'v-
"Izuku?" a familiar, raspy voice calls out from behind the door.
Izuku is startled by the sudden sound, "Oh! Ka-Kacchan? Is that you?"
"Yeah, can you open the door? I have something for you," the other boy replies.
It's weird to hear Katsuki talk so softly. I guess that's what changes about you when you literally die.
The door creaks open slowly as Izuku tries to smile. As the light slowly hits him, he sees a radiant light. The other man, blonde spikey hair, now an undercut to match Izuku, bright luminescent red eyes, that scar on his right eye, his prosthetic left arm, grinning slightly. Katsuki's holding something with one hand, a little gift box wrapped in green and orange. Their colors.
"Hey Kacchan, what's that you're holding?" Izuku smiles as big as he can, which isn't very sincere as it used to be.
"For you," he pushes the gift forward into Izuku's chest.
Izuku slightly flinches at the touch, "Oh, thank you."
"No problem, Izu," he looks at the green haired boy with small concern.
Izuku looks behind Katsuki, "What's that behind you?"
He smiles, "I'll show you if you let me in."
"Okay," Izuku shifts his body to allow the other in. Katsuki closes the door behind him before revealing a cute blonde teddy bear with Dynamight's hero mask, and a little "Press Me!" on its left paw.
"Is... that supposed to be you? It's cute," Izuku takes it in his free hand.
"Yea, I figured you know, after everything, I know you would be bunched up in your room. All emo and shit, and uhh," he stops for a second, chewing his bottom lip, "I know you're not okay, you have barely been showing up to class, haven't even been coming out to eat or celebrate, I don't even know if you ever sleep. I'm worried. So worried. And I know that smile is bullshit. You can't even smile properly, what's wrong with me? I couldn't even tell until now," he continues to rant on and on, but Izuku starts to zone out.
"Zuku!"
Startled, Izuku finally replies, "Ah, um, just tired you know! After the final battle and all... I'm fine! I swear," his smile is wobbly while he holds the teddy bear close.
"Cut the shit," Katsuki retorts.
Izuku's eyes widen at the response, "What? What do you mean?" he chuckles sheepishly.
"Did you not hear what I said? I'm worried and I know you are NOT okay," the blonde-haired boy says, obviously angered.
Izuku stares at his feet, he knows this is true. But he can't show Katsuki this, he's supposed to be happy, he's supposed to become the #1 hero, he's not supposed to be weak, he's supposed to be strong, he's-he's crying. Sniffles and cries can be heard throughout the room. His hands rush up to his face, dropping both gifts Katsuki gave him. He wipes away the tears frantically, but they keep coming.
"Woah, woah, woah, Izu, let's sit down. I got you," carefully avoiding the rubbish on the floor, he guides Izuku to his bed, "Look at me," he winces at the sight of Izuku sobbing hard, "What's going on, calm down and talk to me. I'm here, I have you safe."
The green-haired boy slowly starts to stop crying, "It-it's just Tenko... and you."
Katsuki tilts his head wondering, "Elaborate?"
"I couldn't save him. I-I tried my best, but he was suffering, and he couldn't get out of it. He never escaped, it was my fault," he pauses, "I should've died instead of you. Or him."
"Hey," Izuku feels a sudden cold feeling on his left cheek and a warm one on his right, "Don't say that. I'm alive, I'm alive and breathing, I'm thriving,"
"I know... but I can't help but remember, how you looked," he bites his lip, "lifeless, and bloody."
"That's what I got these for," he says as he hands Izuku the teddy bear from the floor and the gift.
Izuku looks up confusingly, "What's in the box?"
Katsuki grins ear to ear, "Open it and find out."
He opens the box to see, a limited-edition figure that Katsuki got when he was a child. Izuku was always jealous of him for having it because it was only out for a day. Of course, Katsuki always mentioned this and teased Izuku about it. But he's giving it to Izuku? Why? Izuku was even more confused.
"Why are you giving me this...?"
Katsuki looks away embarrassed, "You wanted it, didn't you?"
"Yes but," Izuku looks down, "it's yours. And I probably won't even live long enough to clean the dust that grows on it every day."
"Stop it, fuck," Katsuki shoves the teddy bear into his face, "Press here, as it says," pointing at the left paw.
He presses it slowly.
Click! "Hey Izu, I know you will miss me, even though I'm still alive, so I made this for you. A special message, also you better appreciate this because I am saying all of this in the middle of a damn Build-A-Bear embarrassing myself for you right now. Play this when you miss me, though if you ever need me, I'm a call away, Kacchan out,"
Izuku is shocked, "Kac-"
"Shh," Katsuki shushes him while gesturing to keep listening to the bear. It's a steady beat, a heartbeat? It's, his heartbeat. Katsuki's heartbeat. Nice and steady, alive.
"Katsuki...I-" he looks up, "Thank you," he finally genuinely smiles, ear to ear so hard that Katsuki swears his mouth could tear apart, tears fall from his dark green eyes.
Katsuki's prosthetic rubs against Izuku's cheek, he shivers at the cold touch. Katsuki leans in and closes the space in-between them, his lips were on fire. Izuku was shocked at first, eyes widened, but he leans into the feeling, loving every second. Izuku's hands wander to the back of Katsuki's head, rubbing his sideburns, admiring the haircut that Katsuki got for him. Unfortunately, they pull away. Both feeling empty without the other's touch. Suddenly, Izuku is pulled forward, into a hug. It was warm, loving, and soft. Izuku hugs him back while Katsuki rest's his head on the tired other.
"I love you, so fucking much," Katsuki whispers softly into Izuku's ear, "Let me be your boyfriend."
Izuku is jumping, backflipping even, inside his head from joy, "Yes, of course," his smile is so bright it could light up the whole room.
Katsuki practically tackles him into the bed, hiding his face in the crook of Izuku's neck as Izuku laughs from the ticklish feeling.
Izuku suddenly yawns, forgetting how tired he was before this.
"You wanna have a sleepover? Like old times?" Katsuki questions.
"Yes, I'd love that," he says before pressing a soft kiss on Katsuki's forehead.
"Mm," Katsuki sighs contently in the arms of his newfound lover.
┌─── ∘°❉°∘ ───┐
"Yo, where's Midoriya and Bakugo?" Kaminari queries the group in the common room.
Iida looks at Kaminari, confused, "They haven't come down yet? That's weird. School starts in an hour, what could they possibly be doing?"
"Hmm, I may have an idea..." Mina says mischievously.
Here they are, all of Class 1-A in front of Izuku's dorm. Chattering and whispering fill the corridor. Mina gasps a little, realizing the door is fortunately open due to the couple being in their own world. She shushes everyone as she slowly opens the door, small gasps and giggles can be heard. Izuku and Katsuki, together comfortably in bed. Katsuki's leg hanging off the edge as Izuku is holding his arm with the teddy bear of Dynamight on his left. Surprised and touched at the sight, everyone pulls out their phones, small clicks and camera shutters can be heard, like the paparazzi. Since Katsuki is a light sleeper, he wakes up because of this, blinking lightly, squinting towards the door.
"Shoot, I think he's awake!" Kaminari exclaims.
"Hah?" he says as he realizes what's happening, "DAMN EXTRAS! GET THE FUCK OUT."
"Hehe, this is going in the bakudeku album," Sero says with a smug smirk, "OH SHIT HES GETTING UP"
"DELETE THAT YOU DAMN NERDS!" Katsuki yells so loud the whole campus could probably hear him.
While this all happens, Izuku wakes up from the commotion, "Kats?" He questions quietly.
The door is slightly creaked open, so he tries to make out what's going on outside. A fight? Katsuki... and Sero? The rest of the class? He suddenly connects the dots. He giggles as his face flushes while he thinks about all the pictures everyone must've took of them. He sighs and smiles. A real smile.
Izuku looks at the teddy bear near him, he presses its paw once again. "Hey Izu, I know you will..." it fades away as he falls fast asleep peacefully.
The fight finally stopped, though Katsuki didn't get any of those photos deleted. The whole class hears something come from Izuku's room, a voice? They all wonder, as they walk closer to the dorm. Shit. Katsuki thinks.
"DAMN IT YOU SIDE CHARACTERS...!"
"Is that... Bakubro's voice? In that teddy bear?" Kirishima asks.
"Hehe, he's such a sap!" Uraraka replies, before getting absolutely blown up by Katsuki.
Katsuki smiles quietly. Loving how Izuku played his message again.