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Izuku felt wet, cold blood soaking his clothes.
But also the hot adrenaline pumping in his veins as he soared through the skies of Japan, chasing after the relentless Shigaraki. He could hardly breathe, what with Gearshift forcing his body and respiratory system to work over time. He was near Mt. Fuji, dreading what Shigaraki stated he would do. Thinking of all the possibilities was making him feel more lightheaded than he already was. On top of that, he had just seen his best friend’s lifeless body on the ground mere minutes ago. He was actually surprised he hadn’t passed out yet.
It seems he spoke—or thought—too soon, for a moment later he was not in the sky. He was not covered in his blood soaked hero costume. In fact, he was in a place so familiar, yet foreign in every way. A place he had just come to know in the past couple of months, but had already driven its way fully into his mind. The vestige world was emptier than usual. He could not see any of the past users, which was very strange to Izuku, for he’s never been in the vestige world by himself. He was on the ground; his knees tucked under his upper body with his hands at his sides. After a short look around, he realized that actually, he wasn’t by himself.
He did see one blurry figure in the distance. It was a glowing, hazy and familiar outline. Yellow and orange light flickering off the silhouette like fire. Izuku knew who it was. He knew what it meant, too. This figure wasn’t like All Might’s. All Might’s vestige was recognizable as All Might, but it wasn’t fully there. He was just flicks of yellow and gold streams, but not actually him. This figure, however, was not just flicks of light. No, this was a clear image of Katsuki.
A million thoughts raced through Izuku’s head. Why am I here? Why is Kacchan here? Shouldn’t Edgeshot be reviving him? Why can I see him? But he could only truly focus on the orange and yellow figure walking closer to him. As he grew closer, Izuku realized that he was draped in his usual black and green vestige that mimicked the colors of Blackwhip. He also noted that both he and Katsuki were wearing their UA uniforms. He didn’t like this. He didn’t like what the implications of Katsuki being fully visible in the vestige world meant. All the vestige’s of the past users who are clear as day are dead. Katsuki was dead.
Before he could scream, the ever growing closer voice interrupted him.
“Izuku? Izuku, is that you?” said Katsuki.
Izuku couldn’t bring himself to look at him. He couldn’t bear the fact that he could see his face, clearer than anything.
“Kacchan… do you know why you’re here?” he spoke softly.
“Yeah, I died. I’m not that much of a dumbass,” he replied bluntly.
Izuku whipped his head up to glare at him. Why did he seem so okay with this? Why wasn’t he spewing curse words and damning the world for what it had done to him? Izuku stared at Katsuki, and his eyes quickly shifted from a glare to a more relaxed state. Somehow, Izuku knew this might be the last time they speak. He didn’t want to ruin it with his tears and incoherent stream of thoughts.
“So, do you know why we’re both here? I understand why I’m here, but what about you? Don’t tell me you lost, too,” Katsuki asked. He was looking around the vast vacuum of black space, an unreadable expression on his face.
Truth be told, Izuku wasn’t entirely sure. He also wasn’t entirely sure if he even was in the vestige world right now. For all he knew, he could’ve been hallucinating this whole thing due to the lack of oxygen in his system. Or maybe he died and this was the universe’s way of reuniting them. He didn’t know.
“No, not entirely. I think one of my quirk drawbacks made me pass out. I’m not sure why I was brought here, though,” Izuku gestured to the environment around them. He wasn’t sure what to say. There was too much that he didn’t even remotely know where to start. So many things they still needed to talk about and clear up. So many words unspoken between them that had to be brought up. Too much for the too little time they had been given.
They were silent for a minute. Taking in their surroundings and coming to terms with what was going on. Then, after another moment of silence, Katsuki spoke.
“Hmm…” he trailed off for a moment. “How about we dance?” he asked with all the boldness he usually carries.
“What?“ Izuku blinked rapidly. Katsuki had actually left Izuku speechless, almost. What kind of question was that? And right now? In this moment? Surely he misheard.
“I said, how about we dance? Do you need to get your ears checked? Something tells me I won’t be seeing you for a long while after this, and I’d like to try it at least once,” he asked again, sounding almost melancholic during the last sentence.
What could he say? Of course he would say yes, but this so random. Izuku had never danced before, and he was almost certain Katsuki never had either. At least, not in a classic one-on-one dance kind of way. Izuku rose to his feet. He was now standing in front of Katsuki, but not close. He stared into his sharp red eyes, afraid of how he may never see them so alive like this again after this is all over.
“But… there’s no music playing,” Izuku pointed out.
“Don’t care. We can hum the school pledge or just talk. It doesn’t matter,” Katsuki responded.
Izuku still looked a bit reluctant. Like if he were to take the offer everything would come crashing down. Like he’d be forced to go back to reality and come to terms with the fact that he’ll never have a moment with Katsuki again. Katsuki pondered Izuku’s face, taking in every detail of his expression. If Deku can analyze the shit out of everything Katsuki does, then so can Katsuki.
“Listen, Izuku. We’ve both been brought here for some reason. I know why I’m here and I know that you’re here with me. It’s us two again, like it always has been,” he took a deep breath. “This may be our last chance to do anything. We have so much to talk about that it would be a waste to even get started. We would get nowhere by the time this is up. So let’s just dance. I have no better ideas,” he held his hand out to Izuku, persuading him to come forward.
Although still slightly conflicted, Izuku had already begun moving closer to Katsuki as he spoke. Katsuki was right, what else could they do? Cry over each other? Waste time feeling miserable and regretting the things they’ll miss out on? It was obvious they should just have fun in their last interaction. Izuku would rather look back at this moment with a bittersweet feeling in his heart than plain old tears.
“Okay, Kacchan,” Izuku took the blond’s hand, almost crying just from how warm it was. “But I don’t know how to dance, and I doubt you know either,” he almost laughed. He imagined Katsuki stumbling around while trying to hold Izuku in his arms.
“Shut up. I’ll show you,” he responded. Not angry. Not condescending. He was being playful, but honest.
Katsuki took the hand that Izuku’s was in and raised it to his side. He took his empty hand and placed it on Izuku’s waist. Izuku took his empty hand and looped it around Katsuki’s neck, letting his weight settle on the body in front of him. They shifted to and fro, a bit clumsy and awkward with no music, but by no means was it bad.
As they danced, they began to get used to one another’s movements and how to deal with them. Their bodies rocked back and forth with each other to the made up rhythm in their minds, swinging in tandem as if a tune was actually being played for them. Left, right, forwards, backwards. Their minds were connected in a way only fathomable between one another.
“Do you think the universe is doing this as one last gift to us?” Izuku asked as Katsuki did a particularly complicated move that caused Izuku to stagger. “And slow down a bit, I’m bad at this.”
“Dunno. Like I said, it’s always been us, so I was hardly even surprised to see you sitting on the ground a couple minutes after I got here. And no, try to keep up with me. I’ve already fallen behind you too many times,” he was stern, serious.
Izuku huffed out a sigh. He continued to go along with Katsuki’s rhythm while occasionally adding in his own movements. They had no idea how long it had been now. 5 minutes? 20? An hour? 10 hours? All they knew was that they didn’t care. If time wasn’t going to pass properly, they were going to make the most out of it.
Izuku managed a smile as Katsuki took the boys right hand and twirled him around by his fingertip. The motion also left a soft smile on Katsuki’s face. Izuku wishes he had the opportunity to get used to it.
After some time, an amount that they’ll never truly know, they slowed down. Now, they were hugging and rocking back and forth. Their faces on either side of each other, taking in everything each one had to offer. Izuku had his eyes closed as he let his other senses take over.
“Why did you have to die?” Izuku opened his eyes to ask the question. Katsuki didn’t speak for a few moments, too focused on the back and forth motion of their bodies.
“Because I wasn’t strong enough,” he responded simply.
“Kacchan, please, don’t say that. You are the strongest person I know. I don’t want to be in a world without you,” Izuku was so distraught he couldn’t even cry. He just clung onto the body of the boy who meant everything to him.
“But I wasn’t. That’s why you have to go back out there and beat his ass for me. Trust me, I’m upset about this, too. I wanted to be the strongest. I wanted us to compete forever, but I fell short. I know you, of all people, can finish the job, Izuku,” Katsuki had moved his head to look directly at Izuku.
Izuku noticed how Katsuki’s vestige was becoming even clearer now. He could see the fine strands of his hair, the textured skin of his nose, the different hues of red spread throughout his eyes. On the contrary, when Izuku looked down at himself, he could see the black and green vestige taking over more and more of his body, the details becoming blurred by the waves of dark light. Their time was coming to an end. Izuku was almost in pain from the grief he was feeling. He didn’t want to say goodbye to the one person he’s known would always be around the next corner, waiting for him.
“Wait for me, Kacchan. I’ll be back here as soon as I defeat All For One. I promise,” he knew it was a false promise. They both did. Somehow, they knew this really was the last time. That the vestige world would be no more once the fight was over. That the embers would leave Izuku’s body, taking Katsuki with them.
“Okay, Izuku,” Katsuki said with a melancholic smile on his face. Was he crying? He was clearer than any crystal pond Izuku had ever looked into. Izuku was blurrier than a painters first rough strokes of their paintbrush. Izuku felt himself being pulled backwards, a force he had no control over. Their hands, conjoined together during their last conversation, had been ripped away from each other. Tears fell from Katsuki’s eyes as he watched Izuku go. He really was crying. Izuku was now, too.
“I’ll find you again; I really will!” Shouted Izuku as he was forced back into reality.
“I’ll be waiting!” Shouted Katsuki in response. He was beaming now. A genuine smile that Izuku would never, ever forget. That image would be permeated in his mind forever.
Katsuki stared at the spot Izuku had just been in. His tears had stopped and he slumped to the ground. He reflected on all that had just happened. The dance, the conversations, the brief smiles. Katsuki smiled once more as he thought about it all. Everything. Their endless history, their unwavering rivalry, and Izuku’s unabashed ability to make Katsuki feel happy.
“Thank you,” he whispered to no one, and then drifted off to sleep.