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"Give me back my Kacchan!" Midoriya screamed at the villains. They had taken him - stolen him - and hidden him somewhere, and Izuku wasn't about to let them get away with it.
He charged alongside Shoji and Shoto but the makeshift splints on his arms slowed him down. Then he saw him.
They had his neck, his Kacchan's neck.
He needed to get him back. Quickly. They were already disappearing through the portal, between the tall fir trees surrounding them. They were taking him-
Izuku, arms practically completely destroyed from his fights with Muscular and Mr. Compress, rushed towards his childhood friend and the ugly scarred villain that looked like he was made up of a patchwork of skin. He had his hand on Katsuki's neck, tight enough to restrict air flow but not enough to cause any real damage.
Izuku could only think of his experience at the shopping mall when Shigaraki had his hand on his neck; he had been terrified, death an extremely possible situation at any second, at any wrong move.
Mr. Compress was still talking but he wasn't listening anymore, he just needed to get back- shit!
He tripped over the dirt path, the adrenaline beginning to wear off no matter how much he willed it not to. "Kacchan!" He called, desperately scrambling to get up and his vision tunnelling on the boy, and the hand on his neck, he had to get that damn hand off of his neck.
Energy was flowing through him, a new energy, but with everything going on around him, there wasn't much time to figure it out.
He desperately reached out, calling for his Kacchan again but barely even registering it as some black substance shot from his hand. There was no time for him to even think 'What is that?' before it was wrapped around Katsuki's body.
The villain holding him clenched harder, now beginning to cut off air flow, and attempted to wrap his arms around the boy but the - whatever it is - was far stronger and easily overpowered him. The force of Katsuki being wrenched out of his grip sent him back through the purple gate, the faint echo of his frustrated yelling fading away as it closed behind both him and Mr. Compress.
Blue flames still burned around them, trees kept falling and fights could still be heard all around him, but Izuku was suddenly calm.
The black substance was still wrapped around Katsuki and now so were his arms, well, as much as he could.
"What the hell? Get off of me!" Katsuki yelled, clearly having taken in the position he was suddenly in. "Deku! Let me go!"
He wriggled out of Izuku's grip, standing then quickly sitting on the ground after he went lightheaded. His hand went to his neck, just barely touching it as he thought through everything that had just happened.
The black ropes finally receded back into Izuku's hand, and Katsuki watched in disgust. "What the hell was that, Deku!?"
Izuku could only stare. He was relaxed, because Kacchan was back and safe, he was confused from... whatever that was? And he was in pain, holy shit, he was in so much pain. His arms were on fire and every single fibre of muscle felt like it had been abused by a cheese grater.
"I asked you a question, shitty Deku!" Katsuki yelled again, but his voice felt far away to Izuku, who suddenly passed out just a moment later. Todoroki slid in behind him, as if he was playing baseball, and caught his head before it hit the ground to prevent any further injury.
__________
Izuku's eyes slowly blinked open three days later. Everything hurt, that was the first thing he noticed, but at least it wasn't the fire he had felt in his arms before. The hospital room was bright with the sunlight coming in through the window and reflecting on every brilliant white surface. He rolled over a bit and spotted his chart on the table beside the bed. It described his comatose state that lasted two days and noted several seizures during that time, then mentioned that he has been confused and delirious with an incredibly high fever the previous day. He didn't remember any of this but it explained the pains throughout his body.
He blinked a few times, and memories of the training camp returned to him.
What was that black rope that shot out from his hand? He couldn't complain too much, really, since it got Kacchan back, but... what was it?
The longer Izuku thought about it, the more it confused him. He really couldn't figure it out. Even when All Might came to visit, he didn't know what was happening either. Well, it seemed like he didn't know, but Izuku was too exhausted to probe further.
He was officially discharged a few days later and returned to UA with instructions to rest before resuming hero training. He tried to check up on Katsuki, but the other boy avoided him. He wasn't shouting and insulting him like usual, but instead threw glares his way and otherwise took his leave whenever Izuku entered a room.
Katsuki was confused. He was confused about the camp, about the villains, and about that damn deku.
He couldn't have been gifted another quirk, right? Surely that was impossible... although, it had been previously thought that gifting quirks at all was impossible so maybe not...
That damn bastard. Who did he think he was, holding him like that after getting him away from the villain? Like they were some kind of friends.
Of course he cared that Deku was in hospital, in a coma and having seizures, and of course he was glad when a valuable teammate was back and healthy, but he didn't actually care about him... right?
No, he couldn't care about him. He was Deku after all. He didn't give a shit. It was just annoying as hell that this pathetic little shit was somehow surpassing him again and again and again. Deku was always the weak one so why did he have to catch up all the damn time?
Then All Might and the other heros went to track down the villains - at least they weren't rescuing him, that'd be embarrassing - and surely it'd go well, right? I mean, its All Might-
All Might was gone. The symbol of peace was gone. The shining torch that kept civilians going was dead.
He was nothing more than a frail form at the end of the battle, barely standing.
This wouldn't have happened if Katsuki wasn't nearly taken in the first place, damnit! If he was just stronger he could've taken those villains down! All Might wouldn't have been there if it wasn't for him!
This just made everything worse. He felt guilt, crushing guilt, and there was nothing he could do about it.
And that damn fucking Deku who had All Might's quirk, what's he meant to do? He's meant to become the next All Might? The next symbol? Why couldn't that be him!? He grew up his whole life being told he was the best and now he was meant to let himself be overshadowed by a pathetic weakling?
The it clicked - Izuku had gotten his quirk from someone and - he didn't understand how he didn't realise this before - he had obviously gotten it from All Might...
He told the nerd to meet him at Ground Beta. He needed to figure this out, and he needed to beat that little shit to a pulp, to prove he was actually the best.
"If you don't wanna get hurt, punch back." Katsuki growled before charging towards him. Now they were fighting, he could get everything out, he could yell and scream and punch.
But it got too much. His quirk faltered alongside his balance as he landed on the ground. A storm was brewing in his chest, making it hard to breathe, and his head had a thousand thoughts running through it a second.
And of course that stupid fucking nerd had the gall to reach his hand out to him. "Hey, are you alright?"
"Don't you dare worry about me!" Katsuki screamed, whacking the scarred hand away from him. "Attack me! Why won't you fight back!?" He stood, his balance still a bit off and stumbling backwards.
"Why did I end up having to chase after someone who was always so far behind me!? Why did a damn small fry like you get strong? And become the number 1 hero's sidekick? His favourite?"
He couldn't do anything but yell at the ground and in Izuku's general direction, too much going on inside him.
"You got so much better, and I destroyed All Might!" Tears began running down Katsuki's face. "I admired him so much, but it's because of me that he ended up losing his power! If I had been stronger... If I hadn't been almost kidnapped by villains and just taken them down right there... then it never would've happened!"
He wiped the tears from his eyes. He couldn't show how weak he was when he was already practically baring his soul.
"All Might knows it was my fault, but hasn't said anything. Everyone has to know, though! I can't get it out of my head! It's like its constantly playing on loop!"
His shouting got more aggressive and yet more desperate as the panic attack progressed.
"So what the hell am I supposed to do!?"
The tears fell down his face, no point in trying to get rid of them anymore.
Izuku stared at Kacchan, surprised at the guilt he had just expressed. He didn't understand why he felt this way since none of it really was his fault, it was of course the villains. Izuku would never blame the victim of a villain attack.
Katsuki had been obsessing over what happened, blaming himself for everything, and then realised this fight wasn't about him or his quirk, but for Kacchan to get his emotions out. He had lived his whole life being aggressive, and Izuku understood that this was the only way Katsuki knew how to get anything out of his system.
So they fought, Izuku getting beaten in his stomach, on his back, every sensitive place that slowed him down, but he couldn't stop. Katsuki was yelling again, but about how he believed Izuku looked down on him, how he hated him because he couldn't tell what he was thinking. But Izuku didn't care that he was getting hurt, Katsuki was getting out years worth of emotions and if Izuku didn't let him, everything would just blow up again.
He got emotional, and realised he was stronger and faster now, and the look on Katsuki's face meant he noticed as well. Izuku's admiration for Katsuki had pushed him further, and increased his output to 8%.
Everything was going crazy, everything was a blur around him, and all of this energy coursing through him felt strange.
"I won't lose to you!" Came Katsuki's desperate scream as he dragged Izuku down by the shirt and launched him into the ground, using his explosions as propulsion.
The black ropes shot from Izuku's hand again, holding Katsuki close to him. On the ground, he didn't care that he was pinned, he just needed the other boy close to him.
They both panted, exhausted from the intense fight, and processed everything that had just happened.
"The fuck-" Kacchan growled once he realised he was being held by the ropes again. "What the hell is this, Deku? Tell me!"
"I-I don't know Kacchan," Izuku replied, only a little timidly, and made no effort to let him go.
"Hah!? What do you mean you don't know!" Katsuki yelled, trying to escape but quickly realising that it was to no avail.
"They appeared for the first time at the training camp. They haven't come out since so... I think they're tied to you."
"To me!? Why, Deku?"
"I don't know... Probably... I want to keep you close... I always have, Kacchan, I've admired you and wanted nothing more than to be close to you. You just wouldn't let me."
"Of course I wouldn't!" Katsuki yelled, struggling against the ropes again. "You were an insignificant weakling and now you're looking down on me!"
"No, Kacchan, I've already said this. I never have looked down on you and I never will. You're amazing."
Katsuki seemed frozen, not sure how to respond to this. He wanted to yell back, to refute those claims and protect his inferiority complex, but he couldn't. He had known Deku long enough to tell when he was lying, and this was not it. Deku was not lying, and now he couldn't respond.
"Let me go, Deku."
"I'm not sure how," Izuku admitted. "I think these things respond to... to my emotions and I don't think that... I think deep down... I kind of don't want to let you go...?"
Katsuki stared in shock, silent for a few moments. Then, with an uncharacteristically quiet voice, whispered "How can you say that...?"
Izuku's brow furrowed, a bit confused. "What do you mean Kacchan?"
"How can you say that you don't want to let me go when I've been a piece of shit to you for practically our whole lives?"
Izuku sighed, a little exasperated. "Because... Everything you said tonight, about how you feel, I kind of already knew... I mean, of course you've said some awful things, but I can't help but forgive you, Kacchan... I 've known you since we were in diapers and I still see that little boy in you. He's just... struggling..."
Katsuki just stared at the green-haired boy. If he didn't even forgive himself then how was he meant to take Deku's forgiveness?
But there was nothing else he could do. He leaned forward and let his head rest on Izuku's shoulder. He had to give in. The nerd had won. He had won everything. The had the better quirk, the higher regard from All Might, and he had the better morals. How do you forgive someone that told you to kill yourself?
"I really hate you Deku..."
"I know Kacchan," Izuku responded, although it was clear to him that Katsuki didn't mean that in the same way he had done in the past.
__________
They were quickly spotted by All Might, who managed to get them to calm down and figure out how to get the black ropes to retract back into Izuku's body. They were taken to Aizawa's office and received the punishment of house arrest; 3 days for Izuku and 4 for Katsuki as he threw the first punch.
But the two boys were closer now. Sure, Katsuki still yelled and insulted Izuku, but it wasn't nearly as vicious as before and sometimes they could even get along. Something just changed between them, and it was a very good change. There wasn't a word to describe it, really. Their rivalry was stronger than ever before but so was their closeness. Every insult became more like a tease and the rest of Class 1-A swore that every time they were seen together, they were closer, both literally and figuratively.
Which wasn't too far off of the case. Since baring his soul to him, Katsuki became a whole lot more comfortable around his childhood friend. And Izuku was just so caring, and understanding, and kind that it just made him fall in love.
Wait, what?
That can't be right?
Well, shit.
It was. Katsuki Bakugo was in love with Izuku Midoriya. He could hardly help it, this boy understood him like no one else did, what else was he supposed to do?
Izuku Midoriya also loved Katsuki Bakugo. It was like their souls had synced, their minds and feelings becoming one. It was wonderful really; Izuku had always wanted Katsuki's friendship but what they had was so much more, and Izuku couldn't be happier. They had both kind of realised each others feelings without ever needing to mention them and their behaviour changed in perfect tandem with their relationship.
Yet, admitting it was still impossible.
"Kacchan? No, this is how we've always been, he's just cooled off on the bullying a bit."
"Tch, no, I hate that fucking nerd."