once more to see you

Mutual

The boys made their way to Katsuki's room. This was obviously a matter that needed to be talked about in a private place. Izuku collapsed on flood next to Katsuki's bed. "I need to help them, I need to get him away from him." Izuku said, shaking with anger. "Who? Who needs saving?" Katsuki questioned, he needed to know what could possibly have Izuku looking so angry. Izuku took a breath, "Kacchan." The tone made Katsuki freeze. His crimson eyes met watery green, Izuku's eyes narrowed, his lips forming a tight line. "You're going to want to sit down." Katsuki complied, sitting across from Izuku. "Do you remember seeing a man with a disintegration quirk at the USJ incident?" Katsuki's face scrunched up. "Yes..." "Well that's my friend."

Katsuki blinked, images of the trauma he went through flashing through his mind.

"WHAT THE FUCK. HOW COULD YOU." Izuku flinched at the tone of his former bullies voice. Katsuki noticed, shit, he probably shouldn't have yelled, but it was a valid reaction to the information presented. "Please hear me out." Izuku said quietly, reaching his hand out to gently clasp Katsuki's arm. The blonde took a breath, he needed to hear this out. "I met Shigaraki at a gas station after you caught me on the roof." Izuku felt the arm under his hand flinch at the memory. "He preformed first aid on my reopened wounds, -" "Pause. What wounds reopened?" Izuku's expression turned to one of fear, his eyes dashing between his arms and Katsuki's face. Katsuki's eyes followed the glances, his face darkening upon realization. Izuku's hands shot up covering the blonde's mouth. "Please, not now. I need to finish." Izuku removed his hands, leaving the boy frozen. "I didn't know anything about the attack. I only found out he was involved with the attack the day you woke up. He shared who is boss is... we need to save him. His boss is a villain who is known as All for one. He took Shigaraki off the streets when he was only a child to groom him. Kacchan he raped Shigaraki. He was fucking 4 years old. He didn't want to hurt kids, but he complied because he feels he owes his life to that monster." Izuku had hot angry tear streaming down his face. Katsuki had a disgusted expression, but there was more, below the disgust for the monster called 'all for one' he was torn. This man, Shigaraki had hurt his teacher, even if he didn't really want to. Was it okay to forgive him.

The blonde was never good with emotions, so it came as a shock when Izuku felt two strong arms wrap around him, he leaned into the touch. Katsuki supported the boy's weight, his face being hurried it the green hair. "We will help him." Katsuki whispered. He pulled away from the boy, taking a moment to look at Izuku, the way he held his arms close to his chest, the way he shook with anger. "Izuku." The boys head shot up at the sound of Katsuki's voice saying his name. It had been so long. The look on Katsuki's face was one of concern. For him? "I promise I will support you in saving your friend, but... I need to know that you're okay first. You promised me you wouldn't pull anything dumb again." Katsuki said, trying to keep his best to keep his voice calm. Izuku felt the lingering eyes on his arms. He violently shook his head, he didn't want to be seen as weak again, he had fought so long to get to this point, a place they are equals. "Please, Izuku." Katsuki begged, he needed to see the damage that he was partly responsible for. Izuku gestured for Katsuki to shut his eyes, when the boy complied, he took off his shirt, and shut his eyes tightly, putting his arms in-front of him, he tapped Katsuki.

He heard a painful, but quiet, sob. A clear sign that Katsuki opened his eyes. Izuku's heart beat uncomfortably fast, he could feel it hitting his ribs, pumping blood through his veins. He recoiled when he felt a gentle touch on his scar tissue. The hand immediately backed away. He felt Katsuki's eyes on him, burning holes through previously damaged skin. He felt fabric being slipped over his head. His eyes fluttered open, meeting devastatingly pained crimson eyes. He darted his eyes away from the eye contact, looking down at the hoodie that had been placed on him.

-

Time passed, Izuku fiddling nervously with the hoodie strings, Katsuki calming himself down.

"How can you be okay sitting here with me? I put so many of those scars on you, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐚 𝐟𝐞𝐰 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐨." The second part was spoken as barely a whisper, but they close enough to each other that Izuku heard. "I already forgave you. No matter how much you think you didn't deserve to be forgiven, that choice is up to me." Izuku gripped Katsuki's hand tightly. "I'm doing better now, you didn't drive me to do anything, you didn't put a blade in my hand or force me to use it." "I might as well have. How can you forgive me after everything I did?" Izuku pulled Katsuki into a hug, ignoring the way his heart skipped a beat when he felt hands clench the back of the hoodie he was wearing. "You're trying to be better. The fact you are this guilty is enough for me to forgive you." Izuku says gently. He feels Katsuki nod against his hair. "If you can forgive me, I definitely don't have any right to hold a grudge against Shigaraki. Let's bring All for one down."  The blonde says, and even though Izuku's sure that the first part was just Katsuki talking to himself, but even so the greenette leans into Katsuki, gripping him tighter, a quiet 'thank you' escaping his lips. This was enough for now.

-

"So what were you thinking? Since knowing you, you probably started on a plan the moment you found out about Shigaraki's past." Izuku grinned, "I think I have a pretty good idea." He pulled out his notebook, setting it up on the floor for both of them to look at. "I'm hoping to have UA take him in. Nezu likes me, and Mr. Aizawa knows something about Shigaraki that he hasn't told anyone, I'm not sure what, but I could tell he didn't tell me everything. Using this to our advantage I want to bring it up with the school to save Shigaraki." Katsuki raised his eyebrow, "And if UA doesn't think it's worth their resources? I mean, our principal isn't exactly known for showing humans empathy." Izuku murmured to himself a moment. "Easy. Blackmail." Katsuki choked on air. "What. How in the fuck are you going to blackmail the best hero school in the country?" Izuku grinned. "We will bring it up the issue with the school in a few days. In the meantime I'll be taking notes on the Hero course, and unknown to Nezu, the teachers. I'll easily find all the students and teachers weaknesses, including any government or
hero commission secrets I can dig up. I've already been working on getting dirt on All Might and the Hero commission since the USJ. I think that will be enough to blackmail them." Katsuki shuddered, "You're fucked up sometimes." Izuku fakes a gasp, throwing himself on the floor. "Oh kacchan, you wound me." Katsuki watches his fake fit, using his hand to cover his laughter. "I'm not wrong though. If you weren't so damn kind you'd be a menace to society." Izuku scoffed, "I'm not that kind, at least not in my head." Katsuki was intrigued. "Fine, tell me a few times when you were mean in your head." Izuku laughed, this would be easy. He turned to a page in his notebook. "I was 10." He said handing it to Katsuki. The blonde's demeanor immediately dropped upon reading it. "What the fuck." Izuku laughed. "I know right, not super kind of me to want to rip off your limbs and ship you boxes of spiders." Katsuki shut the notebook and laid down. "I take it back. Not would be. You are a menace to society." Izuku laughed quietly and laid down too. He sunk into the hoodie he was wearing. Holy shit he was wearing Katsuki's hoodie. A deep red blush spread across his face. He was down bad.

That night the two boys fell asleep in the comfort of each other's presence, both unaware of the mutual feelings they shared for each other.