Don't Be Afraid of Shadows (BakuDeku)

◅ Chapter 11 ▻

'Now I know what a ghost is. Unfinished business, that's what.'
Salman Rushdie

They stayed curled up together on that bench until the winter sun was low over the horizon and full sweeping darkness had begun to creep across the park. At some point Izuku had become silent and still against Katsuki's chest, and if it weren't for the steady reassuring thump of the boy's heartbeat against the blond's own chest Katsuki might have feared he'd died right then and there from grief.

He pulled himself back just enough to see that Deku's eyes were wide open, staring blankly off into the distance. They were red rimmed and raw from the tears that now soaked the front of Katsuki's coat, his mouth parted slightly in soft breaths.

Katsuki brought his hand up slowly, gently, so as not to startle the boy, and ran it soothingly through soft green curls trying to avoid the tangles that lodged between his fingers. He increased the pressure of his movements until he was able to tip Deku's head back and lock eyes with him.

"Izuku?" He whispered, watching the other's eyes flutter, "You with me?" He rubbed his nose against Izuku's, feeling the cold of his skin.

"I'm-I'm with you Kacchan."

His voice was cracked and broken, his lips dry, and every syllable whistled past them as a barely audible breathless note.

Where did Katsuki go from here? He shifted his hold so that he cupped Deku's face in his hands and peered into his eyes, seeing that he was now back with him, that he was present. Katsuki hadn't felt the cold while they sat there in each other's embrace but it was starting to creep into him now, and he knew the same had to be true for Izuku who was beginning to slightly tremble against him. Katsuki contemplated his options. He didn't want to take Deku home to his bastard father, but he couldn't force him to go to the blond's hotel when he was working through such a massive heart-wrenching revelation.

"What do you wanna do, Deku? Do you- Would you wanna stay with me?" He said hesitantly, before thinking better of it and rushing to add,, "Or I could call one of your friends for you? Maybe Eye- Shinsou? Or uh, that Shoto guy?"

Izuku let out a small laugh that sounded wet and strangled, "You know their names?"

"I guess it's a good job I do, huh?" Katsuki replied quietly, not being able to help the slight smile that tugged at the corners of lips.

Deku pushed back slightly, locking his gaze intensely with Katsuki's, his own red eyes seemingly reflected there in emerald green, bouncing ruby fire off of the soft gold flecks deep in his irises.

"I want to stay with you Kacchan. Please?"

"You don't even have to ask Deku. I don't wanna let you go anywhere I'm not, nerd."

With one last pass of his thumbs over Izuku's cheeks, Katsuki stood and extended his hand for the greenette to take.

Izuku looked at it for a moment and held out his own gloved hand, stopping an inch from Katsuki's.

"You know what you said..." Green eyes never left their hands and Katsuki waited patiently for Izuku to continue, "What you said, it means my Dad- he-"

"Yeah, it does. I'm so-"

"No Kacchan." Izuku shook his head fiercely, taking the hand offered to him, "Don't apologise. I know what you're saying, but I don't wanna hear you say you're sorry. You've got nothing to be sorry about. You opened up to me and it must have been hard to lay that out there. I could have-" Izuku sighed wearily as he stood, steadying himself in Katsuki's hold, "I could've thought you were crazy, or a liar, but I don't Kacchan. I trust you and- and I believe everything you've told me. How could I not? I never told you anything about my Mom."