{~Deku one-shots with angst~}

The Fire Was Your Pain (My Guilt the Spark)

A/N: Hello everyone, and welcome back to another chapter! Hope you all enjoy this dose of angst <3

Onwards!

Warning: Manga spoilers? 

----------

Izuku remembers. 

Izuku remembers the ashes, the fire, the blood; he remembered when All Might had become Toshinori, eyes still bright with determined fury, a single finger pointed straight to his heart, as for the rest of his friends- his family.

Izuku remembers the guilt that had thrashed and gnawed in his chest, a constant torrent of blame chanting in his mind, not ever truly been silenced. 

It was hard to forget. 

And Akako Kasumi definitely had not forgotten either. 

When the crowds had stopped swarming the UA gates, when the reporters had stopped demanding questions, when Yagi had finally rested his cape but not his heart,  Akako's tears had not stopped. 

Izuku remembers, alongside the rest of 1-A, how the young lady had demanded to see All Might with pain and sorrow etched among every inch of her body, how she had cried, and cried, and cried, chanting 'I'm sorry for being in the way' repeatedly while Yagi embraced her, the spirit of comfort having entwined in his heart. 

In fact, Toshinori was the hero that gave way to All Might; there had never been a minute where he wasnt. 

Back then, Midoriya couldn't do anything but brush away his own tears, knowing that the words of assurance Toshinori said to Kasumi were directed to him too- to everyone else who felt they were to blame. 

"A hero's job is to save people. If I couldn't have done that, while also defeating the villain, that is not any fault of yours. In the end, it just shows that one person is never enough, and that together, strength holds stronger." 

Izuku had agreed. 

He had been the one who lead Akako out of UA when she felt she was ready. 

'I understand, because I feel the same', he had gently spoke to her, as Kasumi looked at him in shock. 

'I understand that it might take a while for All Might's words to sink in...but I also know it is truthful, because we hold no responsibility to what All For One chooses to do. We were just in the wrong place, in the wrong time. But...I'm sorry, on behalf of the heroes, that we didn't manage to save you from that regret as quickly as we should've.' 

The sky had been clear blue, a shade not quite vibrant but not quite dull. 

The sun was sparkling, so very suited for the glimmer of hope they had all felt would thrive after the despair. 

'I thank you, for such effort to persevere, when I'm sure you feel just as guilty as I did. I know you will become an amazing hero, and I hope to see it with my own eyes.' Kasumi had said, a sincere smile on her face. 

Now the sky is dark grey, red tinted on seemingly every inch of his surroundings. 

Blood trickled down his hands, fire burned and flickered in the absence of sunlight, and the anguish and anger tinting Izuku's thoughts refused to fade. 

Izuku had agreed. 

Had agreed, that guilt should not be encouraged, when he did all he could, and the people he loved suffered from actions not committed by him. 

And yet...

Katsuki was critically injured because of his lack of action. 

Him.

The tears rose and broke- or had they ever stopped in the first place?- and Midoriya felt his knees give way. 

There wasn't time for him to break right now. 

There wasn't any room for mistakes, for weakness, for vulnerabilty. 

But the grenette let the fire inside him consume him, burn down his last thought of normalcy, of the former hope. 

From the ashes of those dreams, a new anger-fuelled, gritty determination was born, and Izuku stood up, not looking at what his current state was. 

Was he the Deku he remembered? 

Did it matter? 

-----------

A/N: Oooo, angsty! Hopefully you enjoyed this short chapter (634 excluding this message and the one previously) and till next time!

Have a Plus Ultra day/night~!