Bakudeku/Dekubaku Oneshots AU

Reunited in Death

“I’m sorry Kacchan…” Izuku whispered into the silence. His body was throbbing. A dull ache all over that pulsed with the beat of his heart. His head felt heavy, like a fog had settled over his mind. He knew what was happening, what was coming. His breathing was slowing. It was becoming increasingly harder to get air into his lungs. Like a weight had settled on his chest that would never go away.

“Deku!” Izuku couldn’t even flinch at the shout. He couldn’t respond. That was too much energy. He missed Kacchan. He wanted Kacchan. “Hang on Deku! We’re coming!”

“ I’m sorry Kacchan… That was my final smash…”

“It’s okay Izu,” Izuku’s eyes fluttered. He squinted into the dying sun. It was hard to make out through the darkening edges of his vision, but he swore he could see familiar spikes of blonde hair and sweet, crimson eyes. “It’s okay nerd, I’m here,” The familiar deep voice murmured into his ear. Tears welled in Izuku’s eyes, a rattling gasp escaping him.

“Kacchan?” Something else flashed in his vision. It was harder to make out. Something was grasping at his wrist, fingers digging in. Frantic murmuring surrounded him but he couldn’t make it out.

“I’m here Izu,” Izuku whined. He was here, Kacchan was here. Why couldn’t he see him? Where was he? He heard him!

“Kacchan…”

“Oh my god, Deku! MOMO! WE NEED A MEDIC STAT! IT’S DEKU!” More rustling, his limbs were being moved. Pain was surging up, clawing at his body, but he didn’t cry. He didn’t shout. His eyes were locked on the faint hint of red. The oh so familiar eyes of the most important person in the world. The pressure on his wrist disappeared, replaced with something warm gently cupping his hand. When the warmth settled against his skin, the pain became tolerable.

“I’m here,”

“Kacchan.. You’re here…” Izuku whispered with a smile. He was ignorant to the sobs of his friends around him. Pleas for him to keep his eyes open, to keep talking, fell on deaf ears. The rest of the world simply ceased to exist. The only thing that mattered was Kacchan. Kacchan, smiling down at him. Smirking, really. He looked so healthy compared to the last time Izuku had seen him. The dark circles under his eyes were gone. His hair looked lustrous and soft. Izuku wanted to touch it. To feel those soft locks weaving through his fingers. To smell the familiar sweet scent of Kacchan.

He reached out, uncaring that the pain had faded away. Oblivious to the fact his hand was suddenly injury free. There was no trace of the bloody war he just fought. No sign of the hopeless battle he’d endured. That he’d won. There was only Kacchan and the feel of Kacchan’s hair slipping through his fingers as he ran his hand through the locks. Red met green as they took one another in. Kacchan shifted from his crouched position to stand, holding out his hand. Izuku grasped it in his own, letting Kacchan help him up. It felt like all the weight had fallen off his shoulders, his chest. He could breathe again.

“Just couldn’t let me be at peace, huh nerd?” Kacchan’s voice was light and teasing, pleasant almost. Izuku shook his head as tears welled in his eyes. With this new, weightless feeling, came all the emotions he could now pour out. The greenette lurched forward and locked his arms around Kacchan’s shoulders. Kacchan chuckled and ruffled his hair.

“I missed you so much,” Izuku choked out. Thick, warm arms wrapped around him. Large palms splayed along his back, warm against him. That familiar sweet scent of nitroglycerin bloomed around him. Kacchan chuckled into his shoulder.

“I missed you too Izu… I missed you too…”

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Ochako’s breath caught in her throat as she heard Izuku whisper for Katsuki. At first it was just needless mumblings of his name, over and over again. Ochako had focused on emergency first aid, seeking out all of his injuries and checking his pulse. When she felt it fading literally below her fingertips, panic began to set in. Izuku couldn’t go like this. He just couldn’t. She screamed for Momo, the person nearest to her. Aizawa heard her screams and began to run to her. Tears were welling up in her eyes, she scrambled to make sense of Izuku’s condition. She pleaded with him to talk to her, to keep his eyes open. But deep down, she knew. When she leaned over his face he didn’t react. It was like he couldn’t even see her. All he did was whisper for Katsuki.

Shoto and Iida had gotten to her at some point. Aizawa was crouched by her side, a hand on her back as his lone eye watered mournfully. Shoto was crying, Iida’s jaw was clenched tight. She kept a bruising grip on Izuku’s wrist, feeling that pulse of life drifting away. It was grounding her, keeping her aware as she watched Izuku slip beyond the world. She couldn’t help her prayers. Murmured prayers for him to somehow live. For medics to somehow get here and make him all better. That she’d misheard Recovery Girl’s damning whispers of “Too much stress… too much trauma… nothing I can do…” Finally, she prayed Izuku would find peace. Ochako prayed Izuku would find peace and happiness, that he’d be reunited with Katsuki wherever he went after this life. He could geek out over all the heroes he’d meet there. A broken sob escaped her. Izuku moved suddenly, surprising everyone. They held their breath, but Aizawa dropped his head.

Izuku shifted and tilted his head, a brilliant smile blooming on his face. Ochako smiled back, hoping he could see her, but when she locked eyes with him… Everything crumbled all over again. Those beautiful green eyes were dull and hazed, completely unseeing. He was seeing right through her. Looking into the beyond, at whatever lies next in his path.

“Kacchan… you’re here…” Her sobbing started anew. Izuku sounded so happy. So unbelievably happy and excited. Ecstatic even. With those whispered words, Izuku’s green eyes fluttered shut. His head lolled to the side limply. The weak, barely there beat beneath her fingertips became untraceable. Iida gingerly pressed two fingers below Izuku’s jaw. The way his head fell confirmed it all.

Izuku Midoriya, Japan’s Symbol of Peace, was reunited once again with Katsuki Bakugou, his Symbol of Victory.

END