Catch Me If I Fall [BakuDeku]

Chapter 48

Chapter 48

Katsuki knelt on the ground, utterly speechless. Tears began rolling down his cheeks at the sight, although he did not know what he felt more sentimental for. The fact that Inko, his Auntie, somehow came back from the dead. That she was right there, holding her son with the same tenderness she always had. The tenderness he, himself, didn't know desperately needed until Inko pulled him along to wrap one of her arms around him.

Or the way Izuku's body lay on Inko's lap, looking so small and fragile. His body was beaten to a pulp with blood, bruises, and deep wounds lining every inch of his skin. The strong sense of déjà vu came flooding over his memories of when the greenette had taken a bullet from him. The stillness of his body caused a great sense of panic in Katsuki to the point where it had him trembling.

"Oh, my boy," the gentle voice broke him out of his reverie, his red and swollen eyes snapping to the woman who beckoned him. Suddenly, an arm wrapped around his shoulders, and he was pulled into a warm embrace, Inko holding him so tight as she cried into his hair. "Thank you, Katsuki. Thank you for being there for him when I couldn't."

A choked sob escaped Katsuki's lips as he wrapped his arms tightly around Inko's body. It was warm, welcoming, and oh-so-real that it made Katsuki cry even harder, now realizing that it wasn't an illusion. It wasn't a dream. Inko Midoriya was alive and holding him in her arms right now. It was real.

"A-Auntie?" Katsuki asked as he hastily pulled away, holding Inko by her arms as he frantically gazed into her big eyes. He had so many questions, but he knew that now wasn't the time to ask them. All he needed to hear right now was her confirmation. The last pinch in his arms to make sure he wasn't actually dreaming.

Inko gave him a small, pained smile as she nodded, reaching to wipe under his eyes. "Yes, it's me." Then she placed both hands on his cheeks, bringing her lips to his forehead to plant a small, comforting kiss.

The small gesture pulled Katsuki back to his childhood. To the times when his mother would force him to go to those small dinners at Inko's apartment. She never failed to greet him with a hug and a forehead kiss. He thought back to those times when he acted repulsed and disgusted and realized just how much he loved those gestures. How it made him feel safe. At home.

It was as if the weight of the world had been lifted off his shoulders. He hung to Inko for dear life, even as the commotion became loud around them. It pulled him to the dreaded reality as the medical team rushed to get Izuku on a gurney and began their medical procedures. As much as he wanted to, he didn't interfere like the time Izuku had been shot. For some reason, he knew that he was going to be fine. Everything was really going to be alright.

He slowly approached Izuku, careful not to interrupt the paramedics as they secured the boy and checked his injuries, replacing the poorly made tourniquet with a much more professional one. One of the medics kindly stepped aside, knowing that the blond needed a moment next to the greenette. Katsuki was silently thankful for it, slightly bowing his head to the lady. His hand reached up to Izuku's hair, some of it sticking to his forehead due to the sweat. The way Izuku didn't even flinch was concerning, but the warmth emanating from the skin under his touch kept him grounded.

Then, as he was about to retract his hand, a soft glow encaptured both their bodies. Katsuki felt it deep inside him. The embers of the One for All burned bright as rays of color suddenly burst out of their bodies. Every single pair of eyes surrounding the area became fully aware of the powerful presence that emerged from both teens, all turning to witness an event never seen before. There, before their eyes, the souls of every single vestige that had once carried the burden of One for All looked down on them. Gasps and immediate murmurs arose among every onlooker, Katsuki's eyes widening before they rolled to the back of his head, and he fainted. A paramedic was quick to catch him before he fell, and soon, the vestiges spoke.