𝔸 𝔾𝕙𝕠𝕤𝕥 𝕠𝕗 𝕎𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕎𝕒𝕤 𝕆𝕟𝕔𝕖 𝕄𝕚𝕟𝕖 𝕍.𝟚 💥𝔹𝕜𝔻𝕜💥

Chapter 17

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Scars

Katsuki had spent the better part of an hour roaming the apartment, checking every nook and cranny. All Might had hooked him up with a laptop so he could keep up with his work stuff, answering emails, and managing his agency from the sidelines. He was low-key impressed that this rundown place had such a spacious living room and a top-of-the-line kitchen.

Curiosity got the better of him, so he went to check on Izuku, finding him sound asleep. He debated waking him to see how he was doing but decided against it, leaving the bathroom door open just in case Izuku did stir.

As he settled into bed, the room got quiet, allowing his thoughts to swarm him. How the hell was he gonna handle all of this? Sure, he'd had training for these kinds of situations, but being here, in the thick of it, was a whole different ball game. It made his head spin and his stomach do a damn somersault.

It had been ages since he and Izuku had any real alone time, and now here he was, practically nursing him back to health. The role didn't exactly fit him, not with his rough edges and lack of nurturing instincts. But seeing Izuku looking so damn frail made him wonder if maybe, just maybe, there actually was a softer side to him buried under all these layers, if only reserved for Izuku.

Thoughts of the League's interest in Izuku clouded his mind. With All For One and Shigaraki out of commission, there was no way in hell they could steal One For All from Izuku by force. Katsuki doubted that even Izuku fully understood what happened when his quirks went fucking berserk at the hospital. He'd later been told that after the meltdown, One For All went dark, undetectable, and drained of its immense energy, leaving Izuku basically quirkless for the time being.

Leaving him practically defenseless... and more than likely leaving him highly susceptible to being manipulated into becoming a living weapon by the league, especially given his recent state of mind.

The word 'defenseless' kept echoing in Katsuki's brain, dragging up memories of that Nomu towering over Izuku. If he'd been even a second slower, Izuku probably would've died from either being choked or sheer fucking fear. The look on his face. The undiluted fear in his eyes as that bastard's claws wrapped around his throat, trying to squeeze the life out of him...

Dark thoughts started sinking their talons into Katsuki's mind. Fuck, what if he'd been too late? What if Izuku had been taken, or worse? What if it had gutted him for the sake of preventing a strong challenger from opposing the league. The haunting images of Izuku drenched in blood, torn apart by monstrous claws and fangs. The visceral details of this nightmarish vision made him sick. It was a sight that seared itself into Katsuki's consciousness, haunting him even now as he lay in bed.

He tried to shove those sick thoughts away, but dread gripped him like a vise. The panic he had fought off earlier came barreling back with vengeance, Katsuki felt a tightness in his chest, and a sense of impending doom seemed to loom over him like a dark cloud, pressing in on him. The way his heart was galloping against his ribcage felt like it was trying to break free from the prison of bones it was encased in. It was as if the walls were closing in on him, suffocating him slowly but surely. His breaths became shallow gasps, each one a struggle against the weight pressing down on his chest. The familiar shadow of anxiety danced around him, making his skin tingle.

"Shit, why now..." Katsuki cursed under his breath, shooting up from the bed and gripping the sheets like they would keep him from spiraling. He sucked in air, trying to focus on the room around him. But it only got worse, making him feel as though he was being swallowed whole. Why did it always hit him at the absolute fucking worst times.