The sky was gray, rain dripping down in an unrelenting cascade as Deku sprinted through the ruined city. His breath came out in sharp bursts, the cold air cutting into his lungs. Rubble crunched beneath his boots, and the sound of distant explosions echoed through the air.
The battle was far from over. They had been fighting for hours, villains appearing like a tide of destruction, and the city was already in tatters. But right now, none of that mattered. He had one goal in mind, one person who occupied his every thought.
"Kacchan..." Midoriya whispered, pushing his legs harder, faster.
He remembered the last time he saw Bakugo-bloodied, but still standing, stubbornly holding off three villains on his own. His explosive quirk had been brilliant, painting the sky with light, but Midoriya had been forced to leave, pulled into another fight by his team. He should have stayed. He should have fought by his side.
"Why did you leave him?" The voice of self-doubt echoed in his mind. "Why do you always leave him behind?"
His chest tightened, heart pounding with guilt. The memory of Bakugo's last words haunted him: "Deku, don't you dare look back." He had always been like that, pushing Deku away even when he needed him most, hiding his pain behind a wall of anger.
But Deku saw through it. He always had.
As he rounded the corner, he saw it-smoke rising from the center of the city. His breath hitched in his throat as he approached the source. The once-proud skyscrapers now lay in heaps of twisted metal and shattered glass. And in the middle of it all, he saw Bakugo.
"Kacchan!" Midoriya screamed, running toward the figure slumped on the ground.
Bakugo was kneeling, one hand clutching his side where blood seeped through his tattered hero costume. His face was pale, his usual fire dimmed, but the moment he heard Deku's voice, his head snapped up.
"Deku..." Bakugo's voice was rough, strained. "What the hell are you doing here?"
Midoriya skidded to a stop in front of him, his hands hovering, not knowing whether to touch him, to heal him, or to simply let him be. "Kacchan, you're hurt! Let me-"
"I don't need your help," Bakugo growled, gritting his teeth, but his body betrayed him. His arms shook, and his breathing was ragged.
"Stop it!" Midoriya snapped, his voice breaking with emotion. "You're bleeding! Let me help you!"
For a moment, there was silence between them, only the sound of the falling rain and the distant cracks of battle.
"I don't..." Bakugo began, his voice trembling in a way that Deku had never heard before. "I don't need you to save me, Deku." His words were softer this time, almost vulnerable.
Midoriya's heart ached. He knelt beside him, ignoring the sharpness in Bakugo's eyes. "You don't need me, but I need you." His voice shook as he reached out, placing a hand on Bakugo's arm. "I can't lose you, Kacchan."
Bakugo's breath hitched, and for once, the usual spark of anger wasn't there. Instead, there was something raw, something exposed. "I'm not some hero you need to save."
"I know," Deku whispered. "But I want to."
There was a pause, and for the first time in what felt like years, Bakugo let himself lean on Deku, his body pressing against him as if surrendering, if only for a moment. His head dipped slightly, his breath warm against Midoriya's neck.
"I'm sorry," Bakugo murmured, so quietly that Deku almost didn't hear it.
Deku froze, eyes wide. He had never heard Bakugo apologize before. Ever. It was as if the world had shifted, the weight of those words hanging in the air between them.
"For everything," Bakugo continued, his voice thick with emotion. "For pushing you away. For... treating you like shit. I was so scared..." His voice cracked, the anger that usually masked his fear crumbling. "I was scared that you'd leave me behind, that you'd surpass me, that you'd-"
"I would never leave you," Deku interrupted, pulling Bakugo closer. "I don't care if you're stronger or weaker, Kacchan. I just-" His voice faltered as tears spilled down his cheeks. "I just want you with me."
Bakugo's fingers curled into the fabric of Deku's shirt, his face buried in the crook of Deku's neck as if hiding from the world. "I don't know how to... be like you."
Deku smiled through his tears, gently running his fingers through Bakugo's hair. "You don't have to be like me. You just have to be you, Kacchan."
For a moment, everything was quiet. The rain continued to fall, washing away the blood and grime, and for once, they were just two boys, broken and bruised, clinging to each other in the middle of the chaos.
"I'm still going to surpass you, Deku," Bakugo muttered, but his voice was softer now, without its usual venom.
"I know," Deku replied with a quiet laugh, pressing his forehead against Bakugo's. "But I'll be right there with you, no matter what."
Bakugo didn't respond, but he didn't push him away either. And for now, that was enough.
