Chapter Text
20 minutes. That's how long it took for everything to go to hell. Katsuki gaped at what was left of the 10-story office building they were sent to evacuate. 'Foundation issues', they said. Yeah, no shit.
Katsuki stood there, eyes trained on the pile of rubble that was once a 42 meter structure. He was frozen, unmoving. Not even a twitch of a finger. His ears were ringing and he vaguely thought he could hear someone screaming in the distance. Why did his throat hurt?
While the Great Explosion Murder God Dynamight stood as still as a statue, covered in dust and debris from the collapse, only one thought occupied his mind. Or, rather, one person.
Deku.
He was in there. God, he was still in there.
Katsuki was sent to scout the surrounding area, informing passerbys of the imminent collapse, while Deku... Fuck, he was on building evacuation. The real question was, how far up had he gotten?
20 minutes. A flood of people had come out of the building in that amount of time, curtesy of Izuku himself. So how many floors had the nerd actually climbed? He could only pray that he was somewhere around the top floors when the building crumbled.
Something that felt like white, hot fear coursed through his veins at the thought of him being on one of the lower levels. Even All Might in his prime wouldn't have been able to withstand several hundred tons of metal beams and concrete crumbling on top of him in 15 seconds flat.
Katsuki was moving before he even realized what he was doing. He launched himself into the air at break-neck speed, landing as carefully as he could on top of the precarious rubble.
"Dynamight, sir! You can't be up there!"
A group of firefighters gathering civilians gawked at him as he began to peer beneath various slabs of concrete, searching for a shock of green. Fuck, was that gas he smelled? He'd have to be mindful of his quirk if that was the case.
He carefully moved his foot to balance on a metal beam, feeling out his weight to test the stability.
"Dynamight! Seriously! You could shift the structure! What are you doing?!"
The first responders looked petrified at Katsuki in his manic state. His pulse increased the longer he looked, fear seeping into his spine. Fuck, where was he? It wasn't supposed to be like this. Deku... It wasn't supposed to end this way.
The pro hero glared back at the firefighters with a look that would normally intimidate anyone to leave him be.
"SHUT THE FUCK UP! I'M SEARCHING HERE, I'M NOT GONNA-"
The blond stopped dead in his tracks as his boot made contact with something. Looking down to see what it was, he paled.
His eyes widened as he stared down at a single red shoe, now stained with blood and dust. His vision tunneled, pulse rising to an alarming rate. Katsuki could feel the heart rate monitor on his wrist vibrate, urging him to calm down, but he barely perceived it. He felt as though he couldn't breathe.
"No way..."
Katsuki's stomach was in his throat as he stared at the red shoe. Time slowed down. Sounds filtered out. His world began to spin. No... No, it couldn't be. Please, fuck... Shaking, Katsuki placed his hands on the concrete slab that covered the rest of the body connected to the shoe. His muscles strained as he pushed. Please, please, please...
"Dynamight! It's critical that you don't move any rubble! The whole structure could shift! Dynamight!"
All Katsuki heard was white noise as his vision narrowed to a single shoe. A single goddamn, ugly ass shoe. The same shoe that Katsuki fucking hated. He damn near begged the nerd for a change of wardrobe, trying to explain to him that the red high tops had to go. But Deku insisted. He was connected to them or some shit. And yet they... They were the whole reason Katsuki found him... Pinned beneath an impossible amount of cement. The sight of the blood staining the red fabric even darker was a knife to his gut, twisting and pulling in a way that felt unnatural.
"FUCK!"
He screamed as he pushed harder on the concrete, feeling his muscles rip and tear from the strain.
Please, please, please. He didn't believe in any higher power, but he would become a believer if it would just let him have this. Just this once. Please. Izuku...
It only took a few moments for Katsuki to realize that he had been shouting, practically hysterical with fear. A few more moments passed before anyone dared to try to get his attention.
"Dynamight!"
One of the firefighters shouted up at him with a megaphone this time, crashing into his ears much louder than he expected. However, that single red shoe kept him grounded, made his blood run ice cold.
"Dynamight!"
The man called again, to no avail, only for Katsuki to keep pushing the debris, the desperation evident in every move he made.
"AHHHGGGGGHHHH!"
He screamed as he felt the concrete finally begin to shift. He pushed, sweat and tears dripping down his face. He pushed until he felt something snap in his forearm, pain radiating throughout his entire being. And still, he pushed with everything he had.
"FUCK! C'MON! FUCKIN' MOVE! FUCK!"
"Dynamight! You need to get down! Dynamight!"
“SHUT THE FUCK UP!”
Katsuki roared over his shoulder, ignoring the stinging sensation that was his own arm. He turned his head over his shoulder to glare at the firefighters, breathing heavily.
“I DON’T CARE WHAT YOU SAY, I’M NOT GOING ANYWHERE UNTIL I’M SURE HE’S SAFE!”
He shouted down to the group of firefighters, who had been watching him move the rubble. In the back of his mind, he could hear Deku scolding him, saying something about how he 'really needed to be nicer, Kacchan.' The intrusive thought caused pain to throb heavily in his chest.
He turned his full attention back towards the concrete slab and shoved with all of his might. His arm screamed, the pain unbearable. But nothing could top the pain he felt in his heart at the thought of Deku... Dead. Gone.
Izuku, his... What? Friend? No, that wasn't right. He was more than that now, wasn't he? Fuck, everything he felt for the nerd came pouring out in fat tears down his cheeks, clouding his vision.
"Please. Please, please, please"
Katsuki whimpered to himself.
"I need to tell him. He needs to know. He can't go until he knows. He's everything. Everything, everything, everything..."
Katsuki squeezed his eyes shut and pushed as hard as he could with his remaining energy. The slab shifted, then shifted some more. He let out a roar as he shoved the concrete wall the rest of the way off, and it slipped down, landing into the pile of rubble with a loud crash.
He sat back on his haunches, his lungs heaving and arms shaking, the left one that broke throbbing painfully. He blinked the stinging tears and sweat out of his eyes as he focused on the blur in front of him. A lot of green and red. Jesus Christ.
Deku was somewhat shielded by another broken concrete wall, his body tucked into a little alcove. His leg was the only part of him that stuck out, the part he initially saw. Yeah, it was fucked. 'Broken' wasn't even the word for it. Shattered, crushed. Shit.
"Deku..."
Katsuki whispered, his words filled with desperation.
"Izuku?"
Katsuki reached out to touch Izuku's arm with a shaky hand, as though he was made of glass. He slowly moved the smaller man over onto his back, revealing the rest of his torso.
His eyes began to burn with fresh tears at what he saw. Bruises and cuts covered the hero’s body, as well as bits of concrete and dust. His eyes were closed, and he looked so peaceful, like he was sleeping. Katsuki took a ragged breath, reaching up to try and brush some of the debris off Deku's freckled face.
“You can’t...”
Katsuki breathed out, tears streaming down his face.
“Deku, wake up!”
There he lay, still as a corpse. Deku. Izuku... Katsuki's whole world. And he never even got the chance to tell him. God, he just needed a fucking chance. He'd do it right this time. He'd tell him everything. How he pushed him away because he was scared. Scared of the confusing feelings he felt every time he stared into those forest green eyes. How he bullied him because of that fear. How he lashed out at him to try to push it all down. How his laugh made his chest tight. How he gave his own life for Izuku, again and again, and would do so many times over if that meant he was safe. How it's only ever been him. His whole world. His everything.
A sob tore through Katsuki as his undamaged arm lifted to push the curls out of Izuku's eyes. They were almost white from all of the plaster coating them, the shine gone, blood staining his round cheeks.
"Zuku? Please. C'mon. Don't do this. Please..."
Katsuki reached up to cup Deku’s cheek with his cold hand, gently caressing what he could reach. His lips trembled as he struggled to find words to say to the limp hero.
A whimper left Katsuki’s lips, and he felt a shiver run down his spine. The blond didn’t care that a group of people were watching him at the moment. He had a promise to fulfill.
“Don’t you know I love you? Idiot..”
Katsuki whispered, leaning down to press his forehead against Izuku’s.
Still. He was too goddamn still. He felt cold. Katsuki made a noise that sounded like a wounded animal, his pain breaking out of him in waves. He slowly and painfully pulled Izuku inch by inch until his head lay in his lap. The blood pool that was left behind made his heart clench as he let out a wrecked sob. He stroked his blood and dust covered curls, tears streaming down his face until they landed on Izuku's own cheeks, the moisture darkening the white sheet that coated them. He began to rock back and forth in hysterics as he continued to murmur to Deku.
"I love you. Please. Izuku, I love you. Come back to me. You're mine. You can't leave. Zuku, god, don't leave me. I can't do this without you. Please."
Katsuki could feel himself beginning to hyperventilate as he held Deku's limp body to his chest. His head was spinning, and his lungs were burning from lack of oxygen. Katsuki barely registered the words and shouts coming from the first responders, who were desperately trying to prevent the rubble from shifting. He couldn't find it in himself to care any longer.
"Izuku."
Katsuki whimpered, tightening his grip on the other hero.
"Don't go where I can't reach you."
He felt a hand gently rest on his shoulder and he stiffened, grasp subconsciously tightening around Deku.
"Dynamight..."
A soft voice reached his ears through the haze.
"We need to move him. The paramedics are down there. We... We need to move him."
Katsuki turned his head to see familiar pink boots. Uraraka. Her voice sounded shaky, like she was crying.
"B-Bakugo. We need to move him."
Katsuki glanced up at the hero, then back down at Deku, who looked almost peaceful in his unconscious state.
“I...”
Katsuki whispered into his hair, pressing a gentle kiss to the dust covered curls.
“I don’t want him to get hurt even more.”
Katsuki looked back up at Uraraka’s worried brown eyes and swallowed.
“I... I love him.”
Katsuki admitted outloud, holding Izuku protectively to his body.
“I love him and I don’t want to let him go. Not like this.”
She stiffened behind him, grasp on his shoulder tightening slightly, likely taken off guard. Katsuki met her eyes to see the hurt. The devastation. Oh, that's right. He always suspected that she had a thing for Deku, and, well, the look on her face solidified it. She recovered quickly though, most likely due to the sensitive situation, and cleared her throat before speaking.
"I'll use my quirk. He won't get any more hurt than he already is. I promise. Dynamight, we need to get him to the paramedics. Quickly."
Katsuki didn’t want to remove his touch from Deku, but the brunette’s words seemed to convince him enough to gently set the green haired hero in the hard rubble.
“Alright.”
He said quietly, brushing his thumb across Izuku’s cheekbone to wipe away some of the dirt. His eyes flickered with concern as he glanced around, ensuring no rubble had moved.
Katsuki stood up quickly, grabbing ahold of Izuku’s leg as the other hero carefully activated her quirk on Deku’s limp body.
She let out a shaky breath as she carefully used her quirk to float the fallen hero. Together, they took slow steps down the precarious rubble, mindful of where they placed their feet so as not to further shift the structure. Once their boots were back on solid ground, they quickly made their way to the ambulance. Katsuki kept a grounding hand on Deku's lower thigh, refusing to part with him as Uraraka laid his prone body onto a stretcher.
"P-Please"
Katsuki stammered out while addressing the paramedic. Uraraka's mouth fell agape at the words and tone used from the usual volatile blond.
"Save him. Please."
The paramedic who was working to examine Izuku scrunched his face in confusion. To the public, Deku and Dynamight were just two pros that occasionally worked together. Nobody knew the extent of their relationship. How deep it truly ran. How Izuku Midoriya was his one true north in this fucked up world. How could they know? It's not like Katsuki ever let it show, especially to the nerd in question.
The paramedic seemed put off by the pro hero's pleas and even more puzzled by the Great Explosion Murder God Dynamight's soft words regarding the other hero.
He schooled his face quickly, slipping on a mask of professionalism, and nodded.
"We'll do what we can, Dynamight, sir. I feel a pulse, but it's faint."
Katsuki's heart swelled at the information. Oh, thank god. His stubborn heart was still beating. 'Keep it beating, Zuku. We're not done yet,' he thought to his other half, giving his thigh a gentle squeeze.
"I'm going to have to ask you to step aside, though, sir."
Katsuki's grip tightened, a pained moan escaping his lips.
"N-NO!"
The paramedic's jaw clenched, but he nodded again. His obvious fear of the pro hero far outweighed any first responder training he'd taken as he began to grab the tools necessary to stabilize Izuku.
"We have a healing quirk on site. They're making their way here now and should arrive any minute. That should hopefully give him the strength he needs to make it to Central."
The paramedic spared him one last sympathetic glance as he used a pair of medical scissors to cut down the center of Deku's hero costume. It seemed he finally grasped the nature of their relationship, at least somewhat, and he didn't mention Katsuki leaving again.
The paramedic leaned back to document Deku's injuries, pressing lightly on the injured pro's abdomen and chest, then running both hands through his hair and over his scalp. Katsuki's heart fell into his stomach when the hands came back scarlet, coated in blood.
A tall woman with brunette hair tied into a tight bun approached the stretcher. Katsuki growled as he moved into a protective stance over Deku, but the paramedic placed a bloody hand on his chest.
"This is our healing quirk, Kimura. She'll take care of him."
Katsuki visibly relaxed, moving out of the way with a grunt while still keeping his hand on Izuku's leg. Uraraka shifted behind him awkwardly, hands gripped behind her back and lip between her teeth. Tears flowed down her round cheeks as she looked down at Deku.
Kimura addressed the paramedic, voice stern and serious.
"Status?"
The paramedic responded quickly, training taking over.
"Internal bleeding. Several broken ribs and a fractured collarbone. The bones in his right leg are shattered. Head trauma, unsure of the extent."
Kimura nodded as she placed her hands onto Deku's stomach, a soft glow illuminating his dull, purplish skin. She gave Katsuki a sideways glance.
"Dynamight, sir. I need you to step aside."
Katsuki's hand tightened once more, tears making his vision blurry, but he was doing his best to keep it together in front of all these people.
“I’m not leaving, and that’s final.”
Katsuki stated through gritted teeth, a quiet hiss escaping his mouth as he tried not to show too much weakness. He hated feeling so vulnerable and open, but the thought of losing Izuku was enough to send him over the edge.
“Please.”
He said softly, voice laced with a level of emotion he hadn’t felt in years.
“Just let me stay with him, for once.”
Kimura's eyes flashed to the paramedic, and they shared a look for a moment. After an unspoken conversation between the two, she let out a quiet sigh and nodded, her glowing hands moving from Deku's stomach to his chest, then up to his head.
"I can't do much for his leg here, but this should be enough to allow him to be transported. We need to move. Now."
The paramedic jumped into gear, rolling the stretcher to the back of the ambulance. Deku jostled as they lifted the bed into the box of the vehicle, his lifeless hand falling off from the commotion and dangling off the side. Katsuki gently grabbed it and moved it to lay on his exposed chest. His thumb absentmindedly brushed over the cold skin, a fresh wave of tears stinging his eyes and threatening to spill over. He blinked them away quickly.
Kimura tossed a look over her shoulder, addressing the two heros behind her.
"I only have room for one other."
Katsuki eyes flashed to Uraraka. Her hands were gripped in front of her now, cheeks wet and lip trembling. She looked so torn, so devastated, but she swallowed and nodded. It was almost like the light left her eyes as she resigned, her gaze never leaving the sight of Katsuki's hand over Deku's.
"R-Right."
Her voice was quiet and broken.
"I'll meet you at the hospital."
Her brown eyes shot up to look into red.
"Take care of him, Bakugo."
“I will.”
Katsuki whispered in reply, climbing into the ambulance quickly. He took Izuku’s hand back, pressing it against his chest. His heart began to race as he felt the other hero's pulse beneath his fingertips.
“Don’t you dare die on me, Izuku.”
Katsuki whispered quietly, squeezing Deku’s hand tightly. He looked up at the paramedic, who shot him a sympathetic glance.
“We’ll get him to the hospital as quickly as we can.”
The siren of the ambulance blared to life as they shot their way through the streets of the city.
Katsuki's gaze stayed locked on Deku's face, teeth chewing his lip into oblivion as his heart thudded a quick pace in his chest. His eyes scanned over him, looking for signs of life. A twitch, color in his cheeks, anything. But the other's eyes stayed closed, and his skin sallow and grey.
Katsuki kept his hand over Deku's, squeezing the comforting rhythm of the All Might theme song into it to show him that he was there. Katsuki's broken arm stayed dangling at his side, limp and throbbing. Every bump the ambulance rode over caused him to flinch in pain, although he barely felt it. Hell, he couldn't feel anything over the pain in his chest.
Kimura continued to work over Deku, paying special attention to his head. That worried him. How bad was it?
Katsuki cleared his throat, eyes leaving Deku's face for the first time since they entered the ambulance. Kimura glanced over, brows furrowed in concentration.
"Is it... Is it bad? His head?"
Red eyes bore into hazel as Kimura stiffened. She could tell he wasn't the type that would appreciate a sugarcoated answer or a half truth. Her gaze again fell onto her hands that stayed buried in Deku's curls, the faint glow causing him to look almost ethereal, like he had a halo. A true angel, even towards the end. A frown tugged at her lips before she answered.
"Yes. I believe so. I don't know the full extent, but I've been sending most of my energy to his head, and he has yet to wake up, so that is telling. We won't know fully until we arrive at Central."
Kimura stopped for a moment, seeming to contemplate saying more. Her eyes met Katsuki's again, gaze serious.
"My quirk isn't just healing, you know."
Her eyes flickered down to where Katsuki's hand laid over Deku's before coming back to meet his once more.
"I can also sense the emotional state of my patients. It helps during treatment to know how they're feeling. Pro Hero Deku is... Well, as absured as it may sound, he's happy right now. Really happy. He may not be conscious, but I think he can still feel and hear you. Whatever you've been saying to him or doing for him during this time is comforting him greatly, with the exception of when I told you to leave earlier. He had a major anxiety spike during that time. That's why I allowed you to stay."
Her eyes gazed upon Deku's face, a strange look crossing over her features.
"Whatever you're doing, keep doing it. It's better than any anxiety medication I have in my arsenal."
Katsuki’s heart stalled as she said Izuku was happy he was here, and he couldn’t help the small smile that twitched onto his lips. He glanced down at the other hero, his stomach doing flips.
“That nerd.”
He said quietly, squeezing Izuku’s hand gently.
“I don’t think he’d ever be happy if I wasn’t around. He relies on me too much.”
Katsuki’s smile widened as he began to run his thumb across the back of Deku’s hand, whispering to him softly.
"The feeling's mutual, you damn Deku."
When Katsuki's eyes met Kimura's again, he was greeted with almost a dumbstruck look. Her mouth was hanging open, a slight flush to her cheeks. Katsuki wondered if he'd made her uncomfortable with his outward devotion for Izuku, and he clammed up in embarrassment. But when he looked at her closer, he saw her lips twitch almost into a smile.
"Wow. I've never felt anything like that before. This man... He cares for you deeply, Dynamight, sir. So deeply, so far beneath the surface... So much hurt and so much love. I can tell you've been through a lot, both together and separately. But I also don't believe he'd want any other holding his hand right now."
She turned her attention back toward her work, brows furrowing once more.
"He is scared, though. Try talking to him again."
Katsuki nodded, glancing down at Izuku’s face. Katsuki had never seen the other so battered before, and it made him feel sick. The blond frowned slightly to himself.
“You’re so stupid.”
He began, running his thumb across the cool skin of Deku's hand.
“I’m gonna have to take care of your dumb ass for weeks. You know I don’t really care, though.. I... need you here, Izuku. I can't do this shit without you. You know that... Just wake up so I can yell at ya for being so reckless.”
Kimura held a small smile as he continued to whisper to Deku the rest of the way to the hospital. The ride was only about 10 minutes in total, but it felt like hours.
Soon enough, the doors to the back of the ambulance were yanked open, and Izuku's stretcher was pulled out. Katsuki jogged with the paramedics as they wheeled through the hospital, their pace fast to get Deku the care he needed as quickly as possible. Once they reached the room, a flurry of doctors and nurses surrounded Izuku, every person talking so fast it made his head spin. Codes were being called and medication was ordered around. An IV was placed in Izuku's arm, doctors quick and efficient as they got him hooked up to the meds he needed.
"I need a CT scan stat. Locate the source of the bleeding! We need an OR prepped. Sir, I need you to step out. Sir!"
Katsuki was so dazed that he almost didn't realize he was being spoken to. His glazed over eyes met the doctor's, panic gripping his chest at the thought of leaving Izuku. His rational brain reminded him that he needed to listen so that Izuku got better. So that he came out on the other side of this. He swallowed and nodded before he bent forward, placing a chaste kiss to the back of Deku's hand. He straightened and whispered into his ear.
"If you die on me, I'll kill you, you damn nerd."
He gave Deku's hand a firm squeeze before he turned, leaving the room. He felt dizzy, like he was floating through the halls with nowhere solid to go. A nurse in a rush to get to Izuku's room knocked into his broken arm, and he hissed in pain, hand moving to protect it in reflex.
"Oh! Hero Dynamight, sir! Is your arm alright?"
“It’s fine.”
Katsuki replied through gritted teeth, trying not to show too much weakness in front of the nurse. Katsuki hated feeling so vulnerable, and he guarded his wounded arm like a feral animal, eyes wild and teeth bared.
“Where’s the waiting room? I need to call Hero Uravity.”
Katsuki ground out in the general direction of the nurse, trying to distract himself from the pain that shot through his arm.
“If you’re too busy to tell me, I’ll just go find it myself.”
The nurse furrowed her brows in concern, turning to face Katsuki fully.
"Uravity is already here. She's in the waiting room. Dynamight, sir. May I look at your arm? We have the highest quality healing quirks in the country. Let's get you fixed up, shall we?"
He didn't need it, he thought stubbornly. Every nurse and doctor in this place should be working on Deku right now. A damn broken forearm was nothing compared to what the nerd endured.
“I’m fine.”
Katsuki repeated with more heat this time, clenching his hand into a fist in order to stop it from shaking.
“Fuck off. Go help Deku.”
He began to turn away, making his way towards the waiting room. Katsuki’s vision was blurry, but he had to keep moving. There was no way in hell he’d let some nurse look at the minor injury while Deku’s life was on the line.
Katsuki could feel his body trembling from the pain and shock, but he was still trying to keep his tough guy act up. Nobody was going to see him as weak.
The nurse placed a hand gently on his uninjured arm, eyes overflowing with concern.
"I assure you, Hero Dynamight, every able body in this hospital is attending to Pro Hero Deku at this moment. He's in good hands. Please."
She gestured to his injured arm.
"Let me do my part to help you. You're the one who saved him, right?"
Katsuki's eyes narrowed at her placating tone. She swallowed, eyes darting as something played on the tip of her tongue, coaxing to get out. It must have won because she turned to face him with more determination in her eyes.
"How are you going to help him if you can't use both arms? He's going to need you in recovery, you know."
His heart rate spiked as irritation coursed through his veins, mouth parting to protest on instinct. He snapped it shut quickly when the harsh reality of Izuku's state dawned on him. He suddenly remember how bloody he was... How broken. His heart sank even further into his stomach. Maybe... Maybe she had a point.
Damn. She was right. He couldn’t help Izuku like this. He had to do what she said, for Deku’s sake. He had to be there, which meant pushing down his pride to make sure he was the strongest version of himself. The nerd deserved that, at least.
Katsuki reluctantly nodded, holding his arm out for her to inspect. He tried not to wince as the pain hit him.
“Fine.”
He said quietly, clenching his jaw and holding his stubborn posture.
“You can look at it, but I’m not staying here. I gotta go see Uravity. She needs an update on Deku's status.”
The nurse nodded as she gingerly took his arm. He tried not to wince in pain at the light brush of fingers, but it was near impossible. Even gravity felt excruciating to his swollen, throbbing forearm. She began to lead him toward a vacant room, watching him like she would a spooked, rabid dog.
"Is it okay if we sit in here? I can call the front so that they can send Uravity back. Less eyes, you know?"
Katsuki nodded hesitantly, making his way towards the room. He walked slowly, trying to keep his breathing steady. He didn't want to show how bad his arm hurt.
"Yeah, okay."
He muttered quietly, his brain filled with TV static as he took a seat on the exam table. He winced slightly as he did so, trying not to disturb his broken arm.
"If you could tell them to tell her the extent of Deku's injuries though... I don't wanna be the one to tell her everything that happened. Hell, I don't even know all that happened."
She nodded, fingers pressing lightly to feel where the bone was broken. God, did it hurt. He grit his teeth tightly to avoid crying out. Once she understood where the break was, she gently laid his arm at his side again, turning to face the phone hanging on the wall. She picked it up, dialing the front and explaining the situation, giving them the room number so that Uraraka could find them. She turned to face Katsuki again, eyes warm and friendly. It made him feel nauseous.
"This may be easier if you lie down. I can-um..."
She stopped for a moment, weighing something in her mind before relenting.
"I can explain what we know of Pro Hero Deku's injuries while I work, if you'd like."
Katsuki swallowed hard, trying to push down the worry that was rising in his chest. He gave a slight nod of his head, leaning back so that he could lay down. He could feel a lump forming in his throat, and he was worried that he wouldn't be able to speak once she started explaining.
"Yeah."
He managed to get out, trying to keep his voice level. He didn't want his emotions to get out of hand. Not now. He had to keep it together. He could feel it all later, while he was holding the love of his life in his arms. Once Deku was awake and vibrant again. That's when he'd allow himself to break.
"Tell me."
She nodded, offering him a small smile as her hands took his arm again. Fuck, that just never got any better. His eyebrows furrowed in pain, jaw clenched so hard he thought he might break a tooth.
"S-Sorry. I can get you some pain medication if you'd like."
Katsuki shook his head, breathing heavily.
"I'm fine."
He spoke through clenched teeth, his voice strained. He wasn't going to let himself look weak. He needed to keep his head. He had to.
He closed his eyes, trying to take deep breaths to ease the pain. He didn't want to think about how much pain Izuku must be in right now. He hoped they at least gave him the good shit.
"Just do what you need to do. And tell me about Deku."
She nodded again, teeth worrying against her lower lip.
"If you're sure? This next part is going to hurt."
Her fingers relaxed against his arm as she waited for his response. Hospitals. Always needing consent for everything so they didn't get their dicks sued off. It would have made him roll his eyes at her insistence if he wasn't in so much pain.
Katsuki took a deep breath, still trying to manage the pain. He looked at her, brows furrowed in determination.
"I've gone through worse."
He said through gritted teeth.
"Don't hold back. Get it done."
He closed his eyes again, bracing himself for the pain as her fingers grazed across his broken arm. He clenched his jaw tightly, trying his best not to whimper as she worked on his injury. His breathing became heavier, and he clutched the side of the exam table with his other hand to try to keep from passing out.
She pulled his arm, fitting the broken bones back into place. Sweat beaded down his forehead as he did his best to focus on not activating his quirk and blowing the hospital a new asshole. The hand of his good arm was fisted in the sheets, the sounds of threads popping audible in the quiet room.
Eyes screwed shut and teeth clenched, he tried to rid his mind of everything but Izuku. He let himself be weak for a moment, thinking of lush green curls and deep, pine eyes. He thought of long summer nights spent sparring with the other. He thought of their days at UA and their nights as Pro Hero's. He thought of shitty takeout and too many episodes of the newest quirk related reality show. He thought of Izuku laughing until he was doubled over and tears sprung from his eyes. He thought of Izuku, his one and only. He thought of how he was going to confess to him once he was awake again. He thought of days with him and even longer nights. What would he taste like? What would he sound like? The pain in his arm couldn't even touch the raw emotion is his heart as he thought of only Izuku.
Soon enough, the nurse ceased the pulling motions on his arm, hands beginning to glow as she started the healing process.
"Sorry. That's the worst part. Are you ready to hear about Hero Deku?"
Katsuki took deep breaths, trying to push the pain away as he nodded. He opened his eyes, looking up at the nurse as he swallowed his pride.
"Been ready. Tell me what I need to know."
He felt sweat running down his forehead, but he didn't mind. He had to stay in control. He had to be strong. For Deku.
She nodded and let out a quiet sigh. Her eyes flickered to him, the glow from her quirk giving her face an ominous hue as she worked on his arm.
"Hero Deku suffered from multiple broken bones. The bones in his right leg are completely shattered, he broke his collarbone in two places, he has 3 broken ribs, one of which punctured his spleen. But the most troublesome injury is his open head injury. He's under as we speak to assess his spleen and his head. We are hoping it was purely superficial and that he doesn't have a serious traumatic brain injury, but only time will tell. Healing quirks have done what they can with his leg for now, but he will be in a full leg cast for at least a couple of weeks. He'll be placed in a medically induced coma while we watch the swelling in his brain. After a few days of monitoring, depending on his recovery, we will lift the anesthesia and wait for him to wake up on his own. Healing quirks will be applied in the interim, of course, but most of it will be a waiting game when he gets out of surgery."
She's quiet for a long moment, allowing Katsuki time to swallow the new information. After a few minutes, her small voice broke the silence.
"He's lucky to be alive. He must have a very strong will."
Her eyes meet his again.
"And he's lucky to have you. Any longer without attention, and who knows what would have happened."
Katsuki couldn’t speak. He knew Deku had been in bad condition, but he never imagined it would be this bad. His ears were roaring with worry, and his eyes were filling with tears. He took a deep breath, trying to compose himself.
“W-When can I see him?”
He asked, his voice trembling with unshed tears. How off-brand of him, but he couldn't find it in himself to care. Not in the slightest.
Her eyebrows crinkled with confusion, or maybe it was curiosity. Her mouth parted on an exhale before she spoke.
"You should be allowed to visit once he's in recovery after surgery..."
Her brows furrowed deeper as her eyes intently watched her quirk work on his arm like it's the latest TV drama, avoiding his sharp gaze.
"Sir, Dynamight."
She breathed out quietly.
"What is Hero Deku to you, sir? If you don't mind me asking. You don't have to answer, I just... I've never seen someone care for another so deeply before. Your arm. That had to have hurt. Been excruciating, even. And yet, you acted like it was merely a papercut while making sure he received the care he needed. Like it was nothing. And the pain in your eyes at his state..."
Katsuki's eyes went wide as she asked about his relationship with Deku. He had to be careful with his answer. He didn't want to say anything that could be misconstrued, but he also couldn't lie to her. He didn't know why, but he just couldn't.
He swallowed hard, trying to keep his voice level as he answered her.
“We’ve known each other since we were brats.”
He started, trying to carefully choose his words.
“I’ve saved Deku’s ass too many times. He’s saved mine just as many, if not more. We’re a team. He’s my... partner.”
He hoped that was an acceptable answer.
She nodded, brow still furrowed in concentration. She was pensive for a moment before she continued.
"The war... The war was live streamed."
Katsuki flinched as the painful memory was brought up, jaw clenched to keep the flashbacks at bay. What the fuck was she getting at?
"I remember watching it, what was it, 5 years ago? I was at the Shiketsu shelter with my family. When you... After Shigaraki..." She paused for a moment, squeezing her eyes shut at the memory before continuing. "Then Hero Deku showed. I've never..."
Katsuki shut his eyes, swallowing at the memory. She stumbled over her words before righting herself again.
"He lost it. Like you were the most important thing to him in his life. Like you were his whole world. Pure grief. He lost control over his quirk. We were so scared. We were scared that we lost our only hope to a broken heart. Hero Dynamight... He... He really loves you, you know? And life sure does come full circle, because I can see it now with the look in your eyes... That you really love him, too."
She finished up with her quirk and turned, grabbing a black sling from one of the drawers on the medical cart. He lifted his head off of the pillows at her instruction and she slipped it over, gingerly placing his injured arm into the cradle.
"You should only have to wear this for a few days. I'll come back to heal it again tonight, and once more in the morning. That is, if you'll be here? You're not being admitted, but... I figured with the state Hero Deku is in that you won't be leaving any time soon. Am I correct in my assumptions?"
Her soft eyes met his, a small smile tilting her lips. He could tell that her question was regarding both of her statements.
Of course he wasn't going anywhere.
He let her finish tending to his arm without complaint, looking down at his lap as she adjusted the straps on his sling. Katsuki couldn't bear to meet her eyes at the moment.
"Yeah"
He whispered, his voice low.
"I'll be here."
He wouldn't leave Izuku's side. Never again, if he could help it.
She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, squeezing once.
"Alright. I'll see you later, then."
She walked toward the door, glancing over her shoulder before she departed.
"He'll be okay. He has you, after all."
Katsuki gave her a twitch of a smile and nodded. She left the room, shutting the door quietly behind her.