Bakudeku/Dekubaku Oneshots AU

Afterlife

Izuku takes his last breath as an old man. He lived a good life—had many happy memories revolving around his wife, his children and grandchildren. Oh, he could spend hours reminiscing all those times they’d run up and jump onto his lap as children, begging to hear another story about his and Ochako’s time as heroes back when they were young and strong.

He dies surrounded by his children and grandchildren with a smile on his face, because as much as he loved life, his bones are old and feeble now. His back aches constantly and he can’t move for very long without a cane. His hair is thin and grey, and his skin is wrinkled and saggy.

 It was time to go. And now that he has, he can do the one thing he’s been looking forward to for decades: he gets to reunite with Kacchan like how Ochako got to reunite with Himiko when she died all those years ago.

The light is a blinding white—so bright that Izuku can’t help but squeeze his eyes shut. It takes only a few seconds to disappear, but once it has Izuku feels it in his very bones—he’s home. The air smells sweet, like a thousand of his favourite flowers, and the grass is greener than he’s ever seen it while he’d been alive. Izuku basks in the sunlight as it hits his face, lets himself be in this moment because holy shit—he’s young again. His body doesn’t ache with pain that won’t go away, his skin is smooth and without any scars.

“You look so fucking stupid right now,” a voice that he hasn’t heard in ages snorts. Izuku whips his head around and freezes.

It’s one thing to imagine seeing him again—what he’d say, what he’d do.

It’s a whole other thing for it to actually happen.

And so Izuku promptly forgets all his plans and bursts into tears. Katsuki rushes forward, enveloping him in a hug. It’s a bit awkward at first—despite their relationship developments back before Katsuki had been killed by Shigaraki, neither of them had been all that affectionate with each other. There simply hadn’t been enough time.

But now they had all the time in the world. If Izuku wished to, he could stay in Kacchan’s warm embrace for the equivalent of years on earth. There are no battles to fight. No one here for him to look after. He’s… he’s just here. And he’s here with Katsuki.

“I missed you so much,” Izuku says through heaving sobs. “I- Kacchan.”

“I’ve got you,” Katsuki murmurs into his hair. His voice is a little rough sounding too—almost as though he’s holding back tears. “I missed you too, shitty nerd.”

Izuku lets out a genuine laugh.

They’ve got all the time in the world here.

Izuku’s not gonna waste one second of it.

END