Fresh Flesh (Bkdk, Dkbk)

- Chapter 62 -

—- K —-

He can feel his heartbeat, his blood pulsing in a steady rhythm under his warm skin. His own breathing finally gets its shit together, and he doesn't feel that impending doom in his chest anymore. His warmth is searing, burning his own cold form, like finally getting somewhere warm after spending hours out in the rain.

He doesn't hug back, as much as he wants to, he can't trust himself not to squeeze so hard Izuku's bones break. Instead, he focuses on every single detail he can so that this moment can never leave his memories. The thought of forgetting everything all over again is an unsuspected fear.

Fear. A feeling he hates with a passion. The stinging in his eyes is still there, but there are no longer any tears coming out. He sniffs, resting his chin on top of Izuku's head. The smell of dust and coal conditioner wash over him faintly when he buries his face in Izuku's curls.

Through their bond, he gets a small sense of what Izuku is feeling. It's nothing negative, so he assumes he's okay like this. If they had a strong bond like before, then he could get his thoughts, his exact feelings, without even trying. He could feel whole.

He pulls away before he can let those thoughts continue. He will never do that shit again, ever. Izuku looks a little surprised that he pulled away so fast but lets him go. His green eyes are as vibrant as ever, but there is an underlying sense to them that he isn't completely all there.

It's that gleam in his eyes that he gets every time he gets into one of his nerd rants or when he is trying to figure something out. Exactly what it is, Katsuki doesn't know. A shard of fear is still stabbed into his heart. Did he forgive him? Is he still angry about what happened?

Is that why he isn't saying anything? Is that what he's thinking about? Is he going to ignore him again, just like before? Fuck, what- The inches between them are breached when Izuku reaches his arm out and holds his hand.

And he smiles.

It isn't the happy grin that he wears most of the time or even the polite one that he gives teachers or adults. It's soft, like he has a thousand things he wants to say but just doesn't know how to. Katsuki stares at him, because any smile from this idiot, especially at a time like this, is enough.

"Everyone is waiting outside trying to find Mineta and his friend. I think we've been gone long enough that it will look like I was looking too."

Katsuki tightens his hold on his hand, that searing heat a little more bearable now. He answers in a grunt, not trusting his voice right now. The last thing he fucking wants is to hear it crack. The two of them start to walk, their steps in sync. Izuku swings their hands gently, his eyes ahead.

He still looks like he is deep in thought, and Katsuki wants to ask what the hell he is thinking about so hard. Is it about how to get rid of him? How to tell him that he wants him to fuck off and never see him again? He finds his eyes lingering on the wounds on Izuku's body.

He shouldn't have let him get so close, it probably hurts like hell and it's Katsuki's fault that he got them in the first place. He feels his skin crack and takes a deep breath. Calm the fuck down, Katsuki, don't do it again. Izuku glances at him, and squeezes his hand, trying to reassure him.

It works, at least until they get out of the building. Everyone is spread out, still looking in the trees and calling out. Shitty half n half is the first extra he looks at. Not because he wants to, but because the thing hovering around him is fucking annoying.

Looking at it just pisses him off, pushing away any of his previous thoughts. Half n half looks back at him, his mouth turning down slightly in a barely noticeable frown. That makes the gross monster thing look back at him too, and he feels disgust creep up his spine when it grins at him.

Pink Cheeks runs over when she notices them, her brown eyes wide with worry.

"Izuku,"

She looks at the two of them, only growing more worried if the crease in between her brows is anything to go by. Her hands go to touch one of Izuku's cuts, but when he winces, she backs off.

"What happened?!"

Her eyes land on Katsuki, and he already knows he is going to get that narrowing of her eyes and the accusatory look. But, he's slightly surprised when she looks just as worried about him too. Izuku and him glance at each other, and then speak at the same time.

"An animal."

Uraraka looks at the two of them and her mouth opens slightly, before closing again, then opening. She struggles with what to say, before settling on a,

"What?"

Four eyes runs over to them, his glasses crooked on his face and some leaves in his hair. Clearly, he was one of the people looking further in the trees.

"Did you two find anything?"

Izuku shakes his head, and a look of regret and sadness crosses his face. Katsuki can't ignore the guilt and looks away.

"Nothing."

There is a collective heavy silence, and half n half speaks from behind them.

"I think it's time to call the police."

The monster behind him won't stop fucking staring at him and Izuku, and it pisses him off. He stares back at it, waiting for it to do something. It doesn't.