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

Chapter 22

Two chapters this week! I actually rewrote this chapter during my trip to Japan, the irony. enjoy!


⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

Breath Of The Past

IZUKU

In the dead of night, they finally reached the top floor. Katsuki gently deposited Izuku onto the couch, vanishing into the bathroom without a word. Alone with his thoughts, Izuku's mind couldn't help but drift back to what had just happened. The close call with death hit him hard, making him question how he'd even reached such a dark point. How could he have even considered ending it all?

His mind raced, panic creeping in. How had he let things spiral this far? The idea of being utterly alone, with no one to turn to, had nearly driven him to kill himself. This wasn't like him; never had he considered such options before.

Izuku shuddered, the memory still fresh and raw in his mind as he tried to piece together what led him down this path. Waking up alone in that dimly lit room, with no recollection of how he got there or what had happened in the intervening years, was like a nightmare within a nightmare.

He remembered the disorientation, the sheer terror that gripped him as he tried desperately to piece together the fragments of his fractured memory. But it was like trying to grasp at smoke—everything slipped through his fingers, leaving him with nothing but a sense of profound emptiness.

But then there was Katsuki, swooping in like a hero straight out of a manga. And what baffled Izuku, what made his head spin even as he tried to make sense of his whole situation, was the realization that despite their messy past, Katsuki seemed genuinely concerned for him now. It was a stark contrast to the Katsuki he remembered—the one who had been brash, abrasive, and quick to anger.

It was confusing, to say the least. How could someone who had once been a relentless bully, now be the one extending a hand of friendship? How could Katsuki look at Izuku with such genuine concern, such unwavering support, when Izuku himself couldn't even remember the important moments they had shared together? Not to mention the fact that he just openly confessed feelings Izuku never dared imagine from someone like him.

Could someone like Katsuki, with all his strength and swagger, truly care about someone as broken and pathetic as him? It felt surreal, like some wild dream he couldn't quite grasp. All of this was a lot to take in, especially for someone who had been struggling with self-worth and acceptance for so long.

"Your muttering, Deku. Give me your leg, I'm gonna patch it up," Katsuki's voice cut through Izuku's thoughts as he reappeared with a first aid kit. Sitting beside Izuku, he began tending to his wounds with surprising gentleness. Izuku couldn't help but notice the size of his hands. They were larger than Izuku's own, with fingers that seemed strong and capable. Yet, despite their size, Katsuki handled the first aid supplies with a delicate touch, his movements precise and measured.

Izuku's gaze drifted to Katsuki's hands, tracing the lines of his palm and the rough callouses that adorned his fingertips. But it wasn't just the physicality of Katsuki's hands that captivated Izuku; it was the care and attention with which he tended to Izuku's wounds. Despite his rough exterior, there was a gentleness in Katsuki's touch, a tenderness that Izuku had never expected to find in someone like him.

The sting of antiseptic made Izuku wince involuntarily and he couldn't help but grimace, a reflexive reaction to the pain. Katsuki paused, his eyes flickering up from his work, and when Izuku met Katsuki's gaze, his heart skipped a beat at the concern reflected in those fiery crimson eyes. This was definitely a far cry from the Katsuki he had known before. After a moment Katsuki wordlessly returned to his task, his touch as gentle as before, his movements steady and sure.