I've Got You [Hurt/Comfort]

I wrote this at 3am because I couldn't sleep. It has a happy ending I promise.

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Darkness.

Katsuki reached out a hand, but felt nothing.

His world had gone silent, not even the formerly-constant ringing in his ears breaking the emptiness.

He was alone.

His lungs ached, struggling to draw breath, his chest refusing to rise and fall the way it had for his entire life. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't breathe. His world was gone. Gone.

"Kacchan."

He'd never in his life thought that he'd be relieved to hear that voice, that kiddy nickname he'd always rolled his eyes at.

"I've got you, Kacchan."

He turned his head, searching, but still the world was black. Empty. Nothing.

"It's going to be okay, Kacchan."

The voice was choked up, and Katsuki wished he could see the face that went with it, the big sap and his dopey eyes, always pouring tears down his freckled chipmunk cheeks.

"I promise."

Katsuki felt the tension seep out of his body. Izuku didn't make promises he couldn't keep, after all. Whatever was going on, whatever had made his world go dark, Izuku would fix it.

Katsuki opened his eyes.

It was a weird feeling, considering he was pretty sure they'd been open, but somehow his eyelids fluttered open all the same, filling his world with dim, grey light.

"I've got you, Kacchan," that voice said again, a little softer, a little rougher. "Just stay with me."

"The fuck is that supposed to mean?"

His voice didn't come out right, came out choked and garbled, and he felt like his throat had turned to sandpaper. His body was somehow numb and aching all at once, and he couldn't seem to lift his hand anymore, the way he had in the darkness.

Izuku's head flew up, and Katsuki saw the pain in his eyes, so deep and heavy that Katsuki felt a weird urge to apologise. His vision was still dim, like they'd been locked in a closet with only a crack under the door to let in light, but Izuku was there, and so was that hurt, that ache, that turned his emerald eyes into a stormy grey sky.

"Kacchan," he said again, like he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"Nerd."

Izuku's lips twitched, managing the tiniest, wobbliest smile Katsuki had ever seen, and then his head was falling back down, sobbing over Katsuki's chest.

Despite the insane weight that seemed to have taken over his body, Katsuki managed to lift his hand. It was slow, and way more painful than it had any right to be, but he shifted it to Izuku's hair, resting it on soft curls that felt like he'd finally come home.

"I was so scared," Izuku sobbed, his tears soaking through some sort of blanket and into Katsuki's clothes. "I thought I'd lost you."

"Don't be stupid," he croaked. "You ain't getting rid of me that easily."

He expected a snarky answer, maybe a chuckle, or something, but Izuku just continued to sob, and Katsuki shifted his hand a little, ruffling Izuku's hair.

"Hey," he said softly. "I'm here."

Izuku flung his arms around Katsuki's weak body, squeezing him so tightly that Katsuki could have sworn he'd used his quirk for it. Katsuki grunted slightly and Izuku immediately pulled back, face full of regret when he looked up, but Katsuki just tightened his grip on green curls, nudging him back down.

"I'm okay," he said, as firmly as he could manage with his throat housing a whole damn beach. "You've got me."

Izuku blinked at him, just staring at him in silence for a moment, but then the tears began again, pouring down his face as sobs wracked his entire body.

"You're such a crybaby," he said fondly, stroking Izuku's hair as best as he could. "Did we at least win?"

"Obviously," Izuku choked out, between shuddering sobs. "Kacchan always wins."
"Damn right."

Izuku sniffled, finally gaining enough composure to turn his head, meeting Katsuki's eyes for what felt like the first time in years.

"I don't remember it," Katsuki said softly. "I assume it was a villain."

"Yeah," Izuku nodded, swallowing hard. "I'll fill you in later, as much as you want."

"Good."

"Right now, just... rest. For me."

"I don't think I have much choice," Katsuki huffed, curling his fingers but only moving them an inch. "I can't even get myself a glass of water."

"Oh," Izuku said softly, sitting up and leaving Katsuki cold where they were once touching. "Here."

He picked up a jug of water from a small table, pouring a glass, then cradled Katsuki's head with the gentlest touch to bring it to his lips. Katsuki couldn't seem to make himself swallow right, but Izuku trickled it in just a tiny amount at a time, letting it run down Katsuki's aching throat.

"If you want things, just tell me," Izuku said softly. "You could have interrupted my breakdown."

Breakdown. That was a good word for it. Usually Izuku undersold his little crying fits, but that one was... pretty good.

"Enough?" he asked, pausing when Katsuki had managed a few tiny swallows.

"Yeah. Thanks."

"You don't need to thank me."

He gently set Katsuki's head back on a soft pillow, then hesitated, his fingers right by Katsuki's face. They drifted a little closer, and Katsuki didn't bother to look at them, eyes still locked on Izuku's.

Warm, callused fingers ghosted over Katsuki's face, and when he didn't cringe or twitch away, Izuku repeated the motion, letting his thumb trail down Katsuki's eye and cheek.

"I'm so sorry," he said quietly. "I shouldn't have let this happen."

Katsuki didn't know what he was talking about, but he didn't bother to ask, just watched as Izuku's eyes filled with tears again while he cupped Katsuki's cheek. His thumb traced a line up toward the corner of his eye, and Katsuki was aware enough to know there must have been a scar there, left behind by whatever stupid villain got a hit in on him.

Darkness. Silence. Empty.

"I heard you," he said quietly, the words easier with a little moisture back in him. "Talking to me."

"Sorry."

"No," Katsuki said quickly. "I was... scared. And alone. But your voice was with me. So... thank you."

Izuku leaned in, pressing a tiny kiss to the corner of Katsuki's eye, and Katsuki felt his cheeks warm, watching as Izuku's quickly did the same.

"I love you," Izuku whispered. "I thought I'd lost my chance to tell you. And you don't have to feel the same way, I'm happy just to be your friend, but... I didn't want to miss out on saying it, just once."

"Deku," Katsuki huffed a laugh. "I do, you idiot."

"Huh?"

"Of course I fucking love you. I don't deserve to love you, let alone for you to love me back, but I've loved you for a fucking long time."

A smile finally tugged at Izuku's lips, breaking through the tears and fear and regret, and even with his heavy limbs and aching everything, all was right in Katsuki's world once again.

"I love you, Izuku."

"God damn it Kacchan, I love you so much," Izuku stumbled out, wrapping his arms around Katsuki and holding him tight again. "I thought I'd lost you and I was so scared and I don't want to live in a world without you in it."

"Damn right."

Izuku laughed, tears falling again but this time without all the pain in them, and Katsuki could only watch fondly as he attempted to mop them up with a battered sleeve.

"I'm really tired," Katsuki admitted, allowing himself a moment of weakness to match Izuku's. "Will you stay?"

"I'm not going anywhere," Izuku promised. "I'll be right here, holding your hand."

"And talking to me?"

"I won't keep you awake?"

Katsuki shook his head, and Izuku smiled softly, nodding just once.

"And talking to you," he confirmed. "I'm going to tell you about all ten-plus years of cheesy date ideas I've planned out for us since we were kids."

"Sounds good," Katsuki chuckled faintly, closing his eyes but feeling strong fingers lace through his, keeping him safe, bringing him home. "Start with the ones I don't have to walk for, I'm feeling pretty shit."

"Movie nights," Izuku began, squeezing his hand lightly. "Blankets, and popcorn, and the comfiest couch in the world that we're gonna find for our shared apartment, and the stupidest, cheesiest rom-com movie that I can possibly find, just to torment you. We'll make fun of it the whole way through, even though secretly we'll both love it, and we'll cuddle for hours, just the two of us, like the rest of the world just doesn't exist anymore."

"Cheesy," Katsuki huffed quietly, tilting his head slightly to get comfy on the pillow, where if he cracked his eyes open he could get a glimpse of Izuku's hand twined with his own. "Keep going. Gonna sleep."

"Sweet dreams, Kacchan. I'll see you when you wake up."

Katsuki nodded faintly, the weight lifting off his chest, letting him breathe freely again. His world wasn't darkness and silence, his world was right beside him, and he knew he had nothing left to fear.

When he began to drift off, his world was bright, and full of Izuku's sweet voice, wrapping him in warmth.

His heartbeat was strong, all his vitals showing comfortable signals on the screens, his lungs filling and emptying steadily with nothing trying to weigh him down, and this time, his rest was peaceful, normal, safe.

"I've got you," Izuku said again, more to himself than to Katsuki. "I promise."