Timeloop Trouble

Chapter 17 - Stuck

Fighting is their love language, it always has been and will probably always stay that way. And so here they were, hiking through an all too familiar forest in silence. Making their way to an open spot, one of their secret hiding places where they used to play when they were children. A field that filled itself with the most beautiful flowers come spring and was perfect for creating snow forts due winter. It would serve as their battlefield just as well.

Katsuki took a few steps onto the field of grass, turning to face Izuku with an uncertain look. They hadn't physically fought since... Izuku tried not to think about it. That's why they were here in the first place, weren't they? To stop overthinking. To just talk, without constrictions. Even if Kacchan didn't want to. Especially because Kacchan didn't want to. The ash blonde had forced answers out of Izuku like this before, so now it was his turn to return the favor.

"All Might told me everything," Izuku started. "About what happened. What you did."

"You weren't supposed to find out like that," Katsuki said.

"Then how was I supposed to find out?" Izuku asked, feeling One For All activating from within him. Green light sparking to life around him. The quirk came sooner to him now, accepting Izuku as its holder much quicker than in the original timeline. Probably because the vestiges could look into his memories, could see and feel they've been through all of this before. "Were you ever planning to tell me? What happened to talking to each other?!"

"You're one to fucking talk about communicating, Deku!" Katsuki hissed, explosions bursting to life in his palms. He quickly clenched his fists though, trying to get his quirk under control. "I knew you'd worry and it's not necessary!"

"Oh, it isn't, is it now?!" Izuku laughed. He must sound insane. "You put a tracker on me, Kacchan! A tracker!"

With that he threw the first blow, running up to Kacchan and kicking him in the side, making him tumble across the field. Katsuki was able to correct his course though, using explosions to cushion his fall and propel himself up into the sky.

"You stalked me for years!" Izuku yelled, jumping off the ground towards him.

"Then what else was I supposed to do?!" Katsuki screamed, dodging another attack while also grabbing onto Izuku's shirt mid air. "You moved on! You ran ahead without me!"

He used their momentum to throw Izuku back towards the ground, landing on top of him. Izuku could see the tiny tears forming in his eyes, shining in the pale daylight. It was a face he never liked to see, but it was necessary to get through this mess.

"I don't want to be left behind again!"

Izuku kicked Kacchan off him, sending him flying into the air, quickly jumping after him as he used his explosions to keep afloat. He didn't get very far though, because Katsuki set off a big blast in his direction, forcing him to keep his distance. And so Izuku was left darting around him, dodging his attacks as he continued to yell.

"You've always been so much fucking better than me, Deku!" he cried out. "A better hero, a better person- And I don't deserve you! But I can't fucking live without you!"

"So don't!" Izuku yelled, using Black Whip to pull Katsuki back to the ground, slamming him into the dirt. He didn't stop to think about the fact he used a secondary quirk. That Banjo hadn't technically given him permission to use it. That he hadn't even dreamed of the vestiges, hadn't spoken to them at all in this timeline. There was only one thing on his mind and that was Kacchan. "Don't live without me! Stay by my side! Please Kacchan..."

Izuku took a shaky breath as he ran towards him, still holding him down with Black Whip.

"Please... Just talk to me, okay? I promise I won't leave you behind," Izuku choked out, unable to contain his tears any longer. The weight of this situation came crashing down on him, as if he was getting crushed by a building. A skyscraper full of pain and misery and trauma and neglect. He should've seen this coming, should've picked up on the signals sooner- If only Izuku had been there sooner-