A/N: Welp, this chapter took forever, sorry about that. I ended up not liking the way I originally planned to write the ending and scrapped it. So, several months of writer's block later, I finally decided how I wanted to conclude this. This is technically the last chapter, but there will be an epilogue coming out soon.

Thank you so much to everyone whose read this story and who waited patiently for these last few chapters. You are all amazing and I hope you enjoy this.

XXX

Katsuki's POV:

Sometimes we all make pretty fucking questionable decisions that no one in his right mind should make and the scary part is we'll do it without a second thought. Take roller coasters for example. Before anyone even gets in line to go on those damn metal death traps, there's a part of us that recognizes if anything goes wrong during the course of the ride, we're as good as dead. There is no walking away from a derailed roller coaster.

But what's fucking insane is that we'll get in that line anyway. We'll wait in a long line with the sun's penetrating heat beating over our backs, sometimes for hours. As we watch the coaster speed aggressively over metal tracks the anticipation skyrockets with each passing minute until finally, finally it's our turn. And then, like a bunch of giddy fucking schoolgirls, we'll climb in, fasten our seatbelts, which frankly won't save us from a crash landing, and enjoy the ride like there's absolutely no chance of it ending in sudden, agonizing death. You have to wonder, just why do we do it? Why in the actual fuck do we risk everything for at most, a couple minutes of euphoria?

Now as I stand here utterly soaked to the bone, lingering rainwater dripping into my eyes from the ends of my hair, while clutching an equally soaked paper bag to my chest, I wonder why any of us do anything that doesn't make sense, things which couldn't possibly be worth it in a worst-case scenario. It's not like we're all a bunch of senseless chickens roaming around with our heads cut off. We fucking know better goddamn it. It doesn't matter though. Whether the choice poses potential danger or if it's perfectly rational, shit doesn't matter.

It feels like a weird moment to reflect on this, while I wait for the slow-ass elevator to ascend to the correct floor, fingers tightening reflexively around the soggy bag and my other hand at a white-knuckle grip around my phone. I just can't get Cheeks's last text message out of my head.

She's with the nerd right now, hopefully getting that asshole to eat but at the very least offering him company as his finite time left continues to slip away from us. The message she sent was short and to the point and hit me right in the gut. Glancing at my glowing screen, I read over it for maybe the twentieth time since she sent it.

Pink Cheeks: Bakugo, I'm with Deku now and well… You should brace yourself before you get here.

Pink Cheeks: I guess that's it.

My mood soured instantly, so much so that I couldn't even reply with a proper "fuck off" or "don't tell me what to fucking do." I knew things were going to be worse for him, but it's one thing to expect it and another thing entirely to have to face it. There's a part of me, one I don't want to acknowledge but it's there, lingering in the shadows of my conscience, that wishes this elevator ride could never end. If it never ended then I wouldn't have to come face to face with the irrefutable evidence that Deku, my fucking Deku, won't be around for much longer.

Regardless of my warring feelings, that fateful ding pierces through the air, signaling that I've arrived at the correct floor. The sound was brief, but it left a deafening ringing in my ears and as I watch the doors slide open, I feel myself move forward, step by step, almost as if my muscles are acting on memory alone. The closer I get to his room, the louder the ringing becomes. I don't know if I'm ready to see him. It's been two weeks, I know, and I miss the fucker more then anything, but I just don't know if I'm ready for this.

Too soon, I'm standing in front of his door, the curtain on the other side of the glass panel is drawn shut, completely obscuring what's waiting inside. My head is pounding, this awful ringing won't stop and now, now my feet are just fucking glued to the floor. I'm paralyzed. I don't want to go in there, but I need to. I'm no fucking coward, I can do this damnit!

With bated breath and eyes carefully drawn to the floor, I shove the little bag into my hoodie pocket before sliding the door open and weaving around the curtain. My stomach is in knots, and suddenly I'm overwhelmed. I'm not ready for this moment. I'm not ready to-

"Kacchan?" A frail whisper burdened with concern, somehow reaches past the horrible ringing in my ears, waking me and bringing me out of whatever fuckfest I had been wallowing in.

Deku.

Lifting my gaze from the ugly tile beneath my feet, I let the sound of his voice wash over me as our eyes meet. He's giving me that look, the same adoring one he's always given me. It's ridiculous that I ever could have found that look to be annoying or condescending. My gaze roams over the rest of his features then, taking in his ghostly complexion and the way his once vibrant smattering of freckles have dulled against the pallor.

He's lost a lot of weight, with most of the muscle he'd built since inheriting one for all being replaced by a nearly anorexic boniness. The bouncy curls that once framed his features lie flat and lifeless against his skull. I have to swallow past the lump that formed in my throat and quickly shake off the unwelcomed foreboding feeling that has crept over my skin.

Refusing to allow his condition to ruin the time I get to spend with him, I put on a cocky smile and instantly note the relief in his eyes the moment he sees it. He was worried about me seeing him like this, about how I would react. Well, I'm going to show him he has nothing to worry about.

"Who the hell else would it be? Course it's me." As my stupid words echo against the walls, my feet unglue from the tile and I swiftly walk the few steps remaining between us. He scoots over in his bed, making room for me to climb in next to him. My heart sinks a little as I note the extra space that wasn't there before, but I quickly shake that feeling off, just like the others. As I wrap my arm around him, I bury my nose in his hair, breathing in his scent deeply. "I fucking missed you, Izuku."

He laughs, the sound bringing with it a slight jostling of his shoulders. "I fucking missed you too, Katsuki." His words bring a true smile to my face, and I nuzzle deeper into his hair, appreciating this closeness I missed so much.

Vaguely, I hear a cough followed by Cheeks's voice as she quietly whispers, "I'll take that as my que to leave. I'll see you tomorrow, Deku."

Deku's head nods slightly beneath my lips before he mumbles, "okay, Uraraka. I'll see you tomorrow."

Her footsteps quietly recede before I hear the door gently slide open and close again, signaling we're alone.

"Do you want to tell me how camp went, Kacchan?" Deku asks as I unhook my arm from his shoulders so I can untie and remove my shoes.

"Tch, nothing special happened. It was just like every other camp. Aizawa worked us to the bone and Dunce Face and Shit Stain made complete asses of themselves."

He giggles at that, and it's such a sweet sound. I file that sound away for later, never wanting to forget a single thing about him, about us. "Hmm, I'd bet Mr. Aizawa is just as sick of you all as you are of him at this point" he says as I drop both shoes to the floor.

My pocket rustles lightly as I lean back against the wall, reminding me of the little package I stowed into my hoodie. When I reach in to pull it out, my nerves are buzzing, telling me he might not like it even though I KNOW he'll fucking love it. Gingerly, I remove the bag, noticing how the movement has caught his interest.

Verdant eyes keenly follow the path of the bag before blinking curiously up at me. He pokes at it with a slender finger as he asks, "is that for me?"

"Course it is. Here!" I quickly shove the wet bag in his hand, feeling the mounting tension as I wait for him to open it. Part of me regrets everything, thinking it'll be too sappy while the other part hasn't lost hope yet.

Curiously, he shakes the bag a little before inverting it and catching the small box that slips out and into his hand. The little box is rounded at the corners and covered in black velvet. The moment it lands in his hand his breath hitches, eyes darting between the box he's holding and me. My nerves are in full swing now, nauseatingly so. I feel like I just want to fucking vomit.

His hand shakes slightly as he covers the top with his palm, fingers grasping lightly at the lid until he finally pulls it open. Inside rest two distinct bands, one onyx and metallic orange, the other onyx and metallic green. He stares at them for a moment, not making a sound.

"Fucking say something" I breath, needing to know what he's thinking.

He swallows hard, Adams apple bobbing with the motion. "They're beautiful, Kacchan." He looks to me for guidance, like he's unsure of what I'm getting at with this gift. The dummy probably thinks I'm proposing or some shit.

"I ordered them a couple weeks ago. They're… well, they're fucking symbols and shit. The orange one is for you to wear and I'll wear the green." I snatch the box from him and remove the orange band. Understanding flashes over his features as he offers me his hand, allowing me to slip the ring over his finger.

Fuck.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

Realizing too late I didn't account for the weight he lost when I ordered his size, I watch in dismay as the black and orange band slides right off. Fuckity fuck fuck. Apparently, I'm a dumb ass.

Glowering, I pick it up and hold the nuisance close to my face for inspection. There has to be a solution to this problem.

"It's okay, Kacchan. I'm sure we could just resize it?" Deku asks as he intertwines his fingers around my free hand.

Resizing it will take weeks. No, we don't have time for that. I shake my head, humming my disapproval as I try to think of something else. It only takes a minute before the perfect solution dawns on me. Reaching my hands up and behind my neck, I unclasp the chain I've worn since getting into UA. It was part of my present for getting in from the Hag and Pops.

"Isn't that-" He starts, but I cut him off.

"I want you to have it" I say, my tone conveying that I'm not going to argue about this.

Threading one end of the chain through the band, I then reclasp the hook behind Deku's neck before sitting back a little so I can appreciate how it looks. It's perfect, even better than him wearing it around his finger. Pride flames in my chest as he accepts my gift, smiling brightly while he returns the gesture with the second ring.

The band fits snuggly over my finger as I knew it would, and with it a sense of complete satisfaction washes over me.

"These rings are- well they're just rings. But to me they symbolize the commitment I've made to love you unconditionally, to care for you and to stay by your side. I'm not giving up on you, Deku and I swear I'll stand by you through everything."

"Until the end?" He asks with tears sliding down his cheeks.

"Until forever, Izuku."

Sniffling, he wipes at his tears with his arm. "I promise to love you unconditionally too Kacchan and I won't give up on me either. I promise to keep fighting this until there's nothing left to fight."

"That's good because you know I'll kick your ass if you do anything less" I say, wiping at my own tears.

"I wouldn't have it any other way Kacchan." He leans over our clasped hands, tenderly melding his lips to mine. I kiss him back, pouring my everything into that connection as I allow this bittersweet moment to etch into my memory, stored safely forever.

"I fucking love you, Izuku" I whisper against his lips.

"I fucking love you too, Kacchan."