Goddess Wink | Various!BNHA x Reader

56 ? long overdue

"But I never looked down on you!" Izuku protested. "I don't why you think that, because it isn't true!"

You felt the same way, though you figured voicing it right now would just make Katsuki more upset. But Izuku wasn't the type of person to look down on others. That much was the irrefutable truth. You wished Katsuki would come to see that for himself. Izuku didn't look down on him; it was just the opposite, as a matter of fact.

He's always looked up to you. That much, even I can tell.

Katsuki turned back towards you. This time, it almost seemed as though tears were ready to form in his eyes. "So?" he challenged. "What happens next? Are you going to control me with those shitty powers of yours? Do I have to fight you first before I can deal with that fucking nerd?"

Fuck. You felt guilty again. This was just such a horrible situation. You struggled to see how any good could come of this.

"I know you don't like talking," you said sadly. "But... I could listen to you. I could hear both of you out. You can both vent to me, even yell at me if you're frustrated, I don't care. Watching you hurt each other isn't something I want. Even just knowing that you're hurting each other is an awful feeling."

"I asked before if you liked me or Deku better," Katsuki breathed.

"This again? I already told you-"

"Yeah. You said you like us both the same, I got it. So, then... if you really care about both of us, you'll butt out and let us do this. There's no way around it." He gave you a strange look, something that bordered on imploring. "I'm not as much of an asshole you might think. I'm sorry for saying the shit I did earlier. I know you're not trying to manipulate people for your own benefit. I was just angry. But there's nothing you can say that will stop me. The best thing you can do right now is back off. Otherwise, I really will fight you."

You felt a pit settle into your stomach. The fact that Katsuki wasn't yelling right now just went to show how strongly he felt about this issue. He seemed convinced that in order to assess whether Izuku was deserving of All Might's power, he needed to fight him and see it for himself. On paper, you understood the logic behind it. All Might was the former Number One hero. It went without saying that All Might's power should be second to none. But Katsuki wasn't one to start a fight without the intention of winning it. You got the sense that this was about proving himself somehow.

He really did feel inferior to Izuku, and it was upsetting that he'd felt this way for so long.

"I still don't think fighting is a good idea!" Izuku insisted.

"Shut the fuck up," Katsuki scowled. "You know as well as I do that I'm not going to quit until we've duked it out. So, [Name]. Are you going to give us a chance to deal with this on our own, or are you determined to make it difficult?"

Katsuki wasn't one to lie. If you used your Quirk on him, you were certain that he'd do everything in his power to resist its effects. You weren't sure how likely it was that he'd be able to fight you off, especially if you acted quickly and placed him under your control, but right now it was less about being able to do it, and more so about whether you should do it.

You glanced back towards Izuku. He was clearly opposed to fighting in the first place, but you knew that Katsuki would never relent; he'd even admitted so himself. Even if you stopped them now, who was to say they wouldn't find some other time to do it? This matter was between the two of them, and only the two of them, as much as it pained you to admit.

"I feel like such a shit hero," you sighed, shaking your head. "I'm literally about to stand by and let you guys kick each other's asses."

"Heh," Katsuki chuckled. He reached over and ruffled your hair between his fingers. "Looks like you're finally done being a dumbass."

You rolled your eyes at him, meanwhile, Izuku gave you a wary look. "[Name]-chan, you should go back inside, at the very least. If you get caught with us, you'll get in trouble too. This is already such a mess."

"No, I'm good to stay." You stepped back far enough, mustering up a little smile. "Besides, someone needs to be here to make sure you guys don't take it too far. If it's a fair fight, there's no issue, but I'm definitely going to intervene if I see that it's getting too dangerous. Just keep that in mind."

They both nodded towards you. As much as the whole thing wasn't ideal, you would much rather witness this for yourself instead of leaving them to their own devices, where gods-knows what kind of awful shit could happen. Also, in a way, you were looking forward to it. Not the fight, but the long overdue reconciliation that would come afterwards. This fight could very well be the last thing standing between their friendship, and when you thought about it that way, it suddenly sounded like it was worth a few scrapes and bruises.

"I'll give whoever wins a kiss," you teased, trying to lighten the mood.

Katsuki blushed, then crinkled his nose. "Oh, yuck. Guess I better go easy on Deku, then."

"Hey!"

"I still can't believe this is happening," Izuku said nervously. The situation obviously hadn't changed, but it felt like some of the tension had been diffused. Alright, then. You would be here for them, regardless of who the victor was. And maybe then... they could both leave all their pain and anger behind.

"So, uh," you awkwardly scratched your head. "Do I say ready, set, go, or what?"

An explosion tore through the air.

That wasn't the actual signal, but whatever.

"Good luck, both of you."