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Todoroki was holding Bakugou’s lifeless body in his arms.
It all happened too fast. There were explosions from the man laying now on the ground, a crash, a yell from the villain they were fighting, and then the building collapsed. Todoroki dashed the moment he saw Katsuki’s body getting buried in debris.
Ignoring the villain’s unconscious body, Todoroki tore the fallen building apart. Moving rocks and broken glass to the side, he didn’t stop until he saw Bakugou’s arm, limp, grasping loosely at a piece of concrete. Grabbing his hand, he pushed the ruins aside with his leg, getting the other pro hero out of the wreckage. Tears gathered at the corners of his eyes, fogging up his vision. But he couldn’t stop. He had to get Bakugou out of there. He had to see Bakugou safe and alive. This could not be happening.
Getting him out was supposed to require at least three men, but Shouto was desperate, enraged and the tears finally spilled over his cheeks, down his face and onto the concrete, blurring his peripheral. Bakugou was now in his arms, blood gushing out of several wounds, the most serious one at the side of his torso, cuts scattered all over his arms, on his face, he probably had a broken leg as well. Bakugou looked awful. Shouto saw red before his eyes, not just from Bakugou’s blood, but from the rage and fear he felt inside him. This can’t be happening.
He started shouting for help, an ambulance, Deku, anyone. He cried even harder, hoping that Bakugou would wake up and yell at him for being “too damn loud”. But he didn’t move. He did not open his eyes. He didn’t breathe. Clutching him to his chest, Todoroki let his tears flow down his face, dripping onto Bakugou’s face, washing the dirt and blood away, and started praying. He prayed for Bakugou to open his eyes, he prayed to hear him breathe, he prayed to see him open his eyes and glare at him like he usually did, he prayed to hear those snarky comments again, to see that cocky grin again. But none of that came.
Hearing the ambulance sirens in the distance, Todoroki refused to let Bakugou go. He slouched over his inert body, daring to open his eyes, to look at that beautiful face on last time. Sobs were heard from their direction, Todoroki crying harder than before. Bringing their foreheads together, he started talking again, in a small and broken voice.
“Bakugou, please open your eyes-“ another sob “I can’t do this, I can’t do this without you…” sniffling he rubbed his arms over his face, hands refusing to lift from Bakugou’s body, trying to wipe away the tears “I never got to tell you-“ a wail, another sob, sadness clogging his senses, “how much you mean to me”
Todoroki was definitely gravely hurt himself, but none of that mattered now, as he was praying for Bakugou to come back to life, to come back to him.
“I wish I could go back in time and save you…”
The last thing Todoroki heard and felt were the sirens and a doctor grabbing his shoulder, trying to get them out of the pile of rocks and debris, before he passed out.
- Lights flashing. A deafening sound was heard in the distance. He felt dizzy.
Todoroki was now in his agency’s hallway, holding some papers in his right hand, and a cup of coffee in his left one. What in the world? It felt as if a train ran him over. What even happened?
He wandered around the agency, looking for something, not sure what, but he didn’t stop until he reached a wide wooden double door. Pushing them open, he looked to his left, eyes landing on the ‘something’, in this case on the someone he was looking for.
“You’re alive!” Todoroki stated, in the smallest and most sincere tone he could muster, feeling the tears spilling over his face again. He doesn’t remember the last time he cried this much. Wearily approaching the other hero, report files slipping out of his grasp and onto the floor, cup smashing to the ground, Todoroki was going through all the emotions possible, happiness, relief, confusion…he was so lost. Just when he wanted to touch Bakugou’s cheek to check if he was real or this was just a dream, the blond slapped his hand.
“Of course I’m alive. The fuck’re you on, icyhot? Did you hit your head?”
“I- I think I did, I feel kind of woozy…” Todoroki trailed off, wobbling on his feet before he felt himself falling, two strong arms catching him before he could come in contact with the hardwood floor.
He woke up in Bakugou’s office, on his couch. The other was back at his desk, probably filling in some hero reports or some other paperwork.
“How long was I out?” Todoroki inquired, rubbing at his swollen eyes. Ah yes, he couldn’t stop crying a few moments ago.
“About an hour. What’s gotten into you? Not getting enough sleep again, dumbass?” Bakugou retorted, a small smirk threatening to form on his lips. How he missed Bakugou’s snarky remarks.
“I’m completely lost as well, there was a fight and- and…” he felt choked up with emotions again. He couldn’t say it again. He didn’t want to live that moment again. “What time is it?” he asked again.
“We’re almost done with our shift, about 5pm or something, clock’s there on the wall.” Katsuki replied without looking away from his papers, most likely set on finishing them to clock out for the day.
Todoroki gazed at the clock on the wall, an electronic one that showed the time and date and-he had to double check. The 6th of November? But it was the 9th when Bakugou…this didn’t make sense.
“Bakugou, what day is today?
“It’s the 6th you idiot, can’t read?
This was a trainwreck. Shouto functioned on autopilot until his shift was over, hurrying home to check all the clocks and calendars he had in his apartment. Checking his phone every 5 minutes to make sure he wasn’t going insane. It was 3 days before the accident. 3 days before Bakugou died. This can’t be real. It must be a dream. Pinching himself Todoroki yelped. Not a dream. Then what happened? Is he…? Is HE dead? Have they both died and now they’re pro heroes in heaven or something? No, he at least hoped to not have to fight villains after he died…then what? Has he actually gone back in time?
This is ridiculous. Unbelievable. He’s not back in time. Sitting down on his couch, he turned on the news channel. Then he saw it. The villain they were fighting that day, out of jail. Todoroki remembered that exactly 3 days before the incident on the news there was an announcement about the villain having escaped from prison. And because of how dangerous it was, Bakugou and Todoroki got the job to capture him and put him back in jail. He really is back in time.
After coming to terms with the idea, he realized that this was his chance to save Bakugou. He tried explaining the events to the blond but the other insisted on the fact that soba has finally replaced Todoroki’s brain. He wasn’t making any progress.
The day after that, Shouto got home and tried to remember every detail of the fight, making different plans on how he could save Bakugou. He was probably overthinking things, and he should probably go to sleep cause tomorrow they are supposed to go on stakeout, but he couldn’t stop until he knew that Bakugou would come out of that fight alive.
2 days until the incident. Torodoki was restless, he succeeded in predicting some minor events throughout the day, and pulled some baffled reactions out of Bakugou, who asked him when did his senses get so sharp. Saving Bakugou was worth all the thinking and planning he had to do. And all these sleepless nights.
1 day until the fight. He had told Bakugou like a million times to be careful, to check his gauntlets before they would face the villain, to not strain himself, to stay on guard, everything that would pass as “please stay alive”. Bakugou would just grunt in acknowledgement, wondering when had Todoroki become so protective, not that he minded the extra attention he got.
It was that moment again. The booming of the explosions, the crashing of glass, the blaring screech that was ringing in his ears. He felt his limbs give up, it hurt too much. Clutching at his side, trying to keep the blood from spilling out, Todoroki got closer to the zone where he knew the building was going to collapse on Bakugou. Freezing the sides of the building, he tried to keep it from disintegrating under the force of Katsuki’s explosions.
He saw Bakugou flying through the air, powered by his quirk, the villain nowhere to be found. Where the hell was that scumbag. Turning back to freezing the collapsing walls, Todoroki heard his name being called, an eruption of laughter coming from his ice wall, a shattering noise, and an arm pushing him to the side.
Trying to get back to his feet, he saw the same crushing scene as he did 3 days ago. Bakugou buried under the building, but this time the villain was on top if the debris, looking at Todoroki, before charging at him, ready to strike him. Shouto closed his eyes and prayed again, prayed to get another chance, before he felt himself pass out again.
- Lights flashing. A deafening sound was heard in the distance. He felt dizzy.
He was in his office this time, feeling unsteady on his feet. He checked his phone. The 7th of November. Either someone was pulling a prank on him, or he actually got another chance at saving Bakugou. Thinking it over for a bit, he decided that, fuck it, he was going to confess to Bakugou at least. If he truly got another chance, he could do what he had meant to do for a while now.
Marching to Bakugou’s office, he opened the doors like he did 3 days ago, or was it 4, this going back in time thing was confusing him, and planted himself in front of Bakugou’s desk.
“Anything that I could help you with, icyhot?” he looked up to meet Todoroki’s unsure gaze, raising an eyebrow at the dual hero. “You just barged in like this is your fucking office, so spit it out!” Bakugou demanded.
“I actually wanted to tell you something, Katsuki.” Bakugou’s eyes widened a bit at this, they rarely used first names, it only happened in serious situations, like when Bakugou had another nightmare and Todoroki was the only one that understood him or when Todoroki would fight with his father and Bakugou was the only one that could make him forget about all the pain he felt.
“I’ve been meaning to tell you for quite some time now…it’s-well…” meanwhile Bakugou got up from his swivel chair, choosing to lean against the mahogany desk, one hand propping his body, head turned to listen to Todoroki.
The younger hero raised his face to look at Katsuki, mind going blank. With all the planning he did in order to save Bakugou, he didn’t allow himself to actually look at him, to try and forget the memory of the explosive hero dead in his arms. To forget the tears he shed because of that. Sensing that Todoroki was lost in his own thoughts again, Bakugou put a hand on his shoulder “You’re spacing out again, Shouto.” He said with a quirk of his lips. Shouto was gone, he forgot everything he wanted to say, he dived in and captured Bakugou’s lips with his, hands going around his face to cup his cheeks. He heard a small gasp from the other man before his kiss was reciprocated, feeling two arms snake around his waist, pulling him closer.
For now, he allowed himself to forget about what was going to happen in 2 days, about how he was going save Bakugou, about the fear he was constantly feeling. He allowed himself to be happy for just a moment, holding the man he loved in his arms.
His second plan did not work. He found himself again staring at the pile of concrete that crushed Bakugou, felt his chest constrict with sorrow, heard himself sobbing again, smelling the blood that was coursing down his face. This was not how it was supposed to happen. He had the perfect plan. Bakugous was supposed to live. Katsuki was supposed to be here with him, alive, breathing. But he wasn’t.
The pain was too much, and Todoroki collapsed on the ground, the last thing he heard was, again, the ambulance sirens getting closer.
- Lights flashing. A deafening sound was heard in the distance. He felt dizzy.
8th of November. One day before the fight. He will not screw it up this time. Todoroki eventually concluded that maybe, if they got other two pro heroes to fight the villain, Bakugou would not be put in danger of dying again. But they could not do that cause the case was already assigned to them. Maybe get backup, but no other capable pro hero was available a day before encountering the villain. The only option was for Todoroki to try again and again until him and Bakugou got out of that fight alive, together.
This time he told Bakugou his plan, trying to not give away the fact that he just lived this fight 3 times already, and prayed again that it would work.
The plan was flawed. The villain saw right through them and again, Todoroki had no time to run and save Bakugou from getting shot by the villain’s quirk. The only thing that changed was that the building collapsed on top of the villain this time, leaving Bakugou to the side, his bleeding body laid on the ground like a ragdoll. Todoroki closed his eyes again hoping that God would indulge him this time as well, hoping he would grant him another chance.
- Lights flashing. A deafening sound was heard in the distance. He felt dizzy.
He woke up in the middle of the battle now, sun shining up on them. Judging by the minor damage his body suffered, and the fact that there was still sunlight, he assumed that he got about an hour before Bakugou would die. He tried getting Bakugou away from the scene, away from the villain, but every time they ended back to where they were. Back to the moment Bakugou died either crushed by a stupid building, shot by the villain…This was messing with Todoroki’s head. He couldn’t handle this anymore. He closed his eyes again, willing himself to pass out again, and go back in time. He felt that this was his last chance to do this. And he was going to do it right.
- Lights flashing. A deafening sound was heard in the distance. He felt dizzy.
Todoroki saw the building shaking, walls starting to fall apart. Bakugou was soaring through the air, letting out explosions. His last chance.
He ran to Bakugou’s side, sending flames out of his hand and foot, trying to make the villain lose his ground. But to no avail. In the heat of the moment, Todoroki forgot about the building, just for a second, that was all it took for the walls to collapse over them, and for Todoroki to react. He pushed Bakugou to the side, sending one last ice spear in the direction of the villain, praying it would impale him and save Bakugou in the end.
Bakugou looked up from the ground, where he was pushed by Todoroki. He watched as the pile of debris got bigger and bigger as the walls of the building came crushing down. He screamed and charged forward, knowing that Todoroki was under all of that. Pushing all the waste aside, Bakugou finally saw Todoroki’s body, crushed and bleeding under all the rubble. This can’t be happening. He gathered him in his arms, wincing at the fact that he couldn’t feel the same weight that Todoroki had when he would carry his wounded ass to the nursery.
Refusing to look at his almost ripped off leg, Bakugou started crying, bringing Todoroki’s head close to him, caressing his face, rubbing his cheeks, trying to get him to open his eyes. But nothing worked. Todoroki was not opening his eyes, he was not breathing, he was not moving.
“You gotta be kidding me, icyhot!” a sob “-You don’t get to save me! I should’ve been the one-“ another sob “-I should’ve been the one to save you!” tears streamed down his face. “I was supposed to be your hero…This shouldn’t have happened dammit! Shouto please open your eyes.” Bakugou angrily wiped his tears, trying to look at Todoroki’s face, trying to, somehow, see if he was going to open his eyes and laugh at Bakugou, telling him this was all a prank.
“Fucking hell, only if I were faster, if I were more careful, like you told me to…Why can’t the time go back and let me save you? Why is that so hard, damn everything!” Bakugou felt breathless, pain all over his body, tears blurring his vision, throat going sore from shouting. The last thing he heard were the ambulance sirens before he fell unconscious.
- Lights flashing. A deafening sound was heard in the distance. He felt dizzy.
Todoroki was holding Bakugou’s lifeless body in his arms.