Drag'n you along - Part 3/4 [Fantasy AU]

[Last Part] 

Izuku was used to waking up to the sound of birds singing outside his windows and his mother, ever the early riser, puttering around in the next room. He was used to a soft mattress beneath him, and a fluffy pillow under his head, and warm sunlight filtering through pale curtains.

Waking up in the forest was very much not what he was used to.

His back was sore, where various lumps and pokey things had been digging into him as he slept, his neck was stiff from having nothing to support it, and there apparently wasn’t a single bird in the sky, probably drowned out by the drizzle of rain that pattered on the fabric above him.

Thankfully, despite Katsuki’s concerns, they didn’t seem to have been attacked during the night – his fingers and toes were all intact, thank the gods.

Katsuki was still sound asleep beside him, a strange feat from the guy who was usually up before the sun, and Izuku found himself suddenly hyper-aware of the warmth he felt. Katsuki was sprawled on his back in a pair of old shorts and, as always, no shirt. For once, though, his warm cloak was suspiciously absent, and Izuku was suspiciously warm, considering the weather.

He sat up carefully, his face flooding with pink when he saw the thick, ruby-red fabric draped over him, keeping him warm and toasty throughout the night. He knew it had been getting cold before he fell asleep, and Katsuki must have taken pity on him, donating his favourite cloak as an extra blanket to keep him cozy.

For such a brash, blunt man, he sure was thoughtful.

Katsuki woke up to green eyes staring at him, turning away sheepishly when Katsuki caught him, and sat up with a quiet groan. He’d spent half the night growling at predators that crept to close, had only snatched an hour at a time before his ears pricked up to alert him of another attempt. Thankfully they all tended to run off in a hurry when they heard him, and he just had to hope Izuku would think he was a weird snorer or something.

“Morning,” he grunted, when the silence became too long even for him. “Sleep okay?”

“I’m nice and warm!” Izuku beamed, making Katsuki blush. “Are you warm enough?”

“M’fine,” Katsuki assured him. “I got up to piss and you were shivering.”

“Thank you for caring!”

“Course I do, stupid nerd. Known you since we were babies. Your mom would kill meif I let you freeze to death out here, let alone my mom.”

“I still appreciate it!”

He folded the cloak over his arm carefully, offering it back, and Katsuki nodded his thanks as he took it, sweeping it back around his shoulders.

“It’s gonna be a wet one,” he said needlessly. “You bring a warm coat or something?”

“Ummm...” Izuku paused, smiling sheepishly. “I have a sweater?”

“God, you’re so unprepared.”

“I didn’t know what to pack! It’s my first time!”

“You should have asked!”

Katsuki dug through his belongings, finding a wool scarf that he mostly kept around for wind protection rather than warmth, and wrapping it pointedly around Izuku’s head and face. He knew it smelled like him, and only hoped that Izuku wouldn’t pick up on it too strongly – though it would be nice if any shitty creatures around them caught a whiff, it might make them think twice.

“Thanks,” Izuku laughed, muffled by thick wool. “So you do get cold sometimes.”

Katsuki just snorted, not dignifying it with an answer, and Izuku smiled as he followed Katsuki out of their shelter. It was already cold, but Katsuki didn’t even seem to notice, already packing up their tent to travel onward. Izuku groaned when he remembered his drying clothes, but Katsuki just pointed silently at his bag, and Izuku quickly found a neatly-folded stack slipped inside.

“You’re amazing, Kacchan,” Izuku gushed. “You’re so on top of everything!”

“Doing my best.”

With the bad weather, Katsuki hoped it might keep away the worst of the creatures that might cause them problems. He also knew, however, thatit might cover the sound of anything trying to sneak up on them, and that idea was not one he was a fan of. He was so focused on it, in fact, that as they walked, he almost didn’t notice the change in the ground beneath them, and the thick, wet patch they were rapidly approaching.

He spotted it right as Izuku went to step into it – too late to warn him, to stop him. Maybe in time to grab him and haul him back. But his best option...

Taking every ounce of strength that he possessed and putting it into his legs, he dove.

He tackled Izuku around the middle, ignoring his indignant squawk, and with a quick beat of wings that were gone as quickly as they came, the pair rolled to a stop in the damp, sticky land on the other side.

“What was that far?!” Izuku demanded, rolling away from Katsuki’s grip. “Kacchan!”

“Told you to watch your back,” Katsuki sneered, brushing muddy hands on his trousers. “Clearly you weren’t.”

“I didn’t know I was meant to watch out for you.”

“Lesson learned, then.”

Izuku huffed at him, storming on ahead, and Katsuki hurried after him to keep pace. In all honesty, he probably could have told Izuku the truth about that one, but it had become habit to cover it up, to let him feel safe and secure. It was Katsuki’s job to protect him, after all, and making him scared of the ground didn’t seem like the best way to go about that.

Even Izuku wasn’t oblivious enough to not notice all the animals around them as they got closer to the base of the mountain, though. He became twitchier, jumpier, every little gust of wind that ruffled his clothing making him dart around to look, to make sure something wasn’t grabbing at him.

“I’ve got you,” Katsuki assured him, stepping a little closer. “Just keep walking, don’t draw attention to yourself.”

“Some of these things are... scary.”

“I know. Not all fun and games like the stray cats you like to feed.”

“We’re in their home, are they gonna be mad?”

“Not if you don’t give them any reason to be. Just stay in front of me, I’ll watch your back.”

Katsuki knew better, personally. There was guaranteed to be some kind of monster that would jump out at them, and Katsuki would not let it catch Izuku unaware. Katsuki would hear it coming a lot sooner, and react a lot quicker.

Sure enough, he soon heard the telltale howl of a wolf approaching, and Izuku stiffened in response. Katsuki’s low growl did nothing to deter it, the footsteps quickly coming closer, and Katsuki just nudged Izuku on ahead lightly.

“It’s fine,” he whispered. “They’re still miles away, just keep walking.”

Izuku nodded, swallowing hard,

The moment the wolf got within range, before Izuku could notice exactly how close it had gotten, Katsuki turned around. He opened his mouth and let out a torrent of fire, wishing he could sneer at the wolf and tell it you should have heeded my warning without turning Izuku’s attention back their way.

Apparently, he’d overestimated the size of the thing, because next thing he knew it was running away with a scorched tail, setting three different trees up in flames in the process, and Katsuki was grimacing as he watched it go. The tail flame went out quickly, with the rain still falling, but the trees continued to burn, and Izuku chose that exact moment to become slightly less oblivious.

“Were... those trees always on fire?”

Katsuki covered his mouth quickly, stifling a burp, feeling heat hit his hand as remnants of his flame came with it.

“Uh... Yes.”

“Oh.”

Izuku stared at it for a moment, but then Katsuki nudged him onward again, shrugging it off in a hurry.

“Happens sometimes,” he explained. “Creatures fighting or something. No big deal, it’ll go out soon in this weather.”

“Is that why all the trees around here are so bare?”

“Uh... Sure. Yeah. That makes sense.”

“Why don’t the poor animals move to a nicer area?”

“They’d probably just ruin it.”

“Oh. I guess you’re right. Maybe the nice ones move, and the mean ones stay.”

“Yeah, probably.”

The fire apparently drew in more attention, because soon there were more and more animals heading their way, and Katsuki tried his best to subtly increase their pace. They were almost at the edge, almost home free – or at least on to different challenges – when some stupid snake decided to try its luck, and Katsuki didn’t even bother to be subtle. His upper body morphed and contorted, and he opened his massive mouth, grabbing the snake straight around the middle and swallowing it down without hesitation. He shifted back just in time, Izuku turning around with wide eyes, staring at Katsuki’s tightly-clamped lips.

“What was that sound?” Izuku asked, eyes darting around. “I heard something, I swear!”

“Uhh... Indigestion?” Katsuki offered, looking away to avoid Izuku’s concerned gaze.

“What?”

“My stomach,” he clarified awkwardly. “It uh, growled, or whatever.”

“Oh. Oh! Are you hungry, Kacchan?! I’m sorry, I forgot I was carrying all the food! I don’t get hungry this early, but you’re always up early! I’m so sorry!”

“I’m good.”

“No, don’t be silly! You should have told me! Here, take these, and grab some of the bread from my bag!” He shoved a handful of berries at Katsuki that thankfully looked safe to eat – he wasn’t sure exactly where Izuku had picked them up. “Go on, take the long rolls! They’re your favourite, right?”

He was so insistent that Katsuki couldn’t bring himself to turn it down, instead nodding his thanks as Izuku jammed his bag at him stubbornly. He accepted one of the rolls – they were his favourite, after all – and took a big bite, relieved to find it at least covered the taste of old snake.

“Thanks,” he grumbled, when Izuku smiled his relief. “I’ll let you know, next time. Hadn’t really thought about it yet, was only just getting hungry.”

“Okay! I’m glad you weren’t starving this whole time, and if you want to carry some snacks you’re more than welcome to! I just thought since you were carrying the tent and everything-”

“I’ll ask,” Katsuki reiterated. “It’s fine.”

“Okay!”

It didn’t take much longer for them to reach the base of the mountain range, and Katsuki groaned when they hit a sheer slope, not a path in sight to help them climb. It was no wonder this stupid village wasn’t already in touch with them, to trade goods or even meet new people, like some of the other local ones did. They probably couldn’t even get up and down the mountain.

Maybe Katsuki could figure out some kind of trade system with them, when they met – that would surely make Izuku call him a hero.

The ropes came out again, when Izuku began to slowly trace his gaze up the mountainside, swallowing hard at the thought alone. Katsuki tied careful knots, looping one around Izuku’s waist and thighs, then did the same to himself, fastening them both into rope harnesses. Then his tools came out, and Izuku watched in awe as Katsuki hooked them all into his ropes.

“Here’s how this is gonna go,” he began, tying a much longer rope onto Izuku’s harness. “I’m gonna hammer these pegs into the rock, and hook this rope through them, so if I fall, your weight and the pegs will keep me from hitting the ground. If I fall, you’re gonna lean back and put all your body weight onto the rope, got it?”

“Got it!” he squeaked. “Please don’t fall, though.”

“I don’t plan on it” Katsuki assured him with a smirk. “When I find a good spot to stop, you’re gonna follow me up, and I’ll pull the rope in to help. All I need you to do is pull the pegs out as you go, and bring them up with you for the next section. This will help.”

He handed Izuku a long metal spike, miming how to use it, and Izuku nodded faintly.

“I’ll do my best.”

“I’ll talk you through it,” Katsuki promised. “For now, you just have to feed that rope out to me.”

“I’ll do my best at that too!”

“Good.”

Katsuki began his scramble up the rock face – surprisingly quickly, Izuku thought. With how wet the surface was, he’d expected Katsuki to take his time a lot more. Every so often, when he found a good spot to hold on, he stopped and hammered one of the pegs in, looping his rope underneath just as he’d described. It was amazing to watch, Izuku thought – he seemed so sure-footed, like he always knew where to find a good spot to hold on. He was already dreading his own turn, he knew he wouldn’t be nearly as good, and he just hoped Katsuki knew what he was getting himself into.

But Izuku was determined! He was going to reach the top, he was going to help the village that needed him! He was going to be a hero, just like Katsuki was! Just like all his friends were! There was nothing that could stand in his way, not even a stupid mountain!

When Katsuki finally reached a wider ledge, he drove one more peg into the top for safety, stretching lightly before he leaned over to look down. Izuku had a stupidly determined look on his face, all stubborn and cute, and for a moment Katsuki just smiled to himself and took it all in.

“You’re amazing, Kacchan!” Izuku called, his voice only a whisper through the wind and rain. “You’re such a good climber! You’re so cool!”

Katsuki just rolled his eyes. He was used to all the praise, Izuku never really seemed to cut it out.

With a sigh, he shot Izuku a thumbs up in the distance, kicking his claws into the rock firmly and leaning back to start holding the rope.

“Start climbing!” he called. “I’ve got you if you fall!”

“Are you sure?”

“Climb, nerd!”

Izuku nodded, and slowly he began to make his way up, much to Katsuki’s relief. He’d been half-expecting Izuku to just give up right there, for them to turn around and head home, leaving Katsuki to sneak out later and make the trip on his own, just to make sure the villagers were okay. But one step at a time he found new holds for his hands and his feet, inching his way up the rocks, until he reached the first peg.

“Shove the spike down it, then pull back,” Katsuki instructed. “It should pop out for you.”

Izuku followed the instructions, grinning when the peg came out into his hand, but quickly following it with a nervous squeak when he began to swing a little.

“You’re good,” Katsuki assured him. “This is the least stable you’ll ever be, since you just took a peg out. You’ll get used to it, and I’ve got you, I promise.”

With another deep breath and a firm nod, Izuku put the peg and the spike into his bag and began to climb again, staring determinedly up at the next one.

He was going to conquer that mountain, whether it liked it or not.

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