#handhold

It's going to be Katsuki offering it to a fallen Izuku.

We have already seen Katsuki take Izuku's hand at a critical moment with less than zero hesitation, which he further emphasised in the latest chapter -we see it spelled out that he moved before he even knew clearly who he was attacking with their move.

All that's left is for Katsuki to show he has adopted this part of Izuku. (He may even offer his hand to AFO first, because he seems to understand that offering your hand is not condescension. It can be a gesture of belief in that person.)

But at some point we will get a clear resolution of the handhold between just them, and they will both do THAT smile Katsuki just dropped (callback to protecting someone's smile). Maybe with some wobbly tears because it needs to be the pinacle moment after all this build.

The audience and Izuku knows that Katsuki LOOKS UP to Izuku. And he has now been very clear to the whole world about that, proudly calling himself Deku's support!

It's the key thing he misunderstood when Izuku offered the gesture to him all those years ago. You can admire someone and still want to help them. He mistook Izuku's admiration for looking down on him, because he secretly he had self-worth issues trying to feel worthy of an incredible quirk and all its heavy societal expectations -which All Might acknowledges.

Child Katsuki admired Izuku even though Izuku was quirkless, which gave him a self-worth crisis. During the apology, it's implied that Katsuki believes that if Izuku had gotten his quirk instead, he would have been the better hero.

But Izuku has always deeply admired, and now also completely trusts, Katsuki. And this is now very obvious to Katsuki, and allows him to be confident reciprocating.

So I think Izuku is in for a rough time where he needs a hand. Also Izuki HAS yet to save Katsuki successfully to resolve all the times he didn't, and Katsuki will save him right back. We may see Katsuki cry over or even hold Izuku. I think we need to narratively crank the angst past what happened to Katsuki...

Maybe Izuku will be saved through the power of their OFA connection (or maybe Katsuki will nitroglycerin's his heart??????? There's precedent!..)