Deku's Secret Playlist

Midoriya Izuku has always been quite popular amongst his peers at UA, but over the last month the amount of attention he receives has increased an incredible amount. Katsuki only notices because he’s cornered by a group of extras in the common room one afternoon. Kaminari and Sero plop down on the couch on either side of him while Uraraka and Ashido nudge his homework to the side and sit before him on the coffee table. 

“What the fuck?” He grumbles, glaring at the group. 

“Before you explode us, listen to our proposition. Please.” Ashido says. 

He rolls his eyes. “You have a minute.”

“It’s about Midoriya.” Uraraka chimes in, which explains her presence amongst his friends. He finds himself crossing his arms and sitting back, ready to actually listen now, which … shit, he’s making his interest too obvious. But Uraraka continues before he can fix that. “Okay, so you must have noticed Deku listening to music a lot lately, right? He’s got his earphones in literally all the time. I mean, I guess he’s only been doing it for like a month now, or something —”

“Get on with it, Round Face, you’ve got less than thirty seconds.” 

Kaminari decides to take over. “We want to know what music he listens to.” 

Katsuki frowns. “And why the fuck would you want to know that?” 

“Because he’s listening to it constantly .” Sero replies. “And we’ve never seen him this dedicated to something other than All Might and calling you Kacchan.” He pitches his voice high in an awful imitation of the nerds' voice. Katsuki punches him in the arm. 

“Okay, okay!” Uraraka placates, waving her hands. “He’s not wrong but —”

“Do you know what music he listens to?” Ashido cuts in. “You’ve known him for, like, his whole life, right? You must have some idea.” 

Katsuki stares at them all incredulously. 

“You’re joking right?” At their blank stares, his disbelief increases. “Did you all miss what went down in our first year? Did you not happen to notice the way I treated him like shit? I stopped being Deku’s friend and started being a little shit when we were, like, six years old. So unless he still exclusively listens to the soundtracks from the All Might movies and shitty radio pop, I have no idea.” 

The extras' faces fall in disappointment. And Katsuki can’t help but be slightly disappointed along with them; why didn’t he know the nerds' taste in music? He talks about literally everything else non-stop, so why was music the one thing he decided to keep secret? 

“We thought you guys were getting closer this year.” Uraraka says. “Midoriya talks about you all the time.”

At that, Katsuki raises a brow. “Does he?” 

All at once, Round Face snaps her mouth closed, a blush colouring her cheeks. He hears her swear under her breath, much to his amusement. 

“But he always talks about Bakugou, so nothing new there.” Sero says, brushing the comment off with a disinterested wave of his hand. “You really don’t know what music he likes?” 

When Katsuki’s frown doesn’t budge, the group lets out a collective groan. 

“Damn.” Ashido grumbles. “Will you at least help us find out? I’m pretty sure he’d tell you if you asked.”

“He’d tell anyone who asked.” Katsuki replies with a huff and an eye-roll. “The nerd doesn’t know how to shut up about anything. Why wasn’t that the first thing you tried, you idiots?” 

“We did!” Kaminari exclaims, Sero nodding emphatically on Katsuki’s other side. “All of us asked him and he weaselled his way out of answering every time, the sneaky little shit.” 

The front door opens then and in comes the man of the hour himself. Izuku strides into the common area, kicks off his shoes in the genkan, slides out of his jacket and drops his backpack beside one of the lounges (no doubt to return to later to retrieve his homework), all while keeping his nose buried in one of his million hero notebooks. And Katsuki finally notices what’s gotten everyone so worked up these past weeks; poking out from beneath a mop of messy green curls is a set of corded earphones, tucked into the back pocket of his jeans along with his phone. The five of them watch as Izuku ambles past them into the kitchen, not noticing their stares at all. 

All at once, four pairs of eyes turn to Katsuki, all with the same ‘see! This is what we mean!’ expression. 

Katsuki has to bite back a snarl at the attention. 

Sero is the first to admit defeat. With a final sigh, he claps Katsuki on the shoulder and stands to leave, carefully ignoring the way Katsuki knocks his hand off immediately. The other three follow suit, shuffling towards the elevator with vague goodbyes.

“Well at least he let us talk for longer than a minute.” Kaminari mutters. Katsuki turns a venomous look on Dunce Face. 

“I can still hear you, dumbass. And I will destroy you.” 

They disappear quite quickly after that, leaving Katsuki to pull his homework forward once more. But he can’t seem to focus; his mind is too full of different theories and the thought of Izuku mumbling lyrics to himself as he potters around the kitchen. That image by itself makes something awfully warm thump in his chest. 

He rolls his eyes at his own stupidity — yes, Izuku is cute. He’s smart and self-aware enough to be able to admit that without much fanfare. Yes, he might have become almost as soft as everyone else in this damn school when it comes to Midoriya Izuku (although, he is still more than willing to beat the shit out of him in heroics training when the situation calls for it, unlike some of his mushy classmates). And yes, Katsuki might have what some would consider a … crush. 

Actually, no. He refuses to call it that. 

A particularly loud crash coming from the kitchen pulls Katsuki from his thoughts and makes him abandon all pretence of finishing his homework. He stops in the doorway, taking in the sight before him. 

Izuku is sprawled on his ass with several pots and pans surrounding him. They clearly belong in the cupboard whose doors are swinging open, revealing even more cooking utensils crammed precariously inside. 

The nerd glares at him from the floor. “Not a word.” 

Katsuki gives him an teasing grin. “I don’t need to say it for you to know.” 

“Shut up.” Izuku grumbles as he scoops the pans off the floor and dumps all but one back into the cupboard. 

Katsuki steps closer, stopping when he reaches Izuku's side at the stove. “That probably happened because of these —” He reaches out and tugs at one of the earphone cords, still poking out from beneath Izuku's hair. What catches him completely off guard is the way that the nerd violently recoils, backing away from Katsuki’s outstretched hand until the small of his back smacks into the opposite kitchen bench. They stare at one another, wide eyed and confused for several long moments before Izuku seemingly comes back online. 

“I-I’m sorry, Kacchan. I don’t — I didn’t mean to react — um. Sorry — I just —”

“It’s fine, nerd.” Katsuki cuts in before Izuku can spurt out any more bullshit excuses. Then he decides to give Izuku the one thing he wouldn’t dare give any of the other annoying extras — mercy. “What’re you making anyway? You know you can’t cook for shit.” 

He turns to survey the range of ingredients Izuku has laid out on the bench. From what he can gather, Izuku could be making a stir fry, or maybe a cake. He pick's up and pretends to carefully examine a can of crushed tomatoes (who the fuck puts tomatoes in stir fry? Or cake??), but he can see Izuku watching him warily from the corner of his eye. After another few moments of tense silence, he finally approaches the counter to stand shoulder to shoulder with Katsuki, pulling his earphones out and shoving them into his pocket as he goes. 

“I was going to try and make ramen, but I think I might have been too ambitious.” 

“Damn right. You know you’re as bad at cooking as you are lying.” 

Izuku gives Katsuki a sharp nudge for that comment. Years ago, that action would have sent Izuku sailing through the wall with the force of one of Katsuki’s explosions. But with their tentative new friendship came the occasional teasing remark, or friendly shove, or warm ruffle of the others hair. As someone who never really engaged in friendly touches, not with his parents, nor any of his other friends, Katsuki is surprised to find that he doesn’t mind the warm familiarity in the touches at all. 

But that could be as a result of something else entirely. Something not totally platonic; something that has been slowly building for a while now. Since their first year at UA, once Katsuki had stopped being a little shit towards Izuku and had actually acknowledged him as a rival and partner, some very new and very unfamiliar feeling had come to flood the chasm of space where Katsuki used to hold all of his anger and jealousy towards the nerd. 

Katsuki pushes the thought away for now. He’s spent enough time dissecting and analysing that specific feeling in his own time. He can’t afford to be distracted in moments like this. Warm, easy, casual moments with Izuku alone. Moments where he can slowly prove that he has changed from that bad-tempered and over-aggressive boy that he was, to this calmer, caring (probably still slightly aggressive) man. 

“You cut up the garlic, I’ll fry the chicken.” Katsuki says, picking up the packet of meat and collecting a chopping board. Izuku whips around to stare at Katsuki as he moves about the kitchen.

“W-what? No, it’s okay, really. I can —”

“If you don’t get a move on you won’t be eating, nerd.” 

So Izuku shuts his mouth and digs out another chopping board, settling beside Katsuki to complete his task. Together, they prepare the ingredients, chatting quietly all the while. Izuku, a force to be reckoned with when fighting villains, has atrocious knife skills. In the time it takes him to finely dice three cloves of garlic, Katsuki has cut up the chicken, mushrooms and the other leafy greens. He tips the meat into the pan as Izuku hops up onto the counter beside the stove so they can continue their heated discussion about the best All Might costumes over the years. 

“I will not argue with you about this anymore.” Izuku says, watching carefully as Katsuki nudges the chicken around in the pan. “Your opinion is wrong and you have to live with that burden.”

Katsuki aims the spatula at him, glaring at him over its edge. “You’d better be careful about what you say next, nerd.” 

Izuku raises a brow, a cocky smirk turning up one corner of his lips. The expression sends a thrill down Katsuki’s spine.

“The bronze age costume is cool, but it cannot beat the golden age costume. It’s iconic!” 

“So is the bronze age costume!”

“You only think that because it’s all black, Kacchan.”

“So what if I do, nerd? It’s sick —”

“Okay, I could consider your opinion if you’d said young age, but you didn’t so —”

“Um, what’s going on in here you guys?” 

Both Katsuki and Izuku jump at the intrusion of a third voice. Katsuki glances over his shoulder to find Sero and Kirishima standing in the doorway to the kitchen, glancing between the two cooking with slowly raising brows. 

Katsuki turns back to Izuku and nearly jumps a second time; neither of them had noticed how close they’d gotten during their debate, so when Katsuki turns, he nearly butts heads with the nerd. They both pull back abruptly. 

Katsuki pokes at the chicken with his spatula, avoiding eye contact with everyone in the room as he decides to step up and answer the question, especially considering it looks like Izuku is too busy fighting a blush to do it. 

“What does it look like, idiots? We’re cooking.” 

Sero comes to stand at Katsuki’s other side, peering into the pan. “Oh sweet, are you gonna cook for us too, dude?”

“Absolutely fucking not.” 

Kirishima leans against the counter with an exaggerated pout. “Aw, but we’re so hungry, Bakugou.” 

“I don’t care. You losers can actually cook for yourselves. If I’d left this nerd to his own devices, he would be eating burnt noodles.” 

Sero puffs out a great big sigh, sending up warning bells in Katsuki’s head. Nothing good followed a sigh that sounded that sarcastic. 

“It’s okay, bro. You can say that Midoriya’s your favourite. We understand.” 

An abruptly cut off squeak comes from Izuku's spot on the counter. Katsuki spares him a quick glance to find him turning even redder than before. 

“Don’t listen to these fucking idiots. I don’t have favourites.” 

At that, Kirishima lets out a bark of laughter. When Katsuki whips his head around to glare at him, he quickly covers his mouth with his hand. 

Apparently Sero is unable to take the hint though, because he replies, “Yeah right, Midoriya is the only person you let get even remotely close to you without blowing his arm off. If you don’t have favourites then I don’t have black hair or a crush on Denki.” 

Another small sound comes from Izuku, but Katsuki decides not to acknowledge that one. 

“Are you going to stand in my way for much longer?” Katsuki asks, his patience all but gone now that two of his idiot friends had disrupted the conversation and were antagonising him and Izuku. 

“Sorry, sorry.” Kirishima cuts in, grabbing Sero by his collar and dragging him back out of the kitchen. “We’ll come back in a few when you guys are done.” 

Unfortunately, with their absence, a heavy silence falls over the kitchen. Katsuki can practically feel Izuku's stare burning a hole in the side of his head as he finishes off preparing their food. He tips everything into two bowls while Izuku pulls chopsticks from the drawer and then follows Katsuki to the table. 

When they say their blessing and start to eat, Katsuki finally glances up to find Izuku's expression troubled. He swirls his noodles with a sigh. 

“You don’t need to listen to them, idiot. They were just saying stupid shit to rile me up.” 

Izuku doesn’t look up from his bowl; his brows furrow as he purses his lips at his dinner. “You could’ve just told me if I was making you uncomfortable. I know you don’t like other people touching you. I’m sorry —”

“When have I ever held back from telling you to stop doing something annoying, huh?” Izuku's pout deepens for a second, but he finally glances up to meet Katsuki’s gaze. Katsuki flicks his forehead. “Never, stupid Deku. You’re not making me uncomfortable, so shut up and eat already. And quit pouting. It doesn’t suit you.” 

That’s a lie. Pouting very much suits Izuku; it emphasises his full lips and slightly chubby cheeks, and makes him look endearing. But Katsuki would actually rather fucking die before admit something like that. 

It doesn’t matter anyway; Izuku sticks his tongue out at Katsuki and then resumes eating, his sulky look from earlier gone. 

“This is actually really good, Kacchan. Thanks for cooking.” He says as he slurps up way too many noodles at once. Katsuki rolls his eyes at the action. 

“Yeah whatever, nerd. You would’ve ended up ruining whatever you were cooking and then eating toast or some shit instead anyway.” 

Izuku hums, biting down on a mushroom. “I can make some pretty good toast actually.”

Katsuki turns an incredulous look on the nerd. “You literally stick bread in a toaster and the machine does the fucking cooking for you. What the fuck else is there to it, you idiot?” 

“There’s a wide selection of toppings to choose from. I happen to pick the best combinations, thank you very much.” 

“Oh yeah, speaking of toppings, were you going to put canned tomatoes in your ramen? On what fucking planet would that be edible?” 

Izuku lets out an indignant squawk. “You don’t know that it would be bad, Kacchan. Have you tried it?”

“No, but —”

“You can’t say it’s bad until you try it. It could be pure culinary genius and you’re talking shit about it. That’s not very heroic or big-brained of you, Kacchan.”

“I hate you so much right now.” Katsuki sighs, stabbing at a piece of chicken with his chopstick. “Are you really going to make me get up and try it just to prove you wrong?”

“Yes.” Izuku replies with a smug smile. Katsuki purses his lips, glaring at his friend. He could ignore the obvious goading, finish his meal and then disappear into his dorm room to continue his homework. He doesn’t have to prove Izuku wrong for something as petty as this. 

But then he would miss the opportunity to wipe that dumb (cute) smirk off Izuku's dumb (cute) face, and that just can’t happen. 

He gets up and tries the concoction. It’s fucking awful. Katsuki fails at wiping the dumb smug smile from Izuku's dumb cute face; no, that smirk only dissolves into laughter at the disgusted face Katsuki makes after taking a bite. Katsuki realises that maybe he’s a little out of his depth in the fight against his overwhelming feelings for Midoriya Izuku. 

So Katsuki finally begins to notice the earphones. While he spent a good amount of brain power on Izuku before he starts noticing — for some reason the nerd is constantly on his radar, constantly at the edge of his consciousness, always there when he looks around a room — he suddenly takes up a lot more room now. 

But Katsuki realises his mistake far too late. He’s the last to catch on to Izuku's strange new habit. 

The majority of class 3-A is already talking about the nerd, already formulating plans to try and catch a glimpse of what, exactly, Izuku is listening to constantly. Katsuki can do nothing to shield Izuku from the unwavering focus of his classmates, not without drawing unwanted attention onto himself (and potentially outing his deepest secret at the same time). 

So Katsuki has to helplessly watch as his classmates resort to weirder and creepier stunts to try and catch Izuku unaware. 

One morning, as Katsuki is entering the kitchen to prepare breakfast, he catches sight of Ashido, Asui and Mineta crowding around Jirou at one end of the dining table. At first, he’s confused by the unusual trio working together — though he’s pretty sure Mineta, the pervert, is just there so he can bask in the presence of three girls who are way out of his league — but then he tunes into their conversation and everything makes sense. 

“Please, Kyouka! It’s for science!” Ashido says, practically begging. 

“Nope. That’s a huge invasion of privacy. If Midoriya doesn’t want to tell you himself then I’m not going to throw him under the bus like that.” Jirou folds her arms over her chest and levels a bored look at the three extras before her. 

“Midoriya is probably just self conscious.” Asui tries to console Ashido. “I’m sure he’ll tell us when he’s ready.” 

“No!” Mineta exclaims. “We need to find out now so that we can make him feel better later! Plus, what if he’s listening to something inappropriate? That’d be pretty funny.” 

The three girls and Katsuki spare the grape-headed idiot matching disgusted glares. 

“You’re the only inappropriate thing here, Mineta.” Jirou says flatly. 

“It’s way too early for you to be so gross, dude.” Ashido adds. 

Mineta sighs, muttering something about a wasted opportunity under his breath. 

“I’m still not going to tell you guys, so you can all leave me alone now. He does have good taste in music though.” It seems that Jirou can’t help but tease the curious group a little, if her smug smile is anything to go by. 

When the other three start whining, it grates on Katsuki’s nerves enough for him to finally announce his presence.

“Oi, you losers heard her.” He barks, feeling satisfied when Ashido, Asui and Mineta all jump in surprise. “She’s not telling you, so piss off.” 

The three extras all rise and leave Jirou to her own devices with grumbles of displeasure. Jirou gives Katsuki a small, grateful nod as he passes her on his way into the kitchen. 

“Thanks for not saying anything.” He mutters. With her enhanced hearing, he knows that she hears him, even though his footsteps mostly cover the sound. 

—

Things escalate further when, on a Thursday night just two days later, a mixed group of 3-A and 3-B students are scattered around the lounge room in a group study session. Katsuki only agrees to go because Kirishima and Denki all but beg him for his wisdom in studying for maths. Ego adequately inflated, Katsuki finds himself seated between the two idiots, explaining the difference between sin and cosine (because, as stated earlier, they are idiots), when Izuku makes an appearance. 

Katsuki tries not to outright stare as his friend greets Uraraka, Iida and Asui before going to sit on the floor between Shinsou and Todoroki, across the table from Katsuki and his friends. He nearly jolts in his seat when Izuku glances up at Katsuki briefly. The green haired nerd blinks at him, obviously surprised when he catches Katsuki looking at him already. He offers a smile and a tiny wave which Katsuki returns with a (not at all stiff) nod. 

When he turns back to his textbook and his friends, he finds Kirishima watching him with an intense expression, like he’s trying to puzzle out a particularly difficult problem. 

Katsuki’s heart just about falls out of his ass. 

“Have you worked out how to put the formula into the calculator, Shitty Hair? No? Then quit staring at my pretty face and figure it out.” 

But Kirishima’s assessing gaze doesn’t budge. No, because the universe apparently hates Katsuki, his friend's gaze widens. Katsuki can see the understanding dawning in his eyes. Kirishima looks from Izuku to Katsuki and back again, his expression smoothing out with his new-found knowledge. 

Before he can open his mouth and ruin everything, Katsuki leans forward and hisses, “Don’t say anything. I mean it, Kirishima.” Kirishima’s eyes widen even further at the use of his actual name. “He can’t know. So don’t say a single thing.” 

“Okay, dude. I won’t, I swear. I just —”

“What’re you two whispering about?” Kaminari cuts in, leaning forward to try and properly join their conversation. Katsuki leans back against the couch, a breath of pure fear and abrupt relief leaving his parted lips. 

“Bakugou just explained what tan is. Now I’m even more confused.” Kirishima covers smoothly. 

“What! You’re getting extra lessons? Not fair!” 

“Shut up, Pikachu, you can hardly understand the other two parts. You’re not gonna get this one just because Shark Face does.” 

Kirishima makes a wary noise. “Understanding is a very loose way to explain what I’m doing right now.” 

Kaminari pouts. “Sero would be able to teach me. He’s, like, a secret genius or something.” 

“Only you think that.” Katsuki replies, fiddling with his pen as he discretely glances at Izuku out of the corner of his eye. He’s in the process of unravelling his earphones and plugging them into his phone. Good, he hasn’t been paying attention to the derailing conversation occurring just across from him. 

“Where is he, anyway?” Kaminari purposely ignores Katsuki’s comment, choosing to look around the room at their classmates instead. 

“Pretty sure he said he was going to train with Tokoyami and Yaoyorozu in the gym. He probably won’t be back for a while.” Kirishima replies, making Kaminari pout harder. “You’re more than welcome to go join them, bro. I’m sure Sero would be happy to see your handsome face.” 

Katsuki rolls his eyes again but doesn’t miss the way that Kaminari brightens at the comment. 

“You think? Okay, trigonometry was driving me insane anyway. Thanks for your help though, Bakugou!” 

“That didn’t take much convincing at all.” Kirishima says quietly while Katsuki ducks out of the way of Kaminari’s flailing limbs as he packs his shit away. 

“That’s because he’s a simp and a dumbass.” 

“I’m choosing to ignore you, Bakugou.” Kaminari calls out as he gets to his feet and walks around the coffee table, stepping over and around classmates as he goes. Katsuki flips the electric idiot off. Kaminari raises his middle finger right back at him, before he gracelessly trips over Shinsou’s outstretched foot and lands in a sprawl over Izuku. He manages to catch himself before he can fully crush him, but in the process he accidentally yanks the earphone cord from Izuku's phone. Everyone in the room pauses, attention turned to the chaos. Katsuki sits up straight, eyes glued to Izuku's phone. But no music plays. 

He hears Uraraka let out a quiet, “Damn.”

That seems to snap Kaminari out of his surprised daze; he quickly rightens himself. 

“Sorry Izuku! I didn’t see this oaf’s leg in the way!” He kicks at Shinsou’s foot. The purple haired boy mutters a quiet, “fuck you”. 

But Izuku doesn’t seem to be paying much attention to Kaminari’s apologies. He glances around the room, notices everyone looking either at him or his phone, and frowns. 

“Uh, it’s alright Denki.” He finally replies, still eyeing the rest of his peers. 

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Kaminari asks, patting the top of Izuku's fluffy head gently. 

Izuku finally turns his wary eyes to Katsuki. Katsuki gives him a covert thumbs up — a question. One that Izuku answers with a confused tilt of his head. He understands that Izuku's not confused about the question in Katsuki’s eyes, rather, he’s confused about everyone’s reaction to the accident. Confused about the sudden sharp attention on him and his phone. 

Shit. He’s going to have to spell it out to the nerd isn’t he? 

“Yeah, I’m good.” Izuku answers Kaminari’s question belatedly, eyes still on Katsuki. He can see Kirishima’s curious gaze darting between him and the nerd from the corner of his eye. So, to offer mercy to Izuku yet again, and to also save his own ass from Kirishima’s annoying staring, he heaves a sigh and gets to his feet, effectively drawing the attention to himself. 

“He’s fine, Thunder Bolt. Go find Sero. Maybe he really is a better teacher than me.” Katsuki makes sure he sounds as bored and unbothered as usual. “I doubt it, though." 

And just like that, the tension in the room snaps. Kaminari makes sure to flip him off once again on his way out of the common area as the rest of the teenagers turn back to their own textbooks and conversations. 

“Bakugou —” Kirishima starts when Katsuki starts walking to the kitchen. 

“Give me a minute, Shitty Hair.” He grumbles loud enough for everyone around the coffee table to hear. “I’m just getting a drink.” 

Sure enough, just as he closes the cupboard that contains the glasses, Izuku enters the kitchen, fidgeting with his fingers. 

“What was that back there?” The nerd doesn’t beat around the bush. His cheeks are flushed beneath his freckles, but Katsuki’s unsure if it’s from embarrassment or frustration. “Why was everyone staring at me like they were expecting something?” 

Katsuki sighs as he fills his glass at the sink and takes a sip. He glances over Izuku's curls to the extras in the lounge room, making sure nobody was truly paying attention to them. 

“They were waiting for your music to start playing.” Katsuki explains. Izuku frowns. 

“Why would they be waiting for that? Don’t they know that when you pull the earphone cord out, the music stops playing?” 

“You haven’t noticed everyone asking about your music taste lately? A bunch of those idiots came up to me and asked if I knew what you liked.” At that, the colour drains from Izuku's face. “I didn’t tell them shit. Not that I know shit about your music taste, but whatever.” 

“They — everyone’s been asking about what I listen to?” Izuku asks weakly. Katsuki gives a single nod as he takes another sip of water. “Why? Why is it so interesting to everyone?” 

Katsuki shrugs. “No fucking clue. They’re focusing on the wrong thing anyway. No way they’re going to beat us in class if they’re focusing on your dumb playlists or whatever.” 

At that, the corner of Izuku's mouth twitches in the beginnings of a smile before it flattens once more. “And … you aren’t curious about what I listen to?” 

“I mean, I guess I am. But also, not really. Knowing what you listen to while you go to sleep or braid your hair or whatever won’t help me kick your ass in training. So there’s no point worrying about it.” 

Izuku flushes anew. “Braid my — what do you think I do when you’re not around? Jesus, Kacchan.” 

Katsuki leans forward with a wicked smile. “Oh, is it something dirty? Should I have guessed something like —”

“No!” Izuku lunges forward, clamping a small hand over Katsuki’s mouth, positively glowing red with embarrassment. “Do not say whatever it is you’re thinking. Don’t even bother thinking it. God, how am I friends with you?” 

Katsuki wraps a hand around Izuku's wrist and draws it away from his face. “My fucking flawless personality and hot body probably has something to do with it.”

Izuku stands there spluttering in frustration for several long moments before he gives up on trying to string together a proper sentence altogether. He turns on his heel and storms out of the kitchen, muttering something about ‘stupid Kacchan’ and ‘flawless personality, my ass’. Katsuki’s barking laughter follows him out of the room. 

Still smirking to himself, Katsuki tips the rest of the contents of his glass into the sink before washing up. He tries very hard to not think about the feeling of Izuku's hand on his lips. He fails. 

And most of all, he tries not to feel too guilty about misleading his friend. Because, despite his reassurances, Katsuki is a big fat liar. Because even though he said he didn’t care, for some reason knowing what music Midoriya Izuku listens to so continuously has been bumped up unbelievably high on Katsuki’s list of priorities. 

—

“Okay. I know I said I wouldn’t say anything. But, bro, I’m about to implode.” 

Katsuki lets out a preemptive sigh of frustration. Kirishima, not at all discouraged by how obviously Katsuki does not want to have this conversation, flops down on the grass beside him. 

“So. Midoriya Izuku. Your childhood-best-friend-turned-enemy-turned-rival-turned —”

“Are you just going to list every way I know Deku? Or are you going to actually ask what you want to know? Because you’ve got about three seconds to decide before I blast you into that building over there.” 

Kirishima grins his shark grin at him. “Nah, you wouldn’t do that. Then you’d be expelled or some shit, and then you wouldn’t be able to see Izuku.”

“Shitty Hair I swear —”

“Got it, I know. No teasing.” 

Katsuki grumbles under his breath as he flips back a page in his Modern Literature textbook. Something about the stupid poem they’re supposed to be annotating just doesn’t make sense. That, and he’s trying to look busy and unconcerned while his friend prepares to unload all his questions about his crush. He has to admit that it was smart of Kirishima to broach the subject here; Katsuki had found a spot under a tree in the courtyard, mostly away from the other classmates who decided to spend some time in the sun, to catch up on some more homework before going for his evening run. But as it turns out, three days is apparently long enough for Kirishima to practically burst with his recently acquired knowledge. So of course he’s come to bother Katsuki about it. 

“How long have you liked him?” 

Katsuki chews on his bottom lip, eyes glued to the page but not seeing it at all. He takes his time answering, hoping his silence discourages Kirishima. When it doesn’t, Katsuki relents. 

“Since our first year at UA.” 

Kirishima raises a brow. “What made you realise?” 

He shrugs, leaning forward to make a small note in the margin of the poem. It’s probably wrong; he will probably come back to it later, take one look at it and ask himself what the fuck he was thinking. 

“Come on, man. Midoriya must have done something that made you go ‘oh shit, he’s cute, I’d fuck him’ or something — ow!” 

Kirishima rubs his arm where Katsuki landed a pretty aggressive punch. 

“The fuck do you mean ‘ow’? You’re literally made of rocks, you idiot. That should’ve hurt me more than it did you.” 

“I’m only made of rocks when I want to be.” Kirishima complains. “Jeez, so touchy.” 

Katsuki sighs, finally giving up on trying to get any work done. “After he came back from that bullshit with All for One, or whatever. When he was gone, I couldn’t work out what the fuck I was feeling. But as soon as he came back, as soon as he was home, safe … yeah that’s when I realised.” 

“Oh.” Is all Kirishima can think to reply. 

“And before you get any stupid ideas in your dumb rock brain, that was not the moment where I thought ‘he’s cute, I’d fuck him’. That was … a different moment.” 

“Oh? ” The idiot says again, with much more insinuation in his tone this time. 

“Shut the fuck up.” 

“No, Bakugou, you can’t say something like that to a man and expect him to shut up! Please explain!” 

“I’ll explain it with my fist —”

“Kinky!” 

A round of tiny warning explosions pop off in Katsuki’s palms, but Kirishima just laughs. They settle down again after Kirishima promises to behave himself. 

“Are you going to tell him?” Katsuki shakes his head, biting down on his bottom lip once again. “Why not? I think he’d be pretty damn happy if you did tell him.” 

“I don’t — He —” Katsuki cuts himself off with a frustrated growl and tries again. “I can’t tell Deku. That’s not fair on him. You said it yourself before, I’m his old junior high school bully turned friend. I caused him so much pain. I’m still trying to prove that I’m not that stupid kid and I know he says he’s forgiven me and shit but I still …” 

Katsuki pauses, sucks in a deep breath and stares up at the branches overhead. Kirishima stays silent, watching as he sorts through his thoughts. 

“I told him to take a swan dive off the roof of our school building once. I told him not to apply to UA — to not follow his dream. I hurt him so many times. Physically and mentally. There is no way, not in any lifetime, that I could think I deserve a chance with someone like Deku. He’s just … he — and I’m just —”

Katsuki’s throat closes up before he can finish that thought, but he’s pretty sure Kirishima gets the message anyway. 

“Yeah, Midoriya is pretty special.” Kirishima agrees with a nod. “He’s a genuinely good dude. He’s always trying to help, always so willing to sacrifice a little bit of himself to help someone else. But he is a stubborn idiot too. You say you’ve caused him so much pain, but dude … he’s still here. He’s still standing by your side. He still calls you Kacchan, even after all the shit you’ve put him through.” Kirishima takes a breath, glancing down at his fingers in his lap. Katsuki turns to watch him, stunned into silence by his words, so he sees the moment Kirishima decides to continue. “Look, I don’t know if someone’s mentioned this to you before, and I know I wasn’t there but, on the night you were kidnapped back in our first year … Todoroki told me what happened. He told me how you were taken and swallowed up by that Kurogiri bastard, how Midoriya ran for you even when his arms were shattered and he was exhausted. And — and he told me that the scream Midoriya let out when you were gone — Jesus, it was brutal.” 

Of course people had told him bits and pieces of the aftermath when he’d returned to UA. But this — nobody had told Katsuki about this. He waits with bated breath for Kirishima to continue. 

“Like I said, I wasn’t there. But he was in a bad way afterwards and he was still ready to come and get you. So, yeah he’s everything you said. He’s a good man, he’s strong. But he’s so stubborn when it comes to you. So I still think you should tell him. Because what if he likes you back, huh?”

Katsuki hums, turning away from his friend to stare sightlessly across the courtyard, deep in thought. His mind is busy with all the new thoughts and perspectives that Kirishima has offered up. But at the end of the day …

“Izuku deserves to be happy.” Katsuki says softly. “He deserves that after everything he’s been through. And if he’s happy with me at his side as his friend and hero partner, then I’m more than okay with that. I don’t want to ruin what we’ve rebuilt over the last few years.” 

Kirishima nods again slowly, considering his words. “I get that. Seriously. But you’ve gotta think — what if he’d be happier if you’d told him? Midoriya is a good dude. If you told him and he didn’t feel the same way, he wouldn’t be a jerk about it. He wouldn’t give up what you guys have rebuilt. But if you told him and he did feel the same … wouldn’t that be fucking awesome?” 

Katsuki rolls the idea around, carefully considering all the potential outcomes. He has to admit that the idea of Midoriya responding positively to Katsuki’s confession makes his blood sing in his veins and his hands prickle with the ghost of more tiny explosions. 

But before he can say anything more on the matter, an excited shout comes from the other group sitting in the courtyard just a few metres away. 

Aoyama is leaning over Hagakure’s clothed shoulder, peering down at the phone in her hands with a delighted expression. Todoroki, Uraraka and Ojiro cram in closer, trying to catch a glimpse of something on the phone as well. 

“Did you seriously find it?” Ojiro asks. 

“I can’t believe we didn’t think to search through his social media pages earlier!” Uraraka says, elbowing a blank faced Todoroki with a thrilled smile. The half and half bastard gives her no response, though he does lean closer to the phone. 

“Oh, do you think they’ve found Midoriya’s streaming account?” Kirishima asks, perking up with mild interest at the antics of the other group. 

Katsuki’s fingers curl into tight fists in irritation. Why couldn’t they just leave the nerd alone? The more they invaded his privacy, the more likely he would clam up even tighter. It’d be even more unlikely that Izuku would tell anyone then. 

“Wait, wait.” Hagakure interrupts the excited chatter. “Shit. It’s not him. This is Midoriya Izuru’s Spotify account.” 

The group lets out a collective groan of disappointment. Aoyama flops down on the grass beside Ojiro with a pout. 

“How unfair.” He moans. Uraraka gives him a consoling pat on the head. 

“Maybe it’s linked in his All Might twitter fan page?” Todoroki offers blandly. “Not that I follow it.” 

“Oh! Good idea Todoroki, I’ll check!” 

This snaps what sliver of patience Katsuki had left after his conversation with Kirishima. Not even bothering to hide his snarl, Katsuki shoves his books in his bag and stomps toward the doors. He throws the group a venomous glare. 

“Stop fucking stalking him, you idiots. Haven’t you realised that doing shit like this might have the opposite effect? He won’t want to tell anyone shit.” 

He doesn’t wait for the others to reply before he storms inside and up to his dorm to get changed for his run. Maybe running until his chest heaves will help take his mind off all of this bullshit. 

As it turns out, Katsuki is not entirely wrong. Even though Izuku doesn’t find out that his friends were stalking his social media pages for a scrap of new information, he does get rid of his old wired earphones.

Katsuki is sitting at his desk in class on Monday morning, resolutely ignoring his friends who have gathered around him to talk loudly about a music festival that’s coming up soon. Apparently they are all dying to go, but seeing as Katsuki is the only one of them who is eighteen, they need him to buy the tickets. Something about parental permission and alcohol being sold at the venue. Katsuki isn’t paying enough attention to care, too busy staring out the window and wondering if it’s possible to kick their asses in a friendly way. What would the mechanics of it be? Would he not be able to use his quirk? Could Aizawa technically get him in trouble if he did it during heroics training?

“Yo, Midoriya! Cool headphones!” Kaminari calls out. Attention finally caught, Katsuki turns to the doorway that Izuku has just entered through. Sure enough, a new pair of cordless black headphones flatten his wild curls and sit over his ears. Seems like the nerd has figured out a solution to stop any more accidents like what happened last week from occurring again.

Izuku beams at Katsuki’s group of friends, making his way across the classroom and pulling the headphones down so they hang around his neck as he goes.

“Thanks, Denki! Yeah, I figured it was time for an upgrade from those crappy old earphones anyway.”

“You can even train with these.” Sero adds. “You won’t have to worry about getting all tangled up in cords and shit now.”

Izuku talks with the others for a bit until the conversation turns to stupider topics, like if Aizawa is a headphones or an AirPods guy. He shuffles past them to his seat, pulling his books out of his bag when he sits down. Katsuki pushes his chair back a little and swivels so he’s facing the nerd.

“Figured out a way to get those losers off your back huh?” He says in an undertone.

Izuku shrugs. “Thanks for telling me what they were up to, by the way. You could’ve encouraged them and I would’ve never known, but you didn’t. That was nice of you.”

Katsuki rolls his eyes in a show of indifference, but he can’t quite tamp down the tiny pleased grin. “Whatever, nerd. You’d do the same if these extras were pestering me, right?”

“Obviously.”

“Even though my taste in music is superior and everyone could benefit from listening to it.”

Izuku grins at him, eyes bright. “Of course, Kacchan. Those All Might soundtracks you listen to are clearly the supreme choice.”

“Hey fuck you. I don’t listen to that shit.” All the time, Katsuki tacks on in his head. Not that the nerd needs to know that.

“Sure you don’t, Kacchan.”

“I’m serious, Deku.”

“Oh, so am I.”

Katsuki leans forward slightly, ignoring Izuku's arrogant grin. “You’re a sarcastic little shit today, aren’t you? You won’t be so pleased with yourself when I wipe the floor with you in training this afternoon.”

Izuku raises one cocky brow. “I’d like to see you try. You’re the only one here who can keep up with me anyway, so it’ll be good practice for when I get to fight with real heroes.”

Katsuki only has time to let out a quiet growl at the jab when Aizawa walks in, looking as tired as ever, and tells everyone to calm down. Katsuki’s friends dart back to their seats as he gives Izuku one final taunting glare. He hears Izuku let out a quiet chuckle from behind him and his shoulders hunch up in frustration.

Stupid Deku and his dumb smug face and his hot laugh and — wait, fuck, no. Dangerous territory, go back!

Katsuki pulls himself from his thoughts and finally tunes into what Aizawa is saying. Then his phone buzzes in his pocket. He dutifully ignores it, but then it buzzes another three times in quick succession.

Figuring it might be one of his parents with some bad news or something, he pulls it out to check it under the table.

From: Shitty Hair

> Damn Bakugou

> Who knew you had game?

> Lmao Midoriya is blushing

> Didn’t realise u guys were at the flirting stage of ur weird friendship. I’m offended u didn’t tell me :(

Katsuki turns a murderous look over his shoulder towards Kirishima. The idiot is already grinning at him, obviously laughing under his breath. He sucks in a calming breath, vowing to thoroughly destroy his friend later, not in the middle of homeroom, and shoves his phone back into his pocket.

Two minutes later, it buzzes again.

From: Shitty Hair

> Bro you should turn around

> Midoriya’s staring at u

> I can see the hearts in his eyes

From: Katsuki

If you do not shut the fuck up right now I will punt you into the fucking moon <

Idc if it’s the middle of class or not <

From: Shitty Hair

> BRO HI!

> Okay I get it but also I’m right and ur wrong, you need to ask him out asap

In an attempt to get the idiot to stop texting him, Katsuki chances a quick look over his shoulder. Izuku is mumbling under his breath as he takes notes in his newest quirk notebook beside a rough sketch of a hero Katsuki remembers seeing on the news yesterday. Her quirk was a kind of glamour, where she could create visual and auditory illusions for her target. Because the universe still hates Katsuki, Izuku glances up — probably checking to see that Aizawa isn’t paying any attention to him — and catches Katsuki looking at him.

A cute blush spreads over his freckles as he tries and fails to cover his notebook before Katsuki can glimpse his rudimentary note taking.

Katsuki raises a brow. Izuku frowns and pokes his tongue out. Katsuki smirks and makes an obscene gesture before turning back to the front.

From: Shitty Hair

> lmao u guys are cute

> As Mina would say … I ship it

From: Katsuki

I will never tell you anything ever again. Have fun becoming a background character in my life <

From: Shitty Hair

> nooooooooooOOO!

> I’m sorry. I love seeing you emote like an actual human being instead of a pissed off chihuahua

> Plz keep telling me all about ur love life

> Okay hint taken. I’ll bother u about this at lunch instead

From: Katsuki

Feel free not to <

Katsuki sighs as he tucks his phone into his pocket once more, sorely regretting telling his friend anything. But if he’s also a tiny bit grateful that he has someone he can talk to about this shit, well, nobody else has to know.

Classes progress as normal for the rest of the morning. Katsuki can tell that Kirishima is about to bring up their earlier conversation at lunch, as promised, but Sero, Kaminari, Ashido and Jirou arrive, lunch trays in hand.

And then it’s finally time for their afternoon training classes.

“Today, we’ll be trying something a little different.” All Might tells the class when they’ve gathered at Ground Beta. “Oftentimes you’ll be working with heroes or sidekicks from your agency when fighting villains. But there are times — however rare — where you’ll have to work with members of other agencies at short notice. Today, you’ll be paired with students from 3-B to complete rescue missions.”

At that, the second hero class arrives at the entrance to the grounds, Snipe leading them. He’d obviously already filled his class in on today’s training, if the way his students were warily eyeing class A was any indication.

Obviously the two classes had worked together over the years, but never in a situation like this. Katsuki is aware of some of the quirks the losers in 3-B possess, but he’s never had to work with them. It’s always been class A versus class B in the past. Katsuki catches Izuku's eye through the crowd and frowns. The nerd grins back, nearly vibrating with excitement. No doubt he’s got everyone’s quirk memorised and is already working out a million plans of action based on who he could be paired with.

This should be interesting.

“Half of you will be completing the exercise here in Ground Beta with me.” All Might booms. “The other half will go with Snipe to Ground Gamma.”

The two heroics teachers pair off their classes, and by the end of it, Katsuki finds himself standing beside a guy who looks like a skull, with his teeth on the outside of his mouth. If he had any time to spare, he might consider feeling a little grossed out by the sight, but as it stands he’s scheduled to fight first.

And he’s up against Izuku and a blonde girl with horns at Ground Beta.

“Alright, listen up.” All Might calls out over the chatter of the students once the other half of the class has disappeared to the other training ground. “Honenuki and Bakugou, you two will be the heroes for this exercise. Midoriya and Tsunotori, you’ll be our villains. There will be two rescue dummy’s hidden in the building where the villains are stationed. Your mission is to either take down the villains and secure them with these handcuffs —” All Might tosses two pairs of shiny silver cuffs to Katsuki. “— Or recover the victims and bring them to the street where they would be treated by medics in a normal rescue situation. You’ll have three minutes to get acquainted with your partner and twenty minutes to complete the exercise. Any questions?”

“Are there any other people in the building that we should look out for?” Honenuki asks.

“No, just the dummies and the villains.”

Katsuki’s partner nods, expression turning thoughtful. Izuku and his partner are let loose first, probably to set up their hostage situation and talk out their game strategy. This leaves the two heroes with some time to plan.

“Okay, I don’t know shit about Horn Girl, but I know Deku.” Katsuki starts, turning to Skeleton Boy. “He’s an over-thinker and he analyses everyone’s quirk, so he’ll know exactly what he’s working with. He’ll probably expect us to run in and attack straight away, probably try to take the villains down instead of rescuing the stupid dummies or whatever. So what if we —”

“What if we do exactly that?” Skeleton Boy cuts in. He turns to look at the buildings in the distance, eyes still contemplative.

“Haah? Did you not hear what I just fucking said, dude?”

“I heard you. I know that you used to be a hot-headed, aggressive bastard who only cared about winning. I remember you from first year.” Katsuki can’t help but stare incredulously, utterly dumbfounded. “So Deku is probably expecting you to act at least a little bit like that same bastard, right? Let’s give him what he’s expecting. You go in, guns blazing — well, hands blazing I guess —”

“You want me to be a diversion.” Katsuki finally catches on. “You want me to distract the nerd and blondie, and then you’ll rescue the dummies.”

Honenuki smirks at Katsuki. “Only one of us needs to rescue them for us to pass. Like you said, you know Midoriya. And I know Tsunotori. She’s a bit shy, but she’s super observant and good at strategy. If we split them up and confuse them, we’ll be able to get those dummies to safety.”

“Yeah, Deku has been relearning to rely on others lately. He’ll probably want to work as a team to keep us out.”

“The training exercise will begin in one minute.” Comes All Might’s voice over the speakers set up at random intervals around the grounds.

“Okay, so we’re sorted then.” Honenuki points to a mid-rise building a few blocks away. “All Might said they’re holed up in that building there. You rush in first, cause as much confusion as you can and make some mess to form a sort of smoke screen. I’ll come through after, when you’ve got one or both of them preoccupied. You can keep them busy, right?” He quirks a brow at Katsuki, who flexes his hands in his gauntlets, turning to face the sprawl of buildings before them.

“Please.” Katsuki scoffs. “You gave me the easy job, Skeleton Boy.”

“Uh, you can call me Mudman. That’s my hero —”

“The exercise will begin now!”

“Sorry, time to go, Bone Man.” Katsuki says with a bark of laughter as he takes to the sky, jetting his way directly towards the villain’s building. It looks like a small office building, only ten storeys tall. Nothing like the staggering skyscrapers in the hustle and bustle of the city. Katsuki wouldn’t be surprised if the exercise finished with plenty of time to spare.

He wastes no time being careful — the teachers didn’t say anything about keeping cleanup to a minimum. Katsuki bursts through a window on the first floor, intending to work his way up the building in the hopes of cornering Izuku and Horn Girl. The first three floors yield no results, empty except for bland looking office furniture. But as he’s just about to exit the stairwell on the fourth floor, some huge force rocks into the door, knocking it off its hinges and sending it slamming into Katsuki. He’s sandwiched between the door and the concrete wall until he shoves his hands up and aims an explosion. The door skitters away, revealing a collapsed heavy looking wooden filing cabinet. Two guesses as to who could have thrown something like that with enough force to cause damage.

A feral grin overtakes Katsuki’s face.

He aims another explosion at the doorway, one just intense enough to plow through the dry-wall and send up a hazy wall of smoke and debris. Then he shoots into the room, quickly taking stock of the space. No Horn Girl, no dummies. They must be higher up. But there is Deku, glowing and crackling with green lightning, looking like a vengeful god amongst the rubble. He’s already launching himself right at Katsuki, but with the cover of the hazy air, Katsuki is quicker. He could use an AP shot or two if he wanted to be direct, but his mission is clear; he has to make as much of a mess as possible. So he keeps his hands stretched out wide and fires off two shots, one aimed at Deku to slow him down, the other aimed at the floor just in front of where he’s standing.

Deku emerges through the blaze, looking only slightly singed around the edges, his face a mask of cold fury.

Katsuki uses an explosion to launch himself right at his friend, just barely dodging the punch aimed his way and hooking an arm around Deku’s waist to tackle him back to the floor. They crash together in a tangled heap, but Deku is up in an instant, aiming a kick right for Katsuki’s exposed back. Katsuki launches himself away, skidding along the floor, putting distance between them (and conveniently exploding the desk behind Deku as well, causing even more rubble to rain down on them).

They trade blows, each of them connecting but just not quite strong enough to knock the other down for good. The fight is eerily reminiscent of their other fight at Ground Beta, back in their first year, but without the brutal anger and confused frustration burning in his veins. Instead, today he feels something more like exhilaration fuelling him, making his explosions burn hotter, his punches sharper. Deku aims a punch his way, arcs of green crackling along his arm and torso. Katsuki ducks under his guard, narrowly avoiding being kneed in the face in the process, and slips past him.

“You’re running away, Ground Zero.” Deku taunts. Katsuki can see the delighted glint in his eye, the determined set to his mouth. Katsuki would very much like to kiss that mouth.

Fuck, wrong time to be thinking that.

“Not running.” Katsuki replies, jumping to his feet and charging forward once more with his explosive speed, matching Deku’s Full Cowling pace. They meet in the middle of the room, where Katsuki dodges once again, choosing to flip over Deku with the assistance of his quirk. The next set of vaguely aimed explosions he lets off makes the building tremble with their intensity.

“Your aim’s off.” Deku calls over the sound of drywall cracking and windows smashing. Katsuki lets out a savage laugh. You keep thinking that, stupid Deku.

But Katsuki’s lack of rebuttal and his apparent good mood — they give him away.

“Fuck.” Katsuki mutters under his breath when the dust mostly settles and he gets a good look at Deku’s face. His brows are furrowed and he’s staring straight at Katsuki, muttering to himself all the while. He straightens out of his fighting stance slowly, blinking as he works through the problem.

He and Deku had to have been fighting for at least ten minutes, and Katsuki has definitely caused enough unrest, what with the way his explosions have been rocking the building. He’s honestly quite surprised that the support pillars haven’t given way and dropped the remaining six storeys down on top of them yet.

Surely he’s given his partner enough opportunity to sneak his way into the building and handle the other villain. But he knows that he has to keep Deku preoccupied, even now as they near the end of the exercise. Katsuki can recognise that Deku is a powerhouse by himself; if he were to rejoin with his teammate, that could turn the tide in their favour.

“Fuck.” He curses louder, before throwing caution to the wind. Deku’s expression clears — he must have finally worked out their plan — and he bends his knees to take off, either straight up through the roof, or out the window to his left, Katsuki doesn’t get to find out. He bodyslams the nerd straight through the wall, crushing him against the concrete stairwell with all his strength.

“No, no!” Deku pants, writhing in his arms like a fucking feral animal. Somehow he manages to free one of his arms from where Katsuki has pinned them by his sides, and he shoves. Katsuki sails back through the hole they’d created in the wall before he slows his trajectory with a few blasts.

With a growl, Katsuki charges back at Deku, but this time the nerd is ready for him. Before he can reach him, Deku leaps in the air, grabs Katsuki’s outstretched arm, and swings him over his head and down into the floor. The concrete shudders with the force of it, the wind knocked from his lungs. Deku lands on top of him, straddling his hips and pinning his hands above his head, all with a frantic gleam in his green eyes. He knows his time is running out.

Katsuki bucks with a snarl, trying to dislodge his friend, but with his arms pinned and Deku’s weight pressing his whole body into the ground, he doesn’t get far.

But it doesn’t matter, because at that moment, All Might’s booming voice rings out over the speakers.

“The victims have been rescued. Heroes win! The training exercise is over. Head back to the observation room right away.”

Katsuki lets his head fall back against the concrete with a sigh. He watches as the desperate energy drains from Deku, along with the crackling lightning of his quirk. He sits back on his heels, releasing his hold on Katsuki’s arms as they both catch their breath.

“You were the distraction.” Izuku says at last.

“Took you long enough to figure out, nerd.” Katsuki replies, rotating his aching wrists. He moves to sit upright — and then immediately regrets it when he realises the position they’re in. Izuku is still perched in Katsuki’s lap, his strong thighs pressing in on either side of his hips. Sitting upright only brings them nose to nose, a position Katsuki realises far too late. They blink at one another for a long moment, stunned, before Izuku finally realises that he has to move. He launches himself backwards, wide eyed and stuttering apologies as he goes. 

“Don’t worry about it, idiot.” Katsuki grumbles as he heaves himself to his feet. “Let’s just get back before the other team starts.”

Izuku starts analysing and offering pointers on Katsuki’s fight as soon as they make it out of the building. And then when he catches sight of their 3-B partners, he hounds them for details of how their fight went down. That discussion lasts until they make it back to the rest of their classmates.

As soon as they step into the room, Katsuki notices a few of the 3-A students clustered together in the corner. At first, he rolls his eyes at his idiot classmates. But then he catches snippets of hushed conversation and his interest is piqued.

He glances over his shoulder to where Izuku is still fully immersed in conversation with Horn Girl and Skeleton Boy, then saunter’s over to the group.

“He’ll be back any second, you’ve got to hurry up.” Aoyama urges, Sato and Tokoyami looking slightly nervous on either side of him.

Yaoyorozu sighs, shaking her head in disappointment. “He’s going to be so pissed off when he catches you.” Jirou hums in agreement.

“Oi!” Katsuki barks, causing the group (minus Jirou) to jump in surprise. He clocks Iida’s guilty expression and Kaminari’s averted eyes, and quickly realises he might have to kick someone’s ass again very soon. “What the fuck are you idiots up to over here?”

And then he notices the phone in Kaminari’s hands, lit up with the familiar wallpaper of All Might in his golden age costume. Even though his hands are aching from the overuse of his quirk during the training exercise, a cluster of explosions pop off as his anger boils down to something sharp and dangerous.

“That better fucking not be Deku’s phone.” At the uncomfortable silence that greets his question, Katsuki tries to reign in his fury, breathing in and out very slowly like his counsellor once taught him. “Put it away. Now.”

Kaminari blinks out of existence for a moment with how fast he moves. He darts over to where Izuku's school bag sits against the wall, dumps the phone in the side pocket, and rejoins the group at breakneck speed.

A quiet kind of awareness prickles at the back of Katsuki’s neck — he glances over his shoulder and notices Izuku watching the group curiously. When he bids goodbye to the 3-B students and starts making his way over, Katsuki turns back to his very guilty looking classmates.

“This bullshit ends right fucking now.” He hisses under his breath. “No more disturbing his privacy. No more fucking prying. No more bullshit stunts. Got it?” The group nods. “Good. Tell the others too.”

They nod once more in understanding.

“Hey guys!” Izuku greets brightly. “Jeez, what the hell are you all looking so serious for?”

“Oh, you know.” Iida flaps his hands nervously as he searches for an excuse and fails to find it.

“We all saw the way you took down Bakugou.” Yaoyorozu cuts in smoothly. “He was just giving us his usual threatening spiel, warning us to keep our mouths shut, you know how it is.”

Izuku gives her a sage nod. “Mhm, I do know. Sorry about him.”

“Oi, fuck you.”

“Maybe I should get you a leash, Kacchan.”

“If you even think about it, I will end you and gladly face Auntie’s wrath.”

Apparently his recent loss has made him lose brain cells, because Izuku somehow thinks that giving Katsuki a placating pat on the head is a normal and sane thing to do. Katsuki tips his head back and tries to bite at the nerd’s fingers, but he whips them away just in time.

Izuku just laughs at him, eyes crinkled, blissfully unaware of the idiocy of their classmates.

After the Ground Beta incident, the class finally backs off of Izuku. Katsuki watches as they go from outright prying, to distant curiosity. Instead of hounding the nerd or pulling anymore stupid stunts, they simply let him do his thing and listen to his music in peace. Apparently word had carried to the rest of the class about how terrifying Katsuki had looked as he’d warned the group at the training exercise, and nobody was willing to push their luck with him anymore.

Katsuki is in two minds about the situation; on the one hand, he’s glad that they’re finally leaving his friend alone after so much meddling — and he’s pretty proud that he is still intimidating enough that he can threaten his friends by proxy. However, he’s also worried that his aggressive outburst may have tipped some of his classmates off about his true feelings towards Izuku. It’s not that he’s ashamed or embarrassed of the feelings — no, it’s more about the fact that he doesn’t trust them to keep the secret to themselves if they do find out.

As much as he doesn’t want to say anything, he would much rather Izuku find out from him than one of their friends, and then overthink himself into a panic attack. The idiot seems to enjoy putting himself through unnecessary stress.

But luckily his Izuku themed aggression happened to be pretty on brand for Katsuki, so none of his classmates seem to have figured out the secret.

So, the frenzied excitement that was due to Izuku's strange new habit devolves into another kind of excitement when, one Wednesday night, Ashido announces that she and Uraraka are going to be organising a party.

“Izuku's eighteenth is coming up so we’re gonna have the party here in the dorms!” Uraraka chirps to the gathered group after Ashido makes the announcement. Izuku is not present at this particular meeting, seeing as the two girls want it to be a surprise. Katsuki guesses that this is also why Uraraka and Ashido decided to wait until three days before the chosen day to make the announcement; if everyone’s too preoccupied with preparations, nobody will have the time or opportunity to ruin the surprise.

“It’s also a kind of apology.” Ashido adds on, looking a little sheepish. “We’ve all been pretty annoying towards him lately. Invading his privacy constantly and trying to trick him into telling us something he clearly wasn’t comfortable saying was a pretty shitty thing to do.”

Katsuki casts a look around the room, satisfied when he sees the rest of his classmates wearing similarly regretful expressions.

“So, we’re all going to work together to make this the best party he’s ever had, okay?” Uraraka grins. Everyone gathered perks up at that, excited at the prospect of a party, and that they also get the chance to atone for their borderline stalker-ish behaviour over the last few weeks.

The girls are surprisingly meticulous when it comes to assigning roles. Katsuki is delegated to food prep, along with Sato and Shoji, which he would gladly take over any of the other dumb roles any day. The others are divided into groups to decorate, to choose music and games, to inform the members of class 3-B, and to keep Izuku away from the common room on the day of the party.

With a plan in place and everyone aware of their roles, they go their separate ways. Shoji waves Katsuki over to where he and Sato are standing, so he begrudgingly talks with them about what foods they’re going to prepare. 

The mood heightens in the days leading up to the surprise; everyone seems to be full of boundless energy and anticipation, much to Katsuki’s annoyance. If Izuku notices the change in mood, he doesn’t mention it. If anything, it seems to pull him out of the shell he’d build around himself after the earphone incident. To see him actually talking and laughing with his friends in the common room, or between classes … it’s a welcome change, considering he’d been skittish and wary for weeks now.

But if Katsuki feels a little jealous that Izuku doesn’t seem to be spending any extra time with him, well, he tries not to let it show.

Unfortunately for him and his shitty luck, Kirishima picks up on it almost instantly. It’s almost like since he had figured out Katsuki’s feelings, his friend has developed a sixth sense in picking up on any changes in mood regarding said dumb affection.

“If you want his attention, you should just go and talk to him.” Kirishima states on Friday night. They’re in the herbs and spices section of the grocery store. Katsuki had realised that he’d forgotten several important ingredients in his food preparation for the party taking place the following day, so he’d dragged Kirishima along to help him carry the many grocery bags back. He might have also done it so that Kirishima could finally spit out what he’s been dying to say for the past few days; the idiot is not as subtle with his knowing glances as he likes to think he is. Better to get it over with in the safety of a public space, than anywhere near Izuku.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Katsuki tries to deflect, in the middle of deciding between two different packets of breadcrumbs.

“Don’t give me that shit, bro. You’re pissed off that he’s been giving so much attention to the others. So instead of moping about it, you should do something. That’d be the manly thing to do.”

Katsuki turns to his friend with raised brows. “How am I moping? I don’t mope like a bitch with a crush.”

“You are literally one of those two things.” Kirishima replies, rolling his eyes at the dramatics. At Katsuki’s glare he quickly clarifies. “The crush! Not the bitch — okay, you know exactly what I mean. Don’t try and get out of this conversation!”

With a poorly concealed growl, Katsuki turns back to the breadcrumbs. “If he wanted to talk to me, he would. I guess now that everyone’s treating him like a normal human instead of a fucking alien or some shit, he doesn’t need to hang out with me as much.”

“Oh my god.” Kirishima groans.

And then he smacks Katsuki up the back of the head. Katsuki drops the two bags of breadcrumbs in surprise, jumping around to face his friend with an expression of disbelief.

“What the fuck?”

Kirishima just looks exasperated. “Who knew that the Bakugou Katsuki having a crush on Midoriya would make him so god damn pouty?”

“It’s not a fucking crush —”

“Bakugou’s got a what on who?” Comes a shrill voice from the aisle over. Kirishima and Katsuki freeze, looking at one another with wide eyes as three sets of footsteps race up the length of the neighbouring walkway and then pause at the entrance to aisle seven, the one with the herbs and spices and breadcrumbs.

And there stands Ashido, Sero and Kaminari, the three of them looking absolutely gobsmacked under the light of the too-bright fluorescents.

“Nope.” Katsuki says. He walks away, completely ditching his half-full basket of groceries and Kirishima, grumbling all the while. “Fuck this. I’m not dealing with this bullshit. Absolutely no way.”

“Wait, wait!” Kaminari bounds after him. “You have a crush on Midoriya? Deku? Izuku? Your childhood-friend-turned-enemy-turned —”

“Yes.” Katsuki barks, if only to shut him up.

Still standing with the basket, Kirishima proudly tells the other two, “That was my exact reaction too.”

Sero catches up to Katsuki and bravely catches at his wrist to pull him to a stop. Katsuki doesn’t immediately brush him off, which says a lot about how overwhelmed he’s feeling right now.

“Dude, stop running away.” Sero says before proceeding to drag him back to his friends, Kaminari trailing right behind them, peppering him with questions non-stop.

“How long have you liked him? You’re gonna tell him right? You have to tell him, that would make his whole life. But how could you ask him out? A picnic? Movie date? Oh, what about taking him to the top of Tokyo Tower and —”

“If you do not stop talking right now I will take you to the top of Tokyo Tower and drop you off of it, Dunce Face.”

Sero finally lets go of Katsuki when they rejoin with the others, but then he immediately hooks an arm around his shoulders so he can’t escape again. Well, technically he could escape again, but that would involve explosions and quirks, and he really doesn’t feel like being banned from his local grocery store just because his friends are eavesdropping idiots who are too curious for their own good.

“So you really do like him, right?” Ashido asks, eyes shining with excitement. “Kirishima wasn’t just spouting shit?”

“Excuse me, Mina. I do not spout shit, I spit straight facts at all times.”

“Except for that one time.” She replies. “You know, with the broken table and Todoroki, and —”

“Guys.” Kaminari interrupts, flapping his hands between the pair to calm them down. “You’re missing the big point here. Bakugou literally just admitted to having a crush on someone.”

“And that someone is none other than our resident adorable All Might fanboy.” Sero adds with a sly grin, giving Katsuki’s shoulders a squeeze. Katsuki’s brain finally kicks into gear; he ducks out from under Sero’s arm, scoops up both packets of breadcrumbs and his basket, and heads towards the checkout.

There are groans and shouts from his friends as they scramble to follow him, but thankfully they don’t cause too much trouble when they reach the register. Over his shoulder, he hears Kirishima asking why the others were at the grocery store at this time of night.

“Denki said we should get some sparklers for the party.” Ashido replies. “Plus, I definitely didn’t buy enough streamers. I want the lounge room to be covered.”

“And all three of you had to come along for that?”

“Obviously!” Kaminari says, linking elbows with Sero. “We couldn’t just let Mina walk about at night on her own! It’s late! We’re like Mina’s guard dogs.”

“Thanks boys, but I’m literally nearly a pro hero.” Mina says with an amused expression. “We’ve gone through three years of training together, and I’ve got a deadly quirk, so you can just admit that you were bored and lonely.”

Sero pats Kaminari’s head fondly. “We were bored and lonely.”

Kaminari pouts at the comment but does nothing to object. Katsuki nearly scoffs at the sappy expression on Kaminari’s face, choosing instead to focus on paying and picking up his shopping bags.

Even after the traumatising events of the past ten minutes, he does decide to wait for Ashido, Kaminari and Sero to pay for their decorations. He leans against the wall next to Kirishima, frown securely in place.

“I’m sorry they found out like that.” Kirishima says quietly. “I really was trying to keep your secret.”

Katsuki says nothing for a long moment, unsure if he wants to be angry or not. Finally, with a sigh, he says, “It’s fine. You didn’t know those dumbasses were going to be there.”

Kirishima purses his lips. “It’s not fine, though. You didn’t want anyone else finding out, and now the people most likely to blab, all know your secret.”

“Guess you’ll just have to keep them in line until I figure it out then, huh Shitty Hair?”

Kirishima gives him a small grin. “You’re really handling this whole situation with less explosions than I thought you would.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, do you want me to kick your ass into next week? That can be arranged.”

“Nah, I’m good thanks.” Kirishima replies.

They fall into silence, watching through the glass as Sero and Kaminari chat while Ashido pays.

Katsuki turns his gaze down to the ground, clearing his throat roughly. “Maybe — maybe I’m a bit glad that you guys know, now. Maybe. Probably not.” He shrugs when Kirishima looks at him. “I guess it could be useful to have people to talk about this shit with. I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing, so…”

“Are you asking for help, Bakugou?”

“Fuck off,” is Katsuki’s knee jerk reaction to the statement. Then all his years in counselling and the many long talks with his teachers come back to him. He sighs again. “Okay, maybe I’m asking for your ideas. I’ll decide if they’re totally useless or not.”

Kirishima smirks at him, and claps him on the shoulder roughly as the other three emerge from the automatic doors. “Of course, bro.”

The walk back to UA sees Katsuki bombarded with questions. It is just as painful to answer these as it was to answer Kirishima’s all those weeks ago. But the main detail that becomes glaringly obvious to Katsuki is the fact that his friends keep urging him to tell Izuku.

“What the fuck makes you think I want to tell him?” Katsuki snarls when Sero suggests another ridiculous way to ask him out (he says that the way Americans ask people out is with huge poster boards and maybe a song, sometimes in front of their whole class. Kaminari kindly tells him that’s what they do when they’re asking someone to prom).

“You’re kidding, right?” Ashido deadpans. “I’m pretty sure Midoriya likes …” She turns to Kirishima with a quizzical look. Kirishima gives her a confident nod in response. Their silent conversation grates on Katsuki’s nerves; if the two of them weren’t going to share their thoughts with the rest of them, then he was going to ignore them out of spite.

“I don’t even know if Deku likes guys. I mean, he had a thing for Pink Cheeks in our first year. You all saw how gross he acted around her.”

“Dude.” Kaminari says, giving Katsuki a pitying look.

“No, unless you’ve straight up asked him, you don’t know.” Katsuki seethes. “I’m not going to fuck up our friendship over a maybe.”

“So,” Sero says, his gaze distant and distinctly mischievous. “What you’re saying is, if he admits to liking guys, you’d tell him?”

Katsuki sucks in a long, calming breath. On the one hand, just knowing that information would make this whole business of having romantic feelings so much easier. But on the other, he definitely does not want to fuck with Izuku's feelings like that again. It feels emphatically manipulative, having Katsuki’s friends pry sensitive information from Izuku that could benefit Katsuki in the end.

He’s already weighted down with enough guilt over emotionally abusing Izuku as it is. He doesn’t need this added on top.

“Okay, I’m going to say this once and once only.” He says, turning to face his friends on the moonlit sidewalk. They’re only a block away from the dorms, so he knows he has to make himself clear right here and now, lest his dumb friends try and help (meddle) further. “I don’t want you guys wing-manning for me or anything. If I’m going to do something about it, I will fucking do something about it. Got it? No mind games, no fucking with Deku to drop hints or whatever.” He heaves an exasperated sigh at the stunned expressions on his friends faces. “I appreciate you wanting to help. Seriously. But, if anything does happen between me and Izuku, I will be the one putting in the work. If by some fucking miracle, I manage to get him to agree to date me, it will be because I proved myself. Not you guys.”

He’s met with ringing silence, broken up only by the distant croak of cicadas and the muted, hazy sounds of far off traffic.

“Dude.” Kirishima breathes finally. “That is so manly.”

Katsuki has to fight to hide his pleased smile. With a roll of his eyes, he turns on his heel and heads in the direction of the dorms once again. “Yeah, I know. I’m the fucking best. No need to be so shocked about it.”

With a belated squeal of delight, Ashido bounds up to his side and hugs his arm, shaking him a little bit in her enthusiasm as he tries to walk in a straight line. “Oh my god I cannot wait to tell Midoriya about that speech when you guys start dating.” She says. “When you do decide to do something about it, that is.”

Sero lets out a cackle of laughter. “Yeah, you’ll get sick of dancing around the issue and probably blurt it out at some weird moment.”

The good natured ribbing lasts all the way until they reach the front porch, when Kaminari all but screeches, “Oh! You should try flirting with him! That will tell you if he’s interested or not!”

“And you should try keeping your voice down.” Kirishima laughs, shoving at Kaminari. That prompts the two to start brawling on the front doorstep, Sero encouraging Kirishima to “kick Denki's ass, he deserves it”.

Katsuki leaves the idiots to their play-fighting, heading inside with his shopping. He’s surprised to find a lightness in his chest that he hasn’t felt in a long time.

—

Izuku nearly passes out from shock when he walks into the common room the next afternoon to an ear-splitting chorus of “surprise!”. Katsuki can see his fight or flight response kick in for a second as his eyes widen and he seizes up, before he seems to realise there’s no immediate danger. That, and Shinsou and Todoroki start nudging him further into the room, with matching tiny smiles.

“W-what?” Izuku stammers when he’s finally recovered enough to formulate words. His gaze flickers over all the people gathered — a combination of the two hero course classes and some people from the other courses — the frankly outrageous amount of streamers and decorations that look like they’ve exploded in the middle of the lounge room, and the veritable mountain of snacks piled on the coffee table. “What’s going on?”

He finally finds Katsuki in the crowd, and Katsuki feels his gaze boring into him, heavy with questions and overwhelming emotion. Katsuki doesn’t try to hide the tiny, genuine smile that tips up one corner of his lips, and is even more pleased when Izuku's cheeks flush just a little, his eyes starting to shine with unshed tears.

“Happy Birthday, Deku!” Uraraka exclaims as she and Ashido bounce over to him. They smother him in a tight embrace, his green curls just poking out between the tangle of limbs.

“B-but — what’re you all doing here?” He chokes out once he’s freed from the hug. He scans the crowd again, noting all his classmates, all his friends across the many classes, here to celebrate him. A tear finally escapes, trailing down his freckled cheek. Katsuki burns with the urge to go to him, to envelop him in a bone-crushing hug and hide him away from the prying eyes of their friends until he calms down. Instead, he curls his hands into fists in his pockets and settles for keeping a watchful eye on the nerd as more of his friends descend on him to wish him a happy birthday. Lord knows Izuku has cried enough in front of all of them for everyone to be used to the display of emotion; that doesn’t stop the staggering impulse to shield and protect and hold.

Get a fucking grip, Katsuki scolds himself. He’s an eighteen year old hero, not a damn child. It does nothing to ease the intensity of the desire though.

Katsuki stands near the sliding doors with Sato, Yaoyorozu and Tokoyami as he waits for Izuku to say hello to every person in the room like the annoyingly good and friendly person he is. Uraraka, Iida and Asui hover around him, travelling as a group as they go. It takes a good twenty minutes for Izuku to appear at his side, eyes slightly red rimmed and cheeks flushed with the unanticipated attention.

“Kacchan.” He says by way of greeting. Katsuki notices the lack of his friends with interest; they’d been practically stuck to the nerd as soon as he entered the room. Izuku must have snuck away from them for him to be alone right now. The thought that he’d snuck away to see him sends a spark of smug pleasure down his spine.

“Happy Birthday, dumb Deku.” He replies, taken aback by the amount of fondness in his tone. Izuku either doesn’t notice it or he chooses not to comment as the other three shuffle off to grab some drinks, fully immersed in their conversation about whether Present Mic will catch wind of the party and show up or not.

“Did you help plan this?”

Katsuki shrugs. “Not really. I helped with the cooking. Raccoon Eyes and Pink Cheeks did most of the planning and shit.”

Izuku smiles softly, looking over his shoulder at the two girls in question. Katsuki uses this moment to just take him in. His gaze trails the line of Izuku's jaw, long since sharpened when his features started to lose their baby fat during their second year. The freckles are mostly amassed on his cheeks, but they actually scatter across his whole face, even spilling down his neck and beneath the collar of his shirt. His green eyes shine in the warm afternoon sunlight, bright and fond as he watches his friends clown about on the other side of the room. The slope of his eyebrows, the rounded lips that look like they’ve been anxiously chewed on too often — Katsuki is suddenly struck by Izuku's beauty.

He has heard the nerd be described as cute, as adorable, as bright and friendly, by so many of their classmates. More than anyone, Katsuki knows that he is all these things — it’s just something you’re aware of when you have known someone since childhood, when you’ve seen them with ruddy, chubby cheeks and missing teeth and too bright excitement at the prospect of collecting rocks in muddy streams.

But here, at four in the afternoon at the UA dormitory, in the slowly dying sunlight, surrounded by their fellow heroes in training — Izuku is a vision of quiet grace and handsomeness. Somehow, in all of his years in Izuku's orbit, Katsuki has never realised just how beautiful he is.

Jesus fucking Christ, I’m so gay for him.

He blinks rapidly at the realisation, feeling like his breath has been punched out of his lungs. Izuku turns back to him a second later, so he rips his gaze away to rest on his folded arms instead, feigning mild interest.

“I really wasn’t expecting anything like this.” Izuku says quietly.

Katsuki snorts. “Yeah, that’s like the whole point of it being a surprise party, idiot.”

Izuku grins, shoving at Katsuki a little. “Shut up, you know what I mean.”

He just hums in reply with a sly smirk. Across the room, Jirou and a girl from class 3-B who Katsuki thinks is called Tokage, fiddle with a speaker. After a moment, music starts to play, a popular upbeat song that Katsuki knows and finds very annoying. To his immense surprise, Izuku's face twists in matching annoyance for a split second before smoothing back out.

Never one to miss out on a chance to call Izuku out, Katsuki’s taunting grin widens. “I saw that look, Deku. What, this song not good enough for you and your special secret playlist?”

Izuku turns a brilliant shade of red, whipping about to face Katsuki with a tinge of agitation. “What! No! I — I don’t know this song.”

Katsuki gives him a long disbelieving look. The green haired dumbass just defiantly glares right back at him. Katsuki shrugs, as though he couldn’t care less. “That’s good then. ’Cause it fucking sucks.”

Izuku blinks up at him once, twice, three times, before the words seem to register. His shoulders relax just a little, still slightly-pink faced at being caught out, and his gaze keeps darting between Katsuki and the others in the room, like he’s trying to keep an eye on everyone at once.

After several moments of surveillance, he mutters, “I know, right? It comes up on my Instagram all the time. People keep using it in their stories and it pisses me off.”

Katsuki stares at Izuku, frozen in shock, because here he is, bitching about music to Katsuki. Izuku, the same nerd who flinched when Katsuki nearly touched his earphone once, who has been dodging the questioning of their classmates (mostly unthinkingly) for weeks, who has resorted to buying new headphones so that he can avoid any mishaps — that same Izuku is finally opening up about his music taste. And it’s to Katsuki.

Abruptly, he remembers that he’s supposed to give some sort of reply. The best he can come up with is, “Stop going on Instagram then, dumbass.”

Izuku rolls his eyes, but he looks quietly amused. “I can’t do that. I comment on everyone’s posts. They’d think I died or something.”

“What the fuck — you literally see them in class every day. You live with them, Deku.”

Izuku waves his comments off with an unbothered hand. “Figure of speech. Point is, this song sucks ass and I’m a great friend who is super supportive.”

“You don’t comment on any of my posts.” Katsuki finds himself grumbling under his breath before he can control his tongue.

Izuku laughs, bright and loud and surprised. “That’s because you post, like, twice a year, Kacchan. And they’re always dumb gym selfies. And you would absolutely delete my comment straight away because,” He pastes on an aggressive scowl and shoves his fingers in his hair to make it stand up on end. “I’m not a fucking nerd who needs validation from an extra like you.” He speaks with a rough voice that sounds nothing at all like Katsuki. But he’s hardly paying attention to that; hearing Izuku swear makes him clench his jaw. He wonders how god damn infatuated he must actually be if he finds Izuku swearing attractive.

He cuffs Izuku on the head belatedly, making the nerd laugh again. The sound makes him want to break something, but like, gently. Before he can reply, Ashido calls out to them, Asui sitting beside her, waving them over.

With a final grin directed at Katsuki that makes his heart slam against his ribs uncomfortably, Izuku leads the way to the lounges where the girls are sitting.

“Come play Cheat with us!” Ashido says. Asui holds up a deck of cards, looking hopeful and excited.

“Oh, I love that game!” Izuku cheers. Three pairs of expectant eyes turn to Katsuki.

“Jesus, what?” He barks, backing away a step.

“It’s better to play with more people, Bakugou.” Asui pipes up. “Just one round?”

Katsuki gives a hard glare at her frog face, then at Izuku's hopeful puppy eyes, then at Ashido’s self-satisfied expression. He nearly snarls when she gives an extra meaningful look in Izuku's direction, but manages to reign himself in just in time. 

“Fucking stupid — fine. One round.”

The three of them genuinely whoop in delight, drawing the attention of several others around them. Asui combines two decks and deals everyone in, making sure the piles remain even when three others from 3-B join in.

One round quickly devolves into two, then three. He and Izuku keep losing because they keep calling one another out, and they’re right every time.

“Cheat!” Izuku shrieks, bouncing in his seat where he’s wedged between Asui and the grey haired dude with the steel quirk from 3-B. “You’re a dirty, lying cheater, Kacchan!”

“Fuck off, Deku.” Katsuki growls as he scoops up the generously sized pile of cards from the coffee table.

Honenuki — Katsuki remembers his name from when they were paired during the training exercise a few weeks ago — gives a disbelieving laugh. “Are you guys sure you don’t have a mind reading quirk?”

“Yeah, you’ve both been right every time!” Ashido adds on, looking far too excited over the prospect.

Katsuki and Izuku look at one another, nonplussed. The nerd flushes slightly, scratching at his cheek.

“I don’t know, I just know when he’s lying.”

That’s both a shocking and completely unsurprising fact to Katsuki; of course they can read one another well. They’ve known each other long enough, they’ve been friends and then enemies and then something in between. After so long together, surely picking up on things like lying comes with a strong sense of intuition. He’s not surprised to find that his reasoning is exactly the same — he just knows.

But then, does that mean that Izuku also just knows about Katsuki’s feelings? Does that mean he knows and hasn’t brought it up out of courtesy, out of the desire to not change what strange new friendship they now have?

“Does he have a tell or something?” Asui croaks.

“N-no. It’s nothing like that.” Izuku replies, shaking his head with a slight frown. “It’s just …”

“It’s a feeling.” Katsuki says. All eyes turn to him and he grinds his teeth in an effort to will the heat flaring in his face away. “Fucked if I know. It works though. He’s holding half the damn deck there, isn’t he?”

Everyone looks to Izuku's hands where, sure enough, he’s struggling to keep all of his cards in line. Katsuki isn’t faring much better, but he was sick of the bemused staring pointed his direction.

They finish the round with Asui winning. Though he pretends otherwise, Katsuki doesn’t mind the loss all that much, because he still beat Izuku by a landslide.

People bring out other board games. Katsuki point blank refuses to participate in Twister, though he does watch from his spot on the lounge beside Kendou, who is in charge of spinning the board. He calls out an inappropriate comment when Iida finds himself wedged beneath Uraraka to get his right foot to a red circle, which makes Round Cheeks burst into laughter and promptly fall flat. They’re both eliminated, Uraraka still hiccuping with giggles and Iida pink in the face. Katsuki smirks wickedly at both of them.

When night finally falls, great platters of food are set out for everyone to serve themselves. There’s yakimeshi, onigiri with many different fillings, karaage, and even a whole metal bowl filled with edamame, along with other vegetable dishes. Everyone spreads out as they eat, some choosing to sit outside under the fairy lights that someone had thought to string up in the courtyard. Others hang around the dining table and the kitchen, preferring to talk as they go back for second and third helpings.

Katsuki finds himself sitting beside Todoroki at the dining table; it’s a strange combination, but he’s learnt to deal with the half and half dumbass over the years. If anything, it was a relief to find that they both usually prefer to sit in silence rather than participate in meaningless chatter. Unfortunately, Todoroki appears to be in a rare chatty mood tonight.

He speaks up when he’s nearly finished with his food. “You should’ve made soba.”

Katsuki whips around to face the bastard. “Haah? I didn’t see you offering to do the damn cooking when Pinky and Round Face were assigning roles. Quit your complaining.”

Todoroki hums, nibbling on a piece of fried chicken. “I wasn’t complaining. The food’s good.” He pauses for a long stretch, chewing on the chicken slowly. “Soba’s better though.”

Katsuki rolls his eyes. “Yeah well, when it’s your fucking birthday then you can get soba, idiot. This shit’s for Deku, not you.”

They fall into another lapse of quiet. Katsuki takes a glance at his phone, finding it way too early for it to be appropriate for him to tap out of the party and head up to his dorm room.

“I think Midoriya will appreciate the food.” Todoroki says quietly. “But there’s no katsudon.”

“It’s a bit hard making katsudon for, like, forty people.”

“Hmm. Maybe you should’ve hired a personal chef.”

“Fuck you and your personal chef, IcyHot. My food is fucking awesome.”

“Would you actually make soba for my birthday?” Todoroki turns to Katsuki with a hesitant expression, completely disregarding Katsuki’s retort.

Katsuki grinds his teeth for a good long minute before spitting out his answer. “Sure.” God knows the idiot could do with some real home cooked food instead of the pre-packed meals he usually picks up from the grocery store. Todoroki gives him a tiny pleased smile and goes back to the edamame on his plate.

Later, once all the dirty dishes have been piled into the sink to do later and the food has been packed away, the sparklers are brought out.

They all traipse outside to the front lawn of the dormitory, and the sparklers are passed around and lit up. Some try to take pictures with the long exposure setting, trying to spell out stupid words in the night air. Others just sit and talk while they twirl their tiny fireworks between their fingers.

It just feels like a calm summer night, with the laughter and voices of many colouring the air, music winding its way outside with them from the direction of the living room. Despite Katsuki’s warning to his friends the night before, Ashido, Kirishima and Sero still try to help, just this once. They are not subtle when they wave Izuku over to their little group. Katsuki is half tempted to duck away and run, because surely he must realise what they’re up to, but Kirishima holds onto his elbow and doesn’t let him budge.

“Hey guys! Do you have a lighter? I’ve got one more sparkler but Ochaco ran off before I could get her to light it.” Izuku rubs the back of his neck with a laugh.

“Yeah, here.” Sero and Izuku huddle together for a moment and when they draw back, the sparkler is burning bright and warm. The light dances across Izuku's delighted smile, his soft eyes. Katsuki is content to just watch.

Then, Kaminari and Aoyama appear, waving everyone over to come and watch them try and light a whole fistful to see if it could burn brighter than Aoyama’s laser. That excites the others, so they run off, leaving Izuku and Katsuki sitting on the grassy slope in peaceful silence. That is until a soft sound catches Katsuki’s attention.

At first he thinks Izuku has resumed his weird habit of muttering under his breath. But then he realises that the muttering actually has a tune and beat to it, in time with the song filtering through the open sliding doors.

Midoriya Izuku is singing. It’s only soft, barely a whisper, like he’s not even aware that he’s doing it while he watches the dying embers of his sparkler finally fizzle out. But it’s gentle and harmonious; Katsuki has never heard him sing before, but he’s sure if he actually tried, he would be good at it. For the first time in a long time, Katsuki chooses not to tease or jeer or comment. He just leans back on his hands, looks up to the summer moon and listens.

Something seems to change between them after Izuku's birthday.

The next evening, Katsuki pulls out the breadcrumbs he’d bought a few nights earlier and starts cooking. He’s pretty much left alone in the kitchen, due to it being a Sunday and most of his classmates being too lazy to cook before the school week properly starts. When he’s finished and everything’s plated up, he pulls his phone out and sends a picture of the two bowls to Izuku.

From: Katsuki

I made too much. Come get some before it goes cold ig <

It takes less than a minute for his phone to buzz with a reply.

From: Deku

> Omg no way you made Katsudon!!!!?????

From: Katsuki

Obviously. <

From: Deku

> Wait for me I’m coming omg omg omg omg

Katsuki huffs a laugh and stows his phone away, bringing the two bowls to the dining table to wait for the nerd. In record time, he hears the telltale sound of hurried footsteps racing down the hall. When Izuku bursts into the dining area, clad in soft looking cotton shorts, an oversized burnt orange hoodie and socks, Katsuki’s already chewing on a mouthful of pork and rice.

“I told you to wait!” Izuku exclaims as he slumps in the seat opposite Katsuki. He clicks his chopsticks as he gives thanks before looking up at him. “You sure I can have —”

“Yeah, idiot.” Katsuki says roughly. “I told you, I made too much. I know that you go nuts for this shit, so you can have the extra.”

The smile Izuku gives him is bright enough that it could blind a lesser man. Katsuki just barely blinks back his surprise as it is, while he watches Izuku dig in.

He nods as he chews. “This is almost as good as my mums, Kacchan.”

Katsuki huffs. “Your mother won’t give me her recipe so I had to guess.”

“Yeah she still doesn’t trust you after you tried to take a photo of her anmitsu recipe.” Izuku laughs.

“Well if she’d just given it to me, I wouldn’t have had to sneak a photo. My hag of a mother has been nagging me for that fucking recipe for years. It’s not my fault your mum left it lying on the table.”

“If I asked for it she would give it to me.” Izuku says, eyes bright.

Katsuki narrows his own eyes, sensing some sort of trap. “You wouldn’t just give it to me, Deku. What do you want for it?”

Izuku gives him a wicked grin. “Your limited edition young age All Might figure with the shiny stripes on the costume.”

Katsuki’s expression quickly falls to one of irritation. “I hate you so much.”

The nerd just cackles. “Hey, I’ll even ask for the katsudon recipe. Out of the kindness of my heart —” Katsuki scoffs at that. “— I’ll give you two recipes for just one All Might figure.”

The two of them watch each other for a good long minute, Katsuki with frustration and Izuku with barely contained glee.

Finally, Katsuki grinds out, “Fine.”

Izuku bounces in his seat in excitement, inhaling even more of his dinner. Katsuki tries not to let himself feel too proud over the fact that he was the one to make his friend this happy.

“I’m never cooking for you again.” He grouses a few minutes later.

“What! Kacchan, you said you made too much!”

Katsuki glares down at his food. “Fuck off.”

He feels something nudge at his ankle under the table; he glances up to see Izuku smiling at him. It’s not a smug smile like Katsuki was expecting — no, it’s small and gentle and full of fondness. He can see the unsaid thanks in the upturn of his lips and in the gleam of his eyes.

“Yeah whatever, nerd. Finish your damn food.”

—

“The dinner thing was a genius move, bro.” Kirishima says with an impressed smile as he adds another weighted plate onto one side of the barbell and then moves to do the same on the other.

“I know that. That’s why I did it.” Katsuki grumbles.

“Wait, wait. I need to hear this again.” Kaminari laughs from where he’s lying on the floor, mid sit-up. “So you pretended to cook too much? And then summoned Midoriya to you through the power of his favourite food?” At Katsuki’s glower, he laughs even harder. “Kirishima’s right, man. That was a genius idea.”

Kirishima starts another round of overhead presses with the added weight while Katsuki works on his tricep dips, so the conversation pauses for a minute. After the final rep, Katsuki stands and lifts the hem of his workout shirt to wipe the sweat from his brow.

“I didn’t tell you idiots so you could have a laugh.” He says. “I just — I have no fucking clue what else I can do. There’s no way I’m looking this shit up online, and there’s nobody else to ask.”

“So you came to to the two hottest guys you know for flirting advice, huh?” Kaminari asks.

“For ideas, Pikachu, not advice. Plus, I came to ask Shitty Hair — you just happened to be in the room too. I don’t trust any tips you have seeing as though you’re too big of a wimpy bitch to make a move with Sero. He obviously likes you too, dude.”

Kirishima raises a brow. “And how is his situation any different to yours, Bakugou?”

“Fuck off. Help me.”

Kaminari stands, a considering hand stroking at his chin as he sizes up Katsuki. “Whats your flirting game been like in the past? Have your moves worked on any other people?”

Katsuki makes a face of disgust. “What — no. I haven’t flirted with anyone before. Gross.”

He glances between his two friends and their twin unimpressed expressions.

Kirishima turns to Kaminari and claps him on the shoulder. “Looks like we’re at square one with this dumbass.”

“Oi.”

“Guess it could be worse.” Kaminari shrugs, completely ignoring Katsuki’s outburst. “He could be shit at flirting and not realise. At least this way we can teach him the right things to do.”

The pair turn back to Katsuki.

“People usually try to be close with their crush.” Kirishima offers. “Physically, I mean. Standing near them, sitting next to them. Stuff like that.”

“Touching too!” Kaminari tacks on with an enthusiastic gleam in his eye. “You’ve gotta find ways to touch him without seeming weird. Like this.” He steps towards Katsuki and stands way closer than necessary, close enough that he can smell the sweat on his skin from working out — it’s not entirely pleasant. Kaminari gives a coy smile, brushing his fingers along Katsuki’s forearm. “Hey Kacchan, want to come get lunch with me?”

Katsuki smacks the offending hand away and takes a step back. “Okay, so that’s good advice if I want to look and sound like a fucking creep, thanks. Also, don’t call me that or I’ll shove you in a locker. Shitty Hair, what’ve you got?” 

Kirishima shrugs. “If you don’t want to act all flirty, maybe you can try the absolute basics. Eye contact. Complimenting Midoriya. Smiling. That should be easy enough, right?”

Katsuki gives him a flat look. Kirishima sighs.

“Oh, I’ve got an idea!” Kaminari says, waving his hands in excitement. “Maybe you can send him songs that you like! You know how obsessed with music Midoriya’s been lately — maybe you’ll bond over that?”

Katsuki raises a brow, considering the suggestion. It’s not a bad idea, actually. Thanks to the party, he already knows one song that Izuku likes — and one that he definitely doesn’t like — so maybe it’s not such a shot in the dark idea after all.

“You could even make the songs that you send him flirty.” Kaminari continues, on a roll now that Katsuki hasn’t completely shut down the concept. “Want some love song recommendations? I’ve got, like, a whole bunch.”

“No. I don’t want to hear your country music or Norwegian folk or whatever weird shit you listen to.”

Kaminari gasps. “Hey! Dubstep isn’t weird, it’s actually —”

“Oh, god, Denki.” Kirishima chokes out between peals of laughter. “Dubstep is worse.”

Katsuki is inclined to agree.

—

From: Katsuki

Bakugou Katsuki sent you a song: My Blood by Twenty One Pilots <

From: Deku

> Kacchan??? What’s this?

From: Katsuki

Just listen to it dumbass <

Idk or don’t, just thought you might like it ig <

From: Deku

> (。^‿^。)

> it’s a really cool song, I like it

> um.. does it mean something special to you?

From: Katsuki

told you my taste is fuckin awesome <

kinda … idk it reminded me of you <

From: Deku

> really?! It reminded me of you too!

> maybe we DO have telepathy ☉_☉

> you’d tell me if you could read my thoughts right?

From: Katsuki

as if I don’t have to hear all your thoughts constantly anyway, nerd <

who sits in front of you in class again? <

you mutter CONSTANTLY <

From: Deku

> oh yeah

> You’re welcome hahahaha

From: Katsuki

fuck you <

—

Aizawa has brought the class out to the P.E grounds for one of their last quirk apprehension tests of their schooling career. He gets them to do the same exercises every time they come out, so the class knows just what to expect after nearly three years of being tested. While each of them step forward to complete their evaluation, the others decide to cram in extra study; there’s not long now until their end of term exams, so books and pens and calculators are dug out of bags and sprawled across the ground in a rough version of a study group. 

Hagakure is just returning from her turn at the pitching test, which means Katsuki is up next. He gets to his feet and brushes the dirt off his clothes before making his way over to Aizawa. As he goes, he passes by a group of his classmates huddled together, Izuku's mop of green curls amongst them. He keeps his eyes forward, not wanting to be caught staring or doing something equally as creepy, and he makes it a few metres past the group before a clear voice cuts through his thoughts.

“Do your best, Kacchan!”

Katsuki falters a step before looking over his shoulder, red eyes meeting bright green. One side of his mouth curls up in an imperious grin.

“Fuckin’ obviously, nerd.”

The smile Izuku gives him in return makes him feel like his bones are melting. He stalks forward once more, spurred on with the thought of Izuku watching him as he completes the test. That idea is enough incentive for Katsuki to absolutely fucking annihilate his personal best in the pitching test; the sight of Aizawa’s vaguely impressed expression is just the cherry on top of an already awesome day.

Izuku is standing just a few steps away when Katsuki turns to head back to where the class has sprawled out. He looks like he’s fighting to hide his amazement; Katsuki shoots him a self-satisfied grin, silently issuing a challenge that Izuku sees all too clearly.

His expression shifts to something determined and sharp and cold, and Katsuki clenches his jaw at the sight of it. How someone so friendly and bubbly can transform into something deadly and brutal at the drop of a hat, Katsuki will never understand. It’s not something he’s had a lot of practice dealing with in the time that he’s known the nerd — this is a very new (and very welcome) change of character, something that must have manifested once Izuku attained his dream of attending UA, once he’d risen through their class rankings, once he’d fought villains and saved civilians and won. Once he’d gained recognition from his hero and mentor.

Not for the first time, Katsuki is reminded of how much of an absolute idiot he was when he was younger. How could he have ever thought that it was the quirk that made someone a hero? Sure, it certainly helped, but what good was an overpowered quirk in the hands of someone corrupt? The League of Villains was full of people with crazy cool quirks, but still they chose to use them for evil means. Abruptly, Katsuki is grateful that Izuku chose to worship All Might instead of any one of those League bastards — if Izuku, with his quirk and analytical skills, had chosen a different path, Katsuki has no doubts that the whole of Japan would be in the clutches of evil right now.

As it stands, Izuku is here, about to graduate at the top of the class, by Katsuki’s side. And he doesn’t feel a shred of anger or frustration when Izuku takes his turn at pitching, and the ball rockets into the sky, a trail of green lightning arcing after it. He can’t help but be proud when Aizawa lets out a tiny huff of amusement as he records the number on the measuring device, even when Izuku's score ranks just slightly higher than Katsuki’s.

Izuku comes bounding over to where Katsuki stands waiting for him to finish his turn.

“Ha! I beat your score by a damn mile.” Izuku taunts, rocking up and down on the balls of his feet.

“Shut your face, damn nerd. Who beat your ass in the grip strength test, again?”

“Okay, but who won in the toe touch test?”

“I can’t do anything about your freaky fucking flexibility, dumbass. Also, Frog Face won that test, not you.”

They continue bickering as they make their way back to the rest of the class, passing Mineta as he reluctantly heads towards Aizawa for his turn.

They reach Izuku's group of friends first, a look of disappointment flashing over his face briefly before it shifts back to that same taunting excitement as earlier. Katsuki only catches the look because he turns to face the nerd at that same moment, a final parting teasing remark on the tip of his tongue. He barely manages to swallow it back as he tilts his head slightly, trying to puzzle out the meaning behind the expression. But then when Izuku doesn’t immediately run off to rejoin his friends, when he kind of lingers near Katsuki, shifting from side to side, Katsuki connects the dots. He decides to try putting Kirishima and Kaminari’s advice into practice, just this once.

With an exasperated sigh, Katsuki reaches out and ruffles Izuku's hair. The nerd jumps under the touch, obviously not expecting it in the slightest. He looks up from beneath Katsuki’s hand with his big green doe-eyes wide in confusion.

“You did well, nerd.” Katsuki mutters, fighting the blush that’s trying to crawl its way down his neck.

“T-thanks?” Izuku chokes out. Katsuki retracts his hand quickly, glancing away, the intimate touch obviously making the nerd nervous and uncomfortable.

Katsuki hums in acknowledgement, still looking off to the side in embarrassment; why did he ever think complimenting and touching the nerd would be okay?

“Just because you won today doesn’t mean you should slack off.” Katsuki says after a few more seconds of awkward silence. He aims a challenging glare at Izuku. “Don’t get lazy. I will kick your ass next time. And you’ll have to watch as I do it.”

Izuku just keeps staring at him, his eyes blown wide, his mouth slightly agape. Katsuki huffs and gives a little shake of the head.

“Whatever. Later, nerd.”

“O-okay. Bye, Kacchan.”

Katsuki stalks back towards his friends, frowning all the while. He doesn’t see the way Izuku stands frozen, watching Katsuki leave, a blush spilling over those damned freckles.

When he slumps down on the grass beside Kirishima, he leans over to snarl at him and Kaminari. “I’m never following your fucking advice again, idiots.”

Kaminari’s eyes widen. “What did you do?” He glances over his shoulder quickly, trying to find Izuku in the crowd.

“You told me to touch and compliment him. The nerd was so fucking uncomfortable, where the fuck did you even get that idea from?”

Kirishima pats him on the shoulder consolingly. “It usually works, dude. Most people dig it when their crush does those things.”

“You mean it only works if he already likes me?” Katsuki hisses, torn between mortification and fury. “Fuck you both, I’m never listening to you again.”

“Wait, Bakugou, look.” Kaminari says, still looking over his shoulder. Katsuki follows his gaze to look at Izuku, who has finally returned to his group of friends. But they’re not studying.

Uraraka is shaking the nerd’s shoulder with a concerned frown as she talks, because Izuku has buried his head in his hands. Todoroki pats his other shoulder reassuringly, in much the same way that Kirishima was doing to Katsuki not two minutes ago. Iida seems to be trying to get everyone to focus on studying once again, his hands frantically karate chopping the air. Asui, however, looks to be about three seconds away from bursting into laughter. Katsuki’s heart nearly falls out of his fucking chest when Frog Face looks over her shoulder right at him and his friends, her expression of pure glee only widening when she catches them watching.

“Fuck fuck fuck fuck.” Katsuki chants, dropping his gaze to his textbooks. He misses the look shared between Kaminari and Kirishima over his head. “Oh my fucking god. I’m going to blow up this whole fucking class and go to jail for manslaughter all because you idiots gave me godawful advice, oh my god —”

“Bro, calm down, you sound like Midoriya when you mutter like that.” Kaminari laughs.

Kirishima is much better at stifling his laughter, but Katsuki can still hear it lacing his words. “It’s really not as bad as you think, dude.”

Katsuki lifts his head to aim a severe glare at his friend. “How the fuck —”

“Midoriya’s embarrassed, not uncomfortable.” Kirishima cuts him off.

Kaminari chimes in with a wide grin. “Our advice worked. He’s flustered, bro.”

Katsuki has no words to describe the emotions warring inside him right now. Hope? Rage? Confusion? Lust? Pride? Bewilderment? Some sickening mix of all of the above? Fucking probably.

“Keep doing what you’re doing, man.” Kirishima encourages, reading Katsuki’s silence for what it is — panic.

“No. I’m not touching him again. I don’t think he even wants me near him right now.”

“Then keep sending the song recommendations.” Kaminari says. “You said he liked the last one, right? Send another one!”

“Right now? After I just fucking molested him in front of everyone —”

“You didn’t molest him, you idiot.” Kirishima rolls his eyes because, again, Katsuki is a drama queen. “You pet his head. Stop being stupid.”

Katsuki levels him with an expression of disbelief.

“Unless you want me to get Kaminari to steal your phone and send Mido-bro one of his dubstep songs?”

“Fuck you.” Katsuki snarls, curling a protective hand over his pocket. “I’ll do it. I’m not sending him that bullshit.”

Both boys look far too smug at the admission.

“Send it tomorrow, then.” Kaminari says. “We will be checking tomorrow night.”

“Jesus — fine. God damn, you guys suck.”

Kirishima and Kaminari bump their fists together, triumphant.

—

From: Katsuki

Bakugou Katsuki sent you a song: Little Lover’s So Polite by Silversun Pickups <

From: Deku

> another one of your many awesome song recommendations?

> Kacchan I’m flattered (✿´‿`)

From: Katsuki

How do you have a dumb emoji thing for every conversation? <

I literally don’t understand how that’s possible <

From: Deku

> they just really help me emote over text

> what, do you want me to come up to your room and TELL you that I like the song? In person?

> I know how much you’d hate that, so I’m being a kind and considerate friend

From: Katsuki

You think I’d explode you as soon as you walked in the door or something? <

Jesus, who do you think I am?? <

From: Deku

> oh you don’t have to use honourifics with me Kacchan

> you can just call me Deku, calling me Jesus isn’t necessary

> (¬‿¬)

From: Katsuki

Who the fuck are you and what have you done with my dumb, nerdy friend? <

How are you MORE annoying over text? <

From: Deku

> lol so you DO want to see my pretty face then, huh?

From: Katsuki

I never said that <

Just listen to the motherfucking song and tell me if you like it, goddamn <

From: Deku

> I already did, Kacchan! I like it

> It’s very much the style of music I’d imagine you’d like

> good to know my theory was right

From: Katsuki

You have theories about me? <

From: Deku

> ………… if I say yes will you explode me?

From: Katsuki

Not if you tell me what the theories are <

From: Deku

> can’t do that I’m about to make curry hands will be occupied

> you’re breaking up

> sorry can’t hear you

> going now byeee

From: Katsuki

You can’t pull that shit over text, Deku <

wait <

You’re cooking!? <

Fuck deku you’re going to destroy the kitchen <

I’m coming, wait for me <

From: Deku

> (づ￣ ³￣)づ

From: Katsuki

Goddamnit <

If you wanted me to cook then just fucking ask next time <

—

When Katsuki makes it to the kitchen three minutes later, Izuku is already part-way through preparing the ingredients. Katsuki takes in the mess over the counter top, the splay of ingredients in varying states of being chopped, the pot on the stove that’s steadily steaming. And then he sees the nerd himself, stretching up on the tips of his toes to reach for something in the cupboard over the fridge.

Katsuki gives a quiet fond sigh as Izuku's fingertips graze at a box of pre-made curry sauce cubes, inadvertently pushing it further back instead of grasping at it. Automatically, he goes over to the nerd, reaching over the top of him to grab the box. Izuku lets out a squeak of surprise, jolting against Katsuki. And that’s when Katsuki realises the tricky situation his reflexive response has left him in.

Without meaning to, he has sandwiched Izuku between himself and the fridge, pressing into his back. Izuku looks over his shoulder, right at Katsuki as he stands frozen, the stupid box of curry sauce still in his hand. Katsuki’s eyes trace across Izuku's features, so close to his own. The smattering of freckles, the piercing eyes, the full lips — and then his brain reboots and he staggers back a step.

“Oh fuck, sorry —”

But Izuku cuts Katsuki off with a flat look. “I’m short, not incapacitated, you asshole.”

Katsuki gapes at him as the little menace steals the curry box from his grasp and brushes past him to continue chopping potatoes, throwing an amused glance over his shoulder as he picks up the knife.

“Fuck you, Deku.” Katsuki manages to growl at last, not sounding even remotely annoyed, much to his frustration. God, how long has he been speaking to Izuku in such an affectionate tone?

Izuku just pokes his tongue out at Katsuki, chuckling under his breath. Katsuki shuffles over to lean against the bench near where Izuku is cutting the vegetables.

“I didn’t realise I was gonna have an audience while I cooked, Kacchan.”

Katsuki scoffs, watching as Izuku pulls an onion towards him to start dicing. “I’m just waiting for you to beg for my help when you realise you’ve fucked up your food.”

Izuku glances over all his ingredients and the simmering pot on the stove with wide eyes. “I’ve already messed up?” He mutters. He is probably talking to himself, but seeing as it’s just the two of them in the kitchen, his voice carries.

“Why’re you boiling water?” Katsuki asks.

“I’ve gotta cook the rice noodles in there!”

Katsuki reels back in disgust. “Rice noodles? With fucking curry? What kind of demon are you, Deku?”

Izuku just gives him a confused look. “You … don’t have this with rice noodles?”

“No! Jesus, how are you Auntie’s son? Move.” Katsuki takes Izuku by the shoulders and steers him to the other side of the kitchen island, setting him down on one of the stools.

“Kacchan! How am I gonna learn if you keep cooking for me?”

“Watch and learn, rocks for brains.” Katsuki replies, pushing up the sleeves of his hoodie and continuing where Izuku left off. He rinses some rice and tips it into the rice cooker — shooting Izuku a scathing glare as he does so. Once the vegetables and the beef are all cut up, he gets to frying it. At some point, Izuku leaves his perch on the stool, choosing to come over to Katsuki’s side to watch him cook. They stand in a bubble of comfortable silence, the sound of beef and onions sizzling in the background. He adds the rest of the vegetables before adding the cubes of pre-made curry sauce and letting it all simmer.

“Hey, Kacchan —”

Katsuki flinches when Izuku speaks up all of a sudden, nearly braining himself on the corner of an overhead cupboard.

“Fucking hell, Deku!”

“Sorry!” Izuku yelps, bringing his hands up to hover around Katsuki’s face as though he wants to take it between his hands to check for injuries, but doesn’t quite have the guts to follow through. “I didn’t mean to — are you okay? Did you hit your head?”

Katsuki chuckles at the nerd’s panicked behaviour, reaching out to grasp his wrists and bringing his hands back down to his sides.

“Don’t scare me like that, dumb Deku. I’m fine.”

“I’m so —”

“You better not be apologising, nerd.”

Izuku presses his lips into a flat line, still watching him with worried eyes. Katsuki sighs, turning the heat down on the stove before facing Izuku. He turns his head back and forth so the nerd can see that he’s perfectly fine.

“No brain injuries. I’m good. What do you want, Deku?”

Izuku hesitates just a second more, watching Katsuki carefully before speaking up, voice softer than before.

“Why have you been sending me songs?”

Katsuki blinks at him, completely caught off guard. Of all the things he’d expected Izuku to ask, this was certainly not one of them.

“Am I not allowed to?” Katsuki replies carefully.

Izuku shakes his head. “No, no, of course you’re allowed to! Kacchan can do whatever he wants. I just …”

“You just?” Katsuki urges gently when Izuku trails off, appearing to be lost in thought.

“Um. I guess I can’t figure out what you’re trying to achieve. By sending me songs, I mean. I just — I can’t work out if you have some ulterior motive or if you’re making fun of me.”

Katsuki rolls his eyes and crosses his arms. Izuku's gaze flicks down to his arms for a split second before he meets his gaze once more.

“I’m not making fun of you, you idiot. It’s called being friendly, you should learn about it.”

“Hey! I’m plenty friendly.”

“Don’t I fucking know it.” Katsuki mutters under his breath.

“Huh?”

Katsuki waves him off. “I just send songs that I think you’ll like. You can send some back, if you want. I’ll listen to them.”

Izuku stares at him with an obscure expression. Something analytical, something curious, something considering. It does nothing to calm the rising panic in Katsuki’s chest. He thinks about what his friends were saying the day before, that he’d managed to make Izuku flustered, that his flirting might have worked. Hopefully that wasn’t about to come back and bite him in the ass in the form of Izuku letting him down easy.

But then the green haired boy speaks up, just barely louder than a whisper, something shy and cautious in his voice. “You — you’d actually want to hear songs I sent you?”

“Obviously, idiot. I always want to hear from you.” Katsuki violently clamps his lips together, horrified that that last sentence had slipped out.

Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuuuuck.

But Izuku's eyes light up, a flush forming high on his freckled cheeks. “Really?”

Katsuki can just barely manage a nod, before he busies himself with checking the curry and rice. Nearly ready.

“Doesn’t mean I wanna hear you muttering behind me in class constantly, though.” Katsuki tries to save face at the last second. He tries to inject some normalcy back into this very weird, very confusing turn of events.

And it seems to work, because Izuku smacks his arm with an affronted, “Hey! Mean, Kacchan.”

Katsuki just spares him a sly grin before he orders Izuku to plate up the food. Surprisingly, there’s just enough for two people. Katsuki tries not to read too far into that.

—

From: Deku

> Midoriya Izuku sent you a song: Stuck With Me by The Neighbourhood

> um.. I’m not sure if u were serious about ur offer last night but I like this song atm

From: Katsuki

It’s good <

From: Deku

> jeez Kacchan, could be a little more enthusiastic about it

> （╯﹏╰）

From: Katsuki

Shut up Deku I was looking for something be patient <

I liked the song, it was cute <

From: Deku

> what were u looking for??

> cute????? That’s the vibe you got? Interesting

From: Katsuki

idiot :) <

Here you impatient fucker, this is what I was looking for <

Bakugou Katsuki sent you a song: Compass by The Neighbourhood <

it’s from the same band and it was on my playlist already <

From: Deku

> did I just see Bakugou Katsuki use an emoji?? With my own two eyes? What crazy upside down world am I living in rn?

> gimme a sec, I’ll listen to it now

From: Katsuki

It’s weird seeing you use my full name <

From: Deku

> okay yeah this song is a good one too I like it a lot

> adding it to my playlist hahahaha

> weird in a good way or ?? I would’ve thought you’d like it better?

From: Katsuki

Weird in a weird way, idiot <

Idc keep calling me ur dumb nickname if you like whatever <

From: Deku

> okay Kacchan!

From: Katsuki

Have you heard the song Sweater Weather? By the same band? <

From: Deku

> ……… I have

> it’s on my playlist too

From: Katsuki

Same, it’s cool <

From: Deku

> ( ≖.≖)

From: Katsuki

dw idiot <

Shitty hair wanted me to ask <

From: Deku

> okaaaaayyyyy? I’m intrigued.

From: Katsuki

Shut up and do your damn homework dumbass <

Do you need help with it? <

From: Deku

> just with maths! I don’t get what Ectoplasm was going on about today but it definitely wasn’t fucking simultaneous equations

> I’m in the common room, plz helppppp

From: Katsuki

Damn I think I’m in that crazy upside down world now too <

From: Deku

> shut up I’m allowed to swear

> I used to break my damn bones every three days Kacchan if you think I don’t swear just as much as you do then ur an idiot

> I’m just sneaky about it

From: Katsuki

That’s cause you’re a god damn gremlin but nobody else fucking believes me <

They all think you’re cute and friendly and nice but you’re actually unhinged and evil <

From: Deku

> unhinged and evil and in need of help with my math homework

> Kacchaaaaaaaan plz

From: Katsuki

Shut up nerd I’m walking down the fucking stairs chill <

—

It’s way past Katsuki’s usual bed time, but he could do nothing to fend off the pleading of his friends tonight, desperate as they were to cram in last minute study before the first of their exams in the morning. Still, tired as he is, he has to visit Tokoyami to get his copy of their modern hero history textbook back, considering Dark Shadow decided to chew on his own copy.

He’s just about to return to his room to finally pass the fuck out when he stops short. A voice floats out to meet him in the hallway, gentle and clear and light. Katsuki looks to his left and, sure enough, is met with Izuku's dorm room door. Casting a quick glance around to make sure nobody else is hanging around at 11pm on a Sunday night, Katsuki pads over to the door, tilting his head slightly to hear more clearly.

He was right — Izuku's voice is good. He’s not even properly singing now; it’s the kind of off-handed singing someone does when they’re only half focusing, when they only kind of know the words to the song. But still, the lyrics come through in short bursts.

“Happens great, happens sweet. Happily … Wasteland baby, I’m in love, I’m in love with you.”

Katsuki blinks at the opposite wall, dazed. Hearing Izuku sing about love of all things … he’s completely unprepared for the strange overwhelming mix of emotions that rises behind his breastbone. His voice, so clear and sweet, singing quietly — Katsuki can’t tamp down on the image that flashes behind his eye lids, just for a second. Both of them sharing space, curled up together, Izuku singing softly just for him. Almost whispering the lyrics, a secret shared just between the two of them.

“And that day that we’ll watch the death of the sun … and you’ll gaze unafraid as they sob from the city roofs …”

Izuku's voice dwindles into a soft hum, obviously following the tune of the song he must be listening to through his headphones.

Katsuki moves on towards the elevator, the lyrics still ringing like a bell in his head. When he gets to his room, he opens his laptop and searches for the song. And then for the first time in his life, he falls asleep to music playing through his shitty earphones, the quiet voice drifting him into unconsciousness.

—

From: Katsuki

Bakugou Katsuki sent you a song: Bitches by Mindless Self Indulgence <

haha this is my theme song <

From: Deku

> KACCHAN NO

> OH MY GOD AHAHAHAAHAH

> but lmao I’m bitches

> ٩(˘◡˘)۶

From: Katsuki

????????????????????? <

Deku what the FUCK <

Meet me outside in two minutes <

From: Deku

>…… why? (◑.◑)

From: Katsuki

So I can kick your ass without ruining school property <

—

The end of term exams pass with only two incidents, which is by far a personal best for class 3-A. Sero accidentally sleeps through his alarm on the first day of the written exams; he only manages to make it to class in time to sit the test because he’d launched himself across the school grounds by his tape arms, swinging his way through hallways and around unsuspecting students. He plants his ass in his chair a split second before Aizawa tells them to flip their papers over, still out of breath from the exertion and with a serious case of bed-head.

Then, on the last day of their exams, half the class comes down with a 24 hour stomach flu. The staff get every person who lives in, or has visited the 3-A dorms in the last week to line up to receive a kiss from Recovery Girl. It’s a long, arduous process, gathering every person who may have come in contact with the infected students. The physical exam is pushed back to Friday, their break delayed an extra day, much to the disappointment of the class.

Luckily, everyone heals up almost immediately, which leaves them time to relax on Thursday night before they all get their asses kicked the next morning.

The physical exam is just as gruelling as everyone expected it to be. They’re split off into pre-determined groups of five and assigned to a different disaster area in the USJ to face off against a duo of pro heroes. Katsuki is grouped with Aoyama, Shoji, Hagakure and Ojiro to go up against Power Loader and Present Mic in the ruins zone, which fucking sucks because more than one ruined building crumbles on top of him throughout the duration of the exam. It also sucks that he can’t quite use his quirk to its full devastating potential in the unstable environment, lest he accidentally trap one of his teammates or cause another fucking building to crush him.

But, they do pass. In fact, every group in the class passes; Iida, Tokoyami, Jirou, Mineta and Koda’s group, battling in the flood zone against Ectoplasm and Vlad King, just barely scraping through in time.

So, class 3-A trudges back to the dorms on Friday evening, beaten, bruised, exhausted and more than a little relieved to finally have a few weeks of rest and hero work studies before the shitshow starts all over again.

Most of the class has made plans to visit home for the first week of the break, leaving only a few stragglers hanging around the dorms. When Katsuki gets back from his run the next morning, he finds that half the class has left already, and most of the others will be leaving during the day.

He himself intends on staying on campus; he knows that if he goes home he won’t be able to get very much holiday homework done at all with the hag hanging around. Plus, staying on campus means he gets almost sole access to gym and training facilities whenever he wants. Luckily, his home is only a half hour train ride from campus anyway, so he can always visit his parents during the day if he really wanted to bother them.

Come Saturday evening, he’s the only person in the kitchen, so he cooks and eats alone, wondering what Auntie would be feeding Izuku for his first night at home. She is probably the best cook he’s ever met, so he has no doubt she would pull out all the stops for her precious only son. Katsuki has half a moment of regret; if he’d gone home, he would be just a few houses down the street from the nerd and Auntie Inko. He might have even been able to run into Izuku during his morning runs or while going to the grocery store.

Pushing the thought out of his mind, he quickly washes the dishes and sets the kitchen to rights before taking the stairs back up to his room.

But when he reaches the second floor, loud music greets him from the open doorway leading into the hall. He frowns, trying to remember if Birdbrain, Laser Gut or the pervy grape had mentioned that they were staying, but coming up empty.

If he’s being honest, the song that’s playing doesn’t seem like it would be to any of their tastes. And then he catches the sound of someone singing along, their voice fading in and out, as though they’re singing every second sentence.

Apprehension pools in his gut like some kind of warning as he steps out of the stairway at last, and moves down the hall.

Surely not. Izuku would have told me if he was staying in the dorms. It can’t be him.

But it is. Katsuki stops outside the nerd’s door, eyes all but burning a hole through the wood as the music washes over him. Mindlessly, he reaches out to turn the door handle slowly, already knowing that it would be unlocked — he’s told the dumbass off more than once already about his bad habit of keeping his door unlocked.

The door swings open, the sound drowned out by the music. And there he is. Izuku lays on his bed, sprawled out like he’d fallen there, with one arm draped over his forehead. He’s got his eyes closed as he half hums, half mutters the lyrics. But what catches Katsuki off guard is the broken hearted expression he’s wearing. He looks devastated and entirely miserable.

The apprehension freezes into gut-wrenching fear because who the fuck could have caused Izuku to look like this?

But he must have made some noise or something, because Izuku cracks an eye and looks directly at him.

He lurches upright with a panicked yelp, fingers scrabbling in the bedsheets to find his phone.

“K-Kacchan! Oh my god, what the fuck — why are you here?” He sounds and looks utterly terrified.

Katsuki, in his desperation to wipe that devastated expression off of Izuku's beautiful face, blurts the first thing he can think of.

“Izuku, I like you.”

Everything in the room — everything in the fucking world — freezes for a good thirty seconds as Katsuki realises what he’s just said and Izuku processes the words.

Look, Katsuki prides himself on being able to keep a level head in battle situations, on being able to act thoughtfully — not impulsively — in the moments where it matters most. But seeing Izuku look like that made something in his brain short circuit. And now it’s come back to bite him in the ass.

“Oh fuck .” Katsuki chokes out around a throat that has apparently decided to close up. “Shit, fuck, no wait. Deku — forget I said — shit .”

Izuku must finally find his phone, because all of a sudden the music stops. The silence is fucking deafening. It’s thick and suffocating and Katsuki can’t breathe .

He blinks rapidly, trying to sort out his thoughts, trying to work out what, exactly, he should do next to salvage the situation and Izuku still hasn’t fucking said a word.

He’s aware that his breathing is way too fast, that his face is probably burning with the pure panic coursing through his veins right now. Izuku is still staring at him, eyes wide, lips parting then pressing together again and again like a damn fish out of water.

Some distant still functioning part of Katsuki’s brain decides to quietly acknowledge that at least he doesn’t look so broken anymore. Just completely fucking blindsided.

Katsuki takes a half step back towards the closed door, somewhat tempted to just bolt — but then he realises that if he does that, then he might just ruin their entire relationship with no hope for saving it in the future. And Katsuki doesn’t run from his problems. So he has to stay, he has to work through what is bound to be an awkward and soul crushing mess. But that half step is apparently enough to spur Izuku into movement.

His legs fumble to detangle from the sheets and find the floor. In his haste to stand, one foot hooks in the blanket and sends Izuku face first toward the floor, before his Float quirk kicks in and he bobs upright again. He lurches forward to grab Katsuki by the shoulders, anchoring him to the spot.

“N-no, stay.” Izuku rasps. “What —” He cuts himself off, staring up at Katsuki, suddenly speechless.

Katsuki is abruptly grateful for the grounding contact of Izuku's hands on his shoulders. He grips Izuku's elbows, trying to focus his frantic thoughts into order.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say that.” Katsuki’s voice is rough. He remembers how cracked and broken it had sounded that night, years ago during his fight with Izuku at Ground Beta after he’d been kidnapped. The night he’d just fallen apart as he fully realised the devastation that he had inadvertently caused. “I mean, I-I do. Like you. But, shit, we can forget I ever said anything about it. I don’t want to ruin what we’ve got going on now. I’m more than happy being your friend. I don’t wanna make you uncomfortable or — fuck, Izuku, I can’t lose you.” His voice cracks on the last word. Katsuki lets his head hang low as he fights off tears of desperation.

How can I fix this, how can I fix this! The thought is loud, ringing like a damn alarm in his rattled brain.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry —”

“Kacchan.” Izuku's voice wobbles dangerously. Katsuki still doesn’t look up, too ashamed, so Izuku tries again. “Katsuki.”

He jerks his head up at that, floored at the sound of his name in Izuku's mouth. He hasn’t heard it in so long; not since they were kids and the nerd had latched onto the kiddy nickname like a lifeline.

Izuku offers him a watery smile. “Katsuki.” He says again, and it punches the air from Katsuki’s lungs. “I don’t want to lose you either. Not again. But it’s okay.”

Weak hope blooms in Katsuki’s chest. “It’s okay?” He asks, voice gravelly. Maybe he has a fools chance to sort this out.

Izuku nods, his watery smile turning into a shaky grin. He slides his hands up to cup Katsuki’s jaw. “Yeah. I like you too. So fucking much, oh my god.” He chuckles weakly. “D-don’t go, please.”

Katsuki nods slowly, caught up in the feeling of Izuku's warm hands on his face. Izuku breathes out a sigh, and the tension drains from his small, solid frame with it.

“Let’s sit down?” He offers. Katsuki nods again, following him back to his bed. They both perch on the edge, facing one another nervously. He watches Izuku carefully for the first sign of discomfort or the urge to take back his confession. Everything still feels too much like a really weird dream — he can’t decide if it’s good or bad though. While the sentiment is nice, if Katsuki were to wake up from a dream this realistic to find it all part of his imagination, he might just lose his fucking mind.

“U-um, okay.” Izuku says, rubbing his hands along his thighs. “I guess we should probably talk?”

“About what?” Katsuki finally speaks up.

Izuku chokes out a short laugh. “Us? I kinda want to know how this happened, because up until, like, two weeks ago when you pet my head like a dog, I was pretty sure you considered me a distant friend at most. Like, I thought that maybe I was forcing you to be my friend?”

“What? Are you fucking dumb?” Katsuki replies without thinking. “Shit, sorry —”

Izuku laughs again, waving away his apology. “If I got upset every time you called me names I’d be depressed as fuck, Kacchan.”

Katsuki chokes on his spit. “Stop swearing.” He grinds out.

“What? You can swear but I can’t? What kind of rule is that?”

Katsuki clenches his hands into fists and presses them against his temples. “The kind of rule that lets me keep my fucking sanity, Deku. You’re really — when you — fuck.”

Katsuki can definitely feel himself burning up now, caught in Izuku's analytical gaze. It takes a moment, but the nerd does eventually work out the problem.

“You like it when I swear?” He asks in disbelief. Katsuki just curses under his breath again, not willing to admit it out loud. He looks up when Izuku remains silent for way too long, to find the nerd trembling with the effort to hold back his laughter.

“Oh, fuck off, dumbass.” Katsuki growls, shifting to face the desk instead of the idiot. Izuku's laughter escapes at that and he tips back against his pillows with the force of it. “I thought you wanted to talk, dumb Deku.” Katsuki calls over the cackling. Izuku straightens up, his grin enormous.

“No, no. I heard you call me Izuku, Kacchan. I wanna hear it again.”

“‘Dumb Izuku’ just doesn’t have the same ring to it.” Katsuki deflects. “Fucking hurry up and ask your questions before I leave you here.”

“No!” Izuku lunges forward to wrap a small, scarred hand around Katsuki’s wrist. “Okay, I’ll behave. Just stay.” He waits a few seconds, just to make sure Katsuki really isn’t going anywhere. “How long have you liked me, then?”

Though he’s still embarrassed, he finds it easier to admit it to Izuku than to Kirishima. “Since our first year. Probably around the time you left on your bullshit mission against Hand Job and his bitch of a master.” Izuku chokes on a startled laugh at the crude nicknames. “But I only properly worked it out when you came back home.” When he finishes speaking, he stares at Izuku until he gets the hint.

With a fond smile, he starts. “I have you beat, Kacchan. I’ve probably been a little bit in love with you since we were kids. That went away for a bit around junior high, for obvious reasons. But … yeah, after our fight in Ground Beta when you guessed I had One for All, I think that’s when it started to come back.”

“What — you — love?” Katsuki’s voice cracks again, much to his annoyance. He doesn’t get to dwell on it for very long, though, because Izuku blushes slightly, a shy smile tilting up the corners of his lips.

“Yeah. Since forever, Kacchan, keep up.”

He’s vaguely aware that it’s probably too early in this strange new relationship for them to be making declarations like this — well, for Izuku to be making declarations like this. But, hearing it said out loud helps Katsuki slot the pieces together in his heart. There’s something so very right with the word. Hearing it said in this context, between the two of them — it perfectly describes what he feels. He just can’t spit it out. Not yet.

But he will say it back, and soon. Because he’s not a fucking wimp, he will say it properly. It’s what Izuku deserves, after all. And, as he’s beginning to realise, he would do anything for this dumb nerd.

Katsuki palms Izuku's elated face and shoves him away, feeling like his brain might be leaking out of his ears with how god damn overwhelmed he’s feeling right now. Izuku breaks into another round of laughter, easily smacking Katsuki’s hand away from his face.

“So, I have another question.” Izuku starts, still grinning like a demon. “That time you asked me if I listen to Sweater Weather…?”

Katsuki rolls his eyes and drops his head in his hands with a groan. “Don’t start on that, Deku. My fucking friends kept giving me advice and they told me to ask you. They are the worst people in existence and they harass me about you all the fucking time now that they’ve figured out I like you.”

“Who knows?”

“The whole damn circus of idiots. Kirishima, Kaminari, Sero, Ashido. Pretty sure your Frog Face friend knows too, the smug little shit. Did you tell them that you like me?”

Izuku shakes his head. “No, but I’m pretty sure it was obvious. And I mean, I’ve been listening to music for weeks now, ever since Ochaco and Kyouka showed me how to make a playlist. It's literally about —”

He cuts himself off suddenly, his gaze snapping to Katsuki in panic.

For the first time all night, Katsuki feels his lips tilt up in a mischievous grin. “About what, Deku?” He leans in a little, closing the distance between them until Izuku's pupils are blown wide, trying to look at all of him at once.

“Um.” Izuku squeaks, his gaze flicking along Katsuki’s face. Katsuki notes with wicked satisfaction that his eyes keep dropping to his mouth before rising to meet his burning gaze once more. “Shit, Kacchan.”

Without breaking eye contact, Katsuki lets his fingers drift along the sheets in the direction he saw Izuku drop his phone last. When they meet cool metal at last, Katsuki gives Izuku a sly grin.

“Guess I could just find out for myself, huh?” He says, yanking the phone to his chest a second before Izuku registers what he said, and makes to dive for his phone. When he sees it in Katsuki’s grasp — not that he could actually unlock it to snoop without knowing the passcode — he lunges at Katsuki again, tackling him back against the mattress.

“Wait!” He yelps as Katsuki laughs. “Okay I’ll tell you!”

Katsuki holds the phone away, out of Izuku's reach, and looks up at him expectantly. Izuku, leaning over Katsuki, heaves a long, embarrassed sigh. He swears under his breath before steeling himself and glaring down at Katsuki. “They were all love songs, okay? Are you happy now? They showed me how to make a playlist, and I ended up making one full of love songs that reminded me of you.”

Katsuki stills. He’d pretty much expected that the playlist would be one of that kind, but what he hadn’t anticipated was Izuku creating a whole separate playlist and handpicking songs about Katsuki. Nor did he expect Izuku to suddenly look so serious as he explained himself, or curse in his frustration.

He drops the phone against the mattress and brings his hand up to cup Izuku's warm, freckled cheek. “Can I kiss you?” He asks, voice hoarse.

Izuku sucks in a tiny sharp breath, obviously caught off guard. But he nods all the same, eyes going hooded as he dips down at the same time that Katsuki leans up.

The first brush of their lips is feather light, barely there, experimental. It’s like being slowly submerged in warm water; soft, gentle, comforting. But then Izuku makes a tiny choked off sound in the back of his throat and he tilts his head just so to slot their lips together properly, and holy fuck is that a million times better. If the first was like warm water, the second is like one of Katsuki’s explosions. And he realises that he could very easily get addicted to this feeling. It’s exhilarating and blazing and intense. Katsuki brings his other hand up to slide into fluffy green curls, to anchor him in place as he kisses back hard.

He feels Izuku’s fingers curl into his shirtfront, holding him still as he pulls back a little.

“Deku —”

The boy in question leans in and places another quick kiss against his lips before trailing tiny frantic kisses across his cheeks, over his forehead, along the length of his jaw, lavishing Katsuki in attention. In each and every one he can feel the true depth of Izuku’s feelings, now being pressed across his face and beginning to trail down his neck.

“Izuku.” He croaks out, feeling as though his chest might actually fucking explode with the intensity of the emotion collecting there. “Stop teasing, you fucker.”

He presses back on Izuku’s shoulders, pushing him into the mattress as he shifts over him. Izuku gazes up at him, eyes slightly glazed with something that looks a lot like happiness. Katsuki leans back in, swiping his tongue along Izuku’s lower lip. He lets out a tiny gasp, surging up to wrap his arms around Katsuki’s shoulders and pull him in for a bruising kiss. Izuku copies him by licking at Katsuki's lower lip, before he catches it between his teeth and bites down slightly, and that’s all it takes for Katsuki’s mind to switch the fuck off.

He lets out a frankly embarrassing groan, licking into his mouth and pulling him closer still until their heaving chests are flush together.

“Fucking hell, Izuku.” Katsuki gasps between kisses, paying no attention to the noises they make as they pull apart. Izuku moans at the name, at the curse — Katsuki doesn’t care. He kisses him harder, desperate to hear him make that noise again.

Distantly, Katsuki hears the sound of the door handle twisting, the hinges squeaking as it swings open, footsteps padding into the room and then pausing abruptly just like the voice that comes in with them.

“Hey, Midoriya, are you busy — oh.”

Izuku makes an aborted noise against Katsuki’s lips and they both pull back with a start, both turn to the door at the same time, with a growl of frustration from Katsuki.

“H-hey Shouto.” Izuku says. Katsuki nearly leans back down to kiss him again at the sound of his voice, despite the intruder, because he sounds absolutely ruined.

“Fuck do you want, IcyHot?”

Todoroki stands in the doorway, his usually flat expression just barely tipping into surprised territory. One of his brows is slightly raised, his eyes flicking between the two boys still lying on the bed.

“Well I was going to see if Midoriya wanted to watch a movie but I guess he’s … occupied.”

Katsuki opens his mouth to shoot back a sharp retort or just tell him to piss off, when Izuku’s hand comes up to pat reassuringly at Katsuki’s chest. He rolls out from beneath Katsuki, sparing him a single soft smile before yanking Todoroki out into the hallway and pulling the door halfway shut behind him.

Katsuki lets out a long breath, scrubbing his hands through his hair and down his face as he tries to process the last thirty minutes of his existence.

Izuku loves me. The thought spins like a damn merry-go-round in his brain, making him dizzy with happiness. And then that quickly comes crashing down when he has another unpleasant realisation: oh my fucking god, I can’t believe Sero was right. He can never find out I confessed to Izuku like this.

Izuku comes back into the room without Todoroki, shutting the door behind him and making his way back over to where Katsuki is sprawled.

“Why do you look like that?” He asks, poking a finger at Katsuki’s frown to smooth it out.

“We can never tell Sero how I told you I liked you.”

“Why not?”

Katsuki screws his eyes shut, looking pained. “Because he fucking predicted that I’d just spit it out at the worst time.”

Izuku laughs, moving his finger to poke at Katsuki’s cheeks instead. “It wasn’t the worst time. I was literally vibing out to my playlist, pining over you, Kacchan.”

Katsuki squints up at him, watching the blush spill over his cheeks despite the determined set to his eyes. “Why’re you still standing up, idiot?” He mutters before yanking on his arm and pulling him down to lay beside him. Izuku allows himself to be manhandled without any complaint. “What’d the candy cane say?”

Izuku grins. “He said he was kind of expecting it to happen sooner or later. Apparently he was just waiting for you to act. He also asked you to kindly not blow him up for intruding on us.”

“No fuckin’ promises.” Katsuki grumbles. “Is he gonna go ahead and tell everyone now?”

“Nah. He’s not really one for spreading this kind of gossip. Also, I asked him not to.”

Katsuki tilts his head to look at his friend – no, his goddamn crush. “Do you wanna tell people?”

Izuku looks back at him, gaze flickering across his face. “Not yet.” He whispers. “I think I want it to be just us for a while. We should figure out how we work before everyone can give their two cents on the matter. Don’t you think?”

Katsuki grins at him. “That’s exactly what I think.” He leans forward to press a slow, gentle kiss to Izuku’s pliant lips before drawing back. “Can we sleep now? Are you done with your pining session? Or should I go back to my room?”

Izuku’s brows immediately crease in a petulant frown and he slips an arm around Katsuki’s waist, keeping him in place. “No. Don’t leave.”

Katsuki chuckles. “Fine, but you don’t have to cling to me like a fucking koala, Deku. I won’t go.”

Izuku makes no move to leave his current position, so Katsuki stretches out and switches the light off. He lets his eyes fall closed, figuring his old sweatpants and slightly stretched out All Might t-shirt combination will have to do as pyjamas for tonight. It’s so unbelievably easy to think of this as familiar, as habitual, something that Katsuki and Izuku have done time and time again. Maybe that’s what happens when you’ve known someone for almost all of your life; this kind of warm, comforting intimacy just becomes second nature, even for someone as gruff and abrasive as Katsuki.

After a few minutes of silence, Katsuki speaks up.

“Hey, Deku.” He murmurs, lightly tapping at the arm that’s slung across his waist. Izuku hums, sounding a little drowsy but mostly alert. “Will you sing for me?”

Katsuki doesn’t need to open his eyes to know that Izuku has pulled his head back to stare at him incredulously. So, with eyes still shut and a small smile on his lips, he explains.

“I heard you humming on your birthday. When the extras all ran off and it was just us two. You probably didn’t even realise you were doing it, but I heard. And another time I walked past your door and heard you kinda singing.” Katsuki gives a sleepy pat to Izuku’s arm again. “You’re good. I wanna hear you.”

Katsuki bides his time, knowing that Izuku will need a few moments to overthink, to steel himself, to pick a song. And he’s rewarded when, a minute later, Izuku starts to sing. It’s quiet, barely more than a whisper, but they’re lying so close to one another that it feels like it’s just for Katsuki.

“Oh, home, let me come home. Home is wherever I’m with you.” Izuku shifts closer, settling into the space where Katsuki’s neck meets his shoulder. “Oh, home, let me come home. Home is when I’m alone with you.”

He could have sung the song three times over and Katsuki would have never known, because he drifts off almost immediately, feeling warm and safe and loved.

 —

Most mornings, Katsuki wakes abruptly. Usually, his alarm will go off, dragging him rudely out of sleep, but he will always silence it right away and immediately get up to start the day with the dregs of sleep clinging around his eyes.

That is not at all what happens this time. He wakes slowly, like he’s being pulled backwards out of molasses. He feels a patch of sunlight warming one side of his face. The sound of the birds outside chirping their good morning greeting slowly gains in volume. And then there’s the soft and steady sound of slow breathing coming from two people, instead of the usual one. There’s a weight pressed against the full length of him from where he lies on his side. Something soft tickles at his chin, the smell of lavender shampoo tickling his senses. There’s a hand fisted in the back of his sleep shirt and it tightens briefly before loosening a moment later, like it’s owner had tensed up from a bad dream and then had their worries soothed away. Katsuki’s own hand is buried in an insanely soft mop of curly hair, warmed by the sun as well.

Bits and pieces from the night before come floating to the forefront of Katsuki’s drowsy mind, still feeling more like a pleasant dream than scraps of memory. But memories they are, and they make Katsuki smile like a bitch with a silly crush — which he will never mention to Kirishima. He buries his face alongside his hand in the curls, a little sad that his movement causes Izuku to squirm in his arms.

“Hmmm.” The green haired boy grumbles. “Kacchan.”

He presses his lips to his freckled forehead in a lingering kiss, murmuring against his skin. “‘M here, Deku.”

The hand clenched in his shirt tightens once more. “You’re warm.” Izuku says softly.

“You’re the one obsessed with me and my quirk. ‘M sure you already know it’s a side-effect.”

Katsuki feels the lips pressed against his collarbone tilt up in a sleepy smile. “Never said it was a bad thing.”

“Shut up and sleep, dumb Deku.” Katsuki presses another kiss against his forehead before slipping out from between Izuku’s arms to a drawn out, dissatisfied whine. “Sleep, idiot. I need to shower quickly. I’ll come back.”

“You’d better.” Izuku mumbles with his eyes still closed, already rolling over to lay in the spot Katsuki has just vacated. Katsuki tamps down on his fond smile, choosing to reach out and card his fingers through green curls just once before slipping out of the room.

True to his word, he does shower quickly. He changes into a fresh set of comfortable pants and a plain black singlet top, before making his way back downstairs.

When he cracks open Izuku’s bedroom door, he finds the idiot dead to the world, cocooned in the blanket. He decides to let him sleep in for a little longer while he heads downstairs to make breakfast for the both of them.

He’s partway through grilling the fish, completely immersed in the task, when a weight drapes itself over Katsuki’s back.

“You never came back, Kacchan.” Izuku grumbles against the material of his shirt.

“I did, you were just asleep.”

“Could’ve woken me up. I would’ve come to help cook.”

Katsuki aims a disbelieving look over his shoulder, red eyes meeting reproachful green.

“Whatever. I could’ve come to keep you company.”

“Keep me company by bringing me some bowls, Deku.”

“Ungrateful.” Izuku grumbles, shuffling around the kitchen, setting out bowls and utensils for Katsuki to serve up their breakfast. Katsuki glances over at him, checking to see if he’s actually upset, or if he’s just acting a little grumpy. Izuku is full on pouting as he straightens out the chopsticks. He glances up as Katsuki makes his way over with the fish and rice. After he serves everything in the two bowls and sits down, he reaches out to poke at Izuku’s still pouty cheek.

“Cute.”

Izuku blinks owlishly at him for all of five seconds before he melts into the seat beside Katsuki.

“Suck up.” He murmurs, but he doesn’t sound upset in the slightest.

They chat as they eat, asking what the other was going to be doing with their day, when a sudden thought strikes Katsuki.

“Wait, how come you didn’t go home to see your mum during the break? How has she not broken down the door to see where the hell you are?”

Izuku averts his eyes, taking sudden special interest in his half empty bowl. “Um. It’s embarrassing.”

“Well, now you have to tell me. Legally.”

Izuku levels him with an unimpressed glare. “I told her I’d be staying at the dorms. I thought you’d be going home and I kinda wanted space to wallow in peace.”

Katsuki nods in understanding. “Hence last night's pining session.”

Izuku punches him in the arm. “Yes. Which worked out well for me in the end, I guess, so I won’t complain that you very rudely barged into my room without knocking.”

“If I’d knocked, you wouldn’t have heard it over your pity parade, you emo little shit.”

“Screw you. If it weren’t for my pity parade you never would’ve plucked up the courage to confess.”

“Hey, I fucking did it in the end, what the fuck do you want from me?”

“Boys.” A third, very tired voice joins the conversation. Katsuki and Izuku look up at the same time to find a rumpled looking Todoroki standing in the doorway, eyes still half shut. “It’s too early for you to be flirting this much.”

“Can it, Half n’ Half. I’m still pissed at you for last night.”

“Oh I’m sorry. You didn’t have your ‘busy making out, come back later’ sign posted on the door, so I didn’t know I would be walking into a scene straight out of a romance novel.”

“Oh my god.” Izuku breathes, staring wide eyed at his friend. “I forgot that he is sarcastic in the mornings.”

“I’m sarcastic always, Midoriya, it’s just that nobody appreciates my sharp wit.”

“Maybe because you’re too busy complaining about your daddy issues for us to notice.” Katsuki snarks back, a teasing grin on his face.

“Says the emotionally constipated brat with mummy issues. Don’t dish it if you can’t take it, Blasty.”

“What the everloving fuck?” Katsuki can’t even work up the energy to get angry — every emotion other than surprise has basically just evaporated out of his body.

“Shouto, maybe you should have breakfast?” Izuku tries, gaze darting between the other two boys.

“Hmm, good idea. Oh, Shinsou said he’ll be here soon because he’s the only one staying in the 3-B dorms. You guys might want to try keeping your hands off of one another before he gets here. Think of it as a practice run.”

“Haah?” Katsuki snarls — and then he realises that he has had his arm draped across the back of Izuku’s chair since they’d started breakfast. Izuku snatches his hand away from where it had been resting on Katsuki’s thigh, probably only just registering that it was there like Katsuki is.

“Oh.” Izuku murmurs.

“You guys are hopeless.” Todoroki says around a yawn. “Cute, I guess. But hopeless.”

Shinsou lets himself in just five minutes later and plops into the chair beside Todoroki with a barely there greeting. He pulls the plate of toast Todoroki had sleepily prepared earlier towards himself and starts munching.

“Hey, Hitoshi!” Izuku says. Katsuki remembers that the two of them had gotten closer over the years, especially when he had been transferred to the hero course. If he’s being honest, Katsuki doesn’t mind Shinsou; he’s certainly more chill and less insane than the rest of the 3-B idiots.

“Sup, Eyebags.”

Shinsou looks up, squinting at the both of them. Then the corner of his mouth tugs up in a tired version of a smug smirk. He turns to Todoroki.

“They finally got together huh?”

Izuku chokes on his mouthful of rice and fish. “Oh my god.”

“What the fuck?” Katsuki barks out, smacking Izuku on the back to dislodge the rice.

Todoroki sighs forlornly. “About time, right? I walked in on them yesterday.”

“Dude —” Katsuki is tempted to lunge across the table and smack both Todoroki and Shinsou in the mouth to get them to shut up, but Izuku is turning bright red and he’s not entirely sure if it’s from embarrassment or from not being able to breathe. When he waves him away from another round of back slapping, Katsuki assumes it’s the former.

Shinsou snickers. “You guys wouldn’t know how to be subtle if it showed up in front of you dressed like All Might. Todoroki and I have been betting on when it’ll happen for, like, a year now.”

Izuku blinks at his friends across the table. “Who won the bet?”

Katsuki rounds on him. “Deku, are you fucking kidding me? Last night you said you didn’t want anyone to know yet!”

Izuku gives him an apologetic glance. “Okay yeah, but I didn’t expect Shouto to walk in on us or Hitoshi to sense it like he’s a damn Jedi knight or something. Plus, it’s them.” He gestures vaguely in their direction. “You really think they’re going to be bothered sticking their nose in our business?”

Katsuki doesn’t really have a leg to stand on against those points, so instead he pastes on his signature frown, wraps an arm around Izuku’s waist and tugs him closer.

“Fine.” He grumbles against Izuku’s unruly hair.

“So who won the bet?” Izuku asks again, absentmindedly lacing his fingers with Katsuki’s where they rest by his waist.

“I did.” Shinsou replies, sounding far too pleased with himself. “Todoroki wasn’t too far off, though. He thought you guys would get your shit together on graduation day when you realised that you wouldn’t be hanging around one another constantly for the first time ever in your miserable lives. I bet that you would have that same realisation, but sometime during third year.”

Both Katsuki and Izuku stare at Shinsou wide eyed. He reads their expressions and drops his face into his hands. “Neither of you had that realisation did you? You got together for completely different reasons, huh?”

“Oh my god.” Izuku mutters, rigid in Katsuki’s grasp. “How did I not realise? After we graduate I won’t be able to see you as much, oh my god —”

“Calm down, idiot.” Katsuki cuts him off before he can overthink himself into a panic attack. “You’re not getting rid of me that easily.” He sounds way more certain than he actually feels. But at the declaration, Izuku softens, leaning further into Katsuki’s side, seemingly content.

“God, please take your PDA elsewhere. I don’t want my toast to spoil.” Todoroki mutters around a mouthful of bread. Katsuki flips him off but drags Izuku to his feet anyway to dump their empty dishes in the sink to wash later. They split off in the elevator to head to their respective rooms, Izuku muttering something about showering and getting changed and then coming to bother Katsuki after that. In the meantime, Katsuki tries to straighten out and clean up his room as best as he can. Not that it was all that messy in the first place, but having Izuku in his space is so rare that he kind of wants to leave a good impression. And considering he’s been leaving nothing but bad impressions for as long as they’ve known each other, well, picking up the clothes from the floor and tidying up his desk isn’t such an arduous task in comparison.

Izuku doesn’t even bother knocking; he just lets himself into the room ten minutes later, strolling right up to Katsuki and pulling him down for a kiss. Katsuki, to his credit, only just manages to quell the surprised grunt a second before it sounds, then pulls Izuku back so that he can lean down and kiss him properly.

“You’re so desperate this morning.” Katsuki says when Izuku trails his lips to his jaw.

“Don’t care. I’ve been wanting to kiss you for, like, ten years. Let me have this.”

Katsuki chuckles, pulling Izuku back to press their lips together again in a slower, deeper kiss. And then he’s smacked with the overwhelming urge to tell him. To have Izuku know for sure that he’s in this for real, that he’s not just fucking around with his emotions again.

“Izuku.” Katsuki murmurs against his mouth. He relishes in the feeling of the green haired boy shuddering in his arms at the name. “You know — I —” And then his voice just dies. He lets out a low growl of frustration.

Izuku pulls back to stare up at him properly, gaze flitting across his face to try and gauge Katsuki’s thoughts. In a freaky moment of mind reading — something that has become more and more common between them in the years since they’ve rebuilt their friendship — understanding lights in his eyes.

“I know, Kacchan.”

Katsuki frowns. “No, I want to say it. Let me … don’t give me a fucking out, dumbass, this is important.” He sighs, steeling himself. He’s never been the best at expressing himself with words; he’s always been a man of action, preferring to show people that he cares instead of telling them. But this — this needs to be said. Izuku has been waiting for it for far too long now. So he brings his hands up to cup freckled cheeks, cradling his face like it’s something precious (which it is). He stomps down on the anxiety pooling in his gut and looks Izuku right in the eyes.

“I love you, Izuku. So much. I — I’m so sorry for all the bullshit I put you through when I was a little brat, but you have to believe me when I say that I will never treat you like that ever again. You’re the most important thing that’s ever happened to me, so I want you to know that you have me. For as long as you want me, I’m yours.”

He brushes away the steady stream of tears leaking from Izuku’s too bright eyes with his thumbs.

“Kacchan, what the fuck?” Izuku chokes out, hiccuping slightly. He brings his hands up to cover his face, but Katsuki pulls them away before he has the chance to hide. So he buries his face in Katsuki’s chest instead. “That’s not fair. You never told me you were a god damn poet.”

Katsuki laughs, ruffling his green hair. “You better have that whole speech memorised already, I won’t be saying it again.”

“It’s been branded into my brain.” Izuku replies, smiling with his face pressed against his singlet. “I love you too, Kacchan.” He murmurs.

“I know, nerd.”

Katsuki and Izuku have a whole six days (mostly) alone together before the rest of their class starts returning to the dorms. They use their time wisely, choosing to spend every spare moment together, getting the newness of the relationship out of their systems so that they can at least try to act normal around their friends.

The day after their breakfast with Todoroki and Shinso they decide to go out on their first date, choosing to catch a train to an area further away from UA, so that they’re less likely to run into anyone they might know.

There’s a slightly musty cinema in this part of town that is playing reruns of the old All Might movies, so Izuku begs to go there. Katsuki relents after a good fifteen minutes of endless pleading (and maybe a few kisses), pretending to be reluctant but knowing Izuku can see right through the charade. Izuku is very aware of how much Katsuki still likes the All Might films, even if it is more low-key than his weirdo of a boyfriend.

So that’s where they go, choosing a hole in the wall ramen restaurant for dinner afterwards. When they have eaten and paid, Katsuki spots an arcade across the road and demands that they go there so he can thrash Izuku at air hockey. After several rounds with the scores remaining even, and a crowd gathering to watch them brutally try to outmatch one another, Izuku suggests calling a truce. Katsuki complies, grumbling under his breath all the while. They continue their competition at the racing games, at the basketball hoops, and then Izuku spots the punching bag machine.

Katsuki doesn’t question it at all when he pushes him forward to go first. Determined to annihilate the current high score of 864 out of 999, he starts rolling up the sleeve of his t-shirt. When the timer reaches zero, he shifts his body, pivoting as he steps forward. He lets the momentum of the pivot carry through in his punch, making the bag ricochet against the machine with the force of it. He steps back, watching with smug delight as the score climbs well into the nine hundreds. When the counter finally stops on a generous score of 933, Katsuki spins around to face Izuku with a wild grin.

He’s entirely unprepared for the heat in Izuku’s eyes or the tiny impish grin pulling up the corner of his mouth.

“You fucker.” Katsuki growls, stomping across and looming over him. “You got me to do that on purpose.”

“Maybe. You can’t prove that.” Izuku simpers, obviously trying to hold back laughter. He brings a hand up to the arm with the rolled up sleeve, unfolding the edge and smoothing it out, probably copping a good feel in the process. “You did put on a good show though.”

Katsuki clenches his jaw. He casts a quick glance around the arcade, noting the group of junior high school aged students in the opposite corner and another couple, probably on a date as well, hanging out by the shooting game. Then he ducks down and kisses his boyfriend, making sure to bite down on his bottom lip and tug as he withdraws. Izuku fists his hands in Katsuki’s shirt, trying to lean up to recapture his mouth, but Katsuki deliberately leans back.

“Let’s go home.” He says quietly.

“What about the tickets?” Izuku tries, despite keeping his eyes glued to Katsuki’s mouth. He’s clearly distracted and trying very hard to not let it show.

“Fuck the tickets.”

They leave without a backward glance, fingers laced together and disregarding the long stream of tickets the punching bag machine spews out.

The rest of the week passes pretty normally; they train at Gym Gamma most days, under the supervision of All Might. Katsuki helps Izuku in the honing of his Danger Sense, considering it still causes a painful stabbing sensation in his head whenever he uses it for too long. It leaves them both far too exhausted in the evenings to do anything but shower, eat and fall asleep curled up together in one of their rooms. Katsuki, always one to fall asleep quickly, finds that he sleeps far easier with Izuku by his side, waking up calmer and more refreshed. Plus, at least if they’re sharing a bed, he can make sure the nerd actually sleeps, instead of staying up to ungodly hours of the night to finish work or watch another hero video online. It makes them sharper during training, so much so that All Might even comments on their renewed energy, their extra motivation. The two share a small, private smile at that, not wanting to tell him the real reason just yet, lest he get them in trouble for the sleepovers.

They take to working on their holiday homework in the lounge room with Shinsou and Todoroki, and then spending the rest of their free time with the duo as well. The two make a dangerous pair, especially early in the mornings when Todoroki is at his most sarcastic. Katsuki is almost surprised to find that he gets along well with Shinsou, often ganging up on the other two with him to tease or bicker. He even helps Katsuki with the cooking sometimes too, after mentioning that Aizawa taught him how to cook a few basic dishes. That catches Izuku’s attention; he’s keen to learn more about Aizawa’s strange almost-parental relationship with Shinsou.

And so the four boys fall into a bit of a routine of eating their meals together. Katsuki is grateful for Izuku and his boundless energy, always willing to pick up the slack in the conversation when Katsuki becomes too tired to function properly in the evenings. He knows that the other two notice, too, but they don’t comment on it. They seem to finally tack on to the way that Izuku behaves around Katsuki, following his lead and letting the conversation turn to topics that he can still listen to without having to actively involve himself.

But what surprises Katsuki most is the weird way that his friendship with Todoroki slips into place. It catches him completely off guard; sure, over the years their harsh bickering has certainly calmed into something more … bearable. But it was still distant, usually buffered by Izuku. Now he finds himself thinking of the other boy almost like an annoying brother. They still trade barbed insults and try to one up each other, but there’s something strangely familial about it. He realises this when the four of them gather in the lounge room on the Friday night before everyone is set to return to the dorms, to have a movie marathon. Shinsou stares blearily at the screen — Katsuki can’t tell if he’s sleeping with his eyes open, or if he’s so fully immersed in the movie that he hasn’t felt the urge to blink in the last four minutes — and Izuku passes out with his head in Katsuki’s lap halfway through the second movie like a weakling. Todoroki is curled up in the armchair diagonal to Katsuki.

Katsuki is seriously weighing up the merits of falling asleep on the couch as opposed to waking Izuku so that they can blearily make their way upstairs when Todoroki speaks up.

“You guys seem happy together.” He says it so quietly that Katsuki almost misses it in the sound of an explosion coming from the television.

“Of course we are, dumbass." Katsuki replies in an undertone, frowning at Todoroki. “I wouldn’t date someone I wasn’t going to be happy with.”

He flicks two toned eyes to Katsuki with an unreadable expression. “That’s not what I was implying. I just mean that I haven’t seen Midoriya this calm in the three years that I’ve known him. And you seem less … explode-y. I kind of expected you guys to get even more intense when you got together but I guess you’ve mellowed one another out instead. It’s nice, that’s all.”

Katsuki turns the words over, kind of understanding what he’s trying to say. “I guess we’ve always been kind of heated when we worked together in the past, huh?”

Todoroki spares him a single raised brow as if to say "no kidding”. Katsuki hides his quiet huff of amusement by looking down at the sleeping boy in his lap. His cheek is pressed into Katsuki's thigh and he’s definitely drooling a little bit on his sleep shorts, but Katsuki can’t find it in himself to care right now. He gently combs his fingers through the curls, savouring the softness of the strands against his fingertips.

“We’ll probably still be intense. Like when we’re doing hero work or competing or whatever. I guess the fighting will be more like sparring or something now. More friendly maybe? Fuck knows, but I don’t think there’s much we have left to genuinely argue about.”

Todoroki hums. “Good. If you make him sad I’ll kick your ass.”

“Fuck off.”

“And I’ll do the same for you if he upsets you too.”

“Haah?”

He turns to Katsuki properly, resting his heavy gaze on him. “You’re both my friends, so I’ll have your backs if one starts being an idiot to the other.” He pauses with a slight frown. “Huh, that’s kind of confusing.”

“You think? What the fuck are you trying to say, IcyHot?”

“Just don’t be mean to one another or else someone’s going to be hearing from me.”

“And me.” Shinsou chimes in all of a sudden, making both boys turn to him with a jolt. “What? I’ll make you kiss and make up. I have the power to do that, you know.”

Katsuki shakes his head, smothering his fond smirk, while Todoroki nods very seriously, obviously pleased with that addition to his threat. “You’re both fucking idiots.”

—

The next morning, Izuku brings up their parents. They’re stretching in front of the dorms as they cool down from their early morning run, when he suggests they catch the train home for the day, considering they’re not scheduled for any training with All Might.

“You want to go together?” Katsuki asks with a raised brow.

“I told my mum that I’d come and visit her for lunch today anyway.” He replies. “I kinda wanted to get out of the dorms for the day while everyone’s coming back. I thought it might be nice if you and your parents come have lunch with us like we did last holidays? If you’re not comfortable with —”

“I’ll ask.” Katsuki cuts his rambling off. “Uh, were you intending on telling them? You know, about us. Or is this, like, a friends only lunch?”

Izuku hesitates, switching to stretching out his legs now. “Well that depends. Are you … out? To your parents, I mean?”

Katsuki sighs, picturing his parents reactions. “Yeah. They freaked the fuck out when I told them. In a good way.” He hastens to add when Izuku’s eyes grow wide with concern. “The hag started shouting at my dad, saying that he owed her money for some dumb bet they’d had — wait, is everyone betting on our relationship?” He frowns at the thought. “Great, now I have to yell at my parents again. Whatever. Then they —” Katsuki cuts himself off abruptly, suddenly remembering the conversation that had come after his mother had gotten her money.

Izuku straightens up, expression turning curious as he walks to stand beside Katsuki. “Then they what? You have to tell me. Legally.”

Katsuki scowls, recalling that morning last week where he’d said the same thing to Izuku. Fine, he asked for it.

He lets his lips curl up in a sly smirk, taking another step forward so that he stands right in Izuku’s personal space. “Then they asked about you. They asked if you were the cause of my gay awakening.” Katsuki rakes his gaze down Izuku’s body, catching on those god damn thighs for a moment too long before returning to look him in the face, pleased to find him growing steadily pinker. “As if it could have been anyone else.” He finishes in a dangerous whisper.

“Okay that is very much not allowed.” Izuku’s voice trembles, holding his trembling hands up to ward Katsuki off. “You are not allowed to just say things like that at seven thirty in the damn morning, Kacchan.”

Katsuki’s smug smirk just widens, letting his gaze drop to his thighs just one more time before he turns to go inside. Izuku trails after him, like they’re attached at the hip by a three foot cord.

“I don’t think we need to tell them though, if you don’t want to.” Katsuki continues where they’d left off in the conversation before they had derailed. “It’s still pretty early on. But they won’t be disappointed — I’m sure my parents want to fucking adopt you or some shit anyway.”

“That’s because I don’t run around blowing things up and swearing when I get pissed off.”

“No, you just turn into a fucking terrifying demon of vengeance and pain.” When Izuku jabs him in the side, he retaliates with a punch to his arm. “I never said it was a bad look on you. It’s hot.”

“You think I’m hot when I’m angry?” Izuku gapes at him as they enter the elevator.

“Fucking obviously, idiot.” Katsuki rolls his eyes and then shoves him out of the elevator when it opens on the second floor, noting Izuku’s flushed face with satisfaction. “Go shower and change, I’ll text my parents to let them know the plan and meet you downstairs again.”

An hour and a half later, they say their goodbyes to Shinsou and Todoroki, who are in the living room in their pyjamas still, as they puzzle through the last of their homework, and walk over to the train station. They get to their neighbourhood by mid-morning with confirmation texts from Auntie Inko and Katsuki’s parents to meet up at the apartment for lunch. So they make their way through the neighbourhood slowly, taking their time passing by all the places they used to hang out as kids.

They pass by a little konbini displaying different hero figurines in the crowded front window, so of course Izuku drags Katsuki inside behind him to check them out. Twenty minutes later, they emerge with a bag of merchandise; an outrageously embellished All Might figurine as a joke for Todoroki, an Eraserhead one that Katsuki had spotted amongst the collection for Shinsou, and a pair of Ground Zero and Deku cards from the UA Sports Festival collectable series, with pictures of the two of them in their hero costumes during their third year Festival from a few months back. As they make their way over to Auntie Inko’s apartment, Izuku rips the Ground Zero card free of the aluminium packet, taking a moment to admire it before sticking it in the back of his clear phone case.

“What’d you do that for, idiot?” Katsuki asks, feeling his face heat as he watches Izuku flip the phone over to look at the card through the plastic with a grin.

Izuku shrugs. “Just another chance to look at your pretty face, I guess.”

“You know that’s not going to help us keep this thing secret, right? People will notice.”

Izuku gives Katsuki a mischievous grin. “It’s not like I don’t talk about you constantly anyway, Kacchan. They’ll probably think it’s just my usual hero worship or something.”

The reminder that Izuku really does wax lyrical about him constantly makes Katsuki feel like he’s about to combust. God, he loves this fucking nerd so much.

Katsuki doesn’t even bother checking to see if there’s anyone nearby that might be grossed out by the PDA; he dives straight in, capturing Izuku’s mouth in a kiss, pressing his tongue against Izuku’s almost immediately. He gasps in surprise against Katsuki’s lips but wastes no time matching his energy, winding an arm around Katsuki’s shoulders to press closer.

It’s quick and desperate; they pull away from each other only a few moments later with their breathing erratic. Katsuki’s pleased to see twin red spots burning high on Izuku’s cheekbones, and his hair even messier than normal. He drags his fingers through it, trying to make it lay flatter and Izuku presses into the touch like a cat.

“Cute.” The word slips out before Katsuki can stop it. But once it’s out, he doesn’t bother with embarrassment, especially not when Izuku preens under the praise.

“You’re cute too, you know.” He says.

Katsuki barks out a laugh. “Me? Fuck no. I’m a badass motherfucker.”

“You can be both!”

“Nope, not possible. It’s one or the other.”

They continue their argument until they reach the Midoriya’s apartment, where Katsuki finally relents and agrees that one can be both, considering that’s what Izuku is. Inko Midoriya opens the door just as her son flushes brilliantly and smacks Katsuki’s arm.

“Izuku!” She admonishes, causing her son to yelp and jump around to face her, clearly not expecting her to catch him out. “Don’t hit your friends.”

“I literally have to beat him up at school, Mum.” He mutters, but leans forward to kiss her cheek in greeting anyway.

Both boys leave their shoes in the genkan, and find Katsuki’s parents already in the lounge room.

“Hey.” Katsuki grumbles.

“Oi!” His mother barks out. “You think that’s the proper way to welcome your parents when you haven’t seen them in months? Get over here you little shit.”

She smothers him in a bone crushing hug before moving to do the same to Izuku. He glances over his fathers shoulder as they greet one another, pleased to see Mitsuki laughing with the Midoriya’s. The sight is so nostalgic that Katsuki’s train of thought is thrown for a few moments.

That is, until he hears his mother ask Izuku loudly, “So how long have you two been dating, then?”

The words die in Katsuki’s throat for all of two seconds as he gapes at Mitsuki. Then he sees Izuku steadily turning scarlet beside her and the words manage to spill out. “Okay, what the fuck?”

“Oi, don’t swear, shithead. Inko, you should throw him out for that.”

Inko laughs, despite the cussing, as Masaru speaks up. “It’s kind of obvious.”

“We’ve been here for, like, two minutes. How could we have been obvious?”

“The way you were looking at one another was pretty cute. And also the way that you weren’t shoving or insulting him the moment you stepped foot inside.”

“And the fact that we saw you necking on the street before you came up here. That made it pretty obvious.” Mitsuki adds with a demonic cackle.

Katsuki and Izuku blink at one another from opposite sides of the room, absolutely blindsided.

Apparently there was no need to keep things secret anymore, thanks to Katsuki’s annoying, observant, brilliant mother. Not that Katsuki would ever tell her those things to her face — except maybe the annoying one.

“Izuku?” Inko pipes up from beside Mitsuki.

“Um, yeah.” Izuku supplies unhelpfully, probably still caught off guard by the abrupt way Mitsuki had brought up their kiss on the footpath. “I-it’s still very new. We’ve been together for about a week now, um …” He looks to Katsuki in desperation.

“God damn.” Katsuki mutters. “Can we not tell anyone for ourselves? How does everyone keep fucking guessing?” Izuku shuffles over to him and presses against his side, his presence annoyingly calming. Katsuki sighs, ruffling at his boyfriend’s hair again fondly (Izuku tries to shake him off with a frown, much to his amusement). “We wanted to wait to tell you until we got more used to things, but I guess it’s fine that you guys know now. We would’ve told you before telling our dumb friends anyway, and they all get back tonight. So, there. Done.”

“Kacchan!” Izuku mumbles, his face doing that pouty thing that makes Katsuki want to kiss him and kick him in equal measure. “Be nice.”

“I’m always nice, dumb Deku. I’m a fucking delight.”

Izuku rolls his eyes. “Yeah, I might think that but good luck convincing every other person ever.”

“Oi.”

“Okay.” Inko chirps, ceasing the squabbling. Katsuki and Izuku look up, both suddenly remembering that they are not, in fact, alone. “Now that we’ve all witnessed that adorableness, let’s eat!”

“‘Adorableness’?” Katsuki grumbles. “I am not adorable.”

But he doesn’t speak loud enough for Auntie to overhear him. Izuku must realise this too because he snickers at his side and then proceeds to drag him over to the dining table. Katsuki wasn’t wrong when he’d thought that Inko would pull out all the best dishes for her son when he came to visit; the table is groaning beneath the weight of an absurd amount of food.

The meal progresses far more normally than he could have imagined. There is no awkward questioning from either of their parents, no snide comments about the relationship or their sexuality, no stuffy silences or forced conversation. It genuinely feels like a typical, Saturday family lunch, one that’s borne from knowing one another for so long. The only difference is the way that Izuku and Katsuki tend to lean towards one another more often.

Of course, when they were kids, that kind of focus on one another was more in relation to their common goal of getting away from the boring adults and back to their game of heroes and villains. And then later, after Katsuki had gotten his quirk, just as he was starting to treat Izuku poorly, the attention they had paid one another at these gatherings had been different again. More irritated, more bitter.

But when they had rekindled their friendship once more, over the past two years Katsuki had found himself at meals similar to this one, shared between the five of them. It was weird at first; even though the boys had talked and made up, they still weren’t quite sure how to act around one another. Weren’t sure what constituted their new normal. The friendship between Inko, Masaru and Mitsuki that had endured despite the years of distance between the boys had helped buff the awkwardness out of them. They began to settle, still teasing, still bickering, but always with a strong foundation of fondness and familiarity.

But now? Katsuki misses the little glances the three adults keep sending one another over the boys’ heads. Like when Katsuki steals Izuku’s plate to load it up with another serving of Inko’s takikomi gohan and Izuku just watches him with affection in his eyes. Or when Katsuki is in the middle of describing something to their parents that they’d been working on during their latest training session with All Might, he turns to Izuku to quietly ask him a question. Izuku responds just as quietly, smiling softly, before Katsuki returns to the explanation as though he hadn’t just paused. Then, when Mitsuki is recounting a disagreement that she’d had that week with one of the representatives from a low-level fashion magazine, she pauses for a moment, flicking her eyes between the boys before her and then to her husband and friend.

Katsuki has one arm draped over the back of Izuku’s chair casually, and Izuku is playing with the fingers of his other hand as he listens along to the story. But Katsuki is only half listening — the other half of his attention is focused on his boyfriend, watching him with a warm expression while he fiddles. When he realises that his mother has stopped talking, he glances up, immediately scowling when he finds her eyes on him already. She opens her mouth to say something, but then Masaru nudges her gently. So she just smirks slyly at him (something in her eyes promising to brutally tease him for it later on) and then continues with her story.

After lunch, Katsuki and Izuku offer to wash up. They’re standing by the sink, Katsuki scrubbing while Izuku dries and then puts the dishes away, when Inko re-emerges with a worn looking book in hand.

“Katsuki, honey.” Inko says, effectively diverting his attention from where he had been trying to dump soapy water in Izuku’s hair. Both boys jolt and turn to her with matching guilty expressions, but she just smiles at them, obviously not upset. “Izuku mentioned that you’d been asking about some recipes. Do you want to take a look through this —” she holds up the tattered looking book, “— and take some notes or pictures? I can give you some pointers or suggestions as well, if you’d like?”

Katsuki is struck speechless, staring at Inko for far too long as he tries to gather his thoughts. A jab to his side from Izuku snaps him into action.

“Y-yeah, Auntie.” Katsuki stutters, finding his voice rough with some kind of emotion. “That, uh, that’d be great.”

And Inko beams at him, her smile so similar to her son’s that he has to take another second to steady his already erratic heartbeat. After they finish their washing up — without any soapy mishaps — Katsuki follows Inko back to the dining table, while Izuku heads into the living room to watch a new hero themed game show with Mitsuki and Masaru. The afternoon trawls by with Katsuki poring over the recipe book of all the meals he remembers having as a child in this very apartment. He takes pictures of the recipes he wants to try his hand at, listening intently when Inko points out tricky steps or little hacks to help him make it better. He makes sure to get a copy of the katsudon recipe finally, looking forward to seeing Izuku’s face when he makes it next.

When Katsuki and Inko rejoin the others in the lounge room, Katsuki sits beside Izuku, far away from the smug expression from his mother. When Masaru points out that one of the contestants on the game show is wearing a Ground Zero pin on their jacket, Izuku offhandedly mentions that he has a stash of what limited Ground Zero merchandise there is in circulation at the moment, going pink in the face at the quiet admission. Katsuki finds this absolutely fucking hilarious, and demands to see the stash immediately. He follows Izuku to his childhood bedroom, finding it mostly unchanged from when he’d been in it last. Posters still line every wall, several All Might’s staring down at him with his signature face splitting smile.

“Stop laughing at me you idiot.” Izuku grumbles as he goes over to his closet. “Or I won’t show you.”

Katsuki just laughs harder. “Should’ve thought of that before you led me to where you’re hiding your creepy stash.”

Izuku turns to him with a pout, stopping before the cupboard doors with his arms crossed. “I can fight you off. I think I’ve proved many times over that I can kick your ass.”

“Oh yeah?” Katsuki’s voice drops to something taunting, a menacing smirk turning up one corner of his mouth. “Give it a try, pretty boy.”

Katsuki reaches around Izuku for one of the door handles, smirk still in place. He’s not at all surprised when Izuku knocks his arm away — he immediately lifts the other, reaching for the handle from the other side and jolting Izuku out of the way a little. But Izuku quickly regains his footing, choosing to lunge forward and wrap his arms around Katsuki’s torso and tackle him to the bed this time. Surprised by the intensity of the attack, Katsuki doesn’t have time to fight back before the breath is knocked out of him as Izuku’s full weight presses him into the mattress.

“Fuckin’ hell, Izuku.” Katsuki gasps, still trying to reign in his delighted laughter. “You know you’re heavy, right?”

Izuku leans back a little and jabs Katsuki in the stomach, not all that gently. “You calling me fat, Kacchan? That’s pretty rude of you. I thought you’d grown out of your mean phase.”

“Jokes on you dickhead, I never left it. And no I’m not calling you fat, you’re literally all muscle.” Katsuki emphasises his point by sliding his hands over the sheets to grasp at the backs of Izuku’s thighs, squeezing them slightly. Izuku is literally laying on top of him, straddling his hips, so even if Katsuki had somehow missed the sound of the choked gasp he lets out (which he doesn’t, what with his mouth hovering right over him), the feeling of his chest expanding quickly against his own is unmistakable.

Katsuki’s smirk turns wicked. He flexes his fingers against the muscle again, absolutely revelling in the way Izuku squirms in his grasp. “What’s wrong, Izuku?” He purrs, “Don’t want to fight anymore?”

“Fuck you.” Izuku replies just as quietly, but his words are breathless and his pupils are blown wide.

“What’d I tell you about the fucking swearing, Deku?”

“Do something about it then, Kacchan.”

A quiet growl escapes past Katsuki’s lips a second before he leans up to capture Izuku’s in a heated kiss. It’s open mouthed and hungry and searing. The world around them fades, the sounds of cars in the street below, of chirping birds on the telephone wires outside, of the television in the other room, completely swallowed up and snuffed out by the sensation of Izuku’s lips sliding against his own. Izuku lets out a quiet choked off moan as Katsuki digs his fingers into the muscle of his thighs unconsciously; Katsuki swallows the sound hungrily, and then lets his hands slide up further. Izuku makes another sound, far louder than the first, when Katsuki’s warm hands stop on his ass.

They both pull back, staring at one another wide-eyed and breathing hard, while they listen out for any reaction to the sound. Had they been too loud? Oh god, if Inko had heard her son — no, if Mitsuki heard, Katsuki would never hear the end of it from the hag.

But a minute passes with no reaction. Izuku drops his forehead down to rest at Katsuki’s collarbone, breathing calming, but both of them obviously still on edge. Just to remain on the safe side of things, Katsuki removes his hands from Izuku’s backside, instead wrapping them around his boyfriends waist in a calming grip.

“You have to learn to be quieter, nerd.” Katsuki says softly against Izuku’s green curls. “Everyone will be back in the dorms tonight, so we won’t be able to do this as much.”

Izuku groans, obviously disappointed. “How rude of them.” He grouses, before sighing softly, his breath warming Katsuki’s already hot skin. “I’ll be quieter. I don’t want anything getting in the way of spending time with you.”

Katsuki swears his very bones begin to vibrate in happiness at the statement, but he still manages to school his features into normalcy. “We can’t exactly walk around holding hands if we want to keep things secret, Deku. Gotta keep acting like we did before.”

Izuku looks up at that, letting his chin rest on his folded arms. “Can we still cook together? I like seeing you in the kitchen.” At Katsuki’s unimpressed expression, he explains. “You look calmer. Less likely to kick someone for looking at you weird. Plus, you genuinely like cooking. You would make a very good housewife, Kacchan.”

Katsuki clamps a hand in Izuku’s hair and squeezes slightly, making Izuku scrunch his nose up a little at the sensation. “Fuck you, if anything you would be my wife.”

“No way, you live for all that domestic shit.”

“Okay, how about we ignore gender stereotypes completely because I’m pretty sure Ashido, Kaminari and Uraraka will magically turn up in the next two minutes to kick our asses. Besides, why would I be a wife, when I can just be your husband?”

And then Katsuki realises what, exactly, he just implied, and turns a brilliant shade of red.

“Wait, Deku, I —”

But Izuku looks absolutely delighted. “You wanna be my husband?”

“Fuck, I mean, maybe? In a few years?” Katsuki replies, defiantly avoiding eye contact. “If that’s something you — we’re fucking eighteen — it’s way too soon …”

Despite the half-sentences, Izuku gets the gist. He leans forward a presses a kiss to each of Katsuki’s heated cheeks. “I get it, Kacchan. I’d like to be your husband too, one day.”

They both fall into silence after that, too nervous about breaking the gentle moment to try saying anything more on the matter. They only break apart when Masaru knocks on the bedroom door a few minutes later to announce their departure. Both boys trudge into the living room to see the Bakugou’s off — Katsuki deftly ducks out of the way of a particularly rough ruffle of his hair by Mitsuki, but does give her a quick hug goodbye anyway. Soon after that, they decide that they should probably head off too, seeing as they still have a long train ride ahead and it’s getting a little late.

Katsuki stands aside as Inko envelops her son in a teary hug, reminding him to call her whenever he has a chance, and that he’s always welcome home, even if it’s just for a quick dinner. And then she turns to Katsuki and yanks him down into an equally loving embrace, much to his surprise. It takes a moment, but he does bring his arms up to hug her back. They break apart much sooner than she had with Izuku, but she catches his wrists in her own small hands as she looks up at him with fond, watery eyes.

“Take good care of my Izuku, okay?” She says.

He hears Izuku mumble an embarrassed “Mum!”, but he keeps his gaze locked on Inko.

“I promise, Auntie. He’s in good hands.”

Izuku hisses an equally mortified, “Kacchan!”

Katsuki turns to smirk at him. “What? Someone has to make sure you don’t break anymore dumb bones. You’ve got to graduate in one piece, idiot.”

Izuku grumbles under his breath, obviously annoyed, as he pulls Katsuki away from his mother and they head to the station.

It’s only later, when they’re stepping off the train to begin their walk back to UA, that Katsuki realises he never got to see the Ground Zero merch collection.

The rest of their break goes in a haze of training, catching up with friends, and completing their hero work studies. They’ve only got two more semesters left of school before they join the workforce, so their responsibilities at the work studies have increased. They have started going on regular patrols with heroes from their respective agencies, so everyone’s sleep schedules are completely out of whack. 

Katsuki is not at all surprised when he returns to the dorms at two in the morning, to find Iida, Yaoyorozu and Asui in the kitchen, wide awake and eating together. They must have their patrols coming up soon if they’re all so lively at this time. He offers them a tired grunt in reply to their overly cheerful greeting before heading to the showers to peel off his hero costume, scrub the dirt and sweat away, and brush his teeth. He sends Izuku a text that he’d returned home as he blearily makes his way up to his room, expecting him to see it when he wakes in a few hours for his own patrol. What he doesn’t expect is for a knock to sound at his door five minutes later, moments after he’s dumped his costume in his washing basket and collapsed onto his bed. 

He lets out a long, annoyed groan, but stumbles to his feet to open the door anyway. The door isn’t even fully open before a half-asleep Izuku steps forward, right into his arms. He immediately tucks himself beneath Katsuki’s chin, circling his arms around his waist and letting out a sleepy sigh. 

“What’re you doing here, idiot? You’ve got to be up soon for your patrol.” Katsuki asks quietly, shutting the door and shuffling them over to his bed so that he can at least continue this conversation lying down with his eyes closed. 

“Missed you.” Comes Izuku’s mumbled reply, his voice muffled by the fabric of Katsuki’s sleep shirt. 

Katsuki lays back against the mattress, pulling Izuku down with him and arranging their heavy limbs so they can lay comfortably. 

“Missed you too.” Katsuki whispers against green curls, already mostly asleep. Four hours later, Izuku’s alarm goes off; Katsuki squints slightly against the weak morning light, watching as his boyfriend rolls out of the bed. He stretches his arms over his head before leaning over to press a quick kiss to Katsuki’s cheek, mumbling something about seeing him that afternoon, and then leaving the room with a quiet snap of the closing door. 

And so that’s how they spend the final three weeks of their break. Sneaking in and out of one another’s rooms when they have the chance, cooking together when their schedules align for a morning or afternoon (making sure to keep a friendly distance between the two of them at all times). Training in the gym with strange combinations of their two groups of friends, depending on who is available. Nobody suspects that anything between them has changed. 

They are sneaky about it too; stealing a kiss or two when the kitchen empties of their friends while they cook. Secret touches and quick, tight hugs as they pass by one another in the hall or are left alone in the lounge room. And it’s enough. It’s enough for them to savour the small moments they can get together between patrols. Their schedules are only ever this hectic during their breaks; things will slow down to a slightly less breakneck pace once classes start again. It’s only three weeks, they keep reminding one another as they come up for air between frenzied make out sessions, or after heated glances towards one another from across the room. 

But it would also be so much easier if they didn’t have to tiptoe the line between friends and something more when they’re around their friends. One night during their final week of holidays, they find themselves in the lounge room alone together, sprawled out on opposite ends of the same couch, so that they can sit close, but not close enough to raise brows should anyone enter the room unexpectedly. There’s a horror movie playing on the television, and Izuku keeps flinching at the jump scares. Katsuki reaches out to rub a soothing pattern against Izuku’s calf. During a lull in the action, he decides to say something that’s been bouncing around in the back of his mind for the past few days. 

“I think I’m ready to tell people about us.” He speaks quietly, hardly louder than the sounds coming from the screen. Izuku whips his head around to face him, so fast that Katsuki swears he hears his neck pop. “I mean, I’m ready when you are. I’m still happy to wait.” 

“N-no.” Izuku replies, watching him carefully. “I think … yeah, I’m ready too. It’s been about a month now, and I think we’re good.” 

Katsuki gives a low hum in acknowledgement. “When do you want to say something about it then?” 

Izuku thinks for a few moments, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth. Then he grins slowly, a mischievous spark in his eyes. And Katsuki abruptly remembers that Izuku is a little demon, no matter how cute or innocent he comes across as to the rest of their classmates; he still knows what lies beneath freckled skin and blustering charm. 

“Mina, Tooru and Eijirou said that we’ve all been invited to a party at the 3-B dorms this Saturday night. It’s supposed to be a last get together before the term starts again on Monday.” He says, growing more excited as he speaks. “We could … do something then.” 

Katsuki raises a brow, watching his troublesome boyfriend carefully. “I’m not getting on the fucking table and announcing it or some shit like that, if that’s what you’re thinking. That’s lame as fuck, Deku.” 

Izuku laughs. “Well, we don’t have to say anything. Maybe we can just, you know… act normal around one another and see who picks up on it first.” 

“What, you wanna prank the extras?” 

“Not prank them, Kacchan. Test them! To see how observant they really are.” 

Katsuki sighs, letting his head drop back to rest against the couch cushion. “Fine. Whatever.” And then he smirks a little. “Bet they won’t notice. Unless you decide to stick your tongue down my fucking throat or something.” 

Izuku smiles at him, sharp and combative. “Bet I could make them notice, even without kissing you.” 

“You’re on, nerd.” 

Izuku darts forward to press a quick kiss against Katsuki’s mouth before scrambling to his feet. He glances to the television, flinches when he sees a demon appear over the protagonists shoulder, and then turns toward the kitchen, muttering under his breath “Screw this movie, it’s going to actually give me a heart attack.” 

“That’s because you’re a weak, punk ass bitch.” Katsuki calls over his shoulder, barking a laugh when Izuku flips him off. 

—

They had decided to meet one another at the party, which Katsuki is quietly grateful for. Not only because it gives him enough time to get used to all the people crammed into one space before their plan to spill their secret begins, but also because if Katsuki had met Izuku at their dorms and seen what he was wearing … he might have been inclined to skip the party altogether just so he could enjoy making out with his boyfriend in peace. 

As it stands, Katsuki freezes with his plastic cup against his lips when Izuku steps through the front door of the 3-B dorms, following behind Uraraka, Iida, Asui and Todoroki. He’s not wearing anything all that special; tight black jeans with some artful rips up the length, a plain viridian t-shirt (thankfully void of any dumb phrases or quotes), and some black and white converses — he wonders who he should thank for getting him to wear something other than those god damn red high-tops. So, he’s dressed how one would normally dress for a high school party, but … 

Someone — obviously trying to indirectly give Katsuki a fucking aneurysm — decided to give him a black beanie with an orange, Ground Zero 'X' pattern printed on it, his green curls arranged so that they’re just peeking out beneath the edge of the fabric. And, they decided to smudge some black eye makeup around his eyes, creating a smoky effect that’s very obviously reminiscent of Katsuki’s hero mask. 

So he can’t really be blamed when he accidentally takes a sip of his drink and chokes. Green eyes lock on red and Katsuki kind of wants to pass away, because he’s never seen anything more attractive than those eyes with the smoked out eyeshadow, staring right at him with such burning heat.

Kirishima bangs at his back, trying to help Katsuki catch his breath again. 

“You good, dude?” Sero asks, looking at him with amusement. 

“Fucking great.” Katsuki grinds out from between clenched teeth, gaze still locked on Izuku. Kirishima, Sero, Kaminari and Ashido all turn to follow his line of sight at the same time. Kaminari lets out a long, low whistle, his brows rising. 

“Oh my god.” Ashido breathes, taking in the beanie, the eyeliner, the whole fucking outfit. 

“I’m gonna fucking kill him.” Katsuki growls, surprised his stare isn’t actively burning a hole straight through Izuku’s damn skull. 

Kirishima lets out a laugh, softening his slapping to a consoling pat on the back as Katsuki finally stops choking. The nerd notices all their gazes locked on him — because how could he not — and says something quickly to his friends before making his way over towards where Katsuki’s group is hovering at the lounges. 

“Be cool, bro.” Kaminari says to Katsuki, making him bare his teeth in a snarl. 

“I’m always cool, asshole.” 

“Hey, guys!” Izuku’s bright voice cuts off any other comments his idiot friends can make as he finally reaches them. He pauses between Sero and Ashido, directly opposite Katsuki. “Wow, you guys all look so nice!” 

Ashido lets out a laugh. “Oh, honey, I think you should take a look at yourself. Whose brilliant idea was it to put you in eyeliner?” 

Normally, Izuku would blush and stutter and deflect at a comment like that. But tonight Izuku is no shy damsel. No, tonight he is a fully fledged gremlin, set on a mission to destroy Katsuki’s sanity. 

“Oh, it was mine.” He replies cheerfully before locking eyes on Katsuki. “Yeah, I took some inspiration from Kacchan tonight. You look good by the way.” 

Katsuki completely blocks out the deliriously excited stares of all of his friends as their eyes swivel to him to gauge his reaction. He keeps his expression as neutral as possible, not letting anything slip. 

He knows he looks good, too. He’s sporting his own eye makeup tonight; definitely not as sultry or smudged as Izuku’s, but he knows the black lining his lower lashes does nothing but help his complexion. Paired with a pair of black pants with chains and harnesses, and a tight black t-shirt, he knows exactly what Izuku thinks of him right now. So he angles his head up a smidge, letting a teasing smirk pull at his lips. 

“Just had to copy me, huh Deku?” 

Izuku’s return smile is sharp. “Of course. Kacchan is the prettiest, after all.” 

Four pairs of eyes widen as they flit between the pair, like they’re watching a particularly intense tennis match. 

“Damn straight I am. I guess you’re a close second though.” 

Kirishima let’s out a choked off gurgling sound of surprise. Ashido places a consoling hand on his arm, not taking her eyes off the show before her. 

“Kacchan thinks I’m pretty?” Izuku replies. 

“Maybe. What are you gonna do about it, nerd?” 

And Izuku, ever the demon, just shrugs. “Nothing yet. See you ‘round, Kacchan!” He turns and heads back towards his friends. Katsuki notices Todoroki watching from across the room, a tiny smile pulling up the very corners of his lips. He ticks his brows up once when he meets Katsuki’s gaze, a show of amusement at their antics, before he replies to something Asui is saying to him. 

“What in the ever loving fuck was that?” Kaminari bursts out as soon as Izuku is out of earshot. 

“I swear you two were just openly flirting. Like actual human beings?” Kirishima looks absolutely stumped. “No, I must have been hallucinating or something, right?” 

“Are group hallucinations a thing then?” Sero says to Kirishima, looking just as bemused. 

“Bakugou what happened to your dumb idea of not doing anything about your crush?” Ashido asks, wrapping a hand around Katsuki’s arm and shaking him like she’s trying to shake the damn answers out of his mouth. 

He nudges her hand away with a halfhearted shrug. “Dunno. I decided to start taking it seriously, I guess.” 

“What?” Kirishima exclaims, causing several people nearby to look over in alarm. The group of five pays them no mind. “What the hell happened when we were away? I swear you two have been acting weird for the past few weeks now.” 

Katsuki just raises a brow at him, waiting for him to connect the dots that are seriously right there in a damn straight line, so that he can finally put an end to Izuku’s dumb game. But no, he doesn’t continue his train of thought because they’re interrupted by a loud burst of static coming from the front of the room. 

Everyone in the room flinches at the sound, Shoji and Jirou most of all, and turns to the source of the noise. They find Tetsutetsu and Monoma crouched by the television, hands covering their ears and looking sheepish as they plug some machine in. 

Tetsutetsu gives an excited grin to the room at large. “Karaoke?” He offers by way of explanation. Silence meets his statement for a few drawn out moments before half the room surges forward in excitement, scrambling for the first turn. 

Katsuki rolls his eyes and decides that it’s the perfect time for him to get as far away from that fucking machine as possible before he has the urge to rip his ears off. He slopes off towards the kitchen, letting his friends fawn over the karaoke machine without him. 

He’s not all that surprised when he opens the fridge door to search for a bottle of water and feels a light touch at the small of his back. 

Without looking over his shoulder, he grumbles, “You look hot or whatever.” 

Izuku appears at his elbow a second later, wide grin in place. “You think?” 

Katsuki glances at him from the corner of his eye, raking his gaze over the beanie, the eye makeup, the tight shirt and the even tighter jeans. “Fuck off, you know exactly how good you look, you little shit. Did you raid your Ground Zero merch collection for tonights outfit or something? You never showed it to me, by the way. I’m still waiting to see how big a creep my boyfriend actually is.” 

Izuku laughs, loud and delighted. “I hoped you would like what I picked out. Guess I was right, seeing as you’re blushing.” 

Katsuki shuts the fridge with an aggressive snap, ignoring the sound of bottles clinking dangerously against one another, and turns to Izuku with a deep frown. “And yet those dumbasses still couldn’t take the hint. I was basically eye-fucking you and they still didn’t realise.” He hisses. 

“Maybe you should try actually fucking me.” Izuku taunts with a sly grin. “Or would they still think we’re harmlessly flirting?” 

“Who fucking knows.” Katsuki growls, glancing over his shoulder at his friends. They’re chatting with some people from class 3-B now, waiting for their turn at the karaoke machine. Aoyama and Kaibara have claimed the first turn at the machine, picking some pop song that Katsuki doesn’t know. “And don’t joke about that, you fucker.” 

Izuku just laughs some more. “You should try something — maybe I was just acting like normal, but if you flirted, maybe they’d realise.” 

Katsuki gives him an incredulous look. “You’re telling me that you were acting normal back there? Straight up flirting and teasing me is normal? Since fucking when?” 

“Okay, maybe not to that extent, but I’ve always talked to you like that. You’ve never noticed me basically kissing your ass to get you to look at me in a not-platonic way?” 

“No!” Katsuki is just frustrated now. If he’d picked up on Izuku’s flirting, could they have been dating for longer? If he’d gotten his head out of his ass earlier, would he have realised Izuku’s feelings sooner? He’s so irritated that he’s not even enjoying the party anymore — not that he was really enjoying it before, but still. There was a certain appeal to fucking with their friends with Izuku, now he’s just annoyed. 

It gets worse when Todoroki and Shinsou sidle up to where they’re hanging out by the fridge, plastic cups in hand. 

“If you guys are trying to be subtle, you’re failing miserably.” Todoroki says, taking a delicate sip of his drink after stating his observation.

“Fucking tell me about it, IcyHot.” Katsuki growls, his hands bunched into fists. 

Izuku sighs, then turns to the other two to explain. “We’re not really tying to hide it anymore. But we thought it’d be funny to see who could guess first. Our plan is not working.” 

Shinsou hums. “Yeah, that’s probably because everyone’s so used to you guys dancing around one another and being completely oblivious about it. Just make out in front of everyone, I’m sure they’d get the hint then.” 

“Absolutely fucking not.” Katsuki replies. Izuku places a calming hand on his arm. 

“Yeah, we didn’t want to do that. But we’ll keep that as a backup plan, Hitoshi.” Katsuki whirls on him with furious eyes. “A backup to the backup plan, then. Anyway, we’ll try something else before that.” 

“I’m not flirting with you in front of you friends, Deku. I don’t even fucking know how.” 

“Don’t sell yourself short, Kacchan. It was cute when you sent me songs and complimented me and smooshed me up against the fridge that one time.” 

Todoroki raises his brows higher and sips at his drink. Shinsou tries and fails to hide his laughter. 

“Yeah well I can’t exactly pat your head and cook you a fucking meal right now, idiot.” Katsuki rolls his eyes and folds his arms. 

“I don’t think you need to do all that much to convince Uraraka and Iida.” Todoroki supplies helpfully. “I mean, I’m pretty sure Asui knows because she’s not an idiot and also you guys, like I’ve said countless times now, are not low-key at all. But with the others, I think they already suspect.” 

Izuku turns to him, surprised. “Really? They haven’t said anything to me about it.”

Todoroki shrugs. “They’ve been watching you like a hawk ever since you showed up to Uraraka’s dorm with that beanie.” 

The four of them look over to where the others are huddled by the dining tables and, sure enough, find them watching their little group meeting closely. Iida goes wide-eyed when he sees them looking, and tries to engage Asui in conversation immediately. The frog quirked hero grins at them once more before humouring her friend and replying to him. Uraraka yelps, turns pinker than normal, and waves shyly. Izuku and Todoroki wave back, while Shinsou raises his cup in acknowledgement. Katsuki flips her off with a teasing grin. She pokes her tongue out at him and mirrors his gesture right back at him. 

Katsuki laughs. “Yeah I think your bunch of idiots might catch on faster than mine, Deku.” 

Izuku, looking proud of his friends, turns back to him. “Wait, Kacchan, I think I have an idea of how to convince everyone.” 

“I don’t wanna know.” Katsuki replies, shaking his head. “As long as I don’t have to do anything, have the time of your damn life, nerd.” He reaches out to tug at one of Izuku’s curls — seeing as though he can’t ruffle them with the beanie in the way — then makes his way back over to where his friends are standing. 

They welcome him back with excited shouts and smacks to his back that he returns just as forcefully — seriously, his friends are strong. Then he lets himself forget about Izuku’s antics. Sure, he doesn’t really let him out of his sight for the next few hours, especially when he looks like that, but he doesn’t really worry about what Izuku’s plan is. He trusts that he’ll respect Katsuki’s wishes to play no part in whatever dumb idea he has come up with. 

It almost seems like a normal party for a while; there are games, much like the night of Izuku’s birthday. There’s a huge spread of food and an even bigger selection of sugary soft drinks. Apparently nobody was brave enough to try bringing alcohol to this party, considering how strangely all-knowing their teachers are. Somehow they always seem to know when someone has snuck out or done something wrong or tried to smuggle something in, so nobody even bothers trying anymore, lest they get expelled so close to graduation. 

So Katsuki is subjected to mediocre renditions of popular songs from his classmates abusing the karaoke machine, endless chatter from his friends, and a bit of a sugar high after being dared to guzzle a full sized bottle of coke by Kaminari and Sero. He had glowered and waved them off until Sero had uttered the fateful words. 

“That’s alright, I guess Bakugou’s gotten too soft for us now that he’s got a crush.” 

And Katsuki, because he’s not a little wimp, seizes the enormous bottle and shows them how it’s done. It might have also been because Katsuki had been about to blurt out that he has a boyfriend, not a crush, but the two idiots didn’t have to know that just yet. He at least has the pleasure of watching Kaminari trip over his own feet after laughing himself stupid at Katsuki’s resulting hiccups, dragging Sero down with him as he tries to catch himself too late. 

It’s later in the night when he is rudely and abruptly reminded that Izuku did, in fact, have a plan for their weird little challenge. Katsuki is sprawled in an armchair, legs bouncing as he tries to work off the sugar rush, when the current duo on the karaoke machine finish their turn. He doesn’t register Uraraka picking up one of the two microphones, nor does he notice her searching through the crowd for someone. 

The next song starts, one that he’s vaguely familiar with from when it was more popular a few years back, but still, he pays it no mind, more contended to watch Awase get absolutely destroyed by Ashido in an arm wrestling match at the coffee table. That is until he hears a very familiar voice start singing. 

“And you got me like "Oh, what you want from me?”” 

Katsuki whips around to stare at the current inhabitants of the karaoke machine, just as Uraraka sings the backup echoing line. 

Red eyes meet black lined green. And then Izuku continues singing. “And I tried to buy your pretty heart, but the price too high. Baby, you got me like “Oh”."

A hush falls across the room as the rest of their classmates register who, exactly, is singing right now. Everyone watches as Izuku holds the microphone with both hands and manages to nail every fucking note. Katsuki suddenly remembers that the rest of his classmates haven’t even heard what music Izuku listens to, let alone realised that he can sing. 

“You love when I fall apart. So you can put me together and throw me against the wall.” 

Katsuki’s mouth goes very dry as his boyfriend glances around the room, noting everyone's attention trained right on him while Uraraka sings the next few lines of the pre chorus. He grins wide at Kaminari, Asui, Iida and Kirishima’s dumbstruck expressions, at Todoroki’s raised brows, at the wide-eyed surprise on the rest of his friends faces. Even Uraraka looks floored, and she’s the one singing with him. 

And then he locks his gaze right onto Katsuki and sings. 

“And babe, I’m fist fighting with fire, just to get close to you. Can we burn something babe?” He lets his eyes slip closed as he focuses on hitting the next notes. “And I run for miles, just to get a taste. Must be love on the brain, that’s got me feeling this way.” He grins wide as he glances back at Katsuki and sings the next part. “It beats me black and blue, but it fucks me so good and I can’t get enough.” 

Distantly, he registers Kirishima close his awe-struck mouth and glance from Izuku to Katsuki and back again, a lot like that study night in the dorm lounge room so many weeks ago. He is very clearly finally connecting those fucking dots. It’s too little, too late though, because Izuku is stepping around his scattered classmates, weaving between lounges and legs and games and snacks, coming to stop right in front of Katsuki, leaning down to push into his space. But Katsuki doesn’t back down. He holds his ground like he’s playing a musical game of chicken, staring Izuku right in the eye and letting him see how exasperated he is by the extravagant behaviour. 

“Baby keep loving me, just love me. Just love me. All you need to do is love me, yeah.” 

“Izuku.” Katsuki growls, watching as his grin widens even more. “I think they get it.” 

But the fucking gremlin just laughs at him, letting Uraraka carry the rest of the verse. The rest of their gathered friends are starting to recover from the shock at last; they watch the exchange between the two boys with delighted laughter, whooping and cheering for Izuku and Uraraka as they sing. For the next pre chorus, they both sing together, their voices melding together surprisingly well, one sweet and soft, the other a little raspier and lower. And as much as Katsuki feels like exploding under all the extra attention aimed right at him, he also finds that there’s a small part of him that’s enjoying himself. Watching everyone be floored by Izuku, while he already knew of his talents — yeah, that’s pretty satisfying. 

So Katsuki leans back in his armchair and watches the remainder of the performance with smouldering eyes. 

The song moves into the final chorus, and once again, Uraraka lets Izuku take centre stage, almost like they’d talked and planned for this performance before hand. But Katsuki is snapped out of his musing when Izuku walks back over to him and sits in his fucking lap. He drapes an arm over his stiff shoulders — Katsuki instinctively gripping at Izuku’s waist — and watches his face carefully for any true signs of discomfort. Katsuki makes sure he doesn’t find any as his surprise quickly melts into smug pride at Izuku’s unwavering ability to blow everyone’s expectations of him out of the water. 

“Must be love on the brain, and it keeps cursing my name. No matter what I do, I’m no good without you, and I can’t get enough. Must be love on the brain.” 

He finally ends his performance with a perfect high note, letting it trail off into silence for a few seconds while the rest of the room recovers. And then it absolutely explodes into chaos far greater than anything Katsuki has ever caused with his quirk. 

Izuku bursts into laughter as every one of their friends start yelling at them, all at once. 

Uraraka squeals and rushes over to the pair, Ashido hot on her heels as they shoot question after question at the pair. 

In the background, Katsuki can hear Kirishima shouting, “I fucking knew something was going on between you two!” Kaminari and Sero are gripping at each one of Kirishima’s arms, trying to hold themselves upright as they genuinely cry from laughter, but they both look just as impressed as everyone else. 

Iida and Asui are grinning — which is something Katsuki didn’t realise the class rep would be able to do without a murderous glint in his eye as he threatens someone for using the wrong colour pen for an assignment. The rest of class 3-A and B are in similar states of overwhelming disarray; the second hero class must have known a little about Izuku’s recent music obsession and his unwillingness to tell anyone about it, because they’re just as lively and chaotic as the rest of their friends at the performance. 

In the far corner, Katsuki spots Todoroki and Shinsou standing together, talking and watching the mayhem from a safe distance with similar slightly amused expressions. Katsuki makes sure to flip them off. Izuku catches him in the act and smacks his hand down with a mock frown that quickly dissolves into giggles. 

“Are you dating? Was that a confession? What the fuck is going on?” Ashido gushes. 

“Yeah, we are, now fuck off.” Katsuki grumbles in the least romantic confirmation of a relationship in the history of romance. But Izuku doesn’t seem to mind because he leans in and presses a quick kiss to his cheek anyway. Katsuki bats him away, but he can’t quite stop his own tiny smile as he watches Izuku chuckle. 

“Oh my god, that was so cute.” Uraraka breathes, starry eyed. 

Katsuki feels a hand ruffle his blonde spikes and he ducks out of reach before realising it’s only Kirishima, with Iida standing at his side. 

“I’m proud of you, dude.” Kirishima says. “Seems like you finally nutted up and told him.” 

Izuku lets out another bark of laughter at that and Katsuki immediately whips around to slam his palm over his mouth. 

“Yep. That’s exactly what happened.” 

“No it’s not —” Izuku manages to free himself for a split second to shout out, before Katsuki’s hand slaps over his mouth again, eyes flashing in warning. 

“Aww, how did it actually go then?” Sero asks, coming to join the group. 

“Yeah! We wanna know details!” Kaminari tacks on with a mischievous grin. 

Katsuki suddenly feels very small, sitting in the armchair with Izuku still on his lap, crowded between his friends. So he pushes Izuku forward, forcing him to his feet and stands up after him. He doesn’t blink when Izuku immediately laces his fingers between Katsuki’s, standing close to his side.

“None of your fucking business, you damn extras.”

“The beanie and eyeliner makes so much sense now.” Uraraka says, completely ignoring Katsuki’s grousing. 

“And the way that they’re always hanging out between patrols!” Iida adds, surprisingly invested in the new revelation. 

“And I swear I’ve heard Midoriya’s voice in Bakugou’s room some mornings.” Kirishima says unhelpfully. Katsuki scowls at him and just receives a delighted grin in response. 

“Holy shit, I thought I saw them holding hands once when I was walking past the couches, like two weeks ago.” Sero says as he smacks himself in the forehead. “But then I looked again and they weren’t. I thought I was going fucking crazy.” 

“Nah, we just saw you there.” Izuku giggles. 

“Nosey bastards.” Katsuki mutters.

“You would’ve been lost without us ‘nosey bastards’, dude.” Kirishima reminds him. 

“Yeah, who did you come to for flirting advice again, Kacchan?” Kaminari teases. 

“Fuck off, I told you what I’d do to you if you used that name.” 

Izuku’s grip tightens on his fingers for just a second. Katsuki glances down to find him blushing slightly, biting his bottom lip. 

“Oi, stop overthinking, idiot.” Katsuki says, flicking him in the forehead. Izuku blinks up at him dazedly. “You can get a pass on the dumb nickname. The rest of you fuckers, don’t even think about it.” But Izuku flushes even more at that. Katsuki scoffs, incredulous. “You have no trouble basically giving me a fucking lap dance in front of everyone, but you’re embarrassed at being allowed to call me a nickname? Jesus, Deku.” 

“Oh, would you rather I called you ‘Katsuki’?” Izuku replies, blush still riding high on his cheekbones, but his lips quickly tipping up into a sly grin. “Would you like that better?” 

Katsuki growls lowly, slinging his arm around Izuku’s neck and drawing him close in a headlock. “Shut up, nerd.” 

But Izuku just laughs. “So you do like the name Kacchan then? That’s so good to know.” 

When Katsuki does nothing to retaliate other than tighten his hold around Izuku’s neck, Sero points a disbelieving finger right at Katsuki, his eyes wide as he says, “See! You totally have favourites! What did I tell you!” 

“He’s allowed to be my favourite. I can stand him a little bit more than you dumbasses.” But Katsuki is grinning at them all despite the insult. 

Izuku stops trying to fight his way out of Katsuki’s grip. “That might be the most romantic thing you’ve ever said about me, Kacchan.” He teases. 

Uraraka gasps suddenly, reaching out to grab at both Katsuki and Izuku. “Wait, holy shit. Does this mean that now you know what music Deku listens to?” 

That catches the attention of the rest of the class. All at once, the excited chatter quiets into nothing as everyone tunes in to hear the reply. Izuku flushes anew as Katsuki loosens his grip and lets him stand upright. The pair of them take in everyone’s hopeful, eager expressions. Katsuki glances down at Izuku to find him already staring back, his green eyes apprehensive. 

He had already decided on his answer, but after seeing Izuku’s nervous expression, well. He’s been known to show mercy every now and then. 

“Yeah.” 

Uraraka’s eyes widen as her grip on his wrist tightens in anticipation. He gives the room a wild grin, eyes flashing in challenge. 

“But I’m not telling you idiots about it.” 

Several people boo at him and he quashes the urge to go and knock their heads together in retaliation. Their friends just pout and grumble, but it’s all teasing, all in good fun. Katsuki doesn’t care about any of it. Every thought flies out of his mind as Izuku rises on the tips of his toes, winds his strong arms around Katsuki’s shoulders, and pulls him down into a bruising kiss. 

The booing and complaining quickly turns into cat calls and hoots of delight, but the sounds are distant, unimportant. 

Izuku draws back slightly and beams at Katsuki, and it’s like the rest of the world fades away. “Thanks for having my back, Kacchan.” 

Katsuki rolls his eyes but still winds his arms around Izuku’s waist, holding him in place against his chest. He speaks quietly, just loud enough for Izuku to hear him over the obnoxious whistles their friends are giving them, “Whatever nerd. You’d do the same if these extras were pestering me, right?” 

Izuku laughs, probably remembering a similar comment, a similar exchange, from weeks ago. “Obviously.” 

“Even if I listened to a fucking pining playlist and yearned like a bitch in my room instead of saying something to your face?” 

“Even then, Kacchan.” 

Katsuki leans back down to kiss his boyfriend soundly despite the audience, simply because he can now. And that’s pretty fucking cool.