Bakugo Katsuki is a man who refuses to accept anything less than perfection, which is why when Midoriya Izuku finally got the balls to confess to him and invited him out on a movie date with his sorry ass; well, there was only one direction at that point.
This date had to be flawless. This date had to be impeccable. And Bakugo Katsuki will not accept half-assed results.
"This is a mistake," he told himself as he openly glared at the flower shop that was a few meters away from him.
He looked at the entrance as if the establishment threatened his family unless he entered and bought a bouquet. However, even though he wished that was the case, he came here on his own free will. He curled his lips into a permanent frown as he internally debated whether he would step inside or not. On one hand, Izuku would probably be ecstatic over such a simple gesture and would tear up over his uncharacteristic thoughtfulness. On the other hand, gifting his date with such a tacky gift would murder his dignity and pride. A war was being played out on his face, and before one side could claim itself at the victor, an innocent florist approached him.
She warily opened the door just a crack and asked, "Excuse me…"
Katsuki snapped his head up to meet the florist's eyes; he looked like a spooked cat.
The woman pondered over her next words and eyed the teenager's defensive stance.
"Would…" she hesitated, "Would you like to come in?"
Different scenarios, ranging from the best to the worst, flitted through Katsuki's mind. He no longer had the time to weigh his options. The florist stood there and held eye contact, waiting for his response.
After a few suspenseful seconds, he strengthened his resolve, pursed his lips, and walked into the store.
"Thanks," he muttered lowly.
His scarlet eyes scanned the interior of the building. Honestly, he doesn't know jack shit about flowers and arrangements and all that jazz. Earlier, he googled the language of flowers, but he wasn't so naïve that he would randomly sort his own bouquet. If he did, he was asking for disaster. Sure, ignorant couples would excuse themselves and croon about how it's the thought that counts, but Katsuki would not stand for that bullshit. Not on his watch.
Then the same florist who invited him inside caught his attention. She was dealing with a customer who was an old lady who droned on and on over her son instead of her petunias. With extreme effort and sheer willpower, Katsuki could have been patient until the florist was finished, but the pitiful employee looked as if she was at her wit's end. Well, Katsuki didn't strive to be a hero for nothing.
"Hey," he rudely interrupted. "I need help."
The florist turned her head towards his way with a tinge of relief. Then she returned her attention back to the elderly woman and eventually had to cut her off.
"I apologize, Takahashi-san," she said. "As much as I enjoyed your time," she lied, "I have to assist a customer."
The elderly woman threw daggers at Katsuki's direction, but the teen simply scoffed as he threw them back. She grumbled under her breath as she exited the place, leaving only the florist and Katsuki alone.
The young florist stopped waving once the old lady was out of sight. She then turned to Katsuki with a sunnier disposition.
"Hello, what can I help you with?" she asked.
Well, he doesn't want to spend time here any longer than he should.
He pocketed his hands as he replied, "I want to get flowers…"
He looked off to the side as if finishing his sentence physically pained him.
"I want to get flowers… for my date," he repeated with clenched teeth.
The woman smiled and could see that this young man cared for the center of his affections despite his reluctant answer. She could see it through the faint pink hue on his cheeks and his willingness to fulfill such an archaic but sweet gesture of presenting his date with flowers. She mercifully didn't question any further and went right to work.
"Depending on what image you are going for," she said as she traveled to the back and picked out a lone booklet from the counter, "You can walk around the area and choose the selection we have now."
She then walked back to Katsuki's side and handed him the booklet. "If you are unhappy with our available selection, you can choose from this category," she explained as she pointed the most popular arrangements for lovers.
Katsuki widened his eyes at the burst of colors and flora.
"This… was a last minute decision," he answered slowly, still overwhelmed by the visual stimulation. "Though I would like a simple arrangement rather than these," he added as an afterthought.
He tore his eyes away from the vast selection to give his eyes a reprieve. While he was blinking away the images of rainbow-colored plants and whatnot, he zoned in on a particular bundle of flowers. He pointed at the vicinity of those flowers.
"What about those?"
The florist reached towards the white and yellow daisies and gathered them in her arms.
"Are you talking about these flowers?"
"Yeah," he said in a gruff voice. "They look nice, I guess."
Indeed, the arrangement was plain and simple, but the meaning behind the daisies was more than meets the eye. Strangely enough, they were befitting to the awkward teenager. Plus, at least they weren't roses.
"They're lovely," she agreed. "You have a good eye for this," she complimented.
Katsuki scrunched his eyebrows and fished out his wallet. "Just let me pay already," he muttered.
The woman brushed off his bluntness as embarrassment and hummed to herself as she wrapped the bouquet with refined and meticulous care. She then asked for his date's name and scribbled it on a small card as the finishing touch.
"Voila," the florist said proudly as she implanted it amongst the other flowers. "She'll love it," she winked as she gave Katsuki the daisies.
He made no move to correct her since it wasn't her damn business, but he paid for the total cost and left the store while balancing a set of white and yellow flowers on one arm.
As childhood friends, he knew the way to Izuku's apartment by heart. Walking down this path was like walking down memory lane. Even though their homes were within the same neighborhood, Katsuki rarely ventured in this area ever since he cut ties with Izuku. Before, a younger Katsuki used to stomp on this very sidewalk with a confident gait and scabbed knees while Izuku followed behind his footsteps with a star-struck smile.
He batted away those idle thoughts and entered the apartment complex, climbed up the stairs until he reached the correct floor, and stood stock-still in front of his destination. This was it. The battle has just begun.
Although the voices sound muffled due to the closed door, the inhabitants inside sounded animated and lively. Katsuki took a second to hear Izuku's faint voice and pressed the doorbell to signify his arrival.
Now there was complete silence.
Pots and pans clanged. Loud footsteps scurried in different directions. Panic and chaos erupted.
Izuku's distinctive voice penetrated through the cacophony.
"I'll be there in a second!" he said in a rush.
However, Katsuki took his words with a grain of salt. Right on cue, he heard a short yelp before he also heard a resonating smack against the floor. The feeble groan afterwards made the situation more real but also worse. The icing on the cake was Midoriya Inko screaming her son's name in motherly concern.
Katsuki stood there, silent.
"What the fuck," he whispered to himself.
He glanced down at his bundle of flora, and it felt as heavy as a block of lead. Doubtful thoughts pervaded his mind.
He snapped back into focus once he heard the scuffle of feet inching closer and closer. His fingers crinkled the wrapping paper as the noise got louder and louder. His palms felt sweaty, and he wondered if they were sweaty enough to burst these flowers into flames.
Then he heard the characteristic click of the door being unlocked. The doorknob twisted and turned until the door cracked open by just a sliver.
Bakugou Katsuki told himself to follow his heart. He told himself to swallow whatever misgivings he repeated in his mind. However, his body said otherwise because for once in his goddamn life, Bakugou Katsuki lost to nerves. Then the worst happened.
His hand had a mind of its own as it impulsively held the bouquet at the base and chucked it as far as it could until it landed at the end of the hallway.
He had no time to contemplate his stupid ass decision because the door fully opened, revealing Izuku in the flesh. The moment was not romantic in the slightest, but it might as well be with Katsuki's rose-colored glasses. His date wore a plain, checkered button-up shirt and paired them with casual slacks and his signature red shoes. Attached to his shoulders was a garish, mustard-colored backpack. He could have worn as something as silly as an All Might onesie and Katsuki still would have viewed Izuku as the most dashing and handsome man he ever saw.
"Hello Kacchan," Izuku greeted with a slight blush donning his cheeks.
He rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed, as he was sure Katsuki heard him trip and fell to his demise behind these doors. Unable to maintain eye contact with the blond's fierce stare for long periods of time, Izuku was about to avert his eyes and turn to the side until his head was sandwiched between Katsuki's hands.
Katsuki looked quite menacing when he asked, "What were you about to do?"
"Huh?"
Izuku was at a loss for words for being put into the spotlight.
There was a lace of desperation hidden in Katsuki's tone, he noted, but he didn't get the chance to analyze that observation since Katsuki's face was mere centimeters from his. Worse, he could feel his minty breath fan over his reddened cheeks.
Izuku squirmed under his intense gaze.
"Kacchan…" Izuku slowly said as his eyes swept over the man's outfit from top to bottom. "Can you…" He bit his lower lip. "Can you let go?"
Crimson orbs traced over the freckles dotting his face. They looked like the constellations he would often teach himself until the names were branded into his mind in order to impress his peers. Quickly, Katsuki side-eyed the discarded bouquet and dug his fingers into Izuku's forearm.
Not heeding his words, he dragged Izuku in the opposite direction of the flowers. "Let's go," he said. "We're gonna be late."
He wanted to put this whole fiasco behind him, both figuratively and literally, but Izuku used his heels as the brakes and looked at him with confusion. The action jolted Katsuki to look back. Then the green-haired nerd had the audacity to point his thumb over his shoulder.
"Kacchan, what are you doing? It's quicker to go that way."
"Yeah? And?"
To add insult to injury, Izuku slowed down his words as if he was speaking to a child.
"Wouldn't… it be faster…"
He paused, hoping Katsuki would catch his drift. To his dismay, Katsuki feigned incomprehensiveness. He gulped but continued nonetheless.
"... We should walk down that way since it's closer to the exit."
Katsuki, by all means necessary, would rather jump off a cliff than to tell Izuku the underlying truth. Instead, he tugged him closer and lured him in, their bodies almost pressed against each other. Izuku fumbled with his words by the sudden proximity, and Katsuki took his distraction as a godsend and led him away from the scene of the crime.
He masked his perspiration with exasperation. "Seriously," he huffed. "There's nothing wrong with taking the long way."
Clever as ever, Izuku interjected, "But I thought we were going to be late?"
The two reached the first floor with ease, and the outside world was in plain sight. Katsuki took this as a minor victory.
As a response to Izuku's comment, he rolled his eyes. "Yeah, we were if you kept moving at a snail's pace."
He briskly walked out of the building with Izuku following after him. The farther away they are from the apartment complex and the bouquet, the better. Katsuki was a man on a mission, and his mission was to have this movie date end up as a success. Sure, he blundered in the beginning, but that was a test run, he reasoned. The main portion of the date, after all, took place at the movie theater.
Speaking of his date, why the heck is Izuku so goddamn slow? The time on his phone showed they had plenty of time to buy the tickets and popcorn, but at this rate, they would miss half of the trailers. The thought of being unpunctual grated on his nerves.
He stopped in his tracks. He was so tempted to curse and yell Izuku to hurry the fuck up, but he promised Kirishima and himself that he would input all of his energy and effort to be a tad bit more gentlemanly today.
Ha, yeah right. Over his dead body.
"Hurry the fuck up Deku!" he shouted.
Izuku bristled and made a face. Although his childhood friend was typically impatient, he seemed more testy than usual, and he was not going to be the fool to test his limitations. Izuku checked his surroundings before he activated One for All. His quirk coursed through his veins as the current of power traveled across his entire body. He placed himself in a starting position, and in a split second, he was already at Katsuki's side with a curved smirk.
Katsuki looked unimpressed and moved forward.
"Finally," he grumbled.
Despite his crass words, his hand still found Izuku's wrist.
As they were walking together hand in hand, Izuku briefly experimented in the different ways they could hold hands, mumbling in that creepy way of his about the angles of their palms or about whether one hand should cover the other. Katsuki tuned out his words and squeezed the hand he was holding. Izuku made a short sound and was finally satisfied with their intertwined fingers.
For a while, there was a comfortable peace between the two. There was tranquility. There was calm. There was shivering.
Katsuki halted.
There was shivering?
He was so engrossed with the warmth pooling in his gut that he did not realize the stark goosebumps peppering Izuku's arms or the freezing temperature of his extremities. Hilariously enough, Izuku was also not conscious of this as well since he was also focused on their date, which was flattering at first, but Katsuki would rather not have this at Izuku's expense.
The ashen blond loosened his grip.
"What's wrong, Kacchan?" Izuku asked with a crooked smile, but Katsuki was not so stupid that he couldn't hear the slight clatter of teeth.
"You're cold," he stated bluntly and released their hands.
Izuku was smart enough to look a bit guilty as he rubbed against his arms for friction and heat.
"It's late October, Deku," Katsuki said as he put his hands on his hips. "You didn't wear another layer?" he added in a reprimanding voice.
Izuku shuddered again, which Katsuki noted.
"I did!" he answered and hastily unbuttoned his shirt to reveal a vintage Captain America shirt, which hinted the movie they were going to watch soon.
Izuku showed off his nerdy colors as it displayed many intricate details, ranging from the first comic book cover to the superhero's most memorable costumes. The T-shirt was so gaudy and cringeworthy that Katsuki was inwardly glad he was the cooler one and wore a simple design with the iconic shield at the center. Although Izuku proved to him that he wore another layer, albeit a thin one, Katsuki refused to budge until the green-haired teen wore a third layer. He then proceeded to shrug off his own jacket and thrusted the article of clothing in Izuku's freckled face.
Yet, Izuku did nothing and stared at the dangled leather jacket as if it was a bomb and he had to defuse it.
Frustrated, Katsuki pushed it against Izuku's chest. "Take it," he ordered.
However, Izuku had the nerve to reject the offer and pushed the jacket back.
He argued, "But then you'll get cold, Kacchan."
"You're cold right now."
Then Izuku had the audacity to cross his arms and dared to look like a hardliner. "We're almost at the movie theater, Kacchan," he reasoned. "The temperature in the building will be better in there."
Katsuki clicked his tongue. Great, so when he is being an uncooperative little bitch, apparently Deku has the right to yap about collaboration and teamwork, but when Deku is a tiny bit stubborn about any form of help, he apparently has the right to reject it.
He does not appreciate these double standards.
"Deku," he said with strained patience, "Stop being a self-sacrificial idiot and wear the goddamn jacket or else."
Izuku cocked one eyebrow at the threat since it held no bite and was practically harmless ever since they rekindled their friendship together during their second year of high school. The threats were quite endearing, according to Izuku, but in a couple of occasions, Izuku couldn't help but feel challenged. He tilted his head to the side as if he was contemplating Katsuki's words before he flashed a small, flirtatious smirk.
"Make me," he said with a juxtaposition of come-hither eyes and a shy smile.
Katsuki barely processed what had just happened as the young man swerved around and dashed off, leaving the ashen blond to eat his dust. Enraged, Katsuki trembled with anger, gripping the leather jacket tighter as he watched Izuku's receding figure. If he had a raw walnut in his mouth, he would have crushed it with his molars.
"Dirty little cheater," he spat as he made haste and chased after his date with invigorated ferocity.
"COME BACK HERE YOU COWARD!" he hollered as he pumped his legs.
Passerby jumped at his outcry and hurriedly separated themselves like the Red Sea as he sprinted down the sidewalk. After he heard Katsuki's roar, Izuku willed himself to run faster. He had a head start, but this advantage was nothing to his childhood friend. Knowing him, he would do anything to catch up to him with fire and brimstone in his wake.
The outcome of their chase would be due to their untampered strength and endurance. After all, neither man wanted to risk their admission to their dream school for a petty game. Izuku seamlessly weaved through the crowds, analyzing the best routes to move forward while hiding from Katsuki's peripheral vision. On the other hand, the other relied solely on his reflexes and quick wit to avoid bumping into more pedestrians since that would slow him down.
He pursued ahead, not minding he was venturing blind until he caught a glimpse of evergreen hair.
"Found you," he snarled and accelerated forward.
Stealth was not a priority as he approached the unsuspecting nerd. Izuku heard his steps as he looked over his shoulder. He gave him an uneasy smile as he hastily made a sharp turn at an intersection.
"Crap," Katsuki breathed out as he hustled and reached out, his fingertips barely grazing Izuku's collar.
He made a frustrated noise; however, Katsuki was not one to give up. Instead, he adapted.
His palm smacked against the adjacent wall and used that force to push himself even further. Izuku was still in his line of sight, and with that opportunity, he lunged forward. Then, just like he predicted, he tackled the aspiring hero to the ground.
Izuku squawked as he fell for the second time today, but Katsuki had to foresight to use his arms to cushion their fall. They caused a commotion and attracted disapproving stares, but Katsuki does not care as he hoisted himself up to see his prey. Their pants and breaths intermingled together. He glanced down at the rise and fall of Izuku's chest, the slight sheen of sweat across his forehead. In order to ensure that the green-haired man won't run off again, Katsuki straddled his hips and barricaded any means of escape with his arms and legs.
"Now…" he narrowed his eyes and lifted Izuku's chin with his index finger. "Be a good boy and wear the damn jacket," he repeated his previous command.
Based on the tone of his voice, he was not joking, and yet, Izuku responded with a soft laugh, the complete opposite of what Katsuki intended with his threat. Then he looked back at him with pure, unadulterated adoration in his eyes.
"I don't think that's necessary anymore," he said wily.
Katsuki felt his eye twitch. "Why not?" he asked.
Izuku's grin grew wider. The hot-tempered teen knew his boyfriend was not spiteful or condescending; he learned that lesson a long time ago. However, the urge to cave his face with his fist came back with a vengeance.
Izuku tried to contain his amusement and mirth by biting his lower lip with his teeth, which was, as anyone would have guessed, proved unsuccessful, and only made him seem cuter and more desirable than before. Oblivious to the growing want in Katsuki's core, he waved his thumb in the direction behind him, and Katsuki followed its course with his scarlet eyes until they landed on the movie theater.
Understanding dawned upon him. They had already arrived at their destination.
Katsuki couldn't help but comment, "Huh."
"Um…"
His eyes flickered back to the squirming young man beneath him. Izuku looked away with a complicated expression.
"What?" the blond questioned him.
"This position…"
His voice turned tinny and meek, a contrast to the confidence his voice held earlier. He wanted to scoot away from the warmth Katsuki's overlaying body provided, but to no avail, he had to be direct with the object of his affection.
He felt the blood rushing in his ears.
"It's… quite inappropriate, don't you think?"
Katsuki lifted his head and made a cursory observation of his surroundings. Then he looked back at Izuku. He looked around once more and met numerous judgmental eyes. Then he reverted back to Izuku.
Without a moment to lose, he jumped away from Izuku as fast as lightning. A feeling akin to heartburn prickled in his chest, and it worsened as he grabbed Izuku's hand to pull him back up. However, he was not the same, old Katsuki where he would bury his head in the sand deep in denial. Rather, he accepted and embraced this feeling with fervor and tightened his hold. At school, they were rivals, worthy opponents vying for the top, but here at this simple movie theater, they were two awkward teenage boys learning how to cope with their budding romance.
To further prove this point, as they entered the building, Izuku quietly said, "Um, I don't mind if we did that in private though-"
"Shut up, Deku," Katsuki said hotly as he paid for their tickets.
His date made a noise of dissent when he also paid for their popcorn and drinks.
He pouted as he placed his wallet back into his backpack. "I could have paid…"
Katsuki eyed Izuku, catching the way his kissable lips jutted out in displeasure, and his childhood friend remained looking that even though they found relatively good seats.
"Deku," Katsuki called out his name.
The green-haired teen turned in his direction, and Katsuki finally submitted to the longing in his heart and leaned forward. He angled his face and pecked Izuku on the lips. The kiss was soft, innocent, but that didn't stop his face from turning pink. However, the color was no match for the undeniable reddish hue tainting Izuku's cheeks as his face erupted into flames. He shielded his face with arms, his pout gone and replaced with inaudible bumbling.
Pleased with his boyfriend's reaction, Katsuki slumped back into his seat.
"You can pay next time," he said smugly as he watched Izuku burrow deeper into his chair.
"Unfair, Kacchan," Izuku complained, his words muffled by his sleeve.
The other opened his mouth to respond, but their conversation was cut short as the lights dimmed. Immediately, the audience lowered their volume to a hush. Izuku and Katsuki followed their example, diverting their focus to the projector as the trailers began to start.
The premise of the movie they were watching was pretty unique even though All Might was not involved in the production of this movie. Of course, any movie with the symbol of peace as the lead actor would dominate the box office for weeks, but this superhero movie held promise. Although the two did not follow this particular line of comics religiously compared to other fanatics, they were intrigued with the storyline of Captain America. After all, they lived in a world where quirks were a constant everyday occurrence, but the setting of the movie was different from their reality.
Katsuki would have critiqued the film's plot holes and weaknesses if he streamed it from his laptop, but the exhilaration and thrill of watching a superhero movie on the big screen made the difference. Despite his outward and callous appearance, he was a fanboy at heart.
However, even though he rooted for the underdog, cheered during the uplifting moments, and held his breath at the climax, a bittersweet sentiment loomed over him. At one of the slower, dialogue-heavy scenes, his eyes strayed from the screen, and before he knew it, his eyes rested upon Izuku's outline. The lighting from the film gave him a heavenly glow, and the teen was at the edge of his seat, hanging on every word exchanged between the main character and his love interest.
A sense of guilt overtook Katsuki, a type of shame that reminded him of his faults and misgivings, and this shame was amplified tenfold as he made the comparison between Izuku and the main character of the story. Like the protagonist, almost every door of opportunity was slammed in front of his face. Like the protagonist, he was mocked for his overreaching dreams, and like the protagonist, he persevered. He moved forward.
He became a hero.
"Hey," he heard a whisper.
Katsuki blinked out of his daze and returned to reality, a reality where Izuku stared back at him with a troubled look. He rubbed Katsuki's knuckles with the pad of his thumbs in a soothing manner.
"Everything alright?" he asked in a gentle voice.
Katsuki swallowed the lump in his throat. "Yeah," he whispered, though it came out more croaky than he liked.
They were in public, no longer protected by the sanctuary of their dorm rooms, and Katsuki was not willing to reveal any more than he should, lest he lashed out his feelings and have another emotional breakdown. Therefore, he pushed aside these treacherous thoughts and stored them somewhere deep in the crevices of his mind until they surfaced again.
To prove to Izuku he was fine, he nudged his leg against his until their legs were comfortably side by side and pillowed his head on his date's shoulder. He let out an amused snort when he felt the tension rising in those shoulders. It was so typical of Izuku, it was endearing. He nuzzled into Izuku's neck to further gauge his reaction. His coarse hair most likely tickled Izuku's jaw, but the teen was a gentleman and never complained.
Half of Katsuki's attention was on the movie, but half of it was also on the lean base of his neck. Katsuki tested out an idea and kissed a patch of skin, but his mischievousness was thwarted as Izuku swatted his face.
"Kacchan," he warned in a stern voice.
Katsuki clicked his tongue, but he conceded and watched the remainder of the movie. After the post-credit scenes, they exited the room, one already hyped for the next installation and the other crying for the protagonist's tragic love life.
"Gross, Deku," Katsuki wrinkled his nose as Izuku blowed his nose.
The tears streamed down his face as he sniffled. "But," he hiccupped, "He wanted a rain check on that dance!"
Katsuki pinched the bridge of his nose. "Okay, I admit I was hoping they would have a happy ending, but the hero won and lived."
Izuku wiped away his tears with a spare tissue and looked at him with a straight face. "He was frozen for decades and probably learned that everyone he knew and loved died."
Katsuki shrugged. Izuku latched onto his arm.
"What?" he groused and hoped Izuku doesn't rub his disgusting nose on his sleeve.
"Don't," he sniffed, "Don't sacrifice yourself like Steve, you hear?"
"Hah? Of course not!"
Katsuki was outright offended, and then he poked Izuku's forehead. "Rather, I should be telling that to you!" he interjected.
Izuku smiled. He was touched that Katsuki at least cared for his well-being, and he was going to tell him exactly that until he heard a shriek a couple of yards behind him.
A woman cried out, "My purse!"
Afterwards, a screeching, painful sound irritated his eardrums. Izuku hissed as he instinctively covered his ears. He would later realize that the source of the sound was the culprit's quirk, which was the ability to turn his feet into tires.
The criminal sped through the crowd, making a break for it with the purse in his hand. He snickered as pedestrians hurriedly jumped out of the way before he could run them over. Although one could find heroes in every corner, the robber knew he would be safe if he hid in a heavily populated area. Besides, this was a lower level sort of crime, the type heroes would ignore, and he was confident that he could outrun the police.
He would have succeeded if he hadn't come across Katsuki's and Izuku's path.
The robber accelerated forward with the foolish assumption that any sane person would move out of the way. However, this was Bakugo Katsuki, and enough was said with just his name.
With the right timing, he nonchalantly lifted his leg and tripped the criminal without a hint of hesitation. Predictably, the criminal flipped over by the sudden obstacle and slammed his face into the concrete.
"Pathetic," Katsuki scoffed.
Provoked, the robber got up and brandished a knife. He pointed the weapon at Katsuki's bored face, but before the man could attack him, Izuku sprang into action at the first sense of danger. He disarmed the robber, slamming the palm of his hand into the man's elbow. As a result, the criminal cried out in pain and dropped the knife, but that didn't stop Izuku from wrapping his arm in a vice-like grip and pounded the thief into the ground.
Katsuki watched the entire process, impressed. He was even more impressed that Izuku understood his silent cues right off the bat once Katsuki caught the criminal off-guard.
In the past, he would have seethed at the mere fact that Izuku apprehended the villain before him. He would have liked to believe that he matured a bit, but the road to character development was a long and arduous journey. He forgave himself when he felt the pangs of envy in his chest, but the feeling of falling in love with Izuku all over again overpowered those petty feelings. After all, seeing Izuku's lithe and lean body manhandle a man twice his size was a sight to behold.
A police officer eventually came and took charge of the situation. Izuku and Katsuki relayed the details of the encounter, but once the legalities were over, the officer thanked the two boys for their heroic deeds.
The two resumed their date, but it was coming to its end.
Izuku mindlessly played with the lapels of Katsuki's jacket. He was currently wearing it due to his boyfriend's fervent insistence. He resisted at first, but he begrudgingly ceded in order to placate his date. He hugged it closer to him once he realized there was something calming about Katsuki's scent enveloping his entire being. A thought invaded his mind; he had to say it aloud.
"I wished this day wouldn't end," he said.
He peeked through his bangs to see Katsuki's reaction, but Katsuki's present expression was too inscrutable for him to interpret.
The two wandered off to a nearby bridge. Izuku slowly climbed the stairs, but he yielded as he waited for Katsuki to catch up with him. He turned around and faced his direction.
"Well," he let out a light chuckle, "Today was an adventure."
Izuku's kind, emerald eyes softened as he mentally replayed the events of their date.
"I had tons of fun," he continued. Unconsciously, he fiddled with his hands, uncertain if Katsuki felt the same. "Kacchan," he paused, "Did you have fun?"
Katsuki stopped climbing until he was one step behind Izuku, until their faces were almost at the same height. The setting sun highlighted Izuku's best features, from his sparkling forest green eyes to his shimmering glossy lips. Katsuki blinked, making sure that he could paint this moment and ingrain it in his head.
Then he closed the distance between their lips and for once, Izuku was not surprised and reciprocated, wrapping his arms around Katsuki's neck as their bodies moved closer. Katsuki hummed in enjoyment as Izuku's lips parted, their tongues languidly exploring each other's mouths. The kiss was not heady, carnal, or overly erotic, but they were in no hurry to learn about each other's likes and dislikes for they had all the time in the world to practice that. It was sloppy, with spit and drool and all of the above, but that didn't matter to the two of them. It was still intoxicating; it still took their breath away.
Katsuki's hands were on Izuku's hips and the small of his back, and he held onto them like a lifeline. However, all good things must end, and though he regretted it, he had to pull away, too stimulated from the prolonged exposure to Izuku's tantalizing lips. His hands vibrated with excitement, his breaths labored and hard.
Izuku chased for his lips, but after meeting only air, he opened his eyes with a content sigh.
"Wow," he whispered even though there was nobody there to hear it.
Katsuki cleared his throat, dumbfounded, as if the kiss itself short-circuited his brain cells. He searched for the correct words.
"Let's go home," he said.
Izuku seemed to be in no better position than him and silently nodded in agreement. Then he offered his hand with a serene smile.
"Can we hold hands?" he asked.
He didn't have to ask, but Katsuki was grateful nonetheless. Moments passed, but in the end, Katsuki finally grasped that hand. With that, they made their long trek back home.
Midoriya Izuku closed the door and slid down its wooden surface until his butt touched the ground. His legs felt like jello, his heart working nonstop like a jackhammer.
"Izuku," his mother called out in her singsong voice, "Is that you?"
"Yeah," he replied and stared at the ceiling with a dopey grin.
"How was it?"
"It was good," he said dreamily as he toed off his shoes.
He entered the kitchen, ready to reenact all the best moments to his mother, which, let's be honest, was everything to Izuku. However, his train of thought was interrupted once he noticed the beautiful bouquet of white and yellow daisies on the kitchen table. Presented in a simple vase, their presence brightened the room.
Hands behind his back, he sauntered over to his mother, who was washing the dishes, with a sly grin.
"So who's the secret admirer?" he asked with a teasing lilt in his voice.
His mother shook her head in amusement.
"Oh Izuku, you flatter me," she laughed. Then she explained, "I was out on a grocery run and found those flowers at the end of the hallway." She shook her head, tsking, "It was such a waste to leave them crumpled on the ground."
"I see…" he commented a bit dejectedly.
Despite the actual truth, he gave his mother a quick peck on the cheek. "Even though they weren't for you," he said cheerily, "You're still the most beautiful woman in the world."
"Stop embarrassing me, Izuku," she laughed again. "Now shoo," she waved a soapy hand, "I have to finish cleaning these dishes."
Izuku raised his hands in surrender and slowly backed away. In one, two, three steps, he whirled around and returned to the lovely bouquet sitting on the kitchen table. He pulled out a chair and sat himself, admiring the arrangement up-close and personal.
"What a shame," he said as he fingered one of the wrinkled petals. "Too bad they never got to the recipient," he added.
He reached over and began to organize each individual flower, determined that he could restore them back to their former glory instead of the crinkled mess right in front of him. There was a backstory behind these flowers, and though they met an unhappy end, he refused to let them go to waste. He was nearly finished until his fingers brushed against a creased slip of paper.
"What's this?" he questioned as he carefully untangled it from the flowers' clutches.
Curious, he unfolded the paper, his eyes tracing over the contents. He rapidly blinked, unsure if he hallucinated the words and reread them thrice, but he still produced the same results.
The flowers were intended for him.
"But who would-"
He knew who would deliver these flowers to him. He knew, he knew, he knew.
Before he could do something rash like barge into Katsuki's house and smother him with hugs or something sappy like that, his mother appeared by his side.
"So how was your date?" she asked as she wiped her hands with a towel.
Izuku turned to her, brimming with childlike glee. What the heck, he told himself. He might as well visit the Bakugo household right now. "Perfect," he smiled.
Indeed, it was perfect.