Spoiler Alert
You would think, that having lived on the outskirts of a big city for all of their lives, it would have made them immune to the humdrum of chaotic metropolitan life. People everywhere, and during rush hours such as before or after business hours, the streets resembled the mass migrations of wildebeests on their way to a new grazing field. All you could do to keep from being trampled were follow along with the flow of traffic.
The weekend was a freebie for once, with no training, interning, and even better a lull in villain activity. So, most of the class of 1-A opted to return home to visit family, including Katsuki and Izuku. So, as the pair stands amongst the sea of Friday afternoon commuters, it was clear that it would take a couple of passes before they would get onto a train, despite station personnel shoving as many into the cars as possible. This irritated the blonde hot head. They would have missed the busy time if the nerd had packed the night before and not waited until after classes had finished for the day.
"My mom asked if you'd like to come over for dinner," Izuku questions his friend. "She said she could make that spicy curry you like."
Knowing that the woman had most likely asked his mom first, who'd probably accepted, Katsuki knew his options were either to agree or deal with being yelled at by his mother. He held back the growl burning in his throat. "You sure aunty Inko doesn't mind?"
Izuku smiles. "Of course not, Kacchan. She likes having you over."
Welp. He swore this family was trying for sainthood status or something. Not many could handle his explosive personality, aside from family, and the few close friends he kept close to his vest. "Alright, I'll stay for dinner," he grumps and goes back to scrolling on his phone.
Satisfied with his friend's response, Izuku does the same, since it was the best way to pass the time. If only the train wasn't so full, because he was ready to use this opportunity to get some much-needed R & R. He stares at his phone, zoning out on his Instagram feed, mostly scrolling through with the occasional like or share to his story. A yawn cuts through, but he pays it no mind, assuming that his late-night studying was catching up to him.
Ever wonder what canned sardines might feel like? Well, it's crossed Izuku's mind once or twice as he stood shoulder to shoulder next to his friend. All he could pray for was no one tried anything funny. And as for Katsuki, he did his best to ignore the fact that he had no personal space in this damn commuter train.
They bumped along the track, the people inside swaying along like a gentle wave, ebbing and flowing with the surges. It was a sight to see if you've never experienced it. Those that could reach, held on to the overhead bars or hanging straps, while the lucky few who'd managed to snag a seat, were crowded with just enough space to sit. It brought a smile to Izuku's face to see that seats were readily given up for the aged or those with small children.
But the rocking motion was making him sleepy, and before he knew it, the green-haired hero was dozing off. That wasn't a good thing, since they still had several more stops to go before their own would come. For the first couple of times, it was Katsuki's elbow to his midsection that woke him up again.
One would think it odd to fall asleep standing up on a train, but when you picture the compacted nature of their situation, it certainly was a possible feat. Surrounding passengers acted as gentle bumpers, guiding you with the flow, while the cramped nature made it impossible to fall down. Plus, the occasional jarring along the track would wake most people from their slumbers.
At first, Katsuki was annoyed when Izuku's lolling head would come to rest against his arm. It was bad enough to feel trapped in this metal box, but to now be used as a pillow?! It's not like he could push the sleeping man away either. But he had to admit... the nerd was adorable when he slept.
There was such a peaceful essence, an almost angelic nature to his oldest friend. From the cherubim cheeks, silly freckles, and sweet boyish charm that melted many hearts, including, to his chagrin, his own. Katsuki rarely knew what it felt like to be at such peace, and frankly it was one of the things that annoyed him about his friend. How could this mouse go from anxious-riddled while awake, to a zen like state so easily?
The blonde looks up at the automatic announcer screen and sees another stop coming up in a minute. He knew once the other passengers began to filter in and out, the shift would cause Izuku to lose his buffer and fall.
Damn it!
Now he couldn't just let that happen or how bad would it look? Up and coming pro hero, let's friend face plant in a train. All he needed was the multitudes of phone cameras going off and being lectured by Aizawa for unbecoming hero behavior... yeah thanks, but no thanks. His face blooms a shade of pink, and his skin heats up as he slips his arm around Izuku's body, hugging the shorter man against his side. Katsuki does this as quietly and gently as possible so as to not wake his friend because the last thing he needs is to feel any weirder than he already did. Luckily for the blonde, the man never wakes, despite being brushed and shifted by the flow of new and old passengers.
But a new dilemma arises, not enough passengers. To Katsuki's horror, he'd have to keep his arm around Izuku or the man would have little other support. Sure, he could wake his friend up and yet... as he glances down at the slumbering nerd, he just couldn't do it. Kami, he was even smiling in his sleep!
Zing. It stops the hot-heads heart for a millisecond as the word cute almost slips from his lips. Katsuki looks away, shielding his eyes, or maybe to hide the new wave of heat flooding his cheeks. Damn it! Where were these emotions coming from?! He forces himself from looking back out of fear that his heart might skip a second beat.
But a snicker catches his attention, and Katsuki looks over to see a couple of younger males staring at him and whispering between each other. He lifts his hand briefly, flashing a spark. That shuts them up, their eyes quickly averting back to their phones. 'Yeah that's right,' he muses, there ain't nothing going on here. 'Two more stops... two more stops to go...' chants chorusing through his mind. He just needed to survive two more stops.
Suddenly, Izuku shifts, turning slightly as if he thinks he's sleeping on his side on a bed, cuddling a little to the warmth he found purchase on.
Katsuki stiffens from the contact, this damn nerd! He rubs his sweaty palm against his pants as the heat index suddenly doubles in the tin can. Dear Kami, he didn't know if he wanted to kill the man or... 'don't you dare finish that thought!' He growls under his breath.
"Ka—cchan, don't growl at me..."
He hears his friend's whiny mumble, along with even more snickering around the car. 'What the hell!' Does Izuku know, thinks he's sleeping next to him?! Oh no, no, no! His heart was ready to explode, or his brain, either way if they didn't get out of there soon, he might combust! Was this man dreaming... about... him?! Friends don't just cuddle! Katsuki couldn't breathe and the air grew stuffy, overbearing as if a strange fog of tepid air had descended and filled the car. His mind spun through a kaleidoscope of emotions... confused and yet hints of sinful thoughts hitch his breath in abated release. If he didn't do something soon it was down the rabbit hole for him.
At the next stop, as soon as the other passengers began to disembark, Katsuki quickly pulls Izuku over to a seat that opens up and drops the unaware man onto it with a thud. Everything, this! It was too much, too sudden to thrust onto his shoulders. They were on a train for heavens sakes! This was not the time or circumstance to be delving into the potential... 'Don't... I can't... face this truth right now.'
"Kacchan?" Izuku rubs his eyes after the jarring wake up call. "Are we at our stop?" He looks up and sees his friends back facing him, but the blonde's fists are balled so tightly at his sides, he could see the whiteness of the knuckles and veins screaming under the skin. "Kacchan what's wrong?"
As soon as he hears Izuku's voice behind him, the blonde almost jumps out of his skin, as electrical currents rip up his spine, causing his body to freeze in place. "Nothing." His words are terse and final. "Our stop is up in a couple minutes."
The green-haired man looks up at the digital announcements and sees the message. Oh good! And wow, had he really slept all the way here? Though somehow, he'd gone from standing to sitting. He smiles unknowingly, "Thank you for waking me up Kacchan."
"Tch." Guess the nerd doesn't remember anything and hell if he was gonna be the one to point it out.
For the rest of the train ride and short walk to their apartment building, things went back to normal on the outside with Katsuki keeping his word and staying over for dinner. Inko Midoriya's cooking was just as he remembered it, and he was delighted in how spicy she'd made his portion. She talked their ears off, asking how things were going at school, excitedly showing them newspaper paper clippings of the two of them that she would save. Frankly, that surprised him a little. Stories of her son were one thing, but why articles that included him? Seeing how happy they made her, any questions he has die away on his tongue.
"It's really nice to see you boys still friends after all these years," she tells them as Katsuki stood at the door ready to leave. "And I feel a lot better knowing my Izuku has you of all people watching his back."
"Um... Thanks auntie Inko," Katsuki mumbles a bit embarrassed. He really wasn't sure how to respond knowing how much of a dick he could be to his oldest friend.
"Aww mom," Izuku blushes red. He wasn't sure of the truthfulness of that statement... well maybe, he guessed it was true that he and Katsuki could fight like cats and dogs but when it came down to a battle, his oldest friend was the one person he trusted more than any other.
"Goodnight aunty Inko..." Katsuki turns to leave, "and you too De..ei—Izuku."
"Goodnight Bakugou," Inko smiles and watches the young man go, "and tell your mom I said hi!"
"Night Kacchan!"
Inko closes the door to the apartment. "He's turned into such a fine young man his mother is so proud." She then turns to her son, "like I'm so proud of mine," then places a hand on his shoulder, "promise me to take care of each other. There's nothing more important than the strength of your friendship."
If only she knew. "I will mom," Izuku blushes, "I'd do anything for Kacchan."
"I'm sure you would," she smiles and pats him on the shoulder before walking away.
In the Bakugou household, the moment Katsuki walked through the front door of the apartment, his mother pounced on him like a lioness. How did it go, how were the Midoriya's, did he behave, when was he ever planning on bringing Izuku over to visit? Tired and frankly with his head still spinning from that afternoon's events, all the hot head would give her were one-word answers. Fine. Good. Yes. Never! Of course, that last one had his mom screeching, but he tuned her out and locked her out of his bedroom.
At last! Without turning on the overhead light, he flops onto his bed and throws an arm over his eyes to shield them from the non-existent light source. Darkness was a friend right now, offering solace and quiet, yet with little peace from the raging thoughts swirling through his mind. Today really was a rabbit hole of twists, turns, and uncorroborated revelations that left the blonde grappling with what to do about it.
Number one, he hated being blindsided like that, and number two, he hated it even more when emotions were involved. They just weren't his thing. He understood logic and a straight-forward attitude, not hidden intrigues or anything that could be associated with weakness. Well, maybe weakness was a strong word. Confusion? Being unsure? In his opinion letting emotions cloud one's judgement made them a target. That's why he preferred to wear his on his sleeve... Err, sort of. His explosive personality, or the anger that could come out was a testament to never holding things in.
Katsuki closes his eyes, exhausted from thinking about Izuku and that damn train ride. Maybe after a good night of sleep, he'll start the day off fresh and forget that anything had ever happened.
That evening, after his friend had left and his mother retired for the night, Izuku takes advantage of the quiet nature of their apartment. It was getting late, but he fills the furo and sinks up to his neck into the steaming waters. Wow, he needed this. The hot water was a god send to mellow out the raging storm he'd held inside. Since the moment he'd woken up in that train the whole situation ate away at him, and the more his analytical brain processed it, the bigger the realities became clear that something had indeed happened.
First off, he remembered being sleepy, even dozing off a couple of times. Then the next thing he knew, he was sitting, no longer standing, and they were minutes away from their stop. Based on his calculations, he'd been asleep for approximately 20 minutes. But what had gone on during that time? It must have been Katsuki that put him in the seat, though why had his friend seemed so annoyed?
Izuku replays the moments from the time his eyes opened until they disembarked, and distinctly remembers the clenched fists and curt tone in the blonde's responses. In fact, Katsuki wouldn't even look at him the rest of the way home and it was only when his mother forced conversations between them, did he receive short glances. His friend was hiding something. Damn it, but what?! He sighs and sinks deeper into the refreshing waters. The only thing left to consider is the one thing he couldn't remember.
Ugh!
Maybe he'd been dreaming? Which would make sense considering there wasn't much more a person could do while asleep. But wait, had he been asleep standing up for a part of that time? When he'd woken up, the train was no longer the sardine can it had been, so how could he have slept standing up unless... "Oh... no!" Izuku gasps, wishing he could drown himself right then and there. Katsuki must have kept him from falling. But the worst part, was realizing, he sometimes talked in his sleep. 'Fuck!' Is that what happened?! It wasn't a dream after all, but his worst nightmares come true!
But why hadn't the hot head said anything?! Jump down his throat, snap, something! Oh, this was bad if Katsuki kept quiet about it! What the hell did he do?!
That night Izuku tossed and turned through strange dreams. The constant thoughts of his friend plaguing him and bringing with it, images of raw and unadulterated moments that have never taken place. He awoke with a start, flushed and feverish, only vague memories of the dream. But what was left had sent his mind in a tailspin. 'I can still feel...' Katsuki's touch. Ghostly lingers along his skin, his arms, his face heated and sweat glistening along their pale bodies. 'Oh my god...' he covers his face in embarrassment despite being alone in the room. These were well hidden desires creeping into his subconscious... and maybe... had it... 'Did I sleep talk on that train?!'
This was never to be mentioned again! It was doubtful that Katsuki would bring it up, so he'll just pretend that nothing had happened. End of story. Damn his mouth always getting him in trouble! Needless to say, sleepless nights continued and as Sunday morning dawned, the nerd was sorely in need of another break. So much for the rest and relaxation.
"Oi Deku be ready by 4pm."
Katsuki stared down at the text message he'd just sent. The damn nerd better be ready on time for once!
He flops back onto his own bed and turns on the television. The sound coming from the screen merely a droning to the thoughts plaguing his mind, and one he preferred to avoid. It had all started by middle school, little twinges of emotions whenever the nerd was around. Back then, he'd buried them deep down where he'd hoped they'd die away. On the contrary, only growing stronger over the years. The hostility was his coping mechanism. Be mean to the guy and no one would suspect the opposite.
Becoming the #1 hero was his goal and focusing on that should be his main priority. Training, getting stronger, all of these things were what mattered. He didn't want some stupid crush to make him lose focus. Until now, it hadn't been difficult to do any of that because he assumed Izuku had similar goals. Plus, the man never gave any inkling he might feel the same way.
Well if this didn't just throw a proverbial monkey wrench into the situation! Maybe it was nothing but a bunch of exaggerated conjecture, fantasies contrived in his own mind that would turn out to be one big misunderstanding. Katsuki's brows furrow, such a thought didn't make him any happier. On the contrary, that might break his... 'Not going there!' But it would be a bigger punch in the gut then when he'd found out the nerd had a quirk.
Bloody hell. As Katsuki looks over at his clock he realizes he's been sitting there for an hour just fussing over this unrequited mess he was in. He clicks off the useless television and storms out of his room, some training would do him justice to work off the frustration.
10 am turned into noon and still no response from Izuku. By 2pm the hot head was ready to explode. Why hadn't the nerd answered him?! He couldn't call Mrs. Midoriya because she was inconveniently out with his own mother on a Sunday shopping trip. "Argh!" Katsuki throws his phone at his bed, fuming as he packs up his belongings. He didn't want to risk waiting until 4pm, only to find out the nerd wasn't ready. So, when he hears his mother return, that was his cue. The blonde looks at his phone, '3'o'clock. Perfect!' he grabs his backpack and heads out.
When he knocks on the Midoriya's door, Inko answers.
"Oh! Hello! Please," she waves him in. "I think Izuku is asleep again, he's been really tired all weekend."
Just great! Katsuki didn't want to snap in front of the woman so he simply nods and bangs his way into the nerd's room. Sure enough, there the man was all sprawled out on his bed!
Without thinking, he rips the blankets from the bed, pulling Izuku along with it. The man falls out half twisted amongst the fabric. "Damn it Deku you're gonna make us late again! I swear I..." Shit! The blonde pauses mid rant and spins on his heel to face away. "Put some fucking clothes on Deku, you got 5 minutes to be packed!" He then storms out of the room leaving a half awake and clueless Izuku shocked on the floor.
'Huh?' Izuku looks down, 'Eek!' pulling the blankets up around him. All he had on was a pair of All Might boxers and nothing else. They've seen each other naked in the showers before not to mention as little kids when their parents would make them bathe at the same time, but this was the worst timing!
He glances at the clock wondering why Katsuki was there in the first place and sees the time. Oh man, no wonder the blonde was pissed! Izuku quickly scrambles around his bedroom, throwing on clothes and shoving his belongings into a backpack. He races out of the bedroom and smacks right into his friend. "Oof!"
"Tch," Katsuki pushes him off, pushing down the fierce heat that flames up from the contact.
"S-Sorry, Kacchan."
Without a retort, he ignores the man and after saying good-bye to Izuku's mom, walks out of the apartment.
"Is everything okay," the woman questions her son as he tries to hurry after his friend.
"Ye-Yeah, everything's fine. Bye Mom!" He races out, still working on his shoes.
They walk in silence to the train station. The normally chatty nerd was lost for words and the hot head pretending nothing was wrong. Thankfully, the train was devoid of people, save for a handful at the other end of the car. That could change at subsequent stops but at least it gave them first dibs on seats.
Izuku picks an empty bench to sit on and is surprised when Katsuki follows suit by sitting right beside him. He didn't know if he should be happy or even more on edge considering there were other options available to the blonde. But the man simply pops his ear buds in, turns on his music and closes his eyes, ignoring him. Clearly, the man didn't want to be bothered and so, he took his cue and focused on his own phone for entertainment.
His whole weekend had been a frustrating and tiresome ordeal, and all he wanted to do was grab some food when they reached the dorms, then curl up in bed until it was time to leave for Monday morning classes. If Katsuki was going to ignore the fact that anything strange may have happened between them, the green-haired man simply assumed that his unrequited feelings would remain just that.
But just like Friday, slowly, the phone screen began to blur, and Izuku struggles to keep his eyes open. He didn't want to fall asleep again. He didn't want to risk another encounter... but the train's motion was lulling him, beckoning him into another slumber. And before he could stop himself, the world had slipped away.
With his eyes closed, Katsuki had been unaware of the nerd's predicament. It had been the plan all along to ignore the man, then lock himself away in his dorm room. That's when he feels it, as the train shifts during a bend in the tracks, and the weight of a body presses against his side.
This man was out to kill him...
Every fiber in his soul pulled him in two different directions. On the one hand, move to another seat and leave Deku crashed out on this bench. On the other hand, just put up with it, be the friend who keeps him from slipping. Ugh! Why was the second option winning?!
He looks over and there's that damn angelic face again, so comfortable and serene in an unknown dreamland. Peacefully resting with his head against Katsuki's shoulder. 'Tch!' Why was the nerd so tired lately? He brushes away a few strands that had slipped over Izuku's face, noting a few more freckles that he'd hadn't noticed before. 'Cute...' Arrow to his heart. What was he thinking?!
Katsuki turns away and tries to ignore the pull, but he can't resist. Seeing this man so quiet brought a strange calming effect that he never quite understood. Oh, don't get him wrong, an awake Izuku could push his buttons like no other and yet there was something of a balance they held that when put to the test was amazing to witness. He exhales, like the time on Nabu, just one of many that proved how perfect they were together.
A cold chill from nowhere causes his breathing to falter. That island... he'd pushed past a fear to keep fighting, the only fear that could stop his heart cold. They'd been so close, for a brief moment in time the idea he might lose this man next to him was enough to push him past any barriers his body threw up. He didn't care if broke every bone in his body because there was no way he'd let Izuku die.
He looks over again at his friend. Regardless if things ever progressed between them, he'd always be there for this man. A light smile worms its way onto Katsuki's face. Alright fine, so yes, he had a heart and it happened to belong to one person. Izuku may not know it yet, and that was okay. He slips his arm around the man's shoulders, keeping him locked against his side. So be it. Katsuki closes his eyes and relaxes with his head rested against Izuku for the rest of the train ride. Guess this wasn't so bad after all.
"Dudes!"
"What Shitty hair?!"
Kirishima rushes down the landing practically jumping the steps to confront Izuku and Katsuki as they arrive at the dorms. He shoves his phone in their faces. "What is you guys are going viral!"
The two men zero in on the small screen and it was Izuku to react first, his face exploding into a red firestorm of sputtered, indecipherable babbling while Katsuki's face paled like a snowy forest being blanketed in its first winter's storm. It was a photo of them on the train, sitting quietly as if asleep with their heads resting against each other's. Someone had taken a picture of them! But the kicker was not the photo itself but the headline: Pro Partners or... Partners?
Silence... deafening peaks of human interaction gone as the air surrounding the trio pulls away like a vacuum in a combustion chamber gathering fuel. Distant sounds of metropolitan life or fauna muffled and roaring in their ears. They flinch from the cracking of knuckles balled tightly against their friend's sides.
Izuku and Kirishima retreat back, one step, two as steam slowly rises from their friend's hands. Oh... Shit... "Go," Izuku whispers to the red-head, "j-just, go I'll deal with him."
"It was nice knowin' ya," Kirishima mutters as he books it for the dorm.
Katsuki was beyond reckoning. Why now, like this, when he was just getting used to the idea... IDEA! Of maybe, maybe dropping his guard and letting Izuku in. 'This wasn't his fault...' 'I know that!' Stupid, fucking, bastard, if I ever find the photographer, he's dead! DEAD! How dare he use such a bold headline! It didn't matter if there was an ember of truth, the fact that this photo was blasted on social media would surely garner attention that he was not at all ready for!
What was Izuku supposed to say when he was just as shocked, maybe more so than the hot head. He didn't even know this had happened. Obviously, it was taken on their way back when he'd fallen asleep, but he thought nothing else of it. He'd woken up, still sitting on the seat with Katsuki scrolling on his phone beside him. It was all within norms. Hell, he was relieved that nothing else weird had gone on!
But now he along with the world learned the truth after being blasted on social media. Even so, it wasn't worth making up insinuations. Maybe his friend had simply fallen asleep too. Nothing weird about that. Though... 'how do you explain Kacchan's arm around you.' Leave it to his conscious to remember the details.
A rush of emotions spark within Izuku at how relaxed his crush was looking in that photo. If one removed any misunderstandings of the two, it really was a nice photo. To see Katsuki looking at ease and not angry or tense, even for Izuku who's known the guy since childhood, such moments were rare indeed. He knew his friend had a softer, caring side despite hiding it. It's one of the things that made him fall in love with the man all those years ago.
Now, how to keep the blonde from exploding?
Izuku reaches out tentatively for his friend's shoulder, "Kacchan, please let's just..."
"JUST WHAT?!" The hot head's rage explodes, and he swats the nerd's hand away. "You can't make this better, you can't fix everything Deku so just fucking stop!"
"I'm not..."
Katsuki loses it. He grabs Izuku by the shirt with both hands. "Don't fucking interrupt me! I'm not someone you need to save!" He shoves the boy back. "You just don't get it Deku! This! It'll ruin my fucking image! I can't be seen with you like that!"
'Oh... fuck.' All the blood in his face drains the second those final words register on his lips. The blonde knew he'd just screwed up royally, when the man deflates right before his eyes. All the anger over the photo taken out on the one person he cared about.
Izuku didn't deserve that.
"I get it, okay," Izuku takes a step back, clutching to a non-existent pain in his chest and choking back a sob. "You hate me. Always have and just put up with me to keep your mom off you back."
"Izuku wait..."
Another step back. "No, no your right Kacchan. I'm your rival, your enemy. Of course, you don't want to be seen with me, I get it."
'FUCK!' "Wait no goddamn it! I didn't mean..." he grabs for his friend once more, but the heartbroken man steps out of reach and races away into the building.
"ARGHHH! STUPID!" All the anger returns ten-fold but onto himself. His damn mouth ruined everything! He didn't hate Deku, he... loved him. That stupid, sensitive mouse who was always there for him, didn't fear him like others do, was the one he wanted. "Damn it!"
Katsuki wastes no time in storming through the common area in such a fury, their classmates flinch and quickly get out of the way. He heads straight up to the dorm floor and right to Izuku's room where he finds it empty. "Where the fuck did, he go?!"
Ping. His phone beeps with a message from Shouto. Of all people, what did half and half want now?!
"Midoriya was in the kitchen talking to Ochako, he just left."
Without responding, the hot head bee lines it back downstairs. He finds the gravity chick still in the kitchen, standing puzzled and upset, leaning against a counter. But as soon as Uraraka sees him enter the room, she turns and starts snapping with a level of anger he's never seen before.
"You're such a bastard! You crushed that poor guys heart over what? Your Image! It was just a cute photo for crying out loud!"
"Look I ain't here to argue with you," he narrows his eyes and growls at her. "I just wanna talk to Izuku."
"Well he ain't here."
"No shit! Then where is he?!"
"Why should I tell you, so you can destroy him some more?! Izu was so happy to think... you know what never mind," she crosses her arms. "All I will say is he deserves so much better than you! I don't know why in the world he would crush on a guy who treats him like shit!"
His eyes grow wide, dizzying, the world spinning as all the strength in his body suddenly dissipates. "WHAT?!" Katsuki crumples, trips over his feet, stumbling backward against the door jamb. Did he just hear, what he thought he heard?! "D-Deku actually likes me too?..." it was more like a whisper, but the words echo in his ears. He'd resigned himself to a one-sided quiet infatuation, convinced that the whole ordeal in the train was just a misunderstanding. Izuku couldn't have been dreaming of him. Maybe he was after all, and now he might have lost his friend forever.
Katsuki jumps to his feet, rushes and grabs Uraraka by the shoulders in a panic.
Her eyes flash wide in fear and confusion for she's never seen this man lose his cool like this. She cringes as he grips tightly to her frame. "Let go, you're hurting me!"
"Tell me... TELL ME! Where did Deku go?! I need to find him!"
"Oww! Stop it! Why should I tell you!"
"Because... because..." when he realizes the fear in her eyes, his shoulders slump and he releases his grip with a heavy exhale. "Because I like him too, okay. I-I need to fix this... please."
Ochako blinks as she rubs her shoulders, processing the sudden change in emotions. Was this hot head for real? Part of her screamed in favor of protecting her friend Izuku, but her heart was telling her this man was being genuine. She sighs, "I really don't know exactly where he went. I'd barely got the story out of him when he heard you storm in and rushed out."
Katsuki slumps to the floor cradling his face in his hands. "Then I'm screwed."
"You know he's bound to come back, right? There's no way he'd miss school." She reaches out tentatively and places a hand on his shoulder. When Katsuki doesn't react, she relaxes. "Izu once told me there's a place he goes to when he's upset. Something about a river fort. I don't know where that is, but maybe he went there?"
'The fort?!' But it was already getting dark outside. "I know where it is," he sighs and stands up. "Thanks, Uraraka," he mumbles and sprints away.
While using their quirks outside of hero work was generally forbidden, it was faster than taking the train. He puts on a jacket and grabs an extra one, before heading out of UA for the river near their apartments in Musutafu. It's been years since he's been to the old fort, and he didn't even know if it still existed. They'd built it when they were 5, 6, Katsuki couldn't remember, but he would assume it'd been long ago demolished or destroyed by weather.
With the help of his quirks propulsion's, he reaches the river in 10 minutes. By then, the sun had fully set, and the half-moon only provided minimal light through the trees. He uses a stick as a torch and traverses the riverbank to where he was sure the old structure would be.
"W-Who's there!"
As Katsuki hears the voice, a flash of green light zips past him like a warning flare.
"If you don't tell me who you are, I'll send another one!" The voice calls out from the darkness.
"Oi, quit the light show, it's just me."
"Kacchan?!" What was he doing there?! "How'd you find me?"
"Gravity chick after she cussed me out. I just wanna talk Deku."
"There's nothing to talk about so please just leave me alone Kacchan. That's the least you could do for me."
The sorrow brimming in his crushes voice just ate away at his soul. Kami he was such an asshole who didn't deserve forgiveness. But as much pain as they were both in, to walk away now would be the death of his better half. Katsuki sighs, "I can't do that. So, if I leave, you're coming with me."
He hears Izuku suck in a draft of air as if preparing to do something. "I'm coming closer, so don't you dare hit me," the blonde warns, holding up his torch to light his way. A few feet further, he sees the worn wooden planks of the old fort and the vague outline of his friend sitting on one of the makeshift benches.
Izuku looks away as Katsuki drives the torch into the earthen ground and takes a seat at the other end of the bench. For once the chatty mouse was as silent as the grave the blonde felt like he was sitting in.
Katsuki looks at the ground, his brows furrowed. "I didn't mean it Deku. What I said in anger... it wasn't true."
"Right," the nerd rolls his eyes, "saying that I ruin your image wasn't meant for me. Look I can't hate you Kacchan but that doesn't mean I'm not angry so, don't lie to me. I'm through being your punching bag."
Ouch that was like a kick to the groin. But the nerd was right, and he deserved much of the hostility being levied at him.
"I was afraid," Katsuki responds with uncertainty. "Everything that happened I just wasn't ready to face it."
"Face what?" A snide retort. "An innocent interaction between two friends... oh I'm sorry, I forgot I'm not your friend, I'm just a means to an end for your image."
"Oi, I'm trying not to be a dick for once! Damn it Deku I don't hate you! Get it through that thick skull of yours! You're not an enemy! I was upset that some jack ass on social media portrayed us as a couple when I hadn't gotten around to talking to you about it first!"
"What are you trying to say Kacchan?"
"I don't know. I don't think I'm ready for relationships yet, but this whole ordeal made me realize... what you really mean to me. Ugh!" Katsuki groans, "I fucking like you idiot, that's the whole secret, okay? I just didn't appreciate a troll blasting it online just to get likes."
An uncomfortable silence grows with each ticking minute misfiring in the blonde's head. He'd just poured his heart out, but Izuku still hasn't responded and it was driving him insane. After about 10 minutes, he can't take it anymore. "Well?! Aren't you gonna say something?!"
The man's voice was quiet, reflective in a way as if a great many things were on his mind. "I-I don't know what to say Kacchan. You've been my crush since we were 10, but I never thought that it would become real."
Katsuki palms his face, don't tell him they've both been crushing on each other since primary school. They really were idiots in love.
He slides over on the bench noting the slight tremble of Izuku's frame and covers his shoulders with the extra jacket he'd brought. The adrenaline of the evening was wearing down while the night air grew colder around them. "I'm sorry," he mumbles as he wraps his arm around the man's body. "I never meant to hurt you like that."
Izuku's body shudders lightly as his hands fly up to his face, and tears flow along his cheeks, covered in embarrassment from his overflow of emotions. It was all too surreal. Too dream-like that he feared it was just his imagination born in the dark of this childhood forest home. But as Katsuki's hold increases, pulling the sobbing man closer, enfolding and pulling him against his chest, he knew it was real.
He holds his friend until the last vestiges of sorrow spill away and tears have dried. "You good now?" Katsuki whispers against the nerd's neck, triggering a shiver. He feels the man nod, but keeps his face buried against his neck. The blonde smiles for the first real time that day. No one could predict where their future will go, but for now, he at least had his best friend back.
Several more minutes pass by as the two men simply sit in peace under the stars. Their light source was gone, but no longer necessary. Katsuki pulls away just enough without letting go. "We should go home," he smiles and prompts Izuku. Wiping at the dry tear stains, he smooths his thumb over the nerd's cherubic skin. "Don't know 'bout you, but I'm exhausted."
Izuku's cheeks flush with warmth, but he chuckles, bringing a wider grin to the blonde. "Y-yeah," he smiles back. After everything that's happened his reserves were running on empty too.
Katsuki gets to his feet and pulls the man up from the bench. He was feeling energized, freed with one less weight holding him down. So, what if anyone teases them when all that mattered was Izuku.
"Will you make another torch so we can find our way out?" The nerd queries his friend.
"Nah," the blonde smirks, "got a better idea." And before his friend can question further, he scoops the man in his arms like a bride crossing a threshold and maybe it was in a way, the threshold of a new future.
"Kacchan?"
"Hold on."
He rockets the squealing man up and over the tree line, crossing the small river, and landing in the neighboring park.
"Kacchan you didn't have to do that you know." But the man just shrugs and puts him down.
"Felt like it. Now come on, you dork," the blonde grabs his friend's hand and intertwines their fingers, "I'm tired and starving."
A renewed blush sweeps over Izuku from the intimate gesture. He squeezes his hand, "ok."
They walk to the train station in companionable silence, each full of many more questions, but ones that could wait for another day. It wasn't worth breaking the serenity of their newly found world.
'I wonder what our parents are gonna say,' Izuku muses to himself. 'Are our nicknames... now pet names?' That one almost causes him to snort in laughter. Kacchan was his... He looks down with a small smile of apropos bliss. It didn't matter if there was a title or not, for this, he gives their hands a gentle squeeze, was enough for him.
Settled once more on a bench in a barren train car, Katsuki places his arm along the backing, letting his hand fall atop Izuku's shoulder. "You gonna crash on me again?" The blonde teases. And as if on cue, a yawn erupts from the man before he could even finish asking.
"Sorry," Izuku's cheeks tinge pink in embarrassment. "I barely slept all weekend."
"Tch," Katsuki pushes the man's head to rest on his shoulder, holding it in place, "it's fine, idiot. I'll wake you up when we get to our stop."
"Thanks, Kacchan," his eyes already heavy and drifting closed.
Remind him again why he fell in love with such a damn dork? He brushes strands away from Izuku's eyes, smiling when his crush smiles in response. That's why.
Katsuki takes out his phone to pass the time, but when his eyes fall on the photo app, clicks it instead of Instagram. He looks over at his lightly snoring partner and grins. The hand near Izuku's head, holds up the middle finger, then with a quick press of the shutter, the blonde snaps a couple of selfies of the two of them.
Satisfied with the way it looks, he posts it to his Instagram, and tagging the original poster with a headline of his own: "Off Limits!"
