Authors note: Sorry I've been so inconsistent. Feel free to follow me on twitter (if you are at least 18 and have your age in your bio) to keep updated on when I will post. And or to read random threads I've posted :) Twitter is @RainbowDino_

"What?"

Does he still love her son? What? Why? What kind of question is that? Katsuki was not expecting that. Not at all. It's been almost two years since he and Izuku broke things off. Why is she asking now? Because he's at the hospital with her?

Fuck!

"Sorry, I should probably start by saying that I've missed you. Izuku still talks about you when he comes over on Sundays for dinner…" Inko reaches over to run her fingers through Izuku's hair and smiles. "Not all the time, but whenever something new happens, like if he sees you on the news or a gossip magazine writes an article, he always goes on about how happy he is for you, or how mad he is at the media."

Katsuki swallows and looks away. Why the hell is Izuku talking about him to his mom on Sundays? He has a boyfriend. Why doesn't he talk about Eijiro?

"I can tell that he misses you, too. I know you guys aren't really friends, and the media says you and Quake are an item...but seeing you here today, watching the way you look down at my son." Inko smiles, puffing out a short laugh. "I just thought maybe, I dunno."

Grabbing for a tissue from the side of Izuku's hospital bed, Inko wipes a tear from her eye.

"My baby's just been so sad lately, Katsuki. And I just thought that...that maybe you—"

A small noise almost like a whimper comes from Izuku's mouth, cutting Inko off. He seems like he's waking up, and Katsuki couldn't be more relieved. The words coming out of Inko's mouth were making him feel all kinds of fucked up, confused, and kinda pissed. What the fuck does she mean Izuku's been sad lately? And how the hell is that Katsuki's problem?

And why is he still worrying about it?!

"Izuku, baby? You awake?"

A few more small noises fall from his lips, and his face scrunches up. You can tell he's uncomfortable and probably a little disoriented. Katsuki remembers a nurse coming by a while ago, telling them to get someone if he started to wake. He also let them know he might be a little out of sorts when he first woke up. The anesthesia they had to use was strong.

"Mom?" Izuku croaks out.

"Lemme get the nurse," Katsuki mumbles.

Katsuki's not too sure Inko heard him, but that's fine. He needed an excuse to get out of there. He also really wants to make sure Izuku's OK. He slept for a lot longer than the doctors told them he would. He got out of surgery almost 4 hours ago now.

When Katsuki walks back into the room with the nurse, Izuku looks to be trying to sit up, and poor Inko is freaking out trying to keep him laying down. An uneasiness rolls around in his chest when he and Inko lock eyes. He feels almost like he shouldn't have left; she apparently can't handle Deku on her own.

"Oh no, you don't." The nurse says as he walks over to the bed to read Izuku's chart. "You gotta lay down, Hero Deku. I can help you sit up in a little bit, okay?"

Izuku's eyes travel over to the nurse and a dopey smile comes over his face, his tongue running over his bottom lip. Katsuki watches his eyes travel over to the nurse's chest and shakes his head. Damn nerd has always had a thing for boobs and pecs. He used to obsess over Katsuki's, and Katsuki's sure he goes nuts over Eijiro's. And the whole class knows how much he likes Ochako's. Before he came out, Katsuki was pretty sure Izuku liked girls with how many times he caught him staring at Ochako's boobs.

As the nurse takes his temperature and looks him over, Izuku's eyes somehow never make their way over towards Katsuki. Izuku seems far too focused on the nurse, which only makes Katsuki a little jealous. Especially when the nurse leans forward to adjust the bed so he can sit up, and Izuku clearly tries to look down the poor guy's shirt. Damn nerd is acting like such a perv. Once the nurse leaves, Izuku leans over to Inko.

"That nurse was hot."

"Izuku!" Inko lightly scolds.

"M'sorry. I'm allowed to look."

Katsuki starts to laugh. He almost wishes he had his phone out so he could have recorded Izuku saying that.

Damn thirsty nerd.

Almost as soon as Katsuki starts laughing, Izuku's eyes widen and he turns his head to the side so fast it looks like it hurts.

"Kacchan?!" Izuku whips his head back towards Inko. "Mom, when did he get here? Did he hear me talk about that hot nurse?"

"Really, Deku?" Katsuki laughs. " I've been here the whole damn time. M'the one who prevented your dumb ass from cracking your head against the ground when you were pushed off the side of the fuckin' building."

Izuku's brows practically raise to his hairline, and his face pales slightly.

"What!? Is that why I'm here? Oh, fuck!" Izuku exclaims. "I-I don't remember that. Why don't I remember that? I remember… fuck!" Bringing his hands to his face, he starts to rub his eyes. "The last thing I remember is charging after Magician. Was I captured?"

"Shh, it's alright baby. We can talk about that later," Inko reassures, rubbing Izuku's arm. "How are you feeling? Are you in any pain?"

"No…" Izuku grumbles. "Maybe a little hungry… and horny."

"IZUKU!!"

Katsuki cracks up. Now he really wishes he had a camera out.

"What? I'm sorry. It's been months since I've had sex. I always wake up horny."

Katsuki perks an eyebrow. Months? Really? Shitty hair having issues getting it up or what? Katsuki knows Izuku has no issues in that department. Have they really been that busy? Even Katsuki gets laid at least once or twice a month.

"Izuku! Please. I don't think Katsuki needs to hear about that."

Izuku rolls his eyes and a flush creeps on to his cheeks. "Okay. It's not like Kacchan's a virgin. We took that from each other a lonnnng time ago, mom." Inko makes a choking noise and turns redder than a tomato. "But anyway, I'm hungry," he whines.

Choosing not to comment on Izuku's shameless admittance of how he lost his virginity, Katsuki changes the subject. Inko looks as if she might pass out if she has to hear more about her son's sex life anyway.

"Doc says ya can't eat anything other than soft foods like nasty mushy peas and overcooked pasta for the next few hours."

"Yuck," Izuku says, scrunching his nose. "But wait, why are you here, Kacchan? Because you saved me?"

Katsuki clicks his tongue. "That's what I said, isn't it, dumbass? You lose some brain cells during surgery or somethin'?"

Izuku's face morphs into a pout that brings the word 'cute' to Katsuki's brain.

"No. I'm just surprised. It's nice having you here, Kacchan. I missed you. I thought you hated me. You blocked me on twitter!" Izuku turns towards his mom and scowls. "Blocking someone on twitter is like the ultimate sign that someone doesn't wanna be your friend, mom."

Ouch. Does he really think Katsuki hates him? He's never hated him. Wanted to beat him to a bloody pulp for hiding away his quirk, sure. But just because he wanted to smack Deku into next Tuesday didn't mean Katsuki hated him.

And having him blocked on almost all his social media accounts doesn't mean he doesn't want to be his friend, just means he doesn't wanna see his fucking face all the time. You don't need to follow someone on fucking twitter or Instagram to be their friend. The only reason he follows any of the idiots he's friends with is because Mina got ahold of his phone the last time they all hung out and started fucking with shit. And it's not like he really goes on his social media anyway.

"Stalker. How the fuck do you know I blocked you?"

Izuku juts out his bottom lip and crosses his arms over his chest. "Because I tried to follow you, duh!"

"Tch, why?" Katsuki mumbles.

Turning again towards his mom like Katsuki isn't in the room, Izuku lets out an over-exaggerated sigh.

"Kacchan is stupid, mom. Why wouldn't I want to follow him? He's hot for one, and he's also really smart, and cool, and powerful. I've also known him like my entire life! I think he's amazing and a really cool hero! I wanna follow all my favorite heroes! Dumb Kacchan," he grumbles.

Katsuki blinks his eyes a few times. He knows the anesthesia is making Izuku talk crazy and say things he wouldn't normally say, but really? Katsuki being hot is the number one reason Deku wants to follow him? He does remember he has a boyfriend, right?

"Who the fuck told you I hate you? And what the fuck do you mean you wanna follow me because you think I'm 'hot'? You're fuckin' dating Shitty Hair, remember?! Yer supposed to keep those types of thoughts to yourself," Katsuki huffs.

A deep scarlet washes over Izuku's face and down his chest.

"Shut up, Kacchan. So what if I think you're hot?! Everyone thinks you're hot," Izuku spits back. "And no one told me, I just thought you did…" Izuku's voice trails off, and he looks down at his hands biting his bottom lip. "And of course I remember I have a boyfriend. He's not here though...probably too busy with Hitoshi." Izuku's features twist to something unpleasant.

Well, this conversation really took a one-eighty… What the fuck is he talking about?

Hitoshi? Why would Eijiro be with him? Did he and Hitoshi become hero partners? Katsuki knows they work at the same agency and that they patrol together sometimes, but the way Izuku said his name made it sound like he was implying something. He also looks…sad. Seeing Izuku with his head down like that makes Katsuki want to kick Eijiro's ass for not being here. Izuku looks heartbroken.

"Don't think like that, sweetheart. I'm sure he will be here soon. Katsuki called him earlier, right?" Inko says squeezing Izuku's hand.

"Yeah, I called his ass a few times. He should be here."

Izuku's voice sounded so small and broken. What the fuck? Is this why Inko asked if Katsuki still loves Izuku? Is she trying to get them back together or some shit?

"Okay… I hope he does. I hope he doesn't get mad if you're here when he shows up. I don't wanna fight again… or make him hate me, too."

Fight again? Hate him? What the fuck?!

This is becoming too much. Is this what Inko meant when she said that Izuku has been sad lately? Damn anesthesia. Eijiro's head over heels for Izuku. You can see it all over his damn face whenever they're together.

"What are you talking about, nerd?"

"Oh. Nothing. Never mind." Izuku lifts his eyes from his lap and gives Katsuki a big smile. "I'm sleepy though." He yawns. "Wake me up if he comes, okay?"

Katsuki knows that smile. It's the same smile he wore on his face when he pretended that he wanted them to stop seeing each other two years ago. And the smile he uses when he needs to be strong in front of reporters after a hard mission. It's fake, and it's forced. To most people, it looks genuine, but Katsuki knows what a real smile from Deku looks like. That thing he just gave doesn't even come close. There's no sparkle in his eyes or dimple on his cheek. Asshole must be hiding something. Katsuki's chest feels tight. He hates that Izuku's sadness is making him feel something.

"Whatever. Get some rest."

"Okay, goodnight, Kacchan. Night, mom."

Inko leans down to press a kiss on Izuku's forehead before he drifts off to sleep. Shifting in his seat, Katsuki decides it's time for him to leave. This is all just too much. He shouldn't be here—Eijiro should, not him. Katsuki feels like shit now; this is why he keeps his distance, damn it.

"Look, I should go." Katsuki grabs his phone off the side table and stands up. "I'll maybe be by again tomorrow."

As he's about to head toward the door, Inko's hand lightly tugs on the hem of Katsuki's shirt. If it was anyone else trying to stop him, Katsuki would have just told them to fuck off. But something about Inko makes him turn into a gentleman; he just can't be mean to her. When he turns around to meet her gaze, he's met with such sad, pleading eyes.

"I'm sorry, Katsuki... Please stay. At least until Eijiro gets here. I, um, don't wish to be alone right now."

Letting out a sigh, Katsuki turns back around and returns to his chair by the bed. Reflexively, he pulls out his phone to check for missed calls, and he gets a look at the time: six-o'clock.

He called Eijiro nearly eight hours ago. Where the hell is he? He hasn't called or texted, either. Katsuki's almost 99% positive that if Eijiro told FatGum that his boyfriend was in the hospital, his boss would let him leave work early. And seeing as how he's not here, Katsuki starts to wonder if Eijiro even told him. Fuck, if Katsuki was dating someone publicly for almost two years and they had to go to the hospital, he'd be there faster than Tenya's recipro burst could take him.

"Has he called?" Inko seems to know exactly what's on Katsuki's mind.

"No," Katsuki grumbles. "Where the hell is he?"

"I dunno." Inko sighs. "Izuku told me, as I'm sure you were able to gather from earlier, that they have been fighting a lot recently."

"About what? Eijiro's a fuckin' ray of sunshine. And Deku…" Katsuki puffs out a short laugh. "Deku's annoyingly cheerful."

Biting her bottom lip, Inko looks away.

"I'm not too sure if I should be the one to tell you." She pauses for a moment to mess with a thread hanging off her blouse. "Part of me thinks it's just some big misunderstanding, but I'm not sure."

"Probably. Deku does have a tendency to fuckin' over-analyze everything," Katsuki muses.

"He does. But It might be more than that."

"Well, whatever it is, it sounds like none of my damn business. No offense, Auntie, but if Deku and Shitty Hair wanted me to know, they'd tell me."

Inko hums and changes the subject to something Katsuki can't really seem to pay attention to. Izuku definitely gets all his rambling habits from his mom. As he pretends to pay attention, Katsuki's mind starts to wander.

The thought of the damn sunshine couple possibly having trouble in paradise makes Katsuki feel conflicted. On one hand, it really isn't any of his damn business. He shouldn't concern himself with their affairs. He's not some giggling school girl who gossips about other people's love lives. But on the other hand, Izuku and Eijiro having issues might make Izuku come crawling back to him. Especially if Katsuki and Izuku become friends again. The thought makes him smile momentarily to himself before he comes to his senses.

What the fuck is wrong with you? Don't wish that shit on them. Besides, you're the last person Deku would turn to. Don't be so pathetic.

Maybe if Eijiro ever shows up, Katsuki can ask him. Katsuki can't remember anyone Eijiro's ever truly disliked or fought with. He was—and still is—friends with everyone who was in their old class. Eijiro even gets along with that fuckin' grape asshole. Hell, he's even gone as far as to defend him before. No one fucking defended Minoru…except maybe Izuku…and Denki. And Aizawa may have a few times, but hardly anyone liked the guy except Eijiro and a few others. So whatever is going on between them is probably some huge fuckin' misunderstanding.

The next two hours go by fast and slow all at the same time. The nurse came by twice to check on them, and each time the door opened Katsuki cursed, expecting the nerd's boyfriend to show up and being disappointed both times. Eijiro should be here by now. As much as he hates to admit it, he's actually starting to get worried. Was he caught up with a villain? Did something bad happen with the gang case?

Katsuki tries to look at The Hero Network to see if anything has been going on, but the fuckin' wifi in the room sucks, and his cell service is crappy. Damn hospitals and their shitty reception. You'd think that it would be better, seeing as how everyone practically lives on their phones these days. And Izuku is supposed to be getting premium care; he's a top-rated hero. Why the fuck wasn't he given a room with better internet access?

Looking up from his phone after checking it for the umpteenth time, Katsuki sees that Inko looks to have fallen asleep. She moved to the couch in the corner of the room about an hour ago, telling Katsuki she just wanted to "rest her eyes" for a few minutes. He didn't buy that for a moment, but thats okay. She should rest; it's been a really long day. There's a reason why Katsuki's still sitting in a chair and hasn't moved to the couch...he'd probably pass out in less than ten seconds.

"Fuck," Katsuki grumbles.

Why did he put himself in this mess? Part of him just wants to go home and sleep. Izuku's condition isn't going to change overnight, and Eijiro will more than likely be here when Inko wakes up in the morning, so he could leave. But he won't; he knows he won't. He's too damn stubborn, and there's a small part of him that can't bear the thought of leaving Izuku alone in this hospital. Sure, his mom is here, but what if Izuku wakes up again and he's in pain? Inko would freak out, so someone needs to be here to make sure a nurse is called and that the order is kept. And who knows when Eijiro will get here at this rate?

So he can't leave. He just can't.

Straightening himself up in his chair for the fourth time, Katsuki sighs. His eyes keep closing and his body keeps slouching further and further down in his seat. If things were different, Katsuki wouldn't think twice about just crawling into the bed with Izuku and wrapping his arms around his waist. Izuku looks so peaceful...and warm...and his hair looks so soft.

Fuck. I'm so fucked. Why are all these stupid feelings coming back?

Instead of running his hand through those curls like he wants to, Katsuki gets up and walks over to the other end of the room to pull over another chair. Once the chairs are adjusted so they're facing one another, he moves back across the room to grab a pillow and blanket from the storage closet. If he's gonna have to sleep in this room, he might as well at least try to make himself comfortable. He sits back down in the chair and shoves the pillow behind him, throwing the blanket over himself. Before turning it off to save battery life, Katsuki sends one last text to Eijiro.

Katsuki: I'm going to bed.

Katsuki: You better fucking be here in the morning.

Katsuki: and have a really good excuse as to why you're not here now.

Setting his phone aside, Katsuki peers over at Izuku one last time before he tries to sleep. Fucking asshole. Getting himself hurt and making Katsuki stay here with him. Without thinking, he reaches his arm out and hovers a hand over Izuku's on the bed for a few seconds before lifting it gently and pressing a light kiss to the back.

"Night, Deku," he whispers.

"Nngh..."

Ouch.

Ouch, ouch, ouch. Everything hurt. His arms, legs, hands, fingers…even his fucking toes hurt. If it weren't for the aching hunger gnawing the pit of his stomach, Izuku would try to fall back to sleep to avoid the pain. At least he knows where he is; the beeping of his heart monitor is a dead giveaway. He's heard that sound more times than he should as an almost twenty-one-year-old. But it's part of the job, part of being a hero, that is. He's visited more friends and civilians in the hospital after a villain attack than he can count, but it's different when it's him. Being in the hospital means he must have messed up, and that he's going to be out of work for a while.

"Uggh," Izuku groans again.

This blows so much.

Opening his eyes, the first thing he sees is the couch across the room and his mom fast asleep upon it. When he tries to sit up, wanting a better look at the clock, he can't. His body simply won't move with legs cast up and elevated. Izuku must have taken more damage than he thought he did. Instead, he strains his neck to see, finding that it's just five AM. Izuku remembers looking at the same clockface before he went to sleep last night.

Ugh, I said such stupid and embarrassing things last night.

He can't believe he told Katsuki he was hot. And that he mentioned Hitoshi. Katsuki must have so many questions. Hopefully, he left before…. Wait. Sniffing the air and peering to his other side, Izuku feels his face heat up quickly.

Kacchan.

Izuku doesn't even need to fully turn his head to know that the person beside him, lightly snoring and holding his hand, isn't his boyfriend. Katsuki's always had a distinctive smell. It wasn't a bad smell, but ever since he developed his quirk, he's always had a scent kind of like caramelized sugar.

A kid in junior high who didn't know Katsuki tried to make fun of him for it once—asked him if he was wearing some frilly perfume. Izuku smiles to himself thinking about it. Katsuki told him off and said that he'd rather smell like a fucking pastry or a chick's perfume than a stupid hormonal little bitch. Needless to say, no one asked again after that.

It's also the same smell that would cling to Izuku's pillow after their meetings. He used to hug his pillow to his chest to help him fall asleep. It smelled like home. Eijiro doesn't smell at all like Katsuki. He doesn't really have a distinctive scent, but if Katsuki's holding his hand, that must mean Eijirio isn't here. The urge to turn his hand over and interlace their fingers is strong, but he fights it.

He can't prove Eijiro right.

Izuku takes a deep breath in and out, and then slowly starts to move his hand away. He keeps an eye on Katsuki to make sure he doesn't wake him with the movement, and it brings his face to flush even further. Katsuki looks so peaceful and handsome.

Gahh! Stop it, Izuku!

As soon as he pulls his hand away, Katsuki starts to stir, brows furrowing and eyes cracking open.

"D-Deku?"

Izuku curses under his breath at the soft, unguarded sound of his voice.

"Sorry for waking you, Kacchan. You were, ah," Izuku curls his hand and makes up a lie. "Talking in your sleep. And you also look really uncomfortable."

Katsuki drops his legs down from the chair they're propped up on and releases the cutest little noise of discomfort. Izuku bites the inside of his cheek in an attempt not to smile. He's going to pretend he didn't hear that. Katsuki would never admit to making it anyway.

"Bullshit." Katsuki groans as he straightens his back. "I don't fuckin' talk in my sleep."

"Heh, yeah, I guess you're right," Izuku admits quietly.

Katsuki stands up to stretch, and his eyes scan over Izuku's body before flicking to the heart monitor. He then starts lifting the blankets, doing what Izuku can only assume is trying to check the bandages to see if they need changing. Izuku rolls his eyes when Katsuki walks to the other side of the bed to check the wounds on the right side of his body as well.

"Kacchan, stop. I'm fine. I didn't wake you up because I'm in pain. I've been to enough hospitals to know that this thing—" Izuku lifts his arm to point at the red button on the top of the bed "—is the button to alert someone I need help. I'm okay! You can stop inspecting me."

Katsuki huffs and sits back down on the left-hand side of Izuku's bed before taking out his phone.

"Whatever. Then why'd you wake me? You lonely or some shit?"

"No! I didn't mean to wake you! It was an accident. You were, um..." Izuku glances over at Katsuki to get a feel of his mood. He doesn't seem half as irritated as he sounded earlier—worried, maybe, but not mad. "You were...holding my hand. Your arm must have fallen on the bed or something, s-so I was just moving my hand away."

A light shade of pink dusts the tips of Katsuki's ears.

"Gross."

"Okay, Kacchan." Izuku says with a smirk.

Trying to push himself up again, Izuku lets out a small hiss. Maybe he's in more pain than he thought he was, but he wants to see Katsuki's phone, so he tries to extend his neck instead.

"Whatcha looking at?" he asks.

Instead of giving an answer, Katsuki turns his phone. It's a text Eijiro sent about an hour ago. As he's reading, Izuku can't help but look at the previous texts. There's a lot of texts from Katsuki, asking him where he is and keeping him updated on Izuku's progress. Seeing the effort Katsuki put forth makes his stomach flip-flop. Why does he care so much?

"You didn't need to be so mean to him, Kacchan. But I'm glad that he's coming. He'll probably be here soon."

"Don't tell me what to do, Deku. I can talk to him however the fuck I want."

Izuku smiles to himself and brings his hand to his chest before turning his head back over to Katsuki's scowling face. "Thank you for staying here. I'm sure my mom enjoyed the company. You um... you gonna leave when Eijiro gets here?"

Not that Izuku wants him to, but he can't expect Katsuki to stay here all day, can he? Katsuki probably wants to go home and shower; he probably just stayed for Izuku's mom. There's no way he's here for Izuku. They've barely spoken outside of hero missions in months. Izuku vaguely remembers being told yesterday while he was high on anesthesia that he's here because he saved him. But even so, Katsuki being here and sleeping next to him is a little confusing. He doesn't want to make anything more of it than it is.

"Probably."

Izuku's smile falters for a moment. Of course, he'll leave when Eijiro arrives. Why would he stay? Why would Izuku expect him to stay? He shouldn't. He doesn't. Izuku perks his smile back up before looking over at Katsuki's somber face.

"You can go now, if you want…" Izuku offers. Katsuki turns toward him and scowls. "N-not that I want you to!" he attempts to dig himself out of the hole he's creating. "I just um… I don't want you to stay because you think you have to. I'm sure my mom will understand! You stayed for her after all…right?"

"Tch," Katsuki tosses his phone on the side table. "You think I'd be here if I didn't want to be? It's my fuckin' fault you're here. If my ass was there sooner, you wouldn't have gotten your dumb ass captured."

"Hey! You don't know that."

Katsuki rolls his eyes. "Sure. Whatever you say. But since it's my fault yer in here, you'd better get used to seein' me around. Gotta make sure you get better soon so I can move past you in the rankings fair and square."

Izuku's heart rate picks up after hearing those words. He's missed Katsuki's friendship, but it's not his fault Izuku's in the hospital. Does he really think that? Reaching out, Izuku places his hand on Katsuki's bicep, giving it a light squeeze.

"Kacchan, you know it's not your fault...right?"

Katsuki opens his mouth to respond ,but is cut off when Inko starts to stir on the couch. Izuku jerks his hand away from Katsuki's arm like it was suddenly on fire, wishing he could move to the edge of the bed so his mother doesn't somehow get the wrong idea.

"Izuku, baby, you're awake? And Katsuki, too? Where's Eijiro-kun?"

Izuku stifles a laugh when his mom gets up to walk over to him. Her hair is wild, sticking out in every which way. It probably looks similar to his own right now. How Katsuki is able to wake up looking gorgeous every day is beyond him.

"Hey, mom. Yeah, I'm up."

Inko leans over to press a kiss on his forehead as she presses the button above his bed. Izuku resists the urge to roll his eyes.

"You too, mom? I'm fine, really. I'm just hungry and sore. You didn't need to do that."

Inko ruffles his hair before kissing his forehead again. "If you say so. The doctor will want to know you're awake. He'll probably also want to get you up to speed on what's happened if you're up for it."

Izuku groans. He does and yet he doesn't want to know how long his recovery will be. He just wants to be healed now. Back at UA, he was never down for more than a few days, and he had broken hundreds of bones back then! But something about this time feels different. Some sinking feeling tells him he's going to be off duty for weeks.

In an attempt to distract himself, Izuku tries to think about how Eijiro will be here soon. He misses him. Although they saw each other the other day at the award show, it didn't really feel like they got to be together. Sitting next to each other at a banquet table and holding his hand in a room filled with people wasn't exactly what he'd call spending time. It felt like they were working. Cameras and reporters had eyes on them all night, so even if he didn't want to, Izuku had to smile, laugh and act like he was on cloud nine the whole time.

Saki, his manager, told them to keep the PDA to a minimum, too. So no deep kisses, no hands on meaty thighs, and no laying his head on Eijiro's shoulder for more than a few seconds at a time. Saki told him too much lovey-dovey-ness would tarnish his"Golden Boy" image, and that perception of him is apparently one of the reasons he's so high in the rankings. He's "Family Friendly," and in order to maintain that, he needs to act no more than PG13 in public.

It's been far too long since he and Eijiro have had sex. And no matter how sexually frustrated he's become, he can't believe he let that slip last night. He said such stupid things. Katsuki doesn't need to know that he and Eijiro have a less than stellar sex life. It's just going to give Katsuki one more thing to tease him about or to think that he's better at. Izuku's pretty sure Katsuki and Shindo have tons of sex. It's not a secret, at least not to Izuku, that they're fucking. Katsuki wouldn't just go to an award show and act chummy with just anyone. Shindo isn't very subtle in the way he looks at Katsuki either. Izuku can practically see the drool dripping from his mouth when they're together. It makes Izuku a little jealous, if he's being honest.

Eijiro hasn't looked at him like that in god knows how long. It feels like all they do these days is fight. Things have changed so much since the start of their relationship. When Izuku told Eijiro six months ago that he didn't want to move in with him, it caused a huge shift.

And Eijiro never seems to have time for him. He's always hanging out with Hitoshi and Denki when Izuku calls, and each time Izuku's asked, he's been told the same thing: Eijiro's fine, he's just busy with work. And Hitoshi is just his friend. They live down the hall from each other and they're patrol partners. Izuku has nothing to worry about.

Yeah. Right. Okay. It doesn't make Izuku feel any better.

But Eijiro is allowed to have friends. Izuku would never keep him from that. It would just be nice if certain friends would stop hanging out with them whenever Izuku comes to visit. At least they don't spend the night. Not that Izuku has been able to as of late either, but still. They're pro heroes; he can't expect to see Eijirou all the time.

So it's fine. He's coming to visit today, and that's all that matters.

"Oh by the way, mom, Eijiro said he's on his way! Also, do you have my phone? I wanna see if I can text him myself. I'm sure Kacchan is tired of bugging him."

"Ah, yes! Let me get it."

Inko scurries off to grab her purse and hands Izuku his phone. To his surprise, it's not dead, but the battery life is super low. There are a lot of texts. Mostly from his friends and manager. There's also one from Eijiro saying he tried to call when he was on his break. Must have been before he knew that Izuku was injured. He started working day shift, which has allowed them to talk more often. Regardless of all the tension Izuku feels coming off of him, Eijiro still tries to call when he's on break to say hello, which is sweet. Izuku knows most of what he's feeling is probably in his head, but even so, he can't shake the feeling he has that things are just different between them.

A few moments of silence pass before the door opens and a nurse walks in. While she's checking his vitals and grabbing things to redress some of his wounds, Katsuki's phone starts to ring.

"What?" Katsuki sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. "Fuckin', dipshit. How can you not figure out where to go? ...Yeah, yeah, I'll be right there. Useless bastard."

The corners of Izuku's lips perk up as he looks over at Katuski's still fuming expression with hope. "That Eijiro?"

"Yeah. I'll be right back. Your stupid boyfriend got himself lost."

Finally, he's here.

Fuckin' Shitty Hair, can't do anything right. Can't show up on time, can't fuckin' find the room.

Katsuki smashes the elevator button so hard he's surprised it doesn't crack. The lengths he goes for that damn nerd. He thought he was over this crap, but here he is, doing things for Izuku that he shouldn't have to do. Eijiro should be smart enough to find his way around a hospital. He's probably been in enough of them. He's always on the news kneeling next to the hospital bed of someone he saved, fucking smiling like he's having the best day of his life. If he could find those people's rooms, he can sure as hell find his boyfriend's.

As Katsuki walks into the main area of the visitor center, he starts to feel a small bit of guilt. If his boyfriend was in the hospital, he might not be thinking clearly, either. Katsuki guesses that sure, that might be why Eijiro is acting more stone-headed than usual, but still. He's a fucking hero, he needs to learn how to handle himself during stressful times.

"Bakugou!"

Katsuki would recognize that stupid voice anywhere. In the corner of the room, Eijiro's waving his arms in the air like he's at a fucking concert. Rolling his eyes, Katsuki walks toward him and crosses his arms when he sees Eijiro is empty-handed.

"What no flowers or some shit? Your boyfriend is in the god-damn hospital, least you could do is bring him a fuckin' balloon."

"It's an almost two-hour drive, Bakugou, we didn't want to stop somewhere on the way. And have you seen how much they charge people to buy the crap in this gift shop?"

Whipping around at the word we, Katsuki has to do a double-take.

"What the fuck are you doing here?"

Violet eyes roll before locking into fiery red. He's never liked Hitoshi. He may have some stupid sad story because of his villain-like quirk, but everyone has a fuckin' sob story. He's a cocky piece of shit, and his presence is going to make Izuku upset. Not that Katsuki cares.

Well okay, maybe a little, but not really…

It's complicated.

But what he does know is that he'd rather not see Izuku looking like a kicked puppy because his boyfriend brought someone with him that he's been way too chummy with.

"I have a car. Eijiro needed a ride. I drove him. Why are you here? Last time I checked, you and Midoriya aren't friends, and it's not like you to be nice, so tell me, why are you here visiting someone who you don't care about?"

Katsuki takes a step forward, hands curling into tight fists at his sides. If he wasn't in public, he wouldn't need to think twice about punching that smug grin off Hitoshi's ugly face.

"You don't know shit, asshole. And I don't owe you a god-damn thing. I came down here to help Shitty Hair find his way up to Deku's room. So why don't you shut your fuckin' trap and drive your ass home."

"Hey, Kats, calm down, man." Eijiro's hand presses up against his chest, pushing him back. "He didn't mean it."

Katsuki swats Eijiro's hand away and clicks his tongue.

"Don't fuckin' tell me what to do." Turning back around, Katsuki starts toward the elevator. "You gonna follow me up to Deku's room or what? He's been waiting all damn night for your ass to show up."

Not even bothering to check if Eijiro was following, Katsuki presses the button to the elevator and steps inside when it opens.

"Wait!"

Katsuki begrudgingly puts his arm out to hold the doors so Eijiro can get inside, and Hitoshi follows shortly after. Katsuki's gonna need to pull him aside to talk later if he plans on staying. The way Izuku said his name last night when he was babbling nonsense from the anesthesia made it sound like something was up. And again, it's not like he should care if Eijiro and Hitoshi have some type of thing going on behind Izuku's back. But he does. Izuku deserves better, and if something like that is going on, Izuku deserves to know about it. Katsuki would have to kick Eijiro's ass if he even thought about cheating on Izuku. Eijiro would have to be out of his mind to do that, and a good beating will set him straight if he is.

As soon as Eijiro walks into the room, he and Izuku lock eyes. Instantly, they're both bawling. It's fucking embarrassing. Katsuki has to look away when they kiss because fuck that noise. He does however catch the way Izuku seems to turn his nose up to Hitoshi. After he and Izuku calm down and Inko gives everyone a hug, they sit down around the bed. Well, everyone except Katsuki, who takes a seat on the couch. Now that Eijiro's there he doesn't feel quite right sitting so close to Izuku's side. At least Izuku isn't giving him a death stare, each time that he turns his back, that he knows of. Izuku seriously has no chill. How Hitoshi doesn't notice--or seem to care-- that Izuku's clearly not trying to acknowledge him is kinda concerning.

It's like Hitoshi knows his presence is causing drama and he just doesn't give a shit.

I definately need to find out what the fuck is up with that.

But Katsuki keeping his distance is for the best, really. Seeing how Izuku's face lights up while looking into his boyfriend's eyes is a bitter reminder that there's no place in Izuku's head for Katsuki. Not like that. He's just the childhood friend who he apparently also finds hot. But a lot of people find him attractive. He didn't realize he'd felt somewhat hopeful until now, when the hope was crushed. Katsuki should know better.

"Kacchan? What are you doing over there? There's plenty of space. Mom told me there were four of you guys here yesterday."

Inko looks back at him with a small smile on her face. "Come sit next to me, Katsuki. There's more than enough room."

Katsuki grumbles as he gets up; Inko just had to ask. He can never fucking say no to her. She's too damn nice. Instead of sitting like everyone else, Katsuki folds his legs under him on the chair and crosses his arms. From the corner of his eyes, he can see Hitoshi smirking at him.

"How kind of you to join us," Hitoshi says. "Eijiro was about to tell Izuku about the Hoko gang. We captured them last night."

Izuku gasps. "You did!" Izuku says turning towards Eijiro, completely ignoring Hiroshi."Congrats. babe! You've been working on taking them down for months!"

"Yup! We sure did!" Eijiro beams.

Katsuki arches a brow."So that's why you were fuckin' late?"

"Heh, yeah." Eijiro rubs the back of his head. "Fat had us stay and talk to the cops, and we had a debriefing…and a lot of paperwork."

"And this one—" Hitoshi bumps his hand lightly against Eijiro's forearm "—had been up for almost twenty-four hours. Not even five hours after we got home from the Hero Awards and we were called back into work."

"Yeah… I got home yesterday and was about to hop on the train…but Hitoshi's right: it would have been better to get a good night's sleep than to rush over there like I did."

"Really, Ei?" Katsuki snarls. "Were you also too tired to pick up your damn phone to call?" Eijiro looks like he's going to say something, but Katsuki cuts him off, gesturing towards Hitoshi. "And since when did you become the master of proper sleep? You could keep a whole village of extras in your fuckin' eye bags."

"Katsuki!" Inko squeaks.

"Sorry, Auntie, but how hard is it to fuckin' call and ask how someone is doing? It would have taken less than five fuckin' mins to make sure Deku was okay, but no, you needed to fuckin' sleep!"

"Kacchan!"

"What?!" Katsuki snaps. "I'm just tellin' it like it is!"

Izuku locks eyes with Katsuki's for a long moment before taking in a deep breath and turning his attention back towards his boyfriend.

"Sorry, Eijiro. Kacchan is probably just tired and hungry. All that matters now is that you're here." He plants a smile firmly on his face. "So tell me how you captured the Hoko Gang!"

Katsuki huffs and leans back in his chair. Fuckin' Deku. He is not about to admit to anyone that he might be embarrassed by his actions. Because he's not. He's right, and Izuku knows he's right. It would have taken less than thirty seconds to send a text, or make a call to Katsuki to tell him that he got caught up at work and will be there tomorrow. Why Eijiro didn't do that and listened to Hitoshi instead is beyond him. Katsuki would have finished the job if he were him and gotten to the hospital as soon as he could. Fuck sleep! He could have slept on the train, or at the hospital. And at the very least, he could have fuckin' texted back to say when he'd be there so Izuku didn't have to fucking worry.

For whatever reason, Katsuki sits and listens to Eijiro and Hitoshi talk about their takedown of the Hoko gang. Their mission wasn't anything special, but Izuku looks excited to hear about it. Katsuki bets that if he had a notebook available, he'd be scribbling away. Damn nerd.

By the time Eijiro's done talking about his night, Katsuki's stomach starts to remind him that he hasn't eaten since last night. He needs food. Lifting his arms above his head to stretch, he can't help but sniff the air around him. He smells like a damn candy shop. Fuckin' quirk alters his body odor, and although he doesn't smell bad, he'd rather smell clean and fresh.

I need to get out of here.

Katsuki stands from his chair, twisting his torso to the right and then moving to a side lunge to stretch out his leg. After he repeats the motion to stretch his other side, he straightens himself out and moves toward the foot of the bed.

"I'm gonna head out."

"Oh, okay, Kacchan." Izuku says with a small quirk of his lips. His eyes look to be begging him to stay. Which isn't fair damn it! He was practically kicking him out earlier when he said he 'didn't need to say'. All this bullshit is messing with his head.

Almost as if Izuku could see the inner turmoil going on inside Katsuki's head, he changes his expression and gives Katsuki one of his stupidly genuine smailes.

"Thanks for staying here with me...it was nice to see you."

Hearing those words and seeing that smile may not make Katsuki feel any less conflicted-- because Deku's just so fuckin' cute-- it's better than seeing him look like some sad puppy.

"Yeah, yeah." Katsuki waves him off. "When's the doctor comin' back to tell you when you can go home?"

"Uh…" Izuku brings his index finger to his mouth, pressing it against his teeth. "I think the nurse said he'll be here in an hour?"

"Text me when he comes by. Is your phone still alive, or do you need to charge it?"

Izuku grabs his phone from the bedside table and clicks the home button. "Um, it's at ten percent. I don't know if I have a charger though…"

"Hey, Purple Haze." Katsuki shoves his hand in his pocket, taking out his wallet. He counts the money he has in it and gestures towards Hitoshi."Make yourself useful and buy a charger for Deku's phone from the gift shop."

"Why me?" Hitoshi grumbles. "Can't you buy it yourself and come back?"

"You really wanna fight me, don't you, asshole?"

"Hey man, calm down." Eijiro says to Hitoshi. "I kinda wanna talk to Izuku anyway, give us a few minutes, yeah?"

"If that's the case..." Inko pushes herself up from her chair. "I think I'll wander off to the cafeteria and bring back some food."

"Fine, I'll be back, you have a Softblock phone, right?" Hitoshi looks to Izuku, who nods his head. "Alright, then I'll be right back, but only because Eijiro asked nicely. Unlike some people."

Katsuki ignores his comment and heads towards the door. Before walking out, he turns around to lock eyes with Izuku.

"I mean it, Deku. Don't fuckin' forget to text me what the doctor says. I didn't spend the last twenty-four fuckin' hours by your damn bedside for nothing. Keep me posted."

"Roger that, Kacchan!" Izuku says with a thumbs up.

Katsuki nods his head and raises his brows at Eijiro. "See ya, Ei."

As he walks out, Katsuki holds the door open for Inko, but doesn't bother to wait for Hitoshi. He can hold his own door open. Thankfully for Katsuki, the cafeteria and the gift shop are in opposite directions, so Inko doesn't see Katsuki lean against the wall as he waits for Hitoshi to get his ass out of the room. He and Hitoshi need to have a little chat. It made Katsuki sick seeing the way Hitoshi looked at Eijiro as they talked about the mission last night. He couldn't have been the only one to notice either.

Hitoshi walks into the hallway and instantly narrows his eyes at Katsuki. It's almost as if he knew Katsuki would be waiting for him. Whatever. Katsuki wants to figure out what the hell is going on.

"You and I need to talk. Deku said some shit last night that didn't sit well with me, and if you're tryin' to do something fuckin' shady, you'd better think twice."

Hitoshi sighs before nodding his head toward the gift shop, which Katsuki takes as a silent agreement to walk together.

"You're so predictable. I doubt I even need to ask what it is that you want to know, do I?" Katsuki chooses to remain silent; he needs answers. "We're not fucking if that's what you're concerned about," Hitoshi spits. "As much as I wish we were, he's still very much loyal to your precious Izuku."

"D'fuck is that supposed to mean?" Katsuki growls.

"Please." Hitoshi rolls his eyes. "One doesn't just stay the night in someone's hospital room—with their mom—because they just want to. No one likes doing that shit. It's obvious that even after all this time, you're not over him."

Katsuki grits his teeth. What the fuck does he know about how Katsuki feels?

"You may not talk or hang out with Izuku much anymore, but you also don't do a single thing that you don't want to do." Hitoshi smirks. "There's never been a single photo of you with a fan at the hospital after you saved them. You don't do that crap. But you did it for Izuku."

Katsuki pushes himself up from the wall and takes a step forward. His heart is beating out of his chest. It feels like he's been caught in a lie, like he's been found out. But at the same time, he's pissed. How the hell does Shinso-fucking-Hitoshi know what Bakugou Katsuki wants or doesn't want? Katsuki doesn't even know what the fuck he wants right now. And it's not like they're friends—not at all, not by a long shot. Katsuki found the guy useful to a degree when they were in school, but never felt any desire to be his friend.

"What the fuck are you playing at, asshole? You don't know shit about me! I saved Deku from falling to his god-damn death. I've known his ass my entire fucking life. His damn mom thinks of me as a son. She asked me to stay, and who the fuck would I be if I refused?" He snarled. "So I fucking stayed. Sue me."

Hitoshi takes a step back and starts to head towards the elevator. Katsuki follows and steps in front of him.

"Hey! M'not done yet!"

"Yeah, well..." Hitoshi looks around. "We're not exactly in a private place. We can continue this in the elevator. You don't want Izuku or Eijiro to hear you, do you?"

Katsuki takes a deep breath. He has a point. Once in the elevator, Hitoshi continues.

"Look, I don't know why I'm telling you this—maybe because I care about Eijiro—but they got into a huge fight like six months ago. Eijiro came literally crying to my door after Izuku left."

"Okay…" Katsuki says, now feeling a little calmer with his frustration being acknowledged. "What's this have to do with me?"

"Well," Hitoshi sighs. "From what I could gather, they kinda fought about you."

"What the fuck?"

"Yeah, that's what I thought too. Apparently Izuku doesn't want to move in with him, and Eijiro thinks it's because Izuku's still in love with you. Thinks Izuku is...well, cheating on him."

"That's bullshit! Deku's not a cheater. He and I may have fooled around behind Eijiro's back way when we were at UA, but I learned my lesson. And Deku fessed up to that. Eijiro knows about it. I don't do that shit anymore, and I'm sure Deku doesn't either."

The elevator stops and the two of them step out, heading towards the gift shop. Once in front of the entrance, Hitoshi stops and looks around before speaking in a hushed tone.

"Look, I know that. And I've already said too much, but Eijiro said that when he asked Izuku why he didn't want to move in with him and asked if it was about you...Izuku hesitated."

"So, what?" Katsuki scoffs, walking toward where he's spotted the phone chargers. "Deku's always overthinking. Hesitation doesn't mean shit."

"God." Hitoshi shakes his head and grabs a cord off the wall. "Are you that dumb? Eijiro thinks he still likes you. And all the things you've been doing for Izuku since he got hurt...makes me think you still like him, too."

Katsuki freezes, his body not allowing him to move. If it wasn't for Hitoshi bumping his arm and telling him to pay the cashier, he may have been stuck there all day. This can't be happening. He's just fucking with him! He has to be. The concept swirls in his head on loop as he walks numbly back into the hall with Hitoshi at his side. Before Hitoshi steps back into the elevator, Katsuki pulls him by the arm and whips him back around.

"Are you fuckin' with me right now? They're the god-damn sunshine couple. There's no way in hell that shitty Deku likes me. You just want them to break up so you can lure Eijiro into your arms and have him for yourself." He narrows his eyes, glaring. "Some friend you are."

Instead of admitting his defeat or cowering in fear, Hitoshi has the balls to laugh. And not just a small little chuckle. No, he lets out a full-bodied cackle. Right in Katsuki's face.

"Quit your fuckin' laughing! Is this always how you act when you get caught slinging bullshit?"

Hitoshi clutches his stomach and eventually starts to calm down. He's getting on Katsuki's last nerve.

"You don't get it, do you? I'm not laughing because I got caught in some lie, I'm laughing because your reaction just now proves to me that I'm right. I spent a lot of my life observing people, studying them. And you may not want to admit it to yourself, but you like him." They took long enough that the elevator doors have closed, and Hitoshi presses the button on the wall to call it back down.

"At least I hope you do. I really, really do. Eijiro deserves better than someone who can't love them as much as he loves Izuku. So that's why we've been hanging out so much. I want to show Eijiro what it feels like to be with someone who can give him their all. Because clearly, Izuku can't."

When the elevator returns to their floor, Katsuki watches Hitoshi step inside, and he just stands there dumbly as the doors close. His head is spinning, and he feels sick to his stomach.

What the fuck just happened?