Izuku

Izuku likes Christmas well enough, but he was never used to celebrating it with anyone other than his mother. That's why spending yesterday with his friends left him feeling kinda partied out.

When Tsu invited him for a shower earlier that morning, to try out the curl cream she'd gifted him, he found himself reluctant to deny her. The bottle is in his hand, trembling. He's sitting on Tsu's bed, waiting for Uraraka to come out of the bathroom so he can join her.

The door opens to reveal Uraraka in a towel with her hair dripping down to the floor.

"Hey," she blinks in surprise. Izuku tears his eyes off of her immediately.

"Hi," he tells his slippers. Aside from the fact that his ex-girlfriend is practically naked in front of him, things have been kind of weird between them.

She wraps the towel around herself tighter. "Tsu's still inside, so,"

Izuku rises off the bed and nods once. "Right."

They side step around each other awkwardly before he shuffles into the bathroom.

"Good morning," Tsu greets over the running water.

Izuku takes his clothes off as he scans over the outline of her body from outside the glass. "Morning."

She makes room so he can step into the shower with her. Even though they've been together for a while now, he averts his eyes.

Tsu grabs hold of his hands and brings them up to her boobs. "I wouldn't have invited you here if I didn't want to be seen."

"Right." he says, gently laying his eyes over her body. Every time he looks at her, his mind replays the image of her stepping onto the railing of the shipwreck. USJ had given him a little more than a stress boner.

She releases her hands from his to give him the shampoo. As he starts lathering up, she asks, "How are you?"

"I'm alright." he shrugs.

Tsu puts her hands in his hair to help him rub his scalp. "Is this about Ochako and Bakugou?" she asks.

It's been on his mind literally all break and Tsu was always good at reading him. "Kinda?"

She swipes his sudsy bangs off his forehead to look closely at him.

"I don't know, I just," he cups his hands and pours hot water on his face. "Feel like it's my fault."

Tsu blinks up at him. "For being bullied?"

"Um."

"And him not apologizing for it?"

"Well."

"And then trying to start a fight with you?"

Izuku closes his mouth and gives up on trying to come up with explanations. He puts his palm up to the glass and looks away.

"He doesn't know how else to handle it." he sighs, "It's fine, Tsu."

She grabs his chin in her hands and jerks his face back to her direction.

"It's not fine." she says firmly, "I want you to walk up to him and demand an apology. And while you're at it, go tell him to make things right with Ochako."

He looks down at her, trying not to blink from the water and shampoo running dangerously close to his eyes.

"Alright?" she says, maintaining steady eye contact.

He looks into her black eyes and nods.

"I'll talk to him. I don't know if he'll listen, but I'll talk to him."

"Good." she says, taking a step forward to press her breasts against his chest. "Now pass me the curl cream."

When Kacchan opens his bedroom door, Izuku fully expects to be thrown down the stairs.

But instead of hitting him or calling him names or any sort of violent reaction, Kacchan steps aside to let him in.

"Hey."

Izuku shuffles forward, tongue tied. "Guh— hi."

Kacchan slams the door shut and crosses his arms over his chest. "You here to talk to me about Ochako too?"

He blinks and shakes his head slightly. "Uh, actually, I kinda just wanted to talk to you."

Kacchan dips his head into an expectant little nod. "Go on, then."

Izuku takes a deep breath before saying, "First, I wanted to say I'm sorry—" a vicious shove throws him back on the bed.

When he looks up, mildly disoriented, he sees Kacchan scowling down at him.

"You're sorry?" he asks.

"I—I—"

"I fucked up my whole vacation and you're sorry?"

He tries to regulate his breathing while keeping his gaze on Kacchan. He doesn't really understand what's going on. "Y-yeah?"

Kacchan looks away and starts shaking his head. He sits down on the door of his bed and plants his face in his hands.

"Don't be." Is all he says.

Izuku sits up and presses his lips together, unsure of what to say. "Are you, um,"

"No, I'm not okay."

He looks off to the dresser at the other side of his room and notices a little wrapped box sitting on top of it.

"Is that for Uraraka?" he asks.

"No."

That sounds like a lie. He's pretty sure Kacchan would've bought her a Christmas present and a birthday gift even if she was born on Christmas day.

"It's not for her," Kacchan says, rising off the bed. He walks over to retrieve the gift and put it on Izuku's lap. "I didn't get her anything."

Izuku blinks down at the box. He'd assumed Tsu got him for the gift exchange, but now he thinks she would've gotten him that curl cream regardless.

"Um... are you saying it's for—"

"Yes, it's for you, shithead." he snaps.

The gift is wrapped so neatly, it has to be Kacchan's handiwork. Izuku unwraps it carefully. He tosses the gift wrap to the side and Kacchan collects it into his fists. "Don't throw shit."

"Sorry. Um, why did you buy me an All Might bobble head?" he asks, holding the box up.

"Because it was the cheapest thing in the store and you're the only dumbass I know that actually likes this shit."

Izuku shakes the toy in his hand, watching the head bob comically. "Other than you," he murmurs.

"What was that?"

"Nothing!"

Kacchan looks on fondly at the little toy and then looks away when he gets caught.

"Thank you," Izuku says. "I always wanted one of these."

Kacchan scowls. "Don't act like you don't have five other ones at home."

Izuku smiles to himself. He actually has six, but seven is a good number. The more the merrier.

"Still, I appreciate it."

"Whatever."

A few seconds pass by before Izuku clears his throat. "So, um, have you had the chance to sort things out with Uraraka yet?"

"Nope. She isn't even going to look at me until we settle this, so," he upturns his palms. "Let's squash it."

For a second he really thinks Kacchan is going to pick another fight so Izuku gets ready to apologize again. Then he remembers what Tsu told him and waits for him to speak first.

"First of all," he says, "I didn't mean anything I said that night."

Izuku nods gently. He knows, but it hurts him to hear all these things about his dad. To call it a touchy subject would be an understatement.

"I just said it 'cause... I don't know." he sighs, "I was bored and felt like joking around."

Izuku doesn't see how it could be funny, but he allows him to continue.

"So. I'm sorry," he mumbles, barely audible, "I guess."

This is the closest Kacchan is going to get to any apology, and Izuku was never really that offended in the first place, so he accepts it.

"It's okay." he smiles.

Kacchan frowns. "No, it's not."

He places a hand on his knee. "I forgive you."

Kacchan jerks away. "You shouldn't."

Izuku's smile softens. "If I said that about your dad, would you forgive me?"

"No."

"What if I said I was sorry?"

"Nope."

"What if Uraraka wouldn't talk to you until you accepted my apology?"

Kacchan's face pulls at the mention of her name again, but he doesn't react any further than that. "Then I guess I'd accept your apology." he mutters and looks over at him.

"Look, Deku, I'm sorry and I'm not just saying it so she can talk to me again. I'm sorry for that time, and the time we were outside in the snow, and every other time I made you feel small to lift myself up. It's... not okay and I really don't expect to be forgiven."

Izuku meets his gaze and smiles again. He looks up at the ceiling as he lays in bed. "I've already forgiven you," he shrugs, lacing his fingers behind his head. "For my own sake. I don't like holding grudges. And I also don't like seeing my friends beat themselves up because of me."

Kacchan is quiet for a short second, seemingly appreciative. Then he snorts and kicks him off his bed. "Get over yourself. No one's hung up on you, Deku."

Izuku falls on the carpet with a harsh thud that leaves his skull rattling. Kacchan doesn't help him up, but he sets the All Might bobble head on the floor to keep Izuku company before he walks out of the room.

He smiles to himself and thinks the talk went well, all things considered.