This takes place about 3 weeks after the Kamino incident where Kacchan is saved from the League and All Might uses the last of his powers to defeat All For One. Chapter 1 of 2. The next one will probably be a lot more fluff oriented.
Deku waited outside of Katsuki's dorm room for just a second. Then he slowly turned the door knob. He knew it would be open.
3 weeks earlier
Deku walked home from talking to All Might on the beach. He unsuccessfully tried to turn his thoughts away from Kamino. He got home, sand on his shoes and tears lingering in his eyes. He ate his dinner, not tasting a bite of it. He couldn't think straight. His mind was racing, but he couldn't even tell what his thoughts were.
He couldn't think straight. That was the only explanation for why he did what he did. At 9pm, after laying in his bed failing to quiet his mind, he looked out the window. Kacchan's bedroom light was off. But still, something made Deku think he was awake. Before he could change his mind, he typed a quick message and pressed send harder than he needed to.
Kacchan never gave Deku his phone number. He got it from the Class 1-A contact sheet that was distributed the first week of school. Deku knew Kacchan didn't save his number that day. But he felt the explosive boy would know who was texting him.
Deku: Are you awake? Sent 9:07 PM
Kacchan: What's it to you? Sent 9:08 PM
Deku decided to press on, feeling bolder now that he had gotten a response.
Deku: Did your family get the notices about the dorms? Sent 9:10 PM
Kacchan: Obviously Sent 9:12 PM
Deku: I know it's because of a villain attack and everything but still…living in a UA dorm sounds exciting Sent 9:15 PM
Kacchan: Anything is exciting to a nerd like you Sent 9:17 PM
Deku: Yeah…. Sent 9:19 PM
Deku: I saw All Might today… Sent 9:25 PM
Kacchan: Why does he hang out with you anyways Sent 9:30 PM
Deku: I'll see you at the dorms Kacchan…Goodnight Sent 9:33 PM
Deku: I'm glad you're okay Sent 9:45 PM
The next day Deku thought everything was okay. Until he heard his mom utter those words. His brain did a double take. WHAT he thought. What did she mean she wasn't sure about him moving into UA. They talked about it yesterday and she agreed! He thought back…his mom was quiet when they read the notice. She said she understood the reason behind it…She didn't actually say he could go…
He jumped up. His mind thought about his texts with Kacchan. He was so excited to live in a dorm in UA! He had to be a hero! He told his mom it didn't have to be UA…and sure it didn't. Not really. But still…the thought of training without Bakugo to push him…
He gritted his teeth. He had to be the number one hero. He had to take All Might's place. Even if it meant going to a different school.
A few hours later he texted Kacchan.
Deku: My mom said yes! I get to move into the dorm Sent 6:40 pm
Deku: Did your parents give permission? Sent 7:55 pm
Kacchan: As if I would care about their permission Sent 8:10 pm
Deku: Well, I'm glad we'll be there together Sent 8:12 pm
Kacchan: Just don't get in my way Sent 8:15 pm
Deku: I will beat you this year Sent 8:18 pm
Deku checked his phone again. Squinting at the bright light. 10:00pm. I guess he isn't going to text me back…I thought a challenge like that was sure to get a response.
Across the street Katsuki Bakugo was failing to sleep. He sat up and flipped his pillow over with a huff. Punching it and throwing his head back down. As if the anger would force the pillow to let him sleep. He couldn't stop picturing All Might's skeletal frame… The way Deku cried when he saw it… (like the pathetic wimp he was).
Bakugo was trying to pretend like he didn't cry that day. But he did. He came home after talking to the police. He ignored his parents talk about dinner. He slammed his bedroom door and cried. He sobbed.
The symbol of peace was gone. All because of him. Ha. Some hero he was.
Surpassing the number one wasn't supposed to mean being the reason for his demise. Now he was just weak. Weak and in the way. He had no idea when he fell into a fitful sleep. But when he woke up, the sheets were tangled in a ball around his feet, he was covered in sweat, and images of All Might and green hair lingered in his mind. He wondered if he would ever get a good night's rest again. He saw All Might's weakened form again and imagined how he was sleeping.
Pft. Whatever. He didn't care how All Might slept.
His parents drove him, and all his stuff to the dorm. He insisted on moving it into his room by himself. He didn't need anyone's help.
He heard everyone being annoying and talking about looking at all the dorm rooms. When Kirishima asked if he would participate in the contest he scoffed. Like he cared about a bunch of extras rooms.
Deku: Hope you got moved in okay! Can't wait to see your room! Sent 7:30pm
Deku: I understand why you didn't do the contest. It was pretty embarrassing having everyone judge my room… Sent 8:10 pm
Kacchan: Like I care what they think. I just have better things to do. Sent 8:30 pm
Kacchan: Why are you even texting me like we're friends? Sent 8:33 pm
Deku: is typing
Deku: is typing
Deku: is typing
Deku never texted Kacchan back. He didn't know what to say. What could he say. He knew he and Kacchan weren't friends. He knew that. But still…he couldn't tell Kacchan the truth. That texting him made Deku feel better. That Deku's heart wouldn't calm down after the League took Kacchan away, and even now with Kacchan safe at UA, Deku worried about him.
He worried about Kacchan disappearing again.
He could hear the angry outburst from Kacchan without even saying the words. Kacchan was the strongest one at UA. Kacchan didn't need a deku worrying about him.
A week later the provisional licensing exam happened. Deku passed, and Kacchan didn't.
Deku didn't know how to feel. He should be happy about beating Kacchan. That was his goal afterall. But he just worried about the explosive anger he knew the blonde must be feeling.
When Kacchan wanted to meet with him after curfew to talk about his quirk Deku knew better than to think it was anything good.
He knew. A chill ran down Deku's spine with the thought.
Deku thought about how smart Kacchan was, and how Deku had originally told him about getting his quirk. Kacchan knew. He had figured it out. But Deku was certain Kacchan didn't want to get expelled anymore than he did. So surely, Kacchan wouldn't fight him seriously. Not here. Not now. Maybe Kacchan just wanted to yell or get answers.
In the middle of the fight Deku realized this was what Kacchan needed. He needed to fight Deku right now. And only Deku could help him process this anger. So, he fought back. He tried to show Bakugo everything he learned.
He tried to show Kacchan he was worthy of being a hero.
Deku didn't think about getting in trouble anymore after that. He just thought about helping Kacchan.
Then he saw the explosive, angry blonde cry. He watched the tears flow and he felt…he felt confusion… and fear…
Izuku did his best to be normal on the way back to the dorm. He restated his promise to beat Kacchan. That was something that never changed. His desire to beat the boy he saw as the strongest.
Up on the 3rd floor Izuku stared at the moon. What the hell am I supposed to do?! Kacchan's words rang in his ears. Was everything I did to be like All Might wrong?! The fear Deku felt earlier remained. Mixed with guilt. And sympathy for Kacchan.
He decided he had nothing left to lose when it came to his friendship with Kacchan. They were rivals, but not friends.
Deku: Hey Sent 11:00 pm
Kacchan: I'm trying to sleep Sent 11:01 pm
Deku: Yeah…I can't sleep. Sent 11:02 pm
Deku: Can you Sent 11:02 pm
Kacchan: Yeah obviously that's why I'm peacefully dreaming right now instead of texting a pain in the ass like you Sent 11:03 pm
Deku: Nevermind Sent 11:05 pm
Kacchan: Spit it the fuck out or else I'll knock myself unconscious just to get out of this conversation Sent 11:06 pm
Deku: Can I come to your room… Sent 11:07 pm
Deku's heart was racing. His hands were shaking. What had he done? He thought he had nothing to lose but now he realized of course he did.
Of course, things could be even worse with Kacchan. Kacchan could go back to bullying him. Kacchan could ignore him forever.
Deku immediately started typing out an apology. Something about auto correct and sleep deprivation and being tired from the fight. Then his phone buzzed.
Kacchan: Whatever Sent 11:10 pm
Deku thought about Bakugo. About all the times Bakugo had ignored his texts. All the times he had told Deku to fuck off. If Bakugo didn't want Deku to come to his room he would have said so…Wouldn't he? With his heart hammering away Deku slipped his feet into his slippers. He didn't change out of his pajamas, but he had to spare a look at his face in the mirror. He had taken a shower after the fight. He looked as okay as could be expected after such a long day.
Deku walked slowly and silently down the hallway. He opened the door to the stairs as silently as he could. He walked up to the fourth floor. It felt like his heart was going to pound its way out of his chest. He reached Kacchan's door. And he didn't know what to do. He hadn't thought this far ahead, which was so unlike himself he froze. If he knocked, he could wake someone else up. If he texted Kacchan, and was rejected, there would be even more evidence of his embarrassment.
His hand hovered above the door handle. If he tried it as quietly as he could, then maybe Kacchan wouldn't hear. Maybe he would know for sure what he was supposed to do.
He touched the handle. He didn't even know he could be as gentle as he was being when he pushed down ever so slightly. The handle moved. He pushed more. It moved more.
His heart rate increased again. It was open. The door was going to be open. All he could hear was a rush in his ears and the rapid thumps of his heart.
Katsuki was reclining on his bed, laying on the far side near the wall. His arm was casually behind his head, his phone in his hand. He glanced at Deku, and back down at his phone. Like nothing out of the normal was happening. Deku shut the door. He awkwardly glanced around the room. Taking in every detail. He had never seen Kacchan's room before. The weights on the ground. The books on the shelf, neatly organized by subject matter. The empty laundry basket by the window, and the neatly hung clothes in the open closet. The solid dark blue comforter and pillowcases on the double bed.
Deku hoped it was too dark for Kacchan to see his blush. After a minute of silence he stammered, "I uh…I…c-couldn't sleep…"
"Pft" Kacchan scoffed.
"It's a lot…you know…One For All…"
"Yeah."
"Can I…sit with you…"
"Sit wherever you want I'm not your mom"
Izuku shuffled closer to the bed. He took his slippers off and sat at the corner of the bed. As far as he could get from Kacchan. He crossed his legs so that he didn't accidentally touch the boy while climbing onto the bed.
He stared at Katsuki. He didn't mean to. But he was still thinking about everything the boy had revealed during their fight. He had shared his feelings, even if he didn't mean to. Izuku wondered when the last time Kacchan had told someone something like that.
His heart fluttered at the thought of being one of the only ones to have seen the strong boys tears.
"Did you really mean it…what you said?" Izuku blurted. He couldn't take the silence any longer.
"Probably"
Deku stared at the red eyes until they finally looked back at him.
With a roll of his eyes Kacchan added "You need to give more detail than that idiot."
Deku stared even more. He was nervous. So nervous. But he was in Kacchan's room. It was the middle of the night and he was in Kacchan's room. The thought emboldened him.
"You said... that…that I've always made you sick…and t-that one of the things you h-hate most about me is that you can't tell what I'm thinking"
Kacchan sighed, annoyed. An eternity passed. Deku thought maybe he just wasn't going to give an answer.
"I meant everything I said. I don't say things I don't mean like some loser extra."
Deku pondered the words.
"Well…I could always tell you. What I'm thinking I mean. If it would…" He trailed off. For some reason he couldn't finish his sentence. He needed to know what Kacchan was thinking. He needed to know why he had let Deku into his room. He thought he saw surprise flash in Katsuki's eyes at the offer.
Another eternity.
"What were you thinking coming to my room at midnight" Kacchan asked.
"What were you thinking leaving your door unlocked at midnight" Deke rebutted.
Kacchan glared.
Deku wanted to gold his gaze but looked down at his hands after just a glance at those fierce red eyes.
Deku remembered what he had just told Bakugo. That he would tell the blonde what he was thinking. That maybe it would make Kacchan hate him less.
"I…I was thinking that…I couldn't sleep…and maybe" Deku took a deep breath and tried to gather his courage to continue. "Maybe you would have trouble sleeping for the same reasons and maybe you would want some company too" Deku blurted it out as fast as he could. Before he could change his mind.
He didn't include that he was having nightmares, but something in Kacchan's eyes made Deku wonder if he understood. If maybe Kacchan understood Deku just a fraction of how well Deku understood his ex-friend.
"Whatever. I don't let anything as small as bad sleep keep me from being the best."
With a tint of relief in his voice Deku said, "So you are having trouble sleeping to…"
"I have bad dreams" Deku decided to add. Maybe if he was vulnerable first, Kacchan would open up to him too.
"Of course, you do. You went into a villain fight like an idiot."
"I wanted to save you" Izuku whispered.
"I didn't need you to save me." Kacchan kept his volume low, but his tone was menacing.
"Do you have bad dreams too?" Deku changed topics.
Kacchan grunted.
Izuku stared. He stared at Kacchan's face. Trying to read anything in his expression. Deku knew what he really wanted. He knew why he came down here. All of Deku's nightmare's featured Kacchan being taken by the League. He thought…well he thought that if he slept near Kacchan then maybe he wouldn't have the nightmares. How could he have a nightmare about Kacchan being gone if he were right beside him. But deep down Deku didn't expect that. When he opened the door, he didn't expect to be invited to spend the night. But he wondered if seeing Kacchan right before he went to sleep would offer some temporary relief. Maybe it would allow him a few extra hours before waking up in a sweat. But that didn't tell Deku what Kacchan was getting out of this. Because Deku had known Katsuki his entire life. And Katsuki always locked his doors at night. Deku remembered a 4-year-old Kacchan yelling at his mom that he couldn't sit down for dinner until he locked the front door. There was no fear in Kacchan's voice when he talked about locking doors. Just anger. "No stupid fucking extra is walking into my house uninvited." He muttered one day.
"The fuck are you staring at Deku."
"I wasn't-"
Kacchan cut him off with a glare.
Deku looked at his hands embarrassed. He leaned his head against the wall. Deku's theory was right. With an alive Kacchan near him, his anxiety was eased. He felt his eyelids start to droop. When he woke up, for the first time since the training camp, it wasn't in a jolt of fear from a nightmare. He realized Kacchan had let out a light snore. Deku looked around nervously, as if he was about to be caught red handed in the middle of a crime. He slowly, so slowly, leaned his head down. Until he was horizontal. Until he was laying on Kacchan's bed. When he closed his eyes, peaceful sleep immediately took back over.
An alarm clock sound buzzed. Deku blinked his eyes open. He sat up and saw Bakugo was already standing up out of bed. His back was to Deku. Deku looked at the clock. 5 am.
Bakugo just grunted, "Leave now, before the others wake up to catch you."
Deku blushed furiously. Grateful that Kacchan wasn't looking at him. He walked out of the room. Izuku didn't see Kacchan look up at his back and watch him go, with an unusually tranquil look on his face.
Everything was normal that day. They were yelled at by Aizawa over their fight, only speaking to answer the Sensei's questions honestly. There was nothing else either of them could do. During house arrest Izuku worked up the courage to ask the thing he was dying to know.
"About my Shoot Style… what do you think…?"
"The motions when you're preparing to do a move are too big. Even when you got faster, I was able to barely react in time. It's not good for a slugfest."
"I see…"
"When you used it with your punch, it really pissed me off."
"I see…!" Izuku's heart skipped a beat. It almost felt like a compliment.
Deku: Awake? Sent 11:00 pm
Kacchan: Whatever Sent 11:02 pm
Deku was already standing by his bedroom door with his slippers on when the response came through. He tiptoed upstairs and didn't hesitate before opening the door this time. He sat in his spot on Kacchan's bed. This time the silence was more comfortable. Deku didn't feel the need to disturb it. After a few minutes he laid his head down. He didn't know what he was doing, but he was already in too deep to be scared now.
Kacchan said nothing. Deku grabbed the blanket from the foot of the bed. Was that there yesterday? He thought. He didn't dare get under the sheets with Kacchan. He pulled the blanket up to his chin. He drifted off to sleep, hearing Kacchan's voice in the distance.
The next morning was the same. Kacchan didn't look at him. But he didn't yell at him either. Deku left without Kacchan needing to tell him. Silently shutting the door behind him.
The third night he didn't text Kacchan to see if he was awake. He just walked up the stairs at the same time as the night before. When Deku shut the dorm room door behind him, Kacchan spoke without looking up from his phone. "Lock the door." Of course. Hadn't Deku recently been remembering Kacchan's love of a locked door. They were both asleep before midnight.
The same thing went on every night for two weeks.