(Where first chapter started, sorry for clunky time-skipping)
Deku waited outside of Katsuki's dorm room for just a second. Then he slowly turned the doorknob. He knew it would be open. He knew the dorm room would be unlocked. He hesitated for a different reason tonight. He had been sleeping in Kacchan's room every night for 2 weeks. He felt better rested than he had in months. He imagined the circles under Katsuki's eyes were fading as well, but Deku knew that was (probably) just his optimism beating out rational thought.
He wanted tonight to be different. Tonight, he wanted to talk to Kacchan. About what they were doing. About why Kacchan let him sleep in his room but acted like nothing had changed.
He set his jaw in determination. Tonight, he would make Bakugo talk about something more than training.
When he walked in the room a chill ran through him, deep, down to his bones. It was cold. Really cold. He looked around as if expecting to see a source of the cold. As if a new AC unit would be there pumping frigid air into the room and all Deku had to do was turn it off. He found nothing out of the ordinary.
Of course, it wasn't that simple. He pulled his arms close to his body in an attempt to hide the goose bumps on his skin. He looked around again, telling himself not to stare at the boy on the bed.
Kacchan had hung a new band poster up on the wall, and Deku smirked at the fact that it was slightly off center.
"I already told maintenance they're supposed to fix it tomorrow" Kacchan grunted out impatiently.
Deku remained awkwardly by the door. "We c-could...I mean... my room is okay... if you wanted-"
Kacchan cut him off. "I'm not letting some cold air scare me out of my own bedroom. You can leave if you want."
"Of course, you wouldn't be scared but I mean I sleep here every night and maybe you would like my room." Deku wasn't giving up.
"Ha, as if."
The boys stared each other down for a few long seconds.
Deku still stood by the door. He was starting to shake, and it looked like he was trying to pretend his teeth weren't chattering.
Katsuki sighed. "Look, if you just get in the bed and I'm sure you'll feel warmer."
"But I...I don't" Deku stopped but Kacchan continued to look at him expectantly.
"I don't get in your bed. I just sleep on top with a blanket." Deku muttered while looking at his feet.
"I'm aware but I'm not some torturous villain who's going to enjoy watching you shiver all night. If you insist on sleeping here, you'll do it without bugging me. So, get under the covers and don't whine about the cold again."
With that Deku was back to normal. He locked the dorm room door, took his feet out of his slippers, and slid under the sheets.
He made sure not to touch Kacchan, but he swore he felt his left side get warmer as the night went on. He dreamt the explosive boy was getting closer and closer to him. He could imagine things as he slept after all. No one would know.
Deku knew he wasn't going to push Kacchan to define what was happening now. He knew he wouldn't risk this moment, not tonight.
He left Kacchan's room just seconds after the alarm started to go off. He nodded a goodbye to the blondes back and quietly slipped out. Kacchan watched him go.
24 hours earlier
When he was sure the green haired boy was back downstairs in his own dorm room Katsuki picked up a dumbbell. He started reps with his right arm, while he stared out the window. He didn't bother counting. This wasn't a real work out. He just needed to think.
Katsuki knew he shouldn't have answered the nerds first text. He knew he should've ignored it. But he was trying to be better, wasn't he? Hadn't he already been mean enough to Deku for a lifetime?
He was going to beat Deku to the number one spot, but he wasn't going to hurt Deku anymore. He told himself that's why he answered.
Never mind Kirishima's missed texts wanting to catch up. He didn't want to hang out with Kirishima so why would he text him back?
Now he was in...this. He was in this stupid fucking situation where the nerd wanted to sleep in his bed every night. Dumb fucking dweeb. Why didn't he stay in his own room for once? Why did Deku make the trip up one flight of stairs every night at 11 pm on the dot.
Katsuki imagined it for a second. He imagined his door staying shut all night. No one walking in. The reps with his right hand started going faster. He didn't know when the pace had picked up.
He dropped the weight. It wasn't helping. Then he looked at his desk. He saw a book that looked like his own textbook, but he could've sworn his was still in his backpack. He picked it up and inside, in that chicken scratch writing "Izuku Midoriya." Before he could think he was throwing the book against the wall as hard as he could. He sighed in relief as the book crashed down to the floor without creating a hole in the wall.
Then he heard a clank, and another one followed by a hissing sound. He walked towards the noises. He realized they were coming from inside the wall. Suddenly a loud bang and then a turn knob was hitting through his wall. He groaned and called maintenance.
An hour later Katsuki was listening to the guy drone on about coolant. Apparently, he had knocked something loose in the AC unit. The pressure build up had caused the valve to pop off with enough force to lodge itself into Bakugo's wall. The gruff bearded man asked the boy what the cause of it was, but the boy insisted he didn't know. He couldn't get in trouble this soon after failing the license exam...after house arrest... No, he couldn't. The guy eventually stopped asking, with a suspicious look towards the boy.
"Well... I can't turn it off without turning off all the A/C for the building. And ya know it's supposed to be a scorcher today."
Bakugo glared. He wasn't about to let all his classmates blame him for the dorm being hot.
"Just leave it. Cold doesn't fucking matter to me."
"Alright, if you're sure. I'll go out to the city to get the part I need. Be back first thing tomorrow morning to fix it."
"Pft" Bakugo just grunted in response. He had wasted enough time on this shit. He needed to get ready for class.
He told himself he didn't care if it was too cold for Deku to sleep there or not. Maybe it was a good thing if the nerd didn't want to sleep in his cold room. Maybe that's what I need. Him to leave me alone.
Again, he imagined his door being still all night. He knew he could text Deku. He could tell the green haired boy his room was too cold tonight. But he didn't. He told himself he didn't have time to text a wannabe like that.
He did have time to hang a poster up. To cover up where the valve had pushed through his dry wall. He didn't need Deku asking more questions than he was already bound to.
Later, Kacchan pretended he didn't feel relief when Deku finally stepped away from the door. Well, it would've been rude for him to leave after already bothering me. Rude for him to reject me now. He thought before he could stop himself.
He didn't want Deku to reject him like that.
He reminded himself to go back to anger. Anger was a safe emotion.
Deku fell asleep quickly. But he was still shivering. Katsuki rolled his eyes. He couldn't sleep with all that noise. Sure, shivering isn't loud but he was RIGHT there. He rolled his eyes and edged closer the spot Deku was in. He laid his warm arm against Deku's slightly. Almost instantly the shivering stopped. Deku's breaths slowed.
It doesn't matter Katsuki thought. I'll just wake up first and move anyways. I'm just doing it so I can sleep.
When the alarm clock buzzed, he felt Deku's eyes boring into his skull before he heard the nerd move. He considered turning around, but he couldn't. He just couldn't. What is he supposed to say in the morning, as he watches that dopey grin appear on the freckled face? What is there to say that could make sense of this? Whatever this is.
An hour later the same bearded man appears, holding a new valve. Katsuki doesn't spare him a second glance as he lets him into the dorm room, grabs his backpack and leaves. If the maintenance guy called after him, the young blonde couldn't hear him.
—-
A week later the teacher's announce the team up missions.
Katsuki wonders if it's safe to be out at internships so soon after the Leagues attack, but he isn't going to say that like some scared bitch.
He fills his brain with thoughts of capturing villains. He's not trying to drown out thoughts of sleeping alone. That's baby shit. He's just getting hype to beat some ass.
Then Aizawa calls out the first team. He was going to be with Deku. They would both be traveling to another city... together. He felt relief... yeah, he was glad he wouldn't have to hear any whining from the nerd about having trouble sleeping. Thank goodness.
Katsuki wasn't dumb. That's the only reason he remembered everything Izuku said to him during those nights. Because he's smart and he can't help but remember. That's it.
That's how Katsuki knew Deku hadn't mentioned a nightmare in 2 weeks and 1 day.
He also paid attention to the way the boy woke up. He looked at him right before the alarm went off and noted the peaceful expression on the freckled pale face. He noted how even with the annoying alarm sound, Deku never jumped awake. Not when he was in Katsuki's room anyways.
Bakugo wondered why he hadn't considered that the nerd would invite him down to his room due to the cold.
As if I would be able to sleep around all that nerdy All Might gear. He scoffed internally.
His door creaked at 11pm. He looked up, then back down at his phone again as quickly as he could. He never wanted to look like he needed the nerds visits. He didn't want to look like he was the one excited. His heart rate increasing was some dumb response to the late night interruption. That was the only reason.
Izuku shut the door and looked at Katsuki with the largest smile on his face.
Kacchan feigned indifference in his tone when he asked, "what's up with you?"
"I can't wait for the team up mission." Deku replied without missing a beat.
"Of course, you can't."
"I mean it Kacchan. I can't wait."
"I was scared that... that we wouldn't be teamed up together" Deku added.
"Yeah I'm surprised they keep repeating their mistakes" Kacchan didn't immediately look up as he said the words. But when he did, he wished he could take them back.
There was a look of hurt on Dekus face. It wasn't a brand-new look, but it had been so nice seeing Deku's face without that look these past few weeks. Kacchan missed the smile...
"That was just a joke cry baby" Kacchan added. Pretending like he didn't care that he hurt the boy.
Deku sniffed and Kacchan stifled a groan. Was he really going to cry over that?! Really?!
"I think we work pretty well together... when we aren't fighting." Deku said refusing to look up from his shoes.
Kacchan was annoyed. Why won't Deku look him in the eyes.
"We're always fighting." Katsuki said.
"Not at night" Deku whispered it so softly Katsuki knew he could pretend he didn't hear it. Katsuki knew he should pretend he didn't hear it.
"Yeah, not at night" Katsuki replied.
With that Deku picked up the sheets and snuggled down under the covers. No one said anything about the very normal temperature in the room, or the untouched blanket at the foot of the bed.
The next morning Kacchan heard Deku sit up and waited to hear his footsteps leave the room. The footsteps never came. Kacchan remained sitting in his desk chair, his back to Deku on the bed.
Minutes stretched by. He couldn't even check the clock on the nightstand without making eye contact with the green haired nerd.
"Are you gonna leave" the blonde tried to sound annoyed but was surprised to hear desperation in his voice.
"I have a question" Deku stated with a deceptively light tone to his voice.
"You always have ten million questions. That's not my problem." Kacchan refused to turn his chair.
"Hmm." Is all Deku said.
Bakugo couldn't breathe. He didn't want to give in but he needed Deku to leave his room so he could get some oxygen in his lungs.
Bakugo whipped the chair around, expecting Deku to jump at the sudden movement. Of course All Might's heir didn't move a muscle.
Once their eyes were meeting, a battle between red and green, Deku continued as if he had never stopped.
"My question is why do you let me sleep with you. And I know you're going to get mad, and I know you'll threaten to stop. So, I'm telling you while I ask my question: I want to keep sleeping in here with you. I want it very much. I just also wonder what you want."
Kacchan stared into those forest-colored eyes. Had he really expected to get away with never answering this question? Did he really think Deku wouldn't ask it eventually? Yes. In all his arrogance Kacchan was sure Deku would be too scared to broach the forbidden topic. He should've known idiot Deku was never as scared as he should be.
He stared into Deku's eyes, and Deku didn't look away. He was looking for the answer in those eyes. All of the answers to all his questions, he thought they were hidden away in that vermillion hue.
Then it was over. Deku stood up. He smiled again a genuine smile aimed only at me. He crushed that thought.
"Well. Our classmates will be awake any second now. I'll get going, but don't forget about my question." With one last grin that sent a weird piercing feeling though Katsuki's hear the green haired boy walked out.
Katsuki didn't take a single note that day. He wrote random words down throughout the lecture. He didn't need Aizawa or Deku noticing him daydreaming.
He pondered the question. Of course, he asked himself the same thing every night. Why. Why did he unlock his door at 10:55 pm on the dot.
Kacchan took inventory of his muscles. He was resting better than he did after Kamino. His muscles ached less after a workout. He couldn't deny he was feeling better. But he could deny that Deku was the reason.
During the first team up mission, they were assigned to share a room. At 11pm on the dot Deku got out of his bed and slipped into the sheets on the entirely empty side of Kacchan's bed.
Katsuki didn't say a word. He didn't even move a muscle. But, he fell asleep minutes later.
Deku didn't bring up his question again. And Katsuki certainly wasn't going to mention it while he still didn't have an answer. He wondered if Deku knew he didn't have an answer. How well does Deku know him anyways? Better than most people sure but that was only because they'd known each other so long.
For the last team up mission the teams were switched around. He and Deku would be in different cities. Deku turned and met Kacchan's eyes as he walked onto the bus. Katsuki could've sworn the green haired boy looked sad behind his smile.
Deku: you awake? 11:00 pm
Kacchan: what's it to you? 11:02 pm
He hoped Deku would understand the call back to their first conversation, instead of getting offended. He hated being misunderstood even if he liked pissing off Deku. He ignored the excitement he felt when his phone buzzed.
Deku: you're right. Not like I can come over. 11:05 pm
Katsuki's heart ached. He told himself he was mad that the nerd said their unspoken secret over text. But there was no anger in his response.
Kacchan: yeah. Not tonight. 11:10 pm
Deku: did it take you 5 minutes to type 3 words? 11:12 pm
Kacchan: maybe I was texting someone else idiot. 11:13 pm
Deku: oh...were you? 11:15 pm
Kacchan pretended he didn't hear the message in the nerd's vulnerable voice. He pretended he didn't hope the nerd cared.
Kacchan: no 11:16 pm
Deku: so you were just avoiding my question? 11:17 pm
Kacchan: I don't avoid shit. 11:18 pm
Deku: do you miss me? 11:20 pm
Kacchan: what do I look like a girl? 11:25 pm
Deku: hmmmmm. 11:26 pm
Deku: I miss you. 11:27 pm
Kacchan stared at the message. He stared and images of green curls and pink lips flashed across his mind while the message blurred in his vision.
Kacchan: whatever nerd. I'll see you in 2 nights. 11:32 pm
Deku stared at the word. Just one word. "Nights."
Nights belonged to him and Bakugo now. They shared something special during the night. Days were just the space between. The space between their bubble of a world. A world called night.
The next night neither of them had the energy for another emotional chain of messages.
Deku: goodnight Kacchan. 11:00 pm
Kacchan: whatever Deku. 11:01 pm
Then they were back. As quickly as the team up missions had begun, they had ended. Bakugo avoided looking in the direction of Deku's bus as students started walking off.
Deku: it sounds like everyone is asleep. Can I come over now? 10:00 pm
Kacchan: whatever if you get caught I'm not taking the blame with you. 10:01 pm
Kacchan cursed his feet as they walked to the door and unlocked it before he had even responded to Deku's text.
He looked at his phone as the door opened. Unseeing eyes glued to the bright screen. Deku shut the door and took his usual seat on the bed.
"Hi Kacchan" he whispered. "How was your last team up mission?" Kacchan pretended he couldn't hear the genuine interest in Deku's voice. Interest like no one else had ever paid to Katsuki.
"Pft. Took down some D lister bank robber on my own. The rest of the team just watched." Katsuki looked into Deku's eyes while he talked, just to be polite.
"Ah well that sounds like you." Deku laughed. Katsuki pretended the sound didn't bring relief to his ears after 2 days.
"Well?" Kacchan asked sounding annoyed.
At Deku's confused look he sighed; this dummy was exasperating.
"Go on tell me about yours I know that's the only reason you asked about mine."
"N-no I- I-"
Katsuki rolled his eyes and smirked.
The green haired boy laughed again. Finally beginning to get when the blonde was joking.
"Okay so, well you know Fat Gum of course he's famous and there was Tamaki Amajiki one of the big three and..."
Katsuki listened to the nerd's words and he looked up at the ceiling. His shoulders relaxed. His heart started to slow. If he didn't know better, he would think he was feeling happy.
Maybe that's why I let Deku sleep with me. Maybe I like this feeling.
"I did… you know." Kacchan interrupted the nerd and stared in his eyes. Pleading for Deku to understand his meaning without making him admit the whole embarrassing sentiment.
Deku stopped. He looked into Kacchan's eyes. And he smiled. "Yeah, I know." Because of course Deku knew. Deku knew Kacchan better than anyone. Of course, he knew Katsuki missed him before Katsuki knew himself.
But he didn't even feel angry at that! Something was wrong with his anger around Deku. It's like no matter how hard he searched within himself, he couldn't feel anger with those green eyes looking into his.
The next morning when the alarm when off, Kacchan wasn't sitting across the room. Instead, he was still in bed. Deku blinked open his eyes to see Katsuki looking down.
Deku's eyes followed his. Down to their interlaced fingers. They'd been holding hands. Judging from how warm his hand was, they'd been holding hands for a while.
He checked Kacchan's eyes again. Surely Deku was blind to the anger that had to be somewhere in the blonde's features. But he found none.
Instead Kacchan squeezed his hand and closed his eyes again. Deku laid his head back down. Yeah, they could spare a few more minutes before class. They both thought.
The day passed the same as all the others. Just the space between my night with Kacchan Deku thought.
Kacchan: Come see how much better my cooking is than yours 7:30 pm
Deku: Okay on the way 7:32 pm
Deku took the elevator 3 flights down to the common area. It was oddly quiet for dinner time. He walked in the kitchen and there was a second plate on the table waiting for him. He grinned and took his seat next to the boy he loved.
"I'm not gonna have you think you're smarter than me." Kacchan started the conversation as Izuku took his first bite.
"Kacchan this is delicious-"
"Shut up I know."
Kacchan waited, but for once Deku listened and kept his mouth shut. He continued eating his food, looking at Katsuki expectantly.
"Look. I'm going to tell you this before you figure it out first. So, keep up the mime act and listen to me for once." The blonde continued, keeping eye contact with Deku the whole time. The nerd needed to know he was serious.
Deku opened his mouth to argue. Kacchan glared. Deku went back to eating his food.
"You were right. About me having bad dreams. I couldn't sleep after the League of Villains attack. I mean I absolutely couldn't. Whenever I woke up, I felt as tired as I had when I laid down. It felt like I was being punished."
Deku stared at Kacchan. Neither one of them could break the eye contact. Deku wondered if his ears were working correctly. He never expected Kacchan to admit a weakness like that.
"And the reason" Kacchan continued. Still staring into those green eyes. Deku's food was forgotten on the table, "The reason I let you come into my room at night is because I sleep better when you're around."
"I pretended it had nothing to do with you. But then, on the team-up mission, without you, I slept like shit. I don't even know if I did sleep. For an entire 2 days. And the only fucking reason I'm admitting this to you is because I already know you sleep better with me too." Kacchan said the last part angrily. As if he was daring Izuku to deny him. Daring him to say he didn't like sleeping in Kacchan's dorm room.
"Yeah. I do." Deku said in a happy tone. Kacchan wondered if he was squinting from Deku's bright smile.
"Okay then." Kacchan ended the feelings talk with a huff and took his first bite of dinner.
A half hour later Deku heard some classmates entering the dorm. When the voiced neared the kitchen, the freckled boy moved to stand up. Katsuki grabbed his hand and pulled the boys weight back towards his seat. Their joined hands remained on top of the table as Kirishima, Tsuyu, and Tokoyami entered the kitchen.
Deku blushed but left his hand in Katsuki's. Bakugo glared at each person's face as they entered. The three glanced at the hands, the table, the boy's faces, and then back at the hands. But luckily, all 3 of them had the sense to silently grab their food and go back to their rooms.
"Kacchan, you know they're going to get ideas."
"Yeah, they are."
Deku grew concerned at that. Had he misinterpreted Katsuki's hand holding? Was he supposed to let go before the classmates entered?
"They'll get ideas now or they'll get ideas when they see you coming to my room every night. Doesn't really make a difference."
Izuku stared at the boy. Surely, he had heard wrong. Surely, Kacchan didn't want to be public with him. Publicly…what?
Katsuki held his hand all the way up to his 4th floor bedroom, but they didn't pass anymore classmates.
When they entered, they each took their usual spots on the bed. Ignoring the fact that Deku had never been here quite this early before.
The silence wasn't uncomfortable. But Deku had to know what Kacchan was thinking.
"I have a question." The talkative boy voiced. Trying his best to sound casual.
"Of course, you fucking do."
"Are you…are we…" Deku trailed off hoping Kacchan would fill in the gaps for him. The blonde stared at him intently, indicating that no. He was not going to help Deku get past this awkward question unscathed.
"Well you know what I'm getting at." Deku rolled his eyes and Katsuki kept his facial muscles still. Looking genuinely curious into those deep eyes. "You held my hand at the table. In front of your friends. And then all the way back to the room. It's like you're not worried about keeping this a secret anymore. And you made me dinner." Deku rushed the words out, desperately trying not to sound stupid.
"So, my question is are we dating?" Deku gasped for air. Katsuki tried to remember the last time Deku took a breath during the conversation, but he couldn't.
Katsuki laughed. Just a short light laugh, before Deku could take it the wrong way he decided to cut the boy some slack.
"Hmm…." Kacchan pondered Deku's face for a second. "Well, this is disappointing." He declared, his red eyes hiding what emotion the explosive boy was feeling. Izuku felt his stomach drop to the floor. I knew it. Izuku scolded himself for ever getting his hopes up. "I thought my first date was going to blow yours out of the water, so much so that no one, not even a Deku could doubt that I had won your heart. Or that you had won mine. You know how I feel about winning." Izuku smiled hesitantly.
With an exaggerated sigh Katsuki continued. "Duh, we are dating. You know I don't let anyone else sleep in my bed with me. I don't hold anyone else's hand, do I Deku?" The way Kacchan said the nick name made Deku blush.
Deku smiled at Kacchan. His green eyes tried to memorize exactly what his boyfriend looked like right now. In this moment.
Then Deku found he was only looking at Kacchan's lips. The room was silent, but Deku's head was loud. His brain was slower than the rest of him. Deku was leaning in. Closer and closer towards Kacchan's face. Am I moving too fast? Am I moving too slow? What is he thinking? Deku tried to focus his thoughts, but they swirled around hopelessly.
Then there was a warm hand on his neck. A pull forwards, and their lips were meeting. Deku sighed into Katsuki's mouth unwillingly. The kiss was slow, and warm. Their lips in perfect rhythm moving against each other. Each boy relishing in the moment.
"You were overthinking it weren't you nerd?" Kacchan said against his mouth.
"Thinking isn't always overthinking."
"I could tell." Kacchan whispered against his ear.
Deku couldn't control the shiver that ran down his spine. Yeah, Kacchan could always tell.
The next day they sat together at the lunch table. Holding hands on the bench in between them. "Well, I for one, knew this entire time." Kirishima declared confidently.
"There's no was a blockhead like you knew before me," Mina argued.
"Of course, I did. Didn't you ever notice Bakugo's face when he looked at Midoriya. It would get all soft and sweet for a second, then when Midoriya looked up at Bakugo his expression would change super-fast to red and angry. It gave me emotional whiplash the first time I saw it, so I observed further to be sure."
Bakugo began to get angry. Clenching his fist to hit the red head as hard as he could. Then Deku chuckled beside him. "Hahaha Kacchan is so adorable." Bakugo's hand instantly relaxed. He ignored the triumphant look on shitty hair's face when he noticed he had gotten away with his comments.
Whatever. I'll punch shitty hair later. When Deku is smiling like that. I can't exactly look away now.