Two weeks ago...

Despite the fact they didn't get back until half past midnight, no alarm was needed that morning. As the first rays of sun shone through Izuku's window, he opened his eyes to see that Katsuki was already awake, gazing at him.

There was a fear in his eyes Izuku never saw when they were at work. The same fear he'd seen last night. The fear he'd heard in Katsuki's voice while they were in the car. Wordlessly, Izuku started tracing the linework of his arm tattoo. The petals of each rose. The roman numerals on his middle finger. Katsuki let him. Gradually, his eyes fluttered closed as he relaxed. His chest rose and fell slowly and deeply.

Izuku flinched as he felt his phone buzz against his back. When he grabbed it and looked at the screen, there was a message from Inko.

Come into the kitchen.

Izuku did his best to climb over Katsuki so he wouldn't stir him. Then he threw on his red dress shirt before opening his door.

Ordinarily, Izuku was showered, dressed, and out of the house before his mother even woke up. But today she was sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee, ready to start her day. She had bags under her eyes, as if she hadn't slept. "Good morning."

Izuku nodded, striding over to grab a cup himself. "Morning, mom."

He could feel her pensive gaze on him. Noticed her brow furrow at the sight of him in Katsuki's shirt.

"Will you be honest with me?" she asked.

Izuku leaned against the counter while he sipped his coffee. "Yeah."

"Did you two have sex?"

Izuku shook his head.

She frowned, her gaze darting to the window as she pointed her thumb at the street down below. "His car is parked outside."

"Yes, it is."

"It's been there all night."

Izuku blinked, unamused.

"So he stayed the night?"

"Yes."

"But you didn't have sex."

"No."

"Then why have him over?"

Izuku flushed with anger. "I don't need a reason to have my boyfriend spend the night with me."

She bristled, but ignored his words. "Was he too drunk to drive?" she asked accusingly.

"No. I told Katsuki I loved him and I think it scared him. He stayed over so I could calm him down."

Inko's eyes widened. "You told him you - "

" - Yes," Izuku said firmly.

She pinched her temples. "You need to slow down."

Izuku's jaw tightened. "I've known him for three years. How much slower do you want me to go?" he snapped.

"You might've known of him but you've only been talking for a few weeks."

"Almost a month," Izuku corrected.

"Too soon to be throwing the L-word around. I thought you were smarter than that."

"Whether or not I waited to tell him wouldn't have made a difference. It's still true."

"You're too invested in this, Izuku. A summer fling is one thing but - "

" - What do you have against him?" Izuku finally snapped. "He's been nothing but good to me."

Inko pursed her lips. "I contacted his mother. It turns out she and I went to the same high school. When I told her our sons are friends, she sounded surprised. She didn't think someone like you, a good smart kid with a bright future would associate with someone like Katsuki."

Izuku slammed his now empty coffee cup into the sink harder than he needed to. "This is what you got me out of bed to tell me?"

"Did you know he was a street fighter?!" she asked.

Izuku glared at her defiantly. "Yes, I did."

Inko gasped. "You knew and you pursued him anyway. Are you crazy?!"

He teared up when he remembered the scared look in his eyes. How gently his eyes fluttered closed as he fell back asleep. "He doesn't do that anymore! He's changed!"

"A tiger can't change its stripes," she snapped back. "Mitsuki made him get a part-time job as a last resort to keep him from his delinquent extracurriculars."

He felt every word in his heart, without a shred of doubt. "He would never hurt me."

Inko stood up. "If a dog was raised to be violent, it's only a matter of time before they turn on you. It can be placed in the most loving home on earth - "

" - Katsuki's not a dog," Izuku snarled. "And if it weren't for his delinquent extracurriculars, I might not be standing here right now."

She sighed, bringing her coffee mug to the sink, and began rinsing out the dishes. "I just don't understand why you're doing this. It's pointless."

"No, it's not."

She turned off the sink and placed her hands on her hips. "What sort of life are you planning to have with him? Hmm? You're going to college. You'll be an educated man with a degree and a career. He's had the same part-time job since he was a sophomore in high school - "

" - He works full time now - "

"You deserve so much better!" she exclaimed, grabbing his arms. "He'll be working at that mall for the rest of his life! Is that what you want? To work alongside him, making just above minimum wage?! Struggling to survive, like me?! I don't want that for you! You're so smart and I'm so proud of you and you work so hard and I can't let you throw it all away for some stupid man like I did!"

Izuku fell silent as he saw tears well up in her eyes.

She sniffled and stroked a piece of hair out of his face. "There's only one way this can end. And it's not riding off with him on a horse into the sunset. You need to break it off now so it won't hurt you as much. Don't delay the inevitable."

Never. "He's not making me sacrifice anything," Izuku insisted. "I'm still going to school. I'll still get my degree - "

" - And then what?" she pushed. "Do you really think you can build a life with someone like him? Have a family? Raise children? You need someone who can support you. Someone who works just as hard as you do - "

" - You want me to have a nine-to-five-guy who wears a suit and pays the bills?" Izuku snapped. "Because that's what dad was. And he dipped."

Inko was finally rendered speechless.

Izuku hugged her tight, resting his chin on top of her head. "Don't worry about me. I know what I'm doing."

"How can you?" she asked helplessly. "At twenty-one, I was reading bedtime stories to a three-year-old wondering how I was going to feed him."

"You just have to trust me. Trust him."

~.~

Bakugo barely breathed as he listened to the heated debate going on in the next room. Inko's words gutted him like a rusty knife.

When I told her our sons are friends, she sounded surprised. She didn't think someone like you, a good smart kid with a bright future would associate with someone like Katsuki."

Did you know he was a street fighter?!

A tiger can't change its stripes.

If a dog was raised to be violent, it's only a matter of time before it turns on you.

What sort of life are you planning to have with him?

You deserve so much better!

I can't let you throw it all away for some stupid man!

There's only one way this can end.

You need to break it off.

He'd heard it all before. He was buck-wild and dangerous, like a feral dog. Bad news. Bound for nowhere. But never before had it hurt this much. Bakugo slipped his slacks back on and clasped his belt closed. After last night, as Izuku held him close, playing absently with his hair, he realized he'd never known true peace until that moment.

His boyfriend looked alarmed as he re-entered to find Bakugo already half-dressed. "Katsuki."

"This was a mistake," Bakugo muttered brokenly. "I shouldn't've - "

" - You're my boyfriend you can stay over whenever you want," Izuku insisted.

" - That's not what I - "

" - We didn't even do anything, we just cuddled - "

" - I'm not talking about spending the night."

Izuku gawked at him. "What are you saying?"

"Your mom," Bakugo stated, unable to meet Izuku's eyes. "Everything she - "

"No. Whatever you heard her say, forget it because - "

" - She's right, Izuku. There's no future with me. I'll live in this town for the rest of my life and die in it too."

"Then I'll live and die here with you."

"You can't."

"Why not?"

Bakugo growled with frustration. "Because you have a chance to get out of here!"

"What would be the point if I can't take you with me?!"

"I never should've spoken to you," Bakugo said, ignoring him. "I knew the minute I laid eyes on you that you were temporary. After you graduate, you'll be - "

" - I'll cross that bridge when I come to it."

"But why? Why wait a year when we'll have to break up anyway?! Why would you do that to yourself?!"

"Because we're not breaking up," Izuku snapped. "I promised you, remember? No one but you will ever touch me. Ever."

Bakugo flushed, sitting on the edge of the bed with his face in his hands. "You don't realize how amazing you are," he muttered. "You're so smart. So smart. Even when I was in school, I…" he sighed, shaking his head. "And you're not just intelligent, you give a shit about school. You drill this crap into your head to the point it's obsessive. You have so many options. You can have any guy you want - "

" - I know that," Izuku countered. "And I want you."

Bakugo fought tears. "Izuku - "

" - I never want anyone else ever again. For three years, you're the only one I've ever wanted. Now that we're finally together, you're telling me - "

" - You deserve the world, Izuku and I'll never be able to give it to you."

"I don't need the world, I just need you."

Bakugo took a deep breath as his mind made itself up. "Izuku, I - "

" - No," he snapped intensely, stalking towards him.

"We should just do this now so we won't - "

" - NO!"

" - GODDAMMIT, NERD, I'M TRYING TO TELL YOU - "

" - I DON'T GIVE A FUCK WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO TELL ME!"

"WE HAVE TO BREAK UP, OKAY?! SO JUST - "

Izuku leaped into Bakugo's lap and kissed him, silencing his words. As Izuku's hands ran up his chest, over his shoulders, and down his arms, he melted, relaxing completely into the kiss.

Who the hell was he kidding? As Izuku sat on him in his dress shirt, pulling the back of his hair and flooding his mouth with the taste of coffee and cherries, he knew it was too late. It had been too late a long time ago. The moment they met eye to eye. The day they touched hands. Their first kiss. Katsuki belonged to him. Even all those years he'd watched him longingly from a distance, Izuku owned him, heart and soul.

Bakugo moved his hands to cup Izuku's face, kissing him deeper. What the hell is wrong with you? He thought. Everyone else sees me for what I am. Every other person knows enough to stay away. But you keep running into fire. Looking for danger. It's like you have a damn death wish.

Izuku pressed Bakugo down onto his back, then, while still in his lap, he began undoing Bakugo's belt again.

"Don't," Bakugo hissed, even though he was already hard. "Your mom - "

" - don't care," Izuku snapped. "You're my boyfriend and I love you. If I want to suck you off in my bedroom I'll - "

" - Izuku, sto - OH!"

He was already kissing him there. Rubbing his hand up and down, from base to tip. "Go ahead, Katsuki," he murmured. "Break up with me."

Bakugo couldn't form words anymore. His hand is so soft. His tongue...Jesus.

"Do it," Izuku dared, taking the head of Bakugo's cock into his mouth and sucking hard.

He just barely suppressed a moan of pleasure as he pulled Izuku's hair. Damn you, bunny.

Izuku moved his hand faster and came up for air. "Go ahead. What's stopping you? You just said you want to dump me."

Bakugo gritted his teeth, letting out a shuddery exhale as he tilted his head back. "I c-can't."

"Why not?" he challenged.

Because I love you. "B-because I - I lo - mmm - oh god - "

" - I love you too," Izuku whispered, taking him into his mouth once more.