I'm sorry, this chapter got done wayyyyy later than I wanted it done by but my life has just been chaotic lately...It's here now though so enjoy!
Does he know?
There's no way he could know, right? I've kept it a secret this long, he couldn't have figured it out after all this time.
Right?
Snow crunched softly under Izuku's battered, red sneakers as he dazedly followed Katsuki down Golden Avenue. The blonde walked at a slow and leisurely pace; easy to keep up with, yet Izuku fell behind anyway. He was too caught up in his own thoughts.
No, he doesn't know-he was just getting revenge, he said so himself… He finally concluded.
The green haired boy grimaced as he remembered the exchange from nearly half an hour ago. He was so sure that Kacchan was going to kiss him on the lips. He should've known better, the only way Kacchan would do that was if they were in a TV show or fanfiction or something.
If he did like me though, if it wasn't just payback… Heat gathered in Izuku's cheeks as he imagined what could've happened in an alternate universe, If Kacchan kissed me, he would've ran his long, rough fingers through my hair, push me up against the door, bite down on my lip and-
Katsuki suddenly came to a stop and looked back at Izuku, who startled and immediately averted his eyes.
"Wha-what is it?" Izuku squeaked, wrapping his arms across his chest, somehow thinking he'd feel less exposed that way.
Bakugou paid no attention to Izuku's mannerisms and jerked a thumb to the side.
"Is that the rink you were talking about before? Mikasa Ice Arena?"
Izuku turned to where Katsuki was referring to and lit up at the sight.
"Yeah," He chirped, "That's the one."
Not too far away stood a huge sign that read "Welcome to Mikasa Ice Arena, where Mi Kasa es Su Kasa!" Underneath the sign was a long haired man in a sombrero, handing out free samples of hot chocolate. A frozen lake surrounded by multiple booths could be seen off in the distance, just beyond the entrance. The tiny stands sold food, ice skates, and a wide range of souvenirs. There was also a stage set up nearby for up and coming artists wishing to perform; that was probably the reason it was so crowded today.
Izuku was still admiring the area as Katsuki scuffed his shoes against the icy ground, internally debating with himself. He looked back and forth from the ice rink to the twinkle in Izuku's eyes and sighed.
"...Wanna check it out?" Katsuki begrudgingly asked.
"Can we?!" Izuku whipped around, grinning from ear to ear. Bakugou took a step back 'cause the other was too close. Izuku seemed to realize himself and took a step back as well.
"I mean-only if you want to, heh heh…" Izuku scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "You probably don't though...which is okay! I don't really wanna go either, pffft-who the heck would wanna go to Mikasa's? It's only number 3 on Japan's best ice skating rinks-doesn't even deserve that number, it looks lame, ice skating is lame, Todoroki's quirk is lame, actually no it's not, I don't know why I said that-"
Bakugou cut the other boys' nonsensical rambling short by grabbing his hand and pulling them towards the entrance. Izuku stumbled from abruptly being dragged along, but eventually found his footing and walked normally besides the blonde.
"If you want something, just say so…" Katsuki murmured, somewhat peeved at Deku for not being assertive enough. I'm probably the reason for that though… He thought guiltily, memories of his past torments resurfacing to the top.
Izuku stared at the hand in his. His expression twisted into an odd mix of anxious determination as he considered the others' words.
If you want something….
Bakugou began to let go of the others' hand, however, couldn't. Pale fingers intertwined between tan ones, keeping them firmly in place.
Izuku smiled gently at Katsuki's questioning look, his emerald eyes shined brightly with a strong, unknown emotion as he boldly declared,
"You're right Kacchan."
Bakugou remained puzzled for a few seconds. When he finally registered the meaning behind such a statement, his face exploded in color.
Did he just-? Did Deku really just imply that..? No, no fucking way he meant it like that, Deku's just being stupid again... Katsuki looked away and scoffed to cover up the completely unwarranted emotion he felt from such simple words.
"Well, you're a regular fucking casanova aren't ya?" Katsuki says sarcastically, though his throat felt tight and constricted.
"I am." Izuku says seriously, making the blonde do a double take.
"I have a harem, didn't ya know?" He then says, grinning cheekily. Their linked appendages swung as Izuku moved with a bounce in his steps.
Katsuki stares for a while and then snorts, feeling less on edge from the stupid joke.
"I always knew you were secretly a hoe." He says, playing along. "Always hanging out with that floaty chick and four eyes, looking all shady when no one's around. You guys are a bunch of nerds though so your idea of third base is probably finishing a year long lego project."
"You mean that's not third base?" Izuku gaped, pretending to be shocked. "Is first base not setting the foundation for my lego empire?"
"Sorry to burst your bubble but nope." Katsuki replies.
Izuku gasps dramatically, "Here I thought I had already struck a homerun, but I never even got to first base. My life is a lie."
"Don't worry, I'll show you all the bases one day." Katsuki winks.
Izuku flushes from the tips of his toes to the roots of his hair.
"LOOK, WE'RE HERE!" The flustered boy says a bit too loudly, pulling away from the blonde to practically sprint over to the ticket stand. Katsuki bites down a laugh as the other nearly trips over his own feet in his haste.
Five minutes later, Bakugou trips over his own feet.
THWACK!
"Kacchan, it's okay if you don't know how to-"
"I GOT THIS!"
"But-"
THWACK!
That makes it the fourth time that Katsuki has plunged face first onto the ice. To his credit though, he gets up straight away to give it another shot. But of course, the cycle continues and he loses his balance again.
However, Izuku was prepared this time and caught him by the arms before the blonde could further hurt himself.
Katsuki's hands landed on Izuku's sleeves, just in time to prevent their heads from knocking together; Their faces were level now, Katsuki being slightly hunched over on his unsteady feet while Izuku stood tall and strong, being the pillar that held them both up.
Bakugou scowls. "Deku, I don't need your help-I can do this, just give me ti-Why did you just poke my nose?"
"'Cause your arrogance was showing." Izuku replies promptly with puffed out cheeks. "Here, hold my hands."
"Again?" Katsuki asks without thinking.
Izuku rolls his eyes as a faint blush spots his cheek. "Just do it."
Surprisingly, Bakugou listens and steadily slides his hands down to hold Izuku's.
"Now bend your knees." Izuku instructs. Katsuki follows.
"Good." The green haired boy then began to slowly skate backwards, the blonde slid along with him in the same rigid pose.
"...You can start walking now, Kacchan." Izuku says, holding back a giggle.
Gradually, Katsuki relaxes his muscles and moves his legs forward clumsily. Soon enough though, they were in sync and Izuku only had to hold his one hand.
"Shit, this feels pretty nice actually." Katsuki says after a while.
"See? I told ya ice skating is fun! When you're not falling on your face every two seconds that is."
"What was that Deku?"
Literal sparks set off in the blondes' fingertips, stinging the other the way mini firecrackers would.
"Ah!" Izuku yelped, yanking his hand away-or trying to; Katsuki held on tightly. "I meant-! Wow! Kacchan! You're doing great, such a fast learner!" Midoriya laughs uneasily through his pain.
Katsuki smirks for a second but then frowns.
The hell am I doing? I literally just forced him to say that by hurting him. Katsuki's stomach lurched forward, I thought I was over petty shit like this, what the fuck is wrong with me?
"Kacchan?" A soft voice calls out. Katsuki blinks and finds a set of worried green eyes staring at him.
"What's wrong?" Izuku asks, eyebrows pinched together in concern.
The emerald green eyes glistened in the evening sun as they analyzed him, it was the same look that Deku always gave him as a child, the same look that could see right through him, right to his soul.
Bakugou suddenly broke his hands away as they began to tremor.
"Nothing." Katsuki said. He wasn't ready to open that can of worms just yet, especially not in public. He abruptly changes the subject,
"I bet I can get to the other side of the lake before you can." He taunts with a forced smirk.
Izuku frowned; he knew what Kacchan was trying to do, but it was probably for the best to just let it go for now.
"You're on." The green haired boy accepts the challenge. "I think I have the advantage here though Kacchan, considering you just learned how to skate."
Katsuki's smirk turns a little bit more genuine. "Maybe, maybe not."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Izuku blinks in confusion.
"Nothing. Alright, on the count of three." Katsuki says. "One….."
"No wait!" Izuku interrupts, "I'm counting!"
"Wha-why? Why the fuck does it matter whose counting?"
"'Cause," he says, crossing his arms, "I feel like you're gonna say 'three' when I least expect it and get a head start on me." The freckled boy explained himself.
"The fuck?" Katsuki scoffs, "I wouldn't pull a chickenshit move like that but whatever, go ahead and count since you want to so badly."
"Thank you." Izuku says, stepping in line with the blonde. "Alright, ready?"
Katsuki nods.
"Okay, one…..." Midoriya leans forward and puts a hand on his knee.
"Two…..." Bakugou cracks his knuckles for some reason.
"Three!" Izuku shouts, surging into motion. Katsuki stayed still for a moment,
Before setting off an explosion behind him.
"KACCHAN!" Izuku shouts as Katsuki propels past him. "YOU CAN'T USE YOUR QUIRK, THAT'S CHEATING!"
"SAYS WHO?" Katsuki laughs maniacally as he left a blazing trail of melted ice behind him.
The rink was definitely going to fine them. At least they won't be charged with a public safety hazard fine since most civilians were off the ice by now.
Well, since they were gonna be fined anyway, Izuku activated his own quirk and caught up to the fire wielder in a matter of seconds-except, his alignment was off and he ran right into the others' back.
The pair collided painfully and spun off into a snowbank.
"Urgh..." Izuku groaned as he saw stars for the umpteenth time that week.
Snow surrounded him, it was in his ears, his shoes, his gloves, everywhere. And he couldn't even move since he was trapped underneath Katsuki. The aforementioned slowly lifted his head up and shook the excess snow off his hair.
Izuku's breath hitched at the sight.
The sun overhead cast a sort of a halo effect around Katsuki, illuminating his golden locks. The tips of his hair were peppered with snow, giving the spikes a softer appearance and contrasting sharply with ruby red eyes. A strange warmth flooded Izuku's senses as the blonde suddenly smiled.
Truly smiled.
"Deku, you goddamn klutz." Katsuki said in an almost affectionate-affectionate?-tone. He let out a tiny exhale of a laugh as he spoke, "You had an entire rink to yourself yet you still managed to run right into me, how is that even possible?"
Izuku shrugged, not really knowing how to respond.
"I always do the impossible." He says flippantly.
This time Katsuki really laughs, a smooth velvety sound that makes Izuku's stomach do somersaults.
"Fuck yeah you do." He says, definitely in an affectionate tone.
Izuku's palms started sweating profusely as his heart raced fast and loud.
thumpthumpthumpThumpThumpThumpThumpThumpThumpTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMP
THUMP!
Katsuki was suddenly sitting on the ice, confusion etched over his features while Izuku was on his feet.
...What just happened? Midoriya wondered.
He looked down at his hands, they were shaking uncontrollably. Did I just push Kacchan? When? He couldn't remember at all, his body must've moved on its' own accord.
'Uh...sorry.." Izuku stammers, searching for words inside his head. "It was cold, I didn't mean to..push...you..." he murmurs as scratches the back of his head, distracted by the fluttering sensation in his stomach that grew stronger by the second.
The green haired boy swiftly turned away to walk to the booths. "I think that's enough skating for one day..." He murmurs to the blonde as he leaves.
As soon as he was out of Katsuki's sight, he bought one hand up to his chest and squeezed the fabric that was directly over his heart. He leaned his other hand against a nearby lamp post and breathed in though his nose and out his mouth, as if he had just ran a marathon.
ThumpThumpThumpThumpThumpThumpThumpThump...
What is wrong with me? His stomach was still churning and his heart couldn't seem to calm down.
Kacchan's smile suddenly flashed through his mind.
Then the kiss from Kirishima's house, the apprehension in the air from when they held hands, the oddly flirty jokes Kacchan would say from time to time, the way Kacchan would flush occasionally without a reason.
There's no way, Izuku shook his head in denial. There's NO WAY he feels the same.
He does not like me that way-he can't, there's no way he would.
I'm overthinking things, like I always do, it's just not possible-it's just NOT.
...Right?
Good? Bad? Lemme know what you guys think. Next update will be sometime in February cuz I'm going on vacation to a shithole country with no wifi or indoor plumbing -.-
Wish me luck, byeeeee