Disclaimer: I don't own My Hero Academia and any of its characters used in this fanfic.

A/N: God damn it, I'm late with posting this...but here's the fourth one-shot for Katsuyu Week 2018! The prompt for Day 4 is Tsuyu. (If any of you want to contribute, head on over to katsuyuweek on Tumblr to see the prompts, rules, and guidelines!)

This is a continuation of Day 1's one-shot, so if you haven't read that yet (or forgot what happened), go check it out again. (You can try to read it on its own, but I mean...you might miss out on one-half of Katsuyu.)

This one-shot is so Katsuyu near the end that I think I died a bit on the inside while writing it—seriously. (I think my deprivation of Katsuyu interaction began to show at that point.) Also, as always, fair warning: expect some coarse language (because Katsuki likes to curse).

With that said, enjoy!

Note: I wrote a sequel one-shot to this called Undeniable. Check it out if you're interested!

Eventual

Day 4: Tsuyu
(Sequel to Day 1: Bakugo)

When Tsuyu finished up her patrol the next day and arrived home in her cozy apartment, the last thing she expected to see on her phone was an overwhelming number of messages from Ochaco on LINE.

OH, MY GOD, TSUYU, I NEED TO CONFIRM SOMETHING WITH YOU REAL QUICK.

GIRL, WHERE ARE YOU? ANSWER ME PLEASE.

SERIOUSLY, I KNOW YOU'RE AT HOME ALREADY. PLEASE ANSWER. I NEED ANSWERS.

Tsuyu blinked a few times until she saw the triple dots appear.

Tsuyu, I know you're there. I saw the "read" receipt. Explain!

Tsuyu sighed as she took off her shoes. Then, she headed to her couch and sat down on it. Explain what?

Girl, did you not see the tabloids?

Ochaco, you know I don't read tabloids. Tsuyu paused. Wait, I thought you weren't into tabloids?

I'm not, but I overheard some girls talking about what just came out, and just—oh, my God, is it true?

Uh…is what true?

Are you and Bakugo dating?

Tsuyu blinked a few times slowly as she stared at the sentence, processing what Ochaco had just sent her a few times in her head.

Tsuyu? Tsu? Tsu?!

Tsuyu shook her head before she texted, Okay, where did you get the idea that we're dating?

People are talking about it! Legit, no joke!

Okay, but why?

Because of the tabloids! Hang on, I'll pull up the picture. Give me a sec.

Tsuyu waited, and a few minutes later, she saw the picture Ochaco sent her.

The picture was a romanticized shot of when Katsuki had grabbed her arm. It looked so picturesque with the hesitance etched on his face and the surprised look on hers, reminiscing that of a drama's typical confession scene.

To put it bluntly, Tsuyu was shocked.

And here's the link!

Although Ochaco sent the link, Tsuyu didn't dare click it because the first thing she saw from the link's article title—"Bad Boy Superhero Falls for Beloved Froppy?!"—was enough to make her eyes bug out.

Please tell me you're not dating, Ochaco texted. Otherwise, I would be very upset that you have not told me until now.

Tsuyu took a few seconds to compose herself, taking a deep breath and exhaling softly. We are NOT dating—I can assure you that much.

Okay, so this photo is totally photoshopped, right?

Uh…no. Or, at least, I don't think so?

Ochaco didn't respond for a few seconds. Wait, what?

Um, I mean, I did encounter Bakugo the other day, but we only talked for a little while.

So…why did he grab your arm, then?

I'm not sure myself. I didn't expect him to suddenly do something like that, much less compliment me.

Wait, WHAT? GIRL.

What?

Why did you hide this from me?!

I didn't hide this from you!

You didn't tell me about it!

It slipped my mind, Ochaco!

Tsu, you should be ashamed of yourself. Now, give me the details!

Well, I mean, Bakugo just said my hair didn't look so bad because I didn't look bad. Kind of a random thing for him to say, but that's about it.

And…that's all he did?

Yup. Tsuyu paused before adding, Now that I think about it, I guess that explains why this teenager randomly gave me a thumbs-up and said she was rooting for me.

No way. Really?!

Yup. And I said thank you.

PFFFT.

And the conversation continued with Ochaco telling Tsuyu about her day and vice versa, even when Tsuyu made herself dinner. It wasn't long before they both had to go to bed to get ready for the new day ahead of them.

Ugh, Ochaco texted. I just checked my e-mail and saw I got more tabloid articles about what happened between you and Bakugo.

Tsuyu sighed. I don't understand… Why would they do that? It's like they're asking for Bakugo to attack them.

You know, you make a fair point—but he is pretty popular.

Huh?

Yeah, with a lot of the girls in high school and college. I don't know why. Maybe it's that temperamental bad boy image he's got going on.

You'd think most girls would know to steer away from him with that temper of his, though.

Yeah, Deku said that, too, haha! But Deku also told me that Bakugo always had this way of attracting people to him somehow, so he said he wasn't totally surprised.

Tsuyu raised an eyebrow. Yeah, only because of his power and his attitude.

PFFFFFT. AHAHA. Okay, okay, but you're 100% sure that Bakugo doesn't have feelings for you, right?

Tsuyu blinked in surprise. What brought that question up?

Because even Deku was surprised when I showed that picture to him. He said it looked unlike Bakugo… Then, he started murmuring reasons as to why, and that reasoning came up.

Well, you can tell Midoriya to cross that reason off his list because I'm pretty sure Bakugo would never ever like me.

Tsuyu met Katsuki again the next day coincidentally right after their patrolling was over, but this time, she had caught him sitting at the end of the pier and wearing his superhero costume, his legs dangling over the edge as he glared out at the sea.

Honestly, she didn't expect seeing him again so soon, considering how she had barely seen him the last decade since the other day. She had heard news of him, like how he was still rowdy, rough, violent, and temperamental as ever, which was why she wasn't surprised to hear the controversy about how he nearly bludgeoned someone to death, but she didn't really keep tabs on him—because really, why would she?

Still, she swam up to him, unfazed by how his glare intensified when he saw her, and asked, "So, how was your day?"

"What kind of question is that?" Katsuki retorted.

"It's a nice way to start out a conversation, you know. But, I guess you don't know that."

Katsuki growled.

"Something on your mind? You don't usually come by the pier often."

"What, a guy can't come out here and think?"

"He can, but you in particular? Seems suspicious to me."

"Okay, that's it!" Katsuki retorted before he stood up and pointed at the spot next to him. "Get your ass up here already!"

"Why? I'm safer in the water from your explosions."

"Because, Froggy—"

"It's Froppy," Tsuyu coolly corrected.

Katsuki groaned. "Does it look like I care?! Get your ass up here already!"

Tsuyu pondered for a moment, tilting her head. "I would, but you know, there's a nicer way to ask, Bakugo."

Katsuki narrowed his eyes.

Tsuyu stared in response.

Finally, he groaned in defeat. "Fine, just—just get up here, will you?"

Tsuyu continued to stare at him for a few seconds before she sighed, swam up to the dock, and jumped out of the water, only to land safely onto the wooden planks on her feet and hands. Slowly, she stood up and raised an eyebrow at Katsuki, gesturing him to continue.

Katsuki frowned. "Uh, so you saw that tabloid, right?"

"No, but I heard of it. Ochaco told me about it." Tsuyu paused, waiting for Katsuki to respond, but when he didn't, she asked, "Why? What about it?"

Katsuki pursed his lips. "Did it bother you?"

"Did what bother me?"

"Gee, I don't know, the sky," he replied sarcastically before adding, "For fuck's sake, I meant the tabloid. What else would I be talking about?"

"No, it didn't."

Katsuki frowned.

"Did it bother you?"

"Fuck yeah, it did! Who the hell gave them permission to take a picture of me?!"

"Bakugo, you're a superhero… It's expected that they would take pictures of you."

"In superhero settings, yes—like saving someone's ass out of a fire or beating up a villain! Not something like that picture!"

Tsuyu sighed. "I don't see the problem."

Katsuki scowled. "What, it doesn't bother your boyfriend either?"

Tsuyu blinked a few times in surprise.

Katsuki's scowl grew. "What?"

"Where on Earth did you get the idea that I have a boyfriend?"

"Uh, you know, Bird Face."

Tsuyu blinked a few times. "Tokoyami?"

"Yeah, him."

"What about him?"

"Isn't he your boyfriend?"

"What? No, he's just a close friend."

Katsuki blinked a few times. "Oh."

There was a long pause of silence as Tsuyu stared at Katsuki in disbelief.

Granted, she did have a small crush on Fumikage back in high school, but she eventually got over him. Looking back on it, the crush was just pure infatuation, and honestly, Tsuyu valued Fumikage as more of a friend. Besides, she had difficulty viewing Fumikage as someone more than just a friend, even with the crush—because yes, she did like him, and yes, she had a crush on him, but…she just couldn't imagine herself dating him. Dating meant holding hands, going on dates, and, well, intimacy.

Tsuyu pursed her lips as that thought crossed her mind. Since she had gotten over Fumikage, she had never seen anyone else romantically again. Still, she didn't expect Bakugo to even come up with that notion.

"Where did you get that idea?" Tsuyu asked.

"Huh?" Katsuki replied, blinking a few times.

Tsuyu tilted her head, realizing that Katsuki was most likely lost in his thoughts as she was. "I asked where you got that idea from."

"Oh. Nowhere."

"I find that hard to believe."

Katsuki shrugged. "I just thought you two were a thing. That's all."

"Why?"

Katsuki scowled. "Because you kept smiling and giggling whenever Bird Face was around back in high school."

Tsuyu blinked a few times, surprised that Katsuki had even noticed because she had always thought he was the type to care only about himself and never about others, much less about their possible feelings for another classmate.

And yet, she stayed silent—because it was strange for him to even realize those things about her, considering his personality. Almost immediately, she had an epiphany—because maybe, just maybe, Izuku was right.

Of course, that brought to the question of how it had all started, which honestly began to boggle Tsuyu's mind further, and she couldn't resist tilting her head again, this time in confusion as she furrowed her brow.

"What?" Katsuki asked, frowning.

"Bakugo… Have you ever liked someone before?"

Katsuki stared at Tsuyu for a few seconds before he scowled. "You're shitting me, right?"

"No, I'm not."

"The hell kind of question is that?!"

"So, I'm guessing you've never liked someone before."

"Why the hell would I like someone?!"

Tsuyu shrugged. "I don't know. Have you ever thought about someone constantly?"

"No."

"Do your eyes unconsciously drift to where they are?"

"No."

"Have you ever—"

"No, no, no, and no," Katsuki interrupted, growling. "For fuck's sake, I've never liked anyone before, so why do you keep asking these questions?!"

Still, Tsuyu ignored him and asked, "Have you ever gotten jealous before?"

Katsuki scowled. "No."

"You sure?"

"Yes."

Tsuyu hummed. "I see…"

Maybe Izuku was wrong—in which case, that meant maybe Tsuyu was off her on her mark as well. But the way he had replied to her so quickly—not to mention his further denials—made her question whether he even realized it himself yet.

And so, Tsuyu decided to try something a little different—a little something that was unlike herself to do, but it would've been enough to seal the deal.

She gestured him to lean down, and when he was reluctant to do so, she continued to gesture. When he finally did, she closed the gap between them, tip-toeing just enough to reach his ear.

And with the lowest, softest voice she could muster, she whispered, "So, you've really never liked someone before?"

Tsuyu had expected him to immediately back away or even start screaming at her, but instead, all she heard a sharp intake of breath from Katsuki.

There was a brief pause until finally, she heard in her ear—a low, husky voice—whispering, "No."

Honestly, she'd be lying if she said she didn't feel shivers going down her spine, even when she tried to keep a straight face and pursed her lips.

Once Katsuki backed away, Tsuyu noticed that his eyes were different—that they were displaying some of kind of…emotion that she couldn't really identify. It looked different on Katsuki because she was so used to seeing his nonchalance and glares. His gaze made her feel so vulnerable—so exposed, as if he was trying to delve deep into how she was truly feeling. Just this one look was enough to take her breath away, and it increasingly became difficult with every passing second to even keep her face composed.

Finally, Katsuki leaned in close to her face, just a few inches away from her lips, and it was enough for Tsuyu to unconsciously bite her lower lip.

She noticed, of course, when Katsuki's eyes shifted to something else. She still couldn't tell what it was, but she knew it was that same emotion—just darker and more prevalent.

"The next time you mess with me like this, you won't get away with it," Katsuki said in that same low tone, but even huskier.

A part of her rationalized that maybe he meant that in a threatening way, but the longer he stared at her and stayed in proximity of her, the more it sounded like he was…daring her to do it again—daring her to do whatever this was they were both doing.

Finally, Katsuki closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and just walked away without another word.

When he was far enough, she let out a few short breaths, doing her best to digest what had just happened. Honestly, it took everything in Tsuyu to not collapse right then and there because her legs felt weak, she felt her face heat up, and dear God, her heartbeat was pounding so loud.

She knew this feeling, and she knew what it was, but with every passing second, she kept telling herself that it was just a one-time thing and that it was never going to happen again—and yet, that didn't calm down her pounding heartbeat or relieve the increasing heat on her face no matter how much she kept repeating that to herself.