Their remaining few days they had left at the inn whizzed by and were mostly relaxing. Katsuki kept his mind preoccupied by picking up the manuscript he had gotten Deku for his birthday and lounged around for hours on end reading through that. And he had to admit to himself – once again – that he was indeed kick ass at gift buying as he was absorbed into it. He was, after all, just as much an All Might fan as the nerd was, only Katsuki didn't announce it to the world the same way Deku had with his All Might clothing, underwear, figures, posters and more, most of which had been sold off excluding the clothing items and a throw blanket Katsuki still caught glimpses of around Deku's place whenever he had visited.
When Katsuki got too antsy to continue sitting with his nose in a book he would do other things like cook a meal or go for a walk along the beach. Deku was always all too eager to join Katsuki when ever he decided to stretch his legs and more than once those walks would end in a race, the nerd's heart holding up well with the new medication though they still held back on using their quirks just in case that upset something.
Katsuki also received a text from Kirishima that he was in town and they should catch up – meaning the city where Katsuki and Deku lived and worked.
Katsuki: We're away.
Shitty Hair: You and Midoriya? Where?
Katsuki: None of your business.
Shitty Hair: Is it a mission?
Rather than explaining to the red haired idiot where they were and why they were there, Katsuki just jumped to the chase.
Katsuki: Will be back Friday.
Shitty Hair: Cool. I'm around till Sunday night if you wanted to catch up. Midoriya can join :)
Katsuki: Sure
Katsuki never had been one for long, drawn out replies.
On their second last morning there, Deku had the audacity to wake Katsuki before sunrise and all the blonde could do was groan with annoyance. They had agreed to go fishing with some of the locals. Or more so, Deku had agreed when he had been approached at the after-storm festivities, having never gone fishing before, and had later asked Katsuki if he had wanted to join. The idiot's green eyes had practically sparkled at the concept of trying something new and since it could very well be placed in bucket list territory, Katsuki agreed to come along. He hadn't at that point of time known about the early morning start and although he went along with it, that didn't mean he didn't grumble about it as he followed Deku through the dark and lonely seaside streets till they reached a road that lead to a dock where they met the men who had invited them in the first place. Katsuki recognized one of the men as one half of the middle aged couple that had stopped them under the multi colored lights that night. Noticing that brought about unwanted memories of how Deku had looked under those lights and Katsuki shook himself to snap himself out of it. He was getting fed up with this brain mush bullshit. It seemed to be improving, but it still caught him off guard occasionally which always left him with an irritated frown.
They hopped on board and the small boat took them out to sea which was thankfully calm and set about baiting their hooks and casting them in from all sides of the vessel by the time the sun was beginning to rise, casting streaks of orange across the sky.
Fishing was something Katsuki had never really done before either, not since he was a little brat camping with his family and attempting to fish in a river, but they had never caught anything. Looking back, Katsuki thought it had been more of a way for his father to entice Katsuki to stop and be calm for an extended period of time, otherwise he would have "scared away the fish" so his father had said.
Actually catching a fish was different to what Katsuki had imagined.
It took longer than Katsuki thought for anything of interest to actually happen, the sun rising fully and climbing higher in the sky before he finally caught something. Though combining Katsuki's naturally sweaty hands with a slimy fish pulled from the sea made for a messy mix and whilst trying to wrangle his catch, Katsuki looked more like a fool trying to catch a bar of soap than anything else. It was Deku, who was set up closest to Katsuki, who dropped his fishing pole to dive in and catch the fish sliding around the deck. The idiot had been so quick to help though that his pole caught a fish that then dragged it into the ocean, never to be seen again.
Ultimately they were both left looking like fools and decided that fishing just wasn't for them. The men aboard had a good laugh at their combined clumsiness and they could do nothing more than shake off the embarrassment – Katsuki turning away with a scowl and Deku laughing it off and no doubt apologizing a hundred times.
After that they took turns sharing a pole between then, Katsuki opting to be the first to sit down with arms crossed over his chest against the wind and glared down to the side at the fish mocking him in the tub of water. The taste of sweet revenge for making a fool of him would only make the fish taste that much better.
It wasn't often Katsuki got made a fool out of. Even less so by something as stupid as a god damn fish, but rather than blowing a fuse like normal, Katsuki forced himself to remain seated and on the outside look nothing more than mildly annoyed because he didn't want to give more reason for the other men on the boat to point and laugh at him.
Stupid sweaty hands.
He wouldn't go so far as calling his quirk stupid, because it wasn't, it was awesome, but that didn't mean it didn't have downsides – like almost constantly sweating hands. The only times Katsuki had been sweat free was when it was cold enough to be snowing or was wet from the rain or from swimming. His body typically ran a few degrees warmer than others, that heat radiating to his extremities, but that also meant that when it was cold, he felt it. It took more for his blood vessels to constrict like a normal persons would so he would feel the bite of the cold in his finger tips and toes sharper than others would. It also meant that a small cut would bleed worse than someone else's until it started to clot. He didn't mind that so much though as he thought it just made him look tougher – though winning a battle scratch free was even better because it showed just how great he really was.
No, outside of the cold and the rain, Katsuki had very little natural nemesis. In his mind that made him awesome because if it was freezing outside, he could wear more layers or special materials that would keep him warm and sweating enough to get the job done. If it was raining his gloves retained his sweat well and when that was used up he still had what was stored in his gauntlets. On top of that it would have to be pouring with rain to wash off Katsuki's explosive sweat. Though the water would wash majority off, it didn't stop Katsuki producing it and the more physical work he did, the more sweat he could produce, rain be damned. Even when emerging from a swim, the sweat would start up again and replace the water on his hands. Overall he was still a top hero even under those conditions.
But that didn't mean Katsuki loved it. He had gone through a phase in high school where he had grown self-conscious of the constant sweat on his hands. Back then he had had no intention of dating or hand holding or any of that crap so he didn't really get why it had begun to bother him so much and he had never been much for physical contact with others to begin with, but suddenly for those few months he felt himself avoiding his classmates more and more. He even held back from grabbing someone in training once because it had meant touching them with his hands. That hadn't lasted long though and he got over it eventually, accepting that it was a part of him and he was awesome so by extension that was too. Plus more than one person over the years had mentioned how his sweat smelt sweet and that hadn't been a problem for anyone, the opposite it seemed.
But now, the reason all of this had come to Katsuki's mind again was because while he was cursing the fish for making a fool out of him and then slowly accepting that it wasn't entirely the fish's fault when his hands were sweaty to begin with, it reminded him of how he had once been self-conscious of his hands and he had been about to snort at himself with amusement to how foolish that short period of his life had been, when he stopped himself as a new thought crossed his mind.
Deku had held his hands.
This was nothing new really. While working they had grabbed each other's hands before, pulling one out of the way or creating a combination attack. But this time was different. They had actively held hands – glove free – when dancing the other night. Deku had grabbed both of Katsuki's hands in his own and held on throughout the entire damn thing. And considering that Katsuki's hands sweated practically twenty-four-seven, then that meant that Deku had held on to Katsuki's god damn sweaty ass hands the entire time. That was a long time. In reality it may have only been a handful of minutes, but that suddenly felt like a painfully long time to hold onto something that was slick, wet and warm like that.
Katsuki uncrossed his arms, shoulders slumping as he brought his elbows to rest upon his knees and let his held lull forward to stare down at his feet. The wind wasn't enough to wash the heat that crept up his neck and flooded his face. The fact that he was getting embarrassed over something that he shouldn't be embarrassed about in the first place was just plain….well, embarrassing.
A finger of pressure atop Katsuki's head made his face turn up. It was a natural reaction but one he regretted instantly when he looked up to Deku, the greenette blinking down at him.
Are you feeling sea sick? The freckle faced man signed with concern, but Katsuki was stuck. He regretted looking up because his red face was in full view of the nerd who seemed to take that in as he tilted his head to one side lightly and lifted a hand slowly to reach out to Katsuki. The blonde could only hope to All Might above that Deku was not about to jump to his own conclusions…
A warm hand came to rest on Katsuki's forehead, Deku leaning in a little as he did and the blonde had to remind himself to act fucking normal and do something. Breathe. Blink. Do something! What Katsuki did do was raise a hand to swat Deku's away and turned his head to the side while plastering the most irritated look he could on his face – which wasn't hard to do considering his growing irritation with himself.
Deku took the hint and stood straight again, raising his hands to sign and Katsuki watched on out of the corner of his eye.
Sorry Kacchan, I was just checking if you had a temperature, the nerd's lips grew into a soft smile and Katsuki immediately focused all of his attention solely on Deku's waving hands and nowhere else, but you don't, which is good.
No shit, Katsuki threw back without turning back Deku's way. He didn't trust how his voice may have come out if he had opted to use that instead.
You're face is red though, the nerd pointed out all too innocently and Katsuki could feel a renewed wave of heat creeping up the back of his annoyingly exposed neck right now.
So you're not feeling sick? Deku pushed again gently.
Katsuki shook his head, keeping his eye off of the nerd's face.
Some more sunscreen then? The back of your neck is looking red too.
Katsuki shot to his feet, shoulders high and defensive and spun on his heel with a hiss at the nerd to get the hell off of his back. Deku raised his hands in surrender and took a step back with a sheepish smile.
It turned out that Deku had only turned around to say that it was Katsuki's turn to try his hand at fishing again as the fish the nerd had been wrangling in managed to get away and once he had actually communicated that rather than pick on how red Katsuki's face was, the blonde was quick to push past the nerd, bait the hook and cast the line into the deep blue. This worked fine for him because it meant his back was to Deku. That didn't mean however that he didn't feel those green on him still.
They returned to shore just before midday and Katsuki wished he had listened to the annoying nerd and put on more sunscreen because he was feeling heat on the back of his neck for another reason now. The blonde may naturally be more resistant to heat then others, but the sun itself, not so much. Deku's cheeks and tip of his nose on the other hand looked a little pink also, despite the nerd having put more sunscreen on.
The men handed them each a large fish to take back to the inn with them as they left, that they in turn gave to the elderly couple who ran the place, but before Katsuki could turn away to relax, Deku was caught up in conversation with the couple and Katsuki frowned at how the nerd smiled their way. He turned back to face Katsuki and quickly signed with a grin that as a thanks for the fresh fish, the couple insisted that they cook it for dinner and that Katsuki and Deku join them. Internally Katsuki wanted to roll his eyes, let out a long irritated groan and stomp away. Instead he nodded his head politely at the smiling couple and very calmly turned on his heal and walked quietly back to their room with Deku in tow.
They took turns to shower, Katsuki picking up the manuscript again to lounge around and eat till Deku told him that dinner was ready – Katsuki having had his nose stuck too deep in the book to have noticed the elderly woman coming to the door to tell them. The fresh fish was amazing with rice, vegetables and a chili sauce that Katsuki added to his own. The food in fact was good enough for Katsuki to lift his head and make conversation of all things. The blonde swallowed his food before opening his mouth to ask about the label-less sauce the couple had brought to the table. The elderly couple looked back at him with some confusion from across the table and even Deku's head – who was beside Katsuki – turned to look to him with a light concerned expression. Before Katsuki could ask what the problem was, Deku turned his attention back across the table towards the couple with a smile and spoke to them. The elderly woman responded to whatever the nerd had been saying and Katsuki was about to bark a protest at having been glazed over when he noticed Deku turn his body slightly his way with hands raised.
She said that they got the sauce from a local woman who grows her own chilies and spices and makes the sauce from scratch, Deku smiled at him with what Katsuki could only assume was pity and he hated it, swallowing back his annoyance because he didn't want to blow up over whatever had just occurred that he was even more irritated about because he didn't understand it at all. Deku signing the answer for him, sure, that was a given since the couple didn't know how to do it and the nerd was usually way too happy to play that role, but why everyone had looked at him with confusion, and why no one offered a reply until Deku had spoken up….
Kacchan, you're words weren't clear, Deku signed to him, even his small smile of pity fading and the concern crept back in on his damn freckled-pink-from-the-sun-face, are you feeling alright?
I feel fine, Katsuki signed back because he didn't want to bark the words in front of the couple, because there was no way none of his bite wouldn't have laced his words. Deku's head lulled to one side a fraction before a more comfortable smile settled on his lips and he turned his attention back to the woman as she picked up talking again, Deku signing for Katsuki that if Katsuki liked the sauce so much that the woman sold them from her home.
After that Katsuki let himself zone out of the goings on around him and was glad to trudge back to their room when Deku lost the battle in offering for them to do the dishes – the elderly couple insisting that it was their treat after the help they had given during their stay – and got about kicking his futon into its usual place. He was in no mood to stay up and read or converse with the nerd. That was until Deku got right in his way and waved his hands about asking yet again if Katsuki was feeling alright.
Katsuki hissed back that he was fine with every intention for his tone to leave it at that, but the nerd just wouldn't let him be, side stepping into Katsuki's path again when the blonde had tried to step around the damn nerd.
Kacchan, the nerd waved before his face, you're worrying me. Just tell me what's wrong.
Katsuki bared his teeth as he seethed at the nerd.
Is it because your words were slurred at dinner? Deku asked with concern in his green eyes. And at that Katsuki hesitated. His words had slurred, is that what had happened? He hadn't been drinking and he wasn't tired so that only left one possible outcome and releasing it made his shoulders give and he lowered his gaze. He had been deaf for over a year and though he was getting better at understanding his volume control – unless he was angry or upset or just emotional in general – but to use his voice and words without hearing it, well, that was something he hadn't gotten used to yet and wasn't sure if he ever would. It shouldn't come to a shock to him at all that the way he moved his tongue and pronounced his words would deteriorate. Shit, even normal people had days where they fucked up their words more than usual and that was while they could bloody hear themselves do it. Katsuki didn't have that luxury.
A scarred right hand reached out to Katsuki's gently. Deku's thumb slotting in between Katsuki's thumb and forefinger to his left palm whilst the greenette's remaining fingers gently rested atop Katsuki's knuckles. Katsuki tensed at the touch, his brain cutting off whatever negative thoughts he was having about how his voice had betrayed him and instead jumped straight into focusing on that fact that Deku's thumb was gently applying pressure against his palm. His gross sweaty palm….
Before him, Deku lowered his head and leaned in, catching Katsuki's attention and the blonde lifted his head to face the nerd, jaw tense as he begged for his face to not redden at the sudden contact between them. Deku smiled at Katsuki gently, his emerald eyes softening with warmth. He didn't remove his hand from Katsuki's, instead tilting his head ever so slightly to one side and gave Katsuki's hand a little squeeze. Katsuki could feel Deku's thumb slide unintentionally across the wet surface of Katsuki's palm. Usually, with all the self-conscious thoughts that had arisen in Katsuki's mind as of late, he would have felt disgusted by it, sickened knowing all to well that Deku was feeling his nitroglycerin like sweat, but the way the nerd smiled at him, patiently waiting for Katsuki to be okay or to do something washed away Katsuki's other concerns like the calm water washing over the sand during the night. Although he felt calmer, he couldn't bring himself to smile back at the nerd or give any other indication of anything he was feeling inside. But Deku got it. He just did. Always did and always would. The nerd's smile grew and he gave Katsuki's hand one more light squeeze before he withdrew it slowly, Katsuki all to aware of each digit dragging across his skin.
With both hands free again, Katsuki had expected the nerd to start signing away at him again, spouting "It'll be alright" or "It's to be expected", instead Deku took a step back, giving Katsuki room again, still smiling the blonde's way before he blinked once slowly, turned on his heel and went about organizing his own futon to sleep on. He didn't have to go to bed just because Katsuki was, but the nerd knew that Katsuki hated sleeping with the light on, but while Deku shuffled about the room, Katsuki couldn't yet bring himself to move. Rather, he brought one hand to his other, grasping it and gently gliding his thumb across the palm of the other, feeling the familiar warm slick of his sweat. Katsuki was used to it, he had felt it for most of his life, but that didn't mean that he didn't know how it could feel to others. He had once held hands with his parents in the days before his quirk manifested – a very frustrating time in his childhood of constantly having things slide from his hands until he got used to it – and every so often there was a brief moments where it would take his hands a little longer to start producing sweat again after a swim or bath during winter, when it was still below a comfortable temperature once he got out of the water. In those brief moments he could feel what his own hands felt like if his quirk wasn't what it was. He could feel what everyone else's hands felt like, what majority of the population's hands felt like. Normal and dry and only slightly warm compared to the temperature Katsuki's hands usually sat at.
If Deku had kissed a girl before then surely he had held hands too. That seemed to be the natural order of things – unless you happen to be as big of an idiot as Katsuki was and jumped straight to kissing – as far as physical contact was concerned, so Deku would know what a normal hand should feel like, free from explosive sweat. So how the other man just slipped his hands right into Katsuki's and didn't pull a face at it was beyond Katsuki's understanding.
He released his own hand – standing there holding them in silent contemplation was just plain weird – and lifted his gaze again just as Deku stood straight again to admire his futon making skills and turned back to blink at Katsuki, who just embarrassingly happened to already be looking the nerd's way.
Kacchan, the greenette began before seemingly hesitating, mentally debating with himself, settling on something new, let a warm smile spread across his face and continued signing Katsuki's way, did you want to sleep together again?
The nerd's smile was warm and genuine, containing no sign of teasing there what so ever, but still Katsuki bristled at it, shoulders rising high defensively before he spat out what an idiot the nerd was and turned for bed, stripping off his outer layers – leaving him in just his boxer briefs and with no patience to locate and change into proper sleepwear – and throwing them in a heap against the wall before laying down and throwing his blanket over him. He could picture Deku's smile creeping into something more amused before the nerd turned off the light and left them in darkness.
Katsuki fell asleep pouting, irritated at the fact that after Deku had mentioned sleeping beside one another again, the thought had actually been enticing. It was only the fact that Katsuki was disgusted with how much he would have liked it, that gave him the strength to turn away so confidently to sleep alone.
After a weeklong stay at that same old traditional inn by the sea, they were back in their home city. Returning to the bustling concrete world had never phased Katsuki, but after seeing how warm and welcoming the small community they had been staying with was, the city felt cold and lonely despite to mass of people surrounding him at all times.
Katsuki and Deku went their separate ways to their apartments and Katsuki would be lying if it didn't feel some what lonely to be sleeping without Deku in the room. He shook that thought from his head, putting it down to the lingering dumbness that followed him kissing the nerd – a memory that made heat creep up his neck again – and knew he would get over it after a night or two of peace in his own bed.
The next day, Deku had a follow up appointment with his doctor that Katsuki tagged along too as he usually did these days to hear the outcomes of their latest tests and their thoughts on whether Deku could return to work or not. The nerd's latest medication had been doing well so far, as far as Katsuki and the doctor could tell, the doctor even referring to the recordings of Deku's heart captured by their smart watches. During their brief break Deku's heart had played up only three times, all fairly minor considering Deku hadn't even felt them. Nothing more than a brief blip recorded, but the doctor did point out Deku's heart activity from one night in particular where Deku's heart rate had increased suddenly and had blipped. They both knew which night that was and the reason behind the sudden spike and Deku being Deku couldn't bring himself to lie to his doctor and told him it was because he was kissing someone. He didn't say who that someone was and the doctor didn't care for that information either, simply nodding in understanding and moved on with his reports. Luckily the doctor was there for Deku and not Katsuki, so there was no reason for the doctor to glance Katsuki's way and see the heat in his cheeks. The nurse signing for Katsuki on the other hand, shot a knowing smile Katsuki's way while she signed and Katsuki glared back her way, but it did little to diminish her amusement.
By the end of it Deku was permitted to return to his hero work – and by extension, Katsuki – but was warned to not push himself to hard. In fact, the doctor expressed that he recommended Deku not return to hero work at all seeing as his quirk was what was harming his body and using it in any respect risked further harm. In short, Deku didn't have to push himself to his limits or exhaust himself to be causing harm, harm was being caused regardless of how little he used. The doctor recommended that Deku seek out a different career path, one that at the very least didn't permit or require quirk usage. But this doctor had been working with the nerd for a while and had been over Deku's case thoroughly with his old doctor down in the south and knew that giving up his hero career did not compute as an option to the greenette, so instead he conceded that it could be done with certain conditions.
One, Deku would check in every fortnight with the hospital for a checkup.
Two, he would cease whatever activity he was doing the moment his heart showed any irregular activity, whether he felt it or not – thankfully their smartwatches would alert them of that and the doctor nodded Katsuki's way to ensure that the blonde knew that he had to agree to be on top of that too.
Three, that Deku have a session with a physical therapist once a week to expressly work on gentle cardio workouts.
And four, that he continue with his current medication as so far it had been working for the nerd well.
Deku of course agreed to all of that without much hesitation and the doctor looked Katsuki's way and Katsuki gave a nod in silent agreement that he would do what he could to ensure the nerd would uphold those conditions.
Leaving the hospital, Deku was all smiles, but Katsuki couldn't help but worry, walking alongside with hands deep in his pockets and a frown on his face. The second condition is what had him the most concerned. For Deku to immediately stop whatever he was doing the moment their watches alerted them to an abnormal heart beat might not be the easiest thing to do. If they were working out or sparring and it happened, sure that's easy, but if they were mid battle with a villain or rescuing civilians, there was no way the nerd would just stop and take a moment to rest in the middle of it all. And what would happen if he didn't, if the nerd just ignored the warning and pushed on? It would be doing more harm to Deku's heart, that was for certain, but would it then cause pain or for something worse to happen. After all, they did not need Deku dropping in front of a crowd and cameras like he did the first time. Then the media really would be on them. It also wouldn't look good for them when their twelve months of working solo were up and it was time for them to pick an agency to sign on with.
They had lunch before going their separate ways, their official back-to-work date not yet officially decided upon, but that didn't stop the nerd smiling and signing over their meal about how he was glad to be getting back to work. But Katsuki just couldn't get on board, not like he usually would have. Usually he would have spent the entire time unable to work pissed off. Usually he would have been spouting nonsense like "about time" or tell the nerd of how he had been holding him back with his health bullshit, but Katsuki just didn't have it in him to be mad about it all. Instead a more unfamiliar feeling stirred deep inside his gut, one he could label as nothing else other than concern.
Sunday Katsuki had another meal planned with an old friend, this time with a red head over dinner and some drinks.
Through some back and forth texting Katsuki decided with Deku that they would officially return to patrolling and hero work come the Wednesday. Deku had been all too eager to get straight back into it on the Monday, but Katsuki held back and if the nerd noticed the blonde's hesitation, he thankfully said nothing on it.
Instead, Katsuki now sat opposite Kirishima with a cold beer before him and a variety of platters to pick from and with said red head waving his hands about as he tried to tell Katsuki about an encounter with a villain that apparently had a humorous end to it. Not that Katsuki was really watching and that became apparent to the other man when Katsuki didn't even twitch at the punch line. That and maybe the fact that Katsuki had been poking at the dumpling before him with no intent of eating it.
What's up with you? The red head asked with a friendly look, making his tone apparent with body language alone that he was trying to come across as gentle and caring, you've been quiet most of the night. Understatement of the year. Katsuki hadn't used his actual voice all evening.
It's nothing, Katsuki waved back and made the effort to sit a little straighter and actually put the dumpling in his mouth and chew it to make a point of just how okay he was. But good old Kirishima saw right through it.
I noticed M.I.D.O.R.I.Y.A isn't here. Did you have an argument over something? You two have practically been attached at the hip since becoming a team, the red head smiled as he signed away but all Katsuki could do was frown in return.
No. Not that it's any of your business, Katsuki returned with a glare to drive the point home, because whatever happened between him and Deku WAS no one else's business. Not Deku's medical condition or their shared kiss. None of it.
Alright then. So where's M.I.D-
Katsuki cut the red head off with a sudden hand movement. Kirishima blinked at him with confusion, not understanding the sign until Katsuki did it again more slowly and opened his mouth and said Deku aloud. At that, the other man smiled with understanding.
Deku, Kirishima replicated Katsuki's sign, you made signs for each other. That's cool man, he beamed across the table, so where is Deku tonight then?
Not here, Katsuki threw back lazily. He didn't come out tonight to talk about damn Deku. The nerd was on his mind enough as it was. What with the nearly dying, bout of depression, bucket list making, kissing, sleeping together, hand holding and the nerd's over eagerness to return to the job that was killing him… Katsuki had hoped that coming out tonight would be a break from all bullshit.
Obviously, Kirishima rolled his eyes with a playful smirk, did he have something else on?
Like I know, Katsuki threw back with irritation, idiot's not here because I didn't invite him. Can we shut up about the damn nerd now? I came to see your dumb face; not talk about the other dumb face I have to see every god damn day. And with that Katsuki crossed his arms over his chest to signal the end of that discussion and let out a huff through his nose.
But of course the oh so caring red head just wouldn't let it go.
Something did happen, Kirishima leaned in closer with elbows on the table and a more gentle smile. A clear attempt at trying to ease Katsuki's irritation and get the truth out of him. The asshole had been doing that since high school.
Katsuki let a growl rumble through his throat as a warning for the red head to back off, but as usual, the other man didn't even twitch at it. The blonde sat back, tipped his head and let out a groan whilst rolling his eyes to the heavens above. He couldn't reveal his pent up frustrations over Deku and his health concerns because that wasn't his secret to tell, no matter how much the thought of revealing it to his old high school buddy felt relieving. It wasn't until he was suddenly presented with the chance to unload everything that had been weighing on his shoulders till now, that he realized how much he had actually been carrying. Being the only person outside of the hospital that knew of Deku's declining health made Katsuki solely responsible for it and that brought back his doubts about returning to work with the greenette. But he couldn't tell Kirishima all of that.
Taking a break was nice, Katsuki tried a different approach, sitting forward properly again, coming back to work feels, he frowned as he searched for the right word, suffocating. The word didn't feel right but it was all that had managed to come to Katsuki's mind.
The red head seemed to perk up at that, not so much in an "my interest is piqued" sort of way but more out a concern. And that made sense to Katsuki. After all, him of all people saying that he doesn't want to do hero work, that he wants to take a break from it…..well, that was so unlike Katsuki that he had to use all the self-control he had inside him to not pull a disgusted face at his own words.
Well, Kirishima sat a bit straighter with some serious thought, that sounds pretty normal, Katsuki blinked back at the red head with surprise. He had been expecting a "Is this really Bakugo I'm speaking too ha-ha", not the other man trying to make logical sense of Katsuki's not-quite-telling-the-truth words.
None of us really got to take a break after high school. We all just dove right into being pro heroes. After high school lots of people do things like travel, take a gap year, or work. Less stressful work than what we do, Kirishima's mouth opening as he chuckled at that, but I don't think what you're saying is bad thing. There's nothing wrong with wanting to take a break. Kirishima smiled at him widely, sharp teeth gleaming.
The other problem to that was that a young pro hero taking a break suddenly was always met with negativity. Over the years Katsuki had seen it happen time and time again. Outside of events such as serious injury, marriage, pregnancy or retiring from old age, taking a break was seen as a weakness. Heroes who stopped working for almost any other reason were met with media backlash and the general public losing their faith in them and to return to what they once had was a long and grueling challenge that some gave up on and retired early. It was unfair, but it was the way things worked when so many others looked to you for safety. As it was, they were lucky. In the near year Katsuki had been working with Deku, they had put a pause on their hero work twice already, the only reason they hadn't been dragged in the mud and left for dead was thanks to the now public knowledge of Katsuki's deafness. Whether that meant the media and public were a little easier on them because of Katsuki's disability – a thought that Katsuki despised – or because society as a whole were starting to rethink how heroes commonly overworked themselves, putting their health and families second to their jobs – which was a nationwide discussion that had popped up after Deku's collapse from "exhaustion", the media looking to other examples of heroes fainting, being injured or even dying because of overworking – Katsuki wasn't sure about the reasons behind why they as a team had been so lucky to avoid it. But to take a third break would be career suicide.
I know what you're thinking, Kirishima pipped up again while chewing on some food, you've taken a couple of breaks already, but you got to remember man, it's your life and you only get one, he flashed Katsuki white teeth again after he had swallowed – thankfully – you gotta do what you enjoy. I know you like being a hero, but are you just gonna keep doing it till you grow old and die? He rolled his eyes at Katsuki.
You want to travel don't you? Go on dates, get married, start a family, try new things. I'm not saying you have to do that sort of stuff, but a lot of people do and they put their careers on hold for it too. Just because our job is being heroes doesn't mean we have to sacrifice everything. We can enjoy our lives too. He gave a shrug and shoved another dumpling in his mouth while the gears inside Katsuki's mind turned this way and that.
Dating, marriage, family – meh – Katsuki could do without those. After all, he had kissed Deku once and look how that had affected him. It still felt like his brain was taking its sweet time turning back from mush into a solid again. But traveling, doing new things, sure. There's plenty of things Katsuki wanted to do and see and try before he dies and since pushing Deku onto that subject, Katsuki knew there were plenty of things – though many were shitty ideas – that the nerd wanted to do before kicking the bucket too. And he was far closer to that than Katsuki was apparently. That and the fact that Deku working as a hero was only going to make things worse….
You want all that shit? Katsuki signed back with a frown.
Sure I do, the red head beamed, I want all of that. Travel, a partner, wedding, kids. The whole package. Don't you? Katsuki twisted his face at that to show his disgust at the thought and the red head closed his eyes and tipped his head back with silent laughter.
Maybe one day, you'll find the right person and that stuff won't be so unappealing to you, Kirishima signed once he had regained himself. Katsuki gave a snort and went for his beer. Without signing this time – seeing as one of his hands was occupied with a nice cold beer – he used his words and dared to ask Kirishima if he had met the so called "right person" then.
The other man smirked smugly; Wouldn't you like to know.
Katsuki rolled his eyes and took another mouthful of beer.
Come on, you telling me you really don't want to know? The red head back peddled, smirk vanishing when he realised that Katsuki really wasn't interested and that's exactly where Katsuki wanted him. He let one corner of his lip curl up and with that slight gesture Kirishima rolled his eyes and sagged his shoulders at the blonde's teasing.
It's not that Katsuki wanted to know, the red head telling him about this magical person anyway – the identity of who Katsuki's figured out within the minute – but it was a nice change from discussing the green haired disaster Katsuki was stuck with or the possibility of career suicide, so Katsuki let the other man prattle on for as long as he wanted
It was late by the time they went their separate ways, Kirishima leaving in the morning to return to his city of work, whilst Katsuki walked back to his apartment. Realistically he should have gotten a taxi, but he had a lot on his mind and taking the time to walk down the warm and thankfully quiet night streets gave him time to think. Decisions needed to be made.
A/N: I don't know if there is an estimated amount of time to pass for a deaf persons' words to start to become unclear, but I do imagine that it does happen on occasion and may even get worse overtime when one can not longer hear themselves. So I do apologize, as I do not know how accurate that portrayal is to reality