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saturday. 10:15pm.
It’s a quiet night after Izuku disappears into the fog. Katsuki walks back to his car and wonders what the hell he’s been doing with his life for the past eight years.
Katsuki’s entire friend group is waiting at his car when he gets there. He’s not sure if he ever agreed to drive them all home, but he’s too depressed to give a single shit.
“Get in,” Katsuki barks. Kirishima gets into the passenger seat without calling shotgun, and the rest of his squad shoves illegally into the back, four people squished into three designated seats. Kirishima pulls out another Calorie mate despite having just eaten dinner. Mina loudly chews gum. Kaminari and Sero chatter loudly about something useless.
“Does this car have Bluetooth?”
Katsuki turns around to look at Jirou. “Of fucking course it has Bluetooth. Who do you take me for.”
“Okay…” Jirou’s eyebrows knot. “So, can I use it?”
“No.” Katsuki turns back around and turns the car on. He turns on Creep by Radiohead. He pulls out of the parking lot and enters the street.
“Um,” Kaminari says as Katsuki turns the volume up. “Are you unironically listening to Creep right now?”
“I think he’s brooding,” Sero stage–whispers.
“I’m concerned,” Mina states.
“What’s going on, my man,” Kirishima asks. “Is this about Midoriya?”
Katsuki turns the volume up and presses down on the gas. The car swerves jerkily onto the freeway. Kirishima yelps as he’s flung towards the door.
“What the hell, dude! Why are you driving so fast?”
Katsuki doesn’t answer. Creep blares as he guns it down the highway, uncaring of the worried sounds coming from his friends. Once again he wonders how they all managed to get him to drive them home. What he really needs is to be alone right now. The only person he wanted to spend time with tonight ran off without a single look back at him.
“Hey, there are like, tons of crumbs on Kirishima’s lap,” Kaminari points out. “Those are gonna get all over the car. Don’t you care?”
“I hope somebody rear-ends me,” Katsuki responds.
“Dude,” Kirishima says. “You need to chill. It’s okay.”
“Hey, is there a good building nearby for me to crash this car into?”
“WHAT IS GOING ON.” Sero says. “Seriously, what is happening?”
Kirishima turns to the back to explain. “Midoriya rejected Katsuki’s offer to join his agency.”
Collective gasps are heard throughout the backseat.
“Now, to be fair,” Kirishima continues, “Katsuki didn’t ask very clearly and I don’t think Midoriya was really grasping what Katsuki was asking of him. All they really need to do is have another proper conversation about this. Eight years and these assholes still can’t communicate.”
“Shut up,” is all Katsuki deigns to say. “It’s none of their business.”
“Dude,” Sero says, “I’m sorry, man. That sucks, but I’m sure he had a good reason for it. He did just start working as a pro again. He probably still needs time to adjust.”
“Sure, whatever,” Katsuki says. “He said he didn’t want to stop being a teacher.”
“He does make an oddly decent teacher,” Jirou offers.
Katsuki presses even harder on the gas.
“DUDE PLEASE.” Kirishima says. “SLOW DOWN.”
“I will set this car on fire with everybody including myself still in it,” Katsuki decides. “I hope this car explodes like my heart did when I died for Izuku.”
“Okay, now, he didn’t ask you to do that,” Sero points out. Mina loudly shushes him.
“Also you didn’t die for him, Shigaraki actually point-blank murdered you,” Kaminari logically states. Kirishima turns around to give him an affronted look.
“I saved up for eight years for that goddamn suit,” Katsuki continues. “Did I even get a thank you? No! He just goes back to hero work all buddy buddy with everyone but me, apparently. Sorry I’m number fifteen in the charts, is that not good enough for you? I’m Izuku Midoriya and I only hang out with heroes ranked ten and under! ”
“I don’t think Uraraka is even ranked?” Sero says at the same time Jirou says, “Iida is thirteenth?”
“Okay,” Katsuki concedes. “Well. I guess he capped his limit at fifteen then.”
“You don’t mean anything you’re saying right now,” Kirishima says, accurately.
“Fine, I fucking don’t,” Katsuki sighs. “I saved up for that suit because I wanted to, not because he owed me anything. I guess I just thought he would want to work with me.”
“Maybe he still does,” Kirishima says, “maybe he just needs time.”
Katsuki snorts. “He said, and I quote, THAT’S NOT GONNA HAPPEN. That’s final. He means it’s not gonna happen. Like, EVER.”
“He did?” Kaminari winces. “Ouch.”
Jirou elbows him in the ribs.
“Katsuki,” Mina says slowly, “could you please slow down?”
Katsuki goes faster instead. Creep ends. Katsuki plays it again.
Saturday. 10:30pm.
“Dude,” Kirishima says as he gets out of the car, the last one to be dropped off, “it’ll be okay, I promise. Don’t overthink it too much. You guys will always be best friends.”
“Sure,” Katsuki says, halfhearted. “Night.”
“Night, bro,” Kirishima says, and he steps into his apartment building. Katsuki sighs and drives away. He activates the voice control on his Porsche, because at least he has the car.
Todoroki picks up on the first ring.
“I made green and orange chopsticks for the occasion,” is the first thing he says.
“There is no occasion,” Katsuki tells him. “Deku rejected me.”
“Oh,” Todoroki replies. There’s a sound of something clattering to the floor on his end. The line is silent for a moment, and then Katsuki hears the sound of something going through the paper shredder.
“What’s going on, Icyhot.”
“I’m shredding the Dynadeku agency poster I made,” Todoroki responds.
“I’m coming over,” Katsuki says, pulling a U-ie in the middle of the road.
“Should I set up the futon?” Todoroki asks, like an idiot.
“ETA ten minutes,” Katsuki replies. And then he hangs up.
saturday. 10:45 pm.
Todoroki does indeed have the futon out when Katsuki arrives, letting himself in with his spare key. Katsuki finds him at his counter, aggressively cutting up some green onions the way Katsuki taught him when they were still in school. The knife clacks against the cutting board.
“Hey,” Katsuki says. Todoroki turns around, and Katsuki grimaces. “Have you been crying?”
Todoroki sighs. “How am I supposed to go through this again.”
“Go through what again.”
Todoroki shudders. “Divorce.”
“Divorce?” Katsuki raises his eyebrows. “What divorce.”
“You and Midoriya,” Todoroki responds. “I can’t do this again. Not after my parents. What happens next? Midoriya spills hot tea all over my other eye?”
“Jesus Christ,” Katsuki says. “First of all, you’re making me Endeavor in this hypothetical, and I am deeply upset by that. Think about what you’ve done. Second, I think you’re handling this worse than I am. And I quite literally want to die. AGAIN. I’m ready. When I see Edgeshot tomorrow I’m asking him to put that fucking worm form to use, go back inside me and start eating my brains or something.”
Todoroki looks at him, completely unfazed.
“And yet,” Katsuki continues, “ you’re handling this worse than I am.”
“I’m handling it fine,” Todoroki says.
Todoroki’s cat Soba stalks across the counter and knocks down a mug. It falls to the ground and shatters. Katsuki picks up the largest shard. It’s a drawing of chibi versions of him and Deku holding hands. There are ten more identical mugs sitting on the counter.
“Good girl,” Todoroki tells Soba. “Break all the mugs. Break them, like my heart.”
“Your heart is fine,” Katsuki snaps. “ My heart, on the other hand, has to be constantly monitored by a wristband. Because of that time I died. Why, you ask? Because I was the closest person to one Izuku Midoriya. NOT ANYMORE, I GUESS.”
“I can’t believe this,” Todoroki sighs. “I had the entire party planned and everything. So many green and orange chopsticks. I only started taking the class to make those, you know.”
Katsuki sighs. “Are you serious?”
“Dead serious. And now I’m a child of two divorces.”
Katsuki’s eye twitches. “Izuku and I are not your parents?”
“I’d rather have you guys than my real parents.”
“Jesus, Shouto, stop being so fucking depressing.”
Todoroki holds up his phone, expressionless. “Kaminari says you tried to crash your car into a bridge.” He squints at the phone, sounding out the syllables slowly. “‘Icona Pop and Charli style.’”
Katsuki has nothing more to add to that. It’s true.
Todoroki picks up a stray party horn and blows into it. The paper unfurls, sparkling orange and green. The sound of the horn echoes throughout the apartment.
“I was so excited,” Todoroki says forlornly.
“You’re insane,” Katsuki replies. “Why the hell are you so sad, anyway?”
“Because,” Todoroki says like it’s obvious, “Izuku broke up with you.”
“Why does everyone keep saying that?” Katsuki yells, finally losing his patience. “We were never together! That’s actually the whole goddamn problem!”
The party horn falls out of Todoroki’s mouth.
Saturday. 11:00pm.
“I’m so glad we’re finally doing this,” Izuku says, licking his ice cream cone. Ochako snorts as a melted bit lands on his suit jacket, and Izuku sighs. “Well, that’s ruined now.”
“You’re so uptight these days,” Ochako laughs, reaching out to dab the fallen ice cream with her napkin. “You really need to relax more.”
“I know, I know,” Izuku replies. “Which is why I wanted to talk to you. You’ve always been the best person to talk to when I need to get out of my head.”
Ochako smiles softly. “I’ve missed you a lot, Izuku. I’m so glad you caught up to me today. I’ve been wanting to talk more to you too, for so long.”
“So long?” Izuku raises an eyebrow. “I’ve only been neglecting our weekly friend dates for, like, a month! And you see me at work all the time!”
“You know that doesn’t count. Otherwise you wouldn’t have chased after me just now, begging me to get some ice cream with you. This doesn’t make up for four weeks of missed hangouts, by the way. And you’re paying.”
“Don’t worry, I know.” Izuku fishes out his wallet. “Did you have to pick such a fancy dessert place, though?”
“Of course I did,” Ochako says. “Now that you’re gonna be a big shot pro hero, you’re gonna have loads of cash to throw around. Might as well start now.”
“Well…” Izuku squirms in his seat, “I’m not sure about that just yet.”
Ochako frowns. “What do you mean?”
“Well…” Izuku squirms some more. “The reason I’ve been so distant since I started working as a pro again…it’s because I’ve been planning something that could make or break my entire possible career as a pro. But, I don’t know if it’s going to work out yet.”
“Oh?” Ochako leans forward, curiosity piqued. “So are you gonna tell me about this cryptic reason you’ve been ignoring me, then?”
“Well…” Izuku says for the third time. Ochako looks like she’s about to throw her fork at him. Izuku lowers his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “I’m gonna ask Kacchan to be hero partners with me.”
Ochako does a spit-take with her strawberry milkshake. “WHAT.”
Izuku looks up from where he’d ducked under the table to avoid stray bits of milkshake. “What do you mean, what? It’s pretty straightforward, right?”
Ochako's eyes grow to an astronomical size. “Is that why you rejected Katsuki’s offer to join his agency? I thought you were just being a dick!”
“You knew he was going to ask me about that?” Izuku cries. “Why wouldn’t you tell me?”
“It was supposed to be a surprise," Ochako explains. “He was so excited. He was so sure you’d say yes. Speaking of, I get saying no, but why were you so rude about it?”
“I didn’t mean to be,” Izuku says genuinely. “I was just caught off guard. I didn’t realize I came off as mean at all. I just needed to deflect because how dare he ask me something like that when I’m already planning to ask him my own thing! Hasn’t he done enough? Stupid Kacchan, always trying to one–up me. He already made the suit, that’s enough. Why can’t he let me have this one thing? I just want to do something nice for him for once! But how on Earth am I supposed to surpass him making an entire suit for me? I–”
“Oh my God, Izuku, shut up. ” Ochako groans. “I forgot how annoying you are.”
“Hey!” Izuku says. “I don’t like this side of you. Where is this coming from?”
Ochako visibly calms down. Izuku breathes a sigh of relief, she’s scary when she’s mad. “I’m sorry. It’s just, Katsuki was so convinced you’d say yes to his offer, and that you guys would finally be working side by side again. I’m mad on his behalf, I guess.”
Izuku frowns. “How do you know so much about all of this?"
“Um,” Ochako says like it’s obvious, “if you don’t think me and Katsuki tell each other everything that ever happens to either of us at any given time in our entire lives, then you really don’t know us at all.”
Izuku blinks, confused.
“How can you be so oblivious to things going on right in front of you?” Ochako says, getting out her phone. “Me and your precious Kacchan have always been besties.”
As proof, Ochako shows him her phone, open to her text thread with Kacchan. Izuku scrolls. And scrolls. And scrolls. And finally gets to texts dated yesterday.
“Jesus, you guys text a lot.”
“Yeah,” Ochako says pointedly. “Why didn’t you tell me about your little plan earlier? I would’ve told him to wait on asking you until you asked him your thing.”
“I’m sorry!” Izuku raises his hands in defense. “I just got so caught up in all the planning that I didn’t think to tell anyone about it! I also didn’t think Kacchan would ask me to join his agency!”
“Yeah, I guess you couldn’t have known that,” Ochako concedes. “But wait, how much planning could possibly go into asking a fucking yes or no question?”
Izuku pouts. “I want everything to be perfect. Kacchan worked so hard for so long on my suit, and I want to do something for him that can even come a little bit close to that. I was planning our dinner reservations, writing the exact speech I would say, thinking about where I would take Kacchan to finally pop the question–”
“Pop the question? What is this, a marriage proposal?”
“Kind of! I’m asking him to be my partner for the rest of our lives!”
“Oh my God,” Ochako puts her head in her hands. “You guys are so gay. And so, so stupid. Katsuki is probably crushed right now.”
Izuku’s face drops. “What? You think so?”
“Of course,” Ochako says, “he’s probably devastated. He’s probably in his Porsche right now blasting Creep by Radiohead and saying some overdramatic shit about wanting to crash his car into a bridge Icona Pop and Charli style and how he wishes Edgeshot could go back inside him and eat his brains or some other equally creative method of dying.”
Izuku drops the rest of his ice cream cone. It splatters on the floor.
“Ochako,” Izuku says seriously. “I’ve made a huge mistake.”
(“Yeah,” Ochako yells after him as he runs out of the restaurant. “NO SHIT.”)
saturday. 11:15 pm.
“You’re in love with him?” Todoroki sits on the couch, nursing a bowl of plain vanilla ice cream, because he’s boring as fuck. “You’ve loved him this whole time?”
Katsuki just blinks at him. He’s on the other side of the couch, his feet in Todoroki’s lap. He sticks one of them in front of Todoroki’s face.
“Ew,” Todoroki says, shoving Katsuki’s foot out of the way. “That’s disgusting.”
“You’re stupid,” Katsuki replies. “How stupid can you possibly be? You’re more oblivious than Deku. How can you not know I’m in love with him? It’s really not subtle.”
Todoroki shrugs. “I had my own things going on.”
Katsuki raises an eyebrow, but doesn’t question further. “Well, whatever. Now you know. I didn’t want to ask him out until the suit was done, ‘cause if we were dating and I gave him the suit I didn’t want him to feel like he owed it to me to accept it or anything. But I should’ve realized that I was the only one waiting. I shouldn’t have just fucking assumed that he’d be waiting for me until I was ready. God, I’m so fucking stupid. And now I’ve lost him. All because I was too self–absorbed to take even a moment to think about his feelings.”
“In your defense,” Todoroki says. “It was kind of assumed among the rest of us that Izuku would wait forever for you. Honestly, I think he still would and you’re just overthinking all of this. As long as I’ve known him he’s been obsessed with you.”
“Something’s changed, though,” Katsuki laments. “He’s outgrown me. And I’m stuck here, like always. Waiting. Trying to catch up to somebody who doesn’t even look my way anymore. I know he doesn’t owe me shit, but I really wish he would’ve joined my agency.”
“I really thought he would,” Todoroki says. “Honestly, I’m really not sure why he didn’t. I guess he’s not ready to go right back into hero work yet.”
“I guess,” Katsuki grumbles and sinks further into Todoroki’s couch. “I kinda miss being dead right about now. Most peaceful I’ve ever felt.”
“Don’t say that,” Todoroki says. “If you died I would miss you.”
“Well I would FUCKING HOPE SO,” Katsuki says. “Considering how convinced you are that we’re best friends or whatever. I mean, seriously. Get some other friends.”
“We are best friends,” Todoroki says, completely seriously. “You lived here for years.”
“Being roommates doesn’t equal being best friends. I was broke. You had a nice place.”
“We were best friends though,” Todoroki argues. “We just were. Don’t argue with me. I can’t take any more disappointment today. I’m still recovering from the divorce.”
“Oh my God,” Katsuki says. “You’re an idiot.”
“This is what I get for caring,” Todoroki decides. “My therapist was wrong. I never should have let myself feel.”
“I have never agreed with a statement more,” Katsuki says. “Except anger. I want to keep feeling anger. I enjoy that. Maybe I should just revert to who I was back in high school. I miss being all angry and not giving a shit about anybody else’s feelings. I HATE feelings.”
Just then, Katsuki’s phone dings. He picks it up. It’s a text from Uraraka.
deku’s coming to find u
“Todoroki?” Katsuki says. Todoroki looks up. “Yes?”
“Lock your doors and windows. Deku’s coming.”
“My doors and windows are always locked, are yours not–wait, Izuku?”
saturday. 11:30pm.
“Sorry dude,” Kirishima says. “He’s not here. He dropped me off and then left.”
Izuku sighs. “Do you know where else he might have gone? I really need to see Kacchan.”
Kirishima whistles. “Damn right you do. He’s being a melodramatic idiot right now. You need to set him straight. You didn’t reject him out of any malice, right? Right?”
Kirishima narrows his eyes at him. Izuku flails his hands around.
“No, of course not!” he cries. “I was just being stupid! I didn’t really understand what he meant and I was caught off guard!”
Kirishima calms down immediately. “See, that’s exactly what I told him! I knew he was just being overdramatic. Anyway, you should get to him soon. I think he wants Edgeshot to…uh…eat his brains? I haven’t been paying much attention to the group chat.”
“Ochako was right,” Izuku whispers to himself in wonder. “Wow. They really are close.”
“You didn’t realize that?” Kirishima laughs. “Wow, you really are oblivious. What are you gonna say next, that you didn’t know Katsuki and Todoroki were roommates for three years?”
“They were WHAT?”
“Ohh, you know what?” Kirishima realizes. “That’s probably where he is right now. He really misses Todoroki’s couch.”
Izuku’s head spins. “Wha–what?”
Kirishima just cackles at him.
Izuku sighs. “I’ve learned way too much new information today. Wait–you said Kacchan would be at Todoroki’s?”
“I mean,” Kirishima says as his laughter dies down, “you’ve been to Todoroki’s place so many times, was Katsuki just never there when you visited?”
“Thank you Kirishima!” Izuku says, “I gotta go, bye!”
Izuku rushes off once more. He gets halfway down the street before he pauses, really thinking hard about it for a second. How the hell did he not know Kacchan and Todoroki were roommates? He used to go to Todoroki’s to study when he was in university all the time, and Katsuki was never there. Although, in the few years after university—”
“Oh my God,” Izuku says out loud. “He went broke spending on that goddamn suit. He had to move in with Todoroki because he had no money because he spent it all on me! God, that fucking idiot!”
Izuku takes off running again. “I hate that this would be so much faster if I had the fucking suit!”
saturday. 11:37pm.
“Wait, I do have the fucking suit!”
saturday. 11:45pm.
“Oh God, what do I say, what do I say, I can’t remember any of my speech, why did I insist on writing it all out in a notebook? We live in a digital age!”
saturday. 11:48pm.
“Dear Kacchan, I’m sorry I rejected you but it was just because I wanted to ask you this first. Will you marry me–BE MY HERO PARTNER. BE MY HERO PARTNER. God, Izuku, you cannot say that to him, are you fucking crazy?”
saturday. 11:52pm.
“Kacchan, you’ve been my best friend for so many years, and I know we’ve drifted apart a bit but I don’t want that to happen anymore because I want to be your hero partner. You’re smart, and strong, and kind, and you’re an amazing hero. Also I love you–NO. IZUKU NO.”
saturday. 11:57pm
“BE MY HERO PARTNER KACCHAN.”
Izuku pauses for a moment, exhausted and sweating in his heavy suit. His wonderful, amazing suit that his wonderful, amazing Kacchan gave to him.
“Ah, fuck it. That works.”
sunday. 12:00am.
“Katsuki?” Todoroki calls amidst the loud, incessant rapping on the door. “I think Izuku’s here.”
“Yeah, no shit,” Katsuki rolls his eyes. “HOLD ON. I'M COMING.”
“That’s what she said,” Todoroki deadpans.
“I’m going to punch you in the face,” Katsuki responds as he walks over to the door. When he opens it, Izuku is standing there, fully in his hero suit, sweating and panting like he’s just run five miles. Katsuki just stands there, speechless, as Izuku heaves.
“Ka–” Izuku sucks in a gulp of air, wheezing, “Ka—cchan—”
“Oh my God, Deku, come inside,” Katsuki rolls his eyes. “Calm down and change your clothes before you say anything you regret.”
Izuku wheezes some more, but he does come inside. Katsuki closes the door behind him.
“Hello, Izuku,” Todoroki says. “I’ve left some clothes for you in my bedroom. I’m going to Kaminari’s. I will not be back. Katsuki, feel free to use your old bedroom if needed.”
Katsuki raises both his eyebrows. “What the fuck do you think is about to happen.”
Todoroki just shrugs, opens the door, and leaves. The door slams shut behind him.
Izuku and Katsuki are left in silence.
“Uh,” Izuku says, “I’m just gonna…” he jabs a finger in the direction of Todoroki’s bedroom.
“Oh, yeah, sure,” Katsuki says. “I’ll make you some tea. You still like chamomile, right?”
Izuku smiles. It’s warm and gentle, the one Katsuki remembers from high school. The one that was just for him. “Yeah, Kacchan. It’s my favorite.”
Izuku leaves to change, and Katsuki starts the water. While he’s waiting for it to boil, he texts Uraraka.
Katsuki: he’s here
Katsuki: hes in todorokis room changing bc he was IN THE SUIT.
Katsuki: what is happening
Uraraka: have fun :)
Katsuki: what the fuck does that mean
Katsuki: stop being cryptic and help me
Uraraka: dont worry about it
Uraraka: youll be fine
Katsuki: i hate you
Uraraka: love u too!!
Uraraka: gimme all the details later plsss
Katsuki: who do you take me for
Katsuki: HES HERE
Uraraka: bye byeeee ;)
Izuku walks out of Todoroki’s room, unfortunately dressed in a very cozy and adorable pajama set. Katsuki pours the water into two mugs to avoid looking at him.
“Hi, Kacchan,” Izuku says. “Um, how are you?”
“I just saw you two hours ago,” Katsuki says, handing Izuku his mug. “Come on, sit down. And tell me what the hell you’re doing here.”
Katsuki leads Izuku down to the couch. Izuku sits down and immediately sinks into the cushions. He sighs. “God, I love this couch.”
“Me too,” Katsuki says. “I slept on this couch half the time I was living here.”
“Speaking of that,” Izuku says. “How did I have no idea you lived here?”
Katsuki’s eyes widen. “WHAT. Izuku, I lived here for years.”
“Yeah, I know,” Izuku sighs. “Because of me.”
Katsuki frowns. “What?”
“You were living with Shouto because you were broke,” Izuku says, shoulders hunching in as he shrinks into himself. “And you were broke because of me. Because you spent all those years making that suit for me. It was—” to Katsuki’s horror, Izuku’s voice starts to break. “Kacchan, it was all for me. You did all of that for me.”
Katsuki sighs. “Of course I did, Izuku. I meant what I said in that hospital room all those years ago. I want to be competing with you for the rest of our lives. And I would’ve done anything to make that happen. So yes, I did all of that for you. And I know you don’t owe me anything, and I get why you said no to the whole agency thing. It was a lot to ask of you, especially only a month after you got that suit. I’m sorry if you felt like I was pressuring you, or anything—”
“Kacchan, stop,” Izuku says, still gentle. He laughs a little. “You didn’t pressure me into anything, I promise. I was just surprised, is all. I wasn’t expecting it. And Kacchan–I’m so sorry I responded the way I did. I must’ve sounded so mean, and I probably hurt your feelings, and I’m so sorry for that. I wish there was a way to make it up to you.”
“Izuku,” Katsuki says, “there’s nothing you need to apologize for. You did nothing wrong. Like I said, you don’t owe me anything. I totally understand if you want to keep being a teacher, or even if you eventually choose to work at another agency. I was just being selfish.”
“But–” Izuku says, eyes big and watery in the way that always pinches Katsuki’s heart, “I want you to be selfish, Kacchan. I want you to have what you want. I want you to always be able to be honest with me. So please, Kacchan. If I made you upset in any way, I don’t care if it’s selfish. I want you to tell me.”
Katsuki looks at Izuku, really looks at him. His eyes are earnest, genuine.
“I worked so hard on that suit,” Katsuki explains. “I poured everything I had into it. I spent my nights on Facetime with Melissa because she was on U.S. time, and I must’ve visited Hatsume’s company headquarters more times than I’ve been to my parents house in the last eight years. I fell farther and farther down in the rankings, not because of my attitude like everyone says, because real fans fucking love my attitude—”
Izuku laughs at that, and Katsuki stops to stare at him. It’s a beautiful laugh, one that Katsuki hasn’t heard in so long. “I knew that couldn’t be the reason, Kacchan,” Izuku says. “Because I’ve always been your fan, and I love your attitude. It’s part of what makes you Kacchan.”
Katsuki’s eyes start to water at that, and he blinks the tears away before continuing. “I dropped in the rankings because I just stopped caring. I was so busy working on the suit that I didn’t have time for fan signings or hero conventions or ad deals or merch promotions or commercials or photoshoots. People just stopped hearing about me, because I stopped being there. Because I was at home, poring over my notes, making sure that the suit was perfect for you. And honestly, Izuku? I didn’t give a shit about the rankings, because you weren’t there to compete with me. And nothing was worth it if you weren’t there, right by my side.”
Izuku gasps. Tears finally fall down his cheeks. “Kacchan–”
“That’s why I had the suit made. Because your dream was to be a hero, and my dream was to have you as a hero with me. And I thought, I’d hoped, really, that that was still your dream, too. And when you rejected me, even though I knew you had every right to, it devastated me. I know it’s only been a couple hours, but those might’ve been the worst couple hours of my life. And I’ve died before.”
“Don’t joke about that, Kacchan,” Izuku says through his tears. “Because that was the worst moment of my life.”
Izuku reaches out to touch the scars on Katsuki’s arm. And then he moves his hand farther up, until it rests right on Katsuki’s heart.
“I’m sorry, Kacchan,” Izuku says. “I wasn’t thinking when we were in the car. I should’ve been more considerate of your feelings. I appreciate you and the suit so much. You made my dreams come true, and nothing has ever made me happier. And, Kacchan, my dream has always been to be a hero with you. I’ve wanted it since the day I met you. Which was also the day I was born. So I’ve wanted it literally since birth. The only reason I rejected you, Kacchan, is because I had plans to ask you to–to be my hero partner.”
Katsuki almost drops his mug of tea. He places it on the coffee table before his hands can shake anymore. When he speaks, it sounds like he’s been punched. “What?”
“I had a whole plan, Kacchan,” Izuku smiles. “I was gonna take you out for a fancy dinner, then go somewhere nice, maybe stargazing, and I was gonna tell you how much the suit meant to me, how much you mean to me, and I was going to ask if you wanted to be my hero partner. Because you have always been my dream, Kacchan. Always. And I just wanted to do something for you so you would know how much you mean to me.”
Katsuki laughs. It comes out choked. “You wanted to one–up me, huh.”
“Yeah, I guess,” Izuku sniffles. “But nothing can come close to that suit.”
“I dunno,” Katsuki says. “I think this definitely does. Or, wait–are you still–”
“Of course I am,” Izuku says. He takes Katsuki’s hands in his, holds them like they’re something precious. Izuku’s thumb brushes across Katsuki’s scars. Once, twice.
“Kacchan,” Izuku says, voice calm and clear. “Will you be hero partners with me?”
Katsuki shakes his head. “You fucking idiot. Of course I will.”
Izuku launches at him before Katsuki can breathe. With a handful of snotty, weepy Izuku, Katsuki finally feels at peace. He wraps his arms tight around him.
They stay like that for a few minutes, until Izuku pulls back.
“Oh also,” Izuku says, “I love you.”
Katsuki blinks. “You– what?”
“I love you,” Izuku says again. “I’ve always loved you, and I always will. I don’t want to be just hero partners, I want to be real partners. I love you, Kacchan.”
“That’s–” A tear finally falls from Katsuki’s eyes. “That’s more than I ever could have asked for. I never–I never thought–” Katsuki looks down as more tears fall. Izuku’s hands come to cup his face. “I thought I was too late.”
“Too late?” Izuku asks, stroking the scar on Katsuki’s face.
“I thought I fell in love with you too late,” Katsuki says. He’ll remember the look on Izuku’s face forever, a perfect mix of devastation and utter joy.
“I thought you’d moved on,” Katsuki continues. “That you’d stopped loving me. I thought I was too late to ever catch up to you.”
“Kacchan,” Izuku cries, and brings him into a hug again. Izuku buries his face in Katsuki’s shoulder. “I don’t even know how to stop loving you.”
Katsuki snorts into Izuku’s curls. “Neither do I.”
sunday. 12:38pm.
Izuku kisses Kacchan for the first time. It’s like coming home.
And it feels the same every time after.
sunday. 1:23am
Uraraka: katsukiiiiiii
Uraraka: helloooooo
Katsuki: izuku asked me to be hero partners. i said yes. he confessed. we kissed.
Uraraka: JDHVOIHEFJWBN*@)#URY(*RY{)FH~@FYUBHJK WBCWJ?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
read 1:31pm.
sunday. 10:02am
When Todoroki gets back, Izuku and Katsuki are asleep on the couch, curled around each other like they were made to fit together. Izuku’s head is nestled against Katsuki’s heart. Katsuki’s arm is slung around Izuku’s back. Todoroki laughs and texts Kirishima.
so much for waking up early.
sunday. 11:45am
“You’re late,” Edgeshot says when Katsuki slides into the booth across from him at the coffee shop. Edgeshot, in his worm form, simply rests on the table. “I’m assuming this is the reason why?”
Edgeshot gestures to Izuku, who is glued to Katsuki’s side, an arm looped through his and his head resting on his shoulder.
“Oh, we’re hero partners now,” Izuku explains happily, “and regular partners, too.”
“I see,” Edgeshot says. He sends an approving nod Katsuki’s way, one that says I knew this day would come. Katsuki nods back. He knew it, too.
Izuku snuggles up closer to Katsuki. He probably knew it the most.
“Well, congrats,” Edgeshot says.
Izuku grins proudly. “Thank you.”
And then Edgeshot continues. “I’m glad my sacrifice led to something worthwhile.”
Katsuki bristles. “Was my LIFE NOT ENOUGH?”