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Chapter Text

"What the fuck do you mean, 'don't panic'." Katsuki growls into his phone. "If you tell me to not panic, I'm gonna fucking panic, dumbass."

"But I said not to?" Kaminari replies. If Katsuki could strangle him through the phone, he would.

"Shitty Hair, if you do not fucking elaborate on what this idiot just said, I swear to fucking god." All he had been told was that they had news, Izuku was safe, and to not panic. Which really is not nearly enough information for him to be remotely calm. 

He hears rustling over the phone along with some muffled arguing. "Okay, I got it. So basically, Izuku got hit by a quirk."

Katsuki grits his teeth, already pulling on his hero costume. "What kind of quirk?"

"Don't panic." 

"I swear to God-"

"So basically." Kirishima cuts his threat off. "He doesn't remember anyone. Like at all."

He stops dead in his tracks, staring at the phone in disbelief before he remembers how to speak. "What the fuck do you mean, he doesn't remember anyone? What about like, All Might? Or his parents? Fucking, me?" His throat tightens as he forces the words out.

"No, literally no one. But don't panic." 

"If you say that shit to me one more time, Shitty Hair, I will rip out your entrails and feed it to the squirrels."

"So the good news is, it's not permanent."

Katsuki lets out a breath he didn't even know he was holding, before setting his phone onto the floor to tie his boots. "That implies there's bad news." 

"..yeah." Kirishima sighs. "Basically, he's gonna remember people one day at a time. But anyone else that he meets, his memory of them will reset each day."

"What the hell does that even mean?"

"Like today, he only remembers Aizawa. If you introduce yourself to him today, tomorrow he'll wake up and completely forget you but he'll remember one other random person along with Aizawa. So you just gotta hope that he randomly remembers you in the first few days."

He slams the door behind him, heading toward their agency and connecting the phone call to his earpiece. "How long will it last?"

Kirishima winces at that. "Uhh... right now we think it's until he remembers everyone? Or until we can catch the villain."

"I am going to kill that motherfucker."

"I'm scared to ask if you mean Izuku or the villain."

"Both."

"Are you heading to see him now?"

"Yeah, I gotta knock some sense into his head."

"Katsuki." Kirishima says, voice turning serious. "Are you sure you can handle this?"

"Hah? The fuck you mean, can I handle it? I can handle anything, fuckface."

He gets a sigh in response. "I mean, you're going to be talking to Izuku with no memories. He won't remember your childhood together, or the bullying, or whatever you guys are now. To him you're going to be a complete stranger. I know you don't like to admit it, but your relationship with him is important. Can you handle talking to a version of him that doesn't care about you at all?"

He swallows tightly. He hadn't really considered it, but he keeps propelling himself through the sky. "I'll have to be okay with it."

"Go and make sure he's comfortable. Just make sure you take care of yourself too, okay?"

Katsuki rolls his eyes at that. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. I'll be fine. Now go do something useful like find the fuckass villain that I'm gonna skin alive."

"Yes sir!" 

He hurries into the agency, skipping past the front desk and the little formalities Izuku was always trying to get him to follow. Why the fuck would he check into his own agency? The extras obviously know who he is, his face is fucking everywhere at this point. He heads to the sixth floor, where their medicinal unit is located. For real injuries they still go to the hospital, but their agency takes care of minor injuries and quirk accidents thanks to Katsuki's constant complaints. 

"Oi! Where the fuck is Deku?" He slams his hands onto the intern's receptionist desk. 

She flinches minutely, mostly used to his shit. "Second room to the left. Maybe don't yell, you're gonna scare him pretty badly."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say." He waves her off and pushes his way into the room. 

Izuku's head snaps up at the intrusion, eyes widening in surprise as he sits atop the patient bed. For a second, Katsuki can almost believe that Kirishima was wrong, and that he was completely fine. But the shine in his eyes is missing when he stares at Katsuki. He knows, he's been looking at it his entire life.

"Deku."

Izuku squints at him. "I'm guessing you're Bakugou?" He winces at that, his chest tightening. "I'm guessing that's not what I call you then? Should I call you Katsuki?"

He frowns. "I mean, you can if you want." The thought of Izuku calling him Katsuki makes him want to die a little, but he's supposed to make this version of Izuku comfortable, even if it pierces his heart in ways that are far too reminiscent of their school days.

"Well, I won't call you that if that's not what you want to be called." Izuku furrows his eyebrows. "I want to call you whatever I usually do."

"Kacchan."

"Huh?"

"You usually call me Kacchan."

"Kacchan." He tests the words on his lips. It sounds all wrong, missing the fondness and admiration the word usually held. Katsuki wants to throw up. "Why do I call you that?"

"We grew up together. You couldn't pronounce my name when we were kids."

"Why didn't I switch to your real name?"

He shrugs. He never asked, worried that if he did it would cause Izuku to switch to calling him Katsuki. "Where's the old hag?"

"Old hag?" Izuku looks completely lost.

"The nurse?"

He giggles at that, eyes and nose scrunching up in a way that is too familiar. "Kacchan! You shouldn't call her that, she's the one who's been taking care of me ever since I got hit with this quirk!" 

"Just for now. I'm here now, I'll take care of you." He says it like it's completely obvious. Normally, it probably would've been. Izuku stares at him in awe.

"Kacchan's gonna take care of me?"

"Yep. So you better be prepared, nerd."

The door swings open, the old woman shuffling back inside. "Bakugou, I hope you aren't terrorizing my patient."

"The fuck did I do?" 

She raises an eyebrow at him. "Do I need to remind you of the last time you were in here?"

He rolls his eyes. "That idiot deserved it. He was trying his electricity quirk in the fucking toilet." 

"Who was?"

"Don't worry about that, dear." She glares at him, before turning back to Izuku. "Don't worry about anything. Your vitals are all fine, so you just have to wait it out. Hopefully they'll catch the villain soon too."

Izuku smiles at that, bowing the best he can from his seated position. "Thank you, miss. Does that mean I can leave now?"

"Yes, Bakugou can take you home."

He hops off the table, shaking his head quickly. "Oh! I don't want him to have to go out of his way or anything, I'm sure I could figure it out on my own!"

Katsuki grabs onto his wrist tightly. "We live together, dumbass."

"Oh."

"Yeah. Oh. So I'll take you home."

Izuku stares where his arm is covered, a slight blush coating his cheeks. He looks up at Katsuki with wide eyes. "Thank you, Kacchan."

His heart stutters at the eye contact and yanks Izuku out of the room towards the elevator. "Tch, it's whatever."

Izuku hits the 10th floor on the elevator before pausing. "Wait, how did you get here?"

"I flew?" 

"What's your quirk?"

Katsuki grins at that. "You'll find out soon, don't worry."

He remembers the first time Izuku saw his quirk, back when they were brats. Izuku spent years analyzing him and his quirk, every single aspect of it. He never lost his enthusiasm, but he can't help but be a little excited to see Izuku's first reaction as an adult.

"Do we live with anyone else?" Izuku holds the door leading to the stairwell open for him. He scoffs and shoves Izuku through.

"Nope, just us."

Izuku stops abruptly before turning around, eyes wide as saucers. "Are we...?"

"Hah?" 

"You know..."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." He steels his expression.

"Like...together?"

"We run this agency together?"

Izuku groans in frustration, and Katsuki has to bite his cheek to stop himself from smiling. "I mean like, you know, dating?"

He hesitates.

For a second, he considers lying. By tomorrow, Izuku won't remember anyway. He could have one day of Izuku acting like they're in love, and then they could go back to normal like it never happened.

But that probably isn't very heroic.

"Uh-no." He shoulders his way forward, starting on the stairs. Izuku hurries to catch up, grabbing the side of his arm. He shivers slightly at the touch.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to bring something up. Was it like... complicated?" 

"Hah?" He pushes open the door to the rooftop, wind immediately blasting him in the face and sending his hair flying in every direction. "Where did you get that idea?"

"Kacchan." Izuku says gently, tugging his arm so he stops walking. He can't help but listen. "I can tell. I'm still me, you know. The way you said it, something was definitely going on. Or is going on."

He shakes his head. "It's nothing, nerd. Don't worry about it." He tries to keep walking, but Izuku tugs him back. "The fuck?"

"I don't think it's nothing. You don't have to tell me anything right now, but if it matters to you then it matters to me."

"You don't even know me right now." He scoffs, pulling out of Izuku's grasp.

"But I can tell you're important. I talked to Sensei, and the first thing he asked was if I had talked to you yet. Same with the nurse. And we have an agency together, and live together. Obviously you matter to me, even if I can't remember you."

He bites his lip, before stepping forward into Izuku's space. "What do you want me to do then, Deku? Do you want me to tell you everything and just have you forget it tomorrow? How the fuck would that help at all?"

"You can tell me the things you're afraid to, and I'll forget it. It would help you feel better." 

"And you wouldn't care? About forgetting it." 

Izuku steps forward so he's close enough to count every freckle. He already knows how many are there. 

"I wouldn't care about forgetting it if it made Kacchan feel better."

He rolls his eyes, smiling slightly. Even after losing his memory, Izuku was the same self sacrificial nerd. "Let's go home."

"I'll race you!" Izuku giggles, leaping off the side of the building.

He grins widely, blasting off to follow.

He wins, by a little bit.

"I would've won if you hadn't shoved me into that building." Izuku complains, kicking off red sneakers.

"Yeah, sure." He grins as Izuku takes in their apartment. Decorated by the both of them, it was a clean mix of their tastes. Every surface was exceptionally clean, courtesy of himself, but covered in clutter, courtesy of Izuku. He added lots of green, solely because he enjoys live plants and not because it's his favorite color which also reminds him of someone. Izuku had tried to add lots of All Might posters, but was vetoed because they're grown fucking adults.

Izuku's bedroom is covered in All Might though.

Not that he sleeps in there that often anyway.

"Wow, this place is really nice!" Izuku marvels, touching everything in sight. "Can I see my room?"

Katsuki nods and leads him there, biting his lip at the jaw drop reaction. "Why does it look like this? Who is All Might? Why is he absolutely everywhere, what the fuck? Did you prank me or something, or did I do this?"

"You did it. You've loved All Might ever since you were a kid. He's your inspiration to becoming a hero." He swallows tightly. Izuku's reaction was initially funny, but All Might has been a big part of him ever since they were kids. Katsuki could never imagine an Izuku who didn't look up to All Might, and now he's standing next to one.

"Hm. Weird. My memories are just me liking hero's as a kid, but when I try to think of any specific ones it comes up blank. I don't feel crazy passionate the way Sensei described me." He turns to look at Katsuki, frowning. "Same with all my family and friends. It's like I remember people being there, but who they are is just completely missing. It's like being dropped into a city full of strangers, but they all know you and you're supposed to know them."

He points at the bookshelf that he hand built and painted just for Izuku. "Those are all your hero analysis notebooks. You got all the pros in there, so most of your friends too, if you wanna brush up."

Izuku scrunches up his face. Katsuki kind of wants to bite his cheeks. "Well, what's the point of studying people if I'm just going to forget again?"

"Fair enough." He pulls Izuku back towards the kitchen and living room area. "That's kinda the case for most things though. So what do you wanna do?"

Izuku plops down onto the couch, patting the seat next to him. "Come sit."

"Why?" He sits cautiously.

"I'm not gonna do something weird, relax." Izuku laughs. "Do I do weird shit to you a lot?"

He just clicks his tongue in response.

"Tell me something."

"Hah?"

Izuku leans forward, grabbing both hands. "Tell me something I don't normally know about you. Something you wouldn't normally tell me, but you can tell me now that I'll forget."

Katsuki chews his lip and stares at the couch cushion.

He knows the big one he could say. 3 words. He doesn't think he could get them out. 

But maybe Izuku is right, and telling him things would make him feel better. He normally hates talking, but if Izuku won't remember it anyway then maybe it wouldn't feel so bad. He did get permission too, so it's not even really doing something wrong. Probably.

He looks up to see Izuku smiling patiently.

"Fine."

"Take your time."

He rolls his eyes. "I'm not fucking weak. You don't have to baby me, nerd."

"I'm not!"

He takes a deep breath. Counts backwards by two's starting at twenty. Taps each knuckle twice. "You won't remember this, but you're normally really worried about touching me at all. Like outside of sparring, you won't even sit super close to me. When we sleep, you try and put pillows between us so you won't accidentally touch me. They never actually work cause you're a cuddle gremlin, but you try."

Izuku raises an eyebrow. "How is that about you? That seems like it's about me."

"Well..." He closes his eyes, before mumbling out, "I don't actually mind it."

"Huh?"

"You heard me!" He snaps, opening them back up. Izuku looks genuinely confused.

"So basically I'm normally scared of touching you cause I think you don't like it, but you don't actually mind if I touch you?" 

He nods.

"Why wouldn't you just tell me that?"

"It's complicated."

Izuku slaps the couch cushion. "I fucking knew it was complicated."

"Well that's all you're getting out of me today. How 'bout we watch the All Might movies and then we can head to bed? We have leftovers in the fridge too."

"But I won't remember them?"

He grins. "That's the fun part. We get to watch your favorite movies every day and each time it'll be your first time seeing it."

Izuku smiles knowingly, slightly raising his eyebrows. "And why exactly would you want to do that with me?"

Katsuki feels like he's caught. Izuku just laughs.

"Tch, whatever, nerd." 

"Kacchan." Izuku's eyes are filled with mirth. "I can tell you don't like being emotional and all that, and but I can also tell that you care a lot. I think regular Izuku would like to know how much you care."

He swallows tightly at that. "I'll think about it."

Izuku grins, turning on the TV. He goes to heat up the leftover Mapo Tofu that he had made for them both, and thinks about it. He had never seriously considered telling Izuku, not since they've finally gotten to a good place. He can barely fathom Izuku wanting to be friends with someone who made his life a living hell for multiple years, asking for more would be like asking for the moon. 

But knowing Izuku, he'd find some way to get it for him.

He doesn't want Izuku to feel obligated, or do anything out of admiration or fear of ruining things. He wants it to be real for Izuku. As real as it is for him. 

Everything he feels is real.

So maybe memory-loss Izuku is right, and it's okay to do a little test run each day. Memory-loss Izuku has no obligation to him.

He doesn't remember the bullying, or all the work they put into repairing their relationship.

Katsuki gets to start over.

He sits down beside Izuku and hands him the bowl, but his stomach feels too knotted to eat. He'd spent years wishing he could redo their relationship and do it right, and now he finally has that chance.

"This is really good!" Izuku's eyes sparkle with joy, cheeks stuffed full.

"Don't talk with your mouth full." He bites his cheek. "What did you talk to Aizawa about?"

"Well he asked if I talked to you, then he told me about the quirk, snapped at me for calling him Sensei since we've graduated, and told me to race you home and try my hardest to win." 

Katsuki furrows his eyebrows. "He asked you to race me home?"

"Yep!" Izuku popped another piece of tofu into his mouth. "I just assumed that was the norm for us."

He swallows thickly. Aizawa must've known Katsuki would feel weird with changed Izuku, and tried to give him a sense of normalcy. Guess the hobo did learn something about him. "Did you enjoy it?"

"Hm?" Izuku tears his eyes from the TV screen. "I mean, it was fine? I didn't actually care that much about winning, if I'm being honest. But he told me to put my all into it, and I remember him always saying that in high school too."

He nods. Izuku's competitiveness must've come from All Might, who he doesn't remember. He forces himself to eat, and washes the dishes when they're both done. 

The second he sits back onto the couch, Izuku lays on top of him.

He short-circuits a bit.

"The fuck are you doing!?" His arms stick out, unsure of what to do with them.

"You said you don't mind touch, so I'm taking full advantage." Izuku looks up, grinning. He grabs calloused hands and wraps them around his stomach, playing with each finger and tracing scars that litter every inch of skin.

"Why do you even want to? You barely know me."

"Even if I don't know you, I still feel it."

"Feel what?" His grip tightens.

"You know."

He shuts his eyes tightly. He knows.

It takes him a few minutes to start breathing normally again. It feels nice, to have Izuku this close. To have him touch, and not be terrified. 

Maybe he should tell real Izuku more things.

He allows his eyes to shut and the sounds of the movie lull him to sleep.

He wakes up to a shout.

"Who the fuck are you?"

Chapter Text

Izuku tried to murder him the second he woke up.

Luckily, no one in his life taught him that murder was wrong, that one was just instinctual.

After finally calming him down and convincing him that he wasn't a serial killer inside Izuku's house, he reexplained the quirk to him. Explained who he was, the embarrassing ass nickname.

Then he scoured the pictures on the walls before realizing he remembered Todoroki. That bastard. Of course Izuku would remember him before Katsuki. 

Izuku also had no recollection of their conversation, of what Katsuki had shared.

Instead of immediately divulging more information from the depths of his fragile heart, he decided to do what he's best at. Avoid. So he got Izuku dressed and ready to go see Todoroki. After all, he didn't see Aizawa yesterday. Maybe seeing the person he remembers would help something? It would at least help Katsuki not have a heart attack, so he resigns himself to a day with the nerd squad.

"If you were a vegetable, you would be a cute-cumber!" Todoroki tips his head and blinks aggressively.

"What the fuck?" Katsuki scowls. "Did you just try to wink?"

"Yes."

"What the fuck."

"This isn't part of the quirk right. I swear I remember him, but this is not what I remember."

"Nah, he's never done this before."

Todoroki leans forward, butting his head in-between them. "I can hear you guys." 

"Nothing to worry about!" Izuku grins. "How have you been, Shoto?"

"I am doing great." He smiles blankly before twisting his lips into what seems to be an attempt at a smirk. "I may be averse to fire because of my father's abuse, but you're hot enough to make me reconsider."

He winks with both eyes again. A blink, really. Katsuki kind of wants to deck him.

"Icy-hot, what the fuck are you doing?"

"Improving my friendship with Izuku?" He tips his head slightly, before opening his mouth to an 'O', as if he came to an understanding. "I understand. You must feel left out, as I am not improving our relationship as well. Well, Bakugou, call me Sir Nighteye, because when I see you my heart feels impaled!"

They both gape at him. I mean, fuck, Izuku doesn't even remember Sir Nighteye, and can still tell he's rolling in his grave. This bastard's definitely got some more screws loose, but he honestly shouldn't be surprised at this point.

"Were you hit by a quirk, Shoto?" Izuku gently strokes Todoroki's arm. Katsuki contemplates chopping it off. 

"No, why?"

"Because you're acting weird as fuck?" Katsuki yanks Izuku back to his chest, wrapping his arms around his middle.

Todoroki furrows his eyebrows. "Ashido informed me on how to garner closer relationships with my friends. She told me to only do it with people I am very good friends with though. I am simply following her guide. I understand why you are confused, Izuku, since you do not remember the relationship I have with Bakugou. We are best friends. Almost as close as you and me are, which is why I am attempting to improve my relationship with both of you."

Katsuki opens his mouth to refute his claim, but Izuku tips his head up and soft curls tickle his chin. "You guys are best friends? That's really sweet, that makes me less worried about living with you considering Shoto deems you as trustworthy."

He snaps his mouth shut, and prays to a god he doesn't believe in for patience.

"I missed you, Izuku." Todoroki frowns. "When you're gone, I miss you almost as much as Aizawa misses his leg!"

Katsuki bites his cheek. "Did Pinky actually tell you to say these?"

"Huh? No? She just gave me the guidelines on how to do it. She told me the first one as an example, and said to make up my own based on the person I'm talking to and the guidelines. As you and Izuku have experienced the war alongside me, I figured that was a good way to go." He nods as he speaks, as if he's saying the most intelligent thing he's ever heard. Which, knowing him, it probably is."

"I'm going to kill that idiot."

"Please do not kill her yet. If you did, you would have to teach me to shuffle."

He shouldn't ask. He doesn't want to ask. He really doesn't. "Why would I have to teach you to shuffle?"

"Well, she was going to teach me the cupid shuffle, but after seeing you, we don't need cupid." Todoroki resumes his aggressive blinking. Katsuki counts backwards from 30, going by 2's. Thinks of all the anger management classes he blew off. He probably shouldn't have.

"Why does Bakugou look more pissed than normal?" Ochaco asks, startling everyone. Katsuki hides his laugh behind his hand at Izuku's yelp. "It's really saying something if he's actually noticeably angrier."

"Oi!"

"It's true!"

"Floaty, I will blow you to hell so fast-"

"Katsuki!" Izuku turns to Ochaco, bowing rapidly. "I am so sorry, I would never knowingly associate with a misogynist."

"Oh, he's not a misogynist. He hates everyone equally." 

Izuku squints at him, and he just nods in agreement.

"Huh. I guess that's fine then?"

He just rolls his eyes and bites back a smile. "Have you idiots made any fucking progress on finding the villain?"

"The rest of the agency is working on tracking him, last I heard." Ochaco sighs. "Supposedly he's been on the run for a long time, and he's really good at evading heros. They've tried to catch him many times before this too."

"Well tell them to hurry the fuck up." He groans. "If all he remembers is Half-and-Half, he's going to lose every braincell he's ever had."

"Bakugou admitting Izuku's smart?" She teases.

"Why would he lose his braincells due to me?" Todoroki furrows his eyebrows. "I would not mess with his head, just give him some."

"Hah?"

"Did Ashido hire you?"

Katsuki blinks in confusion. "You know Ashido?"

"Yeah. Is that a yes then? She hired you? She'd been talking about it, but I thought there was no way she'd actually go through with it." His entire face is flushed a deep red, making him look like a overripe strawberry. Katsuki wants to bite his cheeks. 

"She was talking about what?"

Izuku doesn't respond, his eyes focused on Katsuki's glistening bare chest and arms. He'd just gotten back from his shift and had taken his shirt off to free the sweat that had been collecting all day for his quirk. "I mean you are really attractive. I bet you'd do a good job. But also, that's like a lot, and we don't really know each other like at all. I guess that's the point though, so maybe it's fine? Are we allowed to talk a bit first? I've never done this."

"What the hell are you talking about?" He squints, feeling his own face heat up at the blatant ogling and compliment.

"Are you not here for- you know?" Izuku's eyes flickered down, and he feels himself flush further.

"For what? What the actual fuck are you talking about?"

"Are you not an escort?" Izuku's eyebrows furrow.

His jaw drops. "What? No? Why the fuck would I be an escort?"

Izuku's widen in shock. "What? Oh my god, I'm so sorry. I must have made you so uncomfortable. I am so, so, sorry! I should not have- I- that is my bad! I just assumed since you were in my house and not fully clothed and Ashido said she was going to hire someone, I was worried that that's why you were here."

He might actually murder Pinky. Also, what the fuck were they talking about that this came up?

Katsuki narrows his eyes. "You were worried? You didn't sound worried when you called me hot."

Izuku flushes even further, looking ready to explode. "I-sorry!"

"Did I say I was mad about it?" He cocks an eyebrow, enjoying Izuku squirming. 

"Oh my god." Izuku buries his face in his hands. "Who are you?"

"Your roommate. And duo partner. Co-owner of your agency. Childhood best friend."

"Fuck."

"Gran Torino taught me how to use my quirk properly!"

Katsuki frowns. "He taught you how to use part of it properly, not all your extra quirks."

Izuku shakes his head. "No, I'm pretty sure he taught me all of it. I don't remember anyone else teaching me."

"That's cause you don't fucking remember anyone."

"So you taught me things?"

"Yes, dumbass. I taught you a shit ton."

Izuku smirks, leaning forward. "I can think of something else you could teach me."

Katsuki resists slamming his head into a wall.

"I'm going to train with my friend Kirishima. You should meet him!"

He stares blankly. "I fucking know Shitty Hair."

"What's wrong with his hair? It looks like yours."

"Don't insult me like that. I would never put that red crap in my hair."

Izuku puffs his cheeks out. "Well, he's my friend. So don't insult him."

"So I should insult you instead?"

"Go for it. Little do you know, I'm into that."

Inhale. Exhale. 

He calls his therapist.

Tsuyu. Sero. Present Mic. Tokoyami. Jiro. Mirio.

Everyone but him.

Izuku still flirts with him every time.

Looks at him like he hung the stars, the exact same way he always has. 

He might actually kill someone.

"Bakugou?"

Katsuki freezes, staring in shock. "You remember me?"

Izuku stares at him blankly. "We've never met before?"

"Then how the fuck do you know my name?" 

"You look exactly like Auntie."

"You remember my mother?" He deadpans. His palms start smoking at the nod he gets in response. "You're fucking joking. You remember that hag before you remember me. No fucking way, Deku."

Izuku's mouth drops open in shock. "How is this my fault?"

Katsuki grits his teeth in frustration. Fucking days of Izuku not remembering him. Of remembering everyone else, everyone unimportant. As much as Izuku formed Katsuki, he formed Izuku. Without their memories, Izuku is a shell of who he was, a shell of what gave him life. Despite the fights, the anger, the history, Katsuki gave him what makes him Izuku: his passion. His passion for heroism, for victory, for loving. 

What stands in front of him is a mere imposter.

Someone who stole the face of the person he loves the most, but could never dream of replicating the light that makes Izuku himself. 

He clenches his fists, nails creating indents in his palms.

"You won't remember, but you asked me to tell you a secret each day about how I feel about you. Well here's today's: I fucking hate you, Deku." He snaps, waiting for tears to fill his eyes. He doesn't like to see Izuku cry, but something about it feels real. Familiar.

But without the influence of Inko Midoriya, they don't. His eyes harden with rage he's all too familiar with. "I'll take you right here. I'm stronger than you."

He scoffs. "Yeah, right."

Izuku doesn't hesitate before lunging at him.

It catches him off guard, allowing Izuku to tackle him. He recovers quickly, throwing Izuku off him and getting back to his feet, but Izuku is already charging in again. His eyes glow with One for All and rage, an addicting combination.

Katsuki dodges Izuku's smashes and explodes him, sending him reeling.

"Is that the best you've got? Pathetic." He scoffs.

"Not even fucking close." His speed triples, allowing him to punch Katsuki in the jaw. 

Spitting out blood, he keeps igniting explosions to try and increase the distance between them. Izuku uses blackwhip to wrap around his waist and yank him back in close. Instead of fighting it, he grabs onto Izuku's waist with his palms still sparking. A knee slams into his ribs, sending him back into the dirt. He struggles to get back up with blackwhip holding him down, before he's suddenly flung straight into the air. 

"Still pathetic?" Izuku sneers.

"Fuck yes." He uses his explosions to control his trajectory.

Izuku drags him close enough to use shoot style, but Katsuki's prepared. He grabs onto Izuku's ankle and yanks, fucking up his balance and forcing him to let go of Katsuki to focus on staying upright. He uses his other hand to explode him backwards.

"Did you have no other plans for today? Nothing better to do than attack me? If anything, you're the pathetic one. It doesn't even matter if I win." A large rock is flung at him, which he explodes straight into Izuku's face.

"Fuck no. Shitty Hair and Dunce Face begged me to come to theirs. Sounds like you're just giving up."

Izuku wipes the blood out of his eyes. "I'm just getting warmed up."

Katsuki charges back in. "Then why give excuses already?"

"It's not an excuse, it's the truth." Izuku clicks his tongue. "I don't even remember you, but it seems like you're obsessed with me." 

Every punch he throws is countered by Izuku's own. "Obsessed with you? Are you fucking crazy? You're a fucking weakling, useless, and a complete waste of space."

"Am I? You said you hate me. You're so angry. You just care so much about me." His grin is sharp and cocky, and Katsuki's stomach fills with heat at the sight. "I mean I have no idea who you are. You could've been hanging out with your friends, but you chose to be here with me instead."

Every muscle in his body burns with exertion. Katsuki scowls, pushing himself harder. "I had to put you in your fucking place."

"So you blew them off for me? That's kinda romantic." Izuku laughs. "Of course you'd be obsessed with me." His voice oozes with cockiness.

Katsuki wants to blow his face off. Or just blow him.

"Of course?"

"You're in love with me, aren't you?" He smirks.

"Shut the fuck up." He grits out, allowing himself to be flung across the terrain. He forces himself to stay on his feet, bracing himself for Izuku's next attack. Predictably, Izuku charges towards him fists first.

He grabs Izuku's wrists and lunges, slamming his back into the dirt and sending them both skidding across the ground. Izuku writhes, trying to remove his arms from Katsuki's death grip and trying to throw him off. He pushes his wrists tightly against the ground, giving them no room for movement in the slightest. His heart thuds loudly in his chest, and he isn't sure if it's from exertion anymore. He's straddling Izuku, who's pinned down entirely and staring up at him with eyes he's dreamed about. 

Katsuki breaks.

His lips crash against Izuku's roughly, who freezes momentarily before kissing back with fervor. He devours Izuku like a man starved, like it's his first taste of air after suffocating. He bites at his lips and memorizes every corner of his mouth with his tongue. Bruises must be forming on Izuku's wrists from how tightly he's squeezing. He wants to tug on disheveled curls and tear through Izuku's uniform and explore every inch of skin he's allowed, but he's terrified to let go. He kisses until he can't breathe, then continues until he's so lightheaded he has no choice but to pull back.

Panting heavily, he stares down at Izuku. His chest mirrors the rise and fall of Katsuki's, and he looks entirely wrecked. He loosens his grip on Izuku's wrists, but he's completely given up trying to struggle. 

"Thought you could take me."

"Thought you hated me?"

He knocks his forehead against Izuku's, squeezing his eyes shut. "I do."

"Then I guess I hate you too." Izuku uses his free hand to wrap around the back of Katsuki's neck and yank him back down for more.