Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It’s early April, and the next school year has started at UA. The cafeteria buzzes with the sound of clattering trays and the hum of lively chatter as Class 1-A, now Class 2-A, settles in for lunch. The air is filled with the enticing aroma of hot meals freshly served, mingling with the crisp scent of spring breezes wafting through open windows. After everything they’ve endured, most of the class feels grateful to have even made it this far. It doesn’t take long for everyone to settle in and get back into their usual rhythm. It takes even less time, of course, for them to get back to their usual shenanigans. Izuku is sitting between Ochako and Todoroki, while across from him sits Bakugo, flanked by Kirishima and Denki.

“Remind me how old you two are again? Seriously, it’s like I’m sitting next to two toddlers sharing a single brain cell.” Katsuki crosses his arms and pouts as Kirishima and Denki pass pieces of rice to each other with a fork catapult. “I swear if either of you gets that shit on my clothes, I’m going to make you wish you were never born.” 

Kirishima covers his mouth, holding back a laugh. “Something funny, shitty hair?” Katsuki looks at him, staring daggers. “Jeez, Bakubro, what's got you in such a mood today?” Kirishima leans back, putting his hands up innocently. “Maybe it’s the fact that I have two children sitting next to me playing with their food when they’re damn near 18.” Bakugo growls, running his hand through his hair. “Aww, did Blasty not get his beauty sleep last night?” Denki mocks Bakugo, immediately regretting it as Bakugo turns around, smiling menacingly, then blowing up Denki's bowl of food and laughing hysterically. “No food to play with now, huh, Dunce Face?”

Izuku is staring at Bakugo from across the table, giggling at the interaction. Kacchan puts up a “Mr. Tough Guy” act, but at the end of the day, he knows he’s just a softie. It's nice seeing Kacchan with friends who really care about him, and not just people who hang out with him for status or props like back in middle school. It’s been so long since then, Izuku sometimes forgets there was a time when someone could mess with Kacchan so much, and not fear for their life afterwards.

As the playful chaos across the table dies down, Ochaco draws Izuku's attention back. “Helloooo? Earth to Deku?” she nudges him from the side, snapping him out of his train of thought. Izuku peels his eyes away from Kacchan, looking at Ochaco, who’s looking at him very smugly. “I hate to distract you, but I really need your help to figure out which dress I should get for this weekend.” Izuku looks puzzled, “What’s this weekend?” Ochaco rolls her eyes, “Did you hear anything I just said?” Izuku blushes slightly and rubs his neck with a bashful smile.

“No, not really.” Ochaco dead pans him, “Fine, I’ll restart. This weekend, tsu and I are going to the beach nearby, and I need a cute sundress, so help me look.” Now it was Izuku’s turn to smile, “You and tsu?” Ochaco takes her phone back. “Nuh uh, not doing this. If you don’t wanna help, then I’ll ask someone else.” Izuku laughs while Ochaco looks the other way, hiding her face. “Sorry, sorry, let me see.” Ochaco gives her phone back, and Izuku looks through the different options Ochaco saved to her favorites.

Eventually, they finish eating, and it’s time to head to their next class. Izuku is walking to his statistics class when he hears footsteps behind him. “Hey, nerd, wait up.” Izuku turns around, and Kacchan runs up to him, “Leaving without me?” Kacchan stands in front of Izuku, slightly too close for comfort, and Izuku smiles back at him, rubbing his neck. “Sorry, Kacchan, I got distracted, I guess.” Katuski raises his eyebrow, looking slightly suspicious, “Right…” he doesn’t push any further.

 “Hey, what is Auntie making for dinner tonight?” Izuku giggles and smirks at Katsuki, “Is that why you told me to wait up? So you could see if you wanted to stay for my Mom’s cooking today?” Katsuki punches Izuku’s shoulder and laughs, “And so what if that’s why? You didn’t answer my question.” Izuku rolls his eyes and rubs his shoulder. The punch didn’t actually hurt, but he likes to pretend it did, just to be dramatic. “She’s making ramen, but if I tell her you're coming over, I’m sure she’ll make spicy ramen just for you, Kacchan.” Katsuki ruffles Izuku’s hair. “Well, nerd, you better tell her I’m coming over then.”

Izuku laughs and bats Katsuki’s hand away. He looks over at him, the laughter settling down. The sun beams into Katsuki’s eyes, making them an amber color, instead of the usual deep crimson. He opens his mouth, speaking without really thinking about what he’s going to say, “Hey, Kacchan.” Katuski makes eye contact with him, and Izuku immediately looks away. Katsuki responds,“Yeah?” Izuku changes the subject, deciding to ignore whatever it was that came over him. “You’ve got a stain on your shirt.” Kacchan looks down, “Where?” Izuku giggles, “Ha, made you look.” Katsuki looks at Izuku menacingly, grabbing Izuku’s shirt. “Izuku, I swear to God I’ll kill you right now.” It’s kind of funny, actually, how behind that angry scowl is often an empty threat. Izuku burst out in laughter, pointing at Katsuki, only to be pulled into a headlock.

Chapter Text

Izuku is sitting in his room, looking through his journal about previous One for All holders. He’s spent a lot more time looking through this notebook since the embers started fading, now more since school started back up. He’s not sure why he does it; maybe he feels guilty. Guilty for getting rid of such a precious gift. He knows it was his only option, but sometimes he wonders if there was another way. If he was just too weak to come up with a real solution. Maybe he feels lonely. It does get quiet sometimes, in his mind. He would always talk to himself to fill up the space in his head, but as the embers grew, so did their voices. 

Not in a literal sense, most of the time at least, but the embers filled space in his mind. Each quirk runs around, filling up space. Now that the embers are fading, it just leaves more space in his mind to think, reflect, wonder, and regret. Izuku knows the embers will be gone soon. Truth be told, he’s not sure if they’ll last to the end of the year. Every time he uses his quirk, it’s like cutting off a piece of hair that can’t grow back. He knows that it’s a blessing to even experience what it’s like to be a hero. He wasn’t born with this quirk; it was gifted to him. He got lucky, despite what All Might says. Still, it would have been nice to see his dream lived out.  

Izuku hears a ring at the front door and puts his journal down. He walks into the living room and sees his Mom hugging Katsuki, his body somewhat limp as he grimaces, trying to remain respectful. “Katsuki!! It’s so good to see you. It’s been so long.” It hasn’t actually been that long, only three days, but Auntie Inkio pinches Bakugo's cheek, regardless, then pats him on the shoulder. Izuku smiles. Kacchan's entire demeanor changes around his Mom; it’s almost laughable

. It takes a lot for an adult to earn Bakugo's respect, and only a select few have it.  All Might, Aizawa, Jeanist, and Edge are some of the few that Bakugo shows even the slightest respect towards. However, Inko Midoriya has somehow, against all odds, gotten Katsuki Bakugo under complete control. He wouldn’t dare mock or disrespect her, no matter how much she pinches his cheek. “It’s good to see you, Auntie, Izuku said You were making Ramen?” Katsuki says through a smile as he rubs the side of his face. Auntie Inko smiles, “Oh yes! The Ramen… It’s almost done. You boys set the table.” Auntie Inko walks into the kitchen, Izuku and Katsuki following behind.

Soon, they finished the ramen, and it was just as delicious as usual. Izuku was right, Auntie Inko did, in fact, make spicy ramen for Katsuki alone, of which he was very grateful. After eating, Auntie Inko goes to her room and leaves Izuku and Katsuki to work on the dishes together. The two boys are standing next to each other, Katsuki washing the dishes while Izuku dries and puts them away. At first, it’s quiet, not uneasy, but comfortable. Eventually, Kacchan asks a question, one he’s asked several times before.

“So, Izuku…” Katsuki asks almost too quietly to hear, while washing a bowl that’s probably been done for two minutes. “Yeah?” Izuku pauses, not looking at him, and instead looks at the cabinet he just opened.

“Um, how are the embers doing?”

Izuku sighs, “They’re still there.” He closes the cabinet and looks over at Bakugo

“You don’t sound so sure.” Bakugo turns around, giving Izuku a pointed look.

“Listen, I… they’re still there, but they’re fading, rather quickly at that, and I’m just- I really don’t think they’re going to last to the end of the year.”

“Izuku…”

“I said I think. I’m not one hundred percent sure yet, I just feel them fading, ya know? Every single second of the day, even when I wake up in the morning, it’s like there’s less than I had the night before.

“Izu-”

“I just, I guess I have to come to terms with the fact that I’ll never be as strong as I was yesterday. Or the day before. Instead of getting stronger, I’m progressively getting weaker. At first, I was upset because I couldn’t compete for #1 anymore, but now I’m not even sure if I can keep up with our class. I just-”

“Izuku.”

Izuku looks at Kacchan, escaping the downward spiral his mind had sent him into. He hadn’t really meant to say any of that out loud, but he doesn’t really care at this point; he knows it’s true.

Katsuki frowns, then puts down the dish rag in his hand and walks over to Izuku. He opens his mouth, closes it, then opens it again, “Izuku, listen,” He speaks softly, “You couldn’t get left behind if you tried. You literally saved the whole world. You’re the standard. Everyone is still trying to catch up with you.” He pauses for a second. “Including myself.”

Izuku feels his shoulders relax, and he leans back on the counter with Kacchan standing over him. This isn’t necessarily what he needed to hear. He knows he needs to come to terms with reality. Still, he’s too stunned to process anything with logic. He looks at Kacchan, trying to read his expression. Izuku smiles, “Well, Kacchan, I need you to promise me something.”

Katsuki raises his eyebrow. “What am I promising?”

“If my quirk ends up fading completely,” Izuku put his finger up, stopping Katsuki from interrupting, “you have to get to the #1 spot for me.”

Kacchan stares at him blankly, then lets out a small laugh. “It’s funny you think a quirk will stop me from dragging you to the #1 spot with me. But sure, nerd, I’ll get there for you.”

Izuku pauses for a second, unsure of what Katsuki means by drag him to the #1 spot, but he doesn’t have much time to process.

“Katsuki! Your mom just called, and she said you need to get home right now. Did you tell her you were coming over?” Auntie Inko is holding a phone in her hand, covering the speaker, peeking into the kitchen.

“Must’ve slipped my mind…” Katsuki trails off. Izuku smirks. He definitely forgot.

“Katsuki Bakugo!!” Auntie Inko chastises Kacchan and shakes her head, then speaks into the phone, “He’ll be over very soon, trust me.” She walks off with the phone in her hand, telling Auntie Mitsuki something along the lines of  “These boys…” and both Izuku and Katsuki take this as a sign that their conversation is over.  “Sorry, Auntie Inko!” Katsuki calls out, walking over to put his shoes and jacket back on. He looks at Izuku, “Sorry, nerd, you know how old hags can get…” He punches Izuku in the shoulder, so softly that Izuku's not sure it can be considered a punch, then opens the door and walks out.

“See ya later, Kacchan.” 

Chapter Text

For the past few weeks, the class has been doing simulation training every other day. It feels weird in some ways, fighting when your life isn’t actually on the line. Most of the class continued to train the best they could after the war ended, but it’s been a while since they’ve all been together. Each person is paired up with a simulation that directly counters their quirk, then each simulation rotates to the next person. Aizawa has them going in two separate groups, and so far, Izuku has placed top three each time, despite the embers fading. Although this should be seen as an accomplishment, Izuku can’t help but feel as if he’s falling behind.

​

Now, the second group is up, and Katsuki is in the training simulation. Per usual, he’s off to an incredibly strong start and doesn’t seem to be backing down any time soon. Izuku breaks his train of thought to watch catch Kacchan.

​

Katsuki looks serious, incredibly locked in as he knocks down every simulation without a scratch and gives maximum effort each time. He makes everything look easy, despite having just come out of recovery. Izuku watches in awe, studying his every move. He watches how the sun's light hits his skin every so perfectly, making him a warm beacon of light. He watches how his air blows in the wind, and how his suit sticks to the sweat on his chest. Suddenly, Katsuki makes eye contact with Izuku. They’re eyes lock, connecting like a thick piece of string. Instead of breaking contact like usual, he holds it for maybe a second, and he swears he sees Kacchan smirk at him, only to break eye contact and get right back to business. The string pops, and that warm feeling becomes cold. This is Katsuki’s first time in the training simulation since school started. Recovery Girl forbade him from any strenuous physical activity, despite his protest. Now, he’s finally able to show off his skills, and it’s not taking him long to adapt.

​

Suddenly, Izuku feels a light tap on his shoulder, snapping him back to reality. He slowly moves his head and turns around to see Ochako, giving him a smug look with her eyebrow raised.

“You’re doing it again”, she says, deadpanned “, Doing what?” Izuku plays naive; he’d rather ignore her than give in to whatever game she’s trying to play.

​

“The staring, Deku.” She deadpans him, and he looks away, avoiding eye contact.

“Sooo?” Ochako says in a slight sing-song voice.

“So?” Izuku raises his eyebrow.

“You and blasty?” Ochako leans in and whispers, trying to maintain some form of confidentiality.

“What? I’m not- well… sorta but still!” Izuku sputters out, trying to hide the blush on his face. If anyone is going to call him out, of course, it’d be Ururaka.

“Really, Deku? This is sad, even for you…” She crosses her arms and looks at him with an expression that’s difficult to read.

“What do you mean?” Izuku is confused. Sure, she’s picked on him before, but she’s never really seemed upset over any of it. Izuku hasn’t even really confirmed that… well, ya know. Regardless, he’s slightly concerned. Did he do something wrong?

“Listen, Deku, I care about you, really. If there’s one regret I’m going to die with, it’s not taking a chance when I still had the chance. Don’t be like me, okay?”

Izuku blinks. He’s not sure how to respond, so instead, he just shakes his head slowly, processing. Ochacho quickly wipes the unrest off her face and returns to her usual cheerful and bubbly smile.

​

Like clockwork, the simulation ends, and the doors to the simulation room open. Katsuki and the rest of Izuku’s classmates walk out, and Izuku looks over at the scoreboard. Kacchan placed #1, just narrowly ahead of Yamomo but 20 points. For his first time out of recovery, this is beyond amazing, and Izuku would expect any less. Izuku looks back at the doors and immediately locks eyes with Kacchan, who seemed to already be looking at him, and heeded his way. Izuku tries to ignore the way his heart races as he tries  everything within his power to avert his gaze.

Ochako smiles, someone sinisterly, “Well! Looks like you’re busy, I’ll leave you be.”

“Wait!” Izuku calls out to Ochako,but she’s already trotting off. “What’s that, Tsu? You said you need to tell me something about your quirk?

​

Izuku turns his face back forward, and a familiar blond stands in front of him. “Hey, nerd”, Katsuki ruffles Izuku’s hair. He’s sweating, almost profusely, and Izuku can feel the thick heat radiating off of him, with a smell of salty caramel. “Kacchan, you were amazing!” Izuku beams, distracting himself from the proximity and focusing on an actual topic point.

​

“Per usual”, Katsuki shrugs, with a slight pull in the corner of his mouth. “Seriously, Kacchan, you just got out of recovery, and you’re already topping the charts; this should be impossible!” Leave it to Kacchan to defy all gravity and somehow, with all the odds stacked against him, still come back in total victory. Honestly, Izuku wasn’t sure if other people in his class had the same determination as Kacchan did. He knows he’s going to make a great pro-hero one day, even with his… slight temper.

​

“Recovery lady had me locked up for way too long… I’ve been fine for months now. If it wasn’t for that old hag, I would have been training by now, but every time I tried doing anything, she would beat me up. I had to start sneaking out in the middle of the night…” Kastuki trails off, realising he probably should have left that last part out. “You didn’t hear me say that, though.”

“Kacchan!” Izuku hits Katsuki’s arm lightly. He’s not surprised, but still, after someone's heart explodes, they should probably learn to take it slow.

“I’m fine, aren’t I? Besides, they were overreacting. It’s not like my heart exploded or something.” Katsuki rolls his eyes, and Izuku deadpans him, unimpressed. “Too soon?”

“Very much so.”

“Well… regardless of how you look at it, they can’t hold me back anymore. I hate being all cooped up like to weak, frail mouse. I’m nearly 18; I think I can handle myself.” Izuku knows he’s right. Still, he can’t help but worry from time to time. Seeing your best friend of 15 years dead on the ground isn’t necessarily something you can come back from easily. Despite this, Izuku's glad Katuski is officially off the sidelines. “Well, I’m glad you’re back, Kacchan, training isn’t really the same without you… Plus, you're doing so well already, I can only imagine where you’ll be by the end of the year.” Izuku rambles off. Really, he is happy for Katuski. But deep down, he can’t help but feel a small pang of envy and sadness.

Katsuki nudges Izuku in the shoulder. “Ya know, you’ve been doing pretty alright yourself, nerd.” Izuku looks up from his feet and smiles. “You think so?” Katsuki raises his eyebrow. “I KNOW so… you’ve placed top 3 every day so far.” Katsuki crosses his arms and looks at Izuku; his expression is hard to read. Izuku looks away and sighs. “I know, I just… feel like I could be doing better.”

"You’re not wrong," Katsuki shrugs. "What?" Izuku sputters, baffled. That isn’t the response he expected. Katsuki uncrosses his arms and deadpans at Izuku. "I’ve seen you beat villains with two broken arms. Honestly, I think you’re holding yourself back." Katsuki is cool and a bit gruff. Izuku is confused and a little offended. "I’m not! Not purposefully at least… It’s just, I know my embers will fade eventually—"

“You don’t know that,” Katsuki cuts him off.

There’s a pause, slightly uncomfortable as the two stare at each other, neither moving a muscle. This is a sensitive topic for both of them. However, Izuku really can’t seem to understand why Kacchan cares so much about his quirk. “You’re right, Kacchan, I don’t. But if that is the case, I need to start looking for other paths. I mean, I can’t hold onto my dreams forever…” He trails off and looks away; he knows his embers will fade eventually. It’s already hard enough to come to terms with it himself, but it seems as if everyone else is struggling just as much as he is, as if his value will diminish once his quirk is gone, as if he won’t be the same person.

“Izuku,” Katsuki calls to him, bringing him back to attention. They lock eyes. “How about this, spar, and I’ll prove you’re holding yourself back.”

“Kacch-” Izuku tries to butt it, failing.

"Tonight. Meet me at the Ground Beta," Kacchan looks at him with a serious expression, almost scary. However, the determination in his eyes wins over Izuku; he couldn’t say no if he tried.

“Kacchan, how is that going to 'prove' anything?" Izuku rolls his eyes, but he’s already convinced despite his protest.

"You'll see," Katsuki says with a smile pulled in the corner of his lips, as if he’s planning something sinister. Something about Katsuki seeming so excited makes it seem as if anything he says is law. Izuku can’t stand how he’s so easily convinced by the blond, even when he knows the truth. "Right..." Izuku trails off, but soon Kirishma is walking over to them and brings the conversation to a halt.

“Wuddup Bakubro!” Kirishima slings his arm around Bakugo, and Katuski immediately darts his eyes to him, slightly threatening. “What do you want?”

Kirishima backs off, putting his hands up innocently. “What? Can’t I say hi to my friend? Can you believe this guy, Midoriya?" He points at Bakugo with his thumb, and Izuku giggles, watching the interaction.

“Spit it out, Shitty Hair.”  Bakugo scoffs, crossing his arms as he looks at Kirishima.

“Fine, fine…  Sero accidentally taped Denki to the top of a tree, and we can’t get him down. We need that big brain of yours,” Kirishima rubs his neck awkwardly, then nudges Bakugo, only for him to palm his face in disbelief. “You guys are pathetic. Sorry, Izuku, I gotta go help out my idiot friends. See you later, nerd.” Hearing Katuski call them actually call them his friends is sweet. For the longest time, Katsuki refused to let anyone get close to him; everyone was an extra or side character. Izuku watches as Katsuki gets dragged off, seemingly annoyed despite going anyway, and he smiles. So much has changed in the past year, he’s happy for him.

Still, he wishes Kacchan would just explain why his quirk matters so much to him.

Chapter Text

It’s nearly eight o’clock when Izuku leaves his dorm to walk to ground beta. He still has no idea why he agreed to this; they aren’t supposed to be out of their dorms past eight on weekdays, and he knows they’re probably going to get caught. Still, he keeps walking in the black sweat shorts and t-shirt that says “Tuesday Shirt.” For some reason, he feels a small buzz in his stomach. He hadn’t expected to be so excited, yet the thought of sparring with Kacchan for the first time in months isn’t easy to be calm about. After the war, they were both put in recovery. Izuku got out first, but Katsuki hasn’t been out since this week. They used to spend a lot of time sparring together. Really, that was the first way they spent any time alone after they started talking again. Of course, now they’re together more often than not, but it’s as if he has to come up with an excuse to hang out with Kacchan. Before the war, they were always training, so sparring together had become their thing.

When he arrives at ground beta, Kacchan is leaning against a lamp pole, wearing a fitted black tank top and grey sweat pants. The light from the pole illuminates him in a way that feels illegal to see, yet Izuku stares anyway.

“Took you long enough,” Kacchan calls from across the training facility. “Kacchan, you said to meet at eight.” Izuku giggles. “Yeah, well, haven’t you ever heard that early is on time and on time is late?”  Kacchan says while pushing off the light pole and walking towards Izuku. “Jeez, someone's excited to get their ass kicked.” Izuku banters, walking closer to Katsuki. They’re standing inches apart, and Katsuki burst out in laughter, “My god, it’s been so long since we’ve done this.” Izuku feels his heart warm at the remark. It’s nice to think that Kacchan has missed this as well, maybe even as much as he has. Of course, that’d be wishful thinking. “Yeah, it really has been,” Izuku says, looking up at Kacchan, realizing how close they really are.

“No holding back, got it, Nerd?” Katsuki says, flashing a smile, one that makes Izuku’s heart squeeze.

“I wouldn't dream of it,” Izuku replies, smiling while taking a step back to find his grounding. He reaches his arm across his chest and stretches, rolling his neck to loosen up. Katsuki does the same, his shirt lifting slightly as he reaches above his head.

Focus.

Izuku lunges back, charging his energy, then lunges forward  simultaneously with Katsuki, clashing together. The two tussle back and forth. Izuku uses Black Whip to try and catch Kacchan mid-air and misses narrowly by the foot, only for Kacchan to pivot, blasting Izuku on the side, throwing him back. Izuku feels the fire riling up within him. He rolls on the ground, catches his balance, then lunges forward again. This time, his Danger Sense warns him of Katsuki’s attempt to lunge forward towards his leg, and he turns around, mid-air, kicking Kacchan downward. Before Kacchan is able to regain his balance, Izuku lunges at him, attempting to pin him down in a headlock. 

Without warning, Kacchan kicks Izuku over with both legs, throwing him backwards. “I fuckin knew it! You are holding back.” Kacchan growls. Izuku raises an eyebrow. “What do you-” Katstuski cuts him off, blasting forward and knocking him down. “The Izuku I know would never get cheated out of a pin. You’re probably the strongest guy I know.” Bakugo smirks at him, holding him down with one leg on Izuku's chest. Izuku sweeps his leg with one slice of his arm, then grabs his arm, pulling Katsuki down and flipping him around. 

Before Katsuki can escape, Izuku grabs both arms and pins them behind Katsuki's back, legs straddling his sides. “Gotcha.” Izuku smiles back cheekily. He takes a second to catch his breath, head leaning forward, his arms holding Kacchan down, despite not using his quirk at the moment. Slowly, Izuku realizes the position they’re in, and he quickly frees Kacchan, face turning a bright red. 

Katsuki sits up, and Izuku can feel him looking at him. It’s silent for a second, then Kacchan opens his mouth. “I’m serious, by the way. When you have someone pinned, you’ve always had them pinned permanently. That’s not your quirk; that’s pure strength. You’re beginning to doubt yourself.” Izuku looks away, hugging his knees to his chest. As much as he would rather this be a fun moment between the two, it looks like Katsuki isn’t letting this go.

“Izuku?” Katsuki says quietly, with a small, rough voice. Izuku comes back to reality and realizes, suddenly, that there are tears streaming down his face. He hadn’t even noticed he was crying. Izuku

“Hey…” Katsuki walks over and sits next to Izuku. “Listen, nerd…” Katsukki lightly touches Izuku’s shoulder. Izuku looks at him, soft and delicate. Katsuki holds his breath,  thinking of what to say. “Just because your quirk is fading, doesn’t mean you can’t be a hero… You made it so far without a quirk, and almost placed during the  sports festival without even knowing how to use it.” He pauses, laughing to himself. “Anyways, I’m sure there are other ways, and I’m…” He trails off, looking away while putting his hand on his neck. “I’m sorry if I stressed you out so much. I just…”  Katsuki mumbles quietly; he still struggles with hard conversations. “ I know I can be pretty stupid sometimes. I just don’t like seeing you doubt yourself or hold back because you don’t think it’s worth it. It’s not you, the Izuku I know gives 100% no matter what.”

 They turn back to each other simultaneously, locking eyes. Izuku is somewhat dumbfounded. This is the most Katsuki’s opened up to him in a very long time; he doesn’t want to ruin the moment, so he simply responds in a shaky voice, “Thanks, Kacchan, I… I really need this.”

​

Katsuku nudges Izuku, “Tch,” but Izuku can see a slight smile form on Kacchan’s face. Katsuki stands up  and brushes off his hands, then reaches his hand out to Izuku to help him up. Izuku takes it and immediately feels a warm energy flow through him. “Whatever, nerd,  just stop being so self-depricating.”  Katsuki scoffs while rolling his eyes. “Besides, you literally saved the world… no one can really catch up to you even if they tried, not even me.”

 Kacchan crosses his arms, and Izuku knows he’s trying to preserve a macho-man agenda; however, he falters behind the softness in his voice. “Kacchan, that was you, too.” Izuku replies while crossing his arms as well, playing along. “Nah, if you weren’t there, I doubt I would have fought so hard,”  Katsuki smirks at Izuku, stepping closer. “Don’t say that!” Izuku lightly punches Katsuki’s shoulder, ignoring how his stomach is flipping dramatically. “It’s true.” Katski shrugs his shoulders and looks at Izuku, a slight smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. 

They stare at each other, neither wanting to move. Their chests are so close that Izuku swears he can hear Kattsuki’s heartbeat, but in reality, it’s probably his own, beating concerningly loud as he phases back and forth between a state of panic and confidence.

“Hey Izuku…” Katuki opens his mouth, trailing off.

“Yeah?” Izuku says, a light whisper, almost too quiet to hear, but their faces were so close that his breath tickled Katsuki’s nose.

Suddenly, Katsuki’s expression changed, and he stepped backwards, “Um, never mind.” He clears his throat, looking away.

Izuku frowns, feeling the connection wisp away as soon as it comes. He checks his watch; it’s past nine o’clock and definitely time for them to get back.

“Okay, let’s get out of here before Aizawa Sensei catches us.” Izuku tugs at Katsuki's arm, and they begin to turn around.

“Before who catches you?”

The two pause in their tracks

“Shit.” Katsuki and Izuku say simultaneously under their breaths, then turn around slowly.

“Hi Azaiwa Sensei!” Izuku smiles, attempting to play innocent.

“Hello, Midoriya.” Aziawa pans his eyes over and sighs, “Bakugo.”

Izuku’s attempt falters, and the two are quickly wrapped up in Aizawa’s scarf and pulled towards him. “Detention. Both of you.” Aizawa says in a monotone voice.

This is the first time they’ve been placed in detention this year. Honestly, it’s commendable that they made it this far. The two boys groan as they're dragged back to U.A. When they get back, Aizawa gives them a lecture about safety and sneaking out past curfew, only for it to fall on deaf ears.

“I expect this room to be sparkling by the morning.” Aizawa scolds, somewhat weakly, then yawns as he walks back to his room, already folding himself back into his cocoon. After he walks out, the two boys immediately burst into laughter. "You know the drill, Nerd." Katsuki passes Izuku a broom. “Yeah, yeah, same as always.” Izuku grabs the broom, then they begin cleaning up the common area. Often, whenever they get detention, they get warnings while cleaning for getting distracted halfway through or somehow causing another mess mid-clean. Today, however, it was quieter than usual.  Katsuki is the first to speak after nearly 15 minutes of silence. "Hey Izuku, if you really do end up losing the embers, what do you think you'll be instead?"

At first, Izuku is quiet and  incredibly baffled. This is the first time Katsuki has even mentioned the possibility of him completely losing the embers. “Well, I was actually talking with Aizawa Sensei… and I think I may try to become a teacher here at U.A.” He’s quiet for a moment, realizing this is the first time he’s spoken about this with anyone other than Aizawa; he hasn’t even told All Might of his plans. “Of course, I’d have to go to university and whatnot first, but I feel like it’s kind of fitting, ya know?” Izuku holds his breath; he’s not sure why speaking this into existence is scarier than he expected. It’s as if the truth is setting in. For some reason, Katsuki’s opinion on this matter to Izuku way more than Izuku would like. Izuku holds his breath, waiting for a response.  Katsuki is quiet, then he turns and looks at Izuku. “Huh, so you’d be called Midoriya Sensei?” He says teasingly, with a small smirk at his lip. Izuku blushes and rolls his eyes. “Yes, Kacchan, I’d be Midoriya Sensei.” He smiles..

“I think it's fitting." Katsuki hums.

Izuku puts down his broom and looks at Katsuki from across the room. “The name or the job?”

“Ha ha, very funny asshole… the job Nerd, but the name isn’t bad either." He shrugs and looks away, continuing to wipe the same countertop for the third time in a row.

"You really think so?” Izuku smiles, feeling a warm sensation in his chest.

"Yeah," Kacchan responds, voice barely above a whisper. He glances at Izuku for a heartbeat, then averts his gaze, a reluctant smile tugging at his lips.

“I think so.”

Chapter Text

A week after their sparring session, Izuku and Katsuki are sitting in the library together doing homework. It’s late, past 7:00pm, and Izuku finished his work almost thirty minutes ago. Katsuki takes a while longer now, especially since his dominant hand gets tired because of his injuries, but Izuku doesn’t mind waiting.

​

Izuku is sitting up, one knee hugging his chest as he writes in his journal. He’s taking notes on the current Pro Hero rankings, analyzing them, and making predictions for the next few years. Well, he was taking notes at least. Somewhere down the line, he found himself distracted, looking at the blonde hair in front of him. Katsuki’s eyes are glued to his paper. His eyebrows are slightly scrunched as he thinks. It’s quiet. So quiet that Izuku can hear the sound of Bakugo’s pen scratching, or him sighing loudly when he runs his hand through his hair. Izuku hums every now and again, doodling something down when he remembers his current task at hand, then looks back up at Bakugo.

​

“Stop looking at me like that,” Katsuki grunts, and Izuku is sure he misheard him.

“Like what?”

“Like- like that, with those eyes.” Kacchan finally looks up, and Izuku freezes, suddenly feeling as if he’s committed a crime and has been caught red-handed.

“I- um… what eyes?” Izuku stutters out.

"No, I mean…” Katsuki trails off, “Never mind, forget I said anything, Nerd." He frowns, looking back down at his work, and Izuku feels his heart sink. Truthfully, he’s not really sure what Kacchan means, but there’s never a time he doesn’t want to know.

"Kacchan?" Izuku questions softly, hoping for some kind of response, any at all.

Katsuki leans back in his chair and brushes his hand through his hair. He opens his mouth, then pauses, chewing on his lip as he thinks, then begins to speak.

"It's just… sometimes you look at me like…” He pauses, voice uncertain as he speaks quieter, “Like I'm your whole world or something. It freaks me out." Bakugo looks away, avoiding eye contact.

Izuku’s brain short-circuits. Is he that obvious? Does it make Kacchan uncomfortable?

He frowns and mumbles,"Well, maybe you are my whole world."

At that, Katsuki’s head shoots up. "What was that?"

Regret sinks in as Izuku attempts to recover, "Nothing, don’t worry about.”

Kacchan stands up and places his hands on the table, leaning over closer to Izuku. “Don’t bullshit me, Nerd. I feel like you’re hiding something.” He glares at Izuku, eyes burning into his skin. Of all the quirks Izuku could have, he really wishes there was one to disappear and never return.

Izuku deflects, "Don't you have work to do?" Then, Izuku looks back down at his journal, refusing to look up again unless he absolutely has to. Hopefully, Katsuki will eventually forget everything Izuku has ever said or done, and they can just keep things how they are: normal. Kacchan sits back down slowly, eyes never leaving Izuku. Then, his voice becomes quiet, and he begins to speak again. "Just for the record, it doesn't freak me out because I think it's weird." This makes Izuku look back up.

Katsuki continues, "I just can never tell what's going on inside your head sometimes... and I'm not a fan of it." Izuku chuckles. If there’s one thing he can understand, it’s that.

Katsuki rubs his neck sheepishly. It’s rare that Izuku ever sees him so vulnerable. There’s a moment of silence. Izuku still isn’t sure what to say, so he keeps his eyes on his journal, no longer really paying attention to anything on it, and instead is keenly aware of Katsuki in front of him.

"Hey, Izuku,” Katsuki begins, “what are your plans for after we graduate?" Katsuki asks, placing down his pencil. Izuku raises an eyebrow because he’s pretty sure they’ve had this conversation.

"I already told you, remember? I plan on teaching." Izuku says, closing his journal. There’s no point in faking it anymore. Kacchan was obviously set on something right now.

"No, not career plans... everything else," Katsuki says, his expression unreadable.

"Huh.” Izuku pauses to think, but nothing comes to mind. “I haven't really thought about it," Izuku admits. Thinking about what job he’s going to have is one thing, but everything else feels too… real… for Izuku’s liking.

"Well, I have," Katsuki says, hands fidgeting. Izuku arches his eyebrow, waiting for Katuski to finish.

"Remember when I said I wanted to be at your heels for the rest of our lives?" Katsuki references. Izuku nods his head slowly.

“Yeah, well, that hasn’t really changed.”

Izuku freezes. He isn’t sure what direction this is about to go in. His quirk is gone, and nothing about that will ever change. He sighs, “Kacchan, I already told you-”

“No, Izuku, you don’t get it.” Katsuki cuts him off, punching his nose. “You know, for a nerd, you really are fucking stupid sometimes…” Kacchan rubs his temple, looking at Izuku with some kind of  expectancy.

Izuku stares at him blankly, searching his brain for what to say, but he can find nothing. He still doesn’t understand what Kacchan is trying to tell him. He lost his quirk; they can’t chase each other forever. It’s impossible… as much as it hurts, that’s just how things are. Katsuki stares at him blankly for a moment; the silence is overbearing, and Izuku wishes he could just pretend this never happened.

Suddenly, Katsuki leans in, voice barely audible, and his head hangs. “You, Izuku.” He pauses for a split second, rubbing his face. His eyes are becoming glossy, and if Izuku were insane, he’d think that Katsuki was close to tears. “I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

Incredibly slowly yet all at once, Izuku feels as if he’s been hit by a freight train. His mouth goes dry as he’s at a loss for words, forgetting how to speak.

Katsuki continues, “And I know you probably don't feel the same, so that's why I'm chasing you, and maybe one day I'll catch up. I don’t know why I thought to tell you this now, but... damn it.” Kacchan groans, rubbing his hand through his hair as he finds the words to say. Izuku can feel him laying his heart out, giving it to him with trust, and he wonders what he ever did to deserve this.

Kacchan keeps talking, nearly rambling at this point, “Things have just been so different since the war ended. And this has been weighing on my chest for a while. Every time I feel like we've gotten closer, we just drift apart again. I just wish you'd let me in. I know I don't deserve it, but that's what I hope for... yeah, a guy can dream, or something like that." Katuski looks away, and Izuku feels as if his heart is going to explode. Without thinking, he grabs Katsuki's hand from the other side of the table. Kacchan’s breath hitches, and he looks at Izuku’s hand, grabbing his, then looks back up at Izuku.

"Kacchan…" Izuku begins, unsure of what to say, "You've already caught up with me. You've BEEN caught up with me. I don’t know how you can’t see that, but I’m sorry if I haven’t made that clear to you."

Katsuki pulls his hand away and rubs his eyes. He looks at Izuku and frowns, "Look, Izuku, I don't want your pity. I’m just telling you the truth, my truth.” At this, Izuku almost screams. They’ve come too far to turn back now; he’s not letting Kacchan get away that easily.

Izuku huffs. This is going to be difficult. "Okay, now you don't get it." He grabs Katsuki’s hand again, "Kacchan, look at me." He grabs his other hand, and suddenly both of his hands are sweating, and he's not sure if it's just him or his and Katuskis combined.

Izuku decides to take a leap of faith. "You were right about me hiding something.” Izuku says, taking a deep breath, confesses, "I’minlovewithyou.

I come out much faster than intended, and Izuku pulls his hands away from Katsuki’s quickly because now he can literally feel burning.

“What?" Katsuki asks, standing up and walking around the table to Izuku. Izuku stands up slowly, not quite looking at the blonde as he begins to speak again, slower this time.

“I’m…” Izuku begins, and Katsuki grabs the back of Izuku's neck. Their faces are now inches apart.

“...in lo-” Before he can finish, Katsuki closes the gap, and they melt into a kiss. Izuku leans in, closing his eyes as he relishes something he dreamed of for so long. The kiss is slow and uncertain, yet it feels perfect beyond belief as Izuku leans in deeper, grabbing Katsuki's waist as he lifts him on top of the table. Izuku presses one hand on Katsuki's thigh and wraps the other around his middle, reaching under his shirt and rubbing at his abdomen. Katsuki pulls harder on Izuku's neck, pulling him down, and Izuku lets out a low groan. At this, Katsuki smiles into the kiss, slipping his tongue out and poking at Izuku's teeth. Izuku quickly allows entrance, moaning into the kiss as Katsuki pushes deeper. Izuku moves his hand from Katsuki's thigh and trails it up his side to run it through his hair. All small whine slips from Katsuki, and Izuku  is so overjoyed that he pulls back, just to look at him. Katsuki’s face is flushed, and a small string of saliva is hanging from his bottom lip. Izuku thinks aloud, “Wait, so does this mean-”

“Yes, Izuku, I love you too.” Katsuki declares, then pulls Izuku back in, slightly rougher this time. Izuku nips lightly at Katsuki's lips with his teeth, then laps over the bite mark with his tongue. Katsuki lets out a long, low moan, and before Izuku is able to revel in the discovery of one of Kacchan's sweet spots, a librarian walks over, tapping him on the shoulder. Izuku jumps, forced out of his current daze. She crosses her arms and scolds, “Boys! No PDA in the library! Detention for both of you.”

Soon after, Aizawa comes in to grab them both, wrapping them with his scarf.

“Were you two fighting again?” He says, eyebrow arched as he drags them out of the building.

The two boys look at each other, Katsuki snickers, and Izuku's face goes red. “Um… not exactly,” Izuku says, scratching his head.

Aizawa eyes them both.

“Oh?”

He takes a closer look at the blush covering their faces.

“Oh.”

“Well, it’s about time.”

​

“Wait- What?” Both Katsuki and Izuku say in unison, but Aizawa elaborates no further.

​

Detention didn’t last long. All they were tasked with was helping with cleaning up after the library closed for the day. They apologized to the librarian, saying it would never happen again (it happened again), and then organized books for a few hours. Was it tedious? Yes. But Izuku can say with confidence that it was absolutely worth it.

Afterall, a lifetime of staring at Katsuki Bakugo is something he’d pay any price for.

​

~ Don’t look at me with those eyes ~