Chapter Text
The following morning began peacefully for exactly seven minutes. That was seven minutes longer than anyone should ever expect when Mina Ashido knew a secret.
Especially a secret involving Katsuki Bakugo and Izuku Midoriya.
Especially when that secret was that they were finally together.
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The sun had barely risen above the horizon when students slowly began making their way into the common room of Heights Alliance, many of them still half asleep as they wandered toward the kitchen in search of coffee, tea, or anything capable of waking them up after a long week of training, while soft morning light filtered through the large windows and illuminated the comfortable room with a warm golden glow.
Izuku entered quietly.
He had hoped foolishly, that perhaps everyone would behave normally. That hope lasted approximately three seconds.
The moment Mina spotted him, she nearly dropped the bowl of cereal she was holding.
Her eyes widened. Her mouth opened.
Then she pointed dramatically across the room as if she had just discovered a rare animal in the wild. "THERE HE IS!"
Every head turned immediately.
Izuku froze.
He knew that tone and that tone never led to anything good.
"Mina."
Her grin somehow became even larger. "Good morning, Midoriya."
The way she said it made Izuku nervous. Very nervous.
"Mina."
"How did you sleep?"
"...Fine?"
"Really!?"
"Yes?"
"Interesting."
Izuku immediately wanted to leave.
Unfortunately, before he could escape, Kirishima walked into the room carrying a cup of coffee.
The second he saw Mina's expression, he understood. "Oh noo."
"Oh yes."
"No."
"Oh yes."
The redhead sighed dramatically. "You've been waiting all night for this, haven't you?"
"I've been waiting MONTHS for this."
"Mina."
"What?"
"Please behave."
"No." The answer came so quickly that nobody was surprised.
At that exact moment the elevator doors opened and Katsuki stepped out. Immediately the room became silent. Dangerously silent. The kind of silence that only happened when thirty people collectively shared a single terrible idea.
Katsuki noticed immediately. His eyes narrowed. "...Why is everyone looking at me?"
Nobody answered.
That was suspicious. Very suspicious.
Then Mina slowly turned toward him and smiled. The smile of someone about to become extremely annoying.
"Katsuki."
"No."
"I didn't even say anything yet."
"No."
Kaminari began laughing before the conversation had even started. Sero nearly choked on his drink. Even Jirou looked interested.
"Katsuki."
"No."
"Your boyfriend is over there."
The entire room exploded.
Laughter.
Shouting.
Cheering.
Aoyama applauding dramatically.
Kaminari literally falling off the couch.
Meanwhile, Izuku looked seconds away from launching himself through the nearest window and Katsuki looked ready to commit murder.
"SHUT UUPP IDIOTSS!"
That only made things worse.
Because Mina pointed dramatically toward him. "LOOK AT HIM."
"I'M GOING TO KILL YOUU, PINKYY."
"HE'S BLUSHINGG!"
"I'M NOT BLUSHINGG!"
"He totally is."
"He is."
"He absolutely is."
"Todoroki."
"Yes?"
"Don't."
"I'm just observing."
"You can observe from the grave."
The entire room burst into laughter again. Even Aizawa, who had been drinking coffee in the corner, briefly lowered his mug to look at the scene before deciding that whatever was happening was not worth the paperwork and returning to his drink.
Unfortunately for Katsuki and Izuku, Mina was only getting started.
Because once Mina Ashido discovered a source of entertainment, she never let it go.
Not ever.
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By the time evening arrived, both Izuku and Katsuki were exhausted.
Not from training.
Not from studying.
Not from hero work.
From Mina.
The pink-haired girl had somehow spent the entire day following them around the dormitory like a journalist investigating a celebrity scandal, repeatedly appearing whenever they were alone for more than thirty seconds and making increasingly ridiculous comments that left Izuku red-faced and Katsuki threatening violence. So when the dorm finally grew quieter after dinner and students slowly disappeared into their rooms, the silence felt almost miraculous.
Izuku sat on his bed and abook rested open in his lap.
Unfortunately, he had read the same paragraph six times. Because he wasn't actually reading. His thoughts kept drifting.
Back to the confession.
Back to the park.
Back to Katsuki.
A vibration interrupted him.
His phone.
Izuku picked it up.
A message, from Katsuki.
His heart immediately sped up.
Kacchan
Come to my room at 9.
That was it. No explanation. No details. No context.
Just an order. A very Katsuki order.
Izuku stared at the message.
Then reread it.
Then reread it again.
His heart somehow managed to beat even faster.
What did that mean?
Why 9 o'clock?
Why his room?
Was something wrong?
Was something happening?
Was it training?
No.
Definitely not training.
The thought alone made his face warm.
At exactly 8:59 PM, Izuku stood outside Katsuki's door.
He adjusted his shirt. Then adjusted it again.
Then immediately felt ridiculous.
Why was he nervous?
It was just Katsuki.
His boyfriend.
The realization made him blush all over again.
Before he could knock, the door opened and for a brief second, Izuku forgot what he had been thinking.
Because Katsuki looked different tonight. Not dramatically. But enough.
His hair was slightly neater than usual. His black jacket looked newer and although he would deny it if asked, he clearly looked like someone who had spent longer than usual getting ready.
Their eyes met.
Neither spoke.
Then Katsuki looked away first.
"Took you long enough."
"It was one minute early."
"Tch."
Izuku smiled and suddenly Katsuki felt strangely relieved.
--------------------------------
The city looked beautiful at night. The streets glowed beneath countless lights. Storefronts reflected warm colors across the pavement. Cars moved through the distance like streams of gold and white and above everything, the dark sky stretched endlessly over the sleeping city.
Neither of them spoke much as they walked. Not because conversation was difficult. Because silence had become comfortable.
The kind of silence shared by people who understood each other.
Occasionally their shoulders brushed. Occasionally their hands touched. And every single time, both became embarrassingly aware of it.
After nearly twenty minutes, Izuku began recognizing the neighborhood.
His steps slowed. Then slowed again.
Until eventually he stopped completely.
His eyes widened. Because suddenly he knew where they were.
"Kacchan..." The name escaped him quietly.
"What??"
"This is...."
"Yeah.." The answer came immediately. Because Katsuki already knew what he was thinking.
The park stood before them.
The same park they had visited countless times as children.
The same park where they had played hero.
The same park where they had raced each other.
The same park where their story had begun.
Yet tonight it looked completely different.
Beautiful.
Magical.
Almost unreal.
Rows upon rows of blooming sakura trees lined the pathways, their pale pink blossoms illuminated by soft lantern light while thousands of petals drifted lazily through the evening breeze, creating the illusion that the entire park existed inside a dream.
Izuku stared upward. Speechless.
Because he loved sakura trees.
Always had.
And somehow..... Katsuki remembered.
After all these years.
The realization alone made Izuku's chest ache.
----------------------------------
For several long moments, neither of them said anything.
The park seemed impossibly quiet around them as the soft glow of the lanterns illuminated the winding paths beneath the sakura trees, while countless pale pink petals drifted through the night air and settled gently upon the grass like fallen stars.
Izuku could still feel his heart beating against his ribs.
Fast. Far too fast.
And judging by the way Katsuki kept looking away every few seconds before immediately glancing back, he wasn't the only one.
"You remembered." His voice came out softer than intended.
Katsuki shoved his hands into his pockets. "Tch."
It wasn't exactly an answer. But Izuku understood him well enough. Because after all these years, he knew that Katsuki's silence often said more than words ever could.
"You remembered that I liked sakura trees."
"You talk a lot."
Izuku laughed. The sound was warm and quiet.
For a second, Katsuki found himself staring again.
The lantern light reflected in Izuku's green eyes. The gentle breeze moved through his green curls. A few petals had become caught in his hair without him noticing.
Beautiful.
The thought appeared before Katsuki could stop it.
Immediately he looked away.
Annoying. Very annoying.
"Kacchan?"
"What?"
"You're doing that thing again."
"What thing??"
"You keep looking away."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"Damn nerd."
Izuku's smile widened. The sight somehow made Katsuki's chest feel lighter.
For a while they continued walking slowly through the park. Neither seemed interested in rushing.
The paths were nearly empty at this hour, leaving the entire place feeling peaceful and private, as though the world had temporarily forgotten they existed.
Eventually they arrived at a small bridge crossing a narrow stream. The water reflected the lantern light. Petals drifted across its surface.
The scene looked almost unreal.
Izuku leaned against the railing. "It's beautiful."
"Yeahh."
For once, Katsuki wasn't looking at the scenery.
He was looking at Izuku.
And when Izuku turned his head, he caught him.
Their eyes met.
Neither looked away.
The moment stretched.
The sounds of the city seemed distant now. Muted. Unimportant.
Only the two of them remained.
Izuku swallowed.
Katsuki's heart immediately sped up. Damn it.
Why was this harder than fighting villains?
Why was talking to Izuku suddenly impossible?
Because this wasn't fighting.
This mattered. More than any fight ever could.
"Kacchan.." The way Izuku said his name made something warm twist inside his chest.
"Huhh??" His voice sounded quieter now. Almost gentle.
Izuku smiled softly. "I had a really nice time tonight."
Silence.
Then Katsuki laughed quietly. A rare sound.
"Good, Deku." The answer was simple. Honest.
And somehow that made Izuku smile even more.
For a few seconds neither moved. The distance between them felt smaller than before.
Not gone.
But smaller.
A breeze drifted through the trees overhead. Thousands of petals swirled around them. One landed on Izuku's shoulder. Another caught in his hair.
Without thinking, Katsuki reached up.
His fingers brushed gently through the green curls as he removed the petal.
Both froze. Immediately.
Because neither of them had expected it.
Katsuki's hand remained there for half a second longer than necessary.
Izuku's breath caught.
Neither spoke.
The world seemed to hold its breath with them.
Slowly—
very slowly—
Katsuki lowered his hand.
But Izuku caught his wrist before he could pull away.
Not tightly. Just enough.
"Kacchan.." His voice was barely above a whisper.
Red eyes met green ones.
The distance between them felt very small now.
Close enough to notice every tiny expression.
Close enough to hear each other breathing.
Close enough that neither could pretend they didn't feel it.
The nervousness.
The happiness.
The affection.
Everything.
Neither rushed.
Neither moved suddenly.
They simply stood there beneath the falling blossoms, looking at one another as though the years between childhood and now were passing through their minds all at once.
Then Katsuki leaned forward slightly.
Carefully.
Giving Izuku every chance to move away.
But he didn't.
Instead, Izuku smiled.
A small smile.
A warm one.
The kind meant only for him.
And somehow that felt better than anything Katsuki could have imagined.
The sakura petals continued drifting around them as they stood together beneath the lantern light, neither wanting to break the moment, both silently wishing the night would last just a little longer.
For a few seconds, neither of them moved.
The night seemed suspended around them. The lanterns glowed softly above the path. The stream beneath the bridge flowed quietly through the darkness and all around them, pale pink sakura petals drifted through the air like snow.
Izuku could hear his own heartbeat.
Fast. Ridiculously fast.
So fast that he was convinced Katsuki could probably hear it too. Especially because they were standing so close now.
Closer than they had ever stood before.
Close enough to see every detail.
The tiny freckles beneath Izuku's eyes.
The way Katsuki's red eyes reflected the lantern light.
The nervousness both of them were trying and failing, to hide.
"Kacchan....." Izuku whispered.
"What..?"
The answer came immediately. Too quickly.
As if Katsuki had been waiting for him to speak.
Neither looked away.
Neither could.
For years they had chased each other.
Fought each other.
Saved each other.
Hurt each other.
Forgiven each other.
Loved each other.
And somehow, after everything they had been through, this felt scarier than all of it.
Izuku smiled softly.
Not the bright smile he showed everyone else.
Not the heroic smile.
Not the smile for reporters.
Not the smile for classmates.
This one was different.
Smaller.
Warmer.
Only for Katsuki.
Something inside Katsuki's chest completely melted. "Damn nerd."
Izuku laughed quietly. "You always say that."
"Because you are one."
"Maybe."
The laughter faded.
The silence returned.
But this time it felt different.
Heavier.
Full of anticipation.
Slowly, almost carefully, Katsuki lifted one hand and rested it against Izuku's cheek.
The movement was hesitant.
Uncertain.
As though he still couldn't quite believe any of this was real.
Izuku immediately froze.
Not because he was uncomfortable. Quite the opposite.
His breath caught in his throat.
Because this was Katsuki.
Katsuki, who never hesitated.
Katsuki, who always knew what he wanted.
Katsuki, whose hands were usually rough and confident.
Yet now he looked nervous and somehow that made Izuku's heart ache.
Because he knew.
He knew how difficult this was.
How much courage it had taken.
How vulnerable Katsuki felt right now.
So instead of saying anything— Izuku leaned slightly into the touch.
The smallest movement.
But Katsuki noticed. Of course he did.
Their eyes met again.
Then slowly-
very slowly-
Katsuki leaned forward.
But Izuku didn't move.
Instead, his cheeks turned pink.
And he smiled.
That smile destroyed whatever courage Katsuki had left.
Because suddenly he wanted impossible things.
He wanted every future.
Every tomorrow.
Every memory they hadn't made yet.
And before he could overthink it-
before either of them could lose their nerve-
the distance finally disappeared.
The kiss was soft.
Gentle.
Almost unbelievably gentle.
For a moment neither moved.
Both too stunned by the reality of it.
The world seemed to vanish.
The city.
The bridge.
The lanterns.
The noise.
Everything.
Only this remained.
When they finally pulled apart, neither went very far.
Izuku's eyes widened slightly. "...Oh."
Katsuki immediately turned red.
"What kind of reaction is that?"
Izuku blinked. Then laughed.
A breathless, happy laugh.
"No, I just..."
"What."
"I've imagined that for years."
Silence. Complete silence.
Then Katsuki's entire face turned red. "YEARS?"
Izuku immediately regretted everything. "Kacchan, wait—"
"YEARS?"
"I CAN EXPLAIN."
"YOU HAD YEARS?"
"I WAS BUSY."
"DO YOU EVEN HEAR YOURSELF?"
Izuku burst out laughing.
For a second Katsuki tried to stay annoyed. Really tried.
Then he started laughing too.
A real laugh.
Rare.
Warm.
Happy.
The kind of laugh Izuku had always loved. Eventually the laughter faded.
And once again they found themselves standing beneath the sakura trees.
Only now everything felt different.
Softer.
Closer.
More real.
Katsuki reached for Izuku's hand.
This time neither hesitated.
Their fingers intertwined naturally. Comfortably. As though they had always belonged that way.
And together they continued walking through the park beneath the falling blossoms, both secretly hoping that this night would never end.
The park had grown quieter as the night went on.
Most of the lanterns were beginning to dim, and the distant sounds of the city seemed far away now, swallowed by the rustling sakura trees and the gentle wind that carried pink petals through the darkness.
Katsuki and Izuku had stopped walking at some point. Neither of them really knew when.
Or why.
They had simply ended up standing beneath the largest sakura tree in the park, the same one they used to climb as children, the same one that had witnessed years of arguments, competitions, victories, failures, and memories neither of them would ever forget.
For a while, neither spoke.
They simply stood there together.
Hand in hand.
Looking up at the blossoms overhead. The branches swayed softly in the wind. Petals drifted around them like falling stars and for the first time in a very long time, Katsuki felt completely at peace.
No anger.
No expectations.
No pressure.
No need to prove himself.
Just this moment.
Just Izuku.
"Kacchan?"
"What?"
Izuku smiled. That same smile.
The one that somehow always managed to break through every wall Katsuki had ever built around himself.
"I'm happy."
The words were simple.
Honest.
Pure.
Exactly the kind of thing Izuku would say.
Katsuki looked at him.
Really looked at him.
The green hair moving gently in the wind.
The freckles he had known since childhood.
The eyes that had always looked at him with unwavering determination.
The same eyes that had followed him through every stage of his life.
Suddenly memories began flooding back. More memories than he could count.
A small quirkless boy running after him through the neighborhood.
A child smiling despite scraped knees.
A rival refusing to stay down.
A classmate standing beside him.
A hero risking everything.
A patient lying unconscious in a hospital bed.
A person he couldn't imagine losing.
Every version of Izuku.
Every stage of his life.
Every important memory.
And then Katsuki finally understood something that perhaps had been true for much longer than he wanted to admit.
Maybe since they were children.
Maybe since U.A.
Maybe since that hospital room.
Maybe all of it.
Slowly, he tightened his grip on Izuku's hand.
The movement made Izuku look up.
"Kacchan??"
For once, Katsuki didn't look away.
For once, he didn't hide behind sarcasm.
For once, there was no pride standing in the way.
Only honesty.
Only truth.
His voice came out quiet.
Lower than usual.
Almost vulnerable.
"You know..."
Izuku waited.
Katsuki swallowed. Then stepped closer.
Close enough that their foreheads almost touched.
Close enough that the rest of the world disappeared.
And finally, after years of running from his own feelings, after years of fighting them, denying them, burying them beneath anger and pride and fear— he spoke.
"It was always you."
Izuku froze.
The world seemed to stop.
The wind.
The trees.
The city.
Everything.
Only those four words remained.
It was always you.
Not anyone else.
Not some future person.
Not a random possibility.
Not a coincidence.
Izuku.
Always.
From the beginning.
Tears immediately filled Izuku's eyes.
Not because he was sad. Because those were the most beautiful words anyone had ever said to him.
"Kacchan...." His voice broke.
And for once Katsuki didn't tease him.
Didn't call him a crybaby.
Didn't look away.
Instead, he smiled.
A real smile.
The kind only Izuku ever got to see.
Then he reached forward and pulled him into his arms. Izuku buried his face against his shoulder instantly. Holding him tightly.
As if he never wanted to let go.
And honestly?
Neither of them did.
Above them, the sakura blossoms continued to fall.
Soft.
Gentle.
Beautiful.
Like the ending of one story and the beginning of another.
The story of two boys who grew up together.
Who lost each other.
Found each other again.
And ultimately discovered that no matter how far life carried them— their hearts had always known the way back.
Back home.
Back to each other.
Back to the person who had been there all along.
It was always you.