Chapter Text
clear water trickles daintily down the rocks at the local parks river, warm air travels through izuku’s thick locks of hair. sweet flowers blossoming fight for his noses attention against the fresh cut grass
quick walk my ass…eraser will not be pleased when i come back tonight
it was a bad idea, yet it felt inevitable
“alright, you can go, but please be back by the end of the lunch period”
by now it was already almost nine in the late evening, izuku checks his phone with a grumble to see multiple new messages
people had lots of wrong assumptions about about izuku. they assumed he only listened to pop music, they assumed he hadn’t had his first kiss, they’d assume anything to keep him in the mold of ‘innocent deku’.
however, the biggest misconception was that he was a rule follower.
it likely came from the chubby cheeks and nerdy exterior
its not like he minded, quite honestly it was the opposite. it made his life easier not having anyone suspect anything from him
he’d always felt a bit sneaky. he’d lie if it benefit him and he knew he could get away with it
he could lie to anyone…
except for kacchan
bringing himself back to reality, he realizes he’d been starting at his notifications screen on his phone for god knows how long
currently he’d rather drown himself in the river than even look to see who texted…never mind respond
so, instead, he tosses his phone into his pocket and begins the ‘god knows how long’ trudge back
i can’t even think straight right now…
it wasn’t an unfamiliar experience for izuku to become lightheaded during his late night walks, but he didn’t really mind
in a weird way he sort of enjoyed it. there was nobody around to worry about or judge him, he could simply just be…
what a way to be thinking…i remember when i used to cry about being lonely. now all i want is to be left alone!
he shocks himself as a chuckle escapes from his chest. laughing at his own misery, that’s new.
suddenly there’s a crunching of leaves and izuku whips around in fear, feeling somebody’s presence behind him
“you enjoy your fucking day vacation, nerd?”
looking up slightly and facing katsuki blush creeps onto his cheeks
i hope he doesn’t notice
studying the blondes features, izuku searches for any hint of malice in his eyes
“s-sorry about that”
he doesn’t find any
“whatever, lets just head back, least it’s not as late as last time” he shrugs, but izuku catches the smallest trace of a grin on his face
nodding his head izuku rushes to match pace with katsuki. he trips forward slightly but catches himself.
rubbing his temples in an attempt to steady himself there’s a pause in the rush
the blondes eyes never leave him, however, he doesn’t say anything. just waits for a moment. it feels intimate to be seen like that yet not feel embarrassed or burdening
“so, uhm, you were right about sensei”
the calming sound of cicadas fill the otherwise painful silence that follows
izuku can’t see katsuki’s face
damnit i never know what he’s thinking…
“and? what’d the bastard have to say?”
“well- basically he just sounded concerned about the amount i’ve been training” izuku starts slowly, not knowing how much detail katsuki wants
or how much i’ll be willing to give him
“i guess ive been acting ‘overall withdrawn’ as he put it. oh, and of course he had to mention ’it’ as well”
“and!?!? cmon i gotta hear what lame excuse you came up with”
izuku lets out another small laugh, katsuki had always been one for gossip. no matter how much he liked to claim indifference
“well i was really nervous! i didn’t really know what to say, so i told him i’d been having ‘personal identity issues’” izuku explains using air quotes.
katsuki cackles so loudly it scares off the birds that were perched on the nearby electrical line
“ha, god, i can’t- and how did he respond to that?”
“well i guess he bought it because he showed me the picture of him and present mic at their wedding”
katsuki’s expression changes so fast it’s now izuku’s turn to laugh, his jaw dropping in a cartoonish fashion
“ha! i knew those two were fags”
izuku gasps and katsuki’s face immediately turns to one of embarrassment
“kacchan!! you can’t say that!”
suddenly, there’s a pause
the blonde slowly turns towards him now completely tomato red. sporting the most sheepish expression izuku had ever seen on the boy
oh
oh
that actually makes a lot of sense
“m-my bad”
it’s now izuku’s turn to become a shade of deep crimson
“shut it! i never wanna hear a word from your stupid mouth ever again!”
this really doesn’t make my lie in any better faith…
how could i tell him? that’s so embarrassing!
but how could i not?!?! i don’t even know what the ethical decision is in this situation…
do i make it awkward and ruin what little ive built in our relationship…or just continue with a white lie
izuku doesn’t speak the rest of the stroll back, he can tell it’s what katsuki wants.
they listen to the sounds of spring in the dark air all around them. eventually UA comes into view across the horizon
man i wish these nights would never end
the way he acts when it’s just us…it makes me feel special
jeez, when did i let my mind start thinking such mushy things like that about kacchan?
UA continues to loom closer and closer until izuku feels the knot in his stomach tighten more than he can handle
“you think anyone will be awake?”
“if they are, i’ll tell them to go stick their damn nosy asses in someone else’s goddamn business”
izuku smiles to himself and prays katsuki doesn’t notice the blush on his cheeks
he can be so sweet to me
—<<>>—
katsuki knows he’s difficult
he knows he’s often seen as “too much” or “rude” or “to put it nicely- ‘ill tempered’” as teachers would often say
but he also knows himself
and he knows that it’s not going to change
people will say what they want
i know deep down who i am…
as long as i can protect what matters to me i dont care about any retarded extras
its dark outside, but he can see the hints of deep blues pulling at the sky’s edge hoping to uncover the day
checking his watch, katsuki springs up from his bed
how did it get to be 4:45am?
…i still have time for quick five miles
cherry blossoms litter the asphalt ground, the smell of dew fills his head. a small nostalgic smile forms on his lips as he thinks of his mother. many morning runs in the spring had been accompanied by her, especially after it rained…they loved the way the sky looked after.
his feet make a rhythmic sound paired with heavy breaths in and out through his nose
as a young boy he’d been taught this way of running with utmost importance: breathing through your nose on runs helps with breath control, and provides optimal airflow
he doesn’t check his watch until he’s certain he’s made it as least three quarters of the way through, and he’s beginning to feel the affects of runners high. once the endorphins flood into his brain, and he finally feels at peace
peering down cautiously at his old sony fitness tracking watch he finds he’s already ran 5.35 miles
i’ll just run the rest of the way back and make it six
katsuki can feel the hints of warmth prickle at his skin as dawn finally wakes from her rest under the moon, the sky becomes a blend of pinks and oranges whilst whispers of fog peak out from the distance
black stars begin to paint his vision as the high school building gets bigger and bigger in his view
katsuki can feel his head begin to pound due to the lack of electrolytes in his system, once inside he makes sure to place a peice of sea salt under his tongue
it melts bitterly, the salt overwhelms his senses, and for a moment he doesn’t think of anything other than the acidic taste
his stomach grumbles angrily, katsuki pays it no attention
i’m not even hungry, exercise is a natural suppressant
as a precautionary, he scans his watch. it’s already 6:05am, class starts at 8:10. katsuki begins towards the bathhouse with vigor, always hoping he nobody will be there to meet him
sadly, his mood quickly sours. the shuffling of feet in the bathhouse is quiet, but still heard from outside the door
whatever
it wasn’t that katsuki was ashamed of his body, sometimes he could actually be confident in his physique
i just don’t need all those extras looking at me all the fuckin time
always being center of attention can really fuck up your sense of self
the swinging doors creak open and katsuki has to hide his expression of gratefulness as he peers at who’s looking back
smiling at him warmly from afar in the baths-
“you’re up early as always”
izuku