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She invites him to their wedding.
The invitation is a small card with a glinting golden trim, their names printed in the middle, large and bold letters written in cursive.
“Please join us for the wedding of Midoriya Izuku & Uraraka Ochako,” the card reads, complete with a pink bow wrapped around the bottom, bringing everything together.
Uraraka probably picked that out. She always liked pink.
In the time it takes Katsuki to read the card, he already decides he’s not going. He refuses to put himself through that kind of torture, especially if he has the choice. Although he’s sure a reunion of sorts will happen with most, if not all, of his graduating class from U.A., it doesn’t sway his decision. Even if it’s been a year or two since he’s seen everyone together in the same room.
Not that he’s missed them – fuck no.
He keeps in contact with a few of his old classmates, and by few, he means he keeps in contact with Kirishima and sometimes Kaminari.
Kirishima is the one who reaches out to him a week after he throws the invitation in the trash, sending him an excited text message asking if he’s planning on attending.
[21:15 Kirishima] Heyyyy man!!! You goin to Uraraka and Midoriya’s wedding?
[21:22] Hell no.
He tosses his phone on his bed and is about to head into his bathroom for a shower when a high pitched ringing emits from his bedsheets. His phone is ringing. He goes to grab it and sees an incoming call from… Kirishima, of fucking course.
Katsuki places a thumb over the red circle and sends the call straight to voicemail. He’s not in the mood for a pointless conversation right now. As he lowers his arm to set his phone back down, the ringing starts up again.
In a swift motion, he gruffly accepts the call and shoves the phone to his ear. “What the hell do you want!”
“Why aren’t you going!” Kirishima exclaims. He doesn’t have to say much for Katsuki to know what he’s talking about.
Katsuki scowls. “Because I don’t wanna. Got a problem with that?”
“Uh, yeah. Everyone was invited – and I mean everyone. Even Mineta, dude.”
Katsuki rolls his eyes. “What’s your fuckin’ point?”
“How would you look if Mineta is there and you aren’t?” Kirishima says, clicking his tongue in a disapproving manner. “You know everyone is gonna ask about you.”
“So?” Frankly, Katsuki couldn’t care less about everyone’s opinions on his whereabouts. It’s none of their goddamn business.
“Plus!” Kirishima shouts and Katsuki has to move the phone away from his ear a bit. “You’ve known Midoriya, for, like, ever.”
Katsuki raises an eyebrow. “Huh? Why the hell does that matter?”
“I mean… I thought…” Kirishima trails off and is uncharacteristically quiet for a few moments. Katsuki is about to hang up on him when he mutters, “This is about her, right?”
Everything is silent. Katsuki can hear the blood rushing through his veins. He wills his face to stay its normal shade as he grumbles, “What garbage are you spewing out now, idiot?”
“It’s been three years. How long do you plan on avoiding her?” Kirishima’s tone is considerably softer, as if he’s trying to soothe a sulking child. It does nothing but piss Katsuki off.
“Shut up! I’m not avoiding anyone. You don’t know what the hell you’re talkin’ about.” And it’s true. He’s not actively avoiding Uraraka, their paths just don’t cross very often is all. The last time he remembers seeing her is at a convenience store in the city. He stopped by after work since the store is close to his agency. She was at the register buying strawberry Pocky and a banana milk when he walked in. She was so busy searching for extra change in her purse she didn’t notice Katsuki walk in. He made his way to the back of the store to peruse the snack aisle, not bothering to say anything to her.
She looked the same as she did in school. Same short cropped hair, same petite build, same pink dusting on her cheeks. Nothing had changed. Not even his feelings.
A year has passed since then.
“Listen, I’m not gonna force you to come.” Kirishima’s voice brings Katsuki back to the present. “Just like how I didn’t force you to confess to her all those years ago which I am now regretting,” he adds, quickly mumbling the words under his breath.
“Eh–!”
“But!” Kirishima cuts Katsuki off before he has to chance to threaten him. “She’s happy.”
Katsuki flinches.
“Shouldn’t that be enough?”
He’ll never admit it, but those words are why he finds himself sitting in a golden reception hall at a rounded table with Kirishima, Kaminari, Jirou, Yaoyoruzu, and Sero.
The ceremony was short, but maybe that’s because Katsuki found himself zoning out for most of it. It was easy when the officiant droned on and on about commitment and some sappy love bullshit, and leave it to Deku to have five pages worth of vows. If it weren’t for that bastard Aoyama constantly sniffling and blowing his nose behind him, he’s sure he would’ve fallen asleep.
With his hands in his pockets and his back slumped in his chair, he lets his eyes wander around the reception hall. It’s a swanky venue, with high ceilings and string lights hanging from the walls and weaving around ornamental columns. The lights are dim which generates a dreamy glow and a relaxed atmosphere. The guests are seated at tables on the floor while Uraraka and Deku sit at a table on a platform near the front of the room, a spotlight shining down on them and bouquets of daisies surrounding them.
He told himself he wouldn’t stare, and he did a damn good job during the ceremony, but he lets his eyes land on her for a minute and he can’t tear them away.
Her dress is sleeveless, lace wrapped around her bare shoulders and down her arms. Her hair is pinned up, a few stray tendrils curling and framing her face. Her diamond earrings are dangling and glinting every time she turns her head. She’s laughing at something Deku is saying and her eyes are shimmering.
Fuck. She looks so happy.
“Right, Bakugou?”
Katsuki whips his head around to find Kirishima smirking at him. “What?”
“We were just talking about Todoroki and Yaoyorozu. She says they broke up not too long ago,” Kaminari says.
“And he’s sitting right over there!” Sero points, chuckling. “How awkward!”
A clueless Todoroki sits a table over, sipping on a glass of water.
“You don’t have to point. It’s kind of hard to miss him,” Jirou says.
“Why’d you call my name?” Katsuki glowers at Kirishima.
“Because Yaoyorozu said the reason she broke up with Todoroki was because he was emotionally constipated.” Kirishima snickers his behind his hand.
Yaoyorozu frowns. “I didn’t say it like that.”
“So I said that’s one thing you and Todoroki have in common.” Kirishima claps a hand on Katsuki’s shoulder. “You’re both emotionally constipated!”
The table erupts in laughter.
Katsuki shrugs Kirishima’s hand off his shoulder and grabs his wrist, twisting it enough to make him squirm. “Oi! What was that, shithead? I’ll kill you!”
“Haha! Feels like we’re back in high school!” Kaminari jokes, taking out his phone to snap a picture of his two bickering ex-classmates.
“Some things never change,” Yaoyorozu sighs.
“Attention! Attention, everyone!” A booming voice echoes throughout the venue. Immediately, people start to quiet down. The noisy chattering dies down to low murmurs. “I’d like to make a toast!”
Everyone’s eyes land on an upright Iida, standing in front of his chair with his champagne glass raised high and towards the couple of the hour. “May you both prosper in your marriage and in your careers! I think I speak for everyone when I say it’s been an honor watching you both develop into the extraordinary heroes you are today. And while we are missing someone extremely important during this special occasion…”
Katsuki tenses. It’s been two years but the memory still feels fresh in his mind.
“I know All Might is watching over all of us. He’s proud of the upstanding heroes we’ve become. He’s happy… Especially tonight.”
The mood is somber. There’s a few sniffles as some guests get choked up. Katsuki checks on Uraraka and sees that her eyes are glistening. She wipes a tear that falls down Deku’s cheek.
Iida pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose and clears his throat to regain his composure. “To my best friends, Midoriya and Uraraka! Congratulations!”
“Congratulations!” The reception hall repeats in a chorus of loud voices. A round of applause follows the cheer, everyone laughing and praising Iida for his speech.
Katsuki remains inactive during it all, feeling as if he’s watching from the sidelines. The shouts of merriment and glee don’t quite register in his brain. All he hears are the muffled sounds of conversation, like he’s underwater, his body numb with… something.
“Kacchan?”
There’s a voice that’ll cut above the noise every time.
Deku stands behind his chair wearing an expression of disbelief on his face before it vanishes and is quickly replaced with a small smile. “You came.”
He’s taller – obviously, he’s not a twerpy fifteen-year-old kid anymore – so Katsuki has to look up from his seat to regard him.
Katsuki scoffs. “Yeah, obviously.” And just because he wants to, Katsuki stands up as well.
Deku might’ve gotten tall, but Katsuki is still taller.
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but,” Deku utters, “I didn’t think you’d come.”
Katsuki doesn’t say anything. He wasn’t going to come but Deku doesn’t need to know the reason why he did.
“Ochako said you would, though.”
This catches his attention. Katsuki glances at Deku, who is looking at Uraraka from across the room. She’s excitedly talking to Asui and Ashido, her hands gesturing widely. They nod every so often to let Uraraka know they’re keeping up with her fevered tale.
“She said I’d come?” Katsuki asks.
“Yeah. She was so sure of it.” Deku laughs to himself, slightly. “She’s amazing.”
Suddenly, his collar is a little too tight around his neck. Maybe it’s the faraway look in Deku’s eyes but Katsuki can’t stand to be in the same room as him for a moment longer. He turns and walks to the nearest exit, not really knowing where he’s going.
“Kacchan?” Deku calls after him but Katsuki doesn’t stop.
He ends up in a hallway that seems never-ending until he arrives at a glass double door. He pushes them open and finds himself on a relatively small balcony overlooking a sizable courtyard. The night sky rests as a blanket over him and the air is brisk as a gentle breeze travels through his hair. It’s refreshing.
He stands at the railing and looks out at scenery with his hands buried in his pockets. As it turns out, coming here was a mistake. Not like he didn’t know that originally, he’s just an idiot for letting that asshole Kirishima convince him otherwise. How could he possibly think he’d be okay during any part of this day? Were his feelings supposed to just magically change the minute Deku slid that ring on her finger? Yeah fucking right.
His heart is aching and he’d do anything to get it to stop –
“Bakugou-kun?”
Katsuki doesn’t move. If that’s who he thinks it is, he doesn’t want to turn around.
“Bakugou-kun, are you all right?”
Without warning, a warm hand touches his arm. Instinctively, he jerks his arm back and is faced with a startled Uraraka.
“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you!”
She looks so goddamn beautiful it physically hurts him. He turns away before his face betrays him and he starts to blush. “You didn’t,” he mutters.
“Oh, good.” She holds down the skirt of her dress as the wind begins to pick up. “I wanted to thank you for coming!”
Katsuki sighs. “Yeah.”
“Having all of U.A. together again is like a dream come true…” Uraraka lets out a dreamy exhale. “I know we’re all really busy but I’ve missed everybody so much.”
She’s talking and he’s simply listening.
“I don’t know what I would’ve done if you didn’t come. It wouldn’t have been the same without you!” Uraraka claims her spot next to Katsuki, their bodies close enough to feel each other’s heat but still a respectable distance between them. “Who else would’ve called me roundface?”
“Huh?” Katsuki gives her a quizzical look. He notices her cheeks are pinker than normal. She looks tipsy.
Uraraka laughs at his expression. “Remember our first year of high school? You used to call me that.”
Oh. Yeah, he did. He used to have nicknames for all of his classmates because he was too damn lazy to remember their names. But of course after constantly being around a group of people for three years, it’s only natural that he learned their actual names.
“Why’d you call me roundface, anyway?” Uraraka asks, gazing up at him.
Katsuki shrugs. “Because your face was fuckin’ round. Why else?”
That seems to send Uraraka into a fit of laughter. She covers her mouth as she laughs and laughs and Katsuki starts to feel good that he was able to get such a reaction from her; but then her laughter becomes shorter as she starts to hiccup. Out of curiosity, Katsuki glances down at her and she’s… crying.
“What the hell?!” Katsuki exclaims. He was never good with crying girls. Or boys. Or crying in general. “Why are you crying?!”
Uraraka is too busy wiping her tears and generating new ones to answer him.
Katsuki feels around for a tissue of any sort but he doesn’t have one on him. He’s uncomfortable and Uraraka is next to him leaking enough tears to fill the fountain in the courtyard below them and he doesn’t know how to make her stop so he takes her jaw in his hand, angles her face towards him, and wipes across her face with his sleeve.
“B- Bakugou-kun!” Uraraka sputters. “My m-makeup!”
He lets go of her. Her cheeks are still slightly wet but are now also tinted red and her eyelashes are clumped together due to her tears. Her glittering lip gloss is smeared across her cheek.
“What? You look fine.” Katsuki frowns, exasperated. Why’d she wear makeup if she was gonna cry it right off? Weird girl.
Uraraka giggles as she wipes the lip gloss from her cheek and lips. “Bakugou-kun was never the smooth type.” She smiles.
Katsuki knits his brows in anger and reddens in embarrassment. “Sh- Shut up!”
“Oh!” Uraraka perks up. She grabs the sleeve of Katsuki’s dress shirt excitedly. “Remember our class trip to the beach during our second year?”
He leans over and rests his forearms on the railing. “Yeah.” How could he forget it? That was the first time he saw Uraraka in a swimsuit.
“And remember that party Kaminari-kun and Mina-chan threw in the dorms before winter break?” Uraraka giggles. “Iida-kun wasn’t very happy when he found out what we were doing.”
“That was stupid as hell.” Katsuki doesn’t remember much because he didn’t take part in the festivities, but he does remember not being able to sleep because of the loud music and almost blowing Kirishima’s shitty face off because he wouldn’t stop pounding on his door.
Uraraka hums. She thinks for a second and then says, “Remember when we used to sneak out to TDL to train together?”
Katsuki’s heart does something weird in his chest. He ignores it. “Yeah. I won every damn time, too.” He smirks at her.
She gasps and playfully pushes his shoulder. He doesn’t budge. “No you didn’t! I won some of our spars!”
“Like hell you did! In your sleep, maybe!” Katsuki jokes, knowing full well he’s ended up on his ass by the hands of Uraraka more than once. Not any more times than he’s done to her, though. The score is still double in his favor.
Nonetheless, he has to say, he does miss those nights. Just him and Uraraka in an empty training ground. Nothing was off limits, as long as they didn’t kill each other. He could use his quirk freely, test out new strategies and moves, and she could do the same, all while they both got stronger. It was exhilarating, it was thrilling. His favorite part was when she’d gain the upper hand in a spar, knee on his chest as she pinned him down on the ground. They’d both be panting, chests heaving, bodies a bit too close for comfort, and then Katsuki would break the hold and they’d start up again.
Uraraka rolls her eyes. “You’re so stubborn!” It’s then, out of nowhere, her demeanor changes. She glances down and pushes a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “I don’t think I ever thanked you for… um...” She pauses. “For taking me seriously.”
He frowns at her, waiting for her to elaborate.
“When I trained with other people, they wouldn’t put their all into it. I could feel it. They’d go easy on me.” She smiles sadly. “Even Izuku.”
Katsuki makes a sound that gets stuck in his throat.
“I know I don’t look tough! I get that! But I’m not as weak as everyone thinks I am. You’re the only person I know who treated me that way from the start.” She looks at him with a serious mien, a rare expression for her usual jovial face. “So I want to thank you for that Bakugou-kun. Really. You gave me the confidence I needed.”
“Tch.” Katsuki scoffs. He speaks his mind despite his rapidly beating heart. “I don’t go easy on people. If you want a fight, I’m gonna give you a fuckin’ fight.”
Uraraka nods fervently.
“Besides, I knew you weren’t a delicate, helpless little girl.” Katsuki focuses on anything but the woman next to him. “You’re a lot stronger than you give yourself credit for.”
The beaming smile Uraraka gives him is enough to make his chest ache.
Fuck, why is she still so damn cute?!
A silence falls over them. It’s not awkward at all, instead it’s comforting. The distant screeching of cicadas fills the summer night.
Uraraka sighs before whispering, “Can I tell you something?”
Her voice is so small Katsuki almost doesn’t hear her. “What?”
She shifts in place, finding a newfound solace in playing with her fingers. He can literally feel the nervous energy emitting off of her. “I, um…”
He straightens his posture and waits.
“I liked you back in high school…” she says softly.
He freezes.
It feels like a pane of glass has shattered right in front of his face. His ears are ringing.
“I know it’s stupid to say something now but I feel like I need to get it off my chest! It’s been bothering me for years so I’m just gonna come right out and say it!” Uraraka declares. She closes her eyes, inhales deeply, puffs out her chest, and announces to the air: “I had a crush on you but I never said anything because I thought you’d never return my feelings!”
Katsuki’s hands are numb. When did it get so cold outside?
“Hey, Bakugou-kun, your hands are smoking!” A startled Uraraka takes a step back.
The sheer force of his grip on the balcony railing must’ve activated his quirk. His grasp is so tight his knuckles look as if they’re about to break through his skin.
He doesn’t care about any of that, though.
All this time…
Six years.
Six goddamn years he’s wasted.
Dammit!!
“Why are you so angry?” Uraraka questions, albeit a bit timidly.
He doesn’t realize he’s answering her. His mind is too far away. “Six years,” he mumbles.
“Hm?” She tilts her head. She’s obviously confused.
“Six fucking years.” The words taste bitter on his tongue. He wishes he could swallow them, but he can’t bring himself to do it. Not anymore. So he finally spits it out. “That’s how long I’ve liked you.”
Uraraka doesn’t respond. A part of him wishes she would just walk away and go back to the reception. Leave him here to dwell over his own stupidity. If he had just said something – anything to her back then, would things be different now? Would that be his name on that wedding invitation instead?
He grits his teeth. Dammit!
And then, to make things worse, she asks the question Katsuki doesn’t fully know the answer to.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
Like a bottle that’s been shaken too much, he begins to overflow. “I was young and stupid!” he shouts. His breathing picks up. “I was so focused on becoming the number one hero, I just – DAMMIT!” He grabs at his hair, struggling to find the right words. “I… I fucked up!!” His chest is heaving. “And you always liked that shitty nerd, Deku! I thought – I thought…!”
I thought I wasn’t good enough for you.
His words dissolve into the night air.
Uraraka fiddles with her fingers again as her dress sways in the breeze. “I thought I loved Izuku,” she says, her voice faint. “In high school, I thought I had a crush on him. I later realized it was admiration, more than anything.”
Maybe. “Do you love him?” Katsuki asks it before he can stop himself. Maybe it’s not too late.
She lowers her head. “Yes… I fell in love with him.”
Katsuki snorts. Of course she does, she just fucking married him.
He could cry from the pure frustration alone. He’s such an idiot.
The conversation is over at this point. There’s nothing left for him to say. He’s humiliated and he just wants to go home before he blows up and says things to Uraraka he doesn’t mean.
“Go back to— oompfh.” He’s cut off when something thumps into him, pushing him forward. He feels a pair of arms wrap around his waist, hugging him tightly.
Uraraka is hugging him with all of her might. “I’m so sorry, Bakugou-kun.” Her speech is mumbled, her face pressed into his back. “I’m so sorry.”
Anger starts to bubble within him. Why? Why is she making this so damn hard?
“I should’ve…” Her voice cracks. “I should’ve told you sooner.” She lets out a shuddering breath. “Maybe… Maybe we could’ve been together.”
Katsuki swallows, the harsh reality of now ruining any chance of finding peace in that statement. It’s a waste of time to think about what could’ve been. This game of unrequited love they’ve been playing has come to an end and no one is the winner.
His shoulders are lighter but his heart is as heavy as a goddamn rock.
“Let go.” He grabs her wrists and unwraps her arms from around him. He turns to face her and is met with a crestfallen Uraraka; her eyes brimming with tears and her lips jutted in a depressed pout. It’s as if she’s about to burst into tears at any second.
“Did I—”
“Go back inside,” he interrupts her, nodding at the door behind them.
“But—”
“Deku is probably looking for you, so just go, dammit!” He points this time, visibly showing her the way out of his life.
Uraraka opens her mouth to protest but then quickly closes it, noticing Katsuki’s intense expression. “Um, o-okay.” She blinks twice and a few tears fall lose, running down her cheeks in succession. They glint like diamonds before she wipes them away. “Th- thank you for coming,” she whispers and then walks away, her heels clicking as she hastens her pace.
Katsuki stares at his shoes as she leaves. If he doesn’t watch her go, will it hurt less?
No.