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“There you are, Kacchan! Hope you weren’t waiting too long!”
Izuku jogs over to where Katsuki was standing, leaning on a light post.
“Tch, let’s just get this over with,” Katsuki grumbles, pushing off from the post and walking ahead of Izuku.
The two had been tapped for undercover guard duty at the neighboring town’s Tanabata Festival. It was one of the town’s biggest annual events, and they always put on a show with various dancers, celebrity performers and a fireworks show at the end of the evening. While there would be plenty of security on the scene already, the crowds get to be so large that the festival asked UA to send out some extra help.
“Working under the radar and keeping your cool in a crowd are invaluable skills for any pro hero,” Aizawa-sensei had said when they were assigned this mission. “You won’t always necessarily be wearing your hero costumes when trouble hits, such as on days off. In case of danger, you need to be able to quickly take charge of a situation and keep civilians calm in order to avoid a mob situation. Of course we’re not expecting any villain attacks, but you never can be too careful with the number of people who will be in attendance at this event. You’ll need to lay low and participate in the festival to avoid suspicion from any would-be villains, so have some fun - just remember that you are on duty.” Their teacher gave them the details, then shooed them out of the teacher’s office.
Back in the present, Izuku takes long strides to catch up to his childhood friend. “Hey, we’re supposed to be laying low, so we ought to at least be civil with each other!”
“What’s that supposed to mean?! You have legs, don’t you?” Katsuki looks pointedly down at Izuku’s legs, which had bulked up considerably in the three years since he acquired One for All. A second later, his gaze turns away rather quickly, ears turning just the slightest shade of pink. Damn nerd has no right looking that good in traditional clothes. The thought comes completely unbidden, and Bakugou nearly slaps himself to get it out of his head.
Where on earth did that come from??!
Inko had helped her son pick out his outfit for the evening - a jinbei of a lovely shade of deep green, with a lightning-like pattern throughout. Izuku had been made to try on numerous yukata, but ultimately insisted on an outfit with shorts that he could move in, since this was a job after all. (Inko was slightly disappointed, but had been swayed by getting to take pictures of her son in a few different yukata.)
Katsuki, on the other hand, was wearing a simple black button-down shirt and slacks. Who even wears that kind of crap nowadays anyway?? It’s not like we’re performers in the festival, dammit!
Izuku, oblivious to the turmoil in his classmate’s head, simply sighs and falls into step beside him. He turns his brain to the task ahead, churning over potential dangers and escape routes. Several minutes go by before he feels a thwack on the back of his head.
“I can hear you thinking from here. We’re not even there yet, chill out nerd.” Katsuki’s jabs have lost most of their bite, and the line feels almost .. fond?
Izuku looks surprised, and after moment Katsuki continues, hands thrown up in the air in exasperation. “You’ve probably studied the festival maps extensively already, right? So chill out, or else you’re the one who’s gonna break our cover.”
Of course, Izuku had already memorized the grounds maps, and analyzed the areas of the event that are likely to get the most traffic throughout the night. Gradually, he relaxes his shoulders and grins. “Right, can’t have that! Aizawa-sensei would roast me alive.”
As they approach the festival grounds, they are surrounded by more and more people, until they are forced to walk shoulder to shoulder. Izuku squeaks when their shoulders collide, worried about Katsuki’s reaction, but there’s no yelling or threats, just a grumble and tense posture.
Izuku remembers there’s a station nearby that’s likely to be popular with colorful slips of paper and ink for people to write their wishes on and hang on the oldest sacred bamboo tree, famed for being especially lucky on Tanabata. He suggests going there first to Katsuki, who merely grunts and allows himself to be led by Izuku. As they approach the wish-writing station, the crowd grows especially thick, and it’s all the heroes-in-training can do to avoid being jostled back.
Izuku goes on high alert mode, focused on filtering out unnecessary chatter and searching for any suspicious persons or activity. To the right, there’s two sisters bickering. Nothing big. In front of them, there’s a mom pushing her family to get to the front - kind of rude, but nobody’s getting hurt. Behind them, he hears a young girl’s shriek and turns - but it’s just because a friend was tickling her, no criminal activity going on. Izuku’s so hyper-focused on the crowd around him, that he jumps when a hand grips his arm tightly.
He looks to his side, and Katsuki is white as a sheet and tense as a board. The hand on his bicep is hot and dangerously sweaty, and his eyes are staring off into the distance, unseeing. Izuku jumps into action, pulling his classmate from the heart of the crowd and into a more isolated area. The entire time, the grip doesn’t loosen up and Izuku hears Katsuki’s breathing go erratic.
“Kacchan, I need you to breath with me. Nice and slow, in for 4 out for 4.” Izuku is counting even before they are out of the crowd. At last, he finds a vacant grove and turns to Katsuki, hands on his shoulders. “Look at me. Focus on your breathing, and nothing else.” Katsuki just nods.
Several minutes go by, until Katsuki’s eyes slowly regain recognition of his surroundings. His eyes go wide, seeing where he is, and he pushes Izuku away, turning around and dashing a few feet before stopping and punching a tree in rage whilst yelling. Fuck! Why did that have to happen here, and with him of all people! Why why why-
Izuku puts a hand on his shoulder, interrupting his thoughts. “Kacchan, what happened back there? If this mission was going to be an issue for you, why didn’t you say anything??” Izuku’s voice is louder than usual, almost hysterical himself.
“Say anything? SAY ANYTHING?” Katsuki whirls around. “What the FUCK is there to say, you stupid Deku! What kind of hero would I be if I couldn’t take on ONE LOUSY OP?!” Katsuki quickly cuts himself off, self-awareness not lost, and glances about to check that they were alone before continuing in a quieter hiss. “What was I supposed to do, tell Aizawa ‘thanks, but no thanks, that miiight trigger some claustrophobia shit from being almost swallowed by a slime monster three years ago?’ I think the fuck not!” He turns back to the tree and kicks it in frustration before squatting down and letting sparks fly from his palms, muttering “damn nerd, why is it always you.”
Izuku steps back, unsure what to say, giving his partner some space. After a beat, he says, “Kacchan, I didn’t know. Has this happened before?”
“I’m not answering stupid questions.”
Izuku sighs. “Are you at least talking to someone-”
“That’s NONE of your business, nerd.” Katsuki turns back to Izuku, eyes flashing with rage, but still trying to keep his voice down. “Don’t you DARE assume ANYTHING about me because of this. And you’d better not go telling people, you got that-”
“I got it, I got it!” Izuku has his hands up in front of him in a gesture of innocence. “Since you seem back to yourself, should we continue the mission? We can stick to the less crowded areas, and just stay on alert.”
Katsuki looks like he’s about to start yelling again, but suddenly takes a breath and closes his eyes, forcing himself to calm down. “Alright. That should be fine. Let’s just - go already.”
Izuku relaxes a bit, and leads the way back towards the festival. As they slowly walk through rows of street vendors, the pair resume their watchful guard.
Izuku notices Katsuki pause behind him, and turns to see the other boy staring at a stall for super spicy yakisoba. “Feeling hungry, Kacchan? I suppose Aizawa did tell us to participate in the festival to keep a low profile.”
“Hah? Who’s hungry, nerd?” Katsuki’s stomach, in karmic retribution, grumbled at that moment. Damn stomach! Ratting me out! Izuku laughs, and Katsuki is momentarily star-struck at the sight. “Gah! Whatever, it’d be irresponsible of us to work on an empty stomach.” He stomps over to the stall and slams some cash onto the counter. “Two orders of your hottest dish, and hurry it up!” (“Kacchan! Manners!”)
The food only takes a minute to come out, and they sit at a designated picnic table.
“Thanks, Kacchan, you didn’t have to cover me.”
“Tch,” Katsuki scoffs. “As much as it pains me to admit, I owed you for getting me out of that crowd. Now we’re even.”
Izuku chuckles and shrugs. “If you say so!” Another blinding smile that has Katsuki looking away. The two dig into their food. A couple bites later, Izuku is desperately fanning his tongue and chugging water. “Spicyyyyyyyyy!!”
Katsuki smirks. “Don’t be ungrateful now, eat up!” He shoves the plate into Izuku’s face and forces him to eat the rest in one go.
Five glasses of water later, they resume their walk around the festival grounds. The concourse doesn’t take long to walk down, and the pair quickly become bored just walking in silence. Izuku is the first to speak. “Wanna play Shiritori*?”
“Hnf.”
“I’ll start!”
“Whatever, just go.”
“Goat”
“Table”
“Blast”
“Starlight”
“light, light, uhhh Itinerary!”
“Read”
“Eden”
“Energy”
“Gee, gee gee gee.. -Robber.”
Katsuki flinches. “Robber? That doesn’t - where.”
“On your three o’clock. Let’s walk over calmly, play it off cool.” The robber was a short man with black hair, with some sort of a glow extending from his fingertips as he waved them in front of the stall worker. The worker stood there wide eyed, slowly and mechanically putting cash into a bag as though his mind wasn’t connected to the rest of his body.
“Right, let’s not give him a chance to bolt into the crowd.” Katsuki and Izuku casually walk over to the stall, Izuku pretending to laugh obnoxiously at something Katsuki said. When they get close enough, Katsuki turns and quickly wraps an arm around the robber’s shoulders. “Hello friend! How’re you enjoying the lovely festival here today?” Katsuki grins his best shit-eating grin.
Izuku gets on his other side. “I see you’ve met the takoyaki salespeople. But they’re plenty busy, so we ought to let them get back to work now!”
The robber, in an act of desperation, turns his glowy hand to Katsuki, who immediately goes slack in the face and unresponsive. Izuku, seeing this, quickly whaps the robber in the temples and knocks him out before his quirk can manipulate Katsuki. It’s over in seconds, and both the worker and Katsuki bend to their knees and start gasping for air.
“That bastard - “ Katsuki’s hands start lighting up with sparks.
“Kacchan, no!” Izuku hisses at him. “He’s out, let’s get him to the police.” He turns to the stall worker. “Would you be willing to testify against this guy?” The worker nods furiously. “Right, come with us."
***
By the time the pair are done handing the robber over to local police without causing a ruckus, it’s late enough that everyone is starting to get ready for the fireworks show. The festival grounds back up into the side of a small mountain, and the heroes-in-training decide the best vantage point to watch the crowds and the fireworks is from a cliff over the fairgrounds. A few couples have stretched out mats nearby, and Izuku and Katsuki try to ignore them. Katsuki still looks shaken up from the encounter, not reacting like he usually would with all the PDA around them.
Izuku watches him, and hesitantly reaches his hand out, retracts it, then goes for Katsuki’s hand. “Hey. What are you thinking bout?”
Katsuki stiffens, and tries to take his hand back out of habit, but Izuku holds on tight. “None ‘ya.”
The two continue to watch over the festival in silence. Izuku smiles softly at the twinkling lantern lights that line the walkways in the evening sky. Leaning over a little, he soaks in the warmth radiating from his childhood friend, his rival. He’s felt heat from the other boy in various situations, from threats to literal attacks, but this is different. It’s comforting, and feels like it’s always been there, somewhere deep down. It was all he could do to keep quiet watch and not try to dig into his partner’s thoughts, as much as he wanted to know what had him so off.
Katsuki, more perceptive than people gave him credit for, eventually got sick of the ‘covert’ glances Izuku kept directing his way, and groaned. “Since I know you were thinking about it, that robber’s quirk, you remember the cops said he hypnotized people by trapping their minds in their worst memory? Well, from earlier this evening, you can probably guess what that memory was for me. It was only for a few seconds, but it was like I was there again, that disgusting monster trying to suffocate me, and you reaching out, doing your best to try to save me.” He chuckled, running his free hand through his hair. “At one point, that second part was the reason it was my worst memory. But now… well, I have to tell you. My old hag of a mom has been making me go to therapy for the past three years, actually. She’d murder me if I ever tried to miss a session. And, it’s been helping. Can’t be a hero if I don’t have my shit together, after all. And, if today is any indication, I still need to work on that.”
“Kacchan-”
“Wait, no, I’m not done.” Katsuki interrupts. “I need to say this. God, my therapist is going to have a field day about this evening.” He ruffles his hair and looks away, before turning and looking Izuku straight in the eyes. “Before, that memory was the worst because I always thought you were looking down on me. I’m supposed to be the best, someone like you was nothing to me, and there was no way I could accept your help. But, more recently…. The memory reminds me of how I used to act, and I hate myself for being such a pretentious ASS!” A small explosion releases from his free hand, and people around them shush him.
“SH YOURSELVES, YOU EXTRAS! Anyway,” Katsuki continues, “What I’m trying to say is, I hate that memory because I hate how I treated you. You deserved better than that. I’m… sorry for being a jerk to you growing up.” Katsuki’s face is beet red by the end of his little speech. He breaks the eye contact and mumbles “stupid therapy….”
Izuku stares wide-eyed at the ground, processing that apology. So much history between the two of them, and suddenly so much of the tension starts - slowly - to melt away.
In the distance, a firework pops off, beginning the show and capturing the pair’s attention. Izuku chuckles. “Right, we’re here on a mission, after all…” and looks back at all the people staring up at the sky.
The pair keep a silent watch, gazes drifting over the festival grounds, until suddenly they both find themselves looking down at the hands between them, still clasped together. Izuku brings his eyes up to Katsuki’s face, admiring his relaxed features, and leans in close. “I forgave you a long time ago, you know,” he whispers. “I’m so happy that you opened up to me, Kacchan...” his lips ghost over Katsuki’s ear, and Katsuki gives out a delicious little shiver.
“Yeah, don’t get used to it, nerd,” he says almost affectionately. As the grand finale of the fireworks show entrances the festival-goers, Katsuki turns his head and his lips find home in Izuku’s. Izuku pushes back eagerly, and a peck turns into two, turns into a hand on a waist, another buried in hair, into slow massaging strokes on Katsuki’s back.
The show ends, and they jump apart, Izuku’s hand up to his lips, Katsuki looks resolutely away. “Continue this conversation at your place?”
“Deal.”