Archive of Our Own

Katsuki Bakugou was always quite rowdy and athletic. To help him burn off some of the excess energy, his mom placed him into sports, and Katsuki invested himself wholeheartedly.

He was going be the best.

He particularly excels at baseball and decides when he sees All Might pitching no hitters on TV, that he’s going to be a legend, too.

Every kid is going to want to frame his baseball card.

The first time ten year old Katsuki gets kicked off a team, it's for arguing with the umpire.

The next time, it's for yelling at his team mates.

The third time, it's for purposefully aiming his pitches inside the plate and grazing the jerseys of the opposing team.

Not like he gives a fuck. If they're not here to play seriously, get off the field.

The pattern continues.

Katsuki gets accepted to top tier select and private teams. His pitching is masterful, his fast ball is already rivaling top college team starters.

But he argues with coaches, throws bats at his team mates for not playing hard enough, and gets thrown out of games for purposefully throwing wild pitches.

Most of all, his communication with catchers is abysmal.

There isn’t a single catcher who will willingly team up with him.

Weak. They're all weak.

Katsuki's coaches constantly tell him "Your biggest weakness is yourself".

But what did they actually know? Unlike them, he was going to be a pro.

He gets to high school, and for lack of having any better options, he joins their baseball team. He has to keep his college prospects going.

Begrudgingly he drags himself to the first practice. 

What was the point in practicing with losers he was just going to end up carrying anyway?

"Who the fuck is the catcher?"

"That would be me!"

That's when he meets Eijirou Kirishima.

Katsuki takes a second to size the guy up as the coach introduces him.

Eijirou is a second year. Stocky, really weird red hair sticking out from under his baseball cap

He looks sturdy. But Katsuki is eager to see how well he holds up against his fast ball.

"Do you want to-"

"No. I call the shots."

Eijirou raises an eye brow, "That's not how this works, man."

"Yes it is. It's how it always works."

Eijirou’s expression becomes unrecognizable. "Do your worst then. I'll never drop anything you throw at me."

He pounds his fists together in a display that makes the hair on the back of Katsuki’s neck prickle.

Was that a challenge?

“You're gonna eat those words here in a minute." Katsuki's storming towards the bull pen, and Eijirou is laughing.

He's fucking laughing.

And no matter how many times Katsuki throws high, or Katsuki throws outside, Eijirou catches the ball.

"Katsuki, look, that's enough- you're going to throw your arm out!"

"SHUT THE HELL UP. TEN MORE."

And Eijirou catches ten more.

Much to the coach’s dismay during the next few practices, Katsuki spends more time attempting to out throw Eijirou than actually forming a strategy with him.

"He’s your partner, not your enemy."

But that's not how Katsuki feels at all. He’s pissed off. How is he supposed to go pro if someone as pathetic as Eijirou can catch his wildest pitch? This was a matter of pride, dammit. His fast ball his averaging eighty-six miles per hour. That's rivaling college starters. How the fuck was Eijirou catching it?

Their first official game arrives, and Katsuki’s coach begs him to cooperate with Eijirou.

"You guys are the only way we're going to have a winning season. Do you really want scouts seeing you disrespecting your partner?”

"Shut up! I'm going to strike everyone out, and that bastard is going to wish I wasn’t pitching to him."

It’s the bottom of the seventh inning, and Katsuki is being ejected from the game,  kicking and screaming.

The batter is bleeding, and Eijirou is helping the guy off the field.

Katsuki is in the locker room, face buried in his lap. He's suspended for three games

This is what he gets for being a dick.

He hit that kid with an inside curve ball he was really aiming at Eijirou.

Of course, his emotions got the better of him, and he put too much spin on it.

Now, Katsuki wasn’t sure if that kid was going to play for the rest of the season.

And they definitely lost the game.

He hears somebody come into the locker room, and for the sake of his pride, Katsuki looks up just in time to recognize a mess of bright red hair.

“Eijirou-“

A fist collides with his jaw, and an angry hand grabs him by the jersey.

“Who the hell do you think you are?”

Katsuki, having been taken completely off guard by the sudden onslaught, struggles to gain his composure. "Fuck you-"

"No, dude, fuck you. I've done nothing but put up with your bullshit for the last two months." Eijirou is slightly older, and therefore stronger. Katsuki struggles in vain. "You deserve to have your ass kicked for the crap you pulled today."

Katsuki grabs on to Eijirous shirt, only to be shoved roughly against one of the metal lockers. "You ended his season because of some vendetta you have against me? What's your problem-"

"How are you so good?!" Katsuki yells over top of him, blood dripping down his busted lip.

"What?"

"You catch everything, and you don't even try! HOW?! I hate people like you, just resting on your talent-"

That comment gets Katsuki another punch in the face.

“You think I don’t TRY? Dude, you don’t even know me!”

Kastuki tastes blood and attempts to shove Eijirou off him.

"Want to talk about resting on your talent?! You've literally been kicked off every team you've ever been on, and somehow you still get to play because you're that good. I've worked my ass off for everything! Everything!"

Eijirou is irate, and Katsuki takes the moment of vulnerability to shove him off.

Eijirou lets him go and takes a step back.

"You don't know anything about me either!" Katsuki hisses, wiping the blood from his mouth

"I would if you would stop acting like a wild animal and talk to me?! You can be mean to me- but when you hurt other people-"

"I don’t need you!"

“Clearly you do!”

“Screw you, screw this school, screw everyone! I'm the best, you-"

"You're not the best! You think colleges and pros want to put up with a pitcher who can't even talk to his catcher?! You're dreaming, dude!" Eijirou rubs his knuckles, staring him down. Clearly, he was ready to kick Katsuki’s ass to make a point.

“Piss off.” Katsuki storms out of the locker room.

He didn’t need Eijirou. He didn’t need this team. He didn’t need anyone.

Katsuki’s teammates ignore him in class. All of them except for the one person he wanted to fuck off more than anything.

"Katsuki! Are you coming back to practice today?" Eijirou calls from across the hall between classes.

Katsuki ignores him and slides into his Advanced Placement Chemistry class.

"Hello?"

"Did you follow me in here?!"

"Yes? Answer me. Are you coming or not? Coach said-"

"I KNOW what he said!" Katsuki growls, throwing his stuff on the table. “We’re not making hand signals”

Eijirou hands him a piece of paper. “See you later.”

That guys grin was really beginning to piss Katsuki off.

“Okay so if I do this-" Eijirou flashes a series of specific numbers with his fingers "What am I telling you?"

"A curve ball!" Katsuki snarls, whipping his arm back and hurling a perfectly curved pitch into Eijirou’s glove.

“You learn fast! You’re pretty amazing.”

“I know that already. I hate this system.”

“No, you don’t or you wouldn’t have learned it already.”

"Why do YOU get to be in charge?! I never agreed to this!"

"Coach said-"

"I KNOW WHAT HE SAID!"

Eijirou laughs. "Katsuki, I'm your other half. We're going to have to get along to win."

Katsuki hurls another fast ball at him.

Slowly but surely Katsuki begins to cooperate with Eijirou. Their communication improves. Of course, there’s the occasion when Katsuki will do the opposite of what the catcher wants.

But Eijirou is always there to catch the pitch no matter what. Their connection forms, despite constant tantrums from Katuski.

They win. And keep winning.

The state play offs approach, and in a stroke of bad luck, Eijirou sprains his ankle the day before.

He’s out, and Katsuki is being forced to pitch to Shouto Todoroki.

“No! No way. Eijirou has to play or I’m NOT pitching.”

Eijirou is laughing at him, again.

"Its NOT funny, I have to pitch to you, it has to be you-" Katsuki is cut off by a hand on his shoulder.

“Katsuki, I'm not always going to be there. What's gonna happen when you go to the pros? Come on man. Pitch to Shouto. It's going to be fine!" Eijirou flashes him a determined smile.

They lose.

They lose, and Katsuki blames himself for not holding it together. He blames himself for not being better.

He blames himself for not being able to stop thinking about Eijirou not always being there.

In his sixteen-year-old brain, that thought had never occurred to him.

He’d found his perfect partner, the ying to his yang, his chariot.

But he was weak and useless without him.

Katsuki hated that. He hated how much he was suddenly relying on Eijirou to always be there.

He didn’t need anyone.

Katsuki spends the summer alone, refining his technique. Away from Eijirou, away from his team.

But, when school comes back around, he discovers he shares a class with Eijirou.

“I'm transferring out."

"No! Dude come on, we can study together. You must be smart to be in a class full of third years."

"No, you're just an idiot." Katsuki grumbles.

Eijirou laughs, and something about it causes Katsuki's teenage heart to jump.

They fall perfectly into their routine again, Eijirou had clearly spent the summer refining his own catching skills

“You suck less."

"Yeah! I went to a camp this summer. I already got a few offers."

Katsuki chucks the ball right into the center of Eijirou’s glove, ignoring the burning in his stomach.

“Make ‘em fight over you.”

The first offical game of the year approaches and everyone knows there are scouts from the best colleges in the country there for Eijirou. Katsuki walks up to his partner in the locker room, giving his shoulder a rough shove

“Oi."

"Katsuki-"

"Don’t be nervous."

"I'm not-"

"You're stiff."

Eijirou is silent "I just don’t know if I'm good enough for Yuuei to be looking at me.."

Katsuki growls low in his throat. Why would Eijirou ever think that?

"What the fuck is your problem?"

"What?"

"You getting insecure on me? What happened to all that cocky bullshit about 'I'll never drop anything you throw' or whatever?"

"It’s different-"

"No its not."

Eijirou looks up with his signature grin. "Okay."

Katsuki strikes out every batter for five innings straight with Eijirou calling every play.

They sure as hell win state in one clean sweep. Between Katsuki’s reflexes and Eijirous intuition, they were unstoppable.

Eijirou calls Katsuki one afternoon to tell him he accepted Yuuei's offer.

“The best in the country. It’s what you deserve.” Katsuki swallows and holds his resolve.

"Yeah, but, what am I going to do without you, Katsuki?! I'm only here because you made me look so good!"

"Shut up. I look better than you, always."

Eijirou laughs "Dude, I would’a been dead in the water without you at state."

"I know."

That was a lie, Eijirou always held his own.

Prom was so stupid.

Katsuki never went to any kind of social gathering if he could avoid it. He wanted to  be down in the bull pen getting his fast ball up to ninety miles per hour. Why would he want to put on a suit, eat dinner, and dance with people he wasn’t going to talk to after next year.

"You going to prom?" Eijirou turns around in his desk.

"Are you really asking me that?"

Eijirous rolls his eyes "What, did the girl you ask reject you? Maybe you should try smiling-"

Katsuki raises his fist in a threatening manner, "You asking me to knock your teeth outta your skull, shitty hair?"

Eijirou swats his hand away.

"Nah man, I just thought you and your date would wanna come with me and my girlfriend."

Girlfriend.

Why didn’t he know about Eijirou’s girlfriend?

“I’d rather drink rat poison.”

Girlfriend.

“Aw, come on! You and me with our ladies! State champs!”

Girlfriend.

“I’m not spending money on that crap!”

Girlfriend.

“Okay so, I already bought your ticket-“

“Stop assuming I’m going to do everything you ask me!”

G i r l f r i e n d.

Why did that word hurt worse than any loss Katsuki had ever suffered in baseball?

Katsuki spends the whole evening ignoring his date- And the ripping of his gut every time Eijirou smiles so earnestly at the girl tucked neatly into his side.

Katsuki leaves early and pitches in the bull pen until well past midnight.

He’d find a new catcher. He’d find a new chariot. He’d find a new Eijirou.

But how do you replace the irreplaceable?

Katsuki’s birthday comes up, for lack of anything but Eijirou badgering him, he invites a few of his teammates to dinner at the place with the spiciest food in town.

Afterward, it's just the two of them at Katsuki's house. They're talking about summer plans and Katsuki's upcoming summer league tour. It’s nice, just the two of them.

"Oh! I almost forgot, I got you something!"

"Why? I hate gifts."

"Oh, shut up and open it!" Eijirou claps him on the back and shoves the box at him.

Katsuki, who is definitely blushing out of humiliation, reluctantly opens the package and pulls out the contents.

“A Yuuei jersey?"

"Yeah man! Just until you get your own."

"Who says-"

"Just shut up and put it on! We can be twinsies when you come watch me play!"

"I’m not-"

"Look, it has your number on it and everything!"

Eijirou shoves Katsuki into the bathroom, standing behind him.

"This is a good look, bro." His smile lights up the room.

"This is fucking stupid."

It's a crush.

It's just.

A stupid crush.

Summer passes, and Katsuki is grateful to sink himself into fine tuning his skills.

His fastball finally breaks ninety miles per hour, and college team scouts are bombarding him with texts, calls, emails, pamphlets, lunches and offers of full scholarships.

Becoming a professional baseball player was the only thing he'd ever wanted, and this was the first step.

Eijirou calls him late one August night. "Did I wake you up?"

"Yes, jerk."

That was a lie. Katsuki was wide awake, trying to figure out exactly how many days he had left to hang out with Eijirou before the idiot left for college.

Before he would be free from distractions. Free from the constant aches in his chest.

"I'm outside. Can you come down for a minute?" Eijirou mumbles into the phone.

"Fuck you-"

"Please?"

Eijirou sounds so–

“.... this better be good." Katsuki hangs up on him and sneaks out the front door in nothing but his pajama pants and a loose hoodie.

It’s two am and the heat coming off the pavement from the hot summer day soaks into Katsuki’s bare feet.

He climbs into Eijirous car. "What possessed you-"

Eijirou is crying. Katsuki feels the over whelming urge to grab his hand.

"Dude, what-"

"I'm scared."

A lump forms in Katsuki's throat, and he swallows thickly. Swallows up just how much he feels the same.

"I cant! Dude, I just can't. I can't- I don't- you're the best part about my playing-" Eijirou buries his face in his hands "I try, and I try, and I try. But I feel like I hit a wall unless you're there-"

“Eijirou."

"No dude! There's so much- so much I'm unsure about!"

"Eijirou."

"I'm unsure about my major, my career, my abilities-"

"Eijirou."

"My relationship-"

Katsuki reaches out to grab his shoulder.

"The only thing I'm sure about is- I'm strong when I'm with you. And you're not even going to be there-"

"Get a grip."

Eijirou’s laugh sounds defeated.

It takes everything in his power for Katsuki to not smash their faces together.

"Look at me, you moron. Look at me. First off- Yuuei chose you for a reason. They only had space for one catcher, and they chose you."

"Yeah only because-"

"Because what? You called all those plays."

"I just keep falling behind-"

"Behind who? Me? Why are you comparing yourself to me?!”

"Because I admire you! I want to be you- your confidence, your reflexes, nothing affects you like, ever- how you've always known what you wanted?!"

“You think I'm not scared, too?"

Eijirou wipes his face and looks up at him with unease. Normally defined features looked so fragile. "Yeah right-"

"You're so dumb, I thought you'd get held back or somethin’. Its… hitting me too that you're leaving. Now I have to pitch to Shouto.” Katsuki shrugs. “You're way more adjustable than I am. You always refuse to go down when we're in a pinch. You're stupidly strong."

Eijirou nods reluctantly, and Katsuki desperately wants to touch his cheek.

"And if you're not happy in your relationship- just… I don't know. Talk to her or something? Whatever straight people do. Real unmanly to keep her stringing along..."

"Right... it's just. I don’t want to do long distance and I'm going to be travelling a lot-" Eijirou looks up at him, confused. "Straight people?"

Oh. Right.

Katsuki scrambles. "Oh- you know! Straight people in relationships- I don't really give a shit about that stuff-"

“Dude, Katsuki, are you gay? For real?”

What was the point in denying anything? Not like he was confessing.

Yeah I'm really gay, and I've been so into you for the last two years.

“Yes?! Why does it matter?! I'm as queer as a three dollar bill, can we fuck off of this subject-" Katsuki spits.

"How long have you known?"

"I don't know?! Maybe six months."

"That's so cool! Congrats bro, I'm happy for you!"

“Whatever! Don’t congratulate me!" Katsuki roughly shoves his shoulder "I take back what I said, you suck."

"No! It's super manly to like... own your sexuality. Especially since we're athletes and stuff. It's just another thing I like about you!"

Katsuki can’t tell if his face is burning from humiliation or the genuine compliment.

Eijirou leaves for Yuuei two weeks later.

And Katsuki isn’t sure if he’s relieved or devastated.

Either way, he didn’t have to worry about it anymore. He was going to carry his team to state this year.

Without Eijirou.

The fall semester is a blur of college applications, dual credit hours, strength training and meeting with recruiters.

Katsuki keeps looking for his letter from Yuuei, but it never arrives.

He was the number one prospect in the country. How could they not want him? So, he does something admittedly desperate, and calls them.

"We don't have any first-string pitching spots on our roster for next year."

“Yuuei’s my first choice-“

“Sorry, kid.” And the recruiter hangs up on him.

Katsuki pitches his phone into the wall, shattering the screen.

What the fuck was he supposed to tell Eijirou? How was he supposed to go somewhere and be without him?

The thought of not playing baseball crosses his mind, which he quickly dismisses.

No way was he giving up going pro for- love- No. Crush. A crush.

Eijirou comes home for Christmas and Katsuki avoids him.

How is he supposed to tell Eijirou that the dynamic duo was no more. How was he supposed to tell Eijirou he failed?

Katsuki's sitting up New Year eve, laying in his floor, staring at the ceiling.

His phone buzzes right at midnight and it’s Eijirou. Katsuki answers because he knows he’s been avoiding the inevitable.

"What the fu-"

"KATSUKI!"

"Eiji-"

"HAPPY NEW YEAR!"

"Yeah..."

"What are you doing, man?! I haven't heard from you in like- forever. When are you coming to Yuuei to sign with them?!"

Katsuki rolls on his side.

"January. Late January." He hates lying to him. But Eijirou sounds so happy-

"Sweet man! You can stay with me! Can I can pick you up tomorrow for breakfast? We need to catch up!"

"No."

"Okay, I'll be there at ten! Happy New Year!"

Katsuki frowns "Happy new year, idiot."

Eijirou eventually heads back to school, and Katsuki continues to pour over letters and offers.

To be totally honest, he had never imagined going anywhere but Yuuei, and every alternative just seemed lack luster.

He receives a text one morning;

'Hey, our first game is next week. You coming or what? Our pitcher is pretty manly.'

A wave of what Katsuki refuses to call jealousy surges through him. Why would he want to watch Eijirou play with somebody else? Especially on a team that rejected him?

In typical Eijirou fashion, he double texts;

'Even the great Katsuki Bakugou might learn a thing or two.’

Katsuki knows Eijirou is teasing but –

'I can't. I have a bunch of shit to do. We start soon, too. Also since your ass isnt here, I have to make sure we win state.'

'Aw man )): promise me you'll come to ONE game?'

Katsuki doesn’t reply.

Recruiters continue to blow up his phone, but Katsuki can't bring himself to commit anywhere

'Hey! I saw you guys won today. We did too. You and Shouto make a pretty sweet team.'

'Yeah. We shut em out.'

'you guys are so cool.'

‘Yeah he’s okay.”

'When we play together again, we'll just have to show him how it's really done!

Katsuki’s heart skips a beat.

'Whatever.'

‘:P ‘

The deadlines for many of the schools interested come and go.

This was so stupid. What was he doing? Throwing away his future in baseball for what?

He makes the All-State team.

'You're amazing Katsuki!'

And of course, Eijirou is the first to text him. Katsuki shoves his phone back into his pocket

ESPN includes him in an article titled '20 UP AND COMING BASEBALL PLAYERS TO LOOK OUT FOR'

'DUDE!!! ESPN MENTIONED OUR STATE WIN IN THAT ARTICLE THEY PRINTED ABOUT YOU!!! The wonder duo is like, FAMOUS!!!'

Katsuki shreds the article.

The team goes undefeated, they qualify for the state play offs and Katsuki resides himself to actually try and get along with Shouto. But every time Izuku brings Shouto extra water to practice, or kisses him after they win, Katsuki can’t ignore the burning frustration.

'Katsuki, our last game is next week. It's a home game, you should come. You can stay with me. Denki is cool, he won't care if you crash with us!'

'I cant.'

'Dude you haven't been to any of the games! D: You gotta see where you're going to be playing next year!'

Why was Eijirou still pretending?

'GOOD LUCK TODAY!! I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO MAKE IT TO THE STATE FINALS.'

They barely creep into the state finals because Katsuki loses his cool and almost gets kicked out of the game.

‘You and Shouto are the best team ever!!'

Katsuki buries his face in his pillow and screams.

Almost all deadlines have past. His mom is pissed. His coach is pissed. His team is baffled.

The day of the finals arrives and Katsuki doesn't hear from Eijirou.

Not that he was really surprised, he had ignored the last five text messages he'd gotten from him.

But that didn’t stop Katsuki from being noticeably off, even to Shouto.

"Can you pull it together? Your last three pitches have been sloppy." He snaps.

Katsuki can’t be mad. "Fuck off and do your job."

They finish warming up, and Izuku comes over to wish his boyfriend good luck. When Izuku plants a soft kiss on Shouto's cheek, Katsuki growls and hurls the ball in his hand toward the couple.

Shouto quickly moves to catch it, glaring at him. "I don't know why you're in a mood today, but I swear to God, if you mess this up for us, nobody will forgive you."

"Piss off." Katsuki throws his hat and glove on the ground, and storms toward the dugout.

He checks his phone one last time, and when there’s no text from Eijirou, he snarls and kicks over a rack of bats.

It's a crush.

It's a crush.

Its. A Fucking Crush.

The rest of his teammates trickle into the dugout, leaving Katsuki alone to stew in the corner.

It's the bottom of the third, and they're losing.

It's the top of the fourth. They're still down and Katsuki's coach pulls him to put Iida in.

Katsuki screams and throws his water bottle.

"YOU CANT PULL ME, YOU CANT!"

"Take a breather. Get it together. You've never walked this many people in your entire high school career."

Katsuki feels the weight of the game and his future on his shoulders.

It's too much pressure. So much- 

Pressure.

Iida manages to tie up the game, but it's the top of the 5th, and Katsuki asks if someone can sub out for him.

There's no way he can play. It's over.

“Katsuki?”

Katsuki turns sharply- about to tell who ever the hell it is to go away.

"What are you doing?"

Its Eijirou.

Katsuki feels his brain implode "You- mother fucker-"

There was so much he wanted to say.

I needed you to text me. I needed you here to watch me.

But instead he stares dumbly, sweat dripping from his brow.

Eijirou's hair is pulled back in a pony tail, and he's neatly filling out a Yuuei baseball tee.

"Sorry I'm late, I got stuck in traffic." He's smiling. That idiot is smiling like something is funny.

I’m so in love with you.

Katsuki charges at him, grabbing a fist full of Eijirou's shirt "Where have you BEEN?"

"I just told you-"

"I KNOW WHAT YOU SAID."

"I wanted to surprise the team! But look at you, falling apart because you had a couple of bad throws."

"I’m- not- falling- apart-"

I’m so fucking in love with you.

"Since when has Katsuki Bakugou given a shit about pressure?"

Katsuki grabs Eijirou's shirt with his other hand, fat tears sliding off his nose and into the dirt.

It was Katsuki's turn to cry in front of Eijirou.

"I didn't get into Yuuei." Katsuki sobs.

"I know."

I’m the one who can’t play without you.

"I haven't signed anywhere."

"I know."

"I have NO IDEA WHAT I SHOULD DO."

"Katsuki."

"I'm so fucking lost, I haven't been the same since you left-"

"Dude."

"I suck, I fucking suck, I crack all the time, I haven't signed anywhere- my fast ball- Shouto can't-"

"Katsuki, bro."

"I just thought I would go to Yuuei- I didn’t plan-"

"Katsuki-"

"WHAT?!"

“Get a grip.”

Katsuki looks up, face a mess of sweat and tears.

"You can’t use my own line against me." Katsuki snaps.

"Well you have a game to play."

"I'm not going back out there."

"The hell you aren't."

"Since when have I ever listened to you?"

"Since I'm here. And you just told me you didn’t know what to do. So, I'm telling you to wipe your face, drink some water, and be a man. We'll figure out your college crap later. Finish what you started, Katsuki. Win the game."

Katsuki shoves him off, suddenly embarrassed and ashamed of letting his personal problems affect his playing.

"Tell the world 'I'm here, I'm Katsuki Bakugou and I'm unstoppable all on my own."

They win the game by one point.

And Eijirou rushes out to grab Katsuki, lifting him into a warm hug that leaves him breathless in more ways than one.

Eijirou tags along to the after party. Everyone is laughing and in a good mood, asking the upperclassman about Yuuei, reliving devious plays pulled off by the various teammates that night. They're state champs two years in a row. And Eijirou stays by his side all night.

At school everyone regards Katsuki as some sort of hero. But, really all he can do is think about the outcome if Eijirou hadn't shown his stupid face.

Eijirou comes home from college for the summer right before Katsuki's 18th birthday, and shows up on his doorstep with his catchers glove.

"You want me to catch for you?"

Katsuki fights the heat creeping across his face.

"Yeah."

They've been at it for hours, and Katsuki’s pitches gradually become more erratic as he attempts to cut through the oddity between them.

Their playing is the same as always.

Their rhythm is perfect, Eijirou never drops the ball. But there's an unfamiliarity there that Katsuki desperately wants gone.  

What is it? And why was it suddenly impeding on their relationship?

Eijirou, of course, notices Katsuki’s agitation.

"What's up?" He asks.

"What?"

"What's wrong with you?"

“Nothing. Mind your business.”

"Katsuki... you, unfortunately, are my business."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Katsuki hurls the ball at him, and Eijirou catches it before standing up and crossing the threshold between them. "It means I care about what's wrong with you-"

"You're different." Katsuki cuts him off.

"What does that mean?"

"You- something's- I don't know! You're just."

"Spit it out."

"I don't know to feel anymore." Katsuki blurts.

"About?"

"Us!"

"What does that mean?" Eijirou is so close to him, and the late spring air is blowing in the trees.

It's too much.

"It means... you're different. We're different."

"You keep saying that, but it doesn’t make any sense. Were still bad ass together."

"Not our playing, moron." Katsuki pinches the bridge of his nose.

"Then what-"

"YOU feel differently about ME." Katsuki almost yells. "I can tell."

“Yeah. I do.”

"See?! That's what I mean- what did I do?!" His heart pounds in his throat.

"It’s not like that-" Eijirou starts.

"Then WHAT?!"

Katsuki’s phone rings and reflexively he yanks it from his pocket. He doesn’t recognize the number but he answers it anyway.

Anything to stop this conversation.

"Hi, is this Katsuki?"

Oh great, another recruiter.

"Yeah? Look, now’s a bad time-"

“This is Aizawa from Yuuei’s coaching staff.”

Katsuki does a double take "What?"

"Yeah, we'd like to invite you to play with us. If you haven't signed anywhere else- we're willing to negotiate numbers and make it happen."

"Who is it?" Eijirou asks, still pressed annoyingly close.

"Its Yuuei-" he whispers. 

"WHAT?" Katsuki quickly covers Eijirou’s mouth.

"Yeah, sure. I'm down to talk or whatever. Can I call you back?" They hang up after discussing a time, and Eijirou is practically vibrating.

“Who was that?!"

The mood between them was now one of excitement, and Katsuki was content to just table their earlier discussion.

"It was Aizawa from Yuuei" He answered slowly, staring at the device in his hand "I'm going to Yuuei."

Eijirou jumps on him, crushing their chests together "We're going to be together again!"

"Yeah. Fuck yeah we are." A comfortable quiet settles between them, and without really thinking about it, Katsuki reaches up to brush a lock of hair out of Eijirou’s face.

“Katsuki.” Eijirou breaks the silence with his stupid annoying voice.

"What?" Katsuki replies, too high on adrenaline to have any real bite in his sound.

“I’m gay, too.”

“Okay?”

“I just. Wanted you to know…”

Wait.

The dots connect in Katsuki’s brain.

"I mean... real manly that you can accept that part of yourself. You know, since we're athletes and shit."

“You can’t use my own line against me!” Eijirou yells.

“I learned from the best.” Katsuki retorts, shoving him playfully.

"You want to go get pizza or something to celebrate?! You’re going to Yuuei, man!"

Katsuki rolls his eyes "Whatever."

But he can’t wipe the grin from his face.

Katuski negotiates a full ride to Yuuei Because he’s Katsuki Bakugou, and Yuuei drug their feet.

He spends the summer with Eijirou refining their skills and communication.

Somehow something still remained between them that Katsuki couldn’t quite place.

He was unsure what it was Eijirou felt differently about. But, whatever it was, Katsuki didn't think he could handle losing Eijirou.

Not again.

Katsuki quickly learns just how different college is from high school.

You were in your own for everything, managing your own time and your own schedule. Living in the athletic dorms really sucked, and his roommate, Hitoshi, was weird.

Upperclassman didn't have to live on campus, so Katsuki found himself spending a lot of time at Eijirou’s off campus apartment.

More like cleaning Eijirou’s apartment. Because the guy couldn't take out the trash or wipe down counters even if his life depended on it.

"Look," Their coach starts after pulling the two of them into his office one afternoon during fall practice. "I'm not putting the two of you together."

Eijirou opens his mouth, but before he could respond, Katsuki was up out of his chair.

"Excuse me?"

"You rely too much on each other, and it worries me-"

"Because we're the best." Eijirou pipes up, not giving Katsuki a chance to rage.

Eijirou remains seated, but that intense stare Katsuki knew all too well was aimed at their coach.

"Katsuki and I can both work with others, but together we're the best. He's..." Eijirou shoots Katsuki a sideways glance "My other half."

Katsuki ignores the back flip his stomach does.

"You can't yell at the coach, Katsuki. I don't care how mad you get."

They're in the locker room, and Katsuki is still fuming "He knew what he signed up for when he recruited me."

Katsuki slams his locker with more force than necessary and turns to look at Eijirou. He's met with soft eyes and that look he can’t stand.

"Yeah... I guess he did."

College had apparently made Eijirou allergic to shirts.

"No dude, its hot!" Eijirou whined, they were practicing indoors, and the catcher was in nothing but shorts and a backward baseball cap.

"Its fifty fucking degrees outside. If you get sick before training camp-"

"I'm not going to get sick from being shirtless indoors."

Katsuki huffs in frustration, aggressively throwing the ball at Eijirou before turning away.

"I'm done. I have a calculus test to study for."

This was beginning to feel like more than a crush.

Katsuki can’t help but lay there at night wondering what Eijirou meant by feeling different.

He acts the same as ever towards him. If anything, their playing had improved. And their friendship was definitely solid.

D i f f e r e n t.

The word haunted him, but how was Katsuki supposed to ask? Did he even really want to know the answer?

Their first semester comes and goes, and the tension between them remains strange.

Somehow, they find a comfortable rhythm of practicing, studying and just being together in it.

Different. Things were different but if Eijirou wasn’t bringing it up, then it wasn’t anything to worry about.

Right?

Their first game approaches, and ESPN releases a column featuring just EIjirou.

‘PRO TEAMS SET THEIR EYES ON YUUEI CATCHER EIJIROU KIRISHIMA’

Katsuki finds himself swelling with pride. “You’re like- Famous.”

“Dude, stop using my lines against me!” Eijirou smiles and grabs the article from his hands.

Their first game as a collegiate duo arrives and everything is normal.

Katsuki bristles with excitement. 

Crowds always gave him the extra boost he needed, and with Eijirou catching for him, their debut was sure to be a slam dunk.

It's the top of the fifth, and their rhythm has never been better. They're experienced enough by now to read the nuances in each other’s actions. Eijirou is always there, brow furrowed in concentration, determined make the play.

It happens in the blink of an eye.

The batter reads Katsuki’s wind up and manages to bunt the ball right back at him. The runner on third is heading straight to tie up the game, and Eijirou is there firmly planted on Home- he always is. The runner is sliding, cleats first. The angle is weird and suddenly he's colliding with Eijirou.

Right into his leg.

The sound as Eijirou hits the dirt is nasty, but he’s taken harder hits than that, and Katsuki expects him to get up.

But he doesn’t.

Instead, he's screaming and clawing at the dirt. Something is really wrong.

Katsuki runs over and falls to his knees and Eijirou immediately grabs for him.

"Katsuki... Katsuki, shit, ow, ow, my ankle, my ankle- "

"You're fine, I'm here! Breathe- seriously breathe." Katsuki is shaking, and he doesn’t notice when Eijirou wraps their hands together, clutching for dear life.

“Please don’t leave-“

“I’m not going anywhere.”

The EMT carry Eijirou off the field after bracing his ankle.

And Katsuki is right there beside him, their hands locked together.

"So, what, do you have to have surgery or somethin’?" They're in Eijirous apartment, and Katsuki is grabbing him an ice pack from the freezer.

"Nah, just physical therapy and anti-inflammatories." How did Eijirou always manage to make crappy situations positive?

"I should be back in time for the end of the season!" He's smiling.

How does he do that?

Somehow Katsuki became in charge of taking Eijirou to and from his physical therapy sessions. He shoots Eijirou a text to let him know he’s on the way, when a conversation catches his attention.  

"You think they're dating or what?"

"You can’t just assume dudes are dating because they're close!"

Usually Katsuki minded his own business. He gave zero fucks about his teammates personal lives-

"No man, its more than that. Did you see the way he like- grabbed his hand?"

Except this was about him.

“Kirishima isn’t like that.”

Katsuki bites the inside of his lip hard enough to draw blood.

"Yeah but Bakugou... He doesn’t like anyone but Kirishima."

"Yeah. In a gay way-“

Katsuki slams his fist against the metal locker hard enough to cause all three of his teammates to jump.

“Yo, you shit heads got something to say to me?”

The men all scramble to recover

"Bakugou! Hey, we didn’t know you were there."

"Yeah man, what's up?!"

Somehow this pisses Katsuki off more

"Clearly not or you wouldn't have been spewing your bullshit."

The group freezes.

"Nothing to say now that I'm in front of you?"

The thought of anyone speculating anything about Eijirou was enough to make Katsuki's blood boil.

"Keep Eijirou's name out of your scum bag mouths, or I'll personally break your God damn teeth."

His hands are shaking and his tongue is numb as he kicks open the door to exit the locker room. Katsuki feels overwhelmed and on the verge of tears, letting out a long scream of frustration when he reaches the solitude of his car.

Yeah.

This was not a crush.

In a nail biting one-point game, the team manages to qualify for the national collegiate tournament, which meant a tour into the summer well past classes.

Eijirou is almost back into playing condition, and Katsuki is grateful since the second-string catcher couldn't handle his inside pitches for shit.

"Hey, you going to Denki's party tonight?" Eijirou asks, toweling the sweat from his face.

"Uh, no? We have to leave at seven tomorrow morning."

"Oh, come ON. You haven’t been to a single team party!"

"I'm not going to that scum bag's party."

"Please?"

"No."

Its eleven pm the night before they're supposed to leave for a tournament, and Katsuki has somehow managed to become the college stereotype he despised.

Eijirou had long since left for the party, and Katsuki was left to his own devices.

He'd cleaned the apartment, packed, and was now staring at the ceiling of his bedroom; distantly wondering if his team was having fun.

And judging by the Snapchat stories, they were.

Maybe it was the sting of seeing Eijirou laughing without being able to see it in person, or the buried desire to be closer to the idiots he was going to spend the next few years playing baseball with…

But he gets up out of bed six hours before he’s supposed to be on the bus and gets dressed.

"BakuBRO!" Denki, their starting first baseman, throws his arm around Katsuki's shoulders "Dude, I just lost twenty dollars to Sero. You actually showed your ugly mug."

Katsuki shoves him off "You're drunk."

"Ya, a bunch of us are."

"You guys are all stupid, we have a tournament to play! This is so irresponsible-"

"Whatever- we're celebrating!"

"Celebrating WHAT?!"

"Kirishima getting an offer from the pros, man!"

What?

"Katsuki! You totally came, I told you guys." Eijirou rounds the corner, shirtless with a headband attempting to tame his crazy red spikes.

"You got an offer from a fucking professional team?" Katsuki blurts before he can stop himself "When were you planning on telling me?"

"Woooooahhh. Everyone was in the loop but the other half of the dynamic duo?' Denki slurs, taking a step back "We’ve all known for like, weeks."

"Denki. No offense, but shut up." Eijirou pleads.

"Are you kidding me?!" Katsuki snaps.

Why did he feel so betrayed?

"Dude I haven’t- I'm sorry-" Eijirou was fumbling for an explanation, but Katsuki was out the door.

He should be happy for his partner, right?

This is what they both always wanted. It wasn’t that uncommon for skilled Sophomore and Junior players to be drafted to the majors early.

But why did he keep it a secret?

And why did Katsuki’s heart feel like it was coming apart at the seams?

“Katsuki! Katsuki, seriously- Katsuki!”

Eijirou had apparently followed him out to his car.

"What?! What the FUCK kind of BULLSHIT are you about to feed me?!" Katsuki yells, flinging open his car door "I look like an idiot- God- no I AM an idiot!"

Eijirou reaches out to touch him but Katsuki slaps his hand away.

"Do NOT TOUCH me- I'm so close to knocking you out." Katsuki balls his fist.

"I haven't decided anything!"

"Then why did you keep it from me! Why!?" Katsuki’s chest heaves.

Was he overacting? Maybe.

But right now, he simultaneously felt like he wanted to beg Eijirou to stay and beg him to go.

“I didn't know HOW to tell you! You helped me so much while I was injured- and I just. You know-"

"Why can't you just be blunt?! Be honest with me!"

"Because you always keep me at arm’s length!" Eijirou’s voice cracks "About EVERYTHING except BASEBALL."

Katsuki bites his tongue "That's not true-"

"YES. Yes, it is! You don't want to ever talk."

The emphasis on the word talk made Katsuki's heart jump into his throat.

The conversation from a year ago.

The thing that's different.

Here it was.

"There's NOTHING to talk about except that you're a god damn back stabbing asshole-"

"You know that's not true!"

"GO! Fucking GO. SIGN WITH THEM."

"You don't mean that!"

"Yes, I DO. I'm sick of chasing you down and relying on you! I don’t NEED you, I don’t need anybody!" Katsuki slams his car door shut.

"Katsuki! Talk to me, come ON!" Eijirou's pounding the window with his fist. "Dude, you never asked me how I felt! Please, seriously-"

Katsuki throws the car in reverse and peels away. He doesn’t care. It's too much try and process.

He can’t trust Eijirou or himself right now.

For his first two years of high school, Katsuki had worked to become equals with Eijirou. His third, he'd almost sabotaged himself because of stupid feelings and chasing down going to Yuuei.

Now his college career looked like it waps shaping up to be the same.

Having Eijirou to himself in any capacity was always

Just

Out

Of

Reach.

So, as Katsuki curled under the covers that night and set his alarm, pillow soaked with his own tears, he decided he was going to let Eijirou go.

The next morning Eijirou doesn’t try and sit next to Katsuki or even look at him. The bus is silent as everyone attempts to sleep off the remainder of their hang overs.

Katsuki stares out the window.

He’s in love with Eijirou, and he doesn’t even know how to begin the process of getting over him.

How do you replace the irreplaceable?

He could never live with himself if Eijirou missed out on this shot because of him.

How could he claim to love Eijirou if he made him stay for his own, selfish, fucked up reasons?

Katsuki remembers they signed up to room together on the tour.

Great.

They arrive, and Katsuki claims his bed immediately.

"Kat-"

Katuski slams the bathroom door in Eijirou’s face and changes into his practice clothes.

"You're going to be late." Katsuki snaps, leaving Eijirou alone and storming down into the lobby for a team briefing.

They're warming up for their first game, and the communication is lacking.

"I signaled a curve ball."

"I don’t give a shit."

"Don’t do this."

"Do what?"

"THIS." Eijirou gestures wildly.

"Don’t tell me what to do."

"I swear, I'm gonna sub out-"

"That's fine. We played all damn season without you." Katsuki bites back.

"Fuck you, dude. Seriously." Eijirou snarls, turning away.

"Walk away." Katsuki calls after him, digging his nails into his palm "You were going to do that anyway!"

Eijirou turns back on his heel and storms over.

"You prick, I swear-"

"Swear what?!”

Eijirou bites his lip and looks down at the ground.

"You have NO idea how I feel about ANYTHING. Why do you really think I never told you?! I KNEW you would do THIS!" Eijirou looks beyond exasperated, and Katsuki wants to simultaneously punch and hug him. "Stop pushing me away!"

"You don't have to stay out of pity for me- I don’t want you to do that-"

"You are so STUPID! Did you ever think I wanted to stay for ME and that the decision wasn't purely based off YOU."

Katsuki isn't sure if Eijirou is finished, but their yelling has attracted most of their teammate’s attention.

"Ei-"

"No dude! Don’t! Just. Don’t talk to me. I have to go get my head in the game." He turns to walk away, and Katsuki watches him go without another word.

They crush the other team and sail into the next round.

Eijirou goes to celebrate with the others, Katsuki goes back to their hotel room.

“Hey.” It’s well past midnight when Eijirou returns.

“What?”

A beat of silence.

“Katsuki… I’m done.

"What does that mean?"

"You talk about being done chasing me, but I’m done being the one who communicates between us. When we were apart... I always chased you. I always texted and called you."

Katsuki glares at him.

“Unless you can tell me the real reason you don’t want me to leave, I mean actually say it…” Eijirou trails off.

Katsuki rolls over in his bed and flicks out the light.

No matter what, he was going to lose Eijirou. Whether he signed with an MLB team, didn’t return his feelings or just drifted away from the wall Katsuki himself had built between them.

The two of them fall into a stiff silence, only talking when they are in uniform or working together as the perfect team they'd always been. Katsuki’s thoughts flit back to the time Eijirou himself said he wasn't always going to be there.

What more did Katsuki really have to lose?

He hated how much he felt like his future rested with Eijirou.

He hated how much stock he'd put into his feelings for Eijirou.

Maybe if he just got it over with, they could move past it and get back to focusing on baseball.

Eijirou could do whatever he wanted, and Katsuki would go back to just being the one man show he was probably always meant to be.

They win their next few games, and each night they go back to the hotel room, Eijirou looks at Katsuki expectantly. Like he needs Katsuki to say it.

But each night the words get caught in Katsuki’s throat.

The night of the final game arrives, and the pair is silently warming up together.

"Katsuki."

They pause.

"Win or lose, tonight, I'm going to sign with the Crimson Riots."

Katsuki’s heart hits the ground.

"Right."

Eijirou stares at him pleadingly "I just... Wanted you to know."

Katsuki nods. "I need to go do my pregame shit before we start." He walks away, locks himself in the locker room and sobs into his sweater until he can't breathe anymore.

Why was he such a fucking coward?

They lose. It's a close game, but they lose.

The team is silent on the six-hour bus ride back the school.

And for the first time in his life, Katsuki couldn't care less.

Being bested in one game seemed so small in comparison to Eijirou leaving him, this time for good. He didn’t think any loss would ever compare to that one.

He'd lost Eijirou from his own self sabotage, and that was truly more humiliating than striking out or messing up a play in an important game.

There were always other games to be won, but there wasn't another Eijirou.

Katsuki knew this, and yet he remained paralyzed by the fear of letting someone close.

All he ever thought he needed was the dream of success in his sport and himself.

But Eijirou had taken that belief and smashed it to bits.

He'd made Katsuki realize that relaying on someone else was okay. He'd helped Katsuki to acknowledge that sometimes you needed another person to help you deal with yourself, and that didn't make you weak.

A few days after they get back home, Katsuki is standing on the door step to Eijirou’s apartment. He knocks, admittedly harder than planned before shoving his hands deep into the pockets of his sweat pants.

Eijirou answers in a tank top and shorts, looking confused and mildly annoyed.

“What do you want?”

Katsuki kicks sheepishly at the ground before choking out a response.

"Can you... catch for me?"

“Why?” Eijirou bites.

Katsuki expected that.

“I wanted to try out this new thing I learned, and you’re the only asshole I trust to catch for me.” He offers.

They walk to the park in silence, and Katsuki is grateful for the mid-summer night concealing the burning humiliation on his face.

Eijirou stops mid stride as they reach the entrance of the park.

Katsuki turns to face him, teeth snagging on his bottom lip.

"Why'd you-"

"You only chew your lip when you're anxious." Eijirou says.

"Don't analyze me-"

"You scribble swirls on the corner of your notebooks when you’re trying not to zone out during class"

"Huh?"

"You pick your finger nails while you're getting in the zone before a game." Eijirou continues.

"What is this? Some kinda-"

"The only time you genuinely laugh is when someone makes a bad pun."

"Shut up."

"I know all these things about you. I watch you all the time. You try to keep me away, but it just makes me watch you more because sometimes I’m so desperate to get close to you, it makes me sick.”

“Eijirou,”

"No, screw you, Katsuki. Screw you for never asking me about my feelings and just assuming- you never let me explain. Instead you just shoved me away, and the only time I feel close to you now is when we're playing together. Why won’t you let me explain what I meant?"

"I want-"

"No dude forget that! Whatever you're about to say just shut up!” Eijioru looks desperate "I just need to hear it so I know I’m not insane! Why are you making me fight tooth and nail to get you to admit you have feelings for me?!"

This was it.

”I'm not! Okay- I'm not!! I'm not making you beg me!" Katsuki grabs his hair and braces himself against the impending word vomit.

“I have feelings for you, okay?! Is that what you want to hear?! That you've always been more than just a teammate to me?! That I want it to be- no- that it has to be you or no one, ever?! Do you want to hear how I've been fucking imploding since I found out you got that offer? How much I want to scream for you not to go because I'm a selfish, one track minded, piece of shit? Is that what you want to hear? Because if so-" Katsuki throws his hands out to the side in defeat. "-there it is."

Eijirou is silent for a moment, that signature grin gradually creeping across his face.

“Yeah. Yeah it is.”

"Why are you smiling like this is a joke?!" Katsuki grit his teeth.

He was admittedly scared of Eijirou’s answer. But he hadn’t left yet-

“For someone with so much intuition, you really are a dumbass.”

Katsuki’s brain was spinning.

“Okay- so-“

Normally he could think of something to say, but Eijirou was looking at him so endearingly.

Eijirou sighs.

"Here, let me help you." He moved a little closer "Ask me what I meant when I told you I felt differently."

"Okay, what did you mean by that?" Katsuki asks with a glare.

"I meant that I realized you were more than just a teammate, too."

Katsuki’s brain couldn’t absorb the information fast enough. And Eijirou was close. Like, really close.

"Okay, here's another one for you. Ask me how I feel about you right now."

“How-“

“Like I want to punch you in the face.”

And before he has time to respond, Eijirou is kissing him.

Whether Katsuki ascends or blacks out, he’s not sure, but he leans into Eijirou.

And for the first time in four years, he's breathing.

"Wait- wait." He’s shoves Eijirou back and steps away "You can't just- DO that!"

Eijirou is smiling like he's just won the lottery.

"Yeah, maybe I should warn you next time, you need practice-"

"Shut the FUCK up."

"It’s fine, I can help you-"

"STOP." Katsuki is waving his arms frantically. "Why didn't you tell me about the Crimson Riots trying to sign you?! That's what I really want to know! I would've-"

"You would've forced me to go? You're pretty predictable." Eijirou cuts him off.

"I'm going to choke you."

Eijioru laughs and leans in to kiss him again, but Katsuki pushes his face away.

"You kiss me once and think you can just do it whenever now? You're not my boyfriend. You haven’t even verbally confirmed shit." Katsuki pouts, causing Eijirou to sigh in frustration.

"Katsuki, there's a million practical reasons I can list for me to not to have feelings for you. You're impatient, rude, one track minded, and kind of a buzz kill."

"Wow, thank you, tell me more-"

"But, for whatever reason my heart decided to ignore my brain. All I see is someone who is smart, crazy passionate, and I'm stupidly into you."

This time it’s Katsuki who kisses Eijirou.

Eijirou signs with the Crimson Riots because how often do you get offers to play for the team you grew up watching?

And Katsuki is alright, because it’s pretty sweet to watch your boyfriend play baseball on TV and spend your time off from school at his condo.

A year later, after Yuuei wins Nationals, it's Katsuki who gets offers from major league teams.

Including the Riots.

Katsuki pitches his first no hitter the day after he proposes to Eijirou, and they win their first of five World Series during their Honeymoon.

Yeah, it's a lot of really hard work, especially being Major League Baseball’s first open LGBT couple. Their relationship is certainly not always perfect.

But together they're unstoppable as equals, two halves of a dynamic duo, doing what they love more than anything with the person they love more than anything.

And that’s everything they ever wanted.