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“Dammit!” Katsuki cursed, running alongside Kirishima. “These bastard are starting to piss me off.” Kirishima was panting hard along side him, having taken a hit to the temple and was bleeding heavily. Their class had been training when a group of no name villains tried to get the jump on them. They weren’t very powerful individually, but there was a lot of them, which made things a little more difficult, especially when they couldn’t pinpoint all of their quirks. His gaze dragged across the terrain before he spotted Deku about to be jumped by one of said villains. Before he knew what was happening, before he could properly react, he was bolting over to her, crying out in warning.
“Deku, watch out!” he screamed, prompting her to duck out of the way at the last second, with the side affect of Katsuki getting hit instead. He felt a sharp jolt of pain pierce his body, and he cried out in pain before his vision went black.
~~~~
“-chan? Kacchan!” a voice pierced the darkness of his mind as Katsuki felt himself coming back around to the sound of said voice and a slight shaking. “Kacchan? Kacchan, please, wake up!” the voice begged, and he found himself instantly worried. He didn’t like the distressed tone of the voice, it sounded wrong.
“Mmn, I-zuku?” he groaned, forcing his heavy lids open, being immediately greeted by deeply concerned, wet, green eyes, green eyes that had haunted him for as long as he could remember.
“Kacchan!” she exclaimed, voice relieved, “you’re awake! Oh, thank goodness, I was so worried.” Her voice had a watery edge to it as tears ran down her dirt covered face. The sight broke his heart; she shouldn’t be crying, she shouldn’t ever feel sad. She looked so much more beautiful when she was smiling that dopey smile of hers, the smile that he loved.
“Hey, don’t cry,” he said, reaching a hand up to try and wipe away the tears from Izuku’s face. “Please don’t cry. I’m okay, promise.” Izuku looked surprised at his words.
“But you sacrificed yourself for me, what if that girl’s Quirk really hurt you!? It’s all my fault,” she reprimanded herself. Katsuki frowned at that.
“I did that because I wanted to, didn’t want to see you get hurt. I hate seeing you get hurt. Now, please, stop crying,” he tried to console her before moving to sit up. Her hands scrambled to brace him and Katsuki relished in the feeling of her fawning over him. He generally didn’t like being treated as if he was weak, but he knew she didn’t think that way. It wasn’t that she thought he was weak, she just hated seeing others in pain, especially when she felt as if she could do something to prevent it.
“Well, um, are you sure you’re not hurt, Kacchan?” she worried. “Do you feel weird at all?” Katsuki smiled and shook his head.
“With you beside me, I feel great, like I can take on the world.” To his confusion, Izukus drying eyes widened with shock.
“Kacchan, did you hit your head or something?” she asked, gently grabbing ahold of his face and using her thumbs to brush against his temples. Katsuki sighed happily before letting his eyes droop closed, leaning into her touch as she turned his head this way and that, looking him over for injuries. He relished the feeling of having her near him, doting on him and being concerned over his well being. It made him feel loved, as he so rarely let himself concede to being cared for.
“Don’t stop,” he asked, voice soft but rough, “feels good.”
“Uh, s-sure, Kacchan,” she said slowly as she slightly increased the pressure against his temple, massaging his head and scalp. Katsuki figured, if he had the capacity to, he’d be purring like a damn cat. A relaxed smile spread across his face as he leaned forward and dragged Izuku in between his legs. She squeaked at being pulled, and became a stuttering mess as he let his head fall gently against her soft chest. He felt very relaxed by the heat emanating from her body, almost nullifying any soreness he felt. He whined in objection as her hands stopped their ministrations.
“Nooo~,” he whined, nuzzling into her clavicle. “Don’t stop.”
“Ah! S-sorry, Kacchan,” Izuku responded quickly, going back to gently massaging his head.
“Mm, s’okay,” he said, feeling himself relax more and more. They sat in silence for a few moments before he heard multiple sets of feet rapidly approaching them. Katsuki frowned and buried his face in her shoulder, not wanting to be disturbed. He wanted to keep her in his arms forever, undisturbed by the outside world.
“Midoriya! Bakugou! There you- are?” Kirishima’s voice came first, tapering off in confusion.
“Woah, Bakugou, what are you doing?” Ashido asked, also sounding confused.
“He’s been like this ever since he woke up,” he heard Izuku softly reply. Katsuki smiled at the sound, as her voice was very nice to listen to. Unfortunately, she also stopped massaging her head, and he whined at her again, although she didn’t react to it.
“Bakugou, how are you feeling?” the voice of Aizawa reached his ears.
“M’fine,” he murmured into Izuku’s shoulder, before whining again and placing one of her hands back on his head. “I said don’t stop, please,” he reprimanded with a pout. She stuttered out an apology before massaging his head again. He heard a few people gasp at the display, and felt Izuku drop her head gently against his own, feeling the heat radiating off of her face.
“Woah, okay, Bakugou is definitely not alright ,” Sero said, sounding worried.
“Thanks, but I said ‘m fine,” he groused out. “Now stop worrying,” he demanded, still not lifting his head up.
“I mean, he just seems to be, uh, a bit more affectionate at the moment, but other than that he appears to be fine,” Momo reasoned.
“Well, whatever happened, we ought to get him to Recovery Girl, just in case,” Aizawa said, stepping closer to them an placing a hand on his shoulder. “Okay Bakugou, let Midoriya go and get up.” Katsuki growled at him.
“No,” he refused, like a petulant child, “she stays here,” he said with finality, tightening his grip on the girl in his arms.
“O-okay, Kacchan,” Izuku said, petting his head, “why don’t we get up so we can g-go make sure you’re okay? I’ll stay with you the entire time, a-alright?” she asked, gently forcing Katsuki’s face up to look at her. He pouted at her, eyes narrowing in annoyance.
“Promise?” he asked quietly. Izuku gave him a warm, reassuring smile, which made his insides melt, and nodded. He huffed before slowly getting up, pulling Izuku up with him. He then scooped her up bridal style and held her tight to his chest, despite her squeak of protest.
“Where to?” he asked, leveling a blank stare at his teacher. The man sighed and beckoned for him and the other injured students to go to the infirmary so Recovery Girl could look them over. He felt his classmates shooting him concerned looks, and while he appreciated the concern, he just wanted to be left alone with his Izuku.
“K-Kacchan, you don’t have to c-carry me! I c-can walk f-fine on my own!” Izuku stuttered out, her face red with embarrassment. Katsuki shook his head gently, giving her a warm smile.
“I know,” he told her, “I jus’ wanna keep you close,” he said, nuzzling her forehead with his nose. He felt her face heating up more and he chuckled in amusement. “You’re so cute, y’know that?” Izuku let out a choked gasp at the statement before his friends rushed over to him.
“Woah, Bakubro, are you sure you’re alright?” Kirishima asked again, not even bothering to hide his worry.
“Yeah, I’m fine Kirishima, thanks,” he said with sincerity. “I appreciate the concern, though.” The red head balked at the statement before being pushed aside by Ashido.
“Did you just thank Kirishima, and say you appreciate him!?” she asked, her black eyes wide with shock. Bakugou nodded at her.
“Yeah, I appreciate all of my friends, even if you get on my nerves a lot. I know I don’t show it a lot, but I really do care about you guys. You’re really great friends.” This was, apparently, the wrong thing to say, as Kaminari promptly passed out. Everyone let out shocked gasps, and Katsuki’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Woah, is he okay?”
“We-we’ll take care of him,” Sero waved off with a wavering smile. Katsuki nodded his head, trusting his friend, and turned back to Izuku, who was looking at him with surprise.
“What?” he asked, perplexed. “Is there something on my face?” Izuku shook her head rapidly, stuttering out a ‘no’ in the process.
“Are you okay? I forgot to ask earlier. Did you get hurt?” She shook her head no again, prompting Katsuki to narrow his eyes. He remembered seeing her injured before he ran to her aid. Izuku looked down, fiddling with her gloved fingers.
“Don’t lie to me, Izuku,” he growled, causing her face to turn pink.
“W-well,” she mumbled, voice squeaky, “I did break my fingers, and got hit in the leg, b-but it’s nothing serious, I promise!” She raised her voice at the end, noticing his sad and worried look.
“Really, I’m fine. And, thanks to you, I didn’t get hit with that girls Quirk. Thank you, Kacchan.” Katsuki felt himself preen at the praise, the pain of his injuries seemed to dull in comparison to the pride swelling in his chest. The rest of the walk to the infirmary was relatively silent, save for Izuku muttering to herself every once in a while, which was adorable. Once they arrived, Recovery Girl sighed at seeing her most troublesome patient.
“Midoriya, I thought I told you to stop injuring yourself,” she said, disappointed. Izuku looked down in embarrassment, prompting Katsuki to say something in her defense.
“She only gets hurt so often because she’s so dedicated to being a good hero,” he told Recovery Girl. A look of surprise came across her face as he continued. “She puts herself in harms way so that others are safe, but,” he looked down at Izuku, “you need to stop being so reckless.
“You can’t be the number one hero and save everyone if you put yourself out of commission all the time. You need to be more careful, I get worried,” he reprimanded. He always admired her bravery, but her habit of disregarding her own safety made him want to pull his hair out. He honestly didn’t know what he’d do if she hurt herself beyond repair, it would kill him. Izuku’s face flushed a pretty pink colour and she looked down again, not meeting his gaze.
“Y-you’re right, Kacchan. I’m sorry for worrying you,” she apologized before looking up at him, a look of determination on her face. “B-but, I-I’m gonna do my best to be more careful, so I can help the most amount of people I can. I’m going to work extra hard now to become the number one hero!” Katsuki smiled at her passion.
“I believe you,” he said, pressing a kiss to her temple, and just like that, her confidence dissipated and she was overcome with embarrassment once again. He chuckled at her reactions as their peers shuffled in behind them.
“Oh no, what did you do to her?” Uraraka asked, noticing the look on her friend’s face. Katsuki gave her a challenging look, tightening his hold on the girl in his arms.
“N-nothing!” Izuku stuttered, waving her hands around. “He didn’t do anything to me, promise!” Uraraka gave an unconvinced pout, but decided to let it go.
“Bakugou, please place Midoriya on one of the beds,” Recovery Girl asked. He nodded and did as he was told without complaint. A few of their more injured peers flopped down onto beds too, while others went ahead and began dressing their own minor wounds.
“Th-thanks, Kacchan,” Izuku said as he gently set her down on the bed. She let out a squeak of surprise as he slipped onto the bed next to her, pulling her close to him. Across from them, Iida and Uraraka balked, their faces turning red.
“Th-that is highly inappropriate, Bakugou!” Iida ranted, waving his arms up and down while Uraraka spat in surprise.
“Shut up, four eyes, ‘m not doin’ anything,” Katsuki mumbled into Izuku’s hair, closing his eyes and relaxing against her. Recovery Girl came over to them and shook her head in exasperation.
“Bakugou, I’m going to have to ask you to move so I can examine Midoriya,” she spoke. Before Katsuki could get a word out, Izuku spoke up.
“A-actually, Recovery Girl, could you please look at Kacchan first?” she asked, concern lacing her voice. “He got hit by some girls Quirk and it’s making him act, um, strangely. I just want to make sure he’s okay. I can wait.” Katsuki smiled into Izuku’s hair before sitting up, pulling her into his lap. He rested his chin on the top of her head and leveled Recovery Girl with a blank look.
“Very well,” Recovery Girl sighed. She began examining Katsuki for injuries, doing her best to work around Izuku, who he refused to let out of his grasp. Once Recovery Girl determined that the Quirk he was hit with wasn’t negatively affecting him physically, she turned to Izuku and bandaged up her fingers and her other wounds. Katsuki admonished her recklessness again, to which Izuku stuttered out apologies, promising to be more careful in the future. Their peers looked on in utter confusion, unnerved by his change in behavior. He was usually so pumped and cocky after a fight, but now he was subdued and quiet, focusing solely on keeping Izuku in his arms. He traced meaningless patterns into her skin, before he kissed the nape of her neck, causing her to ‘eek’ in surprise. Everyone else let out cries of surprise as well, entirely caught off guard.
“Ka-Kacchan!!” she shrieked, entire face bright red. “Wh-what are you doing!?”
“Kissing you,” he said bluntly, like it was the most casual thing in the world.
“Bakugou!” Recovery Girl reprimanded, “that is highly inappropriate! Midoriya is still healing, and that sort of activity is not permitted.”
“What? I’m jus’ kissin’ her, i’s’not that big of a deal,” he said with a shrug, nuzzling her shoulders and neck.
“Bro, why are you so touchy-feely with her?” Kirishima asked.
“Because I love her,” he replied easily, “and I want to be close to her.”
“ Huuuuuuuuuh !?” Everyone yelled in unison, utterly gobsmacked.
“Ka-Kacchan!” Izuku stuttered, mind kicking into overdrive. “Y-y-you love me!?”
“Of course I do,” he said, bringing her injured fingers up to his lips to kiss them. “I’ve loved you for a while, Izuku. I really wanna marry you, one day,” he murmured into her bandaged digits.
“ HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUH !?” their classmates cried again, louder this time.
“What?” he asked them, face slightly confused. He knows he’s not an overtly affectionate person, but he thought everyone had figured it out.
“Y-you can’t just drop a bomb on us like that!” Ashido argued, looking gobsmacked.
“Well, t’tell you the truth, I don’t really care what you guys think when it comes to my feelings for Izuku,” he said honestly, closing his eyes and leaning into her. “You love me too, don’t you Izuku?” he asked her quietly, a little afraid of the answer. “But, I understand if you don’t feel the same way, because I really don’t deserve you, especially after everything I did to you when we were kids.” He hid his face in her shoulder as he curled around her.
“Izuku, I’m so sorry for everything I’ve done, I wish I could take it all back.”
“Ka-Katsuki,” Izuku murmured, placing her uninjured hand on his head. “I’ve already forgiven you, it’s okay.” He gritted his teeth and shook his head into her nape, tears pricking at his eyes.
“It’s not okay,” he argued, voice hoarse. “I was horrible to you, and I’m so sorry.”
“What did you do?” someone asked curiously, and Katsuki sighed.
“I bullied her for being Quirkless as a kid,” he muttered into her skin. “I was relentless, putting her down at every chance I had. Fuck, I even told her to take a swan dive off of the roof of our school,” he bit out, tears now flowing down his face. Everyone gasped at the news, understandably horrified. Good, he deserved to be hated, especially since he had dared to try and hurt Izuku over something she couldn’t control.
“Katsuki, I told you, it’s okay,” Izuku insisted.
“ It’s not !” he shouted, silencing the room. “It’s not okay, I don’t know how I can ever make it okay.”
“Katsuki,” Izuku said in an imploring fashion. “I’ve already forgiven you. Yes, you were, mean to me, but it never got me down. What hurt the most was the fact that I thought you hated me.”
“I tried,” he admitted. “That’s mostly why I did what I did. It hurt, loving you, so I tried to make myself hate you, or at least have you hate me, but that hurt even more, and at that point I couldn’t go back.”
“Could you guys please give us some privacy?” Izuku asked pleadingly. He heard everyone shuffle out of the room, leaving them relatively alone in the room together.
“Kacchan, I had no idea you felt that way,” she soothed, reaching her hand back and petting his head. Tears still flowed down his face and onto the back of her school uniform while she pet him. “But I could never hate you, Kacchan.”
“You should,” he told her, sniffing. “You should hate me with your entire being, and I would deserve it, but you’re so good that you forgave an asshole like me. I don’t deserve you, Izuku, and I know it’s selfish of me to try and keep you to myself when you deserve so much better, but I can’t bring myself to let you go. I’m, I’m so, so sorry.”
“Katsuki, look at me,” she instructed, causing him to lift his head up so he could look at her. “I’ve loved you for a very long time,” she admitted, causing him to gasp audibly. “But I never said or did anything because I thought you hated me, but I now realize that’s not the case. So, Kacchan, if it’s okay with you, I’d like to pursue a relationship with you.
“Because it doesn’t matter if you think you deserve me or not,” she continued before he could object, “what matters is that I love you, and you love me, and I want to be with you. What about you, Kacchan?” Katsuki felt his breath hitch as his tears started anew. Fuck, Izuku loved him, and wanted to pursue a relationship with him. Shit, he was so fucking in love with her.
“Please,” he whispered, almost inaudibly. Izuku shifted in his lap so she could more easily look at him. “I, I want to be with you too.”
“Can I kiss you?” she asked softly, her hands cradling his face. He nodded quickly and Izuku gently pulled his head down so their lips could meet. It wasn’t fireworks like in the movies; it felt like coming home, feeling safe and loved. Maybe that was just how Izuku generally made him feel. Her lips were slightly chapped, but warm against his own, making his heart flutter. The sat there, content in each other’s embrace, ever so slightly moving their lips against one another.
His head swam somewhat as he pulled back, focus hazy and distorted. He shook his head as his vision cleared, and he looked up to see Deku sitting in his lap. Shit.
“Deku,” he murmured, voice hoarse from crying.
“Are you back to normal now?” she asked with a smile, causing his stupid heart to do stupid things. Stupid Deku. “Do you have any memories of what happened?”
“Yes,” he grumbled, ducking his head in shame and embarrassment. “I... I meant everything I said, y’know.”
“I know, Kacchan,” she soothed, pressing a kiss to his hair that did not make his heart rate pick up. “I meant everything I said, too.”
“So... what now?” he asked tentatively.
“Well, we could have dinner?” she posed, tilting her head cutely. He couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled from his throat as he fondly shook his head.
“Tsk, if that’s what you want, shitty nerd,” he replied with a roll of his eyes. “But I’m picking where we go, you have a shitty taste in food.”
“At least I can actually taste, Kacchan!” Deku exclaimed in an almost affronted manner. “I don’t know how you still have tastebuds with how much spicy food you eat!” Katsuki chuckled at her expression and she too dissolved into a fit of giggles.
“Don’t think this means I wont be number one, idiot,” he warned. “Just because I like you doesn’t mean I’m not gonna beat your ass in the rankings. I’m not gonna go easy on you.”
“I would be offended if you did, Kacchan,” she teased, pecking him on the nose like a fucking dork. “And just so you know, I’m gonna be number one.”
“Like Hell!” he barked, smiling as Deku let out carefree giggles, looking so happy in his arms. He could get used to this.