Work Text:
“Hey Round Face, why hasn’t Deku come down yet?”
Katsuki’s in the middle of a warm-up for his and the nerd’s regular workout sessions. Can’t fucking slack off in the pro hero business, even when you’re just a student.
Deku should know better.
“Um,” Round Face looks embarrassed for a second. She rolls back her yoga mat, which she’d already been in the middle of unrolling. She shoots a furtive look around and only yelps a quick, “I don’t know! Must have forgotten!”
Round Face makes her escape to the other side of the room.
Katsuki frowns. That doesn’t sound like the nerd. It’s not like him to bail on a session without saying anything.
But Katsuki’s already done warming up and he guesses he can let this one slide.
Okay, the first time is a fucking fluke, but the third time?
Katsuki focuses on bench presses instead of the nagging feeling that something is wrong.
Is Deku avoiding him? Had he done something last week? He’d snuck in sriracha in the nerd’s food, to get him used to the inevitable spicy meals they’ll be sharing. Can’t be that, right?
Maybe the "three times in a week" workout sessions were too much? The nerd even refused to meet his eyes in class, scurrying off after every period.
What’s the fucking matter? He thought they’d gotten past all that shit.
He’d resolved to wait at Deku’s room before the workout ended. If Deku isn’t coming to him, then he’ll go to Deku.
He has a spare key anyway.
“Wah-chan!” Deku all but air smashes the fuck out of Katsuki when he sees Katsuki in his room, just laying casually on the bed like it’s his own. Which in a way, it is.
“W-what are you doing here?” Deku looks down, in embarrassment? But Katsuki can see that his eyebrows are furrowed in confusion.
“Hey, look at me nerd.” Deku looks up, green eyes worried. It reminds Katsuki of their childhood, of bruises and thoughtless words. The thought twists his heart painfully. He hopes it doesn’t show.
Katsuki pats the side of the bed. Deku hurries to sit, back again to studiously avoiding his gaze. He fidgets with his fingers--one of the nerd's nervous habits.
“Why have you been avoiding me?” Katsuki starts to break the dead air, trying not to make it sound like an accusation.
“Um, no reason! I think I was just really tired this week…”
“But even in class? What’s up? Is it me?” Katsuki tries to get a good look at Deku’s face. After a year with Deku, Katsuki is an expert at reading those all-too-expressive eyes. But Deku stubbornly keeps looking away.
Katsuki waits, fighting the urge to lash out in anger. He's better than that. Plus, he knows from experience that the nerd will spill it sooner or later.
It ends up being later, but at least Deku spills anyway.
“No, it's not you! It’s me!” Deku wails, smashing his face behind a pillow. He stands to get an object from his desk. When he gets back to the bed, he holds out an open hand.
Katsuki sees the object and is confused.
“Uh, it’s a broken hair tie?”
“Yes, exactly!” Deku sounds like he’s sobbing. “It’s what you gave me! The limited-edition All Might hair tie. You know, since my hair’s getting too wild for our sessions.”
Jesus, this fucking nerd is hopeless. Katsuki barks out a laugh. “Deku, you really thought I’d be worried over this?”
Deku’s silent, pondering. “Mm, yeah? I know you spent a lot on it, and I broke it, just a month later.”
“Deku, I don’t care about that shit.” Katsuki pulls Deku into a hug, ruffling those too messy curls that Deku refuses to cut just because he wants to grow out his hair like All Might. “I’ll just get you another hair tie. Since it looks like you break ties as often as you break your arms.”
“Kacchan!!” Deku punches Katsuki’s shoulder, and Katsuki’s reminded of how much of a powerhouse his boyfriend is, even with those arms Deku’s abused. “I’m taking care of myself much more now.”
Katsuki tsks, remembering last week’s training session where Deku ran headfirst into a fallen building, all because Katsuki was “stuck” in the center.
Rest assured, Katsuki was not actually stuck yet Deku risked his neck again like he always does.
“You’re a fucking liar, Deku. But it’s fine. That’s what you have me for.” Katsuki presses a soft kiss to Deku’s forehead, thankful for the nth time for the inches he has on Deku.
“Even if I break a million hair ties?”
“Jesus, Deku. You broke my arm last week in our sparring session.”
Deku giggles, pulling away to stick out his tongue. “That’s totally different, and that’s just par for the hero course.”
“Doesn’t mean it’s any better, nerd.” Katsuki rolls his eyes, but he goes back to petting Deku’s hair fondly. “Anyway,” he presses another kiss into Deku’s curls, “I wouldn’t want you any other way.”