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When Izuku was four, and still quirkless, he’d turned down Katsuki’s invitations to play with him for three days. It infuriated Katsuki to no end, drove him to leave an unpleasant voicemail for Deku through their landline that got him into trouble with his mom and Auntie Inko. He refused to apologize, because Katsuki wasn’t the one who blew all their plans off. They were supposed to explore that new trail they found in the woods, goddamnit. His mom laughed at him when he refused to play with the other neighborhood kids, and Auntie Inko gave him a soft smile and a gentle “be patient, Katsuki,” that told him she forgave him for the voicemail. The worst part about leaving that voicemail was that Deku never called back.
On the fourth day, Katsuki decided that enough was enough, and marched over to Deku’s house with clenched little fists and gritted teeth. He knew Auntie Inko was at work, so he didn’t hesitate to pound on their front door. He waited for maybe two, three minutes, before he realized that Deku wouldn’t open the door to strangers.
“Deku!” He hollered. “Open up, it’s me!”
This time, Katsuki could hear footsteps on the other side, and Katsuki steeled himself to berate Izuku when the door opened. Except now he was face to face with Izuku, and Katsuki didn’t know how he could’ve forgotten but Izuku’s eyes were really fucking green. The words he’d prepared in his head died in the back of his throat.
“Kacchan? What are you doing here?” Izuku’s cheeks were short a few freckles, Katsuki noticed. Lack of sun, his brain supplied, before it remembered why Deku wasn’t out in the sun and Katsuki’s stewing anger returned full force.
“What am I doing here? I came because your weak, stupid ass has been missing all the cool stuff I’ve been doing with the other kids!” That was a lie. Katsuki hadn’t played with anyone else the days Deku wasn’t there.
Deku parted his lips in a small little “oh.” Katsuki wanted an explanation.
“I’m so sorry Kacchan, but I’ve been really busy with something lately, and I couldn’t come out to play…”
“Hah?! What useless thing are you working on, you dumb nerd?” An oxymoron, but Katsuki didn’t know what that was yet. He was more concerned with the fact that Deku hadn’t invited him into his house yet. “Move aside, Deku,” he growled as he pushed past Deku’s shorter frame and into their tiny apartment.
“Ah, Kacchan,” Deku wailed as he trailed behind Katsuki, who poked his head into every room he passed, which, granted, were not that many. “What are you looking for? I can’t go outside to play today but if you want we can play with my All Might figurines. My mom got me a new one just yesterday! Do you want to see it?”
Katsuki was, in fact, curious about the new All Might figurine, but he opted to ignore Deku’s continued mumbling as he spotted something strange in Deku’s room. Crayons and coloring pencils spilled over Deku’s desk, and in the middle of it all sat a large thick paper filled with color. Katsuki marched over to it determinedly, but he faltered once the paper came into clear view.
“Deku,” he barked. “What is this?”
Deku stopped beside him, and Katsuki didn’t have to look to know his cheeks were flushed with color.
“It’s something I’ve—, um, it’s a pro—, a gift, a uh…”
Katsuki watched as Izuku took a steady breath and lifted the white paper himself. Except it wasn’t a white piece of paper. It was Katsuki and Izuku, together in bright colors and flashy outfits. Katsuki is adorned in shades of black and orange, and there was a silhouette of an explosion behind Katsuki’s corn yellow hair. Upon his shoulders, Katsuki recognized two round caricature bombs. His hand, drawn crudely by Deku’s own small fingers, is raised in the air in a triumphant fist. A wide smile painted hero Katsuki’s face as his other hand held on to the smaller Deku’s.
Mini Deku looked like a patriotic broccoli; green, red, white, and blue, clashing horrifically on his costumed body. It looked like a sicker version of All Might, Katsuki could admit, but at least Deku got his own freckles right, and his stupid messy hair, and his big wide eyes, and his easy happy smile. Exactly like the face he was doing now.
“Kacchan,” Izuku said, and this time there was excitement in his voice. “This is what I’ve been working on the past few days. I’ve been feeling a little bad lately, so my mom kept me inside so I wouldn’t get sick, and that’s when I got the idea to make this!” Izuku raised his drawing high, pride evident in his features.
“It’s us as heroes, Kacchan! Don’t you think we look so cool? We’ll be the greatest heroes since All Might!” Izuku hopped in place as he grew more excited. “Look, I made your costume out of your favorite colors, Kacchan! And I even added bombs and stuff because of your explosion quirk! You look so cool, Kacchan! And I’m right there next to you!”
Izuku was smiling so hard, his cheeks had to hurt. Stop smiling, Katsuki thought, you’re going to hurt your cheeks. But Izuku didn’t stop smiling, he simply grew brighter and brighter as he continued explaining his artistic choices and techniques to Katsuki, who listened to only half of it. Katsuki couldn’t stop staring at the glowing face in front of him, and at the joined hands on the white paper.
If Katsuki stared too long at either, his eyes started to hurt.