Chapter Text
It was the day before their graduation, the last day of being class 3-A. Izuku still couldn’t believe it. In just twenty-four hours, they were going to go their separate ways, never to be together the same way again.
In honour of going their separate ways, the class had decided to throw a going-away party. Momo even agreed to supply them with alcohol, something she would usually never agree to.
The party was going pretty well, laughter echoing around the common room, and Izuku smiled softly as he sat on the couch with Uraraka and Iida. They were talking about how excited they were to become Sidekicks. Izuku felt a small ache in his chest at the thought of leaving them behind. He would miss these conversations, Iida’s aggressive affection, Uraraka’s gentle teasing, all of it.
“We can all rent out an apartment together,” Uraraka said, smiling.
“That would be a very financially conscious decision,” Iida replied, his hands cutting through the air. Izuku thought he could hear them if he concentrated hard enough.
“What do you think, Deku?” Uraraka asked.
“I think that’d be a great idea,” Izuku said, grinning. “Although, I was planning on living with my mom for a while, so we might have to wait.”
“That’ll give us lots of time to plan everything out, then!” Uraraka said, laughing as she pulled Izuku and Iida in for a hug. Izuku let his head rest on her shoulder as he examined the room. He found his eyes wandering over to where Kirishima was sitting, an angry blond cursing at the redhead. Katsuki had challenged Kirishima to a poker game earlier, and if the blond’s face was anything to go by, he was losing.
“Hey, I’ll be right back,” Izuku heard himself say. He ignored the way Uraraka’s eyes followed him as he walked away, and the small, knowing smirk on her face as she watched him.
When he got over to the kitchen counter, he helped himself to a large glass of the purple punch. He’d been avoiding it all night because Kaminari had taken a swan dive into the couch after one glass, but his curiosity had worn him out.
As he took a small sip, he scanned the room again. Uraraka and Iida had started playing UNO, which Izuku didn’t even know they had , and saw Tsuyu walk over to join them. She made herself comfortable in Uraraka’s lap, which made Izuku smile. Those two had been going out since the end of their second year, but had only started becoming comfortable with public displays of affection recently.
Momo and Jiro were arguing with Denki about something, and though Izuku couldn’t hear exactly what they were saying, he could gather it had something to do with Momo not wanting to make Kaminari a sword while he was drunk. Izuku didn’t know if that was a good idea even when Kaminari was sober.
He sighed, leaning back on the counter. Even though everyone’s voices were clashing together, they all seemed to blend, creating a white noise that felt so peaceful. There was something so beautifully intimate about that moment, Izuku leaning back, admiring his classmates for what he knew would be the last time. It was beautiful, but so very bittersweet.
“Oi, nerd, why do you look stoned,” a voice called. Izuku tried to will away the blush he got when he heard that voice.
He’d had a crush on Katsuki since the end of their first year, but hadn't said a word to the angry blond. It had made sense at the time. Telling Katsuki would only make things awkward between the two of them, and that was the last thing Izuku wanted, especially when they had just started getting along again.
Now, though, they weren’t in that same place. They had a stable friendship, one built upon their three years of growing mutual trust and respect. Even if Katsuki was still a bit rude to Izuku, he was that way to everyone. Katsuki had grown, though, and his relationship with Izuku was probably the biggest example of that. They were probably the closest to each other, something they never could have imagined happening back in their first year.
“I had a sip of that punch Mina put together,” Izuku replied, noticing his words were a little slurred. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Katsuki roll his eyes.
“You’ve gotta be kidding. You had Pinky’s death juice?” Katsuki asked. Izuku smiled softly, because he could see the worry hiding in those crimson eyes, could hear the lack of venom in Katsuki’s words, and marvelled at how far they’d come.
“Is that what they’re calling it?” Izuku asked, going to take another sip of his glass. Before he could, though, it was being snatched from his hand. “Hey!”
“She mixed, like, eight different types of alcohol in this,” Katsuki said, pouring the punch down the sink. Izuku watched mournfully as his drink was thrown away. It tasted good, too. “You’re a lightweight, there’s no way you’re gonna be okay.”
“How do you know I’m a lightweight? I don’t even drink,” Izuku snapped, pouting. He was surprised by how much he already missed the faint grape taste of the punch.
“You look like you’re about to pass out and you had one sip,” Katsuki replied, grabbing Izuku’s hand. Izuku felt his face heat up as Katsuki laced their fingers together, pulling Izuku away from the counter. “C’mon, I’m gonna take you back to your room before you end up doing something stupid.”
“What’s the worst thing I could do,” Izuku grumbled, yanking his hand away from Katsuki. “And since when were you my mom? I can make my own choices, thank you very much.”
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” Katsuki snapped, following Izuku as he went to rejoin Uraraka, Tsuyu, and Iida. “For the record: this is a bad idea.”
“Do I look like I care?” Izuku asked, smirking as he sat down next to Uraraka, who looked at him like he was an alien.
“Uh…” she said, looking up at Katsuki, who rolled his eyes.
“He got drunk off one sip of Pinky’s poison,” Katsuki said, flicking Izuku’s forehead. “I knew he was a lightweight, but this is just sad.”
“Oh shut up Kacchan,” Izuku muttered, resting his head on Uraraka’s shoulder.
“You really are drunk,” she said, grinning. Tsuyu let out a small chuckle. “I didn’t think I’d ever see you tell Bakugou to shut up.”
“Getting drunk is very irresponsible Midoriya,” Iida said, waving his arms through the air. Izuku sighed.
“Whatever,” he grumbled.
“I should’ve just dragged you to your room,” Katsuki sighed, flopping down next to Izuku on the couch. “You’re way too annoying when you're drunk.”
“I’m fine, you’re just a buzzkill,” Izuku said, trying to ignore the way his heart hammered when Katsuki’s hand brushed against his. “It’s not like I’m wasted, just a little lightheaded.”
“Yeah, sure,” Katsuki snorted, crossing his arms.
“Are you sure you’re gonna be okay, Midoriya?” Tsuyu asked, wrapping her arms around Uraraka’s neck. “You look a little…”
“Like shit?” Katsuki offered, which earned him a swat on the arm from Izuku. “You know I’m right.”
“I know you’re an asshole,” Izuku grumbled, sinking into the couch, ignoring the way his arm brushed against Katsuki’s.
“Would you rather I be nice to you?” Katsuki huffed, and something about his voice made Izuku pause, their eyes meeting for a second too long, the silence stretching out a second too much. “Yeah, didn’t think so.”
“Why would I ever not want you to be nice to me?” Izuku said, raising an eyebrow.
“It’d be weird,” Katsuki replied. “You’re the nice one.”
“That doesn’t mean you can’t be nice,” Izuku grumbled. Uraraka and Tsuyu had started talking about something else, ignoring them, and Iida had walked off to talk to Todoroki. Izuku blushed when he realized what Uraraka was doing.
Back when they were in the first term of their second year, Uraraka had told Izuku about her crush on Tsuyu, and he told her about Katsuki in return. Since then, Izuku had helped Uraraka with her plan to confess to Tsuyu, their first date, and much more. And since then, Uraraka had been trying to get Izuku to confess to Katsuki. Lately, she’d been getting a little less subtle about her hints.
Well, a bit more than a little.
She glanced over at Izuku and winked, confirming his suspicion that this had all been orchestrated. He would be upset if it wasn’t for the fact that he was about to burst out laughing.
Being drunk was different than he’d thought it would be. Not that he’d thought about it much, but still.
“No shit it’s different, you dork,” Katsuki said, flicking Izuku’s forehead. “It’s different for everyone, and you’re probably the worst of anyone here.”
“How?” Izuku asked, his face heating up as he realized he’d said that out loud.
“You're barely drunk but you’re acting like you’ve been drinking all night,” Katsuki said, leaning back. “It’s pathetic.”
“Fine, then I’ll actually get drunk!” Izuku snapped, which made Katsuki sit up quickly.
“That is so not what I meant you fucking idiot,” Katsuki snapped, trying to grab Izuku and failing as Izuku scrambled off the couch and went over to the kitchen, sticking his tongue out at Katsuki.
“It’s not my fault you didn’t think to clarify,” Izuku grumbled, filling up another glass with the same punch he’d had earlier. Katsuki tried to grab it from him, but Izuku quickly swallowed half the cup before he could.
“You’re so dumb,” Katsuki said as Izuku set the cup down, coughing. The fruity flavour didn’t bother him when it was just a small sip, but it became very intense when you drank a lot at once.
“Oh, c’mon Kacchan, it’s my last chance to do this,” Izuku replied, sticking his tongue out. “This is our last party as a class, and I can’t just graduate without getting drunk at a party at least once.” Izuku laughed, but something about the way Katsuki was looking at him made him pause. “What?”
“Okay, fine, but I’m gonna need some fucking alcohol in my system if I have to put up with a drunk Deku,” Katsuki said, getting a glass of punch for himself.
“Maybe you’ll be even more of a lightweight than me,” Izuku joked as he took another sip of his punch.
“That’d be impossible,” Katsuki said, taking a sip and promptly wrinkling his nose. “Fucking hell, what’s in this? It’s disgusting.”
“It tastes a little fruity, don’t you think?” Izuku asked, which earned him a glare.
“It tastes like shit,” Katsuki said, taking another sip and coughing. “How did you down half a cup of this like it was nothing?”
Izuku blushed, swatting Katsuki’s arm. “Shut up you drama queen, it’s not that bad.”
“What the fuck kinda fruit were you tasting?” Katsuki asked as he continued to sip at his cup, coughing after each. “Fuck, this is awful.”
“Yet you’re still drinking it,” Izuku noted. Katsuki glared at him, setting his cup down on the counter beside him as he crossed his arms defensively. Izuku loved watching him when he got like this. He looked like an angry puppy. Izuku could never take him seriously.
“It’s not like there’re any other drink options,” Katsuki grumbled. “We don’t exactly have the best bar here.”
“Yeah, but you could have just asked Momo to make you something else, or ust not get drunk,” Izuku said, and judging by the glare his comment earned him, it was an option Katsuki hadn’t considered.
“Okay, fine, maybe I could’ve asked Yayo-what’s-her-name but I can’t not get drunk,” Katsuki said. Izuku chose to ignore the fact that he still couldn’t remember Momo’s name after having been in the same class as her for three years.
“Why not?”
“I already told you, if I have to put up with a drunk Deku, then I’m gonna need some support of my own,” Katsuki replied, taking another sip. Another grimace accompanied it.
Izuku laughed, the sound ringing around the two of them as they stood there in their own little world. His eyes were closed as he giggled, so he couldn’t see the way Katsuki’s eyes softened, or the faint hint of a smile that danced across Katsuki’s lips as he watched Izuku. The white noise didn’t exist for a moment, time stopping itself for their enjoyment.
“You really are ridiculous, Kacchan,” Izuku said, taking a small sip from his own cup.
“Yeah, yeah, whatever nerd,” Katsuki said. “Anyway, why are you suddenly so okay with being a rule breaker? I thought you were the biggest goody-two-shoes in the class.”
“I’m not that bad, am I?” Izuku muttered, frowning. “I thought I was getting better at branching out.”
“I never said that was a bad thing,” Katsuki grumbled. “And you still haven’t told me why you wanna get wasted. I get it’s our last day as third-years, but c’mon, that can’t be the only reason you’re doing this.”
“Kirishima’s losing to Todoroki in their card game,” Izuku said. His face was flaming, his gut was twisting, and he knew if he didn’t get rid of Katsuki immediately he would say something stupid, and would be regretting it soon. “You should go help him out.”
What he was doing wasn’t fair, he knew that. It wasn’t like it was Katsuki’s fault that Izuku had been in love with him for years, and pushing him away was sure to make the blond mad. He could feel Katsuki watching him, trying to figure out what he was thinking, but Izuku wouldn’t, couldn’t , tell him. Next to him, Katsuki sighed, which made Izuku’s chest tighten uncomfortably.
“Fine,” Katsuki said, pushing himself off the counter, taking his cup with him. “Whatever.”
Izuku felt the guilt bubble as Katsuki walked away, but as much as he wanted to call him back and confess everything he’d been repressing since they were fifteen, he just couldn’t. He’d never been able to, never would be able to, not when he knew Katsuki didn’t feel the same way.
He went to sit back with Uraraka, Tsuyu, and Iida, but when he went over to the couch no one was there. Izuku sighed. Of course they weren’t.
His head was beginning to feel fuzzy, the glass of punch he’d had finally starting to kick in. It was different than he’d thought it would be, but everything about alcohol had been surprising him. He found himself taking a back seat in his brain, the voices in his head that kept him from doing or saying stupid things turning off.
It was so nice. He would even say it was freeing.
He knew the real reason he didn’t want to be sobre. It was hard enough to think about leaving class 3-A, but the thought of never seeing Katsuki again had been eating away at him for weeks.
If he wanted a little help getting through the night, who could blame him?
He made his way over to Momo, Jiro, and Denki, not wanting to go over to Kirishima since Katsuki had walked over there.
“Hey Deku, can you help me convince Momo that I’m not a fire hazard right now?” Kaminari called when he saw Izuku walking over to them. Jiro smacked him.
“You asked me if you could see god when you short-circuit while using your quirk,” Jiro said, frowning.
“I never said that!” Kaminari squawked, his voice overly-offended and far too loud for how close to everyone he was.
“You kind of did, actually,” Momo chimed in.
“Thank you,” Jiro said, leaning her head on Momo’s shoulder. Kaminari stuck his tongue out at her, and she stuck out hers right back.
“Well it’s not my fault you ears aren’t working,” Kaminari grumbled.
“You’re words have been slurring all night, I don’t think I’m the unreliable one here,” Jiro replied, laughing.
“I’m totally reliable! I bet I could win a game of-of-what’s the card game you’re best at?!” Kaminari said.
“Crazy eights,” Jiro replied without missing a beat.
“Fine then, I bet I’ll win a game of crazy eights against you!” Kaminari said, puffing out his chest. Izuku admired the spectacle from afar, affection swelling in his chest for his wonderful friends.
“Okay, but Deku and Yaomomo have to play too,” Jiro said. “It’ll be me and her against you and Deku.”
“No fair! Momo’s too smart, you guys’ll win for sure,” Kaminari grumbled. Izuku wished he could be offended by that, but Momo was the smartest person in their class, so he couldn’t blame Denki.
“Deku’s super smart, he’ll easily make up for your idiocy,” Jiro said, flicking Kaminari’s forehead.
“I’ll try my best to help us win, Kaminari, I promise,” Izuku chimed in.
“Okay, but what are you two even betting on?” Momo asked. When the other three looked at her like she was speaking Greek, she sighed. “You guys said you were gonna bet on something, but never actually labelled the stakes.”
“If Denki loses he admits he was wrong,” Jiro replied immediately.
“And if I win?” Kaminari asked.
“I don’t know, you pick your reward,” Jiro said, rolling her eyes.
“Okay, then you have to admit I’m super reliable and always tell the truth,” Kaminari said. Jiro looked like she was regretting all her life decisions, but Izuku couldn’t really defend her, since she had said that Kaminari could choose whatever reward he wanted.
“Okay, then we’ll play three games, and the person who wins two out of three wins,” Momo said, shuffling the cards with a precision that made Izuku stare in awe.
“Let’s make it a drinking game too!” Kaminari said, clapping his hands together happily.
“Why would we do that?” Jiro asked.
“For fun, duh,” Kaminari replied.
“How would that work?” Izuku asked, leaning forward as Jiro slapped Kaminari.
“We could make the losers drink one cup of Mina’s punch when they lose,” Momo offered. “Both people on a team have to drink one cup.”
“I’d be okay with that,” Jiro said, smiling at Momo like she was everything good in the world.
“Yeah, me too,” Izuku said. Kaminari groaned.
“Man, I’m gonna have such a bad hangover tomorrow,” Kaminari groaned, laughing. “But yeah, sounds good. Get ready to lose.”
Kaminari and Izuku lost the first game miserably, with Momo losing her cards first and Jiro following a couple minutes after. The alcohol seemed to go down easier the more of it Izuku had, and he appreciated that if he had to lose, he didn’t have to be uncomfortable. The second game, they somehow managed to pull ahead, winning against Momo and Jiro by some miracle of luck.
However, in the final round, Izuku and Kaminari ended up losing. The alcohol had kicked in fully at that point, so Izuku couldn’t even be mad about losing.
He was finding out a lot about himself, like the fact that he was a happy drunk. He’d never heard himself giggle that much in one sitting before in his life. He was also surprisingly clingy while drunk. Kaminari was the perfect person to be around for this, since he was a naturally cuddly person, and didn’t even blink when Izuku started cuddling him.
It felt like someone was watching them, but Izuku brushed it off, since there was surely no one who’d be watching him, right? Everyone had been minding their own business the last time he checked, so why would that change now?
He excused himself after Kaminari and he lost, not wanting to get in the middle of what was sure to be a long argument between the blond and Jiro. Momo held back a chuckle as Izuku left, most likely knowing why he was choosing to leave. He could see some hesitation in her eyes when Kaminari and Jiro actually started talking, though, like she was considering leaving as well.
Izuku hadn’t realized just how many people had gone to bed in the time they’d been playing, since there were only about four groups of people left when he got up.
Uraraka and Tsuyu were huddled in a corner, whispering to each other and giggling occasionally. Izuku smiled. They seemed very relaxed, like they were in their own little world, and he didn’t want to disturb that peace.
Mina was trying to do a handstand in the corner as Hagakure cheered her on, with Ojiro trying to stop them. It was pretty obvious that they were all tipsy, and Izuku had a feeling that avoiding them would be the better choice.
That left Kirishima’s group. Kirishima had started a game of chess against Todoroki, and looked like he was losing. Izuku couldn’t focus on that though, because Katsuki was staring at him.
Just, unabashed staring.
Right at him.
Izuku vaguely wondered when the last time Katsuki blinked was, because it certainly hadn’t been any time soon. He shifted uncomfortably. He didn’t know how to behave under the blond’s intense stare, and decided to fidget with the hem of his shirt.
“Hey, Deku, do you want to come join us?” Kirishima asked, waving Izuku over. Izuku froze. He didn’t want to join them, but he couldn’t exactly say no without admitting he was avoiding Katsuki.
That and the fogginess in his brain were the reason he nodded and sat down next to Todoroki, trying not to think about how Katsuki’s eyes were fixed on him. The chess game continued, but Izuku wasn’t paying attention. Every few seconds, his eyes would flicker to Katsuki’s, and he would chuckle and look away. He was too drunk to even notice if Todoroki and Kirishima had noticed their staring contest yet.
As Mina and Hagakure were dragged to bed by Ojiro, Izuku glanced at the clock and noticed the time. It was well past two in the morning, and they’d all probably be waking up tomorrow with massive hangovers.
“Man, I’m exhausted,” Kirishima said as he lost for the third time in a row against Todoroki. “I think you’ve beaten me in every game we have.”
“It is getting pretty late,” Todoroki noted, even as he set up the chess board again.
“You idiots should go to sleep if you’re just gonna whine about how tired you are,” Katsuki complained, slouching back on the couch.
“But it’s too early to sleep,” Izuku whined, leaning on Todoroki, who chuckled at his antics. He could’ve sworn that he saw Katsuki’s jaw tic, but decided to ignore it. “There’s still too much time left in today, we need to savour it!”
“You probably need sleep more than any of us, Midoriya,” Todoroki said, winding his arm around Izuku’s shoulders.
“I think I’m gonna retire for tonight,” Kirishima yawned, standing as he stretched. He turned towards Katsuki. “Are you gonna go to sleep too?”
“No, you can go on without me,” Katsuki replied, looking at the ground.
“Okay, what about you guys?” Kirishima asked as he turned towards Izuku and Todoroki. Todoroki stood up, while Izuku rested his chin in his hands.
“I should go to sleep as well,” Todorki said. The two turned towards Izuku.
He considered going with them for a second. It would be the smarter thing to do. If he stayed, there was a high chance of him saying something irreversibly stupid to Katsuki. He was too drunk to differentiate between what he should and shouldn’t say, but he also knew that if he went to his room he would break down the second the door closed.
He really didn’t want to be alone tonight.
So he stayed.
“No, I think I’ll stay up for a bit longer,” Izuku said. Todoroki and Kirishima nodded, starting to walk away.
“Sleep well,” Todoroki called as he exited the common room. Izuku smiled, even as he could feel his chest twist. It was so very bittersweet, the realization that he’d never get a moment like that with Todoroki again. The night was slowly coming to an end, and Izuku felt like he’d barely savoured it. Half of it was a blur, and the other half felt like it had happened at twice the speed that time usually passed.
“So, what do you wanna do, Deku?” a voice called. It had an immediate calming effect on Izuku, sending the tension out of his shoulders.
“Do you want to watch a movie?” he asked looking over at Katsuki. At some point, Jiro, Momo, and Kaminari had gone to bed, and it was just the two of them. Katsuki nodded as he stood up.
“The T.V in here’s shit, though, you do realize that, right?” he said.
“Yeah, I know, but where else are we gonna watch a movie?” Izuku asked. Katsuki crossed his arms, looking oddly vulnerable.
“We could watch it on my computer, but we’d have to go to my room,” Katsuki said. Izuku felt his face heat up at the thought of going to Katsuki’s room. It made sense, though. The common room television was fine for watching a movie with a group, but the terrible quality became more of an issue when there were only one or two people using the T.V.
“Yeah, okay,” Izuku said.
The walk up to Katsuki’s room was quiet. To pass the time, Izuku began counting his breaths. He made it up to seventy-eight when they got up to the second floor, and Katsuki paused awkwardly in front of his door for a second before letting Izuku in.
“What do you want to watch?” Izuku asked as he stood awkwardly in Katsuki’s doorway, not moving an inch. Katsuki grabbed his computer and looked back at Izuku, furrowing his eyebrows.
“Why are you just standing there like a mannequin?” Katsuki scoffed. He patted the empty spot next to him on the bed. “You aren’t gonna see shit if you just stand there all night, you fucking nerd. C’mon, sit down.”
“O-okay, Kacchan,” Izuku muttered, making sure to leave lots of space between Katsuki and him. His plan to stay away from Katsuki was quickly ruined when Katsuki yanked Izuku closer to him, so that they were right next to each other. Izuku could feel every spot where their bodies touched. It was all heightened. The way their knuckles would knock into each other every few seconds, their legs being lined up perfectly next to each other, the way Katsuki’s shoulder would bump into Izuku’s the second Izuku stopped actively avoiding him.
“What do you think about an All Might documentary?” Katsuki asked. Izuku nodded enthusiastically, grinning.
No more words were exchanged as the movie was put on, and they both enjoyed it in comfortable silence, enjoying each other’s company. Izuku could feel the exhaustion settling in, his eyes drifting shut every few minutes.
Izuku didn’t dare breathe when he felt Katsuki’s head rest against his shoulder, the blond hair tickling his chin. He was surprised by just how soft it was, and was struck with the urge to comb his hands through it. But he knew that was an action he wasn’t privy to, a line that he wasn’t allowed to cross. Still, he couldn’t find it in himself to feel guilty when he rested his own head on top of Katsuki’s.
If Katsuki had leaned on him first, could anyone really say he was in the wrong?
It wasn’t until ten minutes had gone by with Katsuki’s even breathing beside him that Izuku realized he was asleep. He turned to look at Katsuki, and sure enough, the blond’s eyes were closed, his lips slightly parted. He looked so peaceful.
Izuku wished that he could freeze this moment in time, hold onto Katsuki for even a moment longer, freeze the image of what Katsuki’s sleeping face looked like so he could hold onto it forever.
Even more, he wished that he could have a future of this. It was selfish, he knew, but Izuku didn’t want stolen moments of admiration with Katsuki. He wanted to wake up early in Katsuki’s bed to admire his peaceful face as he was sleeping, wanted to bring Katsuki home to his mom and introduce him as his boyfriend, wanted to take Katsuki out to dinner, to that restaurant he always loved. Wanted to watch the sunset a million times and never get bored of how the colours would reflect in Katsuki’s eyes.
He wanted a future with the person he loved, wanted the promise of more. But he couldn’t have that. He’d always known it, but looking at Katsuki’s face as he slept felt like a punch to the gut. Everything he wanted was right in front of him, but he wasn’t allowed to savour it, the invisible barriers keeping them forever together but separate.
“Hey, Kacchan?” Izuku muttered, testing the waters. He waited for a few minutes, and when he received no response, continued. “Do you know why I was so hell-bent on getting drunk tonight?”
Another pause. Katsuki didn’t even twitch. Izuku let himself drown in the bittersweet feeling of longing before he continued. “I’d never tell you this if you were awake, but I… Kacchan, I think you might be the love of my life.” Izuku chuckled, his eyes starting to water.
“Who would’ve known, huh? All those years of me chasing after you, and it ends with me loving you,” Izuku started to laugh. “I mean, seriously? I must be another level of idiotic.” The tears were flowing freely now, dripping into Izuku’s mouth. They were surprisingly salty. “I know you’d never feel the same, and why would you? I don’t even know why I feel like this.
“I thought I could just let it go, but we’re never gonna see each other again, right?” Izuku sighed, bringing his knees up under his chin. He buried his face in his knees, a small sob escaping him. “I love you so much, Kacchan. Sorry about that.”
Izuku brought his face out of his knees and looked over at Katsuki’s face. He was still resting peacefully, which made Izuku smile. He wiped the tears off his face and leaned back.
He paused for a second, admiring Katsuki’s face, before he leaned over and kissed Katsuki’s forehead, his lips gently brushing against the blond’s hair. He desperately hoped he hadn’t been mistaken about Katsuki being asleep, since he was almost positive that kissing someone goodnight crossed several platonic barriers.
“Whatever,” Izuku sighed. “Tonight isn’t supposed to be a sad night.” Izuku closed his eyes, the exhaustion that had been hanging over him finally taking him over. He smiled. Who cared if he wouldn’t get a future with Katsuki? He had all their memories, and the present. Wouldn’t that be enough?
“Goodnight, Kacchan,” Izuku mumbled as he felt darkness cloud his vision and drifted off to sleep.