Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Interlude: A Bird That Doesn’t Sing, Hears

Keigo didn’t want to go inside.

It might not be safe to.

He got back 5 minutes ago, and he knew he was supposed to report to Kurogiri, but he was loitering outside the League of Villain’s base anyway. Simply because he thought he was about to overhear something.

“Blood isn’t a big deal. I deal with it all the time after jobs,” Dabi was saying. Keigo stiffened and pressed his ear against the door to listen closer. “I’m telling you, it’s fine. Let me take care of it.”

A soft sniffling noise followed his words. “But these were my favorite pants.”

“So? I bet they’ll be fine. What do you usually do?”

“It’s not usually this bad!”

Keigo frowned. That was Toga’s voice. Had she been out on some sort of murdering spree? What would have caused her to get an unusually large amount of blood on her pants?

“What if it doesn’t come out?”

“Then I’ll buy you a new pair, okay? No biggie.”

Keigo blinked. He’d never heard Dabi’s voice this soft before. He almost sounded nice.

Not possible, Keigo reminded himself. Evil villain. Mass murderer. Arsonist. Killed many people. Not nice.

“It’s just embarrassing,” Toga complained louder, and Dabi made no attempt to shush her. Considering she probably just killed a bunch of people, they should really keep it down. “It’s not like it’s easy to go out and buy supplies or anything. I’m literally wanted!”

Supplies? For what?

“I mean… I can always do it for you? I kinda know what to look for. My little sister—” Dabi cut himself off.

Keigo froze. A bead of sweat dripped from his hairline and fell from his chin. It wasn’t warm outside— quite the opposite, actually. He had his wings folded around him for warmth, but he still felt chills at what Dabi just said. He had a little sister? He had family?

“Nevermind,” Dabi said quickly, his voice even colder than the chilly air outside. Keigo heard the shuffle of footsteps, and their voices got fainter. “But it’s not embarrassing. Everyone who has a body like yours has to deal with it. It’s just easier for some than most.”

A body like hers? What does that—

Oh.

Ohhh.

Keigo realized he had seriously misunderstood this conversation.

Realizing he would no longer be able to catch any details on a possible murder through eavesdropping outside, he straightened up and pushed open the door.

Toga and Dabi were standing close together in the dimly lit bar, examining a pair of gray yoga pants. They jumped apart when Keigo entered.

“Oh. You.” Dabi’s tone was casual, but his gaze was cutting.

“Were you listening in outside?” Toga accused.

Keigo’s first instinct was to deny, but he knew that was the most suspicious thing he could do. Instead, he rolled his eyes and threw himself down on a seat in the corner. “So what if I was? It’s not like there was anything interesting to listen in on.”

“Well, I’m sorry we couldn’t be conveniently planning a murder for you,” Toga grinned, sticking her tongue out at him. He returned the gesture.

Honestly, he wasn’t sure which he preferred. Would it have been better for him to confirm that these people really did sit around and plot murders all the time? Was it worse now that he caught a glimpse of what they were like around each other? To hear that one had once had a family?

To see that they themselves were acting like… like a family?

It almost made his heart ache. To know these were people who could never have a happy ending. He couldn’t allow it. Because it would mean far less happy endings for many, many people.

Instead, he allowed himself to enjoy this moment. Kurogiri coming in to ask what everyone wanted for dinner, Dabi teasing Toga, who acted like what Keigo could only imagine was a properly indignant little sister. Who was worried over something as trivial as her period, because despite being a villain, she was also a completely normal person.

In a sense.

It was alarming, and almost scary, how human they became when he allowed himself to stop and listen. In a way, he’d reached an epiphany about them.

Keigo wished all misunderstandings could be solved simply by hearing, and seeking to understand.

Chapter Text

Can I Talk to You?

“Katsuki!”

His name rings through the house and gets no reply.

“Katsuki!” Another moment of silence. “I’m talking to you!”

Katsuki slowly lowers his headphones and pads over to the other side of the room. He pokes his head out into the hallway and, with no small feeling of contempt, decides to ignore his mom again.

Oh, it’ll bite him in the ass for sure, but it’ll still be funny.

He grabs his phone and stuffs it in his pocket and heads out the door. God, is he fed up with this bitch.

She’s been yammering his head off for the past three days. Why the hell they’ve been given a long weekend when winter break is just around the corner beats him. But he’s sure as hell not staying at home if he doesn’t have to.

The old lady seems to be under the impression he’ll get snatched up off the streets if he so much as steps outside. She circles him like a vulture and hounds him at all times of the day. He’s reaching his goddamn limit, he is.

He slams the front door closed in her face and strolls down the street. It’s not far from his usual spot— his escape spot, that is— but he’d like to drag it out as long as possible. The less time he spends in that house, the better.

His spot is at the edge of town, where the shops become shadier and the buildings more run down. It’s the best place to not be looked twice at.

He’s tired of being watched.

Katsuki’s parents always need to have an eye on him. Those damn extras are always following him. The other dumbasses are always staring at him too. Why can’t he just be left alone?

It’s funny, though, because right now, he’s hoping not to be alone. When he’s alone, he can’t escape the voices of his mom screaming at him and his dad’s concern, so it’s easier to be with someone else.

And there’s only one person who doesn’t seriously piss him off to be around.

There’s a crappy little creek under the walkway bridge that Katsuki likes to sit by. It’s out of view from anyone walking by, and it’s a peaceful little spot to collect his thoughts. Right now, though, there’s already someone sitting there.

“Yo!” Kirishima gives him a cheery wave that Katsuki does not return. “What did you wanna talk about?”

“Anything,” Katsuki growls as he hefts himself up to join the red haired boy. He squints at Kirishima’s outfit. He’s wearing bright blue overalls and a yellow T-shirt, which clashes horribly with his hair. He probably doesn’t care. Katsuki admires that.

“You good?” Kirishima asks cautiously. Probably for good reason. Katsuki’s never actually initiated any sort of interaction. He also has no idea how to start talking. God, why can’t the extrovert take control of this situation?

He realizes he’s still staring at Kirishima’s god-awful outfit and forces himself to drag his eyes up to his face. Big mistake. His wide red eyes are staring at Katsuki with a smile on his face, and it’s only been three days but somehow he’s already forgotten what it does to him.

Katsuki blinks. “Huh?”

Kirishima laughs. “Dude, you totally spaced out on me there.” He pops a juice box into his mouth and slurps loudly. “You alright?”

Katsuki shakes his head and glares at the ground. “Fine.” He tugs on his hair with one hand. “My old lady is driving me crazy.”

“Yeah, but what else is new?”

Katsuki feels a small burst of gratitude for Kirishima understanding him.

“It’s worse than usual.”

“She’s super protective, or what?”

Thank God Kirishima is doing most of the talking. Less work for him.

“Yeah.”

“Aw, man. I know that’s tough for you. You don’t need anyone to look out for you.”

“I know!” Katsuki snarls. “I’m going insane. If that bitch hovers outside my door one more time—”

“But it’s not a bad thing to be looked out for,” Kirishima ventures. Katsuki pauses.

“Hah?”

“It doesn’t mean you’re weak or anything,” Kirishima continues, ignoring Katsuki’s building rage and confusion. “It’s not a marker of strength. It just means people care about you.” He pauses. “Unless that’s what you don’t like.”

“Stop assuming shit about me,” Katsuki barks.

“Right, right, my bad.” Kirishima doesn’t really sound apologetic at all.

“What’s wrong with you?” Katsuki snaps, because he doesn’t have any other way to ask what’s different about his friend.

“Nothing, sorry!” Kirishima laughs. “There’s just no big deal about people caring about you. It’s not like you don’t deserve it.”

Katsuki swallows. Deserve it? Deserve his parents, the people around him, caring enough to look out for him? Of course he doesn’t deserve that. Is that the reason he hates it so much?

He definitely hates how Kirishima seems to know him better than he knows himself.

“I know your mom, and she definitely cares, but not in a way that’s beneficial for you,” Kirishima says. “Like, you’re both so hot-headed and short tempered you just drive each other crazy.”

“Damn right we do,” Katsuki growls. “My old man’s easier to deal with than her.” He probs his chin on one hand. “She can just tell I’m keeping something from her.”

“Hm? Like what?”

Katsuki freezes. He hadn’t meant to say that out loud.

He flounders for a good excuse to come up with. Anything but the truth. He can’t just come out and say it right here, right now, in front of Kirishima. It would ruin everything. All his senses start to scream at him: DANGER! DANGER! DANGER!

Thanks, I know, he wants to say. If I lose the one person I consider a friend, I’m done for.

“Nothing,” he growls.

“Okay!”

Katsuki shoots Kirishima a suspicious glance. How is he so unshakeable about everything? He seems to adapt to everything Katsuki says.

He struggles to find a way to turn the conversation towards Kirishima. How does he ask what he’s been up to without sounding invested? He doesn’t want to seem annoying or anything.

“If your parents get on your nerves too much, though, you could always come stay with me!”

Katsuki blinks. Kirishima’s face is tinged red. “Hah?”

“Sorry. You don’t have to. I just thought—”

“I don’t want to do that.”

“No, yeah, of course, I just figured it might be better than—”

“I can handle my own old man and old lady—”

“Your parents, but of course it’s not that big an issue so it’s fine…”

They trail into awkward silence.

God, this is weird as hell, Katsuki thinks. What’s up with him?

Kirishima coughs. “Anyway, I’m just glad you wanted to come hang out. Makes me feel less annoying that you actually want me around.”

Katsuki frowns. Kirishima? Annoying? A bit hard to understand, maybe, and a lot to take in, but never annoying.

“Who else am I supposed to hang out with?” Katsuki grumbles.

Kirishima forces a laugh. “I know, right? Like, Midoriya?”

Katsuki’s expression sours.

“Okay, sorry.”

Katsuki wonders why he doesn’t get more angry at the comment. For some reason, Kirishima’s stupid overalls and the stupid clips his sisters probably fixed to his hair are diffusing any anger Katsuki might feel.

“You’re stupid,” Katsuki mutters.

“Haha, I know.”

They swing their legs and sit in silence for a few moments. It’s not awkward, not anymore. Katsuki hates sitting in awkward silence. Makes him want to punch something.

“Will you be okay?”

Katsuki pauses. “What?”

“You know, with your parents. You’ll be okay, right?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Katsuki sneers, lip curling.

“Oh, you will be, but I just want to hear you say it.”

Katsuki blinks. “What?”

“Like, I know you’ll be fine, cause you can handle anything, but I just feel like you called me out here cause you needed to get away, so I wanna make sure you know you’ll be fine.”

Katsuki stares at him for a moment before he swings his elbow into Kirishima’s ribs.

“Ow!” The red haired boy howls. “What was that for?”

“Of course I can handle it,” Katsuki snaps. “I can handle anything.”

“I know!” Kirishima is somehow smiling. His eyes are lit up like stars. “I know.”

Chapter Text

Yeah, I Think I Can.

“Who thought this was a good idea?” Katsuki grumbles as Sero’s foot finds its way onto his ribcage for the third time.

“Me!” Mina chirps as she steals more blanket from Kaminari.

“Isn’t this against the rules?” Shinsou asks, not sounding bothered at all.

“Hell yeah! That’s us, rulebreakers!” Kaminari boasts, puffing his chest for his boyfriend.

Katsuki huffs. “We’re following the rules.”

“Mmm…” Kirishima sucks in his breath. “Actually…”

“You told me a sleepover with everyone like this was allowed!” Katsuki barks.

“Of course I told you that, you never would have agreed to it otherwise!”

Mina cackles and stuffs her hand in the popcorn bowl. “Oh, this is getting good.”

“Alright, we need to calm the baby down,” Sero interrupts. “Should we put on a movie? What does Bakugou like?”

“Who the hell ya callin a baby?” Katsuki explodes, not thrilled to be talked about as if he’s not here.

“I’m down for a horror movie,” Shinsou suggests calmly.

“I’m not,” Kaminari panics. “What about a rom-com?”

“A thriller?” Shinsou poses. “Psychological one, perhaps? Maybe a slasher flick?”

“Or a rom-com,” Kaminari adds. He widens his eyes at Mina as if silently calling for backup.

“I could go for a thriller,” Mina says pointedly, and Kaminari collapses with a sigh of defeat.

Kirishima nudges Katsuki with his toes. “That cool with you?”

Katsuki shrugs. He’s not about to argue. He can’t care less what they throw on the TV. He doubts he’s going to pay attention anyway. There’s just too much on his mind.

He still can’t believe he agreed to this stupid sleepover anyway. It’s in Sero’s room, and he’s covered his floor in soft blankets and throw rugs, making it plush and comfortable to spread out on. They’ve propped Mina’s laptop up on a towering pile of textbooks to serve as a TV. Katsuki leans back against the bed, wearing gray cargo pants and a loose black tank top, trying to pretend he doesn’t see Kirishima staring at him.

He almost didn’t agree to the stupid sleepover because of it. Ever since they came back from their long weekend, Kirishima’s been watching him nonstop. Maybe it has something to do with that conversation they had. He should have known better than to say so much. It’s not like him. Honestly, what got into him?

Must’ve been his parents, pushing him to his limits and giving him no choice but to give under all the pressure. Even for him, there’s only so much he can take. His mom never leaves him alone, his dad hovers and says nothing, which is almost worse. Katsuki almost wishes he’d just do something one of these days. It’s very rare he actually steps forward and takes the initiative with his son.

Or maybe… maybe it was because of the way Kirishima was looking at him. His eyes so wide, red and round like a summer moon. His hair tied back by those pink clips, his bright blue overalls, the starry sheen in his eyes. Katsuki shakes his head to clear the thought. It was a mistake, opening up like that. It won’t happen again. He gets enough grief from the school counselors.

He drags himself back to the present. Mina’s laughing loudly while Sero critiques and Kaminari gives commentary. Shinsou joins in occasionally to crack a joke. And Kirishima is staring at him.

Is it something he did? Said? Does he have a weird look on his face? Katsuki turns his head to meet the redhead’s gaze, and Kirishima looks away. Finally. What’s been going on with him?

He forces himself to turn his attention onto the movie. It’s some stupid thriller where the characters make predictable choices and face predictable consequences. It doesn’t hold his focus. His mind wanders again.

The first time he watched a horror movie, he was four. He remembers it vividly, because it’s the only time he’s held his father’s hand.

It was an accident. It was also back when he actually treated his dad like a parent. He went into the movie with chest puffed and expectations low, despite his mom’s warnings. It was far more than he could handle. He dove under the couch blankets and, trembling, clung onto his father for dear life.

Back then, he would make his dad tuck him in, always the favorite over mom. When Mitsuki still talked to Inko, they’d stay up late and chat in the kitchen. Katsuki hated that anyone else got her attention. He hated when anyone wasn’t paying attention to him, actually. So he’d run to Masaru and beg him for a story, for a song, anything.

He’s not sure when things changed. But suddenly he stopped being so desperate for that attention and just got angry when he didn’t get it.

That’s a real issue, a voice in Katsuki’s head tells him.

Yeah, no shit, tell me about it! He snaps back. But if it was easy to fix, he would have done so already.

Kirishima pokes him on the knee when the movie is over. If it was anyone else, Katsuki would have lost his shit, but he finds that he’s able to tolerate a lot more when it comes from Kirishima.

“You weren’t into the movie?” Kirishima whispers as the others yawn and get ready for bed. Katsuki shrugs. He can’t remember a single thing from yesterday.

“Nah,” he says forcefully.

“Aw, man. Thanks for staying anyway, then.”

Katsuki blinks. “Hah?”

“Yeah, you know, like instead of leaving cause you were bored, you stayed. Thanks.” Kirishima smiles up at him and settles into his blankets.

It never occurred to Katsuki to leave just because he didn’t like the movie.

The others fall asleep much faster. It’s creeping late into the night when Katsuki becomes aware he’s not the only one still up.

Kirishima rolls over and their eyes meet. Of course the weirdo’s staring at him. Katsuki rolls his eyes.

“What?” He whispers loudly.

“Sorry,” Kirishima says sheepishly. “Can’t sleep.”

“Huh? Why?” Katsuki realizes it’s a stupid question as soon as it’s out of his mouth. How should he know?

“Thinking about a lot of things.” Kirishima props his chin up on one elbow. “You know when you’re trying to sleep, but all of a sudden everything wrong you’ve ever done ever comes back to your mind and you start drowning in a whirlpool of self doubt because you can’t climb back out of the hole you’ve dug yourself into?”

Katsuki blinks. “....yeah, kinda.”

“Oh, cool,” Kirishima sighs. “Okay, cause like… you have things you regret, right?”

“Why are you asking me this?” Katsuki growls, feeling his walls being to rise back up when they’ve just been let down.

“Oh, sorry, just thinking out loud.” Kirishima flops down. “It’s so much better than just keeping things to myself, but I can stop if it bothers you.”

“....you’re fine.”

“Oh sweet, thank you. Yeah, I just really hate keeping things inside.”

Katsuki can’t understand that at all. “Why?”

“Well, it feels awful,” Kirishima explains.

Katsuki wrinkles his nose. “What do you mean?”

“Well, it makes me feel really tense, and it tightens my lungs and makes me feel really stressed.”

“I thought that was normal.”

Kirishima laughs and stuffs his hand over his mouth quickly. “No, no, it shouldn’t be! That usually means something’s wrong.” He tips his head and smiles, lopsided. “That’s when I realize I need to talk things out with someone.”

“Okay.” Katsuki slowly follows him to the same conclusion. “So why me?”

“Well, why not you?” Kirishima asks, puzzled. “I don’t see my moms much, my siblings are too young, and it’s not like I’m closer to anyone else in the class.”

He’s not? Katsuki racks his brain. Doesn’t Kirishima have closer friends? He can swear he’s seen him hanging out with literally everyone in the class. It can’t be possible that Katsuki himself is the person he’s closest to. He’s not even sure what Kirishima knows about him. He’s met Kirishima’s parents, his family. Does Kirishima know anything about Katsuki’s home life? Doubtful. It’s now painfully obvious that this is a clearly one-way relationship.

“Maybe you feel the same way!” Kirishima whispers cheerfully, and Katsuki jolts. “Anything you wanna get off your chest?”

Katsuki is about to say no. His mouth is open, the word on the tip of his tongue. It’s the easy thing to do, it’s what he wants to do, it’s what he’s about to do. It’s what he always would have done, always have done. It makes no sense to take Kirishima up on the offer and actually say something.

But maybe it’s the thing he should do. Maybe it’s because he’s realized Kirishima actually trusts him and is okay with Katsuki saying anything.

And besides. He’s fed up with shit, and he wants things to change.

“Okay,” he mutters, so quiet Kirishima leans in and looks confused.

“What?”

“I’ve been a dick to people who don’t deserve it,” Katsuki bites out. “Just cause I don’t know how to act otherwise.”

Kirishima just blinks up at him and says, “What makes you say that?”

“I don’t know!” Katsuki huffs, but there’s no real anger behind it. For some reason, instead of rushing out like a breaking dam, his words flow quietly like a stream.

“Well, it sounds like you’re unhappy with that,” Kirishima notes. “So we should do something about it.”

“I can’t just change who I am,” Katsuki argues.

“No,” Kirishima agrees. “But you can change the way you treat other people.” He taps a finger on his chin. “I know most people are just used to you the way you are, and come to expect rude behavior. But I can’t imagine being okay with that.”

Katsuki hates it, actually. Hates that everyone expects him to be violent and crude and uncivilized, when he’s perfectly capable of being polite and restrained. Very rarely, but he can.

“I think a good place to start is recognizing what’s making you act this way,” Kirishima says thoughtfully.

Katsuki snorts. “What are you, my therapist?”

“It’s just important to get to the root of the problem!” Kirishima insists. Mina grunts and turns in her sleep, and he shoots her a guilty look. Lowering his voice, he continues, “I’m not gonna force you into saying anything, cause I know you’ve got a lot buried. But I want you to know that I really do care about you.” Suddenly, his face goes pink and he splutters, “You know, as a friend. That’s why I’m doing this. Cause I really value you as a friend. Yeah, you’re a really great friend. So I’m just trying to be a good friend. That’s all this is. Just doing my best. As a friend.” He clears his throat. “So, uh, anyway. Like I was saying, this is important cause it’ll really help. And I think you’ll feel better after getting some stuff off your chest and trying the change the things you’re uncomfortable with. It literally makes zero sense to continue with a life pattern that is only causing you harm.” Kirishima sits back, looking satisfied. “You get me?”

Katsuki stares at him. “That took forever to say, but yeah, I get you.” He settles in, trying to get more comfortable. “Fine. I’ll talk, okay?”

Kirishima gives him silent supportive applause.

“It’s a lot of things, probably. My awful inferiority complex. My need for attention. Needing to constantly live up to high expectations I’ve had since I was young. My super short temper. My intrinsic view of the world and incapability to not see myself as the center of the universe.” Katsuki huffs.

“Wow,” Kirishima says softly. “It must be tough to be you.”

“Shut up.”

“So what are you gonna do about it?”

“About it?” Katsuki sniffs. “What can I do?”

“Baby steps, baby steps!” Kirishima promises. “Something easy you’ll feel good about. Maybe making amends for things you’ve done in the past, rather than starting with fixing what might happen in the future.”

Katsuki sighs. “This feels like a villain’s redemption arc.”

Kirishima grins. “Okay, you don’t need to put it like that, but I love the spirit.” Kirishima yawns, and Katsuki watches his lashes flutter up and down. Katsuki’s brows furrow. Since when does he notice tiny little details in others like that? “You got any ideas?”

Katsuki suddenly can’t remember what they were talking about, because Kirishima’s shirt is riding up as he stretches, and he’s overwhelmed by the urge to tell him to tug it down, because it’s distracting.

Distracting? Why is it so distracting?

Katsuki distracts himself from the distraction. Okay. Think. Making amends. Why the hell should he do that? Because Kirishima tells him to do it. Why? Because it’ll help him, some how, for some reason, to live more comfortably and hate himself a little less.

Okay. So where to begin?

His mind flits back to when he was very young, and the few memories he has before starting kindergarten.

Oh. So that’s where he should start.

Chapter Text

Distraction

“No, listen, that was a serious suggestion.”

“I know it was, and that’s exactly why I’m saying no.” Eijirou shakes his head. If there’s one thing he needs right now, it’s distraction, but Kaminari just doesn’t know when to stop.

“Okay, so not grand theft auto, then.” Kaminari strokes his chin from where he lies upside down off Eijirou’s bed. “Maybe just like… minor stealing, then?”

“No crime.”

“Damn.” Kaminari sighs and stretches his arms above his head. “Tough crowd.” A lazy moment of silence passes between them. Eijirou turns back to his workbook, puzzling over a few chemistry equations while Kaminari makes paper airplanes out of graph paper. Gotta find a use for it somehow. The windows are shut tight against the cold of the quickly approaching winter, and Eijirou burrows into his blankets. Normally, when he’s feeling chilly, he’ll hit the gym, but he’s not feeling energetic enough to do anything but lounge around.

“Oh my God.” Kaminari jolts up. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking? Cause I just had a genius idea.”

“Um…” Eijirou blinks at him. “That it’s too cold to do anything but sit here, even though I usually go to the gym?”

“Yes! Not really, but kind of, yes!”

“Okay…”

“It’s too cold for you to go to the gym… but what about someone who doesn’t get cold?” Kaminari pokes him in the side teasingly.

“Okay…?”

“Dude.” Kaminari rolls over and sits up. “You need a distraction from your major panic-inducing crush on Bakugou, right?”

“I wouldn’t describe it like that, but sure, yeah—”

“Oh, sorry, your desperate unrequited passionately burning love for him—”

“Okay, so, your point, please?” Eijirou begs.

“You know who always works out on cold days?” Kaminari winks. “Icy-hot Todoroki, that’s who! With his abs and everything.”

“Wow,” Eijirou deadpans. “Would be a shame if he left his abs at home.”

“Dude!” Kaminari throws himself over Eijirou. “Perfect way to distract yourself from Bakugou. You know the gym has bleachers, we’ll just sit on the side, say we’re cheering him on, or taking notes, or something. He’ll totally fall for that.”

“But really, we’ll be…?” Eijirou prompts.

“Um, ogling the eye candy, duh!” Kaminari says triumphantly.

Eijirou sighs. He glances at the open workbook before him, and the pages upon pages of uncompleted work. Well… procrastinating just a little longer can’t be so bad, especially if there’s the promise of Todoroki’s abs waiting for him.

He drops his pencil and stands. “Fine,” Eijirou says, fighting his grin. “Let’s go.”

It’s the afternoon after classes, but still they sneak through the hallways of UA. There are students in the classrooms holding study sessions with teachers, and the aisles of the library are jam packed. Eijirou shoulders his bag nervously. If anyone asks, they’re here to get a little training in, even though final tests before winter break are approaching, and they really should be focusing on their academics. Eijirou sure should be.

Astonishingly, Kaminari’s grades have gone up ever since he started dating Shinsou. The brainwasher is surprisingly intelligent in all subjects, and has no problem tutoring his boyfriend in all of them.

Eijirou used to study with Bakugou. Then… at some point, they just stopped. It got too hard for him to sit in one place with the blonde boy and keep his mind focused only on studying. And it’s not fair to Bakugou to take his time that could be spent elsewhere trying to drill information into Eijirou’s brain when he’s not paying attention.

Kaminari ducks behind the wall when they approach the gym. “You know we don’t actually have to Mission Impossible this, right?” Eijirou asks as he calmly walks through the doors. “It’s not like we aren’t allowed to be here.”

“Yes, but the point is to do something fun and dangerous!” Kaminari argues as he attempts a stealth roll.

“You look like a floundering jellyfish.”

“Which is fun and, probably, dangerous!” Nothing can douse Kaminari’s spirits, and for that, Eijirou truly admires his friend.

Eijirou slips off his shoes as they step inside and he quickly scans the room. True to Kaminari’s musings, Todoroki is, in fact, working out. To an audience, even. And he brought his abs.

A gaggle of first-year girls have gathered near the bleachers and are giggling to themselves while Todoroki attacks a punching bag. His Quirk allows him to mediate his own inner temperature, so he never has to worry about getting too hot or too cold.

Eijirou and Kaminari exchange an amused glance and slip into the back row of the bleachers. They set down their backpacks and Kaminari leans over to whisper, “Should we tell them, or—”

“Nah,” Eijirou says with a laugh. “It’s our sworn secret.” Eijirou isn’t the only one in the class with a painfully obvious crush.

There’s something about going to the gym simply to watch someone work out that’s incredibly awkward, but Eijirou finds there’s something rhythmic about watching Todoroki. He’s thorough and dedicated, and never finishes a rep until he’s sure he’s improved upon it. Eijirou finds himself almost hypnotized in his seat.

Actually, though, they spend most of the time laughing about Todoroki’s group of fan girls— he’s pretty sure they’re trying to start a fan club for him, but how far they’ll get with that, God only knows.

At some point, they get bored and disperse, and the gym is a flurry of movement for a few moments as the girls grab their things and leave. Kaminari sucks in his breath and turns to him quickly. “Don’t look now.”

Eijrou turns his head frantically, eyes scanning the room.

“I said don’t look!”

“You didn’t tell me where to not look!”

“Why—”

“Oy, half ‘n’ half!”

Oh. So that’s why.

“Bakugou’s here,” Kaminari tells him unhelpfully.

“I noticed,” Eijirou hisses back.

“Go a round with me!” Bakugou declares, stripping off his jacket and flexing angrily. Eijirou gulps. Oh, joy. Just what he needed. A threatening Bakugou with his arms on display.

“Oh God, it’s everything you love in one place, this is bad, this is bad,” Kaminari whispers, panicking. “We gotta get you outta here.”

“I’m not dying,” Eijirou snaps. “I can handle myself.”

“Well, at least one of us has faith in you.”

“Kirishima!” Bakugou bellows. “Come spare with me. Icy hot is being unresponsive.”

Eijirou freezes where he and Kaminari are in the midst of sneaking back down the bleachers.

“Uh…”

“Tell him you’re injured,” Kaminari hisses. “You can’t bend your elbow, or something.”

“I’m clearly not injured.”

“Say you’re on your period!”

“With what uterus?”

“Actually,” Kaminari says loudly, clearing his throat. “We hate to do this to you, Blasty—” Bakugou growls. “—but we’re just leaving. Gotta get back to studying, you know!” He waves cheerily and drags Eijirou out of the gym. The last thing the redhead sees before the door closes is a confused Bakugou watching him leave with a lost expression in his red eyes.

Eijirou swallows down guilt. Well, what else was he supposed to do?

He fiddles with his thumbs on the way back to the dorms. “I don’t think that was such a good idea.”

“What, going to watch Todoroki? Personally, I think it was one of my best. Honestly, no bad time spent, really had a great time, 10/10 experience, would’ve been better with Hitoshi but he might’ve gotten jealous, can’t have that—”

“No, leaving.”

“Huh? Really? Why?” Kaminari almost walks smack into the side of the door, and Eijirou steers him inside and up the stairs back to his room. “I thought that was the most sensible action to take.”

Eijirou checks to make sure the door is closed before turning around with a sigh. “Yes, but I don’t think I should be hiding from this. It’s not… being respectful.”

Kaminari nods slowly, eyes narrowed like he’s pretending to understand something deep. “To yourself, right?”

“No! To him!” Eijirou flops down on his bed and stares at his crocs dejectedly. “He looked really confused when I left. I don’t want him to think I’m mad at him, or avoiding him, or anything. I don’t want to hurt his feelings.”

“He has feelings?” Kaminari asks, sounding mystified.

“Kami!” Eijirou snaps forcefully. “Can you try to take this seriously?”

Clouds pass over Kaminari’s face, and his eyes clear. The blonde boy gives himself a shake. “Right, man. My bad. Sorry. You were really helpful when I was dealing with everything, you know, with Hitoshi.” He rubs his neck and looks away. “Speaking of which, actually—” He pauses. “Actually, nevermind. Let’s not make this about me.” He lies forward and props his chin in his hands. “Okay. Brainstorm. How do we fix this.”

Eijirou feels a wave of deja vu from his conversation with Bakugou at their sleepover just a few nights ago. So what are you gonna do about it?

“Talk to him?” Eijirou suggests. They both immediately shake their heads.

“No.”

“Nope.”

“Not happening.”

“Bad idea.”

“Okay.” Kaminari blows out air heavily. “So no confessions. Let’s avoid that. Ooh! Ooh! Perfect plan!” He beckons Eijirou over. “You ready to hear it?”

Eijirou leans in eagerly with a nod.

“You stop acting weird…” Kaminari winks. “And things go back to normal.”

Eijirou’s shoulders slump. “You know, I really thought you had a plan there.”

“No, that’s a real suggestion!” Kaminari explains. “You’re in this situation because you can’t handle your feelings, and by pushing them away, you think you’re hurting Baku’s feelings! Well, if you just learn how to handle your feelings, the problem is solved!” He claps his hands and looks so satisfied, he might as well have solved the world’s greatest mystery.

“Oh, great idea!” Eijirou encourages. “Yes, a masterful plan! So perfect! So amazing!”

Kaminari beams as Eijirou stokes his ego.

“Just one tiny problem.”

The blonde tips his head, lending Eijirou his ear. Eijirou leans in real close, and makes sure to speak real loud:

“Easier said than done, hah?!”

Chapter Text

Innocence of a Child

Inko spreads green placemats over her dining table and smooths down the front of her dress. The table is set with a vase of lilies in the middle, creamy white petals drifting down onto the lilac tablecloth. What she’s setting it for, she doesn’t know. But she sets her table nicely every day, maybe hoping in vain she’ll have someone to share it with.

Inko has just returned from work and finds herself drifting through the apartment like a ghost. Normally, she’ll clean the house a bit, cook dinner for herself, and sit down to a lonely meal. She’ll go to tidy up Izuku’s room, realize it doesn’t need tidying because he hasn’t been home in weeks, and will go into her office to make sure there’s no more work that needs to be done.

But right now, she feels like she’s waiting.

Waiting for what, or for who, she doesn’t know. Absent-mindedly, she draws a book off a nearby shelf towards her and flips through it. Almanac of the top heroes of about ten years ago. Useless information. Inko sighs and sets the book aside carefully. With a concentrated interest, she looks around her apartment from her place on the couch. So much of what she’s accumulated is focused around Izuku. So much of her is tied to him being here. What will be left of her when he’s gone?

It’s reaching dinnertime when the knock comes at the door. Inko is flipping through a cookbook, trying to decide what to make. It’s easy to make almost anything when you’re cooking for one. She doesn’t have to cater to Izuku’s tastes or dislikes, although that boy will eat anything you put in front of him. He’s always been that way, ever since he was little.

It took the greatest amount of poking and prodding to get anything out of him. He’s tight-lipped about anything that might have gone wrong, and he’s been that way ever since he was old enough to know he didn’t want to make her worry. She’d hear about bullying and fights only from the teachers, never from him. She heard about him drifting away from his childhood friends— the little clique he’d always trail after in preschool— from Mitsuki. Now, that takes her back.

When Izuku and Katsuki first became friends, Inko and Mitsuki unexpectedly hit it off. Mitsuki has many friends, much more than Inko ever has, and she found herself invited to all sorts of get-togethers with other women her age. It was the first time she’d ever felt so fully included in a community. So no matter what rumors she heard from Izuku’s classmates or teachers, she encouraged him to stay friends with Mitsuki’s son. It was a beneficial friendship for them both, she supposed. Being around someone with such a strong Quirk would be great for the Quirkless Izuku. It would be a dream come true. Izuku would get a close view of the world of heroes he so admired, and Inko would have her own invitation-only inclusion.

But those invitations stopped coming when the boys hit kindergarten, and more people discovered Katsuki’s Quirk. Mitsuki stopped coming over, Izuku got quieter, and things became tense and strained. It’s now been many years since Inko last saw Mitsuki’s boy.

Which is why she’s so surprised when she opens her door and sees him standing at her doorstep.

Bakugou Katsuki is the son of a fashion designer, but you’d never know it. He dresses like any other average teenage boy, in loose T-shirts and basketball shorts. But not tonight.

Inko marvels at what universal miracle occurred to make this uncontrollable force of a boy actually put effort into his appearance as he made the journey into town just to see her.

Katsuki lowers his head with an air of reluctance that makes Inko fight a smile. He roughly hands her a crumpled bouquet of flowers and says, “Good… evening.”

“Hi,” Inko says uncertainly. She’s not sure why he’s here, but her table is set and her door is open. “Would you like to come in?”

He would.

Katsuki shoulders his way inside and stands stiffly by the door as Inko closes it. “What can I help you with?” Inko asks, forcing confidence into her voice. She tucks her hands behind her back to hide the way they’re trembling. She’s nervous, scared, even, but not of him. Maybe, of what this means.

“I—” Katsuki begins, and swallows.

“Would you like some tea?” Inko asks desperately. “I’ve just made a pot.” He stares at her for a moment, as if suddenly realizing where he is and wondering why he’s here.

“Sure.”

She pours them each a cup of white jasmine tea and they sit at the table. He sits as far from her as possible, picking at the lilac tablecloth and staring at the floor. She can tell he’s trying to collect his thoughts.

“Take your time,” she says encouragingly, and takes a sip of steaming tea. He opens his mouth like he’s about to make some scathing remark— she fully expects him to— but then closes it again.

“My friend said I should come here,” he says, which is so not what she expected to hear that she pauses.

She begins to ask, “Izu—”

“Not—” Katsuki cuts himself off, looks at her, and then looks away again. “Not Deku.” He folds his arms over his chest and finally makes himself face her. “We were talking about… how… well…” He glances down, looking embarrassed now. “There are things I need to change and that I want to fix, so. I needed a place to start.”

“Ah,” Inko says, thinking she starts to understand. “So you came here, because you and—”

“I came to talk to you, actually.” The words are bit out so quickly and quietly Inko almost misses them. If there’s a word she would never use to describe Bakugou Katsuki, it’s quiet. “I never used to think about the way I acted would affect others, and I never actually cared until recently.”

Inko blinks. “What made that change?”

Katsuki glares at her, and she guesses she won’t get the answer.

“So I came to…” He twines his fingers together and squeezes until his knuckles turn white. “I came to…” Inko nods encouragingly. “...apologize.”

Inko’s eyes widen. Well, that must have taken a lot of personal growth to say.

“So…” Katsuki takes a breath. “I’m sorry.”

“I really—”

“No, no, I need to say what for, or it won’t count,” Katsuki snaps. Inko shuts her mouth. “Uh… sorry.” He scratches his head. “Man, this shit’s hard,” he mutters.

Inko smiles. She’s starting to wonder just how many people forced themselves into this boy’s life for him to realize he doesn’t just need to, but wants to make a change.

“I’m working on fixing a lot of stuff,” Katsuki says gruffly. “But a lot of what I did was bad for you, and I know that. Like, stuff I did to Deku, shit like that. I’m not really close with my mom anymore, but I guess I always hated that he was.” Katsuki freezes, as if he’d said something he hadn’t meant to say.

“It seems you’ve come a long way,” Inko says finally. “I’m very proud of how much you’ve grown.” Katsuki looks like he wants to say something snarky, but instead he just sighs.

“Can I go now?” He asks. Inko bites back an amused smile. Still a kid, at heart.

“Do you feel like you’ve accomplished what you came here to do?” Inko asks cautiously.

Katsuki shrugs. “I guess so.”

Inko knows Katsuki is truly a perfectionist. He wouldn’t allow himself to leave unless he felt like he’d completed something to the best of his ability. This was only a start, but maybe it’s the best he can offer for now.

“You still have a long way to go,” Inko reminds him as she walks him to the door.

“I know,” he snaps. He turns from her roughly and stalks outside.

“You have a good night!” She waves, smiling openly now. What a strange evening this was.

Katsuki pauses. “You too,” she thinks he mutters, before he’s gone from sight.

Inko shuts the door behind him and goes back to sit at the table. Her stomach rumbles, reminding her she hasn’t eaten yet. Heaving a sigh, puts her head in her hands. Something Katsuki said is sticking with her. I’m not really close with my mom anymore, but I guess I always hated that he was.

When did something happen between Katsuki and Mitsuki? Inko rubs her eyes. She hates to insert herself into other peoples’ business, but she can’t help but mourn for the time lost between them, and the friendship they used to have.

But what else did he mean by that? He was envious of Izuku and Inko being close? Inko can’t help but feel her heart swell. She always worries that she’s too overwhelming with Izuku, too overbearing. But maybe, right now, she’s feeling that she’s done something right.

If Izuku felt like he had to go make amends for his previous behavior, would he feel more comfortable going to someone else’s mother first instead of his own? Certainly not. And that, Inko decides, makes her deserve a break.

She tosses the cookbook aside. Tonight, she’s getting takeout.

Chapter Text

Closure

Katsuki is feeling pretty damn proud of himself when he gets back to the dorms.

He’s planning to hole up in his room, kick back for the rest of the night, and maybe grab some pizza, cause he deserves it, but his plans are interrupted before he can put them in action.

When he bumps into someone in the empty dorm common room, the only emotion that bubbles up is annoyance. Who’s getting in the way of his good mood? He rounds them and plans to take his irritation up to their face, but the words die in his throat.

“Young Bakugou!” All Might says with a smile. “What brings you out tonight?”

Katsuki chokes on his tongue. He doesn’t want to say the truth, of course, but he can’t just lie to All Might. What should he say? How much should he admit? What’s appropriate for him to say to All Might, as a role model and a teacher? No, wait— what does he want to say?

Preferably, nothing. He’d love to keep his mouth shut and go to bed. Sadly, that doesn’t look like it’ll happen any time soon. Internally, he sighs.

“I was just…” He flounders for a moment. “Returning.”

Oh, yeah. Real specific. Nice.

“Oh?” All Might’s eyebrows quirk in amusement. “Let’s take a walk, Young Bakugou.”

Katsuki grumbles in annoyance but follows All Might outside. Great. Just great. Now his plans for pizza and no human interaction are definitely not happening.

All Might leads him out onto campus, where the sun is setting and bathing the tree tops in pale pink light. It’s empty out, thank God, so no one is around to watch him do the walk of shame with a teacher.

It’s not like he’s in trouble. Katsuki hates to break the rules, so he’s quite familiar with them, and he knows he’s allowed to leave campus on the weekend with permission. Because of his previous circumstances, he’s allowed to go home whenever he wants, so as far as administration knows, he was visiting his parents.

Well, he was visiting someone’s parent, at least.

“Would you like to tell me the truth, Young Bakugou?” All Might stops and turns to face him, taking a seat at a bench. Katsuki reluctantly sits beside him and stares into the nearby coy pond. He heaves a sigh— and spills everything.

There’s something refreshing about telling someone something. Kirishima was on to something. It’s nice not to keep everything inside. And besides, Katsuki knows there’s no risk of All Might telling anyone, even the faculty. The only pressure is the fact that All Might now knows he’s on an embarrassing track to try and redeem himself.

“Redeem yourself?” All Might echoes when Katsuki voices this sentiment. “I don’t think you need redeeming.”

Katsuki pauses. “Hah?”

“Well, sure, you’ve had some questionable actions—” Katsuki growls. “—but you haven’t actually done anything bad.” All Might puts a hand to his chin. “It’s quite impressive that you came to this conclusion on your own, though.”

“I didn’t,” Katsuki admits before he can stop himself.

“Oh?” All Might sounds impressed. “So you’ve talked this through with someone else already.”

“Well… sort of.” Katsuki stares at his feet. All Might’s passive reactions to his words make it easier to go on. “He encouraged me to do this in the first place.”

“Did he think you needed it?”

“No!” Katsuki says quickly. “I did. He’s just helping.”

“I see.” All Might is really smiling now. Katsuki wrinkles his nose. What’s so funny? “And what did Young Kirishima have to say on this manner?”

“Well, it was his idea to—” Katsuki cuts himself off. He scowls at All Might. “Are we that obvious?”

“Oh, no.” All Might shakes his head quickly. “I had no idea you were a couple.”

Steam is practically blowing from Katsuki’s ears. “We are not—” He makes a physical effort to lower his voice. “That’s not it,” he hisses. “I meant if it’s obvious we’re friends.”

All Might shakes his head. “Well, of course. You don’t hang around anyone else.”

Katsuki sighs. “Alright, yeah. It’s Kirishima. He’s helping me. But I don’t— I mean, we’re not—” He growls. “Why am I explaining myself to you? I don’t—”

“Perhaps,” All Might says cautiously. “Because you’ve never talked about this before and you don’t know how?”

“Never talked about what?” Katsuki snaps, feeling his walls edge back up.

“Your own feelings,” All Might explains. “If you’re used to keeping everything inside, it’s a hard habit to get into. You know, talking to other people.”

“Yeah.” Katsuki blinks. “Yeah, that’s right.” Amazingly, it sounds like he might actually understand.

“How do you feel now?” All Might asks gently.

“Stop that,” Katsuki protests. “You sound like a therapist.”

“Well, isn’t this essentially what therapy is like? You say your true thoughts and receive unconditional positive regard in return.”

Katsuki sighs. “I’m not going to talk to the school’s shrinks.”

“Would you, if Young Kirishima asked?”

Katsuki pauses. A week ago, a few days, even he would have said no. Not with the weird way he’s been avoiding Katsuki. But maybe… yeah, maybe. “Maybe,” he admits.

“And why’s that?”

“Oh, hell if I know!” Katsuki snaps. “He’s my friend. There. I said it. Proud?”

“No,” All Might says honestly. “Anyone can be your friend.”

“Not true, not for me—”

“I don’t care,” All Might interrupts, and Katsuki gapes at him. “Not what I wanted to hear.” He leans forward, and Katsuki freezes. Cold sweat drips down his neck. “What’s keeping you from admitting it?”

Katsuki sighs. So All Might figured it out. Figured it out before Katsuki himself even did.

“A lot.” He turns and watches the sun dip behind the dorm buildings. “Me, him, the timing, the setting, other people, the whole world—”

“Okay, let’s slow down a little.” All Might sighs. “Ah, I remember high school. Yes, how would I deal with something like this?” Katsuki rolls his eyes. “Sorry, sorry. Well, about the timing and setting, that you can change, yes? It’s almost winter break. Better time, better setting, less people around…”

Katsuki sits up straight as an idea occurs to him. “Oh, no.”

“What?” All Might asks, concerned.

“I had an idea of what to do.”

“Well, that’s good, yes?” All Might asks in confusion.

“No!” Katsuki howls. “Cause I don’t wanna!”

“You don’t want to do this?”

“No!” Katsuki snarls. “Confessions are dumb. I’m not doing one, no matter who’s around or who’s not.”

“Too bad,” All Might says, poking him in the chest. Katsuki is literally ready to bite his finger off. “This is part of not keeping your feelings inside. You need to tell them to someone.”

“I just did,” Katsuki says dumbly. “To you.”

“Doesn’t count. You didn’t say it directly, and I’m not even the object of your affections.”

“Well, I’ll tell someone else, then,” Katsuki mutters, not even meaning it.

All Might claps his hands. “Perfect! A warm up.”

“What? No, I didn’t even mean—”

“Anyone in mind? Someone you’re close to, of course.”

“I’d rather blow myself up than talk to my mom about this.”

“I never said anything about your mother.” All Might watches him, waiting for him to catch up.

“Oh…” Katsuki sighs. “Oh.”

“Yes, oh. What’s so wrong with this plan?”

“Everything.” Katsuki stands. “I’m goin’ to bed.”

All Might’s laughter follows him as he heads back to the dorms. “Tell me how it goes, Young Loverboy!”

Katsuki wants to burrow under his covers and never come out again as he hears All Might laughing at him. He has no idea what came over him there, what allowed him to really speak his mind and open up.

More than anything, he has no idea how he’s about to come out to his father.

Chapter Text

Danger

Dinner is tense. Katsuki lets the spicy tofu slip through his chopsticks five times before he grabs a hold of it and swallows it down.

Dinner time in the common rooms is usually a communal affair, but with it being finals week and all, most of the class is holed up in their rooms studying. Katsuki is perfectly confident in his grades, and unlike his below-average classmates, doesn’t need to study for hours on end every day.

But it’s tense because in his head, rather than equations and important historical dates, he has the phone call he just had with his parents circling in his head.

It’s only a few days till winter break, and he knows, he knows, there’s no getting out of his family’s tradition. It’s inevitable, it’s inescapable, it’s going to happen, no matter what he does about it.

It’s not that he has an issue with his family’s winter cabin. He enjoys their annual trips there, the snow that packs in on all sides of the wood log house and blankets the surrounding forests. But the last thing he wants right now is to be boxed in by the snowy peaks of sky-high mountains, and especially not with the opportunity it will present.

Ever since their… conversation, his parents have been calling him nearly every day. He refuses to come home, so even his mom is actually making an effort to try and say “Look, I care!”

He didn’t know what to do after his talk with All Might a few weeks ago, but it finally came to him the last time he’d been home. After his talk with his dad, he decided he won’t see them again until winter break. They aren’t happy about it, but whatever, that’s their problem.

Katsuki stuffs his dishes in the sink and makes a note to come back and wash them later. Mina will give him hell if he doesn’t, he’s sure. So because he promised to meet Kirishima up in his room— which definitely does not make his heart all fluttery, thank you very much— he traipses upstairs reluctantly.

The door is propped open when he gets there. Sero and Kaminari are already inside, and they look up, delighted, when he walks in.

Katsuki makes an instant 180 and leaves again.

Voices raise in protest from inside the room, and two different hands grab him and drag him back inside.

“Come on, man—”

“Stay, we’re having fun!”

Katsuki growls and makes himself sit. He’s not happy with the amount of time he’s been dragged to social things lately. He finds he’s more often with these people than by himself, which is new and different. Is it entirely bad? Well… no, not completely. But still, he can’t imagine it’ll be very entertaining sitting here while these losers study their algebra or something—

….Wait a minute.

These extras aren’t studying at all!!

Katsuki takes in the scene before him. Kirishima booting up his Xbox, Kaminari and Sero draped over the bed, Shinsou— when did he get here?!— with his head in his boyfriend’s lap. And, of course, Katsuki trying to distance himself from it all.

“What is this?” Katsuki snarls. “Don’t you idiots have finals to study for?”

“Uh, yeah.” Kaminari cranes his neck back to wrinkle his nose in Katsuki’s
direction. He’s shrugged off his Pikachu hoodie to pillow it beneath Shinsou’s head. “Don’t you?”

“Obviously,” Katsuki spits. “But unlike you all, I don’t need to study nearly as much for them.”

“Okay, true,” Kirishima laughs. Katsuki’s insides twist. He didn’t mean to make it seem like he was dissing Kirishima—

“Yeah, well we were studying earlier,” Kaminari informs him, stuffing his mouth with popcorn. “While you were down there moping over your tofu, or whatever.”

Katsuki bristles. Luckily, Kirishima cuts in fast. “Let’s just all de-stress together, okay? Playing together will be fun.”

Katsuki folds his arms. “Fine.”

“Only cause Kirishima asked,” Kaminari muttered, which gets him a fistful of sparks and smoke in his face.

“Oh, I had a question for you guys,” Kirishima throws out casually as he loads up a game. “How’d you guys come out to your parents?”

Katsuki tenses immediately— it’s too perfectly timed a question— but Kaminari picks it up with no hesitation.

“Honestly, I don’t think I ever did. They just kinda knew. Then I came home with a boyfriend, and they were like, “Okay, this is happening.” Kaminari shrugs and picks up his controller, eyes already fixed to the screen.

“I think they were probably more like, “Oh my God, I can’t believe my son actually has someone who loves him— Ow!” Sero shields his face from the battering of the Xbox controller against his face by Kaminari’s hand.

“What about you, Bakugou?” Kirishima tries to ask it casually, but he’s weirdly not meeting Katsuki’s eyes.

Katsuki sniffs. “None of your business.”

Sero rolls his eyes. “Maybe he’s just like me. There can be more than one token straight in a group, right?”

Kirishima stiffens, but Kaminari just laughs. “Oh, no way Bakubro is straight.”

Something in Katsuki desperately wants to ease the tension in Kirishima’s shoulderblades, needs to disprove this no matter what. It’s none of their business, but he has to satiate this itch to tell them all.

“I told my dad a little while ago,” he finally bites out.

The room hushes.

“How’d it go?” Shinsou asks softly, sitting up.

Katsuki shrugs. “Not awful. He wasn’t all mushy gushy about it. It was my first time ever really opening up to him, so neither of us knew what to do. Course, it was different with my mom.”

“What’d you say to your mom?” Kaminari asked curiously.

“I said, “You’re not getting any grandchildren from me, hag,” and she immediately knew what I meant.”

“Ah, a mother’s love,” Kaminari sighs, wiping a fake tear from his eye.

“Shut up,” Katsuki sniffs. “So, anyway, here’s what I did for my dad.”

The others crowded in around him. Katsuki clears his throat and recalls the last night he’d spent at home.

After dinner, Katsuki climbed the stairs to his room and shut the door. His breaths came quick and shallow. All Might’s words were still ringing in his head, but they did nothing to squash the urge to back out from this plan. Despite that, the thought of Kirishima’s disappointment in him if he knew of Katsuki’s doubts sealed his determination.

A knock came at his door. Too late now.

Masaru poked his head into the bedroom. “Hey, Kat? You said you wanted to talk?”

“I didn’t say that,” Katsuki instinctually spat. “I said “Meet me upstairs, I’ve got shit to say.” He paused and blinked. Okay, yeah, that was his way of telling his dad he wanted to talk.

“Okay.” Masaru hesitated. “So… can I come in?”

“Yeah, whatever.” Katsuki steeled himself and shoved the roiling snake of nerves down into his gut. Masaru stepped inside, closed the door behind him, and came to sit on the bed beside Katsuki.

“I’ve never really talked to you before,” Katsuki began, deciding to skirt around the issue as much as possible.

“Sure, we talk at dinner and stuff all the time,” Masaru pointed out.

“No, I mean actually talk,” Katsuki snapped. “About real shit.”

“Oh.” Masaru’s eyes widened. “Are you actually trying to bond with me? Sorry, I’ll get serious then.” He adjusted his position and settles down. “Okay. Hit me, son.”

Katsuki smacked a fist across his dad’s shoulder.

“Ow!” Masaru yelped and rubbed his sore shoulder. “God, you and your mother both, I need to stop forgetting you’ll take that literally.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Okay. Okay. How about I just sit here in silence, and you do the talking?”

“Perfect,” Katsuki growled. “But I ain’t saying shit till I know you won’t tell anyone.”

“Hm?” Masaru tipped his head to the side. “Of course, kiddo, this stays between you and me.”

Katsuki stuck his nose in the air. “Good. Cause I ain’t telling the old lady till I want to.”

“Ah, so I’m your warm-up, then?”

“What happened to sitting in silence?”

“You asked me a question!”

“Shit!” Sparks flew from Katsuki’s hands. “This is why I don’t talk to you. You’re impossible, and you piss me off.” He stood and began to pace around his room. “Why did I think you’d be the best person to go to?”

“Well, first off, I’m not a judgey teenager,” Masaru pointed out. “So easier than your friends. And, I’m your dad, so my opinion of you won’t change no matter what you tell me.”

“Oh yeah?” Katsuki folded his arms across his chest. “Let’s test that out.” He planted his feet wide and squared his shoulders. All or nothing, now or never. “I’m gay.”

Masaru blinked. “Okay.”

A grin began to spread slowly across Katsuki’s face. “Hah!” He couldn’t help but crow triumphantly. “See that! Not so hard!”

“Was that you testing me, or actually telling me?” Masaru asked. He squinted. “Sorry, just— couldn’t tell.”

Katsuki snarled. “No, old man, I was actually telling you some important shit there.”

“Oh! Okay, glad we’re on the same page.” Masaru stood. “Is that all? I’ve got some reports due tonight that I’d like to get a head start on.”

“Yeah, that’s it.”

Masaru left, and then Katsuki sat in his room on his own.

He’s glad he didn’t have to deal with any mushy-gushy shit. He doesn’t trust his dad not to grab him and wail in support. He’ll do that if Mitsuki is around, but since he was alone with Katsuki… maybe he understands him and what he needs a little more than Katsuki thought.

“Your dad sounds really nice,” Kaminari interrupts near the end of the recounting. “Where’d you go wrong?”

Katsuki punches him.

As he walks back to his room at the end of the night, Shinsou appears behind him. Katsuki almost flinches. Damn, he sure’s been jumpy lately.

“Thanks for telling us about that,” Shinsou says. “I’m sure it wasn’t easy, but we all really appreciate you opening up to us. It shows that you trust us, which is really good for—”

“Yeah, no fuckin’ problem.” Katsuki gives him a side-eyed glare. “Now can you let me go to bed?”

“Uh, yeah.” Shinsou scratches the back of his head. “But you’re a really good friend to Kaminari, and he really appreciates it but is bad at telling you that, so I wanted to say thank you for him.”

Katsuki stares blankly. How the hell does Shinsou know how Kaminari feels? He can’t imagine someone knowing you so much better than you know yourself that they know exactly what needs to be done before you even do.

“Well, it sounds like you’re unhappy with that,” Kirishima had said to him at the sleepover. “So we should do something about it.”

Quit reading my mind, is what Katsuki had thought at the time. It was creepy how Kirishima had such a solid grasp on how other people functioned.

But maybe that wasn’t the case. Maybe it wasn’t the strange ability to be so empathetic with everyone around him, but a result of paying close attention to Katsuki and how he functions.

The thought of someone paying that much close attention to him, not out of envy or spite or hostility, makes his chest heat up in an unfamiliar, but not uncomfortable, sense.

Finals will be over soon. Winter break is nearing quickly. And his parents won’t stop bugging about him bringing a friend over to their vacation house. It’s only out of formality— he’s never brought a friend over to the house, let alone on vacation with his family.

And wouldn’t it be funny if he were to choose now as the time to change that.

Chapter Text

Disclosures

Eijirou steels himself as he hefts his backpack higher on his shoulders.

“Call us if you need anything!” His moms call from the car.

“We’re only a phone call away!” His sisters cheer. “Have fun without us!”

“Of course he’ll have fun, he’s with Bakugou,” one of them says teasingly. They elbow each other and giggle.

Eijirou’s face heats and he turns away. It’s just for a weekend. The invitation was extended to him very last minute, and very begrudgingly. Eijirou doubts Bakugou even wants him here at all. It’s most likely an idea that stemmed from one of his parents.

“See you,” he calls halfheartedly, and begins the trek towards the winter lodge.

Snow has begun falling lightly, and he leaves a set of crunching footsteps up to the front door. Eijirou shivers in his fur-lined parka and hardens his hand as he takes it out of his pocket.

The doorknob crunches beneath his fist as he grabs it. Eijirou freezes and retracts his hand nervously. The once-round doorknob has become a shriveled lump of metal.

Eijirou whirls around to see how far away his moms have gotten, but the car is nowhere in sight, lost in the white oblivion of snow and wind. Too late to turn tail and run now, then.

He raises a fist to knock, but before he can destroy yet another part of the Bakugous’ property, the door swings open.

“Good job, dork face,” Bakugou sniffs. He’s barefoot, wearing shorts and a T-shirt— but then again, Eijirou’s never known him to be bothered by the cold. “You broke the goddamn door.”

“Uh,” Eijirou cringes back. “I’m really sorry, I can pay to fix it—”

“Don’t bother.” Bakugou jerks his chin forward to beckon the redhead inside. “Something like that won’t make a dent in my old man’s pocket.”

“Okay.” Eijirou sets his bag down and looks around. Instantly, despite the fact that his family also has a vacation home, he feels incredibly poor.

The Bakugous’ winter lodge is decorated lavishly and with taste. Everything follows the same red and gold color scheme, vases and paintings and tapestries present everywhere but just subtle enough to not seem over the top. Eijirou almost feels like he’s in a museum.

“You wanna stand here gawking, or you wanna come in?” Bakugou growls. Eijirou jumps. He just now notices how close the two of them are standing. His heart races, his palms growing clammy with sweat. God, how is he going to survive the whole weekend like this if he can’t get through the first five minutes?

“So I’m guessing this’ll be different from like summer break?” Eijirou ventures to speak as he’s led upstairs. “Unless you have another boot camp planned.”

Bakugou only shrugs and doesn’t turn around.

“Sorry about inviting everyone then and not telling you,” Eijirou continues, knowing he’s treading on thin ice. “I know you’re not really good in group settings.”

Bakugou pauses with his hand hovering above the doorknob to a bedroom. “Stop doing that.”

Eijirou’s heart skips a beat. “Sorry, sorry— doing what?”

“Acting like you know me better than I do,” Bakugou mutters, so soft Eijirou thinks he misheard. Then the blonde is stepping over the threshold, and Eijirou blinks at the view he’s faced with.

The opposite wall is almost entirely floor-to-ceiling windows, encasing the room with a view of the snow-topped trees and mountains beyond.

Bakugou points to where two fluffy bed rolls have been laid out in the middle of the massive room. “We can use those, but my old lady put them there. I had a better idea.”

He heads to the closet built in along the wall, and Eijirou trails after him in curiosity. He helps Bakugou pulls out a mess of thin fabric and metal poles.

“A tent?” Eijirou realizes after examining the object before him.

Bakugou snorts. “Yeah, duh. Why be cramped up in this stuffy building when we can actually be outside?”

“But…” Eijirou frowns. “Won’t it be cold?”

Bakugou raises an eyebrow. “What, is that a problem?”

“Um...” Sleeping outside in a tent, alone with Bakugou, where their feet will probably brush in their sleep or something… maybe if he’s lucky, their hands… worth it for a little frostbite, for sure. “Nope!”

Bakugou grins. “Good. Now get this out there with me.” They haul the tent downstairs, the metal poles going thunk thunk thunk with every step. Amazingly, Bakugou’s parents don’t emerge. They’re probably used to their son making a lot of noise.

“You got any plans for what we can do while we’re here?” Eijirou asks as they set up the tent behind the house. It’s still mid afternoon, and they’ll have the rest of today and all of tomorrow to hang out. Eijirou really hopes Bakugou has plans for them, because it’s not like they can just sit and stare at each others’ faces the whole time.

Although… it’s not like he’d really complain…

Bakugou shrugs. “Hike. Cook. Sleep.”

Okay, so maybe he shouldn’t have gotten his hopes up.

“That sounds fun!”

Bakugou casts a glare in his direction. “What, you got a better idea?”

“Huh?” Eijirou’s pulse jumps. “No, I wasn’t trying to be sarcastic—” His shoulders slump. He lets out a disappointed sigh. “You know, you didn’t have to ask me to come. It kinda seems like you don’t want me here.”

A metal pole clatters out of Bakugou’s hands. He twists his head over his shoulder to stare at Eijirou. “Hah?”

Eijirou squirms under the intensity of his gaze.

“Why the hell wouldn’t I want you here? I asked you to come.”

“Well, I just figured your parents made you—”

“I don’t do shit my parents ask me to do. I invited you cause I wanted you to come. What’s your problem?” Bakugou folds his arms. “Is it the way I’m talking? Hah? It’s not like I’m any good with my feelings, you know that crap!”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m sorry.” Eijirou smiles and rubs his head. “I think I’m a little rusty on translating Bakugou right now. Maybe I’ll get better over the weekend.”

“You better,” Bakugou growls. “Now, don’t just stand there. This tent won’t put up itself.”

Dinner also won’t cook itself. Eijirou toils over the stove, trying to balance the frying pan and the soup pot at the same time, but unsure which dial controls which.

“Oh, my God.” Bakugou rolls his eyes, but his mom comes over to help.

After dinner, they all go hiking. Eijirou hits it off with Masaru, and Bakugou stalks ahead.

“He’ll warm up,” Masaru assures Eijirou after making sure they’re out of earshot. “He invited you into his space because he trusts you, but it’s still uncertain territory. It’s awkward for him, but he wants to make it work.”

“I know,” Eijirou promises. “He’s not hard for me to understand.” He forges ahead to walk at Bakugou’s side, missing the astonished and pleased expression on Masaru’s face.

The tent is cold that night, and Bakugou didn’t bring them nearly enough blankets. Luckily, the blonde boy emits heat, and Eijirou curls up as close as he dares while leaving over a foot of space between them.

He thinks Bakugou is asleep, but he’s not quite in the clear yet.

“You’re cold,” Bakugou growls. Eijirou freezes.

“Uh, yeah.” His ears redden. “Sorry…”

Bakugou sighs. His back still turned as he lies on his side, he raises a hand to gesture Eijirou forward. “Come on.”

“Huh?” Eijirou sits up, sure he heard wrong.

“What? A little proximity won’t kill you, right?”

Bakugou, asking him to sleep closer to him? Now, he must be dreaming. This just can’t be happening. Eijirou’s face flushes at the thought. Maybe it’d be better if he doesn’t. His feelings are already making things awkward between them, and this would definitely make it worse.

When he hesitates too long, Bakugou snaps, “Or maybe it will.” He pulls the blankets up and burrows into his pillow.

“No— uh— sorry….” Eijirou sighs and rolls over. The air seems even colder than before.

The next day passes in a blur of hikes around the side of the mountain and adventures up tree branches blanketed in snow. The air is brittle and tense between Eijirou and Bakugou. He’s scared to speak because he doesn’t want to break the already thin ice that lies between them, sending them tumbling into a frozen cavern below. Depending on what he says, he might not be able to climb back up.

Before he knows it, the sun is setting again. Tomorrow, he goes back home. A whole weekend spent with Bakugou, and he’ll have gotten nothing out of it. Can he really live with that? Will he be alright going back to school without a single change? With things not better, but actually worse?

It’s all up to his ability to actually do something.

They’re silent as they set up the bed rolls in the tent after the sun goes down. The only light comes from the lamp posts staked outside the house. The stars come out quickly, appearing in hordes compared to what’s visible from the city. Eijirou finds himself sitting by the remnants of their fire, watching the stars while Bakugou moves about behind him.

“What, you wanna roast some marshmallows? We’re outta firewood,” Bakugou sniffs, coming to sit beside him.

Eijirou grins. “How can you still be wearing shorts? It’s freezing.”

Bakugou’s nostrils flare at his jab being ignored. “Hah? This is nothing.” He scoots closer to Eijirou boldly. “Do I feel cold?”

That’s an open invitation, and Eijirou takes it. He places one hand over Bakugou’s, calloused and scarred and warm.

“Not at all.” But Eijirou does, and his breath comes out in clouds. He tips his head back to watch the moon creep up from the horizon. “It’s late,” he remarks.

“Yeah.”

“Isn’t this past your bedtime?” Eijirou teases, glancing over at Bakugou.

“No,” comes the surprising response. Eijirou feels disappointed. He was trying to keep up their playful banter— did he overstep it?

“It’s not too late if I’m staying up with you,” Bakugou grumbles. He kicks at the ground and glares up at the stars.

Eijirou swallows. This is it. This is the time. This is the place. He needs to say something now, just get it off his chest, or he’ll regret it forever.

It’s terrifying, yeah, but what’s worse— making things more awkward than they already are, or staying suffocated by the crushing pressure of how he feels?

At least his heart will be clear, even if it’s lonely.

They sit in comfortable silence for a little while as Eijirou gathers his thoughts and his courage.

“I want to say something,” Eijirou says softly, just so Bakugou doesn’t get tired and leave.

Bakugou tenses. He doesn’t say anything, though, so Eijirou focuses on controlling his shallow breathing. His stomach clenches and his hands slip and slide on the log bench beneath him.

Eijirou closes his eyes, then opens them. Rather than looking at the boy beside him, he focuses his eyes on the stars and the outline of the mountains. Just earlier today, they were hiking up and down the narrow trails, oblivious of what’s to come. Tomorrow, they’ll be far gone from here, and everything will be different.

Eijirou fills his lungs with the clear, clean air of the mountains. Well, it’s now or never. He straightens his shoulders, tilts his head back, and lets himself admit—

“I’m in love with you.”

Eijirou lets out a small sigh of relief. Well, that was easier than he’d anticipated. He really psyched himself up. It barely feels like he said it at all. How did he feel while he was saying it? What taste did it leave behind?

Suddenly Eijirou can’t remember opening his mouth at all.

He drags his gaze down and glances cautiously at Bakugou, whose ears are tinged red as he stares furiously at the dying embers.

“Sorry,” Bakugou grits out. Eijirou feels his heart sink. Well, of all the things to say to that— “I didn’t know— I just— I needed to say something, I know you were gonna talk. What were you gonna say?”

“Huh?” Eijirou blinks. Did he not… say anything? Did Bakugou not hear him?

“It’s fine, you don’t have to say anything,” Bakugou growls. He stands and turns towards the tent.

“Wait!” Eijirou panics and grabs at Bakugou’s sleeve desperately. “Wait, you said that?”

“Hah?” Bakugou blinks at him. “Yeah, I said that shit. What, you wanna hear it again? Tough luck. I’m going to sleep, if you don’t have anything to say about it.”

“No, no, I’m sorry— I just thought I said it.”

Bakugou sits back down slowly. “You what?”

“Yeah, cause I— that’s what I meant to say. Yeah. It’s what I was going to say. The same thing.”

Bakugou leans back and examines him cautiously. “So… you heard what I said… and thought you said it… because you were planning on saying the exact same thing?”

Eijirou nods quickly.

Bakugou folds his arms. “That you’re in love with me?”

Eijirou nods again.

“Really.” Bakugou doesn’t look like he believes him.

“Yes!” Eijirou raises his voice without meaning to. “Do I need to kiss you to prove it?”

Bakugou’s face flushes, and Eijirou’s does too. “You… want to....”

“No, sorry, you don’t have to—”

Bakugou leans forward and kisses him, far more gently than Eijirou could have ever imagined. It’s soft, and he cups the side of Eijirou’s face tenderly. When he pulls back a few seconds later, Eijirou is sitting in stunned silence.

“What?” Bakugou sniffs. “You suggested it.”

“Uh….” is all Eijirou can eek out.

“Alright, I’m going to bed.” Bakugou stands and leaves.

After a few moments sitting in disbelief, ecstatic delight rushes through Eijirou’s veins. That just happened! Did that really happen? He feels like he has no time to process anything.

He pokes his head into the tent, where Bakugou is tucking himself into his bed roll. “Can we cuddle?” Eijirou ventures to ask, knowing the answer despite himself.

Bakugou only sighs, and Eijirou shrugs and lies down on the other side of the tent. After a silence so long Eijirou assumed he would say nothing, Bakugou speaks.

“....if we must.”

They must.

Chapter Text

Gaslight, Gatekeep, Girlboss

They never came up with a plan for how to approach their relationship once school starts up again.

They never did, which is why Katsuki isn’t particularly surprised when Kirishima heads him off before he can head down to the kitchen for breakfast.

“We need a plan!” Kirishima says wildly, red hair spiked up in all directions like he did it in thirty seconds on his way out the door. Katsuki forces down the smile that tugs at the corners of his mouth at the thought.

“Why?” Katsuki asks. He steps out of his dorm, ready for class, and closes the door behind him. Kirishima follows on his heels.

“Are we telling people? Is it a secret? Cause Mina’s gonna get it out of me either way, you know, I can’t hide anything from her—”

Katsuki steps into the elevator and doesn’t open his mouth till the doors close with just the two of them inside.

“Why do we have to do either?” He sighs. “Just don’t say anything and see how long it takes people to figure it out.”

“So… like…” Katsuki can see the gears in Kirishima’s spiky head turning. “We just act however we want, and if they find out, they find out?”

“Yep.” Personally, Katsuki doesn’t care who knows. Keeping it a secret is too much effort. If one person finds out— and, while he loves Kirishima, he knows he can’t keep his mouth shut— everyone will know. And why the hell should he make some big announcement in front of everyone about their personal business? It doesn’t concern those nosy bitches at all!

“You’re imaging some infuriating scenario, aren’t you?” Kirishima asks as the elevator doors ding open. “I can see it on your face. You wrinkle your nose all cute like.”

Katsuki bristles. He is not cute. Who does Kirishima think he is?

Oh, right. His boyfriend.

“Wanna hold hands?” Kirishima asks. He looks nervous. The hell is he nervous for? Holding hands is nothing.

Katsuki shrugs and slides his hand into Kirishima’s. “Sure.”

Kirishima beams, and the two step out into the dorm common room. Katsuki feels his throat constrict almost immediately.

It’s later than he usually emerges, and he’s used to having the kitchen almost to himself. But right now, it’s packed, full of their classmates rushing around and desperately finding fuel to get them through the day. No one’s noticed them yet, but it’s only a matter of time.

Katsuki swallows thickly and slides his hand back into his pocket. Guilt flushes his face. Wasn’t he just saying how easy something like this would be? And he can’t even take one step.

Kirishima squeezes his arm and steps in front of him. “It’s okay.” He smiles reassuringly and walks out first. Katsuki wonders how he ever took him for granted.

“Good morning!” Mina chirps excitedly as they join the rest of the squad. Katsuki can’t help but watch Kaminari and Shinsou interacting closely. They make it look so easy. “How was everyone’s break?”

“Oh, ours was fantastic, thank you,” Kaminari purrs. He wraps his arms around Shinsou’s shoulders, and the purple haired boy grins lazily. “I’m positively glowing.” He winks.

“Okay, gross. Happy for you, but gross.” Mina turns to Kirishima. “Please tell me you did something more fully-clothed than Kami.”

Kirishima flushes as bright red as his hair. “Ah, well…” he glances at Katsuki and then away again quickly. “Just spent time with family. It was really nice.” He smiles and glances down. Could he be lying any more obviously?

“Uh, okay,” Sero cuts in. “Well, I scored this new part time gig…” The rest of the squad chatters away, and Katsuki’s eyes drift over the rest of the common room. Todoroki is fumbling through a conversation with Midoriya, and Yaoyorozu and Jirou are flirting up a storm, as always. No one’s paying any attention to him.

Good. For once, that’s good. For once, his instincts aren’t screaming, Everybody, look at me!

Mina sidles up to Katsuki’s side and he lifts his water bottle to his lips. “Did I see you and Kiri holding hands earlier?” She comments snidely.

He barely hesitates. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Mhm, sure.”

“You’re imagining things.”

She narrows her eyes at him. “Well… okay, I guess….” It is a pretty ridiculous thing, and even if she mentions it to someone else, they definitely won’t believe her. They’re still safe, for now.

But wasn’t he just saying he doesn’t even care?

“Come on, let’s go!” Kirishima hops off the counter stool and tugs Katsuki forward. “Class is starting soon.”

Katsuki trails at the back of the group as they traipse outside and walk across campus. Kirishima slides back to join them, and soon their hands are linked again. Katsuki feels a small smile take over his face at the contact. There’s something about Kirishima even being nearby that’s immensely comforting to him.

They walk into class without unlinking their hands. Luckily, they sit near each other, but not close enough to hold hands across the aisle. They stand near the rest of the group. In the crowded classroom, it’d be nearly impossible to notice—

Mina shrieks. “Oh, look!”

Katsuki and Kirishima’s hands fly apart.

“Look where?” Kirishima asks innocently.

“The hell you screaming for?” Katsuki sniffs.

“You were holding hands!”

“Holding hands?” Kaminari’s head swivels back and forth. “Who? Kiri and Bakubro? Hah! As if!”

Shinsou narrows his eyes and says nothing.

“What are you talking about, Mina?” Kirishima shakes his head. “Are you just making stuff up to be funny?”

“You—” Mina stomps her foot. “I know you know what I’m talking about, you two.” Katsuki lets slip a self-satisfied grin. Mina catches the expression before he quickly lets it fall. “See—” She points at him, but when the others turn, he’s glowering as usual.

Okay, maybe this is fun.

Kirishima, however, is struggling to keep his expressions under control. He turns away to “cough” (secretly laugh) into his hand.

The bell rings, and every student scurries to their seats. Aizawa casts a single glance at Shinsou before he clears his throat and stacks papers on the front desk. “Let’s start,” he says tiredly, and Katsuki wipes his mind of all thoughts of Kirishima to focus on class.

Or, at least, he tries. Usually, he’s able to completely focus himself on academics, never another thought on the brain except how to be the best. But now, he gaze keeps drifting back to where Kirishima is squinting at his paper in confusion, tapping his pencil against his bottom lip. Dammit, I definitely tutored you on this!

Or maybe Kirishima spent most of their tutoring sessions doing exactly what Katsuki did: staring at the other boy every available moment and then pretending he wasn’t doing so.

Either way, he does awful on the worksheets, and can’t keep his head together enough to read the textbook. His head is swirling with the memories of their last night at the cabin, when he kissed Kirishima under the stars. What was he thinking? What if it had horribly backfired? What would he have done then?

He shakes his head. Don’t think about the past. It won’t help the future. He’s made so much progress… he can’t reverse it all now. His leg shakes under the table as his gaze returns to Kirishima once more. There are higher stakes now. He has more to lose.

Lunch proves to be difficult. One thing he didn’t count for was Kirishima being clingy. “I told you I was okay with contact, but I didn’t think you meant this much.” Katsuku grouches as Kirishima attaches himself to the blonde boy’s side in the cafeteria.

“I can stop—”

“No, it’s fine.” He grabs onto Kirishima’s hand to keep him from moving. “I don’t mind.” To be honest, he doesn’t. He likes the warm feeling of Kirishima’s hand in his, of an arm around his shoulders, or even his waist. He thought he’d hate feeling looked after, having someone else care for him.

Now he realizes he likes the feeling of being protected.

They sit down at their usual table, and Kirishima slides his arm around Katsuki’s waist. Both strain to make this appear as natural and perfectly normal as possible.

Unfortunately, it still draws attention.

“I knew it!” Mina crows, pointing at them from across the table. Now, they don’t make any effort to hide it. “I knew it, I knew it!” She stands up to do a victory dance.

“Knew what?” Sero asks, mouth full of noodles. He slurps them up and looks around in confusion. “What’s happening?”

Kaminari snickers. “Okay, how long’s this been going on?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Katsuki says, gaze trained on his bento box, all his senses narrowed in on the point where Kirishima’s hand rests on his hip. It mades his skin feel warm and prickly while his stomach flutters on butterfly wings.

“Are you dating? Oh, please, that’d be so, so, cute, I couldn’t take it—”

“None of your business,” Katsuki snaps, at the same time Kirishima affirms, “Yep!” Both shoot each other alarmed glances.

Oh. So they forgot to plan what to say if someone asks.

However fortunately, Mina ignores Katsuki and claps excitedly at Kirishima’s response. “Oh my God, for real? Then what the hell was up with you guys gaslighting me all day? How’d you get together? Who confessed first? Where was it? What’d you do? I have no idea how you pulled it off, but I’m sure it was all Kirishima’s idea!”

“Oy,” Katsuki growls.

“Yeah, Bakugou actually confessed first,” Kirishima exposes, which earns him a stomp on the foot. He doesn’t so much as flinch, the bastard. “It was really sweet, too—”

“They don’t need to know that,” Katsuki hisses. His hair starts to smoke lightly. The others lean away.

Kirishima isn’t so much as fased. “Yeah, okay. Hey, you want my spicy chicken? It’s too hot for me.” He spoons some of his lunch into his boyfriend’s.

Katsuki blinks. “Yeah. Thanks.”

Now it’s everyone else’s turn to look alarmed. “I’m sorry, was that a thank you I just heard?” Kaminari asks, baffled.

“It was “thanks”, actually, I think,” Shinsou replies. “Still startling, though.”

Katsuki’s lip curls. “I hate all of you.” He stuffs his mouth with spicy chicken and tries to ignore the way Kirishima laughs.

When he pushes the rest of his lunch away, a hand finds its way to his again. Sooner than he could have hoped, the rest of the group has found another topic to gossip about, and they’re in the clear. Not for long, though.

Word has spread by the time they get to their next class. People turn to stare at them in the halls, but a single glare from Katsuki has them turning away. They step into the classroom with hands interlocked, and voices explode in volume. Nobody comes up to him, but Kirishima chatters with everyone and affirms that yes, they are dating, no, that’s all the info you get.

Katsuki slinks away, trying to escape all the attention. How strange, when he’s usually trying for the opposite. When Present Mic walks in, the class diverts their attention to their work instead.

As they walk to their seats, Kirishima slips his hand into Katsuki’s. He squeezes, and Katsuki gives a squeeze back. They share a small smile before splitting off.

Katsuki decides that even though today was rough, it definitely could have gone a lot worse. Things are looking up.

Chapter Text

The Final Boss

It’s February.

It’s February, and Katsuki didn’t give any thought to what that means until it’s February 10th and Mina is knocking on the door to his room.

She pokes her curly pink head inside, and he waves her in exasperatedly. As much as he hates to admit it, she’s been a big help managing relationship stuff. Who knew asking someone for help with your problems was such an efficient way to solve them?

“Yo!” She greets him, throwing herself down on his bed like it’s her own property. She does that a lot, in everyone’s room, not just his. But something about him and Kirishima starting to date a month ago has made him a lot more approachable to her.

She smacks a piece of gum in her mouth and turns to ask, “So what are you gonna do for Valentine’s Day?”

Katsuki freezes at his desk, blood turning cold. He turns around slowly to stare at her.

“....What?”

Valentine’s Day is his final boss. The last hurdle to clear, the last challenge to complete, before he can really call Kirishima his boyfriend. If he blows it, well… he’ll never recover.

But now it’s February 13th, and he still has no idea what to do. The only clue he has is the advice Mina gave him a few nights ago.

At first, he’d shrugged it off. “I’ll just buy him a gift card or something. It doesn’t have to be a big deal. I don’t even care about shit like Valentine’s Day.”

If Mina valued her limbs less, she might have smacked him over the head for that. “It doesn’t matter if you don’t care about Valentine’s Day! This isn’t about you!” With a huff, she folded her arms and closed her eyes tiredly. “Kirishima is definitely a romantic. He’ll care about what you do for him on Valentine’s Day. You can’t blow this.”

“Okay, well…” Katsuki wracks his brain. What does Kirishima like…? Besides crocs…? Something manly? Something about pride?

Mina’s expression deflates. “You really have no clue, don’t you?”

Katsuki’s eyes say help.

Mina sighs. “You’re trying to fix your problem with money. Money is not the key to Valentine’s Day.” She sits up and squares her shoulders importantly. “The key to a proper Valentine’s Day gift is effort! Not how much you pay for something, but how much work goes into it!”

Katsuki squints at her. “Why?”

“Why?” Mina gapes at him. “What do you mean? Because anyone can buy something, but not everyone can make something. Creating something, or at least putting some effort in, shows that you care about the person. It makes a gift meaningful, it makes it personal!” She crows, adding applause for effect.

“Why do I even have to get a gift? Can’t I just tell him I love him?” Katsuki protests, gesturing in futility.

“Oh, yes, you sooooo should!” Mina says eagerly, clasping her hands together. “But that alone will not cut it. Actions speak louder than words, you know!”

And now Katsuki is clutching his head the night before Valentine’s Day, with no gift, no plan, and no idea what to do.

For some reason, it’s on him to get something for Kirishima, not the other way around, which makes this absolutely awful.

Wait. No. It’s not awful… he loves Kirishima… and definitely wants to do something for him… But why does it have to be such a big deal? Katsuki hates being pressured into things.

His phone pings with a text, and he lifts his head off the desk just slightly to read it.

Mina: you’d better have something by now!! talk about procrastinating!

Katsuki groans and slams his head back down.

How can he possibly come up with something now? It’s way too last minute. He shouldn’t even try. Kirishima probably isn’t expecting anything anyway. He knows how Katsuki feels about these types of things.

Then he pictures Kirishima hoping for something anyway, and getting nothing, and feeling disappointed.

Katsuki lifts his head and pushes his chair back from his desk. The sun is setting, and time is running out. His hands are trembling in his lap, and he tucks them between his legs. Think, think, think— His grades are almost top of the class, he aces every test, barely has to study, but he can’t even think of a goddamn Valentine’s Day present? How pathetic can he be?

What had Mina said? Something meaningful, something personal?

Meaningful… what would be meaningful to Kirishima? Something that has to do with the two of them?

And what is personal? Katsuki props his chin on his hand and twirls a pencil as he concentrates. What’s personal to him? What’s the most personal thing he has?

What’s something he has that no one else does?

Then it comes to him.

It’s not hard, it’s not big, it’s not a lot of work, and it probably won’t even seem like a big deal to other people.

But God, Kirishima would love it.

Katsuki feels himself smile. He’s excited, now, and nervous, too, because it’s sure to backfire a little. And it requires two-way operation, too. But it doesn’t matter.

It’s probably something he should have done the very first night they got together. It’s long overdue, and tomorrow, he’ll set it in action.

Someone went a little crazy with the Valentine’s decorations for the dorms, and Katsuki has a sneaking suspicion who was behind it.

As he descends the stairs to the common room, he passes red and pink strings of paper hearts, confetti littering the halls, and streamers hanging from the ceiling. Looks like someone got Sero involved, too….

There’s only one person who could have made all this on a short notice, and Katsuki reaches the kitchen to see Yaoyorozu tacking up a Valentine’s Day banner with Sero’s assistance.

About half the class is gathered in the common area, and Katsuki’s heart races when he spots Kirishima with them. His hair is down— Katsuki’s never told him, but he loves when his hair’s like that— and he’s wearing an oversized black hoodie. Katsuki’s not one for cuddles, but the urge to give his boyfriend a hug is overwhelming.

He arranges his face into a scowl to hide his uncharacteristic softness and stalks over to the rest of the class.

“Well, aren’t you empty handed,” Uraraka observes. “What’ve you got up your sleeve?”

Katsuki glances down at his sleeveless shirt. “Nothing.”

Kirishima giggles and Kaminari waggles his eyebrows at Katsuki’s arms.

“Some of us have already exchanged our gifts,” Jirou informs him. “So feel free to do so any time.”

Katsuki swallows. “Okay.” He jerks his chin at Kirishima and turns around. Confused, the red head rises from the couch and follows him amidst a chorus of ooooohhs from their annoying classmates.

Katsuki grabs onto Kirishima’s sleeve and leads him away from the rest of their classmates. He comes to a stop in the shadows behind the staircase, hoping nothing will be overheard.

“I, um, want to give you something,” he manages.

Kirishima’s eyes light up as if someone flicked a light switch and accidentally turn on an entire galaxy.

“It’s not really a gift— but— um— it’s… meaningful… and personal.” Katsuki fumbles over his words. God, why can’t he just say it already?

“Okay!” Kirishima smiles. He doesn’t seem to mind at all. That makes this so much easier.

Katsuki takes a deep breath. “I want to give you… my name.”

Kirishima blinks.

Katsuki holds his breath now, unable to say any more, waiting for his reaction. Kirishima frowns.

“Like… Bakugou... Eijirou…?”

“Huh?” Katsuki stares at him. “What are you…? Oh, what?” Suddenly, he realizes what Kirishima was trying to ask, and his face heats. “No! Not like that!” He turns his face away, face flushed. “I’m not trying to marry you, idiot.”

“Oh.” Kirishima grins dopily. “Oops…”

“I meant,” Katsuki tries to clarify. “My name.”

Some part of him just really, really wants Kirishima to figure this out for himself.

“Katsuki…?” Kirishima attempts. He seems uncertain with the unfamiliar name.

“Yeah.” Katsuki stuffs his hands in his pockets. “I’m letting you use it.”

Kirishima’s eyes blow wide. “Like, a first-name basis?”

“Yeah.” Katsuki kicks at the ground, unable to meet the other boy’s gaze. “If you’re alright with that.”

It’s a few moments before Kirishima replies, and Katsuki becomes afraid he won’t say anything at all. Just as he raises his head, Kirishima declares, “Duh!”

Katsuki’s head jerks up to meet his gaze.

“That’d be so cool! Oh, this is such a good idea! I love it!” Kirishima grabs his hands and kisses him. Katsuki feels pleased. Maybe he was on to something.

“But you know what this means?” Kirishima asks, hands still clasped together, even as they walk back to the group.

“What?” Katsuki responds nervously.

“You get to call me Eijirou,” he says triumphantly. Katsuki’s heart skips a beat. He was anticipating this, but he’s not prepared. “Okay, let’s practice.”

Katsuki raises an eyebrow. “Practice… saying our names?” He glances around to make sure no one’s listening.

“Yeah!” Eijirou chirps. “Okay… so…” He screws up his face. “Let’s see… happy Valentine’s Day, Katsuki!” He beams.

Katsuki smiles begrudgingly. “Happy Valentine’s Day, Eijirou.” He kisses him again.

“Oh, nasty,” says Mina as she walks past. “Get a room.”

Katsuki turns to snarl at her. “What’s wrong with this one?”

She scurries past them quickly into the safety of the hoard.

Eijirou giggles. “Wow, kissing in public? That was dangerous.” They sit down on the couch, side by side, shoulders pressed together, hands intertwined. “I wasn’t expecting that from you.”

Katsuki shrugs. “Yeah, well.” He takes a look around him. The rest of the class isn’t paying them much mind. He really worked himself up over nothing. It’s not that big of a deal to flaunt his relationship. And it makes Eijirou happy. “I wanted to.”

He’s been through too much to get to this point. Looking back at the beginning of the school year, he almost doesn’t recognize himself. Now, he watches his friends tease and laugh with each other, as Eijirou slides an arm around Katsuki’s shoulders and pulls him close.

Yeah. He deserves this.