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Izuku stumbled as he stood up from where he was sitting in the common room with his classmates. Before he could fall, a strong arm wrapped around his waist.
“Watch it, lightweight,” Katsuki grumbled, letting go once Izuku found his balance.
“S-sorry, Kacchan,” Izuku smiled apologetically, blushing as he headed to the kitchen.
Izuku was not a lightweight.
Maybe it was his quirk, or maybe he just had good genes, because Izuku never got drunk and could easily outdrink even Mina and Kirishima. Sometimes he’d feel a little buzzed or his face would get a little red, and that was about as much as alcohol affected him.
But his interaction with Katsuki just now gave him an idea. A really pathetic one, but Izuku had long since accepted how pathetic he really was when it came to his unrelenting feelings for his rival.
When he came back to the common room, a fresh drink in hand, he plopped down on the couch next to Katsuki, strategically bumping their knees together. If the blonde was annoyed at the close contact, he didn’t show it; he was glaring at his phone while he half-listened to whatever story Kaminari was telling.
As the evening wore on, everyone got rowdier the more they drank. Izuku played along, giggling loudly and leaning into Katsuki as Todoroki told them how he stole yet another one of Endeavor’s credit cards and was crowdsourcing ideas on what to use it for. At one point in the night, Sero suggested they go to the rooftop and smoke together. Most people agreed. Izuku stood up, wobbling like he’d seen Uraraka do the nights she’s had too much to drink.
Katsuki huffed, annoyed, and grabbed his arm to stabilize him. “Not you. Go to bed, Deku.”
Izuku faked a frown. His skin felt on fire where Katsuki’s warm hand was placed. “I can take care of myself, Kacchan--” He yelped when he found himself being lifted into Katsuki’s arms, draping him over his shoulder so Izuku was blessed with the glorious view of Katsuki’s ass. “What are you doing? Kacchan!” Please tell me you're taking me to bed!
“I’m taking your dumbass to bed.”
HOLY SHIT is this actually happening?!
“You need to drink a fuckton of water and go to sleep.”
Dammit.
But Izuku couldn’t complain. At least Katsuki was holding him. Technically. He fought the urge to bury his nose in shirt and take a deep breath. But wait-- what the hell, he was supposed to be drunk, right?
“What the fuck? Did you just smell me?”
“Maybe.” Izuku smiled to himself. Worth it .
Moments later, Katsuki opened the door to Izuku’s room and threw Izuku onto the bed. He grabbed a water bottle from the desk and shoved it in Izuku’s face. “Drink.”
“O-okay,” Izuku took the bottle and drank until it was empty.
Satisfied, Katsuki aggressively peeled back the covers and shoved Izuku underneath. “Sleep,” he ordered.
“Okay Kacchan,” Izuku smiled. “Goodnight.”
“Shut up and learn to handle your liquor or don’t drink,” Katsuki spat back before stomping from his room and slamming the door shut behind him.
Izuku did not listen to Katsuki, and continued “getting drunk” at the parties they had. And it worked every time: whenever Katsuki thought Izuku had enough, he would manhandle him and force him back to his bedroom. Sometimes he would carry him-- one time he even cradled Izuku’s head, and Izuku pretended to fall asleep so he could nuzzle his face in the crook of Katsuki’s neck. Sometimes Katasuki would just grab his wrist and drag him down the hallway, which would make Izuku simultaneously giddy and sad; that would be the closest he’d ever come to hold his hand.
At a birthday party for Jiro, it happened again after a couple rounds of karaoke. Katsuki snatched the microphone away from Izuku before he could start a rock ballad duet with Tokoyami, and lifted him into a firefighter carry.
“Kacchan,” Izuku teased, making sure to slur his speech a bit. “Always ruining my fun.”
“Always making me fucking babysit you,” Katsuki snapped back. “Why are you so fucking sloppy, Deku?”
The smile from Izuku’s face disappeared. He felt like a rock was settling in the bottom of his stomach. “S-sorry, Kacchan…”
When Katsuki dumped him on his bed again, Izuku silently drank from his water bottle like he always did. When he was done, he rolled over on his bed, not surprised when he heard the door slam without another word.
Parties from then on weren’t as much fun for Izuku, though he did enjoy spending time with all his friends. He kept drinking, but he stopped pretending to be drunk. He avoided ever sitting directly next to Katsuki, who narrowed his eyes as he observed Izuku’s sudden show of self-control, but otherwise said nothing.
Izuku had known his little scheme wasn’t going to last long, and that it was silly-- but it was nice to pretend otherwise for a while; to pretend that when Katsuki aggressively tucked him in at night that he was doing so out of affection and not obligation. It sounded melodramatic, but Izuku had no idea how he was going to survive. He saw Katsuki everyday, and when they become pro heroes, Izuku will still see him almost everyday. Izuku noticed the way other students looked at Katsuki with hearts in their eyes-- even the ones who were afraid of him. It wouldn’t be long before someone met Katsuki’s standards, and Izuku would just have to sit there and watch him be in love with someone else.
It was good practice, Izuku decided. Putting on a smile even when he felt like he was dying. Just like All Might, right?
It’s what he was doing now, at yet another party in the common room-- this time celebrating the end of midterms. Shinsou was showing Hagakure how to use his binding cloth when Izuku heard a glass break in the kitchen. As always, Izuku was the most sober one there-- even though he was three drinks in --so he sped to the kitchen to make sure everything was alright.
Katsuki was alone, cleaning up a broken beer bottle.
Izuku squatted down with some more towels. “Here, let me help--”
“Fuck off,” Katsuki snapped. His face was red.
Izuku raised an eyebrow. “Are you drunk?”
“Maybe,” Katsuki narrowed his eyes and his face flushed redder.
Izuku smiled as they finished cleaning up the mess. He quickly pulled Katsuki to his feet before he could refuse his help. “You usually don’t drink so much. Are you okay, Kacchan?”
“I hate you,” Katsuki slurred.
Izuku’s smile faltered for a second. “I know, Kacchan.”
Katsuki huffed, and shook his head. He prodded Izuku’s chest with a finger. “No, you’re not listening. I hate you, Deku.”
Izuku gently swatted Katsuki’s finger away and sighed. “Okay, Kacchan. I’m going to go back to the common room now. Try and drink some water, please.”
“Aren’t you gonna take me to bed?”
Izuku’s brow furrowed. “What?”
“After all the times I helped your drunk sloppy ass. You’re not gonna do the same for me? Shitty Deku.”
“I’m confused,” Izuku said. “You want me to help you?”
Katsuki scrunched up his nose. Instead of answering, he just launched himself at Izuku, putting all his weight on him.
“K-Kacchan!” Izuku gasped as Katsuki wrapped his legs around his waist and his arms around his neck. “You need to get off--” Izuku cut himself off as he realized his shoulder, where Katsuki had buried his face, was wet. Is he crying? What the hell is happening?!
All Izuku knew was that Katsuki would kill him, once he sobered up, if Izuku let the rest of their class see him like that. So Izuku just started quickly walking toward the dorms, rubbing his scarred hand up and down Katsuki’s back as he whispered in his ear that everything was going to be okay.
Once in Katsuki’s room, Izuku gently laid him down on his bed. Like their old routine with roles reversed, Izuku insisted Katsuki drink water. When he did, Izuku helped take off Katsuki’s socks and tucked him under his favorite All Might blanket. Without thinking, Izuku smoothed the hair back from Katsuki’s forehead. “Goodnight, Kacchan. You’ll feel better in the morning.”
Katsuki was already drifting off to sleep, but before Izuku reached the door, he murmured quietly. “I hate you, Deku…”
Izuku waited until he entered his own room before he let himself cry. He cried for hours; he lost track of time. He was startled when he heard a knock at his door.
“Who is it?” he called out. He hoped he hadn’t woken up Mineta or Aoyama. He was usually good about crying quietly.
“Open up, Deku.”
“K-Kacchan,” Izuku said, his voice shaky. “What’s wrong?”
“Just open the damn door.”
“I’m not feeling very well. Can it wait until the morning?
“No.”
Izuku sighed. He stood up and stared at his reflection in the floor length mirror. His face was pale and his eyes were red and puffy. Katsuki knocked again, this time impatient and loud. “Alright, I’m coming…”
Izuku opened the door. Katsuki was glaring at him, but his face was otherwise unreadable. “What is it? And don’t tell me you hate me, I think I’ve heard it enough for one night.” Izuku laughed, and already felt tears starting to form again.
“I made you cry.”
Izuku waited for him to continue, but when he didn’t, he nodded.
“I’m… I’m sorry.”
Izuku’s eyes widened at the apology, but he just shrugged. “It’s okay. People are more inclined to tell the truth when they’re drunk, so...” He gave another strained laugh.
“I wasn’t telling the truth,” Katsuki said, gritting his teeth. “I mean, I was, but-- shit.”
“It’s okay,” Izuku said again. “Don’t worry. Let’s just go to bed--”
“Shut up,” Katsuki seethed. “I’m not done.”
Izuku sighed again, and waited.
“When I said I hate you,” Katsuki said finally. “I meant that I hate the way you’ve been acting around me. You made me think we’re friends again, but now you’re all weird and shit. Avoiding me at parties.”
“I--” Izuku started, but he was cut off again.
“And since when do you know how to hold your liquor? When for months I was the one who had to lug your sorry ass to your room?”
Izuku chewed his lower lip before answering. “If I tell you, you’ll kick my ass.”
Finally, Katsuki smirked. “I’ll kick your ass if you don’t.”
Izuku looked at his feet. “I… I just wanted you to touch me.” He glanced up at Katsuki to gage his reaction. He just looked confused. Better than angry or disgusted.
“What?”
“I noticed that when I stumbled or acted drunk, you were always there to ground me. It was the only time you touched me outside of sparring. I can’t really get drunk, but I started acting like I was just to get your attention. You always made sure I got to bed. And I liked it. I liked being carried by you. I liked being tucked in by you.” Izuku groaned and hid his face with his hands. This is so much more embarrassing when I say it out loud!
“So why did you stop.”
Izuku, his hands still covering his face, was surprised at how calm Katsuki sounded. “You…” He choked up a bit as he remembered. “You said I always made you babysit me. You said I was sloppy.”
“So? It was true.”
Izuku sighed, and finally let his hands drop to his sides, though he stared at his feet again. “You sounded so mad,” he whispered.
“I was mad, dumbass.”
“I know. I’m sorry Kacchan.”
“I was mad,” Katsuki repeated. “Because all I wanted to do was fool around with you after our lame ass parties. But you were always drunk by the end of the night-- at least I fucking thought you were --so we couldn’t do anything. And then you fucking started avoiding me, and I get emotional when I drink too much, and...” He trailed off.
Izuku looked at Katsuki, his eyes wide. “W-what? You wanted to fool around…?”
“Y’know,” Katsuki was smirking, but he was also blushing. “Cuddle, makeout. Maybe more.”
“What?” Izuku squeaked. “Why would you want to do that with me ?”
“Jesus, Deku,” Katsuki grumbled. “Do I really gotta spell it out for you?”
“Yes,” Izuku said, clenching his fists. “Because five minutes ago I was convinced you hated me. So a little clarity would be nice.”
“Fair enough,” Katsuki snorted. “Fuck, I… I fucking like you, Deku. Happy?”
Izuku stared at him. “Y-yes,” he whispered. “I really like you, too, Kacchan.”
Katsuki nodded. “Good.” He took a step forward, and--
Tripped over his own two feet. But Izuku was strong and had quick reflexes, so he easily caught Kacchan in his arms. “Are you alright?”
Katsuki snickered and wrapped his arms around Izuku. “Looks like I’m still a little buzzed. Woops.” He rubbed his face into Izuku’s neck.
“Shut up,” Izuku said, his face going red again, but he pulled Katsuki closer to him.
“So,” Katsuki dragged his fingers up and down Izuku’s back. “Can we fool around already?”
“Yes, please,” Izuku breathed.
In one fluid movement, Katsuki pulled away and lifted Izuku into his arms. It was different this time-- he smiled at Izuku, before pressing his lips to his forehead. Izuku sighed, and Katsuki continued leaving little pecks all over his face, pausing over his cheeks to kiss away his drying tears.
But when they were inside his room, Izuku was roughly thrown onto the bed.
He pouted. “Hey!”
Katsuki smirked. “Sorry. Old habits.”
He took off his slippers and crawled onto the bed to sit next to him. Izuku immediately made his way into his lap and wrapped his arms around Katsuki’s neck.
“Touch me, Kacchan,” Izuku pleaded.
Katsuki wrapped his arms around his waist and pulled him close so that their chests were flush together. “Never gonna let you go,” he murmured into Izuku’s hair, before pulling back to seal his promise with a kiss.