Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Katsuki's relationship with Kariage happened gradually, and then seemingly all at once.

In middle school they were more like associates, with Katsuki being the one running the empire that was their reign over the school. They were bullies, they filled the void of self-worth by asserting their strength over others.

When Katsuki began at UA, he was even more volatile than before. Shit happened to him, and he both lashed out and withdrew. He kept occasional contact with Kariage, who would drop a line every now and then. But Katsuki wasn't in the business of keeping friends at the moment, too busy keeping himself from falling completely apart. Or in his style, blowing completely up, supernova-style.

But then he began to mellow out. As his time at UA progressed, he began to settle within himself further. He did make friends, to his surprise, who helped to keep him grounded and show him what friendship could be when it wasn't held together by a mutual need to feel power.

Then Kariage contacted him again, this time suggesting they hang out. Katsuki would never admit it, but he had been scared. Not of Kariage, but of himself. Of what he would remember about himself if he went, what he could fall into becoming again. He was just beginning to reconcile his past at the time, so the thought of revisiting it seemed daunting to say the least. Katsuki was no coward, though. Maybe it was that same pride that had drove him all his life, sometimes to bad decisions, that made him agree.

They met at the park they used to frequent as delinquents. Or, as much of a delinquent as a driven kid like Katsuki could be. He had expected the worst when he went. That their morals would clash and probably end in a brawl when Kariage would probably insult Katsuki for going soft, who would then have to retaliate because again, that damned pride. What he hadn't expected, however, was for Kariage to have changed too.

Katsuki came to find out that his former partner in crime was less of a "criminal" than they both had been when they'd last met. Both had seemingly mellowed out over time. They spent the day talking into the evening, catching up, even managing a few laughs from one another. Not even fake ones, real genuine laughs. The only actual worst part was when Kariage pulled out his pack of smokes, which Katsuki had to scold him for, and then try not to breathe it in as the other teen indulged in his vice.

Altogether, it wasn't as bad as he'd thought it would be at all. He left back to the dorms feeling lighter, as well as further from his past transgressions than ever. They planned to meet again.

Katsuki never told his UA friends, though. He'd never admit it but he did care about what they thought, and he didn't want them to disapprove or think ill of him. He didn't want to remind them of the fact that he used to be a real menace his peers. A bully. He didn't want them to see him as that. So he kept it vague when they would ask where he went, never lying, but never telling the bare truth.

After that first reunion, things with Kariage seemed to fall into place. They would play video games, watch movies, chat shit and joke around together as any friends would. It was different from what they'd done in the past, they never hurt anyone in their time together now. The most violent they ever got was Katsuki raging at an arcade machine, and the meanest they got was Kariage calmly insulting the judging onlookers. Not exactly the apologetic reaction a friend like Kirishima would have in replying to their acquired audience, but not evil. Just rather rude.

The change was so gradual, Katsuki didn't even notice it. The arm Kariage would throw over the top of the couch as they sat and watched tv together was just a comfortable place for someone to put his arm. Katsuki just happened to be sitting under it. When the hand attached to said arm began to play with Katsuki's hair, he had tensed up the first few times, but always relaxed in the end. So he enjoyed having his head pet like a cat, who cares. He could indulge in it since it was just them two alone those days, so he didn't complain. Sometimes he sat closer to encourage it, even. So what if he did. Maybe growing up so explosive made him a little touch starved. It's fine if it was Kariage feeding it, because he probably understood it, having been there to witness every interaction that Katsuki violently pushed other's touch away.

It was a sign of his own progress, really, that he could let someone do that and enjoy it with minimal shame. Sometimes he felt weak for wanting contact, and he wasn't planning on asking his UA squad for something lile that anytime soon, so he just basked in it when he was with Kariage.

Basked in the warmth coming from his body when he sat closer on the couch. The weight of his arm across Katsuki's shoulders, as opposed to the back of the couch where it initially rested. The goosebumps that followed every whisper Kariage imparted to him when he leaned in close to whisper sarcastic commentary about the movies in Katsuki's ear.

And when Kariage would wrap an arm around Katsuki's waist to guide him across the street when they would be out, Katsuki didn't blow him up for daring to touch him. Instead, he secretly reveled in being treated as something to be kept safe, rather than something others needed to be kept safe from. So he accepted the touch, and with minimal blushing.

He blushed a little more when Kariage would pull him closer in crowds, wrapping his arm around the blonde's hip. And when he would call Katsuki "Kat" or even jokingly, on rare occasion, "Kitty Kat." He figured that the other boy's enjoyment in his getting flustered was harmless in nature, so he allowed the nicknames with only token objections.

Katsuki only ever truly noticed the shift between them that one day. Kariage, evidently, had not completely given up his delinquent days. He wasn't an instigator, though. But he did get into the occasional fight. That was fine, so did Katsuki, that was the nature of his career path anyway. But the difference was that Katsuki usually had someone like Recovery Girl to patch him up after, while Kariage did not. So when Katsuki opened his door to find Kariage there with black eyes signalling a hard hit to his nose, blood drying beneath his nose, and split knuckles, Katsuki understandably freaked out.

"What the fuck asshole?! What the hell'd you do now?" He yelled as he tugged the other boy into the house by his shirt.

"Relax, Kat, it was just a scrap. I won, anyway." Kariage assured in that low drawl he always spoke in.

"Course you did, I don't hang out with no weaklings. Now sit the fuck down and wait here." Katsuki replied, shoving the other down onto the couch before speeding away to grab first aid supplies.

When he returned to the room with an overabundance of bandages and disinfectants, Kariage couldn't help but chuckle.

"Really, it's fine, Kat. You worry too much." He laughed.

Swiftly sitting down on the couch beside the injured boy, Katsuki roughly grabbed the other's hands to clean his knuckles.

"Of course you'd say that, you're a dumbass. What if they'd had some bullshit quirk, huh? Don't go fighting extras like that! What the fuck made you beat their asses anyway?!" The blonde responded, almost frantic in his wrapping of the other's hands.

"It was nothing, Kitty Kat. Don't worry your pretty little head about it." Kariage smirked.

Katsuki ignored the blush he felt rising to his cheeks at hearing that damned nickname again. He yanked Kariage's other hand to his own lap to clean and bandage that one.

"Be serious, asshole. You don't go fighting for no damn reason anymore." He challenged.

Sensing that Katsuki wouldn't let up until he told him, he replied. "They said some shit about you. Just some lame shit talking cause they'd seen you on tv. Got a little pissed, threw a few punches, it was done. Knew I shouldn't have done it but I couldn't let them get away with badmouthing my Kitty Kat like that." He gave a teasing smirk at the end of his explanation.

Katsuki blanks before beginning to scrub the blood from the other's face roughly. "Asshole! You shouldn't be doing that shit over me. I got a bad reputation, people like to talk. Get used to it. Really, you-"

"Kat, it's okay." He tries to placate over the blonde's mad treatment of his wounds. Katsuki moves on to scrub at the blood dried on the other's cheek.

"No! What if they'd been villains or some shit? You could've gotten your ass beat over some dumb bullshit about me! What the fuck, you dumbass, what if-"

"Kat, it's okay."

"The fuck it is! What if you-"

"Kat." Kariage said more sternly now, catching Katsuki's wrist. He slipped his hand to cover Katsuki's on his face, and press it gently to his cheek. Katsuki found himself cradling Kariage's face in his hand. He goes still, a little stunned.

"Kat." Kariage continues, "It's okay. I'm okay, baby. Breathe."

Katsuki sat frozen, eyes wide and mouth parted in shock. Baby? Suddenly things seemed to fall into place. The squirmy anticipation feeling he would get when he thought of seeing the other next. The warm bubbliness in his chest when they snuggled particularly close on the couch. The butterflies in his stomach whenever Kariage put his arm around Katsuki and pulled him close when they were out. Why he didn't ever push the other away, or snap at him for treating him like he was fragile or something. Why it felt good to be protected in that way.

Kariage brought his own hand up to cup Katsuki's cheek. The blonde's face was now heated with a furious blush as his wide eyes stared into Kariage's smiling ones. When Kariage leaned in, he could only flutter his eyes closed, as their lips met.

Their first kiss was slow, gentle, so unlike how Katsuki ever thought he'd be treated. He always associated touch with violence. With the occasional chumminess from his UA friends. But never like this.

He felt so delicate in Kariage's arms, as the other pulled him close by his hip. When they parted, Kariage sweetly brushed his hands through Katsuki's soft hair and once again met the other's eyes.

"Okay?" He prompted.

"O-okay." Katsuki replied.

After that, it was like the final piece of a puzzle finally fit in. They would still play video games, but every playful shove over the competition was followed by a sweet kiss. They would watch movies, but sometimes with Katsuki's legs across Kariag's lap, or his head on Kariage's chest as he lay on top of the other. Kariage wasn't even afraid to hold Katsuki's dangerous hands, even withstanding the small pops that would go off when he brought their joined hands to his lips and kissed the blonde's knuckles. With Kariage, Katsuki found a closeness he'd never considered he could ever have. And a contentedness he never knew was possible. He was happy.

Chapter Text

The Bakusquad did, of course, notice their friend's frequent absences, as well as the flustered nature he would take on when they asked him about it. So naturally, one day they decided to follow him. Hey, they wanted to go to the mall anyway! It just so happened that Bakugou went there too!

They had lost sight of him in the crowds, however. Sighing, they decided to go about their shopping anyway, hoping to catch a glance of him along the way. They were sipping some bobas when Kaminari spotted him. He choked briefly on his drink, before pointing and exclaiming,

"Yo! I think Blasty's got a boyfriend!"

The others gasped and turned excitedly to catch sight of their favorite explosive blonde. They were surprised to see him acting...affectionate? With another human being?

The blonde in question had his back to the group, evidently too far away to hear the commotion. Kariage, however, was facing the blonde, and saw the group over his shoulder. He also saw Kaminari point and the rest of the group turn to stare. He recognized the groups from pictures and stories Katsuki had told him of his time at school. He also suspected that from some of the details in these stories, that a certain red headed individual had a crush on his lovely boyfriend. Katsuki didn't know, of course. For all his emotional progress, he still couldn't read a person for his life.

So, feeling a little possessive, Kariage chose to grab his boyfriend's hip and pull him close, using his other hand to cup the blonde's cheek and tilt his face for a tender kiss.

"I love you so much baby. My pretty Kitty Kat." Kariage murmured in the other's ear. He meant it, of course, but he also wanted the group to see the way Katsuki would shiver as he felt Kariage's breath on his skin.

Katsuki gripped Kariage's shirt in his fists and buried his face in the taller boy's chest.

"What the fuck, you can't just say shit like that out of nowhere!" He mumbled into his shirt, before following with, "I love you too, asshole."

Kariage smiled down at the fluffy head of his boyfriend and raised a hand to pet through his hair. He did so love to see his sweetheart flustered like that. He also loved that his friends could probably see the blush painting the back of the blonde's neck as he was cradled close to the other's chest.

He also smirked at the constipated look on the red headed one's face, and the tight grip he had on his drink.

Maybe he still liked to mess with people, so what? He was still a good guy overall, now. Katsuki had a real impact on that. He knew the other was trying to grow and be a better person, and it made him want to better himself. That didn't mean he was immune to jealousy or feelings of possessiveness, you know. He knew he had a real treasure in Katsuki, one he intended to keep. So he showed off for the group a little.

The grumpy grumbles of the blonde drew him away from his sly deeds, however, as he soon lost himself in enjoying his boyfriend. Having him close, being able to kiss his soft lips, taste his sweet sweat, share their true selves with each other, and just hang out. The squad forgotten, he moves his arms to fully embrace Katsuki, and revel in his presence. He loves his Kitty Kat.