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“Hi, Kacchan!”
“…hmph.”
They were all gathered in the common room of class 3/A Alliance. Ochako was telling some gossip she’s heard from Mina earlier and Shouto sat next to them, Momo right beside him with their shoulders brushing, Hitoshi kindly pretending to be listening but much more indulged in the binding cloth in his hands. Some other were watching TV or trying to catch up with some studies. Everyone was happy since today wasn’t one of the tiring hero training days and they had energy to have fun freely.
That’s when Katsuki and Eijirou came in from training, Katsuki with a towel around his neck as he already bathed in the stalls. He was in a mood today, not surprisingly, and he couldn’t shake it off the entire day. As one could observe, even the steaming-off with Eijirou didn’t help settle his nerves.
Izuku watched as the ash-blond scowled at his way and ignored him before trailing his way to the couches next to Denki and Hanta.
The loud room got a little silent if not all together by that.
“Izuku? You two… fought or something?”
“What, no, of course not.”
“Or broke up? Bakugou looks like he’s lost the next 5 years of cheer in his life.”
“We didn’t break up, Shouto. I… honestly don’t know what is it.”
Ochako sensed the mood swing of Izuku and tried to disperse it as best as she could.
“W-Well! You guys only started dating a month ago so, uhm, he must be n-nervous to be lovey dovey around us! Don’t mind it Deku.”
Izuku smiled at her which didn’t reach his eyes and nodded, trying to get back into the mood despite it being ruined.
Eijirou came after Katsuki and nudged his shoulder not so kindly.
“Ow, watch it dumbass!”
“Why are you being an ass to Izuku? He just said hi to you, you didn’t have to flip him up like that.”
“Since when are you Deku’s lawyer? Fuck off.”
Eijirou shook his head and walked off with another nudge on his shoulder.
“So not manly.”
Izuku glanced quick looks over at Katsuki’s side all night but the blond didn’t once tried to check him out. Izuku didn’t call out to him again, didn’t talk much either with others. He tried to participate and look enthusiastic in all that but his joy for today was simply thrown out the window.
He couldn’t help envy Shouto and Momo discreetly holding hands and leaning into each other every so often. They were a couple that just announced their relationship a week ago, thus the hidden gestures and constant blushes. Him and Katsuki had been together for over a month now and never once did the boy hold his hand let alone leaning into his space and god forbid hug him. The ash-blond barely talked to him and kept it short, just recently he did everything he could do the dodge a conversation with Izuku like his life depended on him.
At first it was fine, endearing even, as Izuku thought it was because Katsuki was shying away. Then Katsuki stopped holding his hand back to back on their desks, followed by the subtle brush of fingers whenever they were close, then he put distance between each other.
It made no sense to Izuku because it was Katsuki who asked him out. Izuku asked him if he was sure four times before he accepted the offer. Izuku gave him the option of keeping it between each other if that’d make Katsuki feel better and the aggressive blond just barked he wasn’t ashamed or afraid of anything as he told everyone they were dating so no one was to flirt with his nerd. Izuku couldn’t look anyone in the eye for three days. Although, to be fair, it did make a difference in some of his friends’ way of talking to him and Izuku felt so naïve and embarrassed to be blind for all the flirting he was getting before.
When Katsuki slowly dragged himself away Izuku thought he should let it show that he loved Katsuki and he tried to initiate moments like hand holding or a cuddle, maybe just a sweet word. He did get them but never when people are around. When they were alone in classroom, a corridor, their rooms he’d get all the attention the ash-blond promised him with. Not that Izuku was greedy and wanted a full focused attention on him from his boyfriend all the time but he was truly upset that the said boyfriend treated him like shit other than private moments.
And interesting enough, the explosive boy always found a petty excuse. He was too tired, annoyed by his friends, annoyed by Izuku’s friends, upset with the weather, hit his elbow on the desk… You name it.
At around 8 pm, Izuku excused himself saying he was a little tired after all with the worried looks of his friends. He assured them he was fine and smiled brightly, as he was getting professional at, waved them to go upstairs.
Hitoshi bound the cloth on his wrist softly and halted him, whispering.
“If something’s wrong, I can always kick his ass, say the word.”
Izuku gently removed the bind and patted his friend’s shoulder.
“It’s fine, Hitoshi, I promise. Good night.”
Purple haired boy nodded meekly before letting go. A certain octave of growl came from the couches as the ash-blond also made his way to the stairs, skipping Izuku yet again but not going too far away from him. He heard the disapproving tongue clicking and whispers behind them but tried to not mind them. He wished they didn’t have to emit such noises from their friends.
As Katsuki ignored him he also did and was about to left him to turn for his room but then Katsuki continued climbing to his room, silently adding.
“My room.”
Oh, so the diva decided he had some words to spare Izuku after all. Good to hear.
Izuku sighed and was annoyed as he was ordered around despite the rudeness Katsuki has had Izuku done with today. He still followed him, though. That was what Izuku was best at doing.
They silently climbed the last bit of steps and waited outside of Katsuki’s room for him to open the door and let them both inside.
As soon as the door clicked close behind them, Katsuki was on him with an exasperated sigh. His lips trailed kisses from his cheeks to his nose and finally at his lips. Izuku kissed him back, just not as enthusiastically. Katsuki seemed to realize that, soon he was pulling away with a pinched brow.
“What’s wrong?”
Izuku looked at him like he couldn’t believe what he just heard. He should know by now whatever Katsuki said, or didn’t say really, outside of their alone times were meaningless. He just wanted Izuku all to himself and didn’t have to show shit to those extras and prove anyone just how happy they were without needing to be mushy with each other. He thought the nerd understood it already.
“You’re really asking me that, Kacchan? Am I the one with something wrong, you think?”
Katsuki sighed and crossed his arms.
“Is this about when I didn’t take your greeting? Such an attitude you have, ‘zuku.”
Izuku let out a sigh himself following with a sad chuckle.
“You’re right. I wonder if it’s about that, o-or that time when you pushed me away from a hug, or you slapped my hand away from a hold, or when you almost blew my face out from a peck. You tell me.”
“I don’t understand.”
Izuku ran his fingers in his hair breathed out wet laughs.
“Of course you don’t. It’s always me who needs to resonate so you never needed to understand me for a change Kacchan. Like just now what you are trying to do. You’re slowly hiding away the relationship we have to other’s eyes, thinking you’re oh so romantic and macho to keep your lover to yourself but guess what, I-it’s not working!”
“What nonsense are you talking about, Deku, I’m not trying to be a macho-”
“You don’t even respond to my daily call outs anymore, Katsuki! And it doesn’t make me fall for you more, it just h-hurts me!”
Katsuki’s eyes widened with shock and fear. He was breaking Izuku’s heart. Again. No, he shouldn’t have had apologized for nothing. This wasn’t supposed go this way. Katsuki reached for the green eyed man’s hand.
“Deku look, I’m sorry.”
Izuku took his hand to his neck as if scratching it but more dodging the ash-blond’s own.
“No… not really.”
Katsuki squeezed his denied hand a fist. He fucked up.
“I will be in my room and my phone’s dead so don’t try to call or text me. And give me some time today. I’m honestly tired. Good night, Kacchan.”
That was the coldest Kacchan he’s ever heard from the nerd’s lips.
He managed to hold the boy’s wrist before he can step out of the room, desperation and regret in his eyes.
“A-Are you… breaking up with me?”
Katsuki prayed he didn’t.
Izuku looked at him long in the eye as if calculating and it was the longest five seconds of Katsuki’s life.
“No, Kacchan, I’m not breaking up with you.”
Then he left. Katsuki made for his phone ten seconds later in panic, calling the nerd and really finding the phone unreachable. He went to bed with so many stressful things and thoughts in his head. He had screwed up big time and he had to find a way to make it up to him.
The next day, he was sitting at his desk trying to rid off Shitty Hair and Dunce Face off his head to have some peace and quiet. Ten minutes to the class, Izuku walked in with Eyebags and Icyhot on either side of him. He wasn’t on his usual cheerful mood but he wasn’t sulking around either. He saw his friends and smiled a little.
“Good morning, guys!”
“Morning, Izuku!”
“Good morning, Midoriya!”
That usually followed by a more cheerful ‘Good morning, Kacchan!’ which Katsuki waited for and from the looks of curious eyes everyone else also was waiting for the routine.
Which didn’t come. Izuku ignored the glances of Katsuki and everyone else as he slowly approached his seat and put his bag down to pull out his books. The classroom went silent with the tension but Izuku didn’t even falter. He just pulled out his notebook and began with his revising as if not realizing the mood.
Katsuki winced silently as he realized, yes, he was more than screwed. Denki patted on his shoulder and whispered a ‘rest in peace, man’ before running away from an explosion to face.
Everyone was watching them, even though thy acted to be back whatever they were doing. Katsuki felt like a scumbag. Izuku must be so broken going as far as to ignoring him like this.
So he did what he deemed like the beginning of his redemption.
In the last… ever, Katsuki never was the first one to greet Izuku, rarely was the one to initiate the start of a chat and was always hesitant to touch. He mostly went along with it if he felt like it and if not he just let go. Not this time though, he was ready to take some reigns in his hand and save his very fresh but also wounded relationship.
He got up from his seat unceremoniously and turned back towards Izuku’s desk. That stirring startled Izuku and he left his head up to see what it is. The whole class was holding their breath and watching a Bakugou Katsuki in his natural habitat, breaking his walls down and leaning over to brush Izuku’s hair away from his forehead to put a simple peck there and then whisper in his ear.
“Good morning, Izuku.”
Then he just went back to his seat without receiving an answer, blushing to his ears and leaving an all the same blushing boyfriend behind him, holding his forehead with awe apparent on his face. Only then Izuku silently replied behind him.
“M-Morning, Kacchan.”
There were a few catcalls and cheers for them but Katsuki barked them away. Then the ash-blond stretched his left hand under the gazes to the nerd’s left. Izuku hid his face with his right hand as he shyly held the hand offered to him and laced their fingers together. No one pointed it out as to not chase the magical moment away for the couple.
Later on the lunch break Katsuki stopped Izuku.
“What is it, Kacchan? Ochako is waiting for me.”
Katsuki blushed a little before pushing a package on his hands.
“It’s bento. If you want eat it or just… give it away, I don’t know. I did it this morning so it’s not that cold, hopefully.”
Izuku’s eyes tear up and he held onto the packaged box as if holding onto dear life.
“Thank you so much, Kacchan! I’ll cherish it.”
Katsuki nodded before silently adding.
“I love you.”
Izuku smiled for real this time and cautiously approached the blond to peck his cheek. He went for it when he saw no resistance other than a little tensing from the boy.
“I love you, too.”
The bento was indeed incredibly delicious and Izuku smiled smitten all lunch as his friends made fun of him.
“You look like he asked you out only today and not a month ago.”
“Can you blame him? Bakugou only started to act like it today.”
“Oh yeah, what happened after you guys went upstairs yesterday? Did you talk?”
Izuku’s face scrunched up a little with bitter memories of yesterday.
“Hmm, yes. You could say that. But I don’t want to talk about it.”
“As long as he traits you the way you deserve…”
“Seriously, if he won’t be a good boyfriend, then he shouldn’t have blocked the potential partners that time.”
“Hitoshi! He’d kill you if he heard that!”
Katsuki’s lunch table was just full of never ending teases. He made for getting up four times.
“No, really, dude. Get your shit together with him or I’ll stop defending you to people anymore about this.”
“First, I don’t need you defending me; second, I already wasn’t going to so don’t fucking order me around!”
“What even happened dude? He scolded you or something? It’s like you changed over a night, it’s scary y’know.”
“Not as scary as your love life, Pikachu. At least I have the guts to ask the nerd out. We’re almost graduating and you’re still gonna ask Ears out.”
“H-Hey, we’re talking about you, not me!”
After school they were getting ready to head back to the dorms when Katsuki approached Izuku and silently carded his fingers with crooked ones, leaning into his space. Izuku’s heart missed a few beats and he was sure he was glowing red. At least Katsuki wasn’t any better. They swing their hands through whole road as Katsuki asked Izuku of his day. Izuku never missed a beat to talk about the day they practically already spent together. And Katsuki listened.
Turns out Izuku was right. Because as he did all those things Izuku was upset they were missing out on, he realized that as he was confining their love life as something only their business he threw away the normal conversations and touches, too. He let Izuku lean into him when they sat next to each other, he didn’t dodge when the freckled boy went in for a hug or maybe even a kiss, and he started meaningless but right as much valuable chats over basically nothing. Izuku seemed to get out of his halfhearted and gloomy self into an always smiley and on cloud nine boy like a butterfly out of its cocoon.
Katsuki never apologized for before though and that was something that bothered the red eyed a lot. So when they were lying down in Katsuki’s bed in each other’s arms he spoke softly.
“Hey ‘zuku.”
“Hmm?”
“I’m sorry.”
Izuku propped his head in his palm and got on his side, eyes peaceful and full of light.
“For what?”
“For missing out on so many things. For… upsetting you every day with my selfish way of thinking. I don’t deserve this…”
Izuku caught his chin and brought his slowly lowering gaze back on his. There was love and determination in his boyfriend’s eyes.
“You don’t decide on that, we do. You’re making up for it now is what matters and honestly?”
Izuku pressed his lips to the latters with a soft smile.
“I’m glad we weren’t over that day because it felt like you had just asked me out the next day, not a month before that. I just want to forget about that month.”
He hugged Izuku closer, burying his nose at wild green curls and smelling the pineapple shampoo.
“I always want to be with you and I’ll try to make you feel the same way without having to put up with my shit.”
Izuku giggled.
“You know, Kacchan, I’ve always done just that until now.”
Katsuki tensed a little. Izuku rubbed his forearm soothingly.
“I just haven’t complained about it ‘til that day and that’s because… because I think you’ve changed a lot and I thought you would understand me now if I told you. I wouldn’t have told the old you those things without ten curse words and half of the number explosions on my face.”
“The old me was an asshole, this me is just… a prick.”
Izuku laughed and bent upwards to kiss Katsuki’s cheek.
“No, you’re not a prick, Kacchan. You’re my boyfriend and even though I used to have to put up with you now I just want to and love to.”
Katsuki’s heart squeezed with fondness.
“Ew, sappy nerd.”
“See, I’ll put up with this, too. Lovingly.”
Katsuki smiled one of his rare genuine smiles and connected his lips with the freckled boy’s. He then whispered to those same lips.
“I love you, Izuku.”
“Hmm, I think I do, too, Katsuki.”