Chapter Text
Dating Kacchan was amazing, Izuku thought as his boyfriend wrapped his arm around his waist, pulling him closer.
Katsuki kissed his cheek before turning back to the journalist in front of them.
“Your 6-year anniversary is around the corner since it will be in two weeks already, just a day after the annual Hero Awards,” the woman said. “Have you planned something to celebrate?”
“Of course,” Katsuki grinned. “I'm the one in charge this time, so it's already been taken care of.”
“What did you have in mind?” the woman asked, as curious as the thousand of people watching the live interview on their tv.
“I can't tell,” his boyfriend smirked. “Or it wouldn't be a surprise anymore, would it?”
While Katsuki and the journalist talked for a bit more about the anniversary coming soon, Izuku was shyly standing by his boyfriend's side. Even after all these years, cameras still made him so nervous he wasn't able to say anything, leaving that part for Kacchan to handle.
Katsuki had actually become quite good at managing those interviews, keeping his angry self for his villain-catching activities.
Rumors said he had mellowed by Izuku's side because the feelings he held for him had pushed him to become an even better person.
Izuku strongly disagreed with them, stating in every interview that Kacchan was already at his best when they started dating and that, if he was becoming an even better version of himself, it was solely on him.
Because Kacchan was amazing, he smiled every time.
So rumors said that they were so in love with each other that the feelings they held were the reasons they were thriving together. People looked up to them and to their relationship, a lot wishing to have someone in their life they could share the same type of connection with.
After parting with the journalist, Katsuki drove them both back to their home, where Mighty, the cat they had adopted three years ago, was waiting for them. It was Katsuki's turn to prepare dinner, and, as Izuku lazily watched some cartoon on the couch of their living room, petting the cat who was snuggled into his lap, Katsuki busied himself in the kitchen, cooking the katsudon Izuku was craving for.
After an animated dinner, they both laid in bed, cuddling each other.
Rumors said that Dynamight would definitely be the big spoon, but it actually was Izuku who wrapped his arms around his boyfriend's body, burying his nose into his blond hair.
Later, as Katsuki started snoring softly against his chest, Izuku thought about how it wasn't the only thing that the rumors had gotten wrong.
Because, if they were right when they said that dating Kacchan was amazing, they didn't know that the whole thing was only a PR stunt.
–
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–
“Bakugo is going to ask you out,” Kirishima said one day.
Izuku turned his head toward his classmate. “K—Kacchan is gonna ask me out?” he repeated in disbelief.
“Yes,” the other boy replied. “He wanted to know if it was okay with you.”
“YES IT IS!” Izuku immediately screamed. “I mean,” he lowered his voice. “Yes, it is. But why did he send you to ask me? It doesn't sound like him.”
“Well, he didn't know if you would agree. Like, he knows you're his best friend, and that's why he chose you for this, but you know...”
“Know what?” Izuku asked, frowning.
“Not all best friends fake date each other for their ranking.”
Izuku's face immediately fell. “Fake date?” he repeated.
“Yeah,” Kirishima replied. “He didn't know if you were ok with it since it could tie both of you for quite some time.”
“Oh,” Izuku managed to say. “I see.”
He felt tears starting to form in the corner of his eyes, but couldn't let them fall. He didn't want Kirishima to know how miserable his words made him.
“W—why did he send you? He could've told me himself.”
“He didn't want to raise any suspicion. I'm actually the only one he told,” Kirishima said, looking proud to have been entrusted with such a secret. “You know how serious he is when it comes to his career.”
Izuku, in fact, didn't know. Well, he had heard about PR stunts and heroes pretending
to date until they reached a certain ranking. He just never thought that Kacchan would be one of them.
Did he want Izuku and him to fake date until one of them stood at the number one spot? That would be quite some time — and that would explain why he had sent Kirishima
to ask for Izuku's approval.
“Tell him that it's okay,” Izuku finally said with a wobbly smile. “He can confess.”
Later, long after Kirishima had left his dorm, he finally allowed the heartbroken tears to fall.
–
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–
Katsuki confessed the next day under the sakura tree, in front of a crowd of curious students.
“You're my best friend, Izuku,” he spoke. “And it can only be you. do you—,” Katsuki's voice faltered under the pressure. He grabbed Izuku's hands and locked their eyes together.
“I like you, Izuku,” he said more firmly. “Do you want to go out with me?”
Despite his apparent regained confidence, Izuku could sense his nervousness. Was he afraid that Izuku had changed his mind?
“Kacchan,” he said, his voice as calm as he could make it. “I like you too.”
It was like time had stopped for them. Izuku couldn't hear the cheer and claps of the crowd around them anymore; he couldn't feel anything else than the cruel irony of his situation — Kacchan's bright smile on his face, the tears rolling on his cheeks, holding an equal amount of both joy and sadness, the silent sound of his heart that was shattered into pieces as the boy he loved was hugging him and whispering fake promises of love against his ear.
When Katsuki pulled back and placed a soft kiss on his forehead, he knew that, no matter how hurt he was, and no matter how wrong it felt, he would stay by Kacchan's side until the end.
Or as long as Kacchan would have him, at least.
–
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–
“You were great out there,” Kirishima said, handing him a juice can he had gotten from the vending machine. “Bakugo was happy with your performance. Maybe too many tears but it was alright.”
“Oh, okay,” Izuku replied. “I'll do better next time.”
“Good!” Kirishima exclaimed. “Because he wants to take you out to an amusement park this weekend. Is that okay with you?”
Izuku turned to his friend. “Really?” he smiled. “That's my dream date! I hope we can share crepes.”
“Even better then,” Kirishima replied, “he said amusement parks were a good idea because a lot of people would be there. Maybe someone would even make an article out of the date!”
“Oh yeah,” Izuku nervously chuckled. “Then tell him I'm free on Saturday.”
–
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–
On Saturday morning, Izuku was woken up by a knock on his balcony door. He groggily sat on his bed, yawning. When he turned to look at the source of the sound, he was met with the sight of Katsuki standing outside with two tickets in his hand.
“Deku,” he mouthed. “Get the fuck out there.”
Izuku stood up and chose to simply close the curtains. He heard the muffled sound of Katsuki's voice yelling his name, but he ignored him and went to his bathroom to change himself into the clothes Kirishima had chosen for him. When he was done getting ready, he reopened the curtains and slid the door open. “Hey Kacchan,” he said.
Katsuki’s face instantly softened when he looked at him, “you look good.”
“Thank you, Kacchan,” Izuku blushed. “Well, you look amazing.”
“I'm just wearing my usual skull shirt,” Katsuki shrugged. “Yeah, you know I always think you're amazing.”
Izuku knew he shouldn't take advantage of the situation to compliment his friend — fake boyfriend — but he couldn't help it. Maybe Kacchan could fall for him while dat— Izuku stopped the train of thoughts before it went too far. He didn't want to get his hopes up.
“What's this?” he asked instead, noticing the duffel bag Katsuki was holding.
“Tch, not you asking about the bag before the tickets.” Katsuki laughed. “Well, I... I wanted you to wear something but you're already all dressed up.”
“Really? I thought you wanted m—” Izuku stopped himself mid-sentence. Kirishima had said that Katsuki wanted to be discreet about their arrangement. He probably thought about another outfit and couldn't send Kirishima to give it to him before today.
“I can change!” Izuku said, deciding to play along in case one of their neighbors was listening. “I'm okay with anything Kacchan wants me to wear,” he added.
Katsuki smiled and opened the bag to pull out another dark shirt with a printed skull. “I was thinking we could match,” he said shyly. “Maybe you can wear this today and I could wear one of yours for our next date.”
“Oh my god, yes!” Izuku almost screamed, grabbing the shirt and changing immediately. “How do I look?” he asked once the clothes were on him.
“... good.”
Izuku looked up to Katsuki whose ears were bright red. “Thank you, Kacchan,” he said, smiling brightly.
“Whatever,” Katsuki said. “Let's go.”
–
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–
The amusement park with Kacchan was fun, Izuku thought. They did a lot of attractions together, even the rollercoasters when he knew Katsuki wasn't really fond of them.
Now, they were walking down the main pathway, holding hands as Katsuki had slid his into Izuku's.
“Do you— do you wanna share a crepe?” Katsuki asked when they passed by a snack stand.
Izuku turned to him, eyes practically glowing. “Really? Of— of course, I want to!”
Katsuki smiled and that's how they found themselves sitting on some stairs, eating a crepe together.
“I remember when we were kids, you would always try eating my crepe instead of yours,” Katsuki said fondly. “And you wanted me to eat yours.”
“I remember too,” Izuku replied in the same tone. “You always used to find it dumb, because we already had our own crepes so we didn't need to share,” he pouted.
“I was the one being dumb,” Katsuki laughed. “It's nice to share a crepe with you.”
Katsuki was looking at him, and it was like his red eyes were piercing through his soul. Izuku gulped, not knowing what that stare meant. Did he not play his part well enough?
It would be ironic if he didn't, as it wasn't truly an act on his part. He did genuinely enjoy the day and he hoped that Katsuki did too.
His partner finally broke the silence.
“Can I— can I kiss you?” he asked, his eyes not leaving Izuku's.
Izuku was caught off guard. He didn't know Katsuki would want to go that far on their first date. Was it okay to share a kiss? Was it okay for Katsuki if feelings he didn't know about were involved? Was it–
“Deku,” Katsuki interrupted his panicking train of thoughts. “It's just a kiss. We don't have to if you're not ready. I can wait, we have a lot of time to figure things out.”
And that was true. if Katsuki wanted them to date until they reached number one, it would at least take a couple of years.
But Izuku didn't need that much time. He didn't want that time, because he didn't want to figure things out — that thought scared him. He could do that later, when Katsuki didn't want him anymore. He had loved Kacchan his whole life and he thought that, maybe, for once, he could be a little bit selfish.
“Yes,” he said. “You can.”
Katsuki smiled and left the paper plate with the remaining of their shared crepe on an upper stair. He cupped Izuku's cheek with his right hand and placed the other on his neck. Izuku couldn't breathe anymore, blessed by a sight he never thought he would be able to see: his childhood friend, his partner in everything, looking at him lovingly before closing his eyes and moving closer, making their lips meet in the middle.
Izuku melted into the kiss, almost forgetting the reason they were here in the first place. But even when Katsuki's right hand went to his back, his arm encircling him and moving him even closer, even when Katsuki's mouth started to move and taste him hungrily, Kirishima's voice rang from the back of his head, reminding him that he was the only one that truly wanted this.
But Katsuki's lips kissed him louder and it almost covered Kirishima's words, but at the same moment he was about to give in and melt into the embrace, Katsuki broke the kiss. Izuku looked up, confused, but his boyfriend wasn't looking his way anymore. Instead, he was glaring at something behind him.
When Izuku turned around, he was met with the flash of a camera, and the sight of the paparazzi reminded him of the hard truth. It wasn't real.
Katsuki harshly took the paper plate he had left on the stairs and grabbed Izuku's hand.
“Let's go,” he said, still sending daggers toward the intruder. As Izuku started to feel frustrating tears forming in the corner of his eyes, Katsuki threw the plate out in the first trash can he found and led them to the entrance to the park.
There, Katsuki finally stopped and turned to him. Immediately, his face softened and he used his thumb to wipe out the single tear that was rolling on Izuku's right cheek.
“I'm sorry,” he whispered, hugging him tightly.
“It's fine, Kacchan,” Izuku smiled sadly. “It's fine.”
But he really wasn't.
–
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–
Izuku knocked on Katsuki's door, tightly clutching the magazine in his hand. Katsuki's reaction when the paparazzi intruded on them had been so protective he couldn't help but have questions.
Katsuki swing opened the door, looking like he had just woken up.
“Oh it's you,” he said as his face softened. “Come in.”
Izuku entered the room and left the magazine on Katsuki's desk. The cover was a picture of the kiss they had shared on the stairs on their last date.
Katsuki glanced at it and smiled.
“I had never imagined our first headline would be this way,” he sighed sadly.
“Do you— do you regret it?” Izuku asked.
“No, of course, I don't,” Katsuki immediately answered. “It was just— well, do you regret it?”
Izuku didn't truly regret the kiss they shared or the article it got. He simply wished he could've been real.
“I don't either,” he replied. “I just worry that it was maybe a bit too much for you. I was— I am scared that you would want to break off our arrangement .”
“I would never do that, Izuku,” Katsuki assured in a serious voice. “You're— you're my best friend, I already told you before that it can only be you.”
Izuku smiled through the ache of his heart, “you're my best friend too.”
Katsuki moved closer and put a hand on the back of Izuku's head, gently pushing it against his chest and letting his chin rest on top.
“I wouldn't want it any other way,” he concluded as he warped his other arm around his lower back, hugging him tightly.
I would.
“Me neither,” Izuku lied despite his heart hurting in atrophy.
–
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“What did you think of Bakugo's possessive act?” Kirishima asked as he handed him another can of juice.
“It was good,” Izuku replied. And confusing for his heart.
“I must admit, it was quite smart of him to act like he didn't know about the paparazzi,” Kirishima added.
“Yeah,” Izuku agreed mindlessly. “Kacchan’s always been smart.”
He glanced at the paper in front of him and its “Wonder Duo Kiss” headline. It showed a photo of their intimate moment on the stairs and some angles of a glaring Katsuki. He hadn't noticed back then, but his fake boyfriend had tried to shield him from the flashes of the camera, as only the end of his green hair could be seen in the last pictures.
“He's really good at this fake boyfriend thing,” he commented.
“Yeah,” Kirishima agreed. “The real one who'll get him after you will be really lucky.”
Izuku's heart ached, but he tried to not let it show. For some reason, Kirishima was the last person he wanted to talk to about his feelings for Kacchan. he had known what he was signing up for since the beginning, and…
He felt so stupid.
“Yeah...” he said again.
Kirishima sat next to him. "Are you okay, Midoriya?”
Izuku looked up. Kirishima was staring at him with the same look Katsuki had had when he was crying at the entrance of the park. With genuine worry.
He smiled.
“Yeah,” he lied again. “I'm fine.”