Archive of Our Own

i.

Deku sits in front of her, rambling about the premiere of that All Might movie coming out on the cinema at the end of next month.

Katsuki is half-listening, half-rethinking her life choices, because their university’s cafeteria food is a fucking disaster, and she really should have gotten that panini she likes from the place where Ochako works at. It’d just mean to walk five extra blocks. It’s not that far, and she likes the fresh air; that’s why hiking is one of her hobbies.

However, that would also mean that she might — very probably — have to bear the sight of the Ice Princess’ face, as she loves hanging out there with her friends. And it’s not like Katsuki to let someone affect her, especially the places she’s going to or what she wears or stuff like that. She makes her own choices, thank you very fucking much. But seeing Ice Princess would ruin her precious panini, and she doesn’t want that to happen.

After all, food is something to treasure, not to hate.

“Bakugou.”

Ah. Like the devil, she shows up every time anyone thinks of her, apparently.

Katsuki looks up from her unsavory soup and offers a dry smile to the girl standing in front of her table. Deku, on the other side, groans antsy into his hand, probably seeing what’s coming.

“Shortcake.”

Something twitches on Todoroki’s face at the nickname. Very subtly, but Katsuki is able to catch it — she’d be able to catch any minimal change in Todoroki’s pretty face, after all.

It makes Katsuki’s dry smile curl in satisfaction, and it’s even better when Todoroki shoots a look to Katsuki’s clothes.

A pair of denim shorts, white converse, thigh high black socks and a navy blue hoodie.

The hoodie in particular is something she wouldn’t usually wear, but this one is quite special. Cotton-soft inside, with a stamp of a cartoonish cat right on the front. Smells like mint and lavender, too.

Todoroki frowns. “Why are you wearing that?”

Katsuki blinks innocently, mouth curling up. Her voice coats sweetly, but Todoroki knows better.

“What do you mean?” she taunts. “Now I can’t wear something just because you don’t like it? Is that it? I’m not a princess like you, who needs to ask permission to wear anything.”

Todoroki’s lips press into a thin line. “You know that’s not what I mean,” she answers, voice strained. “That’s mine. Why are you wearing it without my permission?”

“Oh.” Katsuki looks down at herself, and then up, eyelashes fluttering. “You mean this hideous thing? Yeah, it was on my side of the room this morning. Just carelessly lying on my desk. So, you know, I thought… if it’s clearly on my side of the room, then that means it’s mine, don’t you think?”

Todoroki visibly fumes.

“I forgot to move it from there. But you—”

“Not my problem,” Katsuki cuts.

Todoroki’s lips tremble, probably from fury, and it twists something inside Katsuki’s chest. Pride, satisfaction, a hint of stupid guilt.

“Why are you being like this?” she sizzles, hands curling up in fists at her sides.

“Hmm, I wonder,” Katsuki mulls over slowly, standing up from her seat.

She takes a careful, steady step. Another one, and she’s on Todoroki’s personal space. She looks up at her, and Todoroki looks resolutely back, eyes heated — even her hair, in waves around her head, seems to stand up a bit in her anger. It makes her look stupidly hot, if Katsuki is being honest, and if it wasn’t for the fact that she’s trying to get on her nerves, she very probably would try to flirt with her on the spot. Then again, Todoroki Shouto absolutely hates her; there’s no way in hell she’s giving Katsuki some of her precious, valuable time to date her.

“If you don’t want me to touch your stuff,” she says, index finger coming up to tap under Todoroki’s chin, smile sharpening on her face. “Then don’t be messy and let your things around my side of the room, sweetheart. It’s that simple.”

Todoroki frowns, cheeks dusting a shade of soft pink, and slaps Katsuki’s hand away. Then, she walks past her in silence.

Hah. A glorious win on Katsuki’s end.

It leaves her smiling triumphantly. Her soup is about to taste lots better, with the sweet, sweet hint of victory.

That is, until Deku decides to stomp on her happiness.

As soon as she sits down, Deku frowns at her; forehead crumpling in disapproval. It reminds Katsuki so much of Auntie — the same scolding eyes, the same twist in his mouth when he’s about to tell her off for something.

The thing is… Deku would go beet red if Katsuki points it out aloud again, but he’s a carbon copy of Inko — so much like his mom. Sweet, caring, smart, hard-working. Too much of a worrywart. And that includes scolding the same.

“Kacchan…” he admonishes, in his Mom Voice Mode. “Why are you purposely antagonizing her?”

Katsuki huffs. “You know why.”

“Kacchan—”

“Why are you taking her side again?” Katsuki clicks her tongue, irritated. “Because last time I checked, you and I are damn stupid best friends, or at least that’s what you love to call it.”

She presses her lips in what’s probably a pout, but whatever the fuck. She’s pissed.

“You know very well she started all of this,” she reminds him. “And today she left her dirty clothes on my side of the room just to be annoying,” she frowns. “Well, it fucking worked. It pissed me off.”

“It didn’t look like she did it on purpose.” He points out. “She probably just forgot. We’re on exam period right now after all, we’re all stressed out…”

Deku pauses, looking at Katsuki’s face.

“I’m not trying to take her side.”

She arches an eyebrow. “Doesn’t look like that to me.”

“I’m really not,” he insists. “I just think all of this is caused by a big misunderstanding, and you keep making it worse instead of helping—”

“She started it.”

“Kacchan,” Deku says, and reaches out to put his hand over hers. “I know how you feel, and I understand. But I’m trying to make things better for you. Could you try being nice to her? I swear she’s really sweet when you get to meet her.”

Katsuki gives him a look. “You think everyone is sweet, Deku.”

He shakes his head. “That’s not it.”

“You think I’m sweet, nerd.”

“That’s because you are?” he tilts his head, and says it like it’s the most obvious thing, which — really, should give away how in denial Deku is about thinking everyone in this world is a good person.

“You really should get your shitty eyes checked, dumbass.”

Deku frowns. Then, he rubs the bridge of his nose with his thumbs.

“Look, I just—” he sighs. “You know that’s her favorite hoodie, don’t you?”

Oh, Katsuki knows. Todoroki wears it all the damn time — smiles just looking at it. How wouldn’t she know? That’s why this plan is even more effective.

“…And?”

“So?” Deku says, tilting his head. “Why would she leave it on your side of the room on purpose, knowing you’d be pissed and do something to it?” he reasons. “It doesn’t make sense.”

“Todoroki Shouto herself doesn’t make sense at all, Deku.”

Todoroki Shouto: irrevocably, inexplicable gorgeous and stupidly smart but so incredibly dumb. Nonsense.

“Kacchan,” Deku continues, eyes fixed on her. “I know you’re not enjoying this petty fight either.”

“Oh, I am enjoying it.”

“You’re not,” he insists. “Not entirely, at least.”

“Hum? Are you a mind-reader now or what?” Katsuki asks wryly. “How could you know how I feel?”

“We’ve known each other for so long, Kacchan,” he says, gently.

You can’t hide things from me, it’s what he doesn’t say, but it’s intrinsically implied.

“And I’m truly happy I can understand how you feel even when you don’t tell me,” he adds. “You’re the same with me.”

Katsuki looks down at her food, because Deku’s face becomes unbearable to see when it comes to things like these. Vulnerability and shit. Having someone who reads you like an open book.

Katsuki used to despise it; absolutely hate it — the way Deku understood parts of her that she herself didn’t; the way Deku could see through her bullshit right away; the way he instantly knew when she was hiding something; having someone that could name her bones and soul when she couldn’t.

After some time, she realized she was the same with him; she understood Deku in a way no one could, knew the roots and surfaces, the depths and the curves that formed his heart and mind. And, with growth, tranquility came. She found comfort in it; the mutuality, the understanding, the way they were inherently parts of the other.

She wouldn’t be who she is without Deku, and Deku wouldn’t be who he is without her. That’s just how it is.

“I know you—” Deku goes on, leaning on the table to look at her face, “—didn’t want to be on bad terms with her.”

Katsuki arches an eyebrow, purses her lips together.

“What are you trying to imply?”

“Nothing,” he says, obviously meaning something. “Just that you don’t hate her, no matter how much you try to pretend you do.”

And here’s the thing… Katsuki would absolutely loathe the way Deku talks to her — like she’s a kid who doesn’t know better. Condescending, probably, looking at it without depth. Making up as if Katsuki didn’t know what she actually feels.

But he’s not — Deku is not like that. He’s a moron, sure, but he’s always trying to help. And he respects Katsuki and her opinions and feelings almost religiously, she’s come to understand that very well.

“So try to be nice, okay?” Deku says. “I know you can do it.”

Katsuki groans. That’s exactly what Deku said the first time they met Todoroki Shouto, the very moment she came into her life, and look at how that worked out.

“Maybe you can finally talk about all of this and live peacefully together,” Deku grins enthusiastically. “And you’d get a new friend!”

Katsuki snorts. “Not everyone wants lots of friends like you, nerd.”

“Hmm, you can say whatever you want, Kacchan, but I know you’d love being her friend,” he singsongs.

Katsuki narrows her eyes. “Why are you giving me that look?”

Deku smiles, the little shit. Which doesn’t mean anything good. “It’s nothing.”

Mhm. Of course.

It’s absolutely something.

“Idiot,” Katsuki huffs, and then rolls her eyes. “Okay, whatever. I’ll do it.”

Deku blinks, and Katsuki points at the hoodie she’s wearing with her thumb.

“I’ll apologize and give it back after class.”

Stupid Deku. He lights up like a Christmas tree.

“Good! And apologize for saying it’s hideous,” he adds, pointing a finger at her. “You don’t seriously think that.”

“Pfft,” Katsuki gives him an amused look. “It is ridiculous.”

Deku shrugs, a smile tugging up his lips. “You probably think she looks cute in it.”

Katsuki blinks, feeling her ears get warm at the comment.

“Shut up!” Katsuki hisses, and Deku giggles, like a moron, very proud of himself. Katsuki kicks him under the table, but it only makes the fit of giggles louder. She frowns. “You’re worse than the old hag, you know? Such a pain in the ass.”

“Ehh,” Deku says, beaming, “Mitsuki-san wants me to take care of you properly—”

“Ew,” Katsuki grimaces. “You make it sound like we’re getting married.”

“That’s not the face you were making when you proposed to me years ago—”

“We were fucking six, nerd,” Katsuki deadpans. “Let it go. I still have nightmares about it.”

Deku laughs. “You were so cute!”

Katsuki kicks him again. “Shut up.”

“But you know,” he continues, despite Katsuki’s words, because Deku doesn’t know what shutting the fuck up is, “if you were to propose to me again, I’d have to refuse. I’d love to, Kacchan, but you’re like a little sister for me—”

“I’m older than you!”

“Still. Just a couple of months. Doesn’t really matter.”

“Stupid.”

Katsuki flips him off, but Deku just laughs. Ah, what an idiot.

.

.

And what an idiot, indeed. Making Katsuki want to apologize with an ass.

As soon as she comes back to her room, she finds Todoroki lying over her stomach, on Katsuki’s bed. Eating.

Katsuki’s left eyebrow twitches. Being nice, my ass. She shouldn’t have listened to the nerd.

Todoroki Shouto is not nice, so why should her be?

“Get the fuck off my bed,” Katsuki says, crossing her arms.

Call her exaggerated, but her bed is off limits. Especially for people eating. Todoroki clearly knows this, and this is exactly why she’s doing this.

“Oh, Bakugou,” she says in the same tone as always, looking up from the book she’s reading. Her face is a stone — blank. The only indication of how purposely she’s doing all of this is the hint of happy playfulness that crosses her pretty, otherwise unexpressive eyes. “I thought you’d come back later.”

“Stop playing fucking dumb,” Katsuki sizzles. “You know very well my schedule. Get off.”

Todoroki shrugs, but makes a move to stand up. However, Katsuki should have known it was way too fucking easy — Todoroki never backs down after all; firm and steady like a steel.

“Whoops,” she says, as she dumps her snacks all over Katsuki’s bed. “My bad.”

“You fucking—” Katsuki breathes in, breathes out. Breathes in, breathes out.

Don’t let it get to you. Don’t let it get to you, she chants in her head like a mantra. Don’t let her win. Don’t let her win, she goes on, closing her fists at her sides. It’s okay, it’s okay, this is totally okay—

Except that is not. It’s absolutely not. It’s a horrendous, colossal fucking mess, that’s what it is, and now Katsuki has to clean everything off and Todoroki will laugh at her for being a clean freak.

Excellent. So much for being fucking nice, Deku.

“Do you enjoy pissing me off?” Katsuki asks, anger slipping into her voice.

Don’t let her win, Katsuki, be composed.

She steps over the bed and takes Todoroki's book in her hands.

“Stay. On. Your. Fucking. Side,” Katsuki punctuates, stomping over where Todoroki is, and shoves the book in her chest. “Don’t you understand that?” she asks, arching both eyebrows as she takes Todoroki by her shoulders and pushes her to the other side of the room. “Do I need to spell it out for you, sweetheart?"

Todoroki looks at her from the other side of the yellow tape — the line Katsuki pasted on the floor to indicate a clear separation between Todoroki's and Katsuki's respective sides of the room. She did it just after Todoroki decided to be a fucking mess and leave all her clothes lying around every-fucking-where on the room one afternoon.

“You know,” Katsuki scoffs, “At first, I let Deku convince me, and I was seriously about to apologize and give this thing to you.”

Katsuki puts her hands on the hoodie's pockets and frowns.

“But now, I’m never giving it back. You deserve it.”

Todoroki pauses. She looks down at her hoodie, tucked on Katsuki's body, and then up at her face.

“It’s fine, you can take it," she answers, calmly, and steps over the border of the tape, toes carefully touching it. It quite feels like a shot of electricity runs over Katsuki's body with the sudden closeness, but she doesn't back down, staring right back. That is, until Todoroki speaks again.

“It looks good on you,” she says, and Katsuki blinks, taken aback, blush creeping up her neck unexpectedly.

Ahhh. Shit.

“Wh—”

It's a trap, her brain supplies. A trap. Of course. Todoroki doesn't really think that, she's just trying to mess with Katsuki's head so she'll give it back.

Yes. That's it.

That's all.

Katsuki won't let it affect her. She's not letting Todoroki win.

“Damn right, I'm smoking hot,” Katsuki says, praying that her voice doesn’t betray her and trembles at the edges, and then flips her off, turning around so Todoroki won't see more of her blushing face.

It doesn't help the giddiness inside Katsuki's chest because of the words, though, even if Todoroki doesn't mean them.

Ah, fuck it.

.

.

In a short summary, Todoroki and Katsuki's non-existent, hot-and-cold, tempered relationship, went something like this:

At first, Katsuki saw her new roommate, thought she was completely, absolutely, criminally gorgeous, and — okay, to be fair, Katsuki was just human, and really fucking gay, and the bisexual inside of her fluttered with joy and awe before tripping over and falling on the floor in front of her like an enamored dumbass. Todoroki, like a sane person, huffed out a laugh before helping her stand up, and the sole contact of her hand against Katsuki's made her so warm inside she felt sort of dizzy.

It was that kind of magical shit she's always heard about, despite the catastrophic start where she made a fool of herself.

She tried to be benevolent, nice and that shit out of her kind heart (and heavily influenced by Deku) so she could flirt with her — greeting her, gifting her one of Katsuki's famous homemade pastries, telling her she looked pretty in that dress she liked to wear (easy. She looked pretty in everything), complimenting her hair, making sure the air-con wasn't too low or too high, calling her princess, giving her flowers. All the stuff — Katsuki wasn’t going to half-ass it, and she was damn good at flirting, thank you.

Then, Todoroki accused her of being a thief, got mad out of no-fucking-where, and Katsuki's heart fell on the fucking floor with such a disgraceful distaste. Todoroki stomped over it, with the cold shoulder and the ice-princess treatment she got right after, despite Katsuki trying so hard to explain herself, and Katsuki felt so stupidly hurt it was ridiculous.

Then, Katsuki decided to be petty, just because she could. And because she had her pride before anything. And because she was fucking pissed.

Out of all things Todoroki Shouto could have done, she treated her like she was a fucking thief.

Perfect. Magnificent. Marvelous.

Fucking peachy.

This is why Katsuki didn't have fucking crushes.

Despite looking like she wouldn't bat an eye at anything, Katsuki being petty did affect Todoroki, and slowly cracked that monotone, pristine look she always wore in front of everyone.

Katsuki felt a rush of satisfaction every time it happened. Seeing Todoroki lose her temper, stop being so goddamn chill with everything around her? It felt so damn freaking awesome, knowing she was the cause of that.

And she had to admit, part of her was excited every time Todoroki fought back and did something equally petty to annoy Katsuki. She didn't want to admit it, but any interaction was enough to make Katsuki's chest flutter with something, even if it meant having Todoroki's hot angry face in front of her, inches away hers, in proper kiss-reachable-distance, and she couldn't do anything about it.

Sure, some things she did managed to piss Katsuki off, but she enjoyed the pettiness nonetheless.

At this point, though, she's extremely tired of this. She's up and down in a rollercoaster, enjoying having Todoroki notice her, having Todoroki close, having Todoroki look at her. But at the same time, Todoroki could be very much a fucking prick if she wanted to, and all these stupid things she kept doing were so incredibly annoying.

Katsuki would very much rather have Todoroki straddling her hips and kissing her face instead of ripping off her favorite poster because Katsuki played the drums loudly on the room and didn't let her study.

Or, let's say, getting her bed all dirty just because Katsuki stole her favorite hoodie.

Yup. She'd very much rather have Todoroki on her bed for entirely different reasons.

Ah, intrusive thoughts. It won't happen, Katsuki, she reminds herself. She hates you.

Hate sex is a thing, though, Katsuki thinks right after, and then wants to slap herself. As if she wanted to have hate-sex with Todoroki; hah. Nope. Nothing wrong with hate-sex, but she wanted to have sex with her because Todoroki actually wanted to, wanted her — liked her as much as Katsuki did.

Gah. Deku's sappiness was rubbing off on her.

Goddammit.

.

.

.

.

ii.

Having a drink with Kaminari when she’s been so stressed with exams and Todoroki Shouto being so stupidly hot and distracting on the other side of the room has not been one of her best ideas.

Sure, she likes being around Kaminari — even if she’s gonna die before she admits that to his face — and hanging out with him usually relaxes her, but that’s not exactly the case when he’s moping about his crushes.

At least the bar they’re in isn’t that noisy; the extravagant music usually gives her a headache.

The bad thing about the music not being that loud is that she can clearly hear Kaminari’s whining.

“I made a fool of myself,” he laments, looking wistfully at his beer. “Why do I always have to make a fool of myself in front of him?”

“Dunno,” Katsuki says, taking a sip from her cup. “Because you’re a dumbass?”

Kaminari groans, hiding his face on the crook of his arms. “Bakugou.”

“What?” She deadpans.

Kaminari gives her a look. The one where he looks like a kicked puppy, sad and pouting, chin on the palm of his hand and crystal eyes looking down.

Goddammit.

“Stop feeling stupid already,” she sighs, “It happened. It’s on the past. Move on.”

“It’s not that easy!” Kaminari cries.

“Ah, fuck,” she huffs. “I was there, okay? I saw it. And Zombie Guy didn’t exactly look grossed out. He almost looked endeared, which, very questionable on his part if you ask me, but okay.”

Kaminari blinks. “What.”

“You heard me,” she says, “He looked fucking endeared. It was gross.”

“He didn’t—”

“He fucking did. Heart eyes and everything,” she gestures vaguely at her face, trying to flutter her eyelashes. It makes Kaminari snicker. “I swear, if he doesn’t like you, I’m gonna eat my foot.”

“Doesn’t sound very hygienic.”

Katsuki flips him off. “Ha-ha. Not funny.”

“I’m hilarious,” Kaminari counters, but doesn’t sound very convinced. He looks anxious, reaching out to play with a napkin. He looks so shy and insecure, nothing like his usual self. But Katsuki knows this part of him; the vulnerability cracking at the surface of his goofy self. “Do you really think he likes me back?”

“I’ve told you this a million times already, moron.” She says, looking firmly at him so he can see her sincerity. “Yes. Definitely. No doubts.”

Kaminari snorts. “You sound very sure.”

“That’s because I am,” she says. “I wouldn’t lie to you about this.”

“I know,” Kaminari says, and offers her a smile. He looks so gentle when he smiles like this; it kind of moves Katsuki’s heart. “Thank you. For reassuring me.”

“Of fucking course,” Katsuki says, drumming her fingers on the table, and grins proudly. “I’m a good friend.”

Kaminari beams. “Look at you, admitting we’re friends! You must be drunk already.”

Katsuki scowls instantly.

“Sorry, sorry,” Kaminari laughs. “I know you don’t do it anymore, but it’s really cute remembering how you used to deny it all the time.”

Huh. Kaminari’s definition of cute is pretty weird in Katsuki’s (right) opinion.

“‘Oh, he’s my bandmate’, as if we weren’t close.”

Katsuki kicks him under the table. “Shut up. I didn’t talk like that.”

“You said that all the time, though.”

“But I didn’t say it like that.”

“Okay, okay,” Kaminari jests. “Sorry, we’re just talking about me. How was your day?”

Katsuki hums, “The same.”

“Sad,” Kaminari pouts. “Don’t stress out. You’re the smartest person I’ve ever known, and you’ve studied hard. You’re gonna ace your exams for sure.”

“I am smart,” Katsuki concedes.

“Good that you know,” Kaminari smiles, genuine. “Ah. How about I treat you to some snacks so you feel better? Sounds good?” He points at the menu. “What do you want? I’ll pay.”

Katsuki doesn’t like snacks that much, but she’s real fucking hungry, so she’ll take it.

“I want the crispy french fries,” she says. “And the strawberry cheesecake.”

Jirou says they’re both really good, and she trusts her judgment, so.

“Good,” Kaminari nods. “Thought you didn’t like greasy food, though. Is it okay? We can go to another place, I don’t mind.”

“It’s fine,” Katsuki shrugs. “I don’t like it, usually. But I’m feeling like shit, and I’m in the mood for greasy food right now.”

Kaminari nods again, solemn. “Excellent choice then, my dearest.”

“God, don’t call me that,” Katsuki grimaces.

Kaminari cackles. “Okay, okay. I’ll go and make the order then.”

“Mmm.”

Kaminari stands up and walks to the bar. When he comes back, though, he looks pretty nervous, which puts Katsuki on edge.

She arches an eyebrow. “What?”

“What?” Kaminari echoes, squeaking.

Huh. That's even more suspicious.

“Idiot,” Katsuki frowns. “What’s going on?”

“Mmm,” Kaminari worries his lips, probably contemplating whether telling Katsuki would be a good idea or not. Then, he shakes his head. “Nothing, just — don't look at the bar.”

Katsuki wrinkles her nose, eyes darting past Kaminari’s shoulder.

Kaminari yelps, arms flinging around him in a poor attempt to block Katsuki's view.

“I said don't look!”

“Don't care,” Katsuki says, clicking her tongue, and grabs Kaminari’s arm out of the way.

“No, wait—” Kaminari says, leaning over the table to stand in front of Katsuki. Too late, because Katsuki sees her before Kaminari reaches out to cover her eyes.

Todoroki Shouto, the girl of her dreams and nightmares.

She's sitting on a stool on the bar, there in Katsuki's line of sight, wearing a cherry-red dress and black heels, soft curls put up in a messy bun.

God, she looks absolutely stunning. What the hell.

“Ah,” Kaminari sighs, face-palming, “You saw her.”

“Well, yeah,” Katsuki says, resting her chin on the palm of her hand. “She’s right there.”

“Sorry, I didn’t know she would be here,” Kaminari whines.

“She’s everywhere,” Katsuki shrugs. “Should have guessed I’d meet her.”

“Ghh,” Kaminari purses his lips. “You okay?”

“Yes.”

Kaminari observes her, carefully analyzing her reaction, scanning for any hint of discomfort.

Katsuki snorts. “I’m fine, dumbass.”

“Okay, just—” Kaminari tilts his head. “Making sure…”

“Mmm.”

Kaminari pauses, going silent as Katsuki follows Todoroki’s movements. She’s asking for something at the bar.

“You know, I’ve already thought of this before, but—” Kaminari says, frowning, “You stare at her a lot.”

Katsuki arches an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“Just—” Kaminari shrugs one shoulder. “Just that. You stare.”

“I don’t,” Katsuki frowns.

“You do,” Kaminari insists, “Quite a lot, actually. I notice.”

“I—”

“And it’s not, you know, hateful eyes, it’s more like…” Kaminari scans Katsuki’s face, hand gesturing while he tries to look for the word he wants. “Longing? Like — wait a second.”

He does this, then — the thing where his face lights up, realization washing over his features as he opens his mouth in surprise; the face he makes when Katsuki can almost see a bulb light switching on above his head. It’s never a good thing, and it’s not a good thing right now.

“Holy shit!” he gasps. “You like her!”

Katsuki reaches over to flick his forehead. “Not true. Shut up.”

“You only say ‘shut up’ when you don’t want me to go further into the topic. That means I’m right!”

“It means I want you to shut up. It’s not that deep, moron.”

“Holy crap. How was I so blind? That’s why you keep talking about how pretty she is anytime you mention how annoying she equally is!”

“Not true,” Katsuki frowns, but the blush creeping on her face is a clear signal of her lies.

“Yes true,” Kaminari says, grinning. “You like Todoroki!”

“I don’t,” Katsuki grunts.

“Makes sense,” Kaminari continues, “Thought you were over your initial crush but you’re clearly not.”

Katsuki sighs. This is a lost cause; Kaminari is obviously firm on the idea that Katsuki likes Todoroki.

“You’re annoying,” Katsuki settles on saying then, irritated, and Kaminari cackles.

“Oh god. Why didn’t you say so? It’s cool that you like her.”

Katsuki gives him a look. “She hates me, Kami.”

“Nah,” Kaminari says. “Come on, no one could hate you once they meet you! You just need to be more persuasive,” he finger-guns at her. “I can teach you some of my moves if you want!”

“You mean those cheesy ass, lame flirting lines?”

“Hey!” Kaminari sticks out his tongue. “They work just fine!”

Katsuki stares at him, incredulous.

“Sometimes!” Kaminari pouts.

Katsuki snickers. “I appreciate your offer, but I don’t think she’ll ever stop hating me. She probably still thinks I stole her — wait, what is he doing?”

“Huh?”

Katsuki freezes, eyes unblinking at the figure of a man closing in Todoroki’s personal space. “Who is that?”

Something twists inside her — at the smile on the guy’s face, at the way he’s grabbing her arm. It’s not jealousy, or bitterness. It’s something more — ugly, bubbling at the pit of her abdomen, stuck in her throat.

Todoroki is visibly uncomfortable, trying to move away from him. Katsuki has seen that before; she knows that kind of face.

Before she knows it, she’s standing up and walking there. Kaminari calls her name, but Katsuki doesn’t stop.

She’s angry — furious, grossed out, wants nothing more than kick that fucker’s face. But Todoroki probably wouldn’t like a scene, so she breathes in, tries to mask her best smile on and bury the urge she has to make the asshole eat her fist, and leans on Todoroki’s back.

Todoroki’s startles at the touch, blinking as Katsuki casually drapes an arm around her shoulders. It makes the guy put his hand away from Todoroki’s naked inner thigh, so Katsuki takes it as a win.

“Hey, babe, sorry to keep you waiting,” Katsuki says, smiling sweetly at Todoroki and curling at her side protectively. Resting her chin on the crook of Todoroki’s collarbone, Katsuki adds, “You know how it is, the restroom here is always packed. I had to wait for fifteen minutes just to get in.”

Todoroki blinks, stunned, hands flexing on her lap. “Bakugou…”

“Oh,” she utters, looking at the guy for the first time since she came here, like she’s just noticing him. It clearly pisses him off, which makes her smile wider, sharper.

Katsuki hugs Todoroki from behind, arms wrapping around her waist, touching the back of her hands over her belly.

“Sorry, is this piece of shit bothering you, sweetheart?” she asks, pulling her closer.

Todoroki blushes, eyelashes fluttering as she looks back at her.

“U-Uh…” she stammers, trying to get the words out, but leans back against Katsuki’s body, trying to get even closer, putting more distance between her and the man.

That makes him even more pissed.

“Sorry, who are you?” he snaps, scowling at Katsuki. “We were having a pretty nice conversation here before you interrupted.”

“I’m her girlfriend, dumbfuck,” Katsuki answers, anger slipping into her cold voice. “And you clearly don’t know about social cues, because my baby here looks pretty uncomfortable. So I’d appreciate it if you leave us the fuck alone.”

“What?” the guy scoffs with disdain. “Don’t make me laugh, come on.”

Katsuki knows this face. She knows it very well. Has had to deal with it so many fucking times it stopped being annoying and became extremely exhausting.

“What, are you telling me such a beauty like her is gay now?” he asks, mockingly, pronouncing the words like they grossed them out. “What a fucking was—”

Before she knows it, she’s grabbing the guy by the collar of his shirt and stamping him on the counter of the bar. The sound his back makes as Katsuki presses him hard against the surface it’s incredibly satisfactory.

He whines in pain, and Katsuki smiles.

“Finish that fucking sentence in my face,” she sizzles. “Do it.”

The guy, of course, doesn’t, just sneers in her face before wincing when Katsuki presses him harder back.

“Huh. A real coward you are, besides having a pissface,” Katsuki scoffs. “Listen, I think the only waste of space and air here is you just by existing. Your presence alone makes me sick. And if you dare to try to assault her or any other person again I’m going to punch you so fucking hard you’ll never feel your face again,” she threatens. “Is that clear enough for you, shit for brains? Or do I need to spell it out in stupid language for you to understand? Hm?”

“Tch,” the guy moves. “Whatever the fuck. She’s not even that hot. It’s not worth it, you lewd bitches.”

That’s it. Katsuki brings up her knee and kicks him, right on his little dick. Then, she punches him.

“Kat!” Kaminari says, making a move to grab her arm and pull her apart. “Wait, wait, wait—”

“But he—!”

“I know!” Kaminari says. “I already told Ei, he’s coming; calm down.”

“He’s a fucking piece of shit, he deserved even more—”

“I know,” Kaminari says again, gently this time. “I know; I seriously want to punch him too, he’s an asshole. But he’s not worth your time, okay? Let Ei handle it for now.”

Katsuki breathes in, still furious, but tries to calm down as Kaminari rubs her arm reassuringly.

“It’s okay,” he says. “I know it’s frustrating, I’m sorry you had to go through this.”

When Kirishima comes with the manager, he grabs the man away. Not before Kaminari accidentally trips over and showers him in sticky bubblegum milkshake, though.

Katsuki cackles as she sees the man struggling away when Kirishima takes him.

“You did that on purpose,” she laughs.

“Whoops,” Kaminari utters, grinning. “How is it that you think I’m so mean?”

Katsuki rolls her eyes, a fond smile curling up her mouth. “Thank you.”

“Of course,” Kaminari smiles, and squeezes her shoulder. “Sorry he ruined your night. I wish I could have done more.”

“It’s fine,” Katsuki says. Then, she looks over Kaminari’s shoulder. “Are you okay?” she asks, eyeing Todoroki.

Todoroki blinks.

“Right, do you need anything?” Kaminari adds. “Can we help you with something?”

“No, uh—” Todoroki’s voice cracks. “It’s — it’s fine.”

Katsuki frowns, stepping closer.

“You sure?” she asks, tilting her head to look her in the eye. “I already explained what happened, but do you want to talk to the manager too?”

“No,” Todoroki answers, shaking her head. “It’s okay. Thank you for helping me.”

“Yeah, don’t worry,” Katsuki says, passes her hand through her hair. “God, I was really fucking mad right now.”

Todoroki offers a small smile.

“You were really cool,” she says. “I didn’t know you were here.”

Katsuki blinks, too stunned to speak for a moment when she sees Todoroki’s cute little smile in front of her.

“Uh.”

“Mhm,” Kaminari intervenes, grabbing Katsuki by the shoulders. “We were having some drinks on the table right there,” he points back at the lonely place in the back. “My friend here saw what happened and instantly stood up to help you.”

Todoroki follows Kaminari’s hand, resting on Katsuki’s collarbone, and then she offers a small nod.

“Ah,” that reminds Katsuki— “Sorry for being so touchy right now, I’m usually not that clingy.”

“Right, she never does that sort of thing with anyone,” Kaminari adds right away, in a playful tone Katsuki doesn’t like. Moron.

“Would you shut up?” Katsuki says, pushing the side of his head with her palm.

“It’s fine,” Todoroki says, but her face is blushing like mad again. God, she looks so stupidly cute.

“I didn’t—” think, Katsuki doesn’t say. I just acted, like a dumbass. “I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable,” Katsuki settles for, instead. “Sorry for that. I won’t do it again, don’t worry.”

Todoroki shakes her head frantically. “It’s really fine, you don’t need to apologize,” she says. “I was just—I didn’t know how to react, but it didn’t make me uncomfortable at all. I felt safe in your arms.”

God, Katsuki thinks, chest a warm mess; stomach a nest of wild butterflies. That sounded really fucking gay, Todoroki.

“I—” Katsuki starts, avoiding eye contact when Todoroki looks intently back. How can she say that sort of thing and stare into Katsuki’s eyes? A mystery. A whole power on her own.

Good. Now they’re both blushing flustered messes. Good.

“Cool,” Katsuki finally says, and Kaminari snorts so loud Katsuki steps on his foot. Idiot.

“I…” Todoroki stands up, picking up her purse besides her. “I think I’ll go, then. I’m in the mood to be in the room right now instead of here.”

“Okay,” Katsuki nods. “Hopefully we came in this moron’s car. It’d probably be a bit tight in my motorbike with us three.”

Todoroki blinks. “What?”

“Hm?” Katsuki arches an eyebrow. “You’re going to the dorms, right? I’ll give you a ride.”

“Oh,” Todoroki shakes her head. “It’s not necessary, I don’t want to be a bother and ruin your night—”

“It’s fine,” Katsuki shrugs. “We were going anyway; no need to feel guilty.”

“Kitty-Kat would love to bring you back to your room more than stay here with me anyway, don’t worry,” Kaminari says, and then winks.

“Maybe that’s because you call me stupid things like that,” Katsuki deadpans, pointedly giving him a look.

Shut up, her look says. Kaminari does get it, but it just makes him laugh instead of feeling threatened.

“I think it’s cute,” Todoroki says, doing that thing she does when she’s contemplating something, clueless. She tilts her head like a confused or curious cat. “Kitty-Kat, I mean.”

A sound comes out of Katsuki’s mouth — between choking and an embarrassed squeak — and then she wants the floor to swallow her whole.

Fuck.

“You should call her that then,” Kaminari beams, clearly enjoying the situation. “It’s copyrighted by me, but I allow it because I like you, Todoroki.”

“Please don’t call me that,” Katsuki says, heat pooling under her cheeks.

I’ll die. I’ll die for real, she doesn’t add.

“Aw, Kat—” Kaminari tries to continue.

Nope. She’s not allowing it. No way Kaminari is convincing Todoroki to call her that to her face. She’ll explode.

“Are we going?” Katsuki interrupts, talking louder to mute Kaminari’s words.

Todoroki lifts up her hand to stop her. “Ah, but—”

“Princess,” Katsuki says before she can manage an excuse. “Don’t be a dumbass. It’s real fucking late. I’m taking you back, I’m not letting you walk alone right now? It’d be an ass move. Your safety comes first.”

Todoroki stares at her for a moment; probably trying to decipher whether Katsuki has malicious intentions. She feels itchy and hot under her piercing, soft gaze, but she doesn’t back down. She’s taking Todoroki back with her. She wouldn’t feel comfortable with leaving her alone.

“Okay, thank you.”

The road back the dorms it’s relatively peaceful. Todoroki falls asleep in the back of Kaminari’s car, curled up in the whole row of seats. She looks so lovely, hair falling of her bun and covering part of her face. And it would have been an amazing trip, with Katsuki stealing glances from time to time at her and Todoroki’s little sounds of breathing as background music in Katsuki’s ears — if it wasn’t for the fact that Kaminari wouldn’t leave her alone and tease her about her massive crush on Todoroki every single time he caught her looking back at her.

Jerk. She doesn’t know why she puts up with him sometimes.

When they come back, Katsuki carries a sleepy Todoroki in her arms all the way to the room, and then tucks her in bed. She doesn’t change her clothes; just puts away her shoes, places her head in the pillow, and covers her with a blanket. It’ll be creepy if she changes her, and she already touched her a lot back then in the bar, so she’s not fucking up more.

Kaminari insists on taking photos of Katsuki carrying Shouto bridal-style while Todoroki nuzzles her head in Katsuki’s chest like a cat, and Katsuki flips him off. Then, he coos when Katsuki is putting her in bed.

“Don’t you have anything else to do?” she hisses, squatting to be in Todoroki’s level, and then shoos Kaminari with her hand. “Go away, I don’t want to wake her up.”

“Okay, okay,” he grins, clearly elated. “Sweet dreams, Kitty-Kat.”

Katsuki flips him off and Kaminari offers her a peace sing before closing the door behind him.

God.

.

.

Two hours later, Katsuki is reviewing some of her notes in her desk when she hears the sound of sheets moving.

“Oh,” Todoroki utters, voice groggy with sleep. “You’re still awake?”

“Yeah, I’m studying something,” Katsuki says, looking back at her. It’s a bad idea, though — the sight of Todoroki buried under her quill up to her chin is so ridiculously endearing it makes Katsuki’s chest ache with fondness. “Don’t you want to change your clothes into something more comfortable? I just put you in bed like that.”

Todoroki hums, trying to blink away the sleepiness off her eyes. Then, she stretches, both arms above her head, and sits up.

“Yes, I think I’ll do that,” she says, and then stands up. She steps closer to Katsuki, crossing the line of tape on the floor and into Katsuki’s side of the room; then, she turns around so her back is to Katsuki’s side. “Can you help me with the zipper?”

Jesus Christ. Give Katsuki strength.

“Ah,” Katsuki gulps. “Mm. Yeah. Okay.”

She unzips Todoroki’s dress slowly; the soft skin of her back coming into Katsuki’s view as she pulls it down. She passes the line of her pink bra, and then finishes at the line of her hips, clearly seeing the matching lingerie.

Ah, fuck.

“There,” Katsuki chokes with trembling hands as she pulls away, trying not to think about the way she wants to kiss her all over. Kiss the back of her neck, the slope of her shoulders — give little pecks all the way down the arch of her back, caress the curve of her waist with her hands, suck hard on that mole she has on her lower back… God, Todoroki would probably moan at that, breathy and high-pitched, sound catching in her throat, asking Katsuki to do it again.

Ah, fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck. Focus, Katsuki, she scolds herself in her mind. It’s not the time to be horny, goddammit.

Except that Todoroki has zero sense of Katsuki’s massive, stupid crush, because she turns around to look at her like it’s nothing, pulls her dress up and undresses in front of Katsuki’s very eyes.

Ah.

Bakugou Katsuki, 22 years old, found dead in her room. Cause of death: a pretty girl in pink lace lingerie.

How lame.

“Thank you,” Todoroki says casually, throwing her dress at the pile of dirty clothes she has on a corner of her side, and then walks over her closet.

Katsuki manages to make a weird throaty sound in response, but no words come out. This is bad for her heart.

She tries not to stare as Todoroki casually stays there in her underwear while rummaging through her clothes, and instead forces herself to turn back and look at her notes instead.

Study, study, study…

“Bakugou.”

“Yeah?” Katsuki asks, in tiny.

She swears to everything holy, if Todoroki asks her to help her get dressed or something, Katsuki will have to muster all her will to not kiss her on the spot.

“Thank you for helping me today,” she says instead in a gentle, grateful tone, which also manages to knock the air off Katsuki’s lungs, but for entirely different reasons.

“Oh, that’s—” Katsuki clears her throat, and looks over where Todoroki is (thankfully) already changed into her pajamas. “It’s fine. It’s not like I don’t know you can take care of yourself, but I—needed to do something.”

Todoroki hums, sitting on her bed and looking back at Katsuki.

“Thank you,” she smiles. “You really helped.”

Katsuki nods, not knowing what to say. It’s been a long time since Todoroki has been this soft with her; it’s messing with her head.

Todoroki lies down again, covering up with her blankets, and looks over at Katsuki silently. Probably trying to fall asleep again, but Katsuki can’t focus back in studying if Todoroki is staring at her with pretty eyes and looking devastatingly cute.

The problem is, she doesn’t know what she should say. She feels like she needs to address the topic, but she doesn’t know how. Doesn’t even know if Todoroki wants to talk about it either.

What would Deku do? What would he say?

In his case, when it happened to Katsuki one time, he went crazy; absolutely out of his mind — the thing is, he tends to be overprotective sometimes, and gets easily angry when it comes to something threatening Katsuki’s well-being. He’s calm and soothing and kind, but it when it’s about someone disrespecting Katsuki, talking bad about her, trying to make her feel bad or humiliate her, harming her… he gets ridiculously mad. It’s probably because of that kidnap attempt one time, or because he’s witnessed how misjudged she’s been all her life because of her personality, but badmouthing her is enough to make Deku angry or protective when someone looks shady around her.

That time, Deku punched the asshole so hard he knocked over a couple of teeth. It was awesome, but also sort of surprising to see him so angry.

“I can take care of myself,” Katsuki had said.

“I know. I really do, Kacchan,” he had answered, still frowning. Not mad at her, no. He was always gentle with her. “But I couldn’t help myself.”

What had he said later? Something like…

“Do you—” Katsuki turns back in her seat to look at Todoroki, “—want to talk about it?”

“I know I’m not a girl,” Deku had continued. “I won’t understand entirely how you feel, but I’m here if you feel bad and need to talk about it. I promise I won’t let it happen again, not if I’m there.”

“It’s fine if you don’t,” Katsuki hurriedly adds.

Todoroki frowns slightly, confused, and then realization hits her a second after.

“Oh,” she says, looking over at her. “It’s okay, really. It was probably my fault anyway, so—”

“Wait,” Katsuki interrupts. She doesn’t want to be rude and cut what she’s saying, but she can’t let her go on and talk about how this situation is her fault. She needs to know— “It’s not.”

Todoroki stares silently at her.

Katsuki knows that face; knows what’s going on inside her head, knows she’s thinking Katsuki is just saying that to reassure her, and not because it’s true.

“That’s what you think?” Katsuki frowns. “It’s not your fault, Todoroki.”

“It’s not the first time it has happened, though,” Todoroki counters.

“Still not your fault,” Katsuki insists, vehement. “No matter how many times it happens, it’s still not your fault.”

Katsuki can’t believe this. What the fuck.

“It’s pretty fucked up that it happened to you more than once, though. No one deserves to go through this kind of stuff; I can’t imagine how hard it must have been for you.”

What the fuck? Todoroki shouldn’t think this is on her. She was just there, trying to have some time alone and have fun or whatever the fuck, and this fucking jerk stepped on that without remorse. And the fact that it has happened more than once just makes Katsuki’s blood boil.

“Look,” Katsuki says, glancing at Todoroki, hoping her sincerity and desperation comes through her voice. “It’s not your fault, okay? You need to understand that. These creepy assholes are lurking around every-fucking-where. It doesn’t matter what you’re wearing or if you look at him for three goddamn seconds or whatever the fuck. You’re deserving of respect no matter what, and no one should try to make inappropriate comments or grope you or touch you or whatever else if you don’t want them to. It’s assault. They’re sexually abusing you, and in no shape or form it’s because of you or something you did.”

Todoroki stares at her, eyes shifting with overwhelming emotion.

“You did nothing wrong. It’s not your fault,” she repeats. “Please don’t think that.”

“Thank you,” she mumbles, low and soft and genuine. “Really.”

“Of course,” Katsuki says. “It’s just the truth.”

Todoroki smiles, and maybe it’s because she looks so astonishingly sweet as she looks at Katsuki right now and that’s making her a little bit stupid, or maybe it’s because she’s tired and not thinking properly, but Katsuki keeps talking.

“Um, do you — I mean,” she starts. “Next time you want to go out drinking, you can… you know, come with me and my friends?”

Todoroki blinks at her, and it makes Katsuki want to bite down her tongue.

Stupid. Why did she say that? Holy shit.

“It’s not like it’s your fault for going alone,” Katsuki clarifies. “You should be able to go wherever you want alone and it shouldn’t be a problem but — I just think you’ll feel safer and more comfortable if you go with people you know? We’ll help so it doesn’t happen again.”

She can’t shut up. Todoroki is not saying anything and, as a result, Katsuki can’t stop babbling out of pure nervousness. God, someone stop her.

“You can trust my friends. They’re little shits but they’re stupidly nice,” she adds. It’s true, after all. They’re all dumbasses who likes teasing her, but they’ll make sure Todoroki feels comfortable around them; it’s how they make her feel. “Like Deku, for example. You already know him. He’s a nerd, but still the kindest person I’ve ever met.”

Todoroki snickers. God, she’s so cute.

“You’re even more of a nerd than him,” she says, then, in a teasing tone, and Katsuki’s magical little moment cracks into pieces.

“Hah?”

“You’re studying at two am,” Todoroki points out.

“Yeah, but he’s worse,” Katsuki says, like it’s obvious. Because it is. “I’m not usually like this, okay? I study with time so I’ll be sleeping my eight hours at night.”

Todoroki arches an eyebrow, amused smile curling up at the corner of her mouth. She looks at Katsuki like her explanation makes her even more nerdy. Goddammit.

She doesn’t want Todoroki to think she’s lame, but she doesn’t know what to say, so she just keeps rambling about Deku.

“He’d stay up until four am all exam week if it wasn’t for me tucking him up in bed like a little kid,” she says, to accentuate how 1) nerd, 2) stupid, 3) lame, 4) self-destructive and 5) careless, Deku is. “Hope he’s having his sleeping habits checked now that I don’t do it,” she adds as an afterthought, now worried about that.

She should probably give him a visit and look how he’s doing now that’s exam period. Maybe bring him food, check that he’s sleeping well and not skipping meals. Or—

“You’re really caring,” Todoroki says out of nowhere, then, interrupting her thoughts, like she’s making a crucial observation.

The thing is… Todoroki sounds so utterly genuine, appreciative and fond that it makes Katsuki’s heart do some weird gymnastics inside her ribcage.

“I—” Katsuki says, and then stops, lost on how to answer. No one has told her that before. The closest to it is Deku calling her sweet and kind, and Kaminari calling her an angel, maybe, but caring is a new one.

The fact that Todoroki thinks this so sincerely fills her with inexplicable warmth.

“You are,” Todoroki says again. “It’s nice. Thank you for worrying about me today.”

“Mm,” Katsuki hums.

I worry about you every single day, she doesn’t say, because she’s not a fucking sap and she’s not that in love with her. Sure.

“Don’t sleep until too late,” Todoroki says, and then closes her eyes. “Goodnight.”

“Yeah. Thanks,” Katsuki croaks, choked up with her messy feelings. “You too.”

The fact that the last thing she thinks of before she falls asleep over her notes is Todoroki’s little smile after Katsuki told her ‘you too’ is a bad sign.

God, Katsuki is fucked. Royally. She’s down bad.

Gah.

.

Next morning, she wakes up with a mild migraine, a sore neck, and her face stamped in her class notes, half-lying on her desk. She’s hungry, stressed and cursing the alarm going off on her face.

She’s warm, at least. Todoroki must have woken up and covered Katsuki up with a blanket in the middle of the night.

Katsuki hates how moved she is by such a simple thing.

Then, as she’s leaving the room, she sees it. A note.

It’s written carefully with a fruit-scented gel pen on a cerulean post-it, pasted to the back of her door.

Thank you again for yesterday, it reads. Good luck on your exam! ^^ You’re really smart, you’ll do great <3

See you later :)

—Todoroki, xoxo.

Followed by a small doodle of a cat.

Ghh.

“God, why is she so damn cute?” Katsuki groans, burying her face into her hands.

She feels her warm skin with her fingers and then feels even worse with herself. Why is she blushing like an idiot? How pathetic.

Come on. Get it together, Katsuki, she’s just a crush. A silly crush. Get over it.

“But why is she so cute and pretty?” she sighs, looking again at the small note, that manages to dissipate whatever bothered her before like a stupid sore neck and all trace of stress from her body, like magic. “Is someone testing me? Not funny.”

Fuck.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

.

.

(She saves the note in her drawer.)

.

.

.

.

iii.

After the incident, Katsuki and Todoroki’s relationship improves drastically.

By that, it means they stop putting up petty fights and they actually greet each other in the halls when they see the other pass by.

“Hi,” Todoroki says with a small wave and the sweetest little smile every time, and every single time she takes a bit of Katsuki’s soul with her.

It’s not even an exaggeration. Katsuki is starting to think there’s no turning back from this point.

It’s just this, really. They don’t even talk or see each other much, despite being roommates. They’re both busy with their classes, then busy with their group of friends. Todoroki has her volleyball club in the afternoons, and Katsuki has the rehearsals with the band in the evenings and some weekends.

So, okay, maybe not drastically. But it’s a step, and Katsuki takes it.

At least they’re not fighting anymore.

.

On a Wednesday’s rainy afternoon, Katsuki is going out her last class when she sees her. Todoroki.

She's standing outside the main building, taking shelter under a small awning, looking at the people hurriedly running across the gardens of the campus to get to the dorms at the other side.

She's wearing that pink strawberry dress that barely covers her knees, and that pair of sandals she really likes, white with delicate patterns of flowers.

She's holding onto her backpack, fingers flexing as she puts it against her chest. She's probably contemplating whether she should wait for the downpour to lessen up, or if she should just go for it and run under the impious cold.

The thing is... the path to the dorms is considerably long and, if she does run, she'll probably ruin her shoes. And very probably get sick as well; she's getting drenched whether she likes it or not.

Katsuki grimaces. Todoroki could probably call one of her friends, and Katsuki could easily be just a bother if she approaches her — but they’re going to the same place anyway, so…

Ah. Fuck it.

“Oi.”

Todoroki startles as Katsuki leans over her shoulder, arm across Todoroki's slender back. Kaminari is really rubbing off on her, huh.

Todoroki blinks at her, as if she was trying to decipher whether she’s dreaming or not. “Bakugou.”

“Princess,” Katsuki grins sharply, the usual nickname rolling out of her tongue with ease. Todoroki relaxes in her touch, side-eyeing her with curiosity. “Told you this morning it'd be raining today.”

Todoroki hums, eyes following the movement of Katsuki's hand as she skillfully spins the pointy object between her fingers.

“Did you forget your umbrella?” Katsuki asks. She shouldn't — it's an obvious fact after all, but, sometimes, she likes being purposely annoying when it comes to Todoroki Shouto.

Todoroki’s lips twist in a small pout, like she's expecting a lecture next second. And she’s the cutest human being to ever exist.

Katsuki chuckles. “Guessed so,” she says. "Wanna share mine, pretty head?"

Todoroki blinks. “You don’t mind?”

“We’re going to the same place,” Katsuki shrugs, “I don’t see why not.”

“Oh,” Todoroki utters. “Okay…”

Katsuki opens the umbrella and gets under it, putting the object between Todoroki and her so it can cover both of them. The umbrella is not that big, but if they squeeze a bit, it'll work out just fine.

As if reading her mind, Todoroki presses her side against Katsuki's. Her skin is warm despite the cold weather, and Katsuki has to fight the sudden urge to lean even closer.

“Thank you,” Todoroki says, gentle, and bows her head at her.

Katsuki snorts.

“Why are you being so polite?” she teases, ruffling Todoroki’s hair. “It’s fine.”

“Mmm,” Todoroki manages, cheeks coloring a soft pink, embarrassed. She’s always like this when Katsuki gets physically affectionate, which — it’s absurdly cute.

It’s not like Katsuki is usually touchy. But her friends are, and she’s come to pick some of their habits. And with Todoroki, she just feels the need to be close to her, all the time, even if for the lingering touch of brushing shoulders.

It’s weird how much she desires the contact. She doesn’t think she has been like this with anyone before. It’s probably about Todoroki’s flustered reactions, too.

They start walking, and Todoroki keeps shooting looks at her, like she's expecting Katsuki to suddenly move the umbrella and get her drenched.

“Don't be so itchy,” she says, arching an eyebrow. “I'm not trying anything bad here.”

“It's weird for you to be nice out of nowhere with me,” Todoroki deadpans, looking straight ahead.

“Hah? I'm real fucking nice, thank you very much. Your face just pisses me off sometimes, so pardon me if I'm not always all smiley with you,” Katsuki grunts.

Todoroki side-eyes her.

“I was just joking,” she says, eyes sparkling as a soft huff comes out of her mouth — a quiet laugh, in Todoroki’s language.

She’s… laughing. Todoroki is laughing. And she’s clearly amused at Katsuki’s little rant, the pretty little shit.

Was that teasing? Was she provoking Katsuki on purpose?

“Dumbass,” Katsuki says, and flicks her forehead, trying to ease the way her chest flutters crazily with warmth at Todoroki's happy smile. God, why is she so damn cute?

“Hmm.”

“You clearly don't know what a joke is, do you?”

“You clearly don't have a sense of humor,” Todoroki argues. “I've been told I'm really funny.”

Katsuki arches both eyebrows. “Really?”

Todoroki gives a single, solemn nod. “Hilarious.”

Katsuki hates that she starts laughing at that.

“Who told you that?” she snorts. “What a liar.”

“I made you laugh, though,” Todoroki points out, smiling softly.

“Yeah, but that's just because what you said was incredibly stupid, princess,” Katsuki snickers.

And because you’re so very stupidly cute, she doesn’t add out loud.

“I think you just don't want to admit you find me amusing.”

Katsuki snorts. “Uh-huh.”

“Actually,” Todoroki says, “I wasn’t watching you because I thought you were being shady or something. I just think your makeup is really pretty.”

Katsuki blinks.

“You always look really pretty, makeup or not,” Todoroki adds, “But I think the colors suit your face.”

Katsuki doesn’t expect that. Todoroki calling her pretty? Now, how is she going to be able to look her in the face? How is it that the dumbass can say stuff like this with a gentle smile and not expect Katsuki to want to kiss her right away?

Goddammit.

“I—” she croaks out, raspy. “Just. Um. Thank you.”

“Mhm,” Todoroki smiles. “It’s very artistic. I like it.”

Oh.

Sure. Todoroki is an artist, so of course she’ll appreciate her makeup from an artist point of view. It’s not about Katsuki herself, or her face, or Todoroki’s feelings towards her.

Of course. She should have expected that.

“Maybe you should try makeup on me,” Todoroki says, and — yeah, that sounds like flirting. Maybe. A tiny bit. Todoroki shouldn’t be allowed to talk unless she’s obviously trying to woo her; it messes with Katsuki’s head.

“Maybe,” Katsuki answers back.

But nope. If she ever does Todoroki’s makeup, with her face so close to Katsuki’s without being able to kiss her, she’ll die. It’s a crime. She won’t be able to recover.

So nope. Not an option. Not now, not ever—

“Wh—” she startles, feeling Todoroki’s warm hand intertwine with hers out of nowhere, interrupting her thoughts. She stops dead in her steps, freezing despite the electricity running down her spine.

“You're really cold,” Todoroki says, as if that alone explained her action.

“Well, it's really fuckin' cold today, what do you expect? Not everyone can be a heater like yourself, princess!” Katsuki hastily answers, panicking.

“I'm not trying to make fun of you, relax,” Todoroki reassures. “I'm just trying to help you warm up.”

Not good.

Not good. Not good. Not good.

Todoroki squeezes her hand into hers, and starts rubbing her thumb across the back of Katsuki’s hand, probably trying to warm her fingers.

Definitely not good.

“Don’t you like holding hands?” Todoroki tilts her head, eyeing Katsuki’s flustered, messy state.

“Well, it’s…” she tries, struggling with getting the words out. I have a massive crush on you? This is not helping? “I mean, us—”

“You already back-hugged me and carried me,” Todoroki points out.

Yeah, but that’s different—

Wait a second.

Katsuki blinks. “Wait, how—”

“Kaminari showed me the photo after.”

Katsuki groans. That traitor.

“Sorry, I—I was just trying to help you get in the bed, it’s all, nothing more. And I already apologized for that time I was all over you on the bar.”

“You don’t need to apologize for that, I’ve told you so,” Todoroki says, and lifts up their linked hands. “I like you touching me.”

Katsuki’s eyes widen, and then her whole face gets red, because even her own body likes betraying her and showing her clear embarrassment.

Todoroki Shouto is going to be the death of her, seriously.

“Ah,” Todoroki blinks, blush creeping up her cheeks. “I didn’t — that sounded — I didn’t mean anything weird by that.”

Katsuki nods, stiff, and Todoroki looks down at their hands.

“Just… it’s nice,” she says, after a moment. “It was nice, when you did that.”

Todoroki has to stop talking or Katsuki is going to hug her again. Maybe cuddle with her in the room, if she’s allowed to.

“And it’s nice, now, holding your hand like this,” she finishes, squeezing her hand.

Right. Katsuki is not freaking out, nope. Totally chill. Her face is not the color of a tomato. Nope.

“Okay,” she answers, voice on edge. “Cool.”

God, Katsuki. She almost can hear Kaminari making fun of her in her head. Couldn’t she be more awkward?

Todoroki smiles, though, and shoots her a fond look. “Cool.”

Oh. Todoroki Shouto is going to be the death of her one day, for sure.

.

.

.

.

iv.

After that, they start doing small favors for the other. Todoroki brings her the USB she forgot on the room in the morning; she makes sure Katsuki has hot water when she’s taking a shower, because she knows Katsuki tends to get cold easily; she lends Katsuki her hoodies when she sees she’s cold; she leaves pretty cute encouragement notes all around the room for Katsuki to see before leaving.

Katsuki, on the other hand, stays with her all day, and prepares her meals in the common kitchen when she’s having a bad time with her period. She brushes her hair with her hand until Todoroki falls asleep; gets her hot compresses she can put on her stomach, brings her hot chocolate and chamomile tea.

“You shouldn’t skip your classes,” is what Todoroki says, the day she’s lying on the bed without wanting to get up in pain, and Katsuki comes back to the room from her first class to check on her.

She can’t even focus on the classes when Todoroki is like this, so fuck it.

“It’s fine, don’t care,” she answers, “You’re more important,” she adds, and the conversation ends there, as she walks to check if Todoroki has fever or anything.

Katsuki keeps gifting her sweets randomly as well. Todoroki has a really sweet tooth, apparently. Sometimes, she bakes for her.

They start talking when they see each other on parties or reunions with their friends — after all, they have some friends in common, and their respective social circles blend sometimes — and it’s really fun. Todoroki is actually quite funny with her sarcasm and deadpans comments, and she’s calm and chill to be with during loud parties that drain Katsuki’s social energy.

After all, they’re both introverts, so they sort of click right away in these kind of situations. Sometimes, they start complaining about how they would rather be on the room than in the party drinking God-knows-what.

Parties get significantly less annoying when Todoroki finds herself a place next to Katsuki on the couch and stays there all night, watching some ridiculous cartoon on TV. It’s not even that it’s funny, or that they can hear it with all the noise around them, but when Todoroki falls asleep on her shoulder, it’s all worth it.

Another day, in another party, Todoroki finds Katsuki curled up in a quiet room, looking for something to watch on the owner of the house’s Netflix account. That night, Katsuki finds out Todoroki is very cuddly, when she decides to lie down next to her on the sofa and curl up in Katsuki’s side, arm around Katsuki’s waist and head tucked under Katsuki’s chin. Katsuki doesn’t want to leave that party in her whole life.

They start making small-talk with the other in their room, when they have free time. Silly conversations about meaningless stuff keep piling up, and Katsuki basks in the domestic aspect of it. And she just enjoys listening Todoroki talk, about anything at all.

Katsuki teaches her how to play some games on her phone, Todoroki starts rambling about the books and mangas she reads. Katsuki shows her music she likes; songs she’s obsessed with or songs she’d like to make a cover of; then, she starts showing her videos of her band’s music, and the covers she’s already made.

Todoroki particularly likes the Rollercoaster (Bleachers) cover. She says Katsuki is having the time of her life playing the drums with that one; it can be seen in her elated grin. And, yeah, that one is really fun to play.

She also adores Katsuki singing “Somebody to Love” with Jirou, which makes her sort of embarrassed. She’s not so much of a fan with her own singing, less besides Jirou’s amazing voice, but Todoroki says she really likes it.

Todoroki shows her some photos of her pieces in the art room. One day, she even takes Katsuki to her classroom so she can see them in person, and — Katsuki is impressed. Todoroki is incredibly talented; evokes so much emotion in her art, and her style is truly elegant like her, but bombastically creative; colorful and unique and so Todoroki-like.

Todoroki invites Katsuki to her volleyball matches — Katsuki loves going, but the first time(s) she comes she entirely freaks out when she sees Todoroki playing in her uniform. All she can think of is legs, legs, legs and doesn’t even pay attention to the match itself; but in her defense, those shorts are extremely tiny, and Todoroki looks criminally hot sweating while she plays on the court.

She also invites Katsuki to her class art exhibitions.

Katsuki, on her side, invites her and her friends to her concerts. Todoroki loves going. She adores music, and she’s always so energetic when she goes; all smiley and soft and sparkly-eyed and incredibly cute.

Everything’s better. Katsuki is happy.

Really happy.

.

.

.

.

v.

Kaminari is hanging around in her room while Todoroki is out with her friends.

Which means Katsuki is rambling about her with him. The topic: Todoroki’s new cat-shaped hairclips.

She’s listing all the ways Todoroki is wearing them and how ridiculously cute she looks every single time when Kaminari starts cackling out of nowhere.

“What are you laughing at, you moron,” Katsuki frowns.

“Oh, nothing,” Kaminari says, shit-eat grinning. “Just your massive crush on Todoroki, dude.”

Before Katsuki can say anything, he adds:

“And don’t try to deny it because I thought we already established you liked her. And you’re deadass head over heels, there’s no way you’re not into her. Your crush is the size of Jupiter.”

Katsuki opens her mouth to retort something, but nothing comes out. She closes it, opens it again, and then all over one more time.

She must look like a fish.

“I’m not that into her,” she settles on finally, mumbling under her breath.

A pause.

“Yeeeah,” Kaminari answers, sarcasm dipping on his voice. “Obviously.”

Katsuki glares at him.

“Girl, in what planet?” he asks with an arched eyebrow. “I feel like you could easily tell her you love her in every universe.”

“Please don’t talk Marvel with me, I’ll fucking kick you,” Katsuki deadpans.

“Aww, you understood the reference!”

“Kaminari.”

“Okay, okay,” Kaminari snickers at her annoyed state. “Just… I’m being real honest here. I think everyone in the group can tell how much you like her.”

Katsuki groans, flopping down on the bed and then covering her face with a pillow.

“I’m officially dead.”

Kaminari laughs. “Why? Because you’re experimenting human feelings?”

“Fuck you,” Katsuki says, muffled voice, and flips him over.

Kaminari doesn’t say anything for a moment, and Katsuki can’t see him, but she also feels the fond smile he’s giving her.

“I don’t know, I think is really cute how much you like her,” he says. “Everyone thinks so as well. I feel like Midoriya is probably the ship captain.”

“We’re not a ship, you dumbass,” Katsuki says, rolling her eyes over the pillow.

“Tell that to the BakuTodo t-shirts I designed and ordered,” Kaminari answers.

“Idiot,” Katsuki says, but snorts at the thought. Her friends are seriously capable of doing some shit like that, so she scans Kaminari’s face to see if he’s joking or not.

“You know,” he continues. “We all like Todoroki as well. Not like you, of course, you’re still our favorite grumpy, but — She’s really cool. And I think you suit each other.”

Katsuki stares at him silently.

“What?” Kaminari tilts his head, confused. “Don’t you think she likes you back? My Cupid Senses are tingling every time you two are in the same room.”

“It’s called not sleeping enough,” Katsuki counters. “Take care of yourself.”

“It’s called sexual tension and I could cut yours with a sword,” Kaminari says. “I swear every time you look at each other is either heart eyes or ‘god I want you so fucking bad right now’ eyes. Not really a fan of the latter when it happens in the middle of a lecture by the way. It’s distracting as hell.”

Katsuki kicks him. It was just once. Once. And in her defense, Todoroki shouldn’t have worn that skirt to a boring lecture. Of course Katsuki would look at her instead.

“Ha-ha, not funny,” Katsuki says, scowling. “There’s nothing like ‘sexual tension’ between us. At least, not on her side—”

“I’m not joking!”

“You’re seeing things.”

“I swear she was staring at you the other day in Eiji’s party—”

“She wasn’t.”

“Oh, she totally was,” Kaminari insists. “And you know you were wearing that sexy black V-neck with lace and leather? Yeah.”

Katsuki stares pointedly. “And?”

“And?” Kaminari echoes, incredulous, moving his arms frantically around himself, like he can’t believe she doesn’t get the obvious. “Dude, do you know where she was looking at? Do you know why people stare at you when you wear that?”

Katsuki arches both eyebrows.

“Don’t play dumb,” Kaminari accuses her. “I feel like you very much know what kind of people look at you when you’re wearing that.”

“No, Kaminari, I don’t,” Katsuki gives him a look. “Please illustrate me on the topic.”

She does know, though. She just can’t believe Todoroki would be one of them.

“You know…” Kaminari emphasizes, gesturing wildly with his hands. “People who like boobies, Kat, duh.”

“Ew,” Katsuki grimaces. “Gross. Don’t say boobies.”

“Boobies,” Kaminari says again, and then shrugs when Katsuki glares at him. “What’s the big deal? I like boobies, you like boobies,” he says, pointing at himself, and then at her. “Todoroki likes boobies! Definitely.”

Katsuki sighs. God, he’s an idiot.

“You can’t be sure.”

“I am sure,” Kaminari insists. “With all due respect, but she wasn’t looking at you very respectfully at the moment.”

Katsuki’s cheeks start growing warm. Ah, goddammit.

Just the mere thought of Todoroki possibly getting turned on by her manages to make her all bubbly and stupid. Why has she become?

“And now that you’re not supposedly fighting anymore — even though you weren’t already, but whatever — you can, I don’t know, maybe make a move?” Kaminari suggests. “Why are you so scared? It’s not like you.”

“I just—” Katsuki huffs, frustrated. “I don’t know. Don’t you think that if she was interested, she would have made a move already?”

Katsuki is definitely not being ominous and mysterious about her crush if her whole group of friends know already, so Todoroki should have noticed too, right?

“Dunno,” Kaminari answers, shrugging. “Didn’t you say she’s really oblivious?”

“Yeah, but—”

“Or maybe she’s just shy? Waiting for you to make a move first? Thinking the same bullshit you’re thinking right now?”

“’kay, I get it,” Katsuki huffs, frustrated. “Fuck you, you’re not helpful.”

“Ah, love you, too, darling,” Kaminari grins, and then chortles when Katsuki kicks him on the side. “On a more serious note, though,” he continues, “Kat. You’re seriously amazing. I know liking someone can be scary; I’ve gone through that more than once, you know that. But you’ll never know anything for sure if you don’t go for it, right? If she doesn’t want you back, there’ll be plenty of more people you’ll meet in the future. Someone’s gotta be for you.”

“Hmm,” Katsuki utters, hugging the pillow to her chest.

“If it makes you feel better,” Kaminari says. “Someone really smart told me this advice, months back,” he grins, positively beaming, “And now I have both a girlfriend and a boyfriend because I actually went for it.”

“Show off,” Katsuki snorts, rolling her eyes. But it’s nice seeing him brag about his partners. Katsuki knows how long he saw him pining before actually asking them out. “Don’t try to use my words against me.”

“Too late, already did.”

Katsuki grunts. He’s seriously such a dumbass. But, it’s nice that he’s trying to reassure her.

“Thanks,” she says, genuine. “Really.”

“Always, sweetie pie,” Kaminari blows her a kiss.

“Gross,” Katsuki grimaces. “Please don’t call me that.”

“Aw, Toshi and Kyo love when I do that,” he pouts.

“That’s on them,” Katsuki deadpans.

Kaminari laughs.

“Seriously, though. I think you should ask her out.”

“Nope,” Katsuki shakes her head. No way. No way, no way, no way. “Not even in my dreams. She doesn’t like me.”

“Why are you denying it so firmly? I think you seriously stand a chance,” Kaminari frowns. “Is it so hard for you to believe she’s into you, too?”

A pause. Katsuki stares at him, struggling about how to answer.

‘Yeah? Obviously? How is Todoroki Shouto gonna like me back, ever?’

“I thought things between you two were better, weren’t they?”

“They are,” Katsuki confirms. “They are, but — I just don’t know. I don’t even know if she likes girls.”

“Dude,” Kaminari gives her a pointed look. “There’s no way Todoroki is straight, I’m telling you.”

“You can’t assume,” Katsuki reminds him. “How are you so sure?”

Kaminari shrugs. “Vibes?”

Katsuki rolls her eyes. “Ha-ha.”

“What? As a certified bisexual disaster, I can confirm when someone gives me not-straight vibes.”

“Well, okay,” Katsuki concedes. “But even if she liked girls, I don’t even know if she isn’t still mad at me.”

“She doesn’t look mad at you,” Kaminari says, like that’s absurd.

“But you didn’t see her,” Katsuki insists. “She was really upset at the moment. She turned so cold. It was seriously important to her, and we never cleared things up.”

She groans into her hands. Remembering that time is enough to make her stomach hurt.

“Or more like, I tried to clear things up but she didn’t believe me.”

A pause. Katsuki laments into her hands, and then—

“Okay,” Kaminari intervenes. “I’m not trying to be meddlesome—”

“You always meddle,” Katsuki says, peeking through the space between her fingers.

“Ouch,” Kaminari pouts. “Anyway. What happened between you two? I remember everything was going really well until you weren’t on good terms anymore. It was out of nowhere.”

“It’s just—” Katsuki sighs, uncovering her face to look at him. “In a summary, she thought I stole some cookies she had on the desk. I tried to explain myself, tell her it wasn’t me, and she didn’t believe me, so I got mad because of that. She got even more mad, then, and well — things went down from there.”

“That’s stupid,” Kaminari frowns. “You wouldn’t steal anything ever, less — wait a second.”

“What,” Katsuki arches an eyebrow. “Now you also think I did?”

“No,” Kaminari shakes his head. “No, no, but, um—” he plays with his fingers, suddenly nervous. “Did she tell you, uh, something about the cookies? Like, described them?”

“Not really?” Katsuki frowns, confused. “I don’t remember. She just said something about them being on the desk, and a note. They were homemade, from her mom.”

Kaminari nods, humming.

“It might seem silly on the surface, getting mad because of that, but I think that’s mainly why she was so upset. Her mom was really sick at the moment, and so they were special for her,” Katsuki says. After lots of time to think about it, she realized how upset Todoroki must have been and why specially, when it didn’t seem like a lot happened. “Maybe she thought she exaggerated along the way in our petty fight, and that’s why she’s come to be in better terms with me now,” she explains her reasoning. “But I feel like she’s hurt I lied to her.”

Katsuki knows. Or assumes, at least. The main problem after so long must be that fact that Todoroki can’t bear Katsuki lying to her, much less about something so important to her.

“I mean, I didn’t, of course,” Katsuki clarifies. “But she probably still thinks that.”

Casting a look to Kaminari, he looks tremendously guilty. Eyebrows knitted together, biting his lips, nose scrunched up.

“What?” Katsuki frowns. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Um,” Kaminari says, closing his eyes and covering his face. “See, I—”

.

.

“I’m so sorry!” Kaminari says, eyes firmly closed, nails digging into the palm of his hands as he puts them in fists at his sides. He bows almost all the way down to the floor. “I really, really am!”

Todoroki blinks at him, caught off guard. She looks over him to glance at Katsuki, and her eyes seem to read something like a confused ‘what happened?’

Katsuki just gestures at Kaminari. He’ll explain it all himself.

“Look, you probably won’t believe me at this point, because it’s been so long already, but—” Kaminari starts, still bowing down. “Kat never really talked about it, just said you weren’t on good terms anymore, and I didn’t want to invade her privacy and ask her more on the topic,” he says, “So I didn’t know what was exactly the problem that happened between you two back then.”

Todoroki glances at Katsuki again, a hint of realization dawning on her.

“The thing is,” he continues, “I was the one who ate your mom’s cookies…”

Todoroki’s eyes move to Kaminari again, silently, and observe how he straights up and looks back at her.

“I’m so, so sorry, seriously,” he apologizes, gulping. “I didn’t mean to.”

He shakes his head.

“I mean, I did want to eat them, and I was consciously doing so, but I didn’t know they were yours!”

Todoroki stares at him.

“Back then, Kat told me to go back to her dorm and get her a jacket because it was getting cold,” he explains, just as he did with Katsuki back in the room. “It wasn’t the first time I went there, and she usually has snacks around the room because she likes to cook and bake a lot,” he says. “Anyway, sometimes she leaves some and I like to eat them when I’m hanging around there—”

“I don’t let him but the idiot still does,” Katsuki says.

“My fault,” Kaminari grimaces. “Anyway, back then, she was trying a new recipe of vegan cookies. I remember because she kept complaining they didn’t go the way she wanted, and she’s usually pretty chill in the kitchen. And so I saw the ones in your desk and thought they were the ones she was trying to make, and that she left some for you.”

He keeps making gestures here and there, guilt written all over his face.

“I was like ‘oi, why didn’t she share some with us, her dearest friends, too’, and thought they were a lot for you anyway, so I ate some—” he winces. “Maybe half of the package, I’m sorry, but they were delicious! And I thought you wouldn’t notice, so it was fine.”

He shakes his head again, lifting up his hands as if to make peace.

“I mean, I felt guilty, but I didn’t think it was that big of a deal,” he sighs. “Kat already knows I eat what she makes.”

He passes a hand through his hair.

“I saw the note, too,” he reveals. “Something like ‘for my dearest, most beautiful source of joy and happiness. With all my love’ — along those lines, and I just… well, I don’t know, I thought it was hers? I should have noticed that wasn’t her handwriting, and I know that’s not how she usually talks, but I just — Guessed she was trying to flirt or something.”

He buries his face in his hands and groans.

“God, I know it sounds dumb,” he laments.

Todoroki is about to talk, but Kaminari uncovers his face to grab her by the shoulders.

“But it’s true,” he says, raw emotion in his eyes. “And I’m deeply sorry. I didn’t mean to be the cause of your fight. And if I knew they were yours and so important to you, I wouldn’t have done that,” honesty and sincerity filters through her desperation. “Please believe me and don’t hate Kat,” he begs. “She would never do something to hurt your feelings, I swear.”

Todoroki softens at that, eyes turning tender, and the hard lines of her face mellow like marshmallows in a cup of hot chocolate.

Katsuki blinks. She didn’t expect Kaminari to say that, just explain and apologize, and the sincerity in his voice moves her. It’s obvious how guilty he feels about being the source of their conflict, and also the reason why Todoroki ever thought bad of her. He kept apologizing to Katsuki over and over and over in the room, but she tried to reassure him it was already fine.

Of course, he was a dumbass. But he didn’t mean anything bad, or causing any harm by what he did. How could he know? And now, he was sincere in his apology, even if a bit late. So it was okay, she wasn’t mad at him.

“It’s fine,” Todoroki says, giving a short nod. “I understand.”

She grabs his wrists where he’s still holding her shoulders, and rubs her thumbs delicately on the skin.

“Thank you for telling me the truth,” she says, offering a small smile. “And I accept your apology. I know you didn’t mean to do it.”

“Thank you so much,” Kaminari says, sighing in relief. Then, he makes a solemn salute with his hand on his chest and adds, “I promise I won’t ever eat something in Kat’s room without asking first.”

Todoroki huffs out a gentle laugh. “Okay,” she says, amused.

Then, her eyes shift with worry, and she looks over Kaminari to glance at Katsuki again.

“Katsuki,” she says, and steps closer to bow in front of her. “I’m really sorry for the way I treated you back then.”

Katsuki blinks, caught off guard. “It’s okay.”

“It’s not,” Todoroki shakes her head. “I should have believed you. You’re not the kind of person to do something like that, but I just… couldn’t think straight. I’m really sorry.”

“It’s really fine,” Katsuki insists. And it really is. She just wanted to clear things up with her, she didn’t want Todoroki’s apology. “You were upset, I understand.”

“But I was really mean to you,” Todoroki says, sadness carrying through her voice. “I’m sorry.”

“Hey,” Katsuki says, and reaches out to touch her face. “Stop. Look at me, please.”

Todoroki does as she’s told, and straightens up her back so she can see Katsuki.

Katsuki can feel herself softening at the edges when she sees Todoroki’s wrinkled face.

“It’s okay, got it? I understand, and I’m not mad,” she says, surprising herself with how soft and gentle her voice is. “It’s in the past already,” she carefully traces a line in Todoroki’s face with her thumb, brushing over her cheek and the corner of her mouth. “I don’t care. You don’t owe me an apology. I’m just glad we could clear things up. And I’m happy you can be in my life now without bad feelings between us.”

Todoroki’s eyelashes flutter as she casts her eyes down, lips trembling as she leans into Katsuki’s sweet touch like she’s recharging energy.

“Thank you, honestly.” she murmurs, lifting up her hand to touch the back of Katsuki’s one on her face. “I’ll make up to you.”

“Not necessary,” Katsuki shakes her head, strict.

“But—”

“Really, shortcake,” Katsuki huffs out a laugh. “Stop feeling guilty, it’s fine.”

“But I do feel guilty,” Todoroki says, making a kicked-puppy face. “I can do anything.”

Katsuki arches an eyebrow. “Anything?”

Todoroki nods.

Katsuki smirks, pointy teeth and playful, leaning over Todoroki’s personal space.

“Let me kiss you, then,” she says.

“Eh?” Todoroki blinks, crossing her eyes at Katsuki’s sudden closeness. Her whole face dusts a shade of cherry red, and Katsuki’s grin curls up in delight.

“On the cheek,” she clarifies.

“Oh,” Todoroki utters, eyes darting to Katsuki’s lips and then up. “I — Um.”

Katsuki laughs, amused at Todoroki’s nervous state.

“I’m just teasing, princess,” she licks her lips and then clicks her tongue. “It’s really fine like this. I don’t need anything.”

Your heart, maybe, Katsuki thinks. But that’s asking for too much.

“Why are you flustered, sweetheart?” she chuckles.

“I—” Todoroki says with wobbly lips and avoiding eye contact. “I just… You—”

Katsuki hums, contemplative. Then, she pinches Todoroki’s cheek.

“Not gonna lie, you look really cute like this.”

Todoroki winces, embarrassed. “Katsuki.”

She laughs. “Sorry, sorry.”

Ah, she’s really happy now.

.

.

.

.

“What was all that flirting at the end?!” Kaminari whispers frantically to her when they’re walking back to the dorms, Todoroki in front of them. “You should have a master degree in courting, lady magnet.”

Katsuki snorts. “Shut up, dumbass.”

Kaminari smiles, goofy. Then, he bumps his shoulder with hers, and links their arms together. “I’m happy you both worked it out.”

Katsuki smiles back, content. “I’m happy, too.”

.

.

.

.

vi.

Everything is better. Everything is perfect.

Until it’s not, because Katsuki ruins it.

.

.

.

The thing is, a couple of weeks after the apology, Todoroki starts acting weird. Out of nowhere. She starts avoiding eye contact with her — avoiding any physical contact between them, in fact; answering shortly and sort of cold. And if Katsuki didn’t know any better, she’d think she was even trying to avoid meeting up with her or staying too long in the room to talk or hang out.

Katsuki starts panicking. She thought now that everything was cleared up between them, their relationship would improve. And it did, even more than it already had, with familiarity and comfort mixing with flirty banter — or more like, Katsuki’s attempts to flirt with her and Todoroki getting flustered; or Todoroki’s bold, oblivious comments that left Katsuki a blushing mess.

But now — did Katsuki do something wrong? Did Todoroki get uncomfortable with her flirting? Maybe she finally realized that Katsuki was into her and now she was all awkward about it.

Either way, she didn’t like it. She didn’t want Todoroki to be cold with her. She at least wanted to be friends.

Tonight, Katsuki was going to Camie’s birthday party. Her orange top — perfect for showing her belly button piercing — and dark-green cargo pants are waiting on her bed, just beside her leather boots.

She’s already done her makeup and put on her piercings, and now she’s making her hair. She usually doesn’t, because it takes time and she gets bored, but she wants the distraction of making her curls right now. In addition, she just cut her hair, and it’d look pretty nice.

She’s also hoping it’d make Todoroki say a comment. Anything.

And, talking about Todoroki — this is the tenth time in the last 30 minutes she’s caught her eyes in the reflection of the mirror.

“You keep staring at me,” Katsuki says, watching as Todoroki’s eyes widen.

“I’m not,” she says, hiding behind her book.

“You are, princess,” Katsuki snorts. “I can see you staring at me in the mirror, you know.”

A pause.

Then, “Oh.”

Katsuki smirks, teasing, hoping for the flirting to ease back in their routine without any weird vibes happening.

“Like what you see?” she taunts.

“No,” Todoroki immediately answers, vehement. And — okay. Katsuki admits it — it stings. A bit, at least.

Her smirk dissolves into a thin line, not wanting to look back at Todoroki’s face either.

“I mean, just — I was wondering how can you take so much time getting ready.”

Katsuki arches an eyebrow; she ignores the hurt — the way it itches all over her skin and pinches in every sore spot — and focuses on her growing irritation. Does Todoroki want to act like an ass again? Is that it?

“Hah?” Katsuki sneers, mocking, and looks over her shoulder to offer Todoroki one of her classic looks; that one where she glances at someone like she thinks she’s above them and everything else. “Pardon me if I want to make my hair nicely and not look all messy like someone else.”

A supposed indirect very direct. And a lie, of course; because Todoroki’s hair is flawless, like everything else about her. Messy in all the good angles, soft and falling over her face in such a gorgeous way it had to be calculated.

Todoroki doesn’t dignify her taunt with an answer, and Katsuki sighs.

Whatever the fuck, then. If she wants to give Katsuki the cold shoulder, then she can do whatever she wants.

It doesn’t hurt.

It doesn’t.

It doesn’t, it doesn’t, it doesn’t — she keeps singing in her head, like a mantra, as she finishes doing her hair, and then gets dressed, and then walks to the door.

But then again, this is absolutely ridiculous. She wants Todoroki to talk to her again. She wants Todoroki in that party, more than anyone else — wants to eat snacks with her and laugh at some silly joke she makes while she’s tipsy; wants to cuddle with her in someone else’s couch.

She misses her, like crazy, and it’s insane.

“Are you sure you’re not going?” she asks, almost pleading, frowning as she puts her hands on her hips. “She’s your friend, too.”

Todoroki doesn’t even look up at Katsuki. She keeps her eyes firmly glued to her book, like she’s avoiding to look at her.

“I already talked with Camie about it,” she says. “I’m not feeling that great today, so we’re meeting up later.”

Bullshit. “Do you really feel that bad?” Katsuki asks, skeptic.

“Yes.”

Bullshit.

“Then maybe I should stay and check on you instead,” Katsuki says.

“No,” Todoroki replies, looking at her for the first time in the conversation. Her eyes scan Katsuki’s face and hair, and then dart to Katsuki’s naked abdomen, blinking as she gets a glimpse of Katsuki’s belly button piercing. She presses her lips together. “No, it’s fine, just — have fun.”

“Why can’t I stay with you if you’re feeling bad?” Katsuki crosses her arms. “I already did last time, didn’t I?”

Todoroki gulps, lips trembling. “That was—”

“Wasn’t I a good nurse to you, sweetheart?” Katsuki tilts her head, voice terse rolling off her tongue, curls falling to the side of her face.

Todoroki gets visibly affected.

“I—” she shakes her head, like she’s shooing away some intrusive thoughts. “You’re going with Midoriya, right?”

Katsuki blinks. What does the nerd have to do with anything?

“Yes…?” she arches an eyebrow. “Why? He won’t mind if you join us.”

Todoroki makes a sound, but Katsuki doesn’t know what it means.

“What?”

She shakes her head again, then goes back to her book. “Nothing. I’m not going.”

That’s it? Really?

“Todoroki,” Katsuki says, the volume of her voice getting low. She’s so tired. And desperate. And so ridiculously sad she feels stupid. “Did I do something wrong?”

Todoroki doesn’t look at her. She doesn’t look at her.

“I don’t understand,” it’s her answer, voice empty.

Katsuki scoffs, bitter. “Look,” she says, voice messy and trembling at the edges. “I already feel stupid saying this out loud. Just — did I do something to you? Or why are you acting like a prick again, then?”

“I—” Todoroki starts, opening and closing her mouth. She looks up again to glance at Katsuki, and — it’s stupid, infinitely so, the way Katsuki wants to cry when their eyes meet. “I’m not—”

“You are,” Katsuki chokes, frustrated and angry and stupid and sad. Everything bubbling out of her in emotional waves. “You’ve been acting like I’m a stranger to you for weeks, do you think I haven’t noticed? It’s fucking unfair, you know? I don’t even know what I did to you.”

Todoroki’s expression shifts. “Katsuki…”

“Forget it,” she sighs, and turns around to walk to the door. “I’m going. If you don’t want to go with me then don’t.”

Before closing the door, she mumbles one last thing, annoyed and utterly devastated.

“Have a good night, I guess.”

.

.

Of course, going to Camie’s birthday party in an emotional state wasn’t a good idea exactly, because that just meant she started babbling to Deku about Todoroki’s bullshit and drinking everything with alcohol she could reach.

As a result, she ended up falling half-asleep in Camie’s couch, with Deku being a worrywart nerd.

“Kacchan,” he says, at God-knows-what-fucking-hour.

“Let me sleep, nerd,” she groans, head throbbing.

“Kacchan,” Izuku says again, softer. A hand caresses her hair off her forehead, and Katsuki calms at the touch. God, she’s a lame touch-starved dumbass. “Todoroki-san came to bring you back to your room.”

“Wha—”

Katsuki blinks slowly, trying to make form of the silhouette standing next to Izuku. It’s blurry, but she makes note of all the details she can see.

Soft edges, all red and white, pink and cherry colors, smelling like lavender and coconut shampoo.

Todoroki.

It’s really her.

God, now she wants to cry again. She doesn’t know if it’s because she’s happy Todoroki actually came, or because she’s still stupidly sad about all their situation.

“Katsuki,” she says, squatting to be at her level and look her in the eyes. Fuck, her voice is so utterly gentle and warm, just like before. “I’ll get you back now, okay?”

Fuck. Katsuki will crumble in a crying mess if Todoroki keeps talking so tender to her.

She nods without thinking, and then Todoroki offers her a smile Katsuki can barely see before helping her get up.

She’s still half-asleep, and the way back to the dorms is blurry in her mind, but she remembers a couple of things before her head hits her pillow back at her room: Deku helping Todoroki get her out Camie’s house, Todoroki helping her walk, then a warm, muscular back against her chest as she’s getting carried.

Todoroki gets her a bottle of water when they’re back and cleans Katsuki with a warm wet towel — she’s gentle, all caring as she brushes it on her neck, face and arms.

“Let me get you some clothes, okay?” she says, fingers brushing Katsuki’s hair off her face.

God, she’s so sweet. God, Katsuki is going to cry.

“You’re an angel,” Katsuki says, as Todoroki sits next to her on the bed and puts a warm shirt over her head.

Todoroki laughs, brief and soft, fondly glancing at her.

“You’re really cute when you’re drunk,” she says, smiling, but Katsuki can’t think straight and register her words properly because she’s enamored with her smile.

Fuck, she missed that smile so damn much. She missed Todoroki so damn much. It makes her ache; long and yearn and want to hold her in her arms and never let her go.

And Todoroki looks so pretty when she smiles. She looks pretty all the time, in fact. Pretty when she’s smiling, when she’s not. When she’s reading, when she’s not. When she’s just standing there doing nothing at all.

Todoroki Shouto is the very definition of pretty in the dictionary. There’s literally no one else prettier than her.

Oh.

Katsuki probably said all that out loud, because now Todoroki’s cheeks are beet red, and she’s looking at Katsuki with big eyes.

Whoops. She tends to have a loose tongue when she drinks. Even more than when she’s sober.

“Sorry,” she says, changing into the shorts Todoroki brought her from her closet and discarding her cargo pants on the floor. “Didn’t mean to say that out loud.”

Katsuki hums.

“I mean, I just — I’m always thinking you’re pretty as hell, it slipped out.”

Todoroki opens her mouth, seemingly surprised. “…You think I’m pretty?”

Katsuki laughs.

Oh, an understatement. Katsuki thinks Todoroki is easily the prettiest person to ever exist on this planet, no doubt. She thought that was obvious as hell.

“Princess,” Katsuki snorts, and then pouts as she cups Todoroki’s cheeks into her hands. They’re warm, and still very much red, and her eyelashes flutter when Katsuki pulls her closer.

God, she’s so pretty. Unfair. Goddamn. Fucking. Unfair.

Katsuki is only human, and very, very weak to pretty girls.

“Who doesn’t?” she chuckles. “You look like you came out from a fancy magazine cover. Honestly? Not fair. I think there’s not a single soul in college that doesn’t want to go out with you.”

Todoroki looks like she wants to ask something. Her face crumples like a napkin, like she’s struggling to get the words out. But eventually, she just says, “You don’t,” then, she grabs Katsuki’s wrists and puts her hands away from her face, not without being gentle in her movements. “You hate me now.”

“Pfft. You got it wrong, princess,” Katsuki snorts, feeling that familiar sting prod at her stomach. “You hate me.”

Todoroki shakes her head, looking sad. “I don’t.”

Katsuki huffs out a weak laugh. “Doesn’t look like that to me.”

“I don’t,” Todoroki insists, voice firm and steady as she looks at Katsuki’s face with raw emotion. “It’s just—”

“Why do you care anyway?” Katsuki interrupts, the sting at her stomach getting worse. “It’s not like you’d go out with me,” she lets out a bitter chuckle. “It’s not like anyone within a ten million kilometers radius would go out with me.”

Todoroki frowns. “Don’t say that.”

“It’s not like I care anyway,” Katsuki says, without being able to shut the fuck up. “I don’t need a fuckin’ boyfriend or whatever the fuck. Everyone is annoying. I wouldn’t date them either.”

“People who wouldn’t date you are being dumb,” Todoroki says. “And blind. Or they just don’t know you well, like I do.”

Katsuki huffs. “You don’t know me.”

“I do,” Todoroki reaffirms. “I know you love hiking. And spicy foods.”

“Easy.”

“I know you don’t like black coffee,” Todoroki continues. “I know you hate tea. I know you do stress baking. I know you hate wearing gray, but love wearing green. I know you have a tattoo on your back, and you got it out of spite when your mom told you they looked bad. I know you hate watching reality shows, but you watch them because Midoriya likes them. I know you find rom-coms boring, but you watch them with me every single time because you like spoiling me. I know you like sweets and pastries, contrary to what everyone seems to think. I know you love gel pens, but not when they smell like bubblegum; and milkshakes, too, but you can’t stand mint-savored ones. I know you start your notes with titles in pink, and then subtitles in blue. I know you like singing and playing the drums more than anything else in the world. I know you can’t write your songs on rainy days. I know that when you’re having a bad day, you put your hair up in a bun. I know you care about your friends; I know you love them more than everything,” Todoroki scans Katsuki’s face, “I know you care about me.”

Katsuki is too stunned to speak. To say anything at all, really.

Todoroki takes it as an opportunity to keep talking, apparently, because she’s completely insane.

“You’re really kind, and care a lot about people. You’re so incredibly smart and talented, but you always work so hard in everything you do anyway; even if something comes at you naturally, you always try to polish it. You’re passionate and dedicated and honest.”

Todoroki smiles, soft.

“And you’re the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen.”

Fuck.

Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck.

Katsuki crumbles. She’s absolutely, utterly devastated.

“What the hell,” is the only thing she can get out her mouth, stupidly flustered and incredibly embarrassed.

She buries her face in her hands and groans. God, her skin is so warm. She’s probably the color of a tomato.

Fuck.

“I mean, I know I’m all that, I just…” Katsuki tries to brush it off casually, but it’s a poor lame attempt to do so when she’s a blushing mess. “Why are you of all people saying that all of a sudden? Caught me off guard, dammit.”

It almost seemed like a confession. What the hell.

“Sorry,” Todoroki says,

“Gaaah,” Katsuki utters, still without making eye contact. “Couldn’t you have said the word attractive or hot at the end?” It still would have killed Katsuki, but— “I think that would have been less embarrassing…”

“Well, you’re hot too,” Todoroki says; apparently very decided to murder Katsuki in every way she can. “Very hot, in fact. It’s just that I thought the word pretty suits you better?”

Katsuki peeks at her through the space between her fingers. “Are you drunk, dumbass?”

Todoroki snickers. “No.”

“Then what the hell?! What are you suddenly like this — and what is all that about me being nice and shit?” Katsuki blinks, incredulous. “I’m not nice.”

“You are,” Todoroki says, serious.

“’m not.”

“You are,” Todoroki insists, frowning. “I don’t think you realize how kind you are with the people around you. I feel like you don’t even know how grateful your friends are to have you in their lives, but they all are, and there’s a reason for that.”

Katsuki lets out a sound. It’s strangled; choked and weak and nothing like her, and she doesn’t even realize it’s hers until her throat and tongue feel raspy and heavy in her mouth.

“Fuck. You’re so pretty and now you are being nice as well,” Katsuki laments. “What the hell, Deku was fuckin’ right since the beginning. Hate when he’s right.”

Katsuki can’t believe it. It must be against the rules — being both the most beautiful person in the world and so freaking kind.

“I hate it. It’s not fair that you’re absolutely gorgeous and sweet,” Katsuki complains. “You’re being so fucking lovely and nice and shit with me. Why now? Weren’t you mad again? It’s messing with my head. You should have stayed an ass; that way it’d be easier to hate you.”

She chuckles wetly after saying that. Hah. As if that was possible anyway.

“I don’t even want to hate you, though. That’s the problem. I never did,” Katsuki confesses. “I couldn’t…”

She’s bleeding her heart right now, and that’s dangerous. She shouldn’t have drunk so much.

“Katsuki,” Todoroki says, and takes her hands away from her face. She intertwines their fingers together when Katsuki looks up at her, lying down on the bed, and everything inside Katsuki’s chest goes wild. God, she’s so in love with her. “I’m really fortunate and truly grateful to have you in my life. It’s been better since the very first day we met. And I’m sorry; I know I’ve hurt you — but I want you to know I care about you and love you in ways I can’t even put into words. You’re my favorite person in the world.”

There’s something stuck in Katsuki’s throat. She’s probably crying already — because drinking makes her adopt Deku’s habits, and she becomes very talkative and a crybaby.

But god — there’s nothing in the world that she wants more than kiss the girl holding her hands right now — the girl that holds her dear her in her hands as well, since the very first day they met.

“Shouto,” she says, for the very first time, and tastes her name in her tongue. It’s pretty, like her. And it tastes sweet, warm and like home, representing Todoroki herself. “Kiss me.”

It’s like falling down the stairs — like a block of ice dawns inside Katsuki’s chest. She asks, and Todoroki’s expression shifts.

She looks terrified. There’s not a single trace of the previous adoration and fondness in her face; only fear, raw and crude.

“I’m sorry,” she says, and releases her hold of Katsuki’s hands. “I won’t.”

Then, she goes to her bed, and doesn’t say a single word.

The next morning, she’s not there.

It breaks Katsuki into little pieces until there’s nothing left.

.

.

.

“Could you please not ignore me?” Katsuki says — begs — as soon as she comes back to her room after classes and she sees Todoroki lying on the bed.

She sits down when she hears Katsuki’s voice, alert.

“I know I made things awkward yesterday by asking you to kiss me, and I’m sorry,” Katsuki’s voice cracks. She can’t do this. She can’t do this anymore. “I was drunk, and I wasn’t thinking.”

She shakes her head.

“I just — I thought — I thought you felt the same as me, and I just blurted it out because I couldn’t hold it any longer,” Katsuki’s lips tremble. “I really wanted to kiss you. But if it makes you uncomfortable, I promise I won’t ever ask for it again. Just please, please don’t ignore me, can you?”

Todoroki looks at her, and her eyes are so impossibly sad.

“Katsuki,” she says, looking broken; devastated. “Don’t cry.”

“’m not crying, idiot,” Katsuki says, but as soon as she does, the tears start running down her face. God, she hates being an emotional mess.

Todoroki stands up, and walks over to her.

“Don’t cry,” she says, sounding hurt. “Katsuki, I’m sorry.”

She tilts her head to look at Katsuki’s face. Then, she reaches out and cups her cheeks, ever so gently; like she’s afraid she might hurt her. Then, with delicate touches, she rubs her thumbs across her cheekbones, wiping away Katsuki’s tears.

“You got it wrong,” she says, looking her in the eyes. “It’s not what you think.”

Katsuki frowns. “What?”

“I didn’t kiss you because you were drunk,” she explains. “You were really drunk, and I didn’t want to take advantage of you like that. I wouldn’t do that to you.”

Katsuki blinks.

“I… I did want to,” Todoroki adds. “Kiss you, I mean. I really did.”

Todoroki brushes her thumb across Katsuki’s lips, eyes following the movement.

“It’s not even the first time I’ve thought of kissing you.”

Katsuki gulps, already melting at Todoroki’s comforting touch. Her heart races in her ribcage as she hears Todoroki’s words.

“But I just… right there, I couldn’t do that. I’m sorry I made you think I didn’t want you.”

Katsuki frowns.

“But,” she says, still a bit confused. “Then why were you acting weird before that? Wasn’t it because you realized my crush on you and were grossed out?”

Todoroki’s eyes widen.

“No!” she shakes her head furiously. “No, that’s not it. I didn’t—I didn’t know you liked me.”

“I was pretty damn obvious, genius,” Katsuki says, arching both eyebrows.

“…You always say I’m dense.”

“Well, yes, but. Still.”

“I honestly didn’t know until yesterday,” Todoroki says. “When Midoriya told me.”

Katsuki’s eyes widen. “The nerd—”

“Yes,” Todoroki says. “I called him to ask him something while you were in the party, and he explained…”

Todoroki pauses.

“I didn’t know you liked me,” she repeats. “But a couple of weeks ago, I realized I liked you. A lot.”

She gulps.

“It was scary and confusing for me. I didn’t have experience with this sort of thing, I had never fallen in love with anyone before,” she says. “But every time you were close, or you looked at me, or when we talked… I just had this feeling. It was special,” she says. Katsuki knows the feeling; and the fact that Todoroki felt it all this time as well is making her dizzy. “So I figured… it was that.”

Thump.

Thump-thump. Thump-thump. Thump-thump.

Katsuki’s heart does gymnastics inside her chest.

“But I didn’t know what I should do,” Todoroki continues. “I thought about telling you, but then I heard—” she cuts herself and winces. “Some of my classmates were talking about you the other day. One of them wanted to ask you out, but one of his friends told him you were dating Midoriya, and that he stood no chance because you were together since high school.”

Katsuki’s eyebrows meet her hair.

Izuku and her?

“He’s in the same faculty as him, so I assumed… I thought he was right,” Todoroki explains. “And then I started to realize I never… asked, if you were single,” she continues, “And the way Midoriya and you treat each other when you’re together, or the way you talk about him when he’s not around — and he’s exactly the same with you, he likes you a lot — it just… I never really payed attention to it, I just assumed you were close. Midoriya told me you were childhood friends, so I didn’t think it was out of nowhere. But then all that started making sense, and I just—” she shakes her head. “I know I should have asked before assuming, but I was scared.”

She looks Katsuki in the eyes.

“If you told me that yes, you were indeed dating, it would become real, and tangible, and I didn’t want that,” she frowns. “I couldn’t bear the thought of you dating him; I didn’t know what to do,” she says. “I thought that if I distanced myself from you, if I started pulling back and not being all over you all the time, it’d pass. That I’ll get over it. After all, I never liked anyone before.”

Katsuki knows the feeling very well. Knows about thinking a silly crush would go away if she just tried to deny it over and over inside her head.

“But it wasn’t like that. I just felt lonely and sad all the time,” she shakes her head. “And guilty, for being jealous every time you were together with him,” this explains why she was so weird that night when she asked about Deku going with her to the party; and all the weird, indecipherable looks she kept giving them when they were all hanging out together. “I just wanted to be close to you, all the time. But it didn’t feel right knowing you were already dating someone — and he’s my friend, too. It just felt so wrong. That’s why I tried to avoid touching you and those things.”

Todoroki reaches out to hold Katsuki’s hands, thumbs rubbing over the soft skin of her knuckles.

“I didn’t realize I was hurting you with my distance because I was too busy freaking out with my feelings,” she says. “I called Midoriya yesterday to ask him if the dating rumors were true and he laughed in my face.”

Katsuki snorts.

“Well, in my ear, because it was a phone call, but—” Todoroki corrects. “He clarified things with me and explained who you really liked when he realized I was a mess because I liked you too.”

God. They really needed Deku’s help, huh.

“But — I didn’t know how to approach you and clear things up,” she presses her lips together. “I wanted to, this morning, but I just felt so guilty because I almost gave in and kissed you while you were drunk last night and I didn’t know how to face you after that.”

Todoroki rests her forehead in Katsuki’s shoulder and sighs, arms wrapping around Katsuki’s waist. It’s so comforting Katsuki might start crying right there.

“I’m so sorry.”

Katsuki breathes in, trying to process all the information she’s given now that she’s calm and in Todoroki’s arms. It smells like Todoroki’s shampoo, and her stomach jumps all over in puerile joy.

Todoroki likes her back.

Has liked her back all this time. What a wonderful thing.

“Shouto,” she says, gently, and brushes the back of her head, fingers combing the soft strands of red hair. “Look at me, please.”

Todoroki nuzzles in Katsuki’s neck for a moment, lips tracing the column of her throat before stepping a bit back and giving Katsuki a dreamy look.

Katsuki flicks her forehead.

“First, you’re a dumbass,” she says, utterly exhausted. “But you’re my dumbass. And we’re both messy at communication, apparently.”

Todoroki winces. “Yes…”

“We need to work on that. But regardless,” Katsuki concedes, “I like you. A lot. I’m pretty much in love with you, massively.”

Her lips curl up in a fond smile — the smile reserved for Shouto and no one else.

“And I’m sober right now,” she says. “So if you don’t kiss me after that big ass confession, I’ll kiss you.”

Todoroki blinks.

Katsuki chuckles. “Yes,” she says, even though Todoroki hasn’t said anything. “This is a threat, Shouto.”

Todoroki smiles, pressing her forehead to hers, arms coming up to hold Katsuki’s lips.

“I like when you say my name,” she whispers, like it’s a precious secret.

It makes Katsuki grin.

“I like when you say mine, Shouto,” she confesses back.

“Katsuki,” she says, lighting up and all bubbly, God, she’s the cutest. “Can I kiss you, then?”

Katsuki hums, moving to rub her nose against hers.

“With one condition, pretty head,” she mumbles against her lips.

Todoroki blinks. “What?”

Katsuki smirks. “Go out with me after.”

Todoroki’s eyes sparkle. “On a date?”

Katsuki hums. “More like a million dates.”

“As your girlfriend?” Todoroki asks, bouncing on her heels.

Katsuki’s smirk turns soft. She tilts her head back to admire Todoroki, and realizes something. She’s smiling — not like other times; more quiet and contained. This one is open, happy and so impossibly soft it makes Katsuki ache all over with fondness, love and want.

And Katsuki is hit with the realest truth of all, suddenly overwhelmed by Todoroki’s beauty.

It’s not the first time she realizes this, of course. But this one is different. It feels different.

Katsuki wants her. Not in a possessive way, or just sexual — as much as she does want to have sex with her a million times.

But in a way that can’t be explained. She wants Todoroki herself — wants her presence, her company, her voice, her hugs, her kisses, her soul and life linked with Katsuki’s.

She wants her as much as she wants to give all of herself to Todoroki.

She’s in love — irrevocably, devastatingly so, and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

As your girlfriend? Todoroki asked.

As my girlfriend, my partner, the love of my life, Katsuki thinks, cheesy and stupid and madly in love.

Jesus. She’s such a sap. A loser. Deku would be crying full-on if he knew what she’s thinking of.

“If you want to,” Katsuki says, kissing Todoroki’s bare shoulder. “Then yes, sweetheart.”

“Do you want to?” she asks.

Katsuki smiles, sincere. Genuine.

“More than anything else,” she answers.

Todoroki tastes her smile in her mouth, leaning down to finally, finally, finally kiss her. Katsuki reaches up — tentative, experimenting, with overflowing desire and love rushing all through her mind and body and soul — arms coming up to cup Todoroki’s face to pull it closer, tip-toeing, a bunch of butterflies exploding inside her belly.

It’s warm, and everything she ever wanted and more.

Todoroki Shouto is her home, after all.