Chapter Text
“Kacchan! On your left!” Katsuki hears from behind him. However, the idiot who warned him about the asshole he already noticed, hasn’t noticed the other asshole quickly approaching him.
It’s a woman with bright pink hair, sloppy black clothes, and a psychotic grin on her face. She aims a hand at Deku similar to how Katsuki would aim an explosion but Deku doesn’t look like he’s gonna be able to dodge in time.
Katsuki knocks the no named thug coming from his left unconscious and uses Cluster—that he’s perfected over the past year—to push Deku out of the way of whatever this emo chicks quirk is.
A purple beam shoots out of her hand and Katsuki braces himself for the impact but… the beam hits him square in the stomach and he feels nothing. Deku quickly restrains her with black whip before she can aim again and Katsuki takes the opportunity to lecture him for being a dumbass.
“FUCKIN’ PAY ATTENTION AND WATCH OUT FOR YOUR OWN ASS, DEKU!”
“I HAD HER! YOU DIDN’T HAVE TO TAKE THAT HIT FOR ME, KACCHAN!”
“I WOULDN’T FEEL THE NEED TO IF YOUR DUMBASS KNEW HOW TO STAY FOCUSED!”
Deku opens his mouth to defend himself when the woman who attacked them starts to chuckle underneath her blush, “it’s not like any of that matters now anyway.”
“Shut up and tell me what shitty quirk you hit me with!” Katsuki yells.
“You’ll realize soon enough,” the woman says with an unsettling smirk and Katsuki’s already had enough of this. He doesn’t have time to decode whatever cryptic bullshit this woman is talking about.
“Fuck it,” he says in frustration and reaches up to his ear piece, “Burnin’, we have two shitheads for you, are the police on their– AGH!” he exclaims and hunches over in pain.
He suddenly had a throbbing migraine. His ears are ringing and when he looks up, his vision is blurred but he's able to vaguely see Deku in a similar position to the one he’s in. He forces himself to focus his vision just enough to see that Dekus' blackwhip retracted and looks over to see the woman running down the street. But, Katsuki would be damned if he let a bitch run off after hitting him with whatever the hell her quirk was.
Vision still blurred, and ears still ringing, he propels himself towards her and can vaguely hear Deku using Fa Jin beside him and can see a green glow in his peripherals. Copycat.
They both catch up to the woman but Katsukis first to restrain her this time by placing a foot on her back and putting a hand on her face. He slowly starts heating his hand as a warning to keep her in place. He raises a hand back up to his earpiece and has to grit his teeth because of how painful it is to try to form a sentence.
Before he can speak he can vaguely make out Burnin’s voice already behind him and feels a pat on his back. For some reason the contact makes the pain in his head get even sharper. He watches as Dekus silhouette collapses to the ground and what looks like a blurry version of IcyHot squat next to him to try to pick him back up. Shortly after, he blacks out and collapses.
Months after the war, Class 3-A was able to have a proper graduation ceremony in October. A lot of the students were disfigured or still recuperating from their injuries and because of that, many across the globe came to watch a handful of the heroes of the war graduate. So many people came, they had to hold the ceremony in a stadium three times the size of the one used for the Sports Festival.
After months of rehabilitation and rebuilding and a year of living in a literal warzone, UA, the dorms, and all the renovations are finally done and the students were set to start school again in April in order to replenish a sense of normalcy.
Even though Class 1-A should technically be starting their third year, they’re officially second years because they can’t just skip curriculum. None of them complain about it though because a good number of them had to go through months of rehab and physical therapy so, they're thankful that they’re able to get back to their training at full strength.
Anyways, Endeavor retired so Burnin’ is now head of Endeavors Agency until Shoto graduates. Katsuki and Izuku still intern at Endeavors Agency with Shoto despite receiving other offers because they don’t think they’d feel safe fighting alongside anyone else for the time being. The familiarity is already there and they work well together so there’s not much of a point in going anywhere else.
Since the war, there’s really only been petty criminals so Burnin’ trusts Deku and Dynamight to patrol on their own while she patrols with Shoto.
Regrettably, that’s how Katsuki and Izuku ended up in the situation they’re in now, unconscious in the infirmary with their hospital beds pushed together and Todoroki making sure their hands stay intertwined.
“So she said her quirk was called ‘Heartache’?” Todoroki asks.
“Yeah… whoever it hits can’t go longer than a few minutes without being affectionate or intimate with the person who was in closest proximity with them at the time they were hit, otherwise they’ll have severe headaches that affect their bodily functions…” Burnin’ says hesitantly.
“Sounds more inconvenient than dangerous. How long does it last?” Todoroki asks, catching onto her avoidance of the topic.
Burnin’ sighs and pinches her nose, “she said it can last anywhere between 5 days to 6 weeks… or until one of them begins to yearn for the other without the quirks' influence… I think they’ll be okay to keep doing patrols as long as they’re together but I’m gonna need you to go with them to make sure they don’t hurt themselves.”
There’s a pause. Todoroki has definitely matured emotionally since his first year but, being told that his best friends literally have to be sappy and affectionate for potentially the next six weeks and he’d have to third wheel them was something he didn’t know how to react to. Oddly enough though, the task didn’t seem that difficult for him or for the boys laying before him.
After they were all discharged from the hospital, they would volunteer to help rebuild the houses around Musutafu together. It wasn’t uncommon for Todoroki to see the two randomly hug or lean on each other or share food while they took breaks and considering all they’ve been through, no one judged them for it.
Even now, back at the dorms, seeing them asleep and cuddled up on the couch in the common room isn’t exactly a rare sight. Their relationship has changed a lot in the past year and a half and everyone in class is just desensitized to it.
“So basically they either have to wait it out or fall in love?” he says bluntly and Burnin’ sighs again and nods. He doesn’t say anything else because he has all the information he needs.
“Hnn, m’cold,” Izuku groans, slowly regaining consciousness. He pulls his hand—along with Katsukis—out of Todorokis' grip and lets out a sleepy sigh of relief.
Burnin’ claps her hands together and sucks in a sharp breath while walking towards the door, “when they wake up, do me a favor and explain the situation to them. And take them back to UA for me? Thanks. Oh and tell Erasure as well so he knows. Bye, going back on patrol, don’t call me unless it’s an emergency!”
Slam!
She shuts the door behind her loudly and quickly the two boys wake up startled by the noise. They sit up quickly, unaware that they’re still holding hands.
Todoroki is the one to sigh and pinch his nose this time.
“What kind of shitty quirk is that?” Katsuki asks.
They’re on the train headed back to UA and Katsuki and Izuku seemed to adapt quickly after Todoroki explained what he knew to them. Of course, with as stubborn as they both are, they found a way around the quirk by high-fiving each other or having staring contests every time they feel their heads start to ache. It may be cheating but, it gets the job done for now.
“I’m not sure but, Burnin’ said you’d probably be fine just trying to wait it out,” Todoroki responded flatly.
“Tch. This’ll be a breeze if this is all we have to do. We got this shit in the bag, right ‘Zuku?” Katsuki says and he holds his hand up for another high five.
“You’re damn right we do, Kacchan,” Izuku responds as he high fives Katsuki excitedly.
The ‘high five’ compromise was proposed by Izuku which isn’t really surprising considering how awkward he is. With how the quirk works, Izuku is probably uncomfortable with the possibility of falling in love… despite his and Katsukis very obvious feelings towards each other that everyone seems to notice except them. Todoroki isn’t even sure that they’re aware of their own feelings towards the other.
What is surprising however, is Katsuki’s quick agreement to Izukus proposition as it’s been a long time since Katsuki was shy about being affectionate towards the other boy. He made it very clear that he wasn’t letting Izuku out of his sight again after they brought him back to UA before the war.
After Izuku passed out in the common room during his first night back, Katsuki refused to leave him alone and fell asleep with his head rested on Izuku’s lap to make sure he didn’t try to leave again. It may seem excessive to an outsider but it was very much necessary in Katsukis brain.
With all of that in mind, Todoroki can tell that school and patrols are either going to be boring or become very interesting in the coming days.
“We weren't able to get anything else out of the woman so we don’t know much about the quirk. Burnin’ said to report to her if you find out anything else about it,” Todoroki says.
“Was her quirk not registered or something?” Izuku questions with an anxious expression.
“No, it was but she didn’t go through quirk counseling so there wasn’t much we could find out outside of what she was willing to tell us,” he responds.
“Well it doesn’t seem to be going bad so far so we can probably get away with keeping it between us three and Burnin’. All Might's exhibit is opening in a few weeks… and I’m not going to miss it because of a quirk accident,” Izuku says definitively.
The other two go quiet. Missing the opening of All Might exhibit for any reason would be devastating for anyone in their class. Especially considering that there’s an entire section dedicated to Izuku, being his successor and all. It’s been a while since Izuku mentioned All Might as someone he knew personally and not from the perspective of a fan.
“I don’t want to miss it either… plus, I don’t want anyone in class to get worried and treat us like glass for the next month and a half,” Katsuki agrees.
“But, Burnin’ said to tell Aizawa-sensei,” Todoroki points out and Katsuki and Izuku give him their ‘don’t-you-dare’ stares, “but, I guess you don’t have to if you don’t want to.”
Izuku smiles, “yeah, it shouldn't be too hard to keep it a secret right?”
Izuku was wrong. This is extremely difficult. The high fiving and competitive eye contact worked until it was time for dinner at the dorms and everyone in their class flooded into the common room.
Apparently, every touch with someone who isn't affected by the quirk, makes the other feel like shit. Like some kind of cruel metaphor for jealousy.
When Katsuki and Sato started making dinner, Uraraka sat with Izuku on the couch and leaned on his shoulder while he read Hero News from that morning. Izuku usually doesn’t pay much mind to being in close proximity with Uraraka but with the quirks influence at play, the contact made Izuku feel mildly tense and uncomfortable and after a few seconds he could hear Katsuki drop what sounded like a hot pan in the kitchen, followed by a loud, distressed, “SHIT!”
Izuku had to get up from the couch and take Satos place in the kitchen to help Katsuki up and finish cooking despite the blonds’ discomfort of having someone who sucks at cooking in the kitchen. He made an exception though in favor of not having another accident.
After dinner when Izuku and Mina were washing everyones dishes, he saw Kaminari hug Katsuki from behind over the couch. Since Katsuki was really focused on the Mario Kart game he was playing with Sero, he didn’t push Kaminari away immediately which caused Izuku to drop the bowl he was cleaning and hunch over and grip his hair in an attempt to ease the awful migraine. He could hear Katsuki already running towards the kitchen and he can vaguely hear him yell at Mina to not touch him through the ringing in his ears. Katsuki helps him up and takes over dishes completely after sitting Izuku on the counter top and lets him keep a hand on his shoulder until his migraine completely goes away.
They can not keep going like this.
So, they silently agreed to stay behind in the common room after everyone else left.
“So… this is harder than I thought…” Izuku says with a sigh and plops onto the couch.
“Tell me about it. Saying you couldn’t touch other people would've been a useful thing for that bitch to mention in the interrogation,” Katsuki says while running a hand through his hair in frustration and sitting on the couch next to Izuku.
“You shouldn’t call women ‘bitches’, Kacchan.”
“She’s literally a criminal, shut up,” there’s a pause before Katsuki’s expression softens into something more sincere, “how do you want to deal with this, ‘Zuku?”
“I’m not sure… maybe we should tell Aizawa-sensei and-”
“And, what? Miss the opening of All Mights memorial exhibit? ‘Cause of some dumb headaches? You’re gonna give up that easily?”
“I never said i was giving up, I-”
“Telling Aizawa would mean not going and I know how much you wanna go because I know how much I want to go,” he cuts Izuku off. Izuku doesn’t know what to say so he just pouts. “Don’t make that face, nerd. You know I’m right.”
Izuku takes a deep breath and leans on Katsuki’s shoulder, “I just… don’t wanna ruin what we worked so hard for. I value our friendship a lot… and the All Might exhibit will still be there after the quirk goes away but that doesn’t mean the same is guaranteed for our relationship.”
“That’s dumb. You think you’re gonna fall in love with me or somethin’?”
Izuku gasps and leans away to shoot Katsuki a disapproving look. “What?! No! What’re you-”
“And even if you did, is that really such a bad thing? You think I’ll stop being your friend just ‘cause your sappy ass fell for me?” Katsuki says with a teasing smirk as he leans back on the couch and folds his arms behind his head.
“I… I don’t-”
Katsuki’s face shifts into something more concerned. “Would you?”
“Would I, what?” Izuku asks, confused.
“Would you stop being my friend if I fell for you?”
Izuku starts to realize how dumb he was being because, no… he’d never drop any of his friends over something like that. Especially not Katsuki. He shakes his head no and leans back into the crook of Katsukis armpit to hide his shame… and to get rid of the headache slowly developing.
“Well, that settles it then. Whoever falls in love first loses,” Katsuki says flatly as if it’s not one of the most absurd things Izuku’s ever heard.
“...excuse me?”
“We’re gonna have to stick close together more than we thought would until the quirk dissipates so one of us is bound to become emotionally attached. Might as well place bets on who falls first.”
“I’m sorry… bets? What–”
“What’s wrong? Too much of a challenge for you, ‘Zuku?”
Izuku sits up and pouts at the insinuation, “that’s not-”
“Then don’t be a coward and put your money where your mouth is, nerd,” Katsuki digs into his pocket and pulls out his wallet and starts to wave around a ¥5000 bill and starts to smirk again. “Might be stuck like this for 6 weeks, might as well make it entertaining. What d’ya say, ‘Zuku?”
Izuku then pulls out his own wallet and finds his own ¥5000 bill. “You’re on,” he replies with a smirk of his own and they both slap their money on the coffee table in front of the couch. He’d be damned to deny a challenge from Katsuki.
Just like that, Katsuki leans in close and starts to trace Izukus jawline with his fingertips and whispers, “prepare to be wooed, nerd.”
Izukus mind goes blank and he turns beet red. Before he can make a coherent thought, he jumps off the couch with so much force that Katsuki could hear the supports underneath it snap.
Izuku pauses to look at the damage he did but decides that that’s the least of his problems now. “Good night Kacchan, gotta get some sleep!” he all but yells while using OFA to sprint towards the elevator.
Katsuki stares with pride because he can already tell how easy this will be.
After a few minutes of separation though, both of their sharp headaches return and the sound of explosions outside of the dorms wakes up most of the building but they've known Katsuki long enough to tell which explosions are his and which aren’t so, they all ignore it.