Chapter Text
“Hey, Kacchan, can I ask you something?” Izuku asked suddenly, breaking the silence in which the two students had been working. With his homework spread across his lap, the blonde glanced up at him, raising an eyebrow questioningly at the other occupant of the room.
Ever since their fight at Ground Beta, the rivals’ relationship had been slowly improving, and was almost at a point that they could maybe call themselves friends.
Almost .
They were currently in Katsuki’s dorm working on their English assignment, because the blonde claimed that he couldn’t focus while being stared at by so many All Mights in Izuku’s room.
“What is it? Spit it out, nerd.” Katsuki’s words may have sounded harsh to others, but Izuku could tell that they were lacking their usual bite.
He sounds tired. Maybe I should wait to ask…. Izuku thought, nervously looking away from the intense red eyes staring back at him.
Katsuki sighed when Izuku looked away, sliding the papers off his lap, then getting up to sit beside the other. Izuku was curled into a ball on the bed, only looking up when the blonde plopped down beside him. “Stop thinking so much and just ask what you need to.” He said gruffly, ruffling Izuku’s green curls.
Izuku looked up at him, speaking hesitantly after a moment. “Are we friends now?” He asked in an impossibly small voice.
Katsuki’s eyes widened at the question. He didn’t know what he was expecting Izuku to ask, but it wasn’t that. He felt his cheeks heat up, and he turned his head to stare out the window so the greenette couldn’t see it. “I dunno. That’s up to you, I guess. I don’t think I deserve to be your friend after the shit I pulled when we were younger, but....”
Katsuki almost fell off the bed with the force of the sudden hug, Izuku’s arms constricting around him tightly from behind. “What the hell, Deku?” He growled, craning his neck to see over his shoulder at him.
“Do you think I’m still mad about that?” Deku asked quietly, face buried in the fabric of the blonde’s shirt.
Katsuki opened and closed his mouth a few times like a fish out of water, before turning back towards the window. “You should be.” He finally muttered.
“I’m not mad about it.” Izuku’s words caused the blonde’s head to snap back around in surprise. “Yeah, it hurt at the time, but am I not allowed to move past that when things get better?”
“I...guess. I’m still an asshole though, so I dunno what your version of better is.” Katsuki said with a snort, placing his hand over Izuku’s arm.
“This.” Izuku tightened his arms around the blonde. “This is better.”
A few precious moments of silence passed before Izuku lifted his face, setting his chin on Katsuki’s shoulder. They were so close, that if he turned his face, his lips would’ve been pressed against the blonde’s skin. And honestly, Katsuki couldn’t get his heart to calm down at the almost casual closeness.
“How long are you gonna hug me?” Katsuki asked snarkily, trying to cover his embarrassment with the question.
He felt Izuku shrug against him, tucking his forehead into the crease of the blonde's neck. "Do you want me to stop?" Came the muffled question.
"I…" Katsuki hesitated, before shaking his head lightly. "No. But..."
Katsuki shifts, ever so gently dislodging Izuku's arms from around him as he turns to face the other. It's only a moment before he releases Izuku entirely to wrap his own arms around the other's shoulders, but then he's pulling them back together again.
Izuku stiffened in surprise, but it didn't last long before he wrapped his arms around Katsuki again. Leaning on him when he shifted, he let the blonde practically pull him into his lap as he leaned back on the pillow sandwiched between himself and the headboard of his bed.
"You're warm…." Katsuki mumbled softly, face buried in Izuku's green curls.
While Izuku was enjoying the sudden closeness, his heart was also terribly confused.
He's never been this touchy-feely....like, ever! What do I do?!
Oh, this really wasn't helping his big, fat monster crush on the blonde either, so there's that.
"Kacchan…" He managed to pry his face up, right as Katsuki did the same, their noses brushing and breaths mingling in the small space left between their mouths.
"Deku...I…" Katsuki visibly swallowed before speaking again, his voice lowering a few octaves. "Feel free to punch me if I'm wrong, but...can I try something?"
Izuku's green eyes widened, but he gave him a small nod. Katsuki looked surprised at his answer, but it didn’t last long as his face inched closer slowly.
Is he…?
Izuku barely finished the thought before soft lips were on his, moving almost hesitantly, as if he was scared the other would disappear into a puff of smoke.
Izuku’s limbs slowly relaxed, and he brought his hand up to the blonde’s face. His fingers traced the shape of his jaw almost reverently, as their lips moved almost languidly against each other.
In reality, it was only a few seconds before they parted, but it felt so much longer to them in the moment.
Izuku’s face immediately turned an interesting shade of red, and Katsuki couldn’t help but laugh softly. “You look like a damn strawberry right now.” He teased, pinching the greenette’s cheek lightly.
“Oh, come on! Why do people keep comparing me to food?!” Izuku said with a pout, poking his bottom lip out in a show of defiance.
“Cause it’s funny.” Katsuki smirked, pressing another light kiss to Izuku’s mouth.
"And you're cute." Another kiss to his cheek, right on his freckles.
"And smart." And another to his forehead.
"And the bravest person I know." He finished, tucking his face into Deku's shoulder as his arms tightened around him.
Izuku was thoroughly embarrassed by this point, but the praise was so genuine his mouth curled up into a smile. There may have also been tears gathering at the corners of his eyes.
"Shit, you weren't supposed to start crying..." Katsuki said, lifting his face to stare in concern at the other, thumb brushing away the rogue tears.
"No, no! I'm ok! Happy tears!" Izuku assured him with a sniff, a watery, but bright smile on his face. He hugged the blonde as tightly as he could, voice softening. "I never thought I'd hear something like that from you."
"Yeah, I'm an asshole, I know…" Katsuki muttered lowly, a frown marring his otherwise smooth features.
"You have your moments." Izuku murmurs, his forehead pressed against the blonde's collarbone. "I...like you anyways." He admitted softly after a moment of hesitation.
Katsuki stiffened for a few seconds, before relaxing and laughing softly. "Good. I like you too. Glad we got that settled." His words might have sounded snarky, but there was an undeniable happiness in his voice.
A few minutes of precious silence passed before either of them spoke again.
"So, are we like...a thing now, or am I reading too much into this?" Izuku asked softly.
"Whatever you want to be. If you wanna be boyfriends and shit, that…would be ok." Katsuki answered, fingertips idly tracing patterns on Izuku's back. The action was almost nervous, which was unusual for him.
Izuku lifted his face, staring at the other with a blindingly bright smile. "Yes!" He simply said before pressing another kiss to the blonde's mouth.
"Alright. Boyfriends." Katsuki said happily, a rare, soft, genuine smile on his face.
And this was a day neither would forget as long as they lived, it was a special memory held close to both hearts, and the first of many.