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Katsuki couldn't sleep. Which was a real problem because they had training in the morning. He sighed, turning onto his side. The clock in his room flashed dimly in the corner of his eyes.
3:03 am
He groaned, flopping over onto his back. Katsuki stared up at the ceiling, trying to clear his mind. When that didn’t work, he groaned and pushed himself up, flinging the covers off his body. He shoved his feet into house slippers and slouched out his door, barely remembering in time to not slam it.
The elevator ride down to the common room was soothing. The hum of the motors reverberated through the metal bars under his hands. The lights of the elevator were dimmed for the night time. The doors slid open with a quiet noise and Katsuki stepped out into the common room, dark all around except for the kitchen area. Katsuki blinked.
There was light pooling through the threshold of the kitchen. A shadow passed through the brightness, bobbing sporadically. Katsuki stepped closer. He could hear the soft noises of the person in the kitchen - footsteps padding on the tiles, the soft sound of fabric moving through the air and sliding against itself, and the distinct sound of mumblind. As Katsuki approached, he found that he recognized the voice.
Motherfucker.
Katsuki finally reached the threshold of the kitchen. He leaned against the wall, snorting at the sight in front of him.
Izuku was in the kitchen, wooden spoon in hand, dancing to the song blaring through his headphones. It sounded like rock to Katsuki. The blonde raked a hand through his hair before stepping forward. Izuku had his back to the other, bobbing his head along to the noise. He spun on his toes and stopped face to face with Katsuki. His eyes were screwed shut as he mouthed along to his music. Katsuki felt a smile pull at his lips.
Izuku opened his eyes and promptly let out a strangled shriek. He jumped back, shaking. His breath came in sharp little pants. Despite the hilarity of the situation, Katsuki felt a bit guilty for startling the green haired boy so badly. Izuku’s eyes focused more, and he let out a sigh, leaning down and squatting to the floor.
“You scared the shit out of me, Kacchan,” he whisper-yelled. Katsuki rolled his eyes and squatted down so that they were at the same height.
“Not my fault you’re a fucking insomniac. That’s a you problem, dumbass.” Izuku rolled his eyes, grinning, and half-heartedly smacked Katsuki’s arm. Both of the boys settled on the floor. Izuku leaned against the cabinet behind him. Katsuki hunched forward. They were quiet for a long while.
“You okay?” Izuku asked. Katsuki said nothing, simply shrugging in reply.
“Just couldn’t sleep. Why the hell are you up, nerd?” Izuku laughed softly.
“Well, as you oh so eloquently explained, I am a ‘fucking insomniac’.” Katsuki snorted. “Anyways, my brain couldn’t sleep, so here I am.” Katsuki hummed under his breath. It was quiet once again.
“Wanna rewatch an All Might movie?” He asked. Izuku seemed to melt.
“ Please.” Katsuki laughed and stood up before reaching out to pull Izuku to his feet. They walked together to the common room. Their shoulders bumped each other. Both of them smiled.
Setting up the movie took a minute or so, and the boys found themselves tangled up in each other. Izuku ended up sprawled across Katsuki’s front, his head pillowed by Katsuki’s chest. As the movie started, he could feel the blonde’s warm hand trail up and down his spine in slow movements.
Iida, always an early riser, walked into the common room bright and early and ready to start his day. He groaned, seeing the light of the television flickering on. He walked forward towards the couch, ready to lecture whoever was there, but stopped at the sight. Katsuki and Izuku were curled into each other, their foreheads pressed together. Katsuki held one of Izuku’s hands in his. From what Iida could see, Izuku was mumbling to the boy in front of him. Katsuki’s eyes were half-lidded, sleepy and safe. Izuku seemed too focused on what he was saying to process anything else in the room. Iida smiled. He grabbed one of the blankets lying over the side of one of the couches and snapped it open, walking towards the couch with the intent of draping the blanket over the two half-asleep boys. As he leaned over, he saw a clash of crimson as Katsuki looked up at him. Iida jumped the slightest bit.
“The fuck do you want, Sonic the Bitchboy?” Iida blinked, confused.
“Excuse me?” Katsuki rolled his eyes. “Deku’s talking. Shut your fuckin’ ass up unless you want me to explode your throat.” Iida sputtered, backing away. Apparently, his indignation at having his life threatened brought Izuku back to reality. The green haired boy blinked, his eyes hazy. He slowly leaned away from Katsuki and turned to Iida. His head tilted.
“...Iida?” Izuku asked, “What are you doing up so late?” Iida looked around, confused.
“It’s, it’s morning, Midoriya. Are you feeling alright?” Izuku blinked again, his head slowly turning around.
“Huh. So it is.” Izuku raked a hand through his head before dragging it across one eye. He looked back at Katsuki. “Coffee time?”
Katsuki nodded. “Coffee time.” The two boys untangled themselves from each other and stood up, walking towards the dorm kitchen and leaving Iida standing alone in the common room, aghast.
Katsuki leaned against the kitchen counter as Izuku puttered around. The green haired boy yawned as he poured grounds into the coffee maker. Katsuki handed over the water-filled coffee pot to Izuku to pour into the reservoir.
“Thanks, Kacchan,” Izuku mumbled. Katsuki made some sort of noncommittal noise, too tired to actually figure out how words work. Izuku pressed the button on the coffee maker and it hissed as it began brewing.
The rich, smooth smell of percolating coffee filled the dorm kitchen. Both boys sighed in unison as the smell flooded their senses. Katsuki slumped further against the kitchen counter. Izuku actually just gave up and flopped down to sit on the ground next to the coffee maker. Katsuki regarded him for a second, then shrugged and pushed himself off the counter and crossed the room. He slid down to sit next to Izuku. The green haired boy let out a small mumble as Katsuki rested his head on the other’s shoulders.
Katsuki wasn’t as well-versed in sleeplessness as Izuku was. The blonde boy usually had a very strict sleep schedule. Izuku, on the other hand, had a sleep schedule that looked as if someone threw darts at a calendar while blindfolded and decided that whichever darts stuck would be when he slept. It was…not the best system, but it was the one that Izuku had.
The green haired boy patted the side of Katsuki’s head as he let out an exhausted groan.
“How the fuck do you do this all the time, you goddamn insomniac?” Izuku snorted.
“I, as the kids say, deadass have no other choice, Kacchan.” Katsuki let out an almost silent huff of laughter. Izuku leaned his head on Katuski’s.
The morning sun slowly flooded across the floors of the kitchen. Izuku watched as golden warmth creeped up his legs, feeling the rays of the sun sink down into his skin. Izuku hummed softly.
“Kacchan, you should probably go to bed.” From his shoulder, Katsuki glared up at him. Izuku chuckled softly. “Don’t look at me like that, Kacchan. You need sleep.”
“So do you, dipshit.”
“Yeah, but I’m used to this. You aren’t.” Katuski rolled his eyes.
“Well, tough fuckin’ tiddies, nerd. We’re in this together now.” Katuski let out a small rumble from the back of his throat. “Gonna make you take some goddamn care of yourself if it fuckin’ kills me.”
“Aww, Kacchan! You do care!”
“Course I do, asshat. ‘S the only way I can make sure you eat and sleep. Can’t do much else that I wanna do without crossin’ some boundaries and…well, don’t wanna lose you again.” Izuku felt something in his heart clench. It felt almost as if he was intruding on a personal moment, something intimate that he shouldn’t be seeing.
“...Kacchan?” Katsuki let out a little groan.
“Can’t fuckin’ believe that this is the only way I can talk to ya ‘bout this. I know I don’t deserve to stand by your side, much less to love you like I want to, but God there’s something in me that just can’t force myself to let you go.”
“Don’t say that, Kacch-”
“Please, just let me fuckin’ finish, Deku. ‘M not gonna be able to say this when I’m rested.” Izuku shut his mouth with a little click. “Fuckin’ Christ, Izuku. I love ya so much, but you deserve so much more than me.” Izuku felt tears pricking at the corners of his eyes. “All I ask is that you don’t hate me for this, and you let me stand by your side.” There was something so raw, so vulnerable in Katsuki’s voice. Under the haze of sleep-deprived delirium, Katsuki was pouring his heart out, pouring his insecurities into the open.
“Please don’t hate me, Izuku,” Katuski rasped, his voice breaking.
Izuku sniffled, feeling his cheeks grow damp. He shuffled so that Katsuki’s torso was half-flopped against him. Izuku’s head tucked into the crook of Katsuki’s neck, his lips next to the other’s ear. Katsuki froze in his arms.
“Kacchan,” Izuku couldn’t fight the sob in his voice, “I could never. Never . Hate you. All my life’s been me trying to catch up to you, to stand beside you. Please don’t say that you don’t deserve me. I-I’ve been holding so much back from you because I just got you back and I didn’t want to lose you, to lose the friendship that we fought for. I love you so much, Kacchan, but I didn’t want you to hate me. I just wanted to stay in your life.” Izuku sniffled.
Slowly, Katsuki’s hand came up to trace gently up and down Izuku’s back. His other arm wrapped around Izuku’s waist. He could feel the slight tremor of the blonde’s hand against the skin of his back. Izuku hiccuped.
Suddenly, it seemed as if Katsuki gained some of his bravery back. He tightened his arms around Izuku, tucking the other boy close to his heart. “Wow, we kinda suck at talkin’ to each other, don’t we?” Izuku snorted, nodding against Katsuki’s shoulder as he sniffled.
“We really do.” The boys pulled away from each other and held gazes for a moment before bursting into laughter. They both leaned into each other, letting out the most undignified laughs. They tumbled sideways, half sprawled across each other as they laid down on the floor.
“We should probably have a conversation about this,” Izuku said through his laughter, “But maybe not right now.” Katuski barked a laugh.
“You got a problem with my sleepless rambles? Hah, nerd?” Izuku laughed as Katsuki began attacking his sensitive spots.
“Nooo, Kacchaaaaaan!” Izuku choked out through his giggles. Katsuki moved to renew his assault, but was stopped by a stern voice from the door of the kitchen.
“What is going on here?!” Iida stood imperiously in the doorway, his arms crossed across his chest. Izuku could see the heads of some of their classmates poking out from behind him. Both boys froze, distinctly guilty expressions on their faces. “Are you two fighting again?”
It was quiet for a moment before Katsuki let out a snort, collapsing into a giggling puddle of blonde noodliness. Izuku fought his own laughter, trying to reply to Iida’s question.
“N-no, Iida. We’re fine. Kacchan’s just a newbie to all-nighters.”
“Rude!” Came a call from the puddle next to Izuku. Iida raised one eyebrow, his head tilted slightly to the side. Izuku shushed the boy next to him.
“Really, Iida, we’re fine.” The coffee maker behind them dinged softly. Izuku brightened. “Ooh! Coffee’s ready!” Izuku made to stand up but Iida crossed quickly over to him.
“Absolutely not.” Izuku pouted at him. “ No, Midoriya. Both of you, to the couch.” Neither boy moved. Iida leaned forward. “ NOW.”
“Fuckin’ hell, Glasses,” Katsuki barked, “Don’t fuckin’ tell me what to do.” As he said this, Katsuki pulled himself to his feet and leaned down to help Izuku up as well.
Iida herded the two boys out of the kitchen and through their gathered classmates to the common room couch. He, none too gently, sat them both down and stepped back, crossing his arms once again.
“Now, I know that Bakugou hasn’t had enough sleep. That much is obvious. But,” he sent a frustrated look at Izuku. The green haired boy shriveled under his gaze. “When was the last time that you slept, Izuku?” The boy in question mumbled something under his breath. Iida frowned harder. “Sorry? Didn’t quite catch that.” Izuku let out a nervous little whine. Katsuki looked over at him.
“...three days?” Gasps and frustrated groans shot across the room. Izuku shrank under their outraged stares. Iida pinched the bridge of his nose between two fingers, shaking his head.
“Sato? Uraraka? Sero? Let’s get these two to bed.” The three nodded and stepped forward. Both boys started, then began their desperate escape attempt. However, their lack of sleep betrayed them. In just a few seconds, Izuku and Katsuki were bundled up into one big cocoon. Muffled whining and complaining emanated from the bundle. Ochako rolled her eyes and activated her quirk. The three pulled the bundle by a trailing piece of tape towards the elevator. Iida sighed, watching them go.
“I am…not surprised. Disappointed, but not surprised in any way.” Nods rippled throughout the class, agreeing vehemently.
Sero snorted as he, Sato, and Ochako ripped open the tape cocoon. Ochako outright barked a laugh. Sato said nothing, but smiled at the sight before them.
Izuku and Katsuki were tangled together, snoring in unison. Sato helped shift them to pull the rest of the tape out from under them and pulled the bedding over their shoulders. They watched in delight as Izuku nuzzled closer to Katsuki as the blonde boy curled further down to be closer to the other.
After a moment, Ochako spoke. “Not to be homophobic or anything, but I really hate gay people sometimes.” Sero barked a laugh.