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Izuku and Katsuki had been really close as kids, best friends even. But everything had changed by the time the boys reached high school.
If you asked Izuku the reason, he'd say they had simply grown apart. Katsuki, on the other hand, would say that the other just got on his nerves. Neither would be telling the truth though.
The two could have been living different lives. The blond, the school's star football player, and the green haired boy, the school's band drum major. The same team, but different players you could say.
Then there of course was Camie, the girl everyone knew, feared, wanted to be, or wanted to be with. Unless you were Izuku of course, because he had eyes for one, and that happened to be his childhood friend, and his childhood friend only.
The Cheer captain could have anyone she wanted, she was just that beautiful with her dirty blonde hair and brown doe eyes. But she had the person that mattered most. She was dating Katsuki.
*****
Even with their strained relationship, Izuku and Katsuki were still neighbors. Sometimes the boys would communicate through notes that they would show through their windows.
Was it silly? For sure, but it was just them.
On one particular day, Katsuki had his curtains opened, and as Izuku was working on his homework, he could tell his childhood friend was clearly distressed as he was pacing his room while he talked to someone on his phone.
It's probably Camie, Izuku thought.
After Katsuki had ended his call, Izuku started writing on his bigger sized notebook paper, (he had a lot of notebooks, sue him) and wrote "Are you okay?".
As soon as Katsuki saw the note, he responded on his own piece of paper, his handwriting in all caps, but neater than the former's.
"I'm fine. I think I pissed Camie off though, probably something to do with the "rude" joke I said" read the note.
Of course it was her, she's the one who makes him look so stressed nowadays. She doesn't get him or his humor at all, thought Izuku, not like I do.
He often wondered why Katsuki would be with someone like her, someone who is so sensitive to Katsuki's personality. He was always known to be sharp tongued and ill mannered, and yet she always complained about it, trying to change him to her image of what she thought he should be. Just thinking about it was enough to make him mad.
It was clear why Camie wanted him though, they were the school's power couple, they both looked like models, and they were both the most popular people in the school. So it seemed only natural they would be together. It was anything but natural though.
****
Another night(this time Tuesday), another phone call, and another day of Katsuki looking so unlike himself.
Izuku was listening to music in his room, the kind he couldn't help but think Camie wouldn't like.
He liked classic 80's rock love songs, not unlike Katsuki. Their music taste had been something that they had bonded over as kids, having parents of similar age, and their parents being friends encouraged their taste as they spent time together.
Camie wouldn't know such information though, and Izuku had some satisfaction in knowing that fact: she'd never know Katsuki like he did. She'd never know how he loved watching All Might cartoons as a kid, that he loved spicy food but had a soft spot for ice cream, or that he loved to hike on some of his days off. Nothing. None of the minor details that made up her boyfriend would she even dare to learn.
***
At games, the blond was in his element. He scored countless touchdowns for his team, making everyone in the home side bleaches scream and shout and the Cheerleaders cheer. Katsuki would devilishly smirk, knowing that he was all that, and yet he had the right to do so.
Izuku couldn't help but feel his heart flutter every time he saw him smirk. Afterall, he was truly amazing in his eyes.
Camie, on the track outside of the field, blew kisses in Katsuki's direction as she and the other cheerleaders in their uniforms cheered on their school's star.
Izuku couldn't help but feel he was even more on the sidelines of Katsuki's life in the bleachers as he helplessly watched the interaction.
How could he even compare to someone like her? He wore his dorky t-shirts and she wore her short skirts and he couldn't help but think that he couldn't even blame him for thinking she was attractive, because even he could admit that she was.
****
It was Tuesday of the next week, and as Izuku was waiting for Ochako to get her books out of her locker, he was daydreaming. It was often that he would get caught up in his own mind, and sometimes, he would even mutter his thoughts out loud unknowingly.
Some of his favorite kinds of daydreams were when he pictured himself and Katsuki together. He imagined wearing his childhood friend's jersey at games as he cheered for him the loudest, going on drives in the middle of the night just because they could, studying together in peaceful silence that had no need to be filled, and going together to the school's dance.
All of those things are just his dreams of course, but he really did wish the day would come that Katsuki would wake up and realize that what he'd been looking for had always been there. Izuku had always been there.
Everyone always said that if anyone really understood Katsuki, it was Izuku. The two have been close to one another since childhood, even when they were arguing. No one could read Katsuki like him. He was there for all of Katsuki's achievements, and watched him grow into who he was today.
It was so unfair that Camie just came along and snatched Katsuki as if she had been there all along.
Izuku wished he was in her place, wished Katsuki would kiss him like he did her. But he wasn't her, and he knew that even with all his insecurities, what he had with Katsuki was more real that whatever Camie could provide him with.
"Izuku?" Nothing. "Izukuuuuu?" still nothing. "Izuku!"
After trying to snap the green haired boy out of his daydreaming state, Ochako finally succeeded after literally shaking him out of his thoughts.
"Ah! I'm sorry, did you need something Ochako?"
"Nope! Just thought you'd like to know that your crush is walking by."
"Shhh, Ochako! What if he hears you!?"
It was then that the topic of their conversation passed by the two friends at the pink cheeked girl's locker.
"Hear what exactly? Got something to tell me, eh Deku?"
"Nope! Nothing to say, Kacchan!"
"Tch. If you say so. Just know though, if you're hiding something from me..." he got closer to the other boy's ear "...I will find out what it is."
With that, Katsuki then walked away with a smirk.
"Oh my God, that was a close call" said Izuku.
"You should've told him you know. Maybe then I wouldn't have to be tortured by watching your helpless pining over him" Ochako replied.
"He has a girlfriend, Ochako! Even if I do like him, that doesn't mean my feelings are requited."
"Yeah right. He clearly feels something for you."
"I wish he did, I really do. I just wish he'd notice that there's been someone here that actually liked him for his true self all along. Someone who he wouldn't have to pretend around. We've known each other almost our whole lives, so why can't he see that? I should be the one he's with, not her. He belongs with me! He belongs with me..."
-
Later that day, Izuku caught up with Katsuki as they were walking home from school.
"Hey, Kacchan! Wait up!"
"You better hurry the fuck up then, Deku."
The boys walked in silence though the streets of their neighborhood. Katsuki looked as fine as ever in his worn out jeans and tee, making Izuku's heart flutter. Izuku himself was wearing his usual attire, a dorky tee, plain jeans, and his classic red shoes. The pair was something to see, for sure.
This was one of the better times the two would interact, because as much as Katsuki would say the other boy annoyed him, he would still walk home with him nearly every day.
On their way home, they passed the park where they had first met one another and sat down on a bench there.
"...and then Dunce Face used too much strength in his pass to Shitty Hair and the football hit him right in the face. Real funny shit," the blond laughed as he reminisced about the scene from practice that day.
Izuku couldn't help but laugh along with him, although he did feel bad.
"Was Kirishima okay though? I hope he didn't break his nose or anything."
"Nah, Shitty hair is fine. He's as solid as a rock, I swear. Probably because he's used to how much Dunce face uses his face as if it were target practice."
As Katsuki continued to cackle at the memory, Izuku couldn't help but think this is how it ought to be. He wished that Katsuki would express himself more.
Times like this were when his true personality showed instead of his hard boy persona he put up in front of everyone. Everyone but Izuku.
It was so easy for them to talk to one another outside of school, but at school it was a different story, one where you wouldn't even be able to tell that they were this close.
It hurt Izuku to know that the only time they could really talk like this was when no one was around to witness it. Yet, Katsuki was at his happiest when there were no eyes to judge, and Izuku would never judge him.
They sat there for what could only have been mere minutes, but it felt like hours. Izuku was a happy person, always prone to smiling, but in moments like these, where Katsuki smiled, genuinely smiled, those were rare. He could light up the whole town like fireworks with that smile, but it was even more rare now that he was with Camie. He hadn't seen Katsuki this happy in awhile, not since he started dating the dirty blonde girl.
Thinking about the couple, he thought now would be a good time to ask Katsuki about it.
"By the way, how have things been with Camie, Kacchan?"
"Fine. Why are you bringing her up?"
"Oh, no reason. I just noticed that you seem to be pacing your room a lot more recently when you're on a phone call. You said your relationship with her is fine, but are you okay?"
"Stalker much?" Katsuki said with a smirk. "I'm fine nerd, nothing for you to worry your little freckled head about."
"But Kacchan-"
"Drop it, Deku."
"... Okay."
With that, the childhood friends walked the rest of the way home in silence. The silence was a peaceful one though, because the hotheaded boy wasn't actually mad at the other.
Once Izuku made it in the house, he went up to his bedroom, threw his backpack on the floor, and fell face first onto his bed. The blond, in a similar state, saw this through his window and laughed at the green haired boy.
Izuku sat in his bed, reached for his notebook paper yet again and wrote a simple "Good night, Kacchan."
Katsuki, in turn, wrote "Night, Deku" on his own paper. He then closed his curtains and turned off his light.
Izuku couldn't go to sleep as easily as the Katsuki did though. He was an overthinker and that was what he was doing that night.
Thinking about their time spent at the park earlier, he thought about how when he asked Katsuki how he was doing with Camie or anything related to how he felt after talking to the girl, his response was always "fine". It was an almost robotic response, one that he used to hide his true feelings. Izuku knew him better than that though, so he knew that the other was genuinely upset, even if he didn't want to admit it.
Not for the first time, he wondered what Katsuki was doing with a girl like that. He had ideas as to why Camie was with him, but not why he agreed to be with her. Did he genuinely like her? Probably not. It was obvious that the girl stressed the already overstressed boy, so why? Izuku guessed he wouldn't know until the other decided to open up to him.
****
Next Friday, it was another home game, and another day of Katsuki in the spotlight. The team was already so far ahead of the other and it was only halftime. The UA Heros were guaranteed another win at this point and Izuku almost felt bad for the other team. The difference between this game, however, was that it was the Homecoming game.
As halftime began, there was a pause in the game where the Homecoming court walked down the field, the boys in their football uniforms and the girls in dresses and heels.
There was the court, containing Mina, who walked with Eijiro, and Kyoka, who walked with Denki. Then of course there was the queen and king, Camie, who walked with Katsuki.
As Camie walked down the field in her high heels and black dress with a slit in the side, Katsuki walked opposite her in his football gear with his helmet at his side. Camie clung to his arm as they walked, and she was smiling at everyone as if she owned them. Katsuki, at her side, walked in indifference, not bearing his usual smirk.
Izuku was in the stands, not dressed up, wearing his band gear and his red sneakers. The Cheer captain locked eyes with him on the bleachers and smirked the way Katsuki normally would, then she pulled Katsuki down for a kiss in front of everybody while still keeping her eyes locked on him.
If Izuku had stayed any longer, he would have seen Katsuki push her away and ask her what her problem was, but he didn't stay, he ran to the bathroom as he tried to compose himself.
Not long after he ran to the bathroom, Ochako, in her cheerleader uniform came in, despite the fact that it was a boy's bathroom.
With no one there but the two of them, she leaned against the wall as Izuku cried in the stall.
She knocked on the stall door, "Izuku...are you okay?", a dumb question, she knew, but it couldn't hurt to try to comfort her best friend.
"Why? Why, Ochako? Why is he with her? Why can't it be me?" In between his broken sobs he spoke in a whisper, "It's obvious she doesn't really know him. She doesn't appreciate him like I do! I'm the one he actually opens up to, and I'm the one who's been there for him since day one! I've always been there, admiring him. So why can't he see it too?"
"I know Izuku, I know. If he belongs with anyone, he belongs with you. Camie may have it all, she may have Katsuki right now, but I don't think she really has what you think she does. She doesn't have his heart, because that belongs to one person. Do you know who that is, Deku?"
As Izuku listened to Ochako talk, he slowly came out of the stall. The brunette wiped his tears and pulled the green haired boy in for a hug.
"Don't give me false hope, Ochako" he said in reply.
She pulled back to look into his green eyes full of sadness and knew that right now he wanted to be alone. "I'll take you home," she said. And that she did.
When she pulled up to his home, she parked her Pink Volkswagen Beetle and gave him another hug.
"Don't overthink it too much, okay? Try to get some sleep," was all she said.
Izuku nodded and got out of her car, closing her door.
After Ochako's car had driven away, he walked up to his door, then paused. He looked at the Bakugo's residence, lights off, as they were still at the game, and walked over to the back door. He stood there for a few minutes, just thinking.
"How can he be so oblivious? How could he be with her when I'm right here?" Those were the thoughts running through his head.
After staying a bit longer, he walked into his house and went to his bed.
An hour later, as he lay in his bed, he saw Katsuki's light had turned on, signifying that the other was finally home.
For the first time in a while, it was Katsuki who opened his window and tried to initiate a conversation. He didn't know if the green eyed boy was still awake, so he tapped on his own window knowing that Izuku would be able hear it if he was.
Izuku, surprised, sat up and looked at the cause of the noise. He had just gotten back from the game, he was sweaty, there was dirt on his face, and yet Izuku couldn't help but fall deeper in love with him. He really was in too deep over his head, huh?
Seeing that he was awake, Katsuki got out his paper and wrote, "Funny how our roles are reversed tonight, but I saw you run out earlier. Is something wrong with you?".
Seeing that the blond noticed he was gone made his heart rate pick up speed.
What could he say in reply? "Sorry I saw you kissing your girlfriend and got jealous that it wasn't me"? Of course not! Kacchan may not speak to him again if he ever said something like that.
Instead, he decided to write a partial truth, "I just felt sick at the moment, I didn't mean to worry everyone."
After Katsuki read the note, he nodded in understanding and pulled his curtains shut, ending their conversation.
Sitting on his bed, Izuku wrote one last note, one that voiced his reoccurring thought, but this one he wouldn't show: "With all the time we've spent together, how could you not realize, Kacchan? I'm the one that you should be with."
Staring at the note, he softly whispered "You belong with me."
***
Friday went, and Saturday came. The day of the homecoming dance was upon them.
Previously, he had wanted to go to the dance. Ochako, Shoto, Tenya, and Tsuyu had all begged him to. After the fiasco last night however, he had decided he had changed his mind.
In their group chat they were asking one another what time to meet for pictures, and he felt kind of bad for canceling on them like this. But for his heart, he had to do this.
He waited for them to ask him if the time would work for him, then responded by saying "I'm sorry guys, but I still feel a bit sick from yesterday. I don't think I'm gonna go tonight."
Tenya, the mom friend of their little group, was the first to respond, "We understand Izuku, rest well!"
Next was Shoto and Tsuyu at the same time, "Get well soon, Izuku"(Shoto) and "We'll make sure to take enough photos to make it seem as if you were there with us"(Tsuyu).
Ochako's response was to text Izuku in their own chat.
From: Ocha
Is this about what happened yesterday at the game? I know you feel upset about it, but don't you want to see Katsuki all dressed up and handsome~?
To: Ocha
That's the thing Ochako, I don't think I could handle seeing him. Not with her. All I would be able to do is wish I was the one with him instead.
From: Ocha
C'mon Izuku, you don't even have to go near them. You can stick with us and we'll protect you. If that bitch comes near us I'll give her what for!💪
To: Ocha
Fine, I'll go. Only because I know you won't stop bugging me if I don't.
From: Ocha
YESSS! Thank you!!!
With that, he felt a bit better. Maybe he was just overreacting a bit. It couldn't be that bad, right?
And so he got dressed in his brown striped tux, red sneakers, and he was ready to go.
His friends took pictures at the park nearby, the one where he and Katsuki had met. They had lots of fun messing around with different poses and when it was finally time to go, they got in a limousine, courtesy to Shoto's father's credit card.
Once at the dance, Izuku took a deep breath.
Fine. Everything was going to be fine. He had his friends and he was going to have a good night! Or that's what he thought.
Then, he saw Katsuki in all his glory. He truly did look so handsome.
He was wearing a black tux with a red tie, and man, did he look dashing. Then there was Camie, she was wearing a Red dress to match her date, with black heels.
She looked great. They both did.
Izuku made eye contact with Katsuki and he smiled at the latter. After looking over Izuku, Katsuki froze. He then smirked back in reply and nodded at the green haired boy in greeting.
As the night went on, Izuku danced with his friends, trying his best to avoid the blond. He was having a good time, and his friends were happy that he was "feeling better."
Everything was going relatively well, until it was time to crown the homecoming king and queen. Everyone knew who was getting crowned already, there was no competition to compare.
When Camie was handed the mic for her speech, she ended it by saying "It feels great, knowing that I have won."
As she said the statement, she stared Izuku dead in the eye yet again, but he knew the true meaning behind her words. To anyone else, it would seem that she was talking about her crown, but Izuku knew she was talking about Katsuki. To her, he was her prize.
As Izuku saw Camie clinging to Katsuki yet again, he couldn't handle being there any longer. So what did he do? He ran away. Again.
He knew he was being a coward. Sooner or later he was gonna have to accept the fact that Camie was with Katsuki and not him. How could he though, he knew that their relationship wasn't ideal, some could say they were bad for one another, but what Katsuki had with Camie was pure toxic.
And so he walked home. He didn't live far from the school, as he and Katsuki would walk home together, but the walk seemed much longer than usual as he was caught up in his own head.
Why couldn't he dream? Was there something wrong with that, with him? He loved Katsuki, had loved him for a long time, but Camie just had to make his life harder by showing off she was the one he was with, all while knowing that Izuku was hopelessly in love with him. He wondered why she would constantly do that. Next to her, he had nothing but his history with Katsuki, so what reason did she have to torment him? It made no sense!
He sat down on his porch steps and finally let himself cry. What kind of cruel fate was this? All he ever did was love someone. He didn't ask for these feelings to occur, all he could do was fall deeper and deeper, not knowing if the Katsuki would be there to catch him.
He sat there for what couldn't have been more than five minutes before he saw headlights coming towards his house. He would recognize that Mustang anywhere, though.
What was Katsuki doing, coming to his house in the middle of the night? He should be at the dance, he should be there with Camie....
Seeing Izuku was home, Katsuki got out of his car and walked over to him.
"Why the hell did you leave so suddenly?" was the first thing the irritated teen had said.
"Why are you with her?" Izuku said in reply.
"What the fuck has she got do do with this?"
"Everything, apparently! It's not just her though. Am I embarrassing to you Katsuki? Is that why you only talk to me outside of school? Why is it that I'm the one who makes you actually laugh, the one who comforts you when you're too vulnerable to cry? I'm the one who knows all the little things about you like your favorite songs! I'm the one who knows what you dream to be! I know where you belong, so why aren't you with me?"
After the confession left his lips, all he could do was cry even more.
This is it, this is what he has been dying to hear, and what he has been dreading to hear at the same time. It was now Katsuki's turn to reply and tell him the reason he was with Camie.
"You really want to know? Fine then, I'll tell you. Who ever said anything about liking her? I'm with her just because I can, not because I would choose her over everyone else. The fuck do you take me for? I don't do all that sappy shit, Deku."
Hearing those words made the emotional boy only sob more. There it was, Katsuki didn't like her, but he didn't like anyone either. How ironic, neither Camie or him truly won, huh?
"Deku?" Seeing that Izuku was busy in his own head, the blond raised the other boy's head and said in an amused but fond tone "Earth to space cadet."
It was then that Izuku looked Katsuki in the eye. Oh no, he couldn't do this, he just can't. Katsuki can't just crush his heart like that and then look at him with that soft look.
"Who said anything about me not liking someone? I just said that I don't do that sappy shit," he said with a smirk. "Maybe all this time I was trying to get a certain nerd to fess up."
"What?" Izuku's eyes widened with surprise "But you just said-"
"Hey! No one tells me how to feel, not even you shitnerd."
Katsuki paused, then continued speaking, "For someone who just said how he understands me the best, you weren't even smart enough to figure out how I feel?"
"Hey, that was rude Kacchan!"
"Hah. You still like me anyways. C'mon, you've known me all this time, think with that nerd brain of yours. What am I trying to tell you?"
"I wish I were the one with you," Izuku whispered.
"What was that?" The blond teased "You gotta be a bit louder than that," he laughed.
As they stood and sat there respectively at Izuku's backdoor, Katsuki whispered "How could you not know, baby?"
"What? C'mon Kacchan, don't play me like that. My heart can't take another blow tonight," Izuku said.
"Fine, I'll repeat myself one more time, and one time only. You know I hate repeating shit. Have you ever thought, maybe, I also think you belong with me?"
Izuku questioned him, "You think I belong with you?"
He was still in disbelief that Katsuki could truly like him back. Sure he felt he was the one who should be with the blond, but he didn't actually think his feelings were returned.
Katsuki said it again, but this time with a serious tone of clarity "You belong with me."
It was a statement, as if it were a fact of the universe. It might as well have been, for their feelings for one another were set in stone.
Finally, Izuku replied to Katsuki as they slowly got closer to one another. With their lips brushing but not yet touching, Izuku repeated his previous statement, but this time with confidence, "You belong with me."
He then wrapped his arms around the blond's neck and kissed him.