Chapter Text
Katsuki races through the streets, pushing himself faster with each blast from his hands. The culprit is ahead of him, leaping from one surface to another. Katsuki curses as the villain suddenly yank themselves up to the roof with their quirk. Katsuki launches himself up, aiming an explosion at them, but their leap aside before his attack can connect.
The chase continues across the rooftops.
“Oi, Uravity, what’s the situation?”
“The rest of the villains are secured!” Uraraka chirped in his ears.
“What about the civilians?”
“We got it from here!” Ojiro answers instead.
“Right.” Katsuki nods, pausing on the edge of the rooftop. “I’ll wrap this up soon.”
“You got this, Dynamight!”
“It’s Great Explosion Murder God Dynamight to you, Dunce face!” Katsuki fires back over the sound of Kaminari’s laughter. He huffs, bending his knees. “I know I got this.” He grins, and a mighty explosion zips him across the buildings. Soon, he was behind the villain, palms lighting up for a stun grenade.
The villain spins around and kicks his arms up. The sky lights up with a blinding yellow light. Taking that moment of distraction, the villain drops as Katsuki’s foot lands on the roof. They swipe at his leg, but Katsuki blasts himself up just in time. In turn, he aims a blast at the villain’s face, knocking him down. The villain recovers in time to roll away from an incoming punch.
Katsuki grins, hands popping as the villain starts to hop away. “Don’t run now, fucker!”
He spins midair, filling up their surroundings with smoke. As the smoke quickly obscures their vision, the villain raises their hand, fingers positioned in a flicking motion, but they are a moment too late. They quickly try to back up, but Katsuki is faster. He pounces, knocking the villain off their feet. He pins their hands down, his arm pressing against the villain’s neck while his leg keeps them from moving. They stared at each other as they gasped for breath. Then, Katsuki’s earpiece crackles to life.
“The hero team wins!” All Might announces.
Under him, Izuku grins widely, eyes shining in awe. “You were amazing, Kacchan!”
Katsuki smirks, holding out a hand to him. “You weren’t too bad yourself, nerd.” If possible, Izuku’s eyes sparkle at the praise. He takes his hand without hesitation, letting Katsuki pull him to his feet.
Their team swarms them, chattering their ears off when they return to the rest of the class. Izuku chatters excitedly with his friends and drags him to the locker rooms.
Kaminari hooks his arm around Katsuki. “You need a shower, Mr. Number One!”
“Buzz off.” Katsuki rolls his eyes, shoving him lightly with his shoulder. But Kaminari only smiles and marches after the others. Once they reach the locker rooms, Kaminari unhands him and makes a beeline to his locker.
“Can you believe it’s almost graduation?” Kaminari asks.
Someone groans. “Don’t remind me. I don’t think I’m ready.”
“Hey now,” Kirishima turns to face Mineta, punching the air with a determined smile. “We’re going to do great! We didn’t spend all month having study groups for nothing!”
As if just remembering the upcoming exams, Izuku freezes up. “Haha… R-right. We did all that studying. E-everything will be fine! H-hahaha…”
“Wait, wait, wait! You’re putting your shoes on wrong!”
“Midoriya, snap out of it!”
Despite all the voices raising in concern, Izuku quickly dissolved into a buzz of panicked mutters that was starting to grate on his nerves.
“Quit stressing over it, nerd.” Katsuki snaps. “You’ve been studying every day for this. Don’t go getting cold feet now!”
“B-but—”
“Are you doubting my teaching skills, nerd?”
Immediately, Izuku shakes his head. “Never!”
“Then, believe me when I say you can do it.” Katsuki throws on his blazer, turning away to avoid the blinding gaze that Izuku is throwing his way. “It doesn’t matter anyway; I’m going to beat all of you.” With a smirk, he walks out of the door.
He doesn’t get far before Izuku comes running after him.
“Kacchan!” He slows down enough for Izuku to catch up to him. “Um, I was wondering if, uh, we can study together one more time?”
He stares at him incredulously. “Again?” Izuku has been studying with Katsuki over the past month. At this point, Katsuki’s sure the nerd could recite the textbooks by heart. “Rereading the textbooks isn’t going to make you smarter.”
“I know, I know! But I just what to be sure. It’s better to be prepared, right?” Izuku’s nervous laughter fades. He peers at him with apologetic eyes. “Or am I taking up your time?”
“I didn’t say no, you idiot.” Katsuki huffs. “I just think you’re worrying yourself over nothing.”
“But it’s final exams!”
He bites the inside of his cheeks to refrain from laughing at Izuku’s unnecessary despair. “I’ll see you in my room after dinner.” He slips into the class, leaving behind whatever words of praise Izuku intended to spill in the hallway.
++++
Over the past three years, his relationship with Izuku has improved more than he could ever ask for. Once it was clear that Katsuki wanted to be friends with him, Izuku made it his mission to friend the ever-loving fuck out of him, much to Katsuki’s chagrin. Although he should’ve known how Izuku is. The forgiving idiot.
Izuku’s happier now. He’s thriving and growing stronger with each passing day. Katsuki’s proud of him. Of course, that doesn’t mean Katsuki will let Izuku be the number one hero so easily.
“Kacchan!” Izuku beams the moment the door opens. God, his happiness must be contagious because seeing Izuku almost vibrating out of his skin almost makes Katsuki want to smile back, too.
Instead, Katsuki doubles down on his scowl and eyes the notebooks in his arm. “Really, Izuku? You’re here to study what you’re bad at. Why did you bring your history stuff?”
Izuku rubs his head sheepishly. “Well… just to refresh my memory, you know?”
“Nerd, you have seven people in your head to tell you the answers.”
“That’s not how it works!”
Katsuki glares at him while Deku stares back with wide, pleading eyes.
“Fine, we’ll go over it briefly.” Katsuki sighs and opens the door wider. “But first, we’re going over the ones you’re shit at. Starting with math.”
Izuku makes a sound like he rather do anything but that. Sucks for him because he asked for this, and Katsuki doesn’t do things by halves.
“Hey, Kacchan?” Izuku starts to say halfway into their studying. Katsuki acknowledges his call with a tilt of his head. “Do you know which agency you’re going to?”
“Jeanist, probably.”
“Eh? Not Endeavor?”
Katsuki barks a laugh at that. “Hell no. I would probably strangle IcyHot within the first week.” He has thought long and hard about it. While he could go to Endeavor with his fire-based quirk agency, Katsuki would lose his mind if he had to endure another one of Todoroki’s soap operas again. “What about you?”
“Oh, uh…” Izuku adverts his eyes and fiddles with his notebook. “I don’t… know yet. Endeavor taught me so much, but there’s also Mirio-senpai’s agency, and I think it would be great to learn there and—”
Katsuki watches him as he rambles on in the excitable, nerdy way he does. Over the years, they may have changed, but this was one of the things that stayed the same. He can’t say he hates it. He let Izuku ramble some more until he went off on a tangent that didn’t relate to the question Katsuki asked.
Katsuki whacks Izuku’s head with a rolled-up notebook, effectively shutting him up. “All right, nerd, enough procrastinating. We got two hours to cram all these subjects into your head.”
“U-um, Kacchan? The look on your face is kind of scary. Kacchan? Wait, wait, mercy!!”
++++
Izuku swallows hard as the paper shake between his fingers. This is his most challenging task yet. Even fighting Shigaraki didn’t seem this daunting. Taking a deep breath, he squeezes his eyes shut. Well, it’s now or never! He flips the paper over and cracks an eye open. His chair clatters back as he jumps out of his seat.
“Deku-kun,” Uraraka turns to him, excitedly holding her paper. “Did you pass?” Izuku couldn’t contain his smile as he held up his paper, showing her his passing grade. She squeals. “Deku-kun!”
He nods feverously. “I did it! I passed!”
“Congratulations, Midoriya-kun!” Iida says, appearing with Todoroki. “I’m also happy to announce that Shouto-kun and I passed!”
“You guys passed, too?” Kirishima pipes up, overhearing Iida’s loud announcement. “Me, too!” One by one, the class revealed they had all passed. It’s fitting after what they’ve been through.
“Quiet down.” Aizawa’s voice calls out above the noise. His one eye glares at them all, waiting for them to fall silent. “As you are all aware, your graduation is in a month. This does not mean you’re free to do as you please. Classes will continue as normal. But Vlad and I have planned a trip for Class 3A and Class 3B before your graduation.” He looks at everyone, taking in their sudden looks of interest. He deflates into a sigh. “We’re going to Hero Park.”
The walls shake as the class screams and jumps for joy. Aizawa wears the expression of a man who regrets everything and sinks back into his sleeping bag to escape the noise. As the class cheers, Izuku catches Kacchan’s eyes. He watches as Kacchan’s eyes soften, and the corner of his lips quirks up into a faint smile. Covering his smile with his hands, he mouths, “You did well, nerd.”
Izuku’s chest swells with overflowing joy. The bright feeling carries with him throughout the day. He packs his bag as their final lesson wraps up. He spots Kacchan slinging his bag over his shoulder, making a beeline to the door.
“Ah, Kac—” He cuts himself off as Kaminari throws an arm around Kacchan, laughing about something in his ear. Kacchan grumbles something, but he doesn’t shrug Kaminari off. Their eyes meet when Kacchan glances back at him. Izuku gives him a small wave, watching fondly as Kacchan rolls his eyes and lets Kaminari drag him out of class.
He wonders what to do with the rest of his day. Uraraka and Tenya have plans together, and Shouto’s going home to visit his family, so Izuku has nothing to do. Hefting his bookbag onto his shoulder, Izuku decides to head back to the dorms and sort out his belongings.
“You’re looking quite chirpy today. Did something good happen?”
Izuku jerks around, breaking out into a wide smile to see Yagi outside the classroom door. “All Might!”
Nowadays, Izuku and Yagi hardly talk about OFA anymore. Despite that, Yagi always offered him a cup of tea, and they would talk about their day whenever they had time to meet. Unlike Aizawa, Yagi continues to teach the first years. Even though he retired, it never failed to bring a smile to Izuku’s face every time a first-year stared at Yagi in awe.
“Hello, Young Midoriya,” Yagi smiles, resting his hand on his head and ruffling his hair slightly. “You have been doing well, I hope.”
Izuku smiles as he walks beside the man to his office. “I was a bit stressed, but Kacchan helped me study, and I passed!” Izuku accepts the cup of tea Yagi hands him as they take their seats.
Yagi chuckles, nursing his own cup of tea. “I knew you could do it.” Izuku ducks his head to hide his uncontrollable grin at the praise as Yagi jumps onto another topic. “I heard Class A and B are having a trip in a couple of weeks.”
Izuku perks up, nodding feverously. “Yeah, I’m so excited!” It seemed like the years had passed so fast after the war, and now everyone was graduating. With the trip over the horizon, Izuku couldn’t help but feel a bit sad that his time with everyone was ending. But seeing his friends on the field is a sight he’s looking forward to!
The sound of chuckling snaps Izuku out of his thoughts. “Graduation is around the corner, isn’t it?” Izuku rubs his neck sheepishly, embarrassed about being caught talking out loud again.
“Speaking of, Young Midoriya, have you chosen which agency you want to go to?” Yagi asks.
“Ah…” He should’ve expected this question. It was all people had asked of Izuku lately. His fingers rub against his cup as he looks away. “I… no. I haven’t, really. Not that I don’t like any of my choices, but I… I feel like I could do more.” Izuku trails off, fidgeting nervously in his seat. Yagi is the most understanding person in Izuku’s life. Still, he couldn’t help but feel ashamed for being so indecisive so close to graduation.
Thin fingers curl around his hands, squeezing gently. Izuku looks up to see Yagi smiling at him.
“I may have something you’re interested in, my boy,” Yagi says, letting him go. “Have you heard of an International Hero License?”
“International Hero License?” he repeats.
Yagi nods. “Yes, it’s a special license that allows you to perform acts of heroism worldwide.”
“Like when you were in America?” Izuku’s eyes widen as he takes in this information.
“Yes. Unlike the normal hero license, the International Hero License can only be approved by both the Hero Commission and United Nation representatives once you’re qualified.” Yagi chuckles.
“That’s…” Amazing. The thought of traveling the world and doing the things that All Might use to do makes Izuku’s limbs shake in excitement.
“The Hero Commission reached out to me with this offer for you. You have the right to reject it if you don’t think it’s the right fit for you.” Yagi says, amused at his enthusiasm.
“I want to do it!” he declares, clenching his fists. The Hero Commission is offering the chance to earn this kind of license? It’s such an honor! “How does it work?”
Yagi’s following words made the smile fall from Izuku’s face.
“You would have to intern in America for two years. And perhaps another two years in another country.”
“So… f-four years total?” Izuku blinks, deflating. “O-oh.”
“Take your time to think about it, my boy. I know it’s a lot to take in. I was overwhelmed as well when this was offered to me.” Yagi pats his back in an attempt to comfort him. “There are still weeks until graduation. And if you don’t think it’s right for you, we can always consider other options.”
Izuku pulls his lip into a smile, unsure if it reaches his eyes. “Thank you, All Might.”
“Anytime, Young Midoriya.”
++++
Days turn into weeks before a blink of an eye. Lesson plans grow lax the closer the graduation approaches. Unfortunately, that gave him more time to stew over The Hero Commission’s offer.
He should be proud and honored that they recommended him for this license, but the thought of going overseas for four years unnerved him. The thought of leaving behind his friends and family, unable to be there to celebrate his friends’ successes or greet them daily, troubles him. He should refuse the offer, shouldn’t he? However, deep down, he wants to try it. But are the sacrifices worth it?
“-erd. Oi, Izuku!”
Izuku jolts, whipping his head around to see the impressive scowl on Kacchan’s face. “Ah, what’s up, Kacchan?”
Kacchan scoffs as if he finds the question ridiculous. He shifts his body to reveal the empty bus seats behind him. Then, Izuku realizes he is so lost in his thoughts that he doesn’t realize they have arrived at the park.
“Oh!” He jumps out of the seat, grabbing his two fanny packs on his way down the aisle. “Thanks, Kacchan!”
“Oi,” The sternness in Kacchan’s voice stops him in his tracks. Izuku blinks owlishly, feeling guilty under Kacchan’s scrutinous gaze. “The hell’s wrong with you?” He asks, not unkindly. “You’ve been weird lately.”
Maybe he wasn’t hiding his dilemma as well as he thought. Worry flickered in Kacchan’s eyes behind his scowl, although the blonde would surely deny it if Izuku pointed it out. It makes his inside twist with comfort and guilt for making the blonde worry for him. For a moment, Izuku considers telling him. It was like some unspoken law that Midoriya Izuku could never hold a secret before Bakugou Katsuki.
He clutches the straps of his fanny pack and throws on a smile. “We’re here at Hero Park with the whole class! I couldn’t even sleep last night. Aren’t you excited?”
Kacchan stares at him. Izuku can see the wheels turning in his head, deeming whether to call him out on his lie. He sighs and yanks one of the fanny packs off his chest.
“Idiot, why did you bring all these things to the amusement park?” Kacchan clicks his tongue, slinging it over his shoulder.
“But what if we need them, Kacchan?” Izuku stares down at his pack, feeling proud to be prepared, but that only makes Kacchan roll his eyes.
“You spend too much time around Glasses.”
Izuku smiles fondly as Kacchan stomps past him. He feels a bit bad for lying, but it was supposed to be a fun day today. There’s no need to bother anyone with his issue right now. Izuku adjusts his pack, sliding it across his chest for easy access before following Kacchan off the bus.
When they get off the bus, their classmates drag them to the entrance, where their teachers get their exclusive bracelets.
“Hero Park!” Someone cheers. Vlad’s instructions go unheard as the students run forward, dragging their friends along once their bracelets are secured.
“Alright! Let’s spend the last of our youth enjoying ourselves!” Kirishima grins.
“But we’re still young?” Shouto comments.
“Excellent outlook, Kirishima-kun!” Iida cuts in with a wave of his arms. We should enjoy this gift that our teachers so thoughtfully gave us.” He pulls out a park map and holds it out to the group. “Where should we start?”
Izuku laughs as his friends’ discussion dissolves into a heated debate. His gaze falls on Kacchan, noticing the fond look in his eyes as he watches the bickering. He wonders if Kacchan is thinking about after graduation. Does Kacchan hold the same concerns that he does? Izuku could almost imagine Kacchan doing something along the lines of becoming the number one hero.
He hides his laugh behind a cough when Kacchan turns to look at him. His eyes narrow suspiciously at him, but Kaminari draws his attention away.
“Oh, oh, what about the haunted ride?” Kaminari points at a spot on the map.
Kacchan scoffs, crossing his arms. “Who cares for some person in a suit?”
“Oho?” A glint in Kaminari’s eyes flashes as he leers at the blonde. “Are you scared, Kacchan?”
Despite knowing it’s a trap, Kacchan rises to the challenge anyway. “I ain’t scared!”
“Don’t worry, Katsuki. You can hold my hand if you’re scared.” Izuku couldn’t tell if Shouto was being serious or not.
“Fuck off, Icyhot!”
They ended up riding the haunted ride. If Kacchan’s hand sparked a bit during a particular scare, Izuku didn’t see anything. They ran around the park, determined to ride every single attraction. Kacchan refused to sit on the Merry-go-Round initially, but Kaminari and Sero managed to drag him onto it. Kirishima and Shouto tried their best with the ring toss game. Izuku and Iida found cutout boards of various heroes, dragging everyone to take pictures.
Now Izuku is leaning over a trashcan, trying to keep his food in his stomach. Everyone else is also suffering from the side effects of spinning the teacup ride too fast, no thanks to Kacchan and Kirishima. Amazingly, Shouto looks unfazed.
“S-Shouto-kun! You’re not sick?” Iida asks a pole that is undoubtedly not Shouto.
“I feel a little sick,” Shouto admits. “What’s next on the list?”
Kanimari moans from where he lies on the bench. “I don’t think I’m ready for another big ride until I stop wanting to puke up my guts.”
“Hah! Weak!” Kacchan boasters as if he wasn’t stumbling around a few moments ago.
“This is your fault, you know?!”
Shouto rubbed his chin, deep in thought, as he looked around before something caught his eye. “What about the Ferris wheel?” Izuku followed his finger to the said wheel just a short distance away.
Sero raises an eyebrow. “The Ferris wheel? Really?”
“Mhm. I have never been on one before. Shows often show this ride, right? I want to see what’s the big deal.”
The boys look at one another and then nod. Kaminari and Sero hook their arms with Shouto and drag him towards the ride.
“Let’s go, Shouto!” Kaminari cheers as Iida and Kirishima follow after them.
Izuku chuckles at Shouto’s perplexed expression as he walks beside Kacchan. “Everyone’s having fun, aren’t they, Kacchan?”
“Psh, they’re like a bunch of babies, getting excited over the simplest things,” Kacchan grumbles.
“Does that mean you’re not enjoying yourself?” Izuku asks with a knowing smile on his face.
Red eyes flicker to his face only for a second before looking away. “It’s… not bad.” Izuku stares fondly as Kacchan’s bottom lip juts out a bit, almost looking like a pout, But Kacchan would kill him if he said as such.
Kacchan shoves his shoulder into Izuku with enough force that Izuku flails his arms to keep from toppling over.
“W-wah! Kacchan!”
Kacchan sticks his tongue out in response. “Stop thinking about weird shit.”
Izuku splutters, hurrying after him. “I wasn’t!”
“Were too!”
As they approach the Ferris wheel, Izuku notices a few more people have joined their group.
“Ah, Deku-kun, Bakugou-kun!” Uraraka waves at them, turning away from her chat with Iida and Shouto. “So, you guys are going on the Ferris wheel?”
“What’s it to you, Round Face?”
“Well, the girls and I thought drawing lots to pair us up would be fun!” Uraraka grins, jerking her thumb to where Yaoyorozu was creating paper strips.
Kacchan rolls his eyes. “Let me guess. It’s Pinky’s idea.”
As if her nickname summoned her, Ashido pops up beside them. “Hey, the Ferris wheel is the most romantic ride! Can’t you understand the thrill and anticipation of who you pick to sit with?”
“I bet you just want to sit with a certain rocks-for-brains, idiot,” Kacchan mutters low enough for Ashido to hear. She blushes furiously before dragging Kacchan away to whisper something in his ear. Soon, Kacchan’s face goes red in anger, and the two bicker and kick dust clouds at their thrashing.
Izuku stares, bewildered at the sight.
Uraraka leans against the railing, watching the rest of their friends pick paper from Yaoyorozu’s arm. “Have you chosen which agency you’re going to go to?”
Izuku rubs the back of his neck sheepishly, shifting uncomfortably under her curious gaze. “I haven’t, not yet. What about you?” He asks, quickly shifting the topic away from him.
Uraraka’s eyes light up. “I’m going to Ryuko’s Agency!”
“Kyushu?! That’s so far!” To Kyushu from Shizuoka would take about six to five hours by train. He’s surprised Uraraka would want to be far away from her friends and family.
She hums. “It is, but I’m already looking at places to rent. If it comes down to it, I’ll borrow the agency’s dorms until I find a place.”
“You planned ahead, huh?” Izuku remarks in awe. She makes it seem easy while he’s so indecisive.
“How do you know?” He asks before he can stop himself. “Isn’t it… hard? Won’t you miss…” He waves a hand in the direction of their friends. “This?”
Kacchan holds Kaminari in a chokehold. While his mouth is twisted into all teeth, Izuku can see the ease of his shoulders and how his eyes light up in amusement. He wants to take the internship; he really does, but… it’s the ‘but’ that keeps his feet planted. Izuku can’t understand how Uraraka could sacrifice her normalcy for her desires.
A small hand on his arm forces him to look at Uraraka. She smiles reassuringly. “As much as I love my friends, I must do what makes me happy. I could remain close to home and stay, but I would become stagnant.” She pulls away, tucking her hair behind her ear. Her smile softens as Iida’s hands chop in the air, reprimanding Kaminari and Sero. “I have to become the best version of myself, you know?”
To become the best version of himself, huh? Some of the turmoil eases in his chest. He grins, lightly jabbing his elbow into her side. “When did you get so wise?”
She giggles, jabbing him back. “It’s a woman’s intuition. Now come on. You can’t get out of riding the Ferris wheel!”
That’s how Izuku ends up in a cart with a grumbling Kacchan.
“This is so stupid.” Kacchan sulks, glaring down at their classmates as their ride ascends.
“I don’t know, Kacchan. The view is nice up here!” Izuku presses his face against the window as the sunset slowly approaches.
Izuku could almost feel the roll of Kacchan’s eyes as he scoffs, “You have float; you can see the sunset every day.”
“It’s not the same.” Izuku insists. “I can’t enjoy the view when I’m fighting. Besides,” He turns to Kacchan, smiling softy. “Don’t you think the sunset is particularly magnificent today?”
Kacchan only humphs, resting his chin on his hand as he looks out that window. As they slowly reach the top, the golden sunlight climbs down the blonde’s features until it envelopes him completely. If he looked closer, he could see the sunset in the blonde’s ruby-like eyes as if encased for eternity. Pretty, Izuku thinks. Whether he’s taking down a villain or sitting here at peace, Kacchan is always pretty. Especially seeing him so relaxed and enjoying himself despite what he says otherwise.
He catches sight of a piece of leaf in Kacchan’s hair, probably from all the roughhousing with their friends. Izuku leans forward and plucks the leaf from his hair.
Immediately, Kacchan whips his head around. The sudden movement forces Izuku to pedal back, making the cart rock. Almost slipping out of his seat, Kacchan wildly grasps for purchase as Izuku yelps. His elbow hits the seat hard as his hand slams against the wall to prevent him from falling onto the blonde.
“Goddamn it, Izuku!” Kacchan hisses, turning his body to face him. “Didn’t they say not to rock the fucking…” He trails off.
Izuku couldn’t bring himself to move, not with Kacchan’s face just mere centimeters away from his. Even as the cart finally descended to the ground, they were frozen in time. Izuku can’t help but want to stay like this, to just brush against Kacchan’s warmth, to see him up close like this. He can see the sunset encased in those ruby eyes, lighting them like precious stars.
Kacchan turning his head away, does nothing to hide the pinkness of his ears, but he clears his throat. Izuku blinks, coming back to his senses. He quickly scrambles away from the blonde, taking care not to rock the cart as he returns to his seat. Izuku keeps his eyes glued to the window.
“S-so, everyone looks like they had fun today, huh?” Izuku laughs nervously to erase the awkwardness in the air. Kacchan only grunts. Izuku smiles as the shapes of their friends grow bigger. Some of them wave up at him, and he waves back, his smile becoming morose. “After this, everyone’s going their separate ways soon.” The lonely feeling he pushed away at the beginning of the trip comes back with a tight grip on his heart.
Uraraka is moving to Kyushu. Shouto and Kacchan would be stationed in Tokyo, and Iida would probably be in Tokyo, specifically in Hosu City. This would be the last time they’ll hang out together for a long time.
“You’re being stupid.” Kacchan’s rough voice snaps him out of his thoughts.
“Uh, huh?”
“I said you’re stupid,” Kacchan repeats, glaring at him.
“I heard that, but wh—”
“It’s not like everyone’s going to disappear somewhere you can’t reach.” Kacchan rolls his eyes. “You have their numbers. You can call or text them whenever. Or read about them on the news. You’re good at finding hero information.”
Izuku could feel his face heat up at the claim. “Y-you don’t have to add that….” But it isn’t as if Kacchan’s claims are wrong.
“Did you have fun?” Kacchan suddenly asks.
Izuku stares at him. “What?”
Kacchan turns his full attention toward him. “Stop worrying about extras and focus on yourself for once, nerd. At this rate, I will reach number one before you do.” He averts his eyes, bottom lip jutting out a bit as he asks again. “Well? Did you have fun on this stupid trip?”
The smile spreading on Izuku’s face is all the answer he needs. The closer the ground becomes, the surer he is in his decisions. Izuku smiles, admiring the splashes of color dyed across the sky.
++++
“Say cheese!”
Flash!
Inko yanks Izuku into a hug, sobbing and blubbering into his uniform. Unsurprisingly, Izuku’s waterworks begin to flow at the sight of his mom’s tears. “I-I’m so proud of you, Izuku!” Inko hiccups, blowing her nose on a handkerchief. “I remember you were crawling all over the floor, and now, you’re on your way to achieving your dreams. My little boy is all grown up!” She wails.
Izuku chuckles wetly, holding her steady. “Mom, please, not so loud.”
“Oh, Izuku!” She wraps him into another hug, drawing up another round of tears. He laughs, tears rolling down his face, drenching her blouse.
In the background, Mitsuki is whacking Kacchan’s back, most likely saying some colorful words.
“Quit that, hag!” Kacchan complains, whacking her hand away in an impromptu game of whack a mole. Clinging to his side is Masaru crying enough tears for the whole family.
Izuku looks up and beams when a shadow falls over him. “All Might!”
Yagi, wearing his classic yellow suit, smiles back as he shifts the bouquet in his arms. “Young Midoriya, congratulations.”
Without letting go, Inko maneuvers him around until she faces Yagi. “Yagi-san, thank you. Thank you so much for allowing my son to achieve his dreams. It’s thanks to you that, that—” She blows her nose.
Yagi smiles sheepishly, rubbing his neck in gratitude. “It’s all due to your son’s hard work. I’m proud to have taught Young Midoriya, ah, Izuku.” He winks at Izuku, who fidgets shyly at hearing his name come out of his mentor’s mouth. “Ah, Midoriya-san, may I borrow your son?”
Inko finally detaches herself from her son, sniffling a bit as she wipes her eyes. “Oh yes, go ahead. I’ll be with Mitsuki-san if you want to find me, Izuku!”
“Alright, Mom!” Izuku hurries after Yagi, moving to a secluded spot.
“Young Midoriya,” Yagi starts, after making sure no one would overhear them. “About your decision, are you certain?”
Izuku takes the time to look at the students crowding the front of UA. He can see his classmates crying and smiling with their parents. He sees Uraraka laughing in her family’s embrace, smiling despite her plans for her future far from home.
“I’m sure.” He confirms. “I must focus on myself to be able to make others happy. To become the best of myself.”
A thin hand ruffles his hand, and Yagi smiles down at him proudly. “I’m proud of how far you have come, Izuku.”
Izuku chuckles. “I didn’t do it alone.” Catching Kacchan’s eyes from where he stands, Izuku raises his hand to wave at him.
“Um… excuse me.”
Izuku’s attention moves from the blonde to a small pink-haired girl standing shyly away from the two. From the looks of her jacket, she’s a second-year gen student. “Oh, um… yes?”
She plays with the edge of her jacket, twisting the fabric around her finger. Her yellow eyes dart up to his face briefly before she looks away. “Uh… C-can I have a m-moment of your time? I-If you’re not busy, that is!”
“I was just taking my leave.” Yagi offers Izuku an encouraging smile, patting his shoulder as he walks past. “Keep in touch, my boy.”
Once it was just him and the girl, she stepped closer to him, her face strangely red. Izuku gives her a patient smile, letting her get her words out at her own pace.
“I-I’m Tsunagi Daichi and I-I…” Tsunagi squeezes her eyes shut and shouts, “I like you!”
“Eh?” Izuku let the words roll around in his head as he attempts to understand the meaning of her words. Like as in like like?! Romantic like?!
“I-I know you don’t know me, but!” She bravely barrels on, despite looking as if she would rather run away. “I’ve watched you from afar, and I think it’s really admirable how hard you work, and you once rescued my cat from a tree. I really like you!” Tsunagi looks him in the eye, voice shaking slightly. “May I… May I have your second button?”
“Second button?!” Izuku squeaks, his brain working a mile a minute. “You like me?! I-I, uh, this is so sudden… Uh, me?? Hold on, I’ve never—me?!” He had never had this happen to him before. He’s sure that his face is as red as Tsunagi’s. Izuku takes a moment out of his flustered haze to look at the girl.
The ends of her jacket are curled tightly around her finger, a nervous habit. Her limbs are trembling, but here she is, brave enough to confess her feelings without knowing the outcome.
Izuku smiles helplessly, tugging her fingers away from the abuse. “I’m sorry,” he says gently, releasing her hand. “I can’t give you my button. I’m sure you’ll find someone for you, but I’m not the one.”
Tsunagi sniffles. “I expected this. I knew my chances were low, but I wanted to try.” She slaps her cheeks and then throws on a smile. “Thank you, Midoriya-senpai.”
Izuku watches as she retreats into the building, feeling bad for making her cry. But she’ll find someone for her, he’s sure about that. He turns around to head back to the ceremony when his heart leaps to his mouth in shock.
“WAH-CCHAN!”
Kacchan says nothing to his reaction choosing to stare at the retreating girl’s back before carefully looking Izuku over. “You rejected her?”
Izuku flushes. “W-what if I didn’t?” He buffs, but under Kacchan’s judging stare, he quickly caves. “Alright, I did, but why do you want to know?”
Kacchan only hums and turns around to walk back to the ceremony.
“Kacchan? Kacchan!” Izuku huffs, quickly following him.
“You never said which agency you’re going to,” Kacchan suddenly brings up, looking back at him.
“Oh, I—” Izuku cuts himself. Kacchan is usually the first person to hear about what go on in his life, but strangely, Izuku doesn’t want Kacchan to know about this. At least, not yet. He sheepishly rubs his neck. “Ah… I still don’t know. I want to be sure! I want to find the right place for me….” He trails off, waiting for Kacchan to nag him. Instead, Kacchan continues to walk ahead. “You… you’re not saying anything about it?”
“What do you want me to say? That you think too much?”
“Well...”
Kacchan stops, turning around. “I trust you, Izuku. You know what’s best for you, just don’t overthink it.”
“Kacchan…” Izuku can’t help the smile that creeps onto his face. The warmth in his heart swells. He’ll tell Kacchan soon.
Kacchan turns on his heels, coughing loudly. “Come on, nerd. Our parents want us for some stupid pictures.”
“Kacchan, wait!” Izuku snags the blonde’s sleeve before he can leave. “Um, the Tanabata festival!” Kacchan stares, waiting for him to continue. He ducks his head and squeezes his eyes shut. “Do you want to go with me?”
At this moment, Izuku understood what Tsunagi went through. The silence is stifling. He doesn’t know how she could look him in the eyes, waiting for a response. A small laugh catches his attention. Izuku opens his eyes to see Kacchan smiling behind his hand.
“Sure, Izuku.”
++++
It’s been a month since graduation, and everyone is taking a break before they jump straight into hero work. Katsuki would rather start immediately, but Jeanist, the stupid old man, forbids him from stepping into the agency early.
Katsuki has already found a few potential apartments in Tokyo. It’s only a matter of waiting for one to accept him and move in. The last he heard, Uraraka was spending her time at home as long as possible before moving to the Kyushu region. Kirishima and Ashido are planning to go to Kansai. He has no idea where Kaminari is headed, only that he would go where Jirou and Yaoyorozu are. The only people that will be stationed around Tokyo are him, Todoroki, Iida, and Sero.
And Izuku… Despite Izuku texting him almost every day, Katsuki had barely seen a lick of the guy since graduation. He can’t help but feel like Izuku is avoiding him. But why?
“Hey, Katsuki!”
He looks away from his phone, catching his plate of food before it tips over the edge. He throws a glare at Kaminari, who only grins apologetically.
“What got your attention that you’re glued to your phone?” Kirishima asks, delaying Kaminari’s murder for a moment.
“It’s probably Midoriya.” Sero snickers.
“No surprise there.” Shinsou drawls.
“Can it, you two.” He hisses.
“Oh, Kacchan,” Kaminari takes a gulp of his water before continuing. “Have you heard the news yet?”
News? Katsuki frowns. “What news?” Instantly, Kirishima and Sero whack Kaminari over the head.
“Did I say news? I meant stews!” Kaminari backtracks. “Like the new stew place that—okay, I’ll shut up now.”
Sero and Kirishima look away from his questioning stare. Shinsou pulls an eye mask out of nowhere and pulls it over his head, pretending to be asleep. Katsuki’s frown deepens at how suspicious his friends are acting. It doesn’t seem like it’s terrible news.
Kaminari is quick to switch topics before Katsuki can press any further. He considers dragging the electric user aside for answers, but Kirishima gets to him first.
“Don’t be mad, okay?” Kirishima pleads after he drags him aside before they walk home. “We weren’t supposed to say anything.”
Katsuki crosses his arms, leveling his friend with a look. “Depends on what I should be mad about. Is this about the news Dunce Face mentioned? Something I’m not aware of?”
Kirishima smiles apologetically. “Yeah, but I shouldn’t be the one to tell you. Honestly, I thought you would’ve known by now. I didn’t realize it would take this long.”
Katsuki narrows his eyes. Whatever this secret was, he felt the rest of Class A knew about it. This reeks of a certain idiot. “Is this about Deku?”
“Uh…” Kirishima’s eyes shift around frantically, trying to find an excuse without lying to his face.
He sighs, relaxing his posture. “It’s fine, Shitty Hair.” If Izuku wanted to tell him himself, then he’ll wait for the nerd to come to him. Although, with how Izuku is avoiding him, it would be a while until the nerd gets his head out of his ass.
Two weeks later, Katsuki finds himself at the conbini, grabbing himself a snack and a drink after a late-night run. As he reaches up to grab a drink, his hand bumps into a familiar scarred hand.
“Oh, sorry— Kacchan?” Izuku, dressed in his ‘running shirt’ shirt and shorts, blinks at him in surprise.
“Nerd.” Katsuki nods in greeting and then grimaces at the stupid shirt. “You were running?”
“Just a light one. I needed to clear my head.” Izuku plucks two pocari from the fridge and hands one to Katsuki. “It’s nice seeing you, Kacchan. I’m going to head home now. See ya!”
One would think it would be hard to avoid someone who lives in the same area, but Izuku can be elusive if he tries.
“You’re avoiding me.”
Izuku jerks around, panic on his face as he shakes his head. “I-I wasn’t!”
He raises an eyebrow, staring at him dubiously. “Right…” He drawls. “So, you’re saying that you never thought to visit me for nearly a month and a half?”
The nerd’s face brightens. “You wanted me to visit you?” The idiot has the nerve to laugh when Katsuki makes a face at that claim, even if it’s true.
“Tch!” Katsuki stalks toward the cashier without another word. As expected, Footsteps echo behind him a moment later.
Once outside, he waits against the railing, watching Izuku paying for his items through the conbini’s doors. As Izuku emerges, he holds up a twin popsicle with a placating smile. He breaks it in half, handing one to him. They silently eat their popsicle, making the awkward air thicker between them.
Izuku is the first to break the silence. “It’s been a while since it’s just been the two of us, huh?”
“It wouldn’t have been if someone didn’t avoid me.” He jabs.
“It wasn’t avoiding….” Izuku protests weakly. Taking the hint that Katsuki isn’t buying his excuse, Izuku sighs and nibbles on his popsicle. “I just had a lot on my mind.”
Katsuki rakes his eyes over the nerd’s form, making sure there are no injuries that the nerd is hiding. It doesn’t look like Izuku’s doing anything life-threatening. Perhaps it has something to do with the secret that Izuku’s keeping from him.
Katsuki glances away, focusing on finishing his cold treat before it drips into his hand. The conversation lulls back into silence as they finish their popsicle.
Izuku tilts his head back to stare at the starry sky. “Remember how we used to run to the conbini every day?”
Katsuki hums. “For the All Might card?”
“Yeah, the All Might card,” Izuku says softly. The stupid soft expression on his face makes it hard to look at him. “We snuck out once before, didn’t we?”
Katsuki couldn’t help but snort at the memory. “We got into a shitload of trouble for it.”
He can’t recall why he and Izuku decided to sneak out, but they barely made it a block from his house when his parents pulled up in their car. He remembers Mitsuki dragging him to the car by his ear, yelling loud enough to wake the whole region as Marasu carried a wailing Izuku behind them.
After Mitsuki made sure Inko knew where her son was, Izuku slept over.
“The stars remind me of your ceiling,” Izuku says, speaking of the glow-in-the-dark stickers that Katsuki used to have on his ceiling. They used to make a game out of it, jumping on his bed attempting to touch them. That was when they were in grade school.
Katsuki tears his eyes away from the starry sky. “Why are you dragging up old memories for?”
“Do you think we can touch the stars?” He looks behind him to see Izuku floating, his head outstretched to the sky. Izuku tilts his head to look at him, his lip quirking up slightly. “Just like when we were kids, hoping we could jump high enough to touch a star.”
“Don’t be stupid.” Katsuki turns away from him and starts to walk back home. “You’ll burn to a fucking crisp if you try to touch an actual star.”
Izuku gives him a knowing smile. He gently lands on the pavement before catching up to him. “So… uh, July is coming up.”
He hums. “Is that so?”
“S-so, Tanabata,” nervous energy suddenly overtakes Izuku’s voice as he strides beside him. “You’re coming, right?”
“Oh?” Katsuki gasps in mocked surprise. “So, you haven’t forgotten about that.”
“Kacchan!” He frowns, his lips almost pulling into a pout. “I wouldn’t do that to you.”
He nudges him with his elbow. “Relax, nerd. I was joking.”
“Oh… Ah, so… what time should we meet?”
“Isn’t evening the best time to view the fireworks?”
Izuku follows him as they turn onto Katsuki’s block. “You want to watch the fireworks with me?”
“So, what if I do?” Katsuki feels his cheeks heat up at the question. Damn, the nerd for pointing that out.
A beaming smile spread across Izuku’s face, lighting up the pink flush growing on his cheeks. Katsuki wonders why Izuku would attempt to touch a star when he burns brightly as one. He forcefully tears his eyes away from the sight lest he does something mortifying. He opens the gate to his home, giving Izuku a nod as he shuts it.
“Well, see you.” He pauses, turning back to jab an accusing finger toward the nerd’s face. “And don’t try to avoid me. I will hunt you down and kick your ass.”
“I won’t!”
He could feel watchful eyes on his back, never leaving as he went up the steps to his home. As Katsuki places his hand on the knob, Izuku calls out.
“Kacchan!”
Izuku looks troubled when Katsuki peeks over his shoulder. Does he finally get to know Izuku’s secret? The one that everyone but him seems to know about. He raises an eyebrow, waiting for the nerd to gather his nerve and spit out whatever it is he wanted to say.
Izuku takes a deep breath, leveling him with a look like he was going to war. Suddenly, Katsuki isn’t sure he wants to know what Izuku’s keeping from him. “I’m going away.”
Everything screeches to a halt. “Going away?” Katsuki repeats slowly.
“Uh, I-I got the chance to apply for an international hero license,” Izuku explains. “I’m going to intern in America for two years and probably another two years in another country. I thought really long and hard about it, but there’s no reason why I shouldn’t take this chance. So, I…” He stands there, clenching his fists as he holds onto his decision. “I’m going to America.”
Izuku stares at him, carefully observing his face for a reaction as if he’s waiting for something. But what is there to say? But deep down, Katsuki knows that if he tells Izuku to stay, he would do so without hesitation.
He angles his head away, straightening his posture to hide his emotions from Izuku’s all-knowing eyes. “When are you leaving?”
“Right after Tanabata.”
Ah.
Katsuki takes a deep breath before turning around with a smile. “Congrats, Izuku. Aiming high, huh? While you’re overseas slacking, I’ll make it to Number 1 before you know it.”
A second later, with his eyes looking a little red, Izuku cracks a smile. “And I’ll come back and snatch it from under you, Kacchan.”
Neither of them notices the shooting star passing by overhead.
++++
Katsuki checks his watch, adjusting his yukata for the nth time. Huffing, he taps his foot impatiently as people walk past him, and still no signs of the nerd. Then his hair begins to stand on its end, and ozone crackles before Izuku appears in a flash of green.
“I am here!” Izuku grins, clearly winded. “Oh, Kacchan, you look nice!” He says, ignoring Katsuki’s unimpressed gaze.
Usually, Katsuki would’ve gone with a simple t-shirt and shorts, but he opted for a black yukata that fades into orange. Extricate designs cover the bottom of his clothes, only to fade as it creeps up to the fabric.
He half expected Izuku to wear one of his terrible graphic shirts, but surprisingly, the nerd had dressed up in a green-striped yukata. Annoyance forgotten Katsuki’s lip quirks up. “You don’t look like a nerd for once.”
Izuku pouts. “Hey, now…”
Katsuki moves ahead, cutting whatever Izuku’s going to say next. “Come on! Waiting for you made me hungry.”
“It was only five minutes!”
Izuku somehow found the hero section of the festival and came out with a nerdy All Might mask and an even more nerdy All Might shaved ice. They ran through the festive, admiring the decorations (Izuku) and completely dominating the goldfish scooping game (Katsuki). Unable to keep his spoils, Izuku handed out bags of fishes to kids that were watching in awe.
“Kacchan, look!” Izuku points to a hanging dog plush. “It’s you!”
Immediately, Katsuki scowls. “No, it doesn’t.” But Izuku is already moving towards the booth.
“Hold this for me.” Izuku shoves his shaved ice into his hands as he approaches the shooting stand and slaps down a couple of yen.
Helping himself to the shaved ice, Katsuki snickers as Izuku attempts to beat the game. Granted, Izuku only missed a few targets, but it isn’t enough points to get what he wanted.
“Move aside, nerd. Don’t blow your money on this rigged game.” Shoving the shaved ice back into Izuku’s hands, he takes hold of Izuku’s gun and sets down a couple of yen. Within a few seconds, Katsuki shoots down each target until none is left standing. He smirks at the guy behind the counter. “I win.”
“Kacchan’s amazing!” Izuku beams as the worker stretches his arms to reach the prizes on display. “You’re getting the dog, right?”
Katsuki scoffs loudly. “Hell no. Get me that huge green thing right there.”
“A sheep?” Izuku blinks.
Katsuki smirks as he adjusts the giant plush in his arms. “It looks dumb like you.”
“It does not.” Izuku rolls his eyes before sinking his hand into the soft material. “Oh wow, it’s really soft.”
“Take it.” Katsuki shakes the thing at him, and the head flops stupidly at Izuku. It looks like the nerd with its dumb face and the dots on the cheeks.
“What? No, no, Kacchan, you keep it!”
“The fuck? Didn’t you want to win something from this rigged game?”
“Don’t call it that, Kacchan.” Izuku pulls them away from the stand to avoid annoying the worker further. As if the guy had any reason to be offended when Katsuki said the truth. “I did want to win something.”
“Alright, what gives? Is it because it’s not the dog?” He begins to turn around. “We can exchange it.”
Izuku yanks him back. “No, no! It’s not that. I wanted to win something for you and, well….” He chuckles sheepishly, glancing at the shooting booth in embarrassment.
Katsuki glances back and forth between the plush and Izuku until he tucks it under an arm. “Fine, I’ll take this gift you didn’t win.” He teases, slowly inching away
“Hey, Kacchan!” But Katsuki is already bolting through the crowd. Catching onto what he is doing, Izuku quickly tosses his empty cup into the trash and chases after him. Laughter echoes behind him as they run past stalls and dancers alike.
Hands grab him around the waist and lift him off the ground. “Gotcha!” The smile on Izuku’s face is so wide it’s a wonder that his face isn’t hurting from it.
“Alright, nerd,” Katsuki chuckles. “Put me down now.”
Izuku hums, his lips quirking up into a teasing smile. “What if I don’t want to?”
At Katsuki’s deadpan stare, Izuku only smiles innocently in response. However, he sets him down, turning him around so Katsuki faces him. Izuku steps closer until the only thing that separates them is the sheep plush. Katsuki is well aware of the hands still attached to his waist like they have no intention of leaving.
The longer Izuku stares at him, the softer his expression gets. The expression Izuku is wearing now isn’t what he usually shows to his friends. There is something private about this one, different, personal. Katsuki doesn’t dare move, lest he ruins this moment.
“Remember how we got lost in a festival like this when we were kids?” Izuku says so softly Katsuki wouldn’t have heard him if they weren’t so close.
“The one where I had to carry you?” Katsuki replies just as quietly. It’s easy to remember that night they ran off once their parents’ backs were turned. “You were a whiny piece the shit.” The sight of Izuku’s shoulders shaking with his suppressed chuckles make him smile despite how he tries to be serious. “Don’t laugh, bastard. I had to carry you because you scraped your knees and refused to get up.”
“My hero.” Izuku coos. Katsuki slaps his shoulder, setting off another round of quiet laughter. “We have come a long way, huh?” Izuku remarks once his chuckling tapers off.
“Yeah…” Katsuki whispers, suddenly aware of how piercing his green eyes are. It is as if they are peering into his soul. Izuku’s finger traces circles against his back as he leans closer, ignoring the barrier between them. Izuku’s breath fans across his face.
“Kacchan, I—”
“WAAH!”
They jerk away. Any sappy feelings Katsuki is feeling vanish when he spots a crying child standing next to a tree. Izuku hurried forward, being the first to catch sight of her.
“Hey there,” Izuku kneels down, keeping his voice gentle. “Are you lost?”
The girl sniffles. “Miri didn’t mean to! Papa told Miri to stay, but, but….”
“Oh, don’t cry, don’t cry!” Izuku frantically tries to soothe her before she cries another river. “Listen, I’m going to help you find your papa, okay?”
Miri’s eyes seem to sparkle as she leans in. “Really?!”
Izuku smiles, patting her head. “Really. What does he look like?”
“Papa Kazuki is this big!” She hops, stretching her arms high as she can make it. “And Papa Rei is smaller than Papa by thiiiis much. And he looks like this!” Miri downturns her lips into a deep frown and furrows her eyebrows.
Izuku laughs at her animated actions. “Alright, Miri-chan, Ka—this Nii-san will stay with you while I go look, okay?”
Katsuki’s head snaps around so fast. “What?!”
Miri gasps as if she just realized something. “Onii-chan, are you a hero?”
Izuku pauses, then grins as he starts to float. “I’m Deku!” And with that, he flies off.
He can’t believe Izuku left him here with the kid. What the hell is he supposed to do with her?
The brat turns her big eyes on him. “Are you a hero, too?”
Katsuki huffs. “Not any hero. I’m going to be Number 1. Great Explosion Murder God Dynamight. Remember that, brat.”
“Dynamy?” Miri blinks owlishly, tilting her head.
“Not ‘Dynamy,’ Dynamight!” He corrects her, but her attention is already directed elsewhere.
“Sheep!” Squealing, she leaps forward and clings to the plush.
“H-hey!” He attempts to shake her off, but that only makes her laugh more.
“Ne, ne, Dynamy-niichan—”
“Dynamight!”
“—what’s your quirk?”
Katsuki scowls down at her. “Hah?”
She starts to run around his legs so fast his head spins. “Show me, please, please, please!”
He plucks her off the ground, halting her. Making sure she isn’t going to run in circles again, he sets her down and kneels to her height. “You want to see my quirk, right?” She nodded so eagerly that he couldn’t help but chuckle. “Alright, but don’t touch it.”
She gasps as tiny sparks pop and fizzle in his hand. “It’s tiny fireworks!” Miri leans in closer, taking care not to get her hair in the way. “Pretty…” She blows them, giggling when the sparks twinkle into the air and fade away.
Katsuki smiles at her antics, watching her stare at his display in awe and joy. Moments like this aren’t so bad. He stays with her like that until Izuku returns with two men in tow. Miri joyously jumps into their arms, squealing loudly. Katsuki nearly breaks into cackles when the girl accidentally headbutts Izuku in her attempt to give him a hug.
As the family walks away, Miri waves at them from her father’s arms. “Bye-bye, Deku-niichan! Bye-bye, Dynamy-niichan!”
“It’s Dynamight!” Katsuki shouts back.
Izuku slaps a hand over his mouth as he laughs. “Dynamy, huh?”
Scowling, he clicks his tongue and jerks his head away. Izuku waves at the brat, grinning widely until she disappears into the crowd.
“Izuku, before… what did you want to say?”
Izuku pauses, considering something, and then shakes his head. “It’s nothing.” Before Katsuki could press, Izuku grabbed his wrist, dragging him through the crowd with a laugh. “Come on, Kacchan!”
As he runs, he stares at Izuku’s back. It’s a bit taller, a bit broader. He doesn’t think he has seen his back like this before. It’s not a bad view, Katsuki thinks, letting his feet trail after Izuku.
A loud boom echoes in the air. The sky lights up in various colors momentary before fading into nothing. Soon the next firework shoots into the air.
Izuku gasps, a smile growing on his face. “The fireworks are starting. Hurry, Kacchan!”
Katsuki didn’t have the chance to say anything before Izuku dragged them toward the direction of the forest instead of the firework-watching area. He didn’t have long to wonder where Izuku was taking them because soon the trees faded into a small clearing. Katsuki’s eyes lit up in recognition.
“This is…”
“Just like old times, huh?” Izuku sits in a patch that isn’t overgrown by weeds. He looks back at Katsuki as he pats the ground beside him.
This was one of their hiding spots when they were kids before middle school. Katsuki had almost forgotten about it. He takes his seat, looking around at what changed and what hasn’t.
The tree over there with the droopy branch was the one Katsuki used to climb on a lot. Izuku tried to climb after him, but he only slid to the bottom because he sucked at climbing. Not that Katsuki tried to teach him, though.
“What did we call this place again?” The innocent smile on Izuku’s face makes Katsuki groan, wishing the nerd would shut his mouth. Sensing his embarrassment, Izuku grins teasingly. “The Bakugou Agency!”
“You wanted to name it Decchan Agency!” Katsuki fires back.
“It does have a nicer ring, doesn’t it?” Izuku mused, only breaking into laughter when Katsuki nearly knocked him over.
Overhead, the sky burst into colors again, setting Izuku’s face aglow. With a faint smile on the corner of his lips, bright green eyes peek over at him. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Izuku’s eyes bore into him, searching his face for an answer Katsuki couldn’t give him, won’t give him.
Because he’s not a weak man, Katsuki tears his gaze away, focusing on the light show before them. “Yeah.” He murmurs.
The echoing sounds of exploding fireworks fill the silence between them. There’s a slight pressure against his shoulder where Izuku leans against him. If Katsuki leans back into that warmth, Izuku knows better than to say anything.
It was late by the time they decided to head home. But being the sap he is, Izuku brought them over to the bamboo tree to make a wish, not that Katsuki thought the nerd needed it.
Holding his sleeve back, he drags the brush over the paper, angling his body to ensure Izuku doesn’t see his paper. Katsuki glances at Izuku from the other side of the bamboo tree as they tie up their tanzaku. He doesn’t ask what Izuku wrote on his paper; likewise, Izuku doesn’t mention his. They finally head home, hands barely brushing as they walk in silence. And just like that, their adventure during Tanabata comes to an end.
Two days later, Izuku left for America, taking a piece of Katsuki with him.
++++
“Are you sure you have everything, dear?” Inko asks for the millionth time since they’ve arrived at the airport.
“Yes, Mom.” Izuku sighs in fond exasperation.
“Geez, Inko, you’re going to talk Izuku’s ears off before he even makes it out of here.” Mitsuki teases.
Inko wrings the handkerchief in her hand. “I’m just so nervous….” She sniffles. Oh boy, here comes the waterworks. “You have to tell me how you’re settling in over there, okay, Izuku? You must take care of yourself and don’t eat junk food all the time!”
Izuku, despite also having leaky eyes, flushes in mortification. “Mom!”
Yagi chuckles, comfortably patting Izuku’s shoulder. “Izuku would do great.”
Inko pulls Izuku into another hug, probably muttering in his ears, judging by how red Izuku’s face is getting. But he hugs her tighter, pressing a kiss to her cheek.
Katsuki watches the small group from his corner as the airport’s bustling echoes around them. Izuku looks up from over his mother’s shoulder. Katsuki quickly looks away before he catches his gaze. Unfortunately, the old hag enjoys making his life harder.
“Come on,” Mitsuki grabs Inko and Yagi, dragging them to where her husband is sitting. “Let’s take a seat before you smother the poor boy.”
Then it’s just him and Izuku, standing barely a meter from each other. They stand there in silence, not knowing what to say. Or perhaps they have so many words and so little time.
Katsuki swallows hard and shoves his hands into his pocket. “Don’t blow all your money on merch, nerd. And you better not be slacking over there, ya here?”
Izuku ducks his head with a snort, easing the tightness in Katsuki’s chest at the sight of the nerd’s smile. It didn’t last, though. Izuku’s eyes suddenly water with unshed tears. “Kacchan, I…” He furiously wipes his eyes with his arm as tears drip down his face. “I-I’m sorry….”
He grimaces at the snot dripping from Izuku’s nose. “Gross.” He grabs the tissue packet from his pocket and roughly rubs Izuku’s face. “You’re such a crybaby. You better not forget to take care of yourself, nerd.”
“Y-you’re one to talk.”
Katsuki scoffs. “Excuse you, I take care of myself just fine, Mr. I-drink-three-energy-drinks-at-once.” The sounds that come out of Izuku are a mix between a laugh and a sob.
His expression softens as he wipes away the rest of the nerd’s tears. “Look, if you don’t want to go, you don’t—”
“No, no,” A tentative hand rests against his wrist, stopping his ministration. “I just…” He sniffles, tightening his grip. “I’ll miss you. I’ll miss you a lot. I-I… Kacchan, will you miss me?” He whispers.
There he goes again, turning everything on its head with a few words. Katsuki doesn’t answer him, or rather, he can’t. He’s stuck staring at Izuku, his stupid, big watery eyes and dumb freckles. He holds his breath as Izuku leans in. Time seems to slow, and the world narrows down to just them. It’s hard to breathe as the feeling in his chest tightens, telling him to pull back. But he can never escape Izuku’s gravitational pull. Katsuki leans forward and—
“We are starting the check-in procedure for Japan Airline Flight 8XXX to America. Please come to the check-in counter.”
“That’s you.” Katsuki breathes, suddenly very aware of how close Izuku is.
“Yeah.” Izuku agrees, but he doesn’t pull away.
Katsuki gently pulls Izuku’s fingers off, shoving him away. “Go, Deku.”
Izuku’s gaze lingers on him as he approaches the gate. Suddenly, Katsuki’s hand shoots out to snag his sleeve. Izuku looks back at him expectingly. But what should Katsuki say? There’s something at the tip of his tongue, but his mind is blissfully blank. In the end, Katsuki slowly let go of his sleeve, brushing Izuku’s fingers as he pulled away.
“I’ll be back, Kacchan,” Izuku says softly. Katsuki says nothing as he watches Izuku’s back grows further away. This time, Katsuki can’t chase him.
This is it, isn’t it? When Izuku walks past the gate, he’ll be gone for four years. But this is fine. Katsuki is fine. Izuku is walking toward his future, and starting tomorrow, Katsuki will make his way toward his.
“Kacchan, catch!”
Katsuki whirls around, eyes wide as Izuku flings something at him. Automatically, Katsuki holds out his hand as it soars through the air, sparkling like a star in the afternoon light. He clasps his hands around it as Izuku disappears around the corner for good. Bewildered, he blinks at his clasped hands before he slowly opens them.
Izuku’s second button winks back at him.