Work Text:
The orange hue of the sunlight illuminates the sky, signaling to life that it’s officially, and undoubtedly, morning.
Of course though, Katsuki was already awake so the golden light didn't catch him by surprise. Izuku came to his room around three in the morning and he wasn’t able to make himself go back to sleep.
It’s not uncommon for Izuku to make an appearance at his door in the dead of night—whether it be due to a nightmare or not being able to fall asleep in the first place, he seeks out the place that he feels most secure.
Katsuki still has trouble understanding why Izuku trusts him enough to confide in him like this but, he can’t say he doesn’t enjoy the company. He comforts the other boy often and tries his best to keep up his arrogant facade by shooting remarks like ‘you’re so clingy’ or ‘what would you do without me?’ but really, Katsuki doesn’t know what he’d do without Izuku always within arms reach.
He enjoys Izukus comfort as much as Izuku enjoys his. He doesn’t have to voice it though because he knows that Izuku knows that Katsuki wouldn’t dwell in his affection if he didn’t enjoy it.
It’s been like this ever since Katsuki fought Shigaraki and a part of him feels selfish for enjoying Izuku's—obviously trauma rooted—clinginess so much. He doesn’t like that Izuku feels the need to make sure Katsuki is actually there every five minutes with random hugs, handholds, or pulse checks but he feels guilty for not wanting him to stop.
Because of that guilt, he finds it hard to be able to fall asleep in Izuku's presence. Every time Katsuki goes to sleep, he has an over looming anxiety that he won’t wake up. His heart was put back together by denim in the middle of a battlefield and sure, he underwent surgery in an actual hospital after the fight was over and was reassured that he’d be fine but, there’s never a definitive guarantee that his heart won’t just give out one day. And if it does, he doesn’t like the idea of Izuku having to potentially wake up to Katsuki dead beside him after all that’s happened.
But also, he’s afraid that if he’s not actively being gentle towards the other, his unconscious self might hurt him again. It’s silly, he knows, but it was only two years ago when pushing Izuku away felt like muscle memory and he's terrified of the slim chance that he may go back to that version of himself.
All of that and… Izuku hugs a little too tight in his sleep sometimes…
He would rather be awake than asleep right now anyway. The feeling of Izuku's hair tickling his nose, his breath gently blowing against his collarbone, and the warm feeling of their arms tangled around each other makes the sleeplessness worthwhile.
Ever since the war, Izuku reintroduced an old habit that they had in their childhood where they would kiss each other's scratches and bruises because they believed the act would make the pain go away. Now, they do it as a way to remind each other that their scars are beautiful and that they’re nothing to be ashamed of.
His fingers start to brush through Izuku's curls before he can stop himself and as a result, the others' eyes begin to flutter open.
So naturally, as Izuku wakes, he places feather-like kisses on every scar within view like he’s grown accustomed to doing. The one beneath Katsukis eye, the one on Katsukis cheek, the one on Katsukis shoulder, and the one over Katsukis heart.
“G’morning,” Izuku finally groans out as he nuzzles closer into Katsukis neck.
“Morning, Clingy.”
“Shut up.”
Izuku releases Katsuki to rub the sleep from his face as he sits up on the edge of the bed and Katsuki admires him from where he lays.
They’re third years now, which means that Izuku has grown into himself a bit. He has broader shoulders, a wider back, and he’s a few inches taller (still shorter than most of the other guys in class) but he still has the same wardrobe.
Literally.
It’s one thing to keep the same style but it’s another to keep the same clothes from middle school. He’s not huge but he's definitely big enough to potentially rip his shirt open with one wrong move considering how skinny he was when he first bought it. Needless to say, Katsuki is impressed with the seamstress who made those t-shirts.
As Izuku stretches, Katsuki is too sleep deprived to catch himself staring so, Izuku catches it for him.
“What’s wrong?” he asks over his shoulder.
“Just can’t believe we’re third years already,” Katsuki answered as he sat up next to Izuku and elbowed his arm.
“It’s only been a few weeks and I’m already dreading graduation.”
“Dreading? I can’t wait to get out of here…”
“I’m gonna miss my friends.”
“They’ll still be our friends after we graduate,” Katsuki tries to comfort him by taking his hand and rubbing circles over his knuckles.
“Yeah, I guess you’re right…” Izuku stands up and starts to look around for the spare gym uniform he keeps in Katsukis room. “So, do you have any plans today?”
“Am I allowed to stay here and do nothing?” Katsuki groans.
It’s his birthday. For most people, that should be a reason enough to celebrate, but Katsuki hasn’t been the fondest of his birthday for a while now.
Less than a week before his 15th birthday, he was assaulted by a guy with a mudman quirk.
A few days after his 16th birthday, he had to be chained and muzzled after the sports festival on national television. Not to mention that a few weeks before, he and his class were attacked by the league of villains for the first time.
And then he spent the days before his 17th birthday watching Izuku on the news, covered in untreated wounds and dirt, and then spent his actual birthday looking for the dumbass.
Is more of an explanation needed?
“Nope! We should go out today before the others wake up and start to bombard you with birthday wishes,” Izuku offers. He truly knows Katsuki best.
“Fine… as long as it’s just you,” Katsuki folds. Izuku grabs his hand to pull him up from the bed and Katsuki decides to use it as an opportunity to attack the scars on Izuku's arm with kisses, making the other boy laugh. When he’s done, he pulls him into a hug and rests his head on Izuku’s shoulder. “Where do you want to go?”
“I have a few ideas.”
It’s a sunday and it’s still early so the two boys take their time getting ready. They took showers in the communal area, got dressed and headed to the train station.
Katsuki is wearing a tanktop, jean shorts, combat boots, his hearing aid, and a friendship bracelet that Todoroki convinced Izuku to force him to wear.
Oh, and two belts, neither one actually holding up his shorts. He saw fanart of himself dressed as a barbarian once and for some reason the artist decided to give him two belts and since then, he’s made it his entire personality.
Izuku is wearing a blue t-shirt that says ‘PARTY’ on the front, tan cargo pants, the same friendship bracelet that Katsuki has, and his usual red sneakers. Or in other words: Nerd Attire.
They’re on a train heading to their childhood neighborhood currently while playing ‘I spy’ to pass time. Katsuki is winning, of course.
“I spy with my little eye…” he starts with a teasing smirk, “something green.”
“Oh! Ummmmm… that guy's vest?”
“No…”
“That tree we just passed?”
“Nah.”
“That sticker on the other side of the train car?”
“Dude… no.”
Izuku proceeds to give several more guesses, all of which Katsuki denies. It’s amazing how perseptive Izuku can be on a battlefield but so dense when it comes to childish competitions, like this.
“Give me a hint!” Izuku all but yells as he shakes Katsuki’s shoulder.
“Are you sure? If I give you a hint, you only get three more guesses.”
“I’m sure…”
“It’s right behind your nose,” Katsuki explains as he gives the other a playful boop on his nose.
Izuku’s face shifts into confusion as he tries to pick apart the play on words. He’s always been known to take things a little too literally.
“Snot??” He hesitantly asks as he puts a finger up to his nose to see if his nose was running.
“No!”
He contemplates again and pulls his phone out to use the front camera as a mirror.
He searches his face only for a moment before realizing that Katsuki chose something that Izuku wouldn’t have been able to see on his own.
“My… eyes?” he asks, still unsure because it could very well be his hair too.
“Which one?”
“Oh c’mon, that’s hardly fair…” Izuku says, referring to the fact that he only has one guess left.
He searches Katsuki’s eyes and follows his gaze to the left side of his face. Knowing Katsuki though, he’s probably keeping his gaze fixed on the left side of Izuku’s face to throw him off.
“My right,” Izuku answers confidently. Katsuki ruins his victory by giving a smile that insinuates that Izuku was wrong.
“It was your left,” he says with a slight chuckle. “You think too much.”
“Ah, you may be right.”
“It’s your turn.”
Izuku opens his mouth to say something but right as he’s about to speak, the train stops.
“We can pick up where we left off on our way back,” he says as he stands up and pulls Katsuki to his feet.
They make their way off the train and through the train station without interruption. It’s always a peaceful walk back home, especially with the security of knowing that they’re not being hunted down by villains anymore.
They take the long way through the park they used to play at in order to avoid the streets, despite them never being busy. Being surrounded by nature just adds to the peace that they very rarely get to feel.
With the serenity and breeze of a Sunday morning, it feels like taking a hundred steps through a perfect world that no one can disrupt.
That tranquility is broken quickly when Katsuki begins to feel anxious when they turn onto the street he lives on.
He hates to admit it but, he kind of avoids seeing his parents most of the time. Even during breaks when he has to be home, he tries to stay in his room or he goes to Izukus house.
He doesn’t hate them or anything but… they just look so sad every time they look at him. He doesn’t want them to pity him and he doesn’t want to be treated like glass.
He understands why they get worried. They were so close to losing their child, it’s only natural that they’re more wary but Katsuki doesn’t want them to be on edge every time he’s around.
He avoids them to protect their emotions.Their once flawless child was suddenly painted with scars and blemishes one day. Katsuki had trouble looking at himself in the mirror after he was discharged so of course his parents have trouble getting used to the new look too.
Though, it’s been almost a year so they should be used to it. Or, they would be if Katsuki let them get a good look at him more often.
Today will be the first time in probably months that he hangs out with his parents for an extended period of time. Under usual circumstances, he probably would’ve bailed at the last minute but he feels better knowing that he’s not going to be alone. It’ll be harder to feel bad about the way his parents look at his scars with Izuku around. Especially considering the amount of scars Izuku has himself.
It makes him feel more secure.
Izuku grabs his hand and smiles at him as they approach the front door. When they make it, Katsuki squeezes his hand for a moment to ground himself before letting go to put his key in the door.
As they walk in, the smell of cinnamon hits him immediately and not long after, so does a hug from his dad, who’s covered in flour.
“Katsuki! I can’t believe Izuku was actually able to convince you to come!” His father yells as Katsuki tries his best to escape the hug.
“Get off! You’re gonna get my clothes dirty!” he says, finally able to free himself from the embrace. “What do you mean ‘convince me’?”
“We asked him to get you to come over today,” he hears his mother say from the next room. Katsuki shoots a glare towards Izuku because he knows that all he has to do is ask for Katsuki to agree.
Izuku laughs nervously before walking past him and Masaru into the kitchen. “Mom!” he says to Katsukis surprise.
He shouldn’t be surprised though now that he knows the whole thing was premeditated.
Inko is in the kitchen with an apron making what Katsuki is assuming is french toast but she pauses for a moment to bring her son into a hug.
Once he takes in the scenery he realizes that there’s no birthday decorations or party music or anything, really. It’s just home and the smell of cinnamon. It’s like childhood and he appreciates it. There’s nothing making the day feel unnecessarily special because it's just another day.
The only reminder that it’s his birthday is the french toast because Inko and his dad used to make it for him and Izuku every birthday when they were still little but, it’s still something he can appreciate. It’s all almost nostalgic.
“Hey, happy birthday, kid,” his mom says as she finally enters the room with a black gift bag in hand.
Katsuki takes the bag and peaks inside. He sees a piece of teal-green cloth and out of curiosity he pulls the whole thing out of the bag and drops the bag.
It’s a ‘Deku’ wind jacket…
He was able to recognize it immediately because his parents were the ones that designed it. They insisted on using the color that One For All glows on Izuku because they’re designing merchandise for Katsuki too and the colors of their costumes are too similar.
Since his parents work in fashion design, they immediately jumped at the opportunity to make a merchandise line for the two of them when they mentioned that they were planning on debuting as a duo after graduation. The line wasn’t even supposed to be in production until the beginning of next year though which means…
“This is the prototype,” Mitsuki finishes his thought. “We thought you’d be the perfect person to test it out since you like Izuku and climbing mountains so much,” she teases with a grin.
Katsuki looks over at the boy in question and he looks like he blew a fuse; bright red without a thought behind his eyes.
It’d be amusing if Katsuki wasn’t aware that he was in a similar state. He loves it, he really does but he knows that the only reason his parents gave him a piece of Dekus merchandise instead of his own is to make fun of him.
“Why’d it have to be Dekus? Why not mine?” he asks, completely flustered. His fabricated distaste isn’t convincing at all.
“Because we haven’t finalized the design for yours yet, what do you want from me? You should be happy to support your boyfriend!” Mitsuki says with another smirk, fully aware that the two aren't together, prompting stifled laughs from Inko and Masaru.
“Boyfriend?!” Katsuki and Izuku exclaim at the same time. “That dweeb isn’t my boyfriend! I’m not wearing this!”
He put it on right after breakfast. It’s comfortable and he got cold, fuck you very much.
Anyways, they had all finished breakfast and Katsuki is having more fun than he expected. His parents haven’t been looking at him like he’d shatter at the slightest gust of wind.
They talked about the future. What their plans are after graduation, Mitsuki wanting to redesign their costumes before their debut, contemplating what agency they should work at, living arrangements, etc. To any other teenager, these topics may seem boring to talk about on their birthday but, Katsuki and Izuku have been waiting their whole lives to officially become heroes.
They’re seen as heroes already and they recognize that but it's been their dream jobs for as long as they can remember. Actually going Pro will make it all finally feel real. They’re excited so it’s only natural that they don’t shut up about it. So excited that they didn’t even notice when their parents subtracted themselves from their conversation to start on dinner.
They’re sitting on the floor, Katsuki resting his head on Izukus shoulder, while playing some old racing game that neither of them know the name of.
“Do you think Hero Rankings will still be a thing by the time we graduate?”
“Probably not… after the shitshow that happened last year, I think society as a whole has realized how shitty making heroism a popularity contest is. Just because a Pro is ranked high, doesn’t make them heroic.” Katsuki says, referencing the disappointing amount of highly ranked heroes that dropped their careers when the war had started.
So many towns were left to fend for themselves because their “heroes” lost the balls to protect them when things got scary. Their focus was never about heroism—it was about money and fame. And with the way people in power shoved that ideal down everyone's throats, he really can’t blame them.
“It’s unfortunate but you're right. I hope more people realize that too.”
“Yeah… Can I ask you something?” Katsuki asks suddenly.
“Um… sure?” Izuku says, growing nervous. The question caught Izuku by surprise so he’s unsure on what to expect.
“What’re you gonna do when it’s time to pass on One For All?”
“I’m… not sure. If I give it to someone who already has a quirk, it’ll shorten their lifespan so… I’ll probably just let it end with me.”
“Really?”
“Really,” he shrugs the shoulder that Katsuki isn’t leaning on. “There’s not much of a need for it anymore. Now that All For One is gone, it’s just a quirk like everyone else's. There’s no special task for it to fulfill and it would just do more harm than good in the end. Unless I miraculously find a quirkless person to give it to when the time comes…”
“You don’t plan on having kids or anything?”
“Nah… even if I did, there’s no guarantee that they’d be quirkless and I wouldn’t want to burden them and shorten their life for the sake of some quirk.”
“That makes sense I guess… but what do the ghosts in your head have to say about that?”
“Don’t call them that… They’re okay with it. Half of them have a theory that One For All would live on anyway as a sort of afterlife for all of the users but the other half hopes that they’ll all be able to finally rest when I die,” he explains.
Before Katsuki has a chance to answer, he digs into his pocket, making Katsuki slip off of his shoulder. Izuku doesn’t like thinking too hard about the potential future of his quirk. Since the war, his perspective of OFA has changed and he doesn’t want to reduce his worth down to his quirk anymore, nor does he want to resort back to that way of thinking. So he changes the subject.
“Um… I made you something,” he says as he pulls out a small box.
Katsuki eyes it warily, trying his best to hide his excitement. This is the first time in years that Izuku got him a gift for his birthday, let alone one that he made himself. He pauses the game they’re playing and takes the box before basically tearing it open.
What falls out is a small, embroidered patch pin with what looks like the front of All Might's Golden Age costume on it. It’s so nerdy but, neither of them have been able to bring themselves to even bring up All Might very often since…
That doesn’t matter.
But, it’s definitely something Katsuki can appreciate and cherish, being a nerd at heart and all. Not to mention that, coming from Izuku, he may as well have given him a promise ring.
“I made myself one too! I’m happy with how they turned out!” Izuku says with a little too much excitement. When Katsuki looks back up, he has to stop himself from laughing at the crazed smile Izuku is wearing. It’s comforting to know that he can smile like that again though when it comes to All Might.
“Thank you,” he says, wearing an uncharacteristic smile of his own and he admires the way Izuku's face softens at it. “Can you put it on my jacket for me?”
“Yeah, sure,” Izuku agrees. It’s actually not uncommon for Izuku to help Katsuki with things that require fine motor skills since his dominant hand was crushed by Shigaraki.
He scoots closer to Katsuki and tries his best to pin the patch as close to his collar as possible since his fine motor skills aren’t exactly the best either. “There!”
“You’re such a dork.”
“And you aren’t?”
“Touche,” Katsuki says with a smile. He has no shame in his dorkiness anymore. “When do you wanna go back to school?”
“Whenever you want to go back,” Izuku shrugs.
Katsuki looks over Izukus shoulder to see how far along their parents are with dinner. “We could always take dinner to go.”
“Like a take-out restaurant?” Izuku chuckles.
“Yes, exactly,” Katsuki says and stands up, pulling Izuku up with him.
They make their way to the kitchen and help their parents finish cooking before explaining that they won’t be able to stay to eat. As Katsuki said, they take food to go in wrapped bento boxes and head out the door.
They make their way back to the train station, taking the long way again, in no rush to go back. Sure, they need to make it back before curfew but that doesn’t mean they can’t take their time to enjoy each other's company.
Instead of an ‘I spy’ rematch on the train, Izuku falls asleep on Katsuki’s shoulder.
He’s still not entirely sure why Izuku has so much trust in him, but he can’t complain. He’s glad he trusts him even if doesn’t feel very deserving of it.
Still, despite the insecurity, Katsuki has made it a habit to grab Izuku's hand every chance he gets. He made the mistake of rejecting him for so long that after he was hit with the realization of how mortal he is, he never wants to pass up the chance to take his hand again.
Yes, it’s kind of weird for a person to have such a strong fixation with someone’s hand but… yeah, he can’t defend himself here. He’s hopeless.
He realized a while ago that his conflicting emotions over Izuku was more than just guilt and fear. Probably since their fight in ground beta but, if he’s honest, he can’t really pinpoint when he started to feel like this.
Izuku was the only person that treated him like he was a person and a friend but Katsuki's arrogance convinced him that Izukus kindness was two faced because he thought it was impossible to do anything nice without having ulterior motives.
After he realized that Izuku was never trying to make fun of or look down on him and that he’s really just that nice, he had no reason to be so cold to him anymore. He treated him like shit over something as dumb as a misunderstanding.
Since last year, he found himself wanting to be by Izuku's side and now that he’s able to, he never wants to leave his side again. And if that means holding his hand just to make sure he didn’t escape, then so be it.
His hand in his is like a moth to a flame. An addiction.
They fit together like puzzle pieces… it just took them a while to see eye to eye and find the right angle.
Of course Katsuki will always regret his ignorant refusal to try to understand Izuku as a kid but, he’s just glad that he was able to get there eventually. He doesn’t know what he’d do without him.
He fears that explaining those feelings out loud might complicate things again but he’s not in any rush. He really enjoys what they have going and he doesn’t want to mess up the friendship that he holds so dear.
He decides to be brave and slowly slides Izuku's head off of his shoulder and wraps his arm around him, causing Izukus head to fall onto Katsuki’s chest. He’s more comfortable that way.
He’s distracted from Izuku when he hears his phone buzz which makes him realize that this is the first time his phone has rang all day. He honestly expected to get non-stop birthday texts all day but his phone has been completely dry.
Now he’s suspicious.
He digs out his phone to see who dares to interrupt his and Izuku’s train ride.
…
Pikachu: is Midoriya with you?
Katsuki of the Bakugous: yeah
Pikachu: did he lose his phone? he won’t answer
Katsuki of the Bakugous: he’s asleep, what do you want?
Pikachu: are you guys on your way back to the dorms?
Katsuki of the Bakugous: yup
Pikachu: okay
…
Katsuki already had a small hunch of what might’ve been happening at the dorms while they were gone but this confirms his suspicions.
It’s gonna be one of those cliche scenes from a disney channel movie where the whole class jumps up from behind a couch and yells ‘surprise!’ and Katsuki is going to have to send small explosions towards at least seven people.
It’s one thing to have a small celebration at home but a surprise party? Ughhhhh…
His phone buzzes again.
…
Pikachu: follow up question
Pikachu: how much longer until you get here?
Katsuki of the Bakugous: why? you excited to see me?
Pikachu: and if I was?
Katsuki of the Bakugous: ew
Katsuki of the Bakugous: we’ll be there in an hour
…
Actually, there’s only about five minutes left of their train ride and after that it’s only about a twenty minute walk back to UA. He just loves to cause chaos.
It may not be nice to deceive his friends but, this small fib will save him from a solid thirty seconds of cringing at everyone yelling ‘surprise’ at him.
The train finally stops and Katsuki pockets his phone before shaking Izuku awake.
“Hm?”
“We’re here, we have to go,” he says as he stands and Izuku follows him off of the train. “Oh also, I’m kicking your ass later.”
“What, why?”
Their walk back to UA was spent guessing the reason as to why Katsuki was going to kick Izukus ass.
“Kacchannnnn what did I dooo?” Izuku resorted to groaning like a ghost after twenty minutes of not getting a straight answer from Katsuki.
“You’ll find out why in about 10 seconds,” he says as they approach the door to their dorm building.
When he opens the door he’s immediately met with collective panicked screams and an oven mitt to the face.
“Midoriya! You were supposed to warn us before you got back!” Kaminari yells, along with a few other voices saying things along the same lines.
“The cupcakes aren’t even done yet!” Uraraka yells in despair.
“I… I got distracted…” Izuku sullenly explains.
Katsuki ignores the ruckus in favor of putting his and Izukus food in the fridge but his path gets blocked by his classmates.
“Nope! Leave and come back in thirty minutes,” Kirishima demands as he tries to shield Katsuki’s line of sight of the insane amount of decor.
Instead of arguing, Katsuki just sighs, turns on his heels, and drags Izuku back out of the door with him. It’s obvious how much work his class put into this so he’s not going to ruin it by being blatantly ungrateful before they even have the chance to finish it all.
Once they’re outside again Katsuki shoots Izuku with an unimpressed look.
“That is why I’m kicking your ass later,” he says and walks towards the bench in front of their dorm building.
He plops down and opens his bento to pick at his chicken and rice and Izuku follows suit.
“I still don’t understand,” Izuku says in almost a whisper as he sits.
“Really? I’ve told you before that I don’t like my birthday and nobody but you would’ve orchestrated a surprise party like that,” he accuses as he pops a piece of chicken into his mouth.
“It wasn’t my idea, I was just asked to help. Why is this such a bad thing?”
“My birthday shouldn’t be more special than any other day. It’s one thing when we’re at home and our parents already know where I stand but it’s another when our class makes a huge deal out of it and throws a damn party. You could’ve told them I don’t like making a big deal out of my birthday or you could’ve at least told me that they were going to do something so I could’ve prepared myself,” Katsuki says, annoyed and feeling a little betrayed.
“That would’ve ruined the ‘surprise’ part of the ‘surprise party’.”
Katsuki gives him an annoyed glance and Izuku caves.
“Look… I understand why you don’t like giving your birthday much attention because I don’t like acknowledging mine either… but we almost lost you…”
“So just because I almost died means I should be treated like I’m some miracle worker just because I lived another year? It’s not like I have some chronic illness. I’m not going to just keel over and die at the drop of a dime!”
“You didn’t ‘almost die’! You did die… you were dead…” Izuku raises his voice as tears well up in his eyes. “Most people that die in battle don’t get second chances so stop acting like the fact that you’re alive right now isn’t a miracle. I get that you don’t want to be treated differently but the fact that you made it to your eighteenth birthday should be celebrated, don’t you think?”
Katsuki chooses to take another bite of his food instead of answering.
“Do you really still believe that your birthday is a bad omen given your circumstances?” he asks. “Also, don’t you think our class would’ve thrown a party regardless? If you didn’t want them to make a big deal out of your birthday, you should’ve told them that. They’re not doing this because they think you’re made of glass. They’re doing it because they love you.”
At that, Katsuki starts to feel a little bad. He knows that no one in their class has any negative intentions. All they want is to make Katsuki’s birthday a good one like they would do for any other one of their classmates.
“Whatever…” Katsuki says as he closes his bento and sets it to the side. “Can you please just tell them not to do the whole ‘surprise!’ thing?”
Izuku nods and wipes the tears from his cheeks as he pulls his phone out to let his classmates know. Katsuki grabs Izuku's hand and rubs his thumb along his knuckles in an attempt to apologize.
“They said it’s about time to go back inside,” Izuku announces.
Izuku leads Katsuki back towards and into the dorm building and this time, everything is finished. A few balloons, streamers, a banner, and the windows covered in draped curtains. It definitely screams ‘birthday’ but it’s minimal which Katsuki can admire.
“Happy birthday!” his classmates yell in unison, listening to Izuku's advice about forgetting the ‘surprise’ part of the surprise party.
As soon as he steps all the way in the room, he gets bombarded with different accessories. Kaminari puts a ‘birthday boy’ button on his shirt while Ashido simultaneously tries to put a party hat on his head. She failed but Katsuki held onto the hat anyway.
He ends up cornered in front of one of the covered windows and Sato and Todoroki approach him with a cupcake with a candle in it, which Todoroki lights with his quirk.
He takes the plate and looks at the red, blue, and yellow sugar sprinkles on the icing. It’s so nerdy but it's cute.
His birthday may bring back bad memories but he's been given the chance to make new memories and he’s starting to convince himself that he should take it.
Maybe his birthday isn’t such a bad omen after all…