Work Text:
Katsuki Bakugou stood at the edge of the shrine, wind whistling around him and its winter chill burning his cheeks while he silently fumed. Looking around, he took in the empty lot, the shrine steps and the darkened sky. He zipped up his coat a little tighter toward his neck and began to grind his teeth. It was already two hours later than he would have liked to have been asleep and here he was, alone and waiting, only the sounds of night and the ghosts of his terrible ideas to keep him company.
He checked his phone a third time.
The damn nerd was late.
Adjusting the straps of the backpack, Katsuki stared up at the night sky and watched the clouds begin to break and the moon begin to shine through.
At least something is going right tonight.
“Kacchan!” A flare of green flickered from the corner of his eye and Katsuki saw the remnant of One For All dissipated from Izuku’s skin as he bent over at the waist, panting, an apologetic smile cutting across his face.
“You’re late.” Katsuki folded his arms across his chest. “Did you use your quirk to get here? And what the hell are you wearing?!”
Izuku stood up straight, raised three fingers and counted “I know, yes and Hey!”
“No but seriously, what are you wearing?” Katsuki dragged his eyes over Izuku, taking in the dark short-sleeve polo t-shirt that clung to his biceps like it was trying to hold on for dear life, blue-wash jeans, and those ever-present red sneakers.
At least some things didn’t change.
“I thought I looked nice,” Izuku muttered under his breath, low enough that he probably thought Katsuki couldn’t hear him. The joke was on him: Katsuki had been finely attuned to Deku FM for most of their lives, even more so since the end of their first year in UA. Now that they were friends, it’s like Katsuki could practically feel Izuku’s presence without even having to look; like Izuku was the gravity tethering him to this earth.
Not that he would ever tell him that shit. Or that he looked nice.
Which he did.
Really nice.
Katsuki rolled head back to stare up at the sky, taking a deep breath. “It’s the middle of winter, dumbass, you wanna freeze to death?! Where’s your damn jacket?”
“Oh!” Izuku reached a hand behind his head and scratched his neck. “I got held up with my Mom and All Might and didn’t realize the time. Mom was helping me pick out some clothes but I forgot to grab my jacket on my way out. I might have torn it off the hinges a little…Mom is going to be so mad! I’ll get up early tomorrow and fix it, then make her favourite breakfast as a surprise. Though, she doesn’t like me helping out in the kitchen since I burned that saucepan of water…but I didn’t think that could happen, because physics would suggest that–”
Izuku continued muttering while Katsuki turned and walked up the shrine steps.
Izuku, as per their lifelong tradition, followed him without a second thought or breaking the stream of words flowing from his lips. Katsuki slowed down his pace a little without even thinking, like his body reacted on its own, so Izuku was by his side again. Katsuki always felt calmer when Izuku was by his side.
His body did a lot of this shit without thinking and whenever Katsuki caught himself reacting like that in the moment, he needed to reel himself in. Since the war ended, they became closer. They started spending more time together at UA, training together, running together, going to the local comic shops, and doing typical teen shit that they didn’t think was possible before. It wasn’t as if they consciously decided to be friends--if that’s even what you could call it. It was like, after everything they had been through, the fights, the fallouts, friendship seemed to fall into their laps.
Though friendship wasn’t always easy. When Izuku started to date Round Cheeks, Katsuki felt like his stomach had fallen out of his ass and he watched them piece together and fall apart, deciding they loved each other more as friends. When Izuku told him that they had split up, Katsuki realised his chest didn’t feel tight any more. It had been weighted down with a boulder for months. He even went to Recovery Girl to get her to give him a full body scan because something was wrong and she just gave him a pat on the head and a kiss on the cheek before sending him on his way. And after the Round Cheeks debacle, in their second year, there was that douche with the bird. He visited UA as part of an exchange and wined and dined Deku within an inch of his life for a month before they parted ways as friends. It hurt to see him with someone else, but it also meant that Izuku was happy, and that mattered more than anything.
During the Deku and bird boy incident, Class 2-A had a series of talks about respecting property after several of their kitchen counters had been found with scorch marks in March. Kirishima covered for Katsuki and said he had a few mishaps while Katsuki was trying to teach him how to cook. He was a good friend. By the end of the year, Kirishima had to sit Katsuki down, smack him around the head, and tell him to ask Izuku out already.
It was like he had been smacked across the head with a book called “How to Realize you have a Crush on your Best Friend and try not to Implode from Jealousy.”
That shit smacked like a bitch.
But through everything, through the nightmares and daydreams, heartwarming confessions and heartbreaks, Katsuki had been by Izuku’s side. Because as much as he always wanted Izuku to keep his eyes on him, he didn’t think Izuku realised that Katsuki couldn’t look away.
Not ever.
Izuku was his north star, the brightest light in his galaxy, and the one who helped him find his way home.
So yeah, maybe Katsuki is a little bit in love with Izuku. Or a lot. Whatever.
Katsuki clenched his fists deep in his pockets, grasping his All Might trading card in his hand for luck, and flicked his eyes towards Izuku. He was thumbing at his lip and deep in concentration and Katsuki couldn’t take it anymore.
“Are you seriously still trying to Parent Trap your Mom and All Might?”
“Kacchan!” Izuku cried. “Don’t call it that! I just think they would be great friends, and if that ends up as something more and he realizes my mom looks a little like his mentor, who he’s already told me was pretty, then–”
Katsuki barked a laugh. “You’re such a little freak. You want All Might to give it to your Mom?!”
Izuku paled and stared back down the shrine steps. “I didn’t think of that part. Maybe I shouldn’t have left them alone after all–”
“You wanna go home? I’m not going to force you to do this with me if you’d rather be somewhere else.” Katsuki tried to keep the disappointment out of his voice. He’d gotten pretty good at pretending he was okay after two years of watching Izuku date anyone who wasn’t him.
“No,” Izuku shook his head. “I’d rather stay with you. Everything's better with you.”
Katsuki cleared his throat and picked up his pace a little, trying to hide his burning ears from Izuku. “Then hurry up, or we’re going to miss it.”
“Right, Kacchan!” Izuku followed him up the stairs and they veered off the Shrine steps into the forest path. Katsuki held an explosion in his palm like a torch while Izuku gazed in awe.
“When did you learn to do that?”
“Been practicing with Half-and-Half,” He shrugged, moving through the heavily forested trail his Dad used to take him on as a kid, pushing stray branches out of the way and holding them back before they hit Izuku.
“Yeah….you and Todoroki have been spending a lot of time together lately?” Katsuki held a particularly large branch back and ushered Izuku on. Izuku was biting his lip and his cheeks seemed a little red. The stupid idiot was probably freezing from the wind chill.
“Is that a question?” Katsuki shrugged, guiding Izuku down the path again.
“Um, it’s just you were pretty cozy with him during training last week, and then you guys went for soba, so I thought maybe–”
“Hah?” Katsuki looked at Izuku like he’d grown an extra fluffy head.
“I mean, you two seem to be getting pretty close and I know that you two–”
“Jesus Deku, spit it out already!”
“Are you dating Todoroki?!” It’s like Izuku vomited the words and tried to catch them with his hands the way he covered his mouth.
“Half-and-Half? Hell no! I have fucking taste.”
“Hey, it would be okay if you were. Todoroki is nice, and funny and you’re both–you know–”
“What?!”
“Hot.” Izuku was so red that he could have been mistaken for a flare. Katsuki thought his heart stopped again for a second.
“You think–”
“I mean your quirks! They’re both fire and heat-based so you have a lot in common, that’s all I meant, and I–”
Katsuki snorted, preening a little at the thinly veiled compliment. “No, nerd, I’m not dating a fucking Candy Cane. I’m not dating anyone, okay?”
“Why not?”
“Hah?”
“Why aren’t you dating anyone? It’s not like you don’t have daily confessions thrown at you like grenades.”
“Careful, Deku, you’re starting to sound jealous.”
Izuku didn’t respond and Katsuki thought he might burn to cinders so he decided to put Izuku out of his misery while a small flicker of hope burned in his chest.
“All I ever cared about was becoming a hero. The greatest hero. The number one. I still want that, but I guess recently, maybe, I’ve been thinking about what it would be like to have someone at my side. The other half of me. Maybe that’s sappy or some shit, but yeah, I could date one of those extras but I don’t want to. I don’t do shit I don’t want to do, and when I do date someone, that shit is going to last. I’m not going to let just anyone in. If I like someone, it’s because they’re special. Because they’re the best. I’m not settling for just anyone, Deku, you got that?”
“Y-Yeah, Kacchan. I got it.” His eyes grew glassy and they continued to walk in silence for a little while, hiking up the forest trail.
After a few minutes, he noticed Izuku veer off the wrong way, lost in thought, so without thinking, he wrapped his hand around Izuku’s wrist and dragged him closer.
“Wrong way, nerd!” Izuku’s arm tensed under his touch, so Katsuki dropped it like a hot coal. Without even missing a beat, Izuku wrapped his hand around Katsuki’s wrist and Katsuki stared down at their joined arms and then his gaze flickered to Izuku’s eyes, which seemed set and determined.
“Lead the way Kacchan.”
In comfortable silence, they made their way down the path to the lookout point. It sat on the edge of the mountain, an open space that looked out over the lake and crests of the nearby mountains. It was about twenty minutes from their hometown, and Katsuki remembered how he felt like he’d been transported to another world the first time his Dad brought him there for a hike, How they sat back and watched the stars and Katsuki learned the names of constellations and mapped them out when he went home. And how, on occasion, he would notice Izuku’s clusters of freckles and realize they resembled Cassiopeia.
The lake that sat below the lookout point glistened, mirroring the smattering of stars that paled in comparison to the ones reflected in Izuku’s eyes. Katsuki shook himself again, shrugging the backpack off his shoulder and watching Izuku take in the view.
He needed to focus on the task at hand or they’d be screwed.
“Beautiful,” Izuku breathed, glancing at Katsuki as he pulled a blanket from his backpack.
Yeah, you are, Katsuki’s traitorous brain supplied and he dug his nails into his palm to cut that shit out.
What was wrong with him today? Did he smack his head too hard training or something?
Katsuki laid out a plaid blanket on the grass, pulling out two small pillows and a flask he’d prepared with some hot cocoa that he knew Izuku liked but that would make Katsuki’s teeth rot.
He sat down, cross-legged and craned his neck up to the sky. “Come on Nerd, it’s about to start.”
Izuku stood, staring, and hesitantly hedged his way forward, dropping down to the edge of the blanket, legs outstretched. “I can’t believe you did all this.”
“It’s not a big deal. I wanted to see a meteor shower, you wanted to see a meteor shower, might as well do it in style.”
“Thank you, Kacchan,” Izuku’s smile made the night sky dull in comparison. Katsuki scratched his neck and lay down on the pillow.
“Whatever.” Izuku laid down next to him and listened as Katsuki pointed out the constellations and the stories his father had told him as a kid.
“Is that one?” Izuku pointed at the sky.
Katsuki snorted. “That’s a satellite, dumbass.”
Katsuki glanced at Izuku from the corner of his eye and noticed his cheeks puffed out and his lips pouting. He rolled his eyes, grabbed the hand still raised to the sky, and guided it to trace over each cluster.
“See that,” He said, his hand gently laid on top of Izuku’s, fingers almost joined as he took control. “The one that looks kind of like a W? That’s Cassiopeia. And those three?” Katsuki pulled his hand back and forth, like they were painting the sky together. “They are Andromeda, Perseus, and Cetus. They had a love story or some shit.”
“The stars did?”
“No, dumbass, but people have been looking to the stars to find meaning for eons, you don't think they thought about love too?”
Izuku’s hand twitched under Katsuki’s. “Yeah–Yeah I do.”
Katsuki dropped his hand like a hot coal and just watched the sky while Izuku lay beside him, breathing heavily. Sometimes Katsuki liked to just sit with Izuku, listening to him breathing, knowing he was still with him. That his heart beat just like everyone else's. Well, not exactly like Katsuki’s, because he was realising his beat harder for Izuku and that shit was tough to deal with.
“Anyway, if you find Cassiopeia, you can find your way to Andromeda.”
He scrunched his nose and put a hand behind his head. “Stars are pretty cool though. Big balls of gas just fired up to light up the night. It’s kind of sick.”
“Yeah,” Izuku turned his head toward Katsuki. “They are. You know a lot about this stuff, Kacchan.”
“Dad used to be an astronomy nerd, guess it rubbed off,” Katsuki shrugged, before sitting up. “Oh, I think I see one!”
They wouldn’t be able to see it at UA or in the city, but in these little woods, surrounded by thickets of trees and a smattering of stars, the navy sky was broken up by a meteor making its way to Earth to greet them.
“Wow!” Izuku sat up straighter, eyes widening in awe and Katsuki felt his Cheshire grin grow. He knew Izuku would love this shit.
“Pretty cool, right? Aren’t you glad I asked you along?”
“It’s amazing, Kacchan!” Izuku breathed, taking in the meteors breaking across the sky. His eyes narrowed and he cocked his head in thought “Actually, those meteors kind of remind me of you.”
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Izuku’s cheeks started to flare up and he began waving his arms like he was directing air traffic.
“N-Nothing! The way they streak across the sky, it’s like when you’re flying using your explosions. It’s cool, that’s all I meant.”
Katsuki scrunched his nose and handed Izuku the hot chocolate. “Whatever. I guess I see it. Kind of reminds me of you too, when you pull that fa-jin bullshit.”
Izuku opened the container, breathing it in and the tension immediately seemed to release from his shoulders. “Did you put cinnamon in this?”
“Of course I fucking did. It’s your favourite.”
Izuku sipped, sighed, and gave Katsuki a smile so soft he nearly shattered like glass. “Thank you Kacchan.”
“You gonna wish on a falling star, Izuku?” Izuku choked on the hot cocoa a little and began coughing up a lung. Katsuki laughed so hard his eyes started to water and he fell back against the pillows while Izuku tried to recover.
“Drink much, nerd?”
“Kacchan!” Izuku whined, wiping his mouth with his thumb while Katsuki tried not to stare. “Be nice!”
“I’m never nice.” He huffed.
Izuku rolled his eyes. “We both know that’s not true. And to answer your question, no I didn’t wish on a star.”
“Maybe you should.”
“What would I wish for?” Izuku huddled his knees to his chest and watched more meteors streak across the sky.
“I dunno, Katsudon, becoming the number one hero, finding the love of your life, some dumb shit like that.” A muscle in Izuku’s jaw feathered and he continued to watch the constellations above them.
“What would you wish for, Kacchan?” His soft voice tickled Katsuki’s ears. He wasn’t even sure how to answer. Katsuki had never been one for wishing and hoping; he knew what he wanted and went for it. Usually. There were a few exceptions, but mostly, Katsuki thought wishing was a waste of time when your strength of will was focused enough to get you what you wanted.
He was about to answer when he noticed the hairs on Izuku’s arm standing, the soft goosebumps beginning to rise and he shivered silently while watching the sky.
“You’re freezing.” He sat up and poked Izuku in the arm.
“‘M fine.” He mumbled between chattering teeth.
“Fucking Deku,” Katsuki muttered, unzipping his jacket. “You still haven’t learned to ask for help when you need it, have you?”
“Kacchan, what are you doing?!” Izuku watched the zip of the jacket drag down Katsuki’s torso and his eyes flickered up again. Katsuki began to shrug his jacket off and Izuku reached out his hand to stop him.
“Don’t! You hate the cold.” Izuku protested.
“Yeah, but I run hot, so it evens out. I’m not going to let you freeze to death, idiot. Who the hell do you think I am?”
“I can’t take your jacket from you Kacchan, you’ll get cold and sick and I–”
“But it’s okay if you’re freezing your ass off? Do you even hear yourself sometimes?”
Izuku remained silent and Katsuki rolled his eyes. He moved his arms out wide and cocked an eyebrow. “Okay, if you’re not going to take my jacket, at least steal some of my heat. I’m sweating my ass off over here.”
“Steal your–” Realisation dawned in Izuku’s eyes. Katsuki gave him a crooked smile. “One-time offer, Izuku. Take it or lea–” He didn’t even make it through the sentence before Izuku tackled him, wrapping his arm around Katsuki’s torso and forcing them both back to lay on the blanket.
“Oof,” Katsuki was winded, his hands still outstretched as Izuku became a Koala on his chest. He buried his head against Katsuki’s collarbone “You’re like a space heater!” He moaned and Katsuki tried to control himself, still not knowing what to do with his hands.
Eventually, one hand softly fell to rest on Izuku’s back while Katsuki was distracted by a curl. An errant lock of hair at the back of Izuku’s head that was so tightly curled it made Izuku look like one of those wind-up bunny toys that you turn a key to make hop around for hours. Absent-mindedly, Katsuki began to wind his finger through the curl, twisting it around his finger, back and forth.
Izuku grew still on his chest. “Kacchan?” He breathed against Katsuki's collarbone.
“Hmm?”
“I think I’m warm enough now.” Katsuki hadn’t realized how tightly his other arm had held Izuku to his chest and immediately retracted it like he’d been burned.
“Right, good, okay. That’s good.” Maybe Katsuki should throw himself off the ledge. It wasn’t that high up and he would just land in the lake, but at least it might help him cool down from the embarrassment burning under his skin.
“Kacchan?” Izuku sat back on his heels, biting his lip, and watched Katsuki carefully. “Why are we here?”
“Did you hit your head?” Katsuki sat up and narrowed his eyes. What the fuck? “To watch the dam meteor shower, nerd. I thought you’d like it.”
“I do like it!” Izuku waved his hands, “I really like it. I lo–like being here with you. I just–-Kacchan? Is there any other reason you brought me here?”
Katsuki fell silent, words no longer comprehensible as his world started spinning. This was what he wanted right? To finally let Izuku know how he felt? Why he had planned the whole thing? Why he had asked him to meet him there tonight? Went over everything in excruciating detail so he’d have the best shot?
So why was it, when it mattered most, words failed?
And then, under his breath, so quiet that it was barely perceptible, Izuku said “Maybe I shouldn’t get my hopes up, it’s probably wishful thinking–”
And just like that, the vault of feelings in his chest sprung open.
Katsuki wasn't going to let this opportunity go without a fight.
He whipped out his phone, because his actions always spoke louder than his words, and focused his camera at the sky. When the angle was perfect he snapped a picture. He opened up his line chat and within seconds Izuku’s phone buzzed.
“Don’t say I never gave you anything.” He huffed, eyes downcast. Because he never could stop himself from watching Izuku, he saw him reach into his pants pocket and pull out his phone.
“Did you–send me a picture of the moon?” Izuku sounded confused and Katsuki felt his pulse start to thread in his veins. His hands grew clammy and he realized maybe some things can’t be left unspoken.
“Don’t you get it, Izuku? I’d give you the moon if you asked for it. I’d give you anything. Everything. And I don’t need anything in return because you are everything to m–”
He was cut off by a set of warm soft lips crashing into his own. And Katsuki knew nothing would ever compare to this.
They broke apart, breathless. “Get it now, nerd?” He smiled, tucking a hair behind Izuku’s ear. Izuku grinned, leaning their foreheads together and laying his hand on Katsuki’s chest, feeling the warmth beneath his touch. “Yes, Kacchan, I get it. Maybe meteors are the real deal after all.”
“What the fuck does that mean? They’re literal mounds of space rock, how can they not be re–” Izuku cut him off with another kiss.
“You told me to make a wish. You’re everything I could ever wish for.”