Archive of Our Own

Christmas was exactly one week and one day away. Everyone was ecstatic, bouncing in their shoes and smiling for joy as the holidays approached. It was the best time of the year. Being that school was already out and people had time to actually spend time with the people around them, everyone was in good spirits.

To celebrate the special holiday, Bakugou and his large friend group decided it would be best to organize a Secret Santa. The idea sprung up a week before as everyone gathered in Katsuki's living room. They had an end-of-semester celebration of some sort and had a great time. After many board games and lame challenges, like truth or dare, Kaminari suggested they partake in Secret Santa. It wasn't a bad idea at all, and most members agreed right away. 

They drew names from a hat and kept them secret so the surprise could be held. Katsuki wasn't too mad. He ended up getting Deku, which was the easiest person he could get. The two were already childhood friends. He knows him like the back of his hand.

A week later, everyone seemed frantic trying to figure out what to get each other, and with the time slowly ticking away, people's anxiety started skyrocketing. 

Katsuki watched as his friends lost their minds and pulled their hair out, texting him for input and giving tips left and right. (Legend has it that he was the best gift-giver in their group.) He honestly didn't mind helping his friends out because Christmas was his favourite time of the year. 

Despite not enjoying the cold weather too much, he liked holiday lights and Christmas colours. Everyone seemed to be happier around the holidays, which meant fewer people to aggravate him. Not only that, but they got a break from school, which, in itself, was the best thing anyone could offer. School, especially in their last year of high school, was the most stressful part of their lives. Everyone needed time to unwind. That's why Katsuki loved Christmas. It was nice and festive. 

He wasn’t the only one who was into that sort of thing; all of his friends were. They loved the holidays and spending time with one another. Todoroki, for example, was one person that Bakugou loved spending time with

He remembers being asked to go to the mall with the latter just for the sole purpose of seeing the holiday lights and Christmas decor outside. He wanted to go to every store and look at all the Christmas-related items and also try a few holiday special treats in the mall itself, and honestly? Who was Katsuki to turn down that offer? Spending time with Todoroki in the mall, surrounded by Christmas-y things and lights, sounded fun, even for the angry blond.

Katsuki wasn't opposed to a lot of things when it came to Shouto. If he wanted to bake a bunch of sugar cookies in the middle of the night because it was someone's birthday the day after,? Sure. If he wanted to go out at 3 in the morning and watch the stars like some kind of lovestruck idiot in a rom-com,? Why not? If he wanted to go out to damn cat cafes and fawn over little fur balls the whole day,? Why would he say no?

Truth be told, Katsuki had a soft spot. A very small one. And for whatever reason, that soft spot was for Shouto. 

It started weirdly. Bakugou never envisioned any of this happening, but it did. Todoroki was his closest friend. They talked about ev.ry.thing. There was never a dull moment between the two, and they seriously always had fun. The more classes they had together, the closer they became, and the closer they became, the more feelings started to arise. 

Bakugou always thought Shouto was attractive. It was a no-brainer. Shouto was one of the prettiest guys in school, and almost everyone thought so. Everyone would talk about him, and even their friend group made comments about how good he looked. Shouto was delusional, though. He thought they were just jokes and never serious, but they found ways to get through to him. However, not only was he very attractive, but he was seriously super funny. Half of the time, it may be unintentional, but damn, was that guy hilarious. He wouldn’t even realize that what he was saying was funny until people blurted out laughing. It might’ve boosted his ego just a little bit.

When he and Katsuki went to the mall at that time, Shouto looked like an idiot running around, looking at all the different lights and activities going on. He was literally like a child on Christmas day. His face was incredibly expressive. He wanted to see everything, and Katsuki had to hold back his laughter. He couldn’t help but think that Shouto was a huge dork. There was no doubt in his mind that he would get him a gift for Christmas as well. 

The reason they had decided to do Secret Santa was because people didn't want to spend their life savings getting gifts for everyone in their group. That was way too much money and way too many people. Katsuki could spend a little extra, though. Being that it was for Shouto, he knew just what to get him. He had an advantage. He knew him well; he knew what he liked and what he despised. So he decided to get him something sick.

He, Todoroki, and Midoriya all shared the same love for the famous basketball player, Yagi Toshinori. They were his biggest fans, and Midoriya was the dorkiest. He had notebooks and journals filled with different periods from when Toshinori was in his prime. It was almost frightening how much information he had on him. Getting a gift for him would be the easiest thing. 

As for Shouto, Bakugou knew he liked graphic tees and things that had to do with fashion. So he decided to get him a Yagi Toshinori one. When they were hanging out at the blonde's place not too long ago, Todoroki had shown him a limited edition shirt he was trying (and failing) to get. Bakugou thought it was a pretty cool shirt and sneakily went to get it for him. It took many tries and many different stores, but he found it. 

He planned to give it to him separately, away from the crowd, where no one could see, so it could be something special between the two of them.

But Katsuki's plan didn't fall through.

About 4 days before the actual gift exchange, he was sitting in his living room, watching some boring show, when he heard aggressive knocking coming from outside. 

He got up, questioning who it might be and why this person would be knocking on his parent’s door at this hour. When he did open the front door, he was shocked to see Kirishima standing there.

"Ei, what the fuck are you doing here? Why didn't you text me?" he asked, letting his friend inside. Eijiro scurried to take off his coat and boots and jumped onto the latter's couch, pouting.

"Katsuki! I'm screwed! I'm so screwed!" He whined. Katsuki rolled his eyes. He knew that voice. 

"The fuck? Why are you bawling your eyes out? You good?" he asked. Kirishima looked up at him with sad eyes and a frown on his face. It was honestly surprising that this guy had a girlfriend.

"Listen, bro. I got Shouto for the Secret Santa thing, and I don't know what to get him! I'm losing time." He exclaimed. Katsuki sat on the couch too, rolling his eyes at how dumb this conversation already was. 

"You got Shouto… and you think this is the hardest thing you've ever had to do?" Katsuki scoffed. Shopping for Shouto was like shopping for a 2-year-old. He liked anything.

"Can you please not use that tone with me? I'm freaking out right now." 

"Why though? That idiot is so easy to shop for," Katsuki snorted.

"I've tried everything. None of them seem good enough," Kirishima pouted. He’d been looking for a gift for five days, and nothing looked good enough. Every time he thought something might be good for his friend, he started overthinking things and ditched the idea immediately.

"Ever try wrapping a box of strawberry-flavored pocky and a pack of cookies? That'll do the trick," Katsuki chuckled at his own joke. He was partially serious, though. Shouto loved snacks and loved Pocky. He'd honestly like any kind of snack.

"Katsuki, be serious! I can't give him bullshit!" 

“Who said it’d be bullshit? He’s actually into that stuff, you know?”

“A pack of pocky? For Christmas? Please, that would be terrible!” Kirishima explained.  Katsuki sighed. Eijiro was thinking too hard about this. The gift didn't have to be that big of a deal anyway. It was just a money-saving tactic, and their friend group had already agreed that there would be no hard feelings. Since he didn't have many ideas, he just got up and went to fetch something from his room. Kirishima was too busy overreacting and freaking out to even notice he was gone.

Katsuki came back downstairs with a graphic tee. The graphic tee he bought for Shouto himself. He was going to give it to him, but Eijiro really seemed like he was losing his mind and didn't know what else to do.

"Here"

"What is this?" Eijiro grabbed the shirt, held it up, and tried to figure out what or who it was.

"Yagi Toshinori"

"Oh, the basketball player!"

"Mm. Got it for him since he’s a fan." Bakugou sat back down.

"You got this for Todoroki? That's insane, man. What'd you get Izuku, then?"

"Don't worry about what I got for that nerd. But if you're freaking out so much over this gift exchange thing, just take this and wrap it nicely," Bakugou told him. He thought the conversation would be done after that and that Eijiro would agree and take the shirt, but for some reason, he spoke up again.

"I can't give this to him. It's sentimental, right? This is too much," Eijiro frowned 

"Ei, what the fuck are you talking about? Just give him the damn shirt, and all will be fine," Katsuki sighed. His friend was starting to get too complicated. 

"But Katsuki-"

"Look, I don't care who gives it to him as long as he gets it. Just make sure it's wrapped neatly and looks good." Katsuki was quite done with the conversation and wanted Eijiro to just accept it. The redhead shut his mouth after that. He still thought it was too nice of a shirt to give to Shouto himself, but whatever. He had no other ideas, and Katsuki was nice enough to let him use his gift. 

"Thank you"

A few days had finally passed, and it was Christmas day. Katsuki's parents' house was crazy. There were decorations everywhere and lots and lots of sodas and drinks. His parents even decided to be funny and hang up a mistletoe, so every time they walked up the steps, they stopped and shared a kiss. Katsuki gagged every time they did.

On the morning of the day itself, Mitsuki had offered to make food for the little party he was having. It was a nice gesture, and one Katsuki would not refuse in the slightest. His mom’s food was the best. 

His parents really helped him set up this party and didn't mind that it was happening in their home. They bought decorations and party supplies for Katsuki and did most of the work. Katsuki was grateful for them.

At around 3 p.m., when food was already cooked and cooling, his doorbell rang, and Shouto walked inside his place. He was always the first one here.

"Hey, Kat!" He smiled, taking off his jacket and shoes.

"Dude. Party starts at 5. Why are you here so early?" Katsuki snorted, grabbing the coat and shoes from the younger. Shouto turned to him with a slight smile. 

"As if you won't enjoy my company for 2 hours." Shouto chuckled. He carried his bag inside and set it right by the table in the living room.

"Pfft, I won't," Katsuki lied. He really loved spending time with Shouto, so the lie was huge. "My parents are upstairs, by the way," Katsuki said. It was important for people to greet his parents if they were in his home. It was a sign of respect. Shouto immediately ran up the stairs, going to find Katsuki's parents. From the second level of the house, Katsuki heard his mom fawn over and hug Shouto, which made him smile.

When he came back down, Shouto saw Katsuki setting up the TV for them to watch something. He flopped onto the couch next to him, taking in the nice smell of the candles being burned on the table Katsuki honestly couldn't take his eyes off him. Shouto wasn't really wearing anything grand. Red and black. It was simple. He had on a turtleneck, tight-fitting jeans, and a silver necklace. He looked really good. Katsuki didn’t even realize he was staring until Shouto turned in his direction, slightly concerned. 

"Hey, Kats, you okay?" He asked, smiling slightly. Katsuki snapped back into the present.  Heat rose behind his neck, and he looked away. Of course, he’d be staring at Shouto. He looked insanely attractive in that outfit.

"Yeah… I’m fine," he answered. Shouto eyed him but changed the subject. 

"Oh, hey! Do you think we could use your kitchen?" He asked, seemingly excited about something. Katsuki turned back toward him, squinting at him.

"...Why?" He asked, confused. Shouto wasn't allowed in kitchens. After his numerous failed attempts at making the bare minimum, Shouto was not allowed near stoves or ovens. Anything he made by himself turned out to be pure and utter trash. So the blonde was skeptical about whatever he was insinuating. He watched silently as the other dug around in his bag and pulled out two things. 

Hot chocolate mix and pre-made cookie dough from the store. Katsuki's eyes flicked between both of them, asking himself so many things.

"Can we make these?" Shouto asked with a small smile on his face. Katsuki stared at the items a little longer, contemplating. He grabbed the hot chocolate mix from his hands and moved to stand up. 

"We could make this. That pre-packaged shit could fuck right off. We won't need that," Katsuki spat. Shouto stood up too, following him into the kitchen, smiling at the cute decorations Mitsuki had put up around the house. 

"If we don't need the cookie dough, what are we going to make?" He questioned. He watched as Katsuki pointed to the flour and sugar already on the counter, which did not help answer his question in the slightest.

"Homemade cookies." Katsuki grinned. He grabbed two bowls for him and Shouto, placing them on their work surfaces, and grabbed everything he might need. Shouto watched in amusement.

"I've never made anything from scratch before." He chuckled, playing with the bowl while he waited. Katsuki placed every living thing from the pantry onto the table while Todoroki stared in awe.

"I know. That's why we're not using that packaged thing," Bakugou started. "That's also why you're going to listen to everything I say because if my cookies turn out rock hard, I'll make you eat them," he said, pointing his finger menacingly at the half-and-half teen. Shouto chuckled. 

"I'd probably enjoy the taste if I'm being honest," he replied. 

Katsuki laughed too. He told him to follow everything he said because he was the baker and he was more experienced. The younger wasn't opposed to that idea. When Katsuki told him to add a cup of flour to his bowl, he listened. When Katsuki told him to add salt too, he did. He didn't try and add his own spin on anything (like he did in the past) because he really wanted those cookies to taste good (and he secretly wanted Katsuki to be happy with the outcome)

While Shouto worked on incorporating the dry ingredients, Katsuki was taking care of the wet. Baking was really one of the best things the blonde could do to de-stress. He remembers when he was younger, he used to bake a lot with his parents. As he got over, they started getting busier with life, and school was beginning to take a toll on Katsuki. Baking was the one thing he did when he felt like he was stressed out of his mind. It really helped him cool off. It was a lot of fun, and now, being here with Shouto just made the experience 10 times better.

When everything was finally mixed, Katsuki looked over at the half-and-half to see if he was okay. For the most part, everything looked fine. That was until he looked at his face. Shouto had flour on his face. It was strangely the cutest thing, and the blonde could feel that soft spot inside of him expand. His heart throbbed. He had to look away for a small second just to compose himself.

"Oi, dumbass. Turn here," he told him.

"Hm? Did I do something wro-" Shouto's sentence was cut short as big, calloused hands came to cup his cheeks. Katsuki was staring right at him, fingers dancing on his cheek, and Shouto swallowed thickly. 

"You had flour on your face, idiot. Be more careful next time." Katsuki snorted, letting him go. He went back to mixing his ingredients and took the bowl Shouto was working on and mixed them. His heart and his mind were racing. He doesn’t even know what possessed him to do that. On one hand, it was the perfect opportunity for him to drop hints, and on the other, it could potentially push Shouto away. He shook his head. There was no point in dwelling on any of that. It was Christmas.

Shouto just... stood there, thinking. His face felt hot, and his heart was unstoppable too. It was beating extremely fast. He couldn't believe something like that had just happened.

When everything was mixed, Bakugou asked him to start rolling out dough balls while he went to work on the hot chocolate. Neither of them spoke about what just occurred, choosing to ignore it for good. They fell into a nice rhythm after that, with Katsuki telling him if the sizing was right and Shouto having fun rolling out the dough.

Once the cookies were in the oven and the kitchen was cleaned, they sat back down in the living room, drinking their hot chocolate. Shouto looked content, which was the only thing that mattered at that moment. The TV was playing some lame Christmas movie, which made good background noise. They were not paying attention to anything that was going on, too busy talking and cracking jokes with each other. 

"You know, good idea for this," Katsuki pointed to his mug. 

"I begged my brother to bring me to the store to buy one," Shouto admitted.

"Of course you would.

When the first batch of cookies was done at around 4:15, Katsuki rolled out some others and put them in the oven. Shouto had snuck in behind him, wanting to try one right away, but Katsuki was quicker. He caught him trying to steal and kicked him out of the kitchen.

"They're hot, dumbass! You have to wait!"

"But they smell really good!"

"Fuck off and go sit back down!"

Waiting for the cookies to cool was like watching paint dry. It was exhausting. Shouto was impatient. He wanted to taste one now. Katsuki saw him pout, thinking it was the cutest thing ever. He had to tell him to give them a few minutes, and they'd eat as many as they'd like. 

A few minutes later, the doorbell rang as the other batch of cookies were ready. Katsuki went to pull them out of the oven while Shouto answered the door. 

At the door were Kirishima and Mina, wearing a cute couple outfit. They greeted Shouto with huge grins on their faces. They seemed excited. Mina ran to greet Katsuki in the kitchen, while Eijiro stayed to talk to Shouto. When they saw that the two had made cookies, they immediately went to sneak a few, but Katsuki shooed them away.

After that, everyone started coming little by little, so Katsuki brought them to the basement. That's where the party was going to be held anyway. There was more room down there.

Mitsuki and Masaru had left the house shortly after, going to enjoy their Christmas at a restaurant or something, and entrusted the house to their son. 

At around 5:30, everyone was already there, enjoying themselves and having fun. Music was blaring from the speakers; everyone was dancing, talking, and laughing. The party had a nice vibe. Spending Christmas with friends seemed like the best decision because they were having the time of their lives.

They ate after about an hour of settling in. Everyone fawned over how good Mitsuki's food was, telling Katsuki to tell her she had to cook for them more often. They even tried the cookies that Shouto and Katsuki had made earlier, pleased by how soft they were. Shouto was just proud he didn't ruin Katsuki's recipe. 

They honestly ate a lot. It was hard to move for a while. Christmas meals were always the best, especially when enjoyed with other people. They waddled their way back downstairs and lounged around, watching something on TV or just talking with each other. They were stuffed. It took a while for them to digest, but they eventually did. To pass the time, they watched a Christmas movie that they'd seen about fifty times. When the movie did end around 8 p.m., that's when people started to move. Kaminari got up, going to place a video game (Mario Kart) in the Wii holder so he could play against Sero. Their small match turned into a full-blown tournament as Kaminari challenged everyone.

It was fun watching him lose to his own girlfriend and to literally everyone else he played against. The blonde was such a bad player. He ended up whining and going to sit in a corner while everyone laughed. Shouto didn't partake in the activity, deciding just to sit and enjoy his time.

It was then time for them to open their gifts. Everyone was shuffling, moving around, passing their gifts to one another, and opening them. It was really chaotic, but that's how they rolled. Katsuki had given his gift to Izuku, who was already so happy that Bakugou was his Santa

"At least open the damn gift before you start crying, dumbass. Oh my God!” 

When he did open the gift, Midoriya practically fell into his childhood friend's arms. It was everything he needed to complete his Yagi Toshinori shrine. Katsuki even got him a jersey he knew he wanted. It was amazing. It was no doubt that the green-haired idiot would start crying. He hugged Katsuki tight and gave him a chaste kiss on the cheek. Ochacho couldn't stop giggling at his reaction, and Katsuki wanted him off of him this instant.

"Round face, stop fucking giggling, and get this leech off me!"

"I'm so happy, Kachaan!"

It was hectic. After Ochaco practically tore Midoriya off of Bakugou, Shouto scooted next to him with a gift wrapped in his hands. 

"Merry Christmas, Katsuki." He spoke next to him. Katsuki looked over, noticing the box he was holding.

"No way," he snorted. "You got me this year?" 

"Mhm! Open it later." Shouto smiled. Katsuki took the box from him, a small smile growing on his lips as well. He was kind of excited to see what the half-and-half idiot got him.

"Hey Sho! Catch!" They heard from the other side of the room. Eijiro had sent a box flying across the room and into Shouto's hands. 

"From you?" 

"Merry Christmas, bro!" 

Shouto slowly tore off the wrapping paper, opening the box, and his face dropped. Inside was the shirt he's been eyeing for the last six months. The shirt he's been wanting for the longest time. He looked up at Eijiro with wide eyes. Katsuki bit back his smile. He knew Shouto would like the shirt, and he knew it would be one of the best gifts he'd ever received.

"You like it?" Kirishima asked.

"Obviously, Ei, what?" Shouto was, honestly, speechless. He walked over to where Eijiro was sitting and moved to hug him. Katsuki felt bitter. He was kind of upset that he wasn't the one getting that hug. He let it slide, though. Shouto looked so happy. Why would Katsuki feel jealous that Eijiro got the hug instead of him? Seeing Shouto smile was enough.

The rest of the night was filled with laughter and people showing off their new gifts to each other. They had a great time. People started getting tired after a while. Some of them had already left by 11 p.m., while the rest were still there, fighting to stay awake. By 11:30, everyone except 1 was out of the house. Katsuki and Shouto cleaned up everything and washed all the dishes they made throughout the night, and they made it fun. Being that they were alone in the house, they permitted themselves to be a little louder. Katsuki threw water at him while Shouto tried to dodge. They were like children.

Putting the last plate to dry, Shouto looked over at his phone, seeing that the day was almost over. 

"Kat, you still have to open your gift." He said

Katsuki had almost forgotten about that. He cleaned down the counter, and he and Shouto went up to his room. Shouto flopped down on his bed, still holding his new shirt, not wanting anything to happen to it. Katsuki sat down too, his gift in his hands. He was anxious to find out what the other had even gotten him. He unwrapped it carefully, removing all the paper, and was left with a very neat and clean box. He opened it and immediately froze. 

About 7 months ago, on his birthday, Katsuki, Izuku, and Shouto went to the mall to celebrate. Katsuk had always been a fan of necklaces, earrings, and rings, so when walking by one of those fancy stores, he stopped to look at one of those silver ones on the display. 

" Are you looking at necklaces again, Kachaan?" Midoriya had come up next to him, giggling at how much Katsuki loved jewelry.

"Shut up! This one is sick!" He stared at it. It looked so cool just sitting there, and he wished he could've gotten it right then and there 

"It is nice," Todoroki mentioned too. In all honesty, the style and the shape suited Bakugou. It was his vibe, which explained why he was staring at it. 

Ever since he saw it, he has always wanted it. It was the nicest thing ever, and he didn't expect anyone to get it for him. That is why, when he opened the box to see the same necklace he'd been wanting for months, he had to control himself. 

"You're fucking kidding," he mumbled. Shouto smiled. 

"It's what you've been wanting, right?" He giggled. Katsuki turned back to look at him. 

"Dumbass. Why would you get this for me? Do you know how much this shit costs?" Katsuki asked. He was so happy inside. Shouto sat up too, staring right at him.

"That's not all." He said. He reached inside his pocket and pulled out another box.

"What the fuck is this?" Katsuki was already in shock about what he was receiving, and Shouto had the nerve to pull out something else.

"Open it." 

Katsuki eyed him. Why did this guy get him something else? He tore open the box, wanting to figure out what Shouto got him again. When he did look inside, his heart skipped. 

"Matching earrings for the necklace," he explained. As if Bakugou couldn't already tell. Todoroki came closer to him so he could explain further. 

"If you turn them over, they have your initials," he said. Katsuki was in shock. He was honestly speechless, and the younger teen couldn't help giggling at his reaction. 

"Did I do good?" Shouto laughed. Katsuki could kiss him right now. He could kiss him all over his face. Shouto was so thoughtful. 

"Why did you get me all of this?" He asked. Shouto's heart missed a beat. He had his reasons... which he was not ready to disclose yet. He felt the heat rise from his neck to his cheek, and he looked away. 

"What about you?" He cleared his throat and changed their focus.

"What about me?"

"This. You got me this, right?" Todoroki held up his new shirt. Katsuki froze. How would he know? How would he even figure that out?

"Eiji got you that," he lied. He was a shit liar, especially when it came to lying to Shouto.

"Yeah, right, Kats. I only showed you this shirt. You're the only person I told about it. You're the only person who knows how much I love clothes and things like that. I know you got it for me." 

"Anyone could figure that out." Katsuki tried his best to make it seem like his secret didn’t get out, but with every second that Shouto stared at him with that knowing look, the more unconvincing he sounded. 

"Katsuki," Shouto said his name softly. He said it in a way that confirmed he didn't believe anything the blonde was saying from the beginning.

Bakugou felt defeated. Well, so much for keeping it a secret. He made eye contact with the smug idiot and rolled his eyes. Why did Shouto have to figure things out so fast? He set his stuff down and rubbed his hand over his face.

"Yeah, I got it for you. Whatever." He mumbled. Shouto laughed. He set his shirt down on the bed, going in for a hug. Katsuki let himself be hugged. His heart was beating a bit too loudly in his ears, and he wasn't sure if he could even control himself. 

“Thank you,” Todoroki whispered. When he pulled away, he made a point to get up, to stretch or something, but Bakugou grabbed his wrist, bringing him right back to a seated position. He was in his head. He didn't want the atmosphere to change, and he didn’t want this moment to leave. This is what he wanted when he first got the damn shirt—for them to have this exact moment. The fact that it was happening now, like this, didn’t even change much. This was the goal.

"Hm?" Shouto tilted his head, still amused at their interaction. Katsuki was losing his mind. He was holding onto Shouto's wrist, not wanting him to go anywhere, and just staring at him. He was so pretty, and he was also the most annoying person ever. Why did he have to go and get him his dream gifts? Why couldn't he just receive a box of terrible quality earrings instead of something this big and sentimental? Why did he have to get this amazing necklace he's been eyeing since his birthday instead of something small that he didn't have to get attached to? Why did Shouto have to find out that the shirt was from him? He was seriously losing it. Shouto knew so much about him. That soft spot that he had was as big as his lungs. Every time Shouto did anything, it grew. Katsuki already knew for a long time that he was head over heels in love with that idiot, but he never actually said it out loud to himself, and his love had never been that strong. Shouto was just... He was special. So special. 

"Why are you staring at me like that?" He has asked. Katsuki moved his fingers so he was no longer holding onto his wrist but onto his hand. Shouto looked down at their fingers, and his face flared up. Bakugou was acting really weird. Todoroki couldn't pinpoint why. Katsuki sighed, his head coming to rest right on Shouto's shoulder. It was so hard to be honest right now. The half-and-half teen looked over at his head, frowning. What was up with him right now? "Katsuki? You okay?" He asked. When he received no reply, he tried nudging him with his free hand. The blonde didn't budge. He stayed put. "Kats?" He tried his luck one last time. Bakugou groaned and cleared his throat, getting ready to say something. Shouto was all ears

"It's really hard to look at you and not want to kiss you, Sho," he said. He felt the younger stiffen, his shoulders raise slightly, and his body tense. He was shocked and confused at once. Where was this even coming from?

"Every time I look at you, I want to hold you or fucking kiss you. It drives me insane." He continued. Shouto inhaled, his heart about to explode. Did he hear that correctly? Was his mind playing tricks on him right now?

It was honestly no surprise that he liked Katsuki, too. He just never knew what to call it. He's always been wary of his interactions with him, making sure not to look overly stupid in front of him, saying the right thing, and wanting Katsuki to acknowledge the things that he did. He always had Katsuki on his mind when they were apart. Shouto never knew what it meant until recently. 

He loved spending time with him too. Every opportunity he got, he'd ask if Katsuki wanted to do something with him or simply just hang out together and have fun. They didn't need to do much. As long as Katsuki was in his presence, he felt good.

One of the reasons he even got Katsuki such an amazing gift was because he was practically in love with him. Since Shouto wasn't so good with words, he thought getting him something sentimental would be perfect for expressing himself. He wanted Katsuki to understand that he really, really liked him by giving him something memorable.

In a way, it kind of worked out, which is why they were in this situation. Shouto's face felt really warm. He was tired of hiding things any longer. It was time that he came clean.

"I wouldn't mind, you know? If we kiss,” he said. His hands were getting sweaty, and his body was overheating with the turtleneck on. He couldn’t even faceKatsuki., His arm came to cover his face in embarrassment. His back rested against the wall as some kind of support because he needed it right now. Katsuki lifted his head immediately. Shouto watched him through the crack in his arm, hiding how red his face was. Katsuki grabbed his forearm, guiding it off and away from his face, looking into his eyes, trying to read him. Was he being serious? Was this some kind of sick joke, as Christmas is about to end? His right hand subconsciously moved itself onto Shouto's cheek, holding him. Todoroki's face was hot, even burning. It was almost unnatural how red he got. 

"You're not fucking with me, are you?" He asked. He needed to make sure the other wasn't just messing with him as a sick prank. He needed reassurance. Shouto just chuckled, his hand coming to rest against Katsuki's own on his cheek. 

"Of course not!" He answered, his face still burning bright red.

Bakugou watched his eyes and watched his body language. His mind was racing at 75 miles per hour. Shouto didn't seem like he was lying. On the contrary, he looked like he was ready for anything right now. Katsuki's eyes flicked down to their hands that were still clasped together on the bed, and he could feel the encouraging squeeze Shouto gave him. It was one that told him that the other wanted this, too. When he looked back up at the latter's face, he could see him staring at his lips. 

All the alarms in Bakugou's head were screaming the same thing: Go! Shouto was giving him the 'ok', telling him that he was ready for whatever Katsuki wanted to give him. The light was green. 

His eyes dropped down to look at his lips. Shouto inched closer, and Katsuki decided to take the initiative. He leaned in all the way, pressing a soft kiss right on his lips. Not wanting to take it too far too fast, Bakugou pulled away. He scanned the younger's face again, looking to see if he was against it. Shouto's lips only quirked up, telling Katsuki that it was fine. The blonde understood. He passed his thumb right against Shouto’s bottom lip, intrigued by how soft it was. He couldn't help but stare lovingly at him—at his lips, at his nose, at his cheeks. He was so mesmerized by Shouto. 

Without warning this time, he dove in for another kiss, a stronger one. He held Shouto by his chin, not wanting to let him go. His lips moved slowly, but assertively. Shouto's heart was beating in and out of his chest. It was hard to think straight. The kiss was softer than he would've imagined. Katsuki was surprisingly gentle. He wanted to pour his feelings into the kiss. He didn't want to hide anything anymore. Shouto's arms came to wrap around his neck, his fingers coming to play with his hair. Katsuki pulled away quickly, mumbling a small, "That tickles dumbass," right on his lips. The teen chuckled, itching for more. He pulled the blond back, kissing him deeply. The kiss was full of sentiment. The softness of Shouto’s lips was almost addicting. He was just so pretty. Katsuki finally let go of the hand he was holding, bringing it up to his waist. He squeezed him slightly, eliciting a small giggle. It was such a nice sound. Katsuki wanted to have it on replay. He wanted to make Shouto giggle every day. He wanted him to laugh and smile all the time, only around him. 

Katsuki subconsciously pushed him more against the wall, caging him between his lips and deepening the kiss ever so slightly. They both didn't want to let each other go. They wanted to stay like this; happy and wanting. 

He pulled away first, needing air. His forehead rested right against Shouto’s as they caught their breath. The hands behind his neck were still playing with the hairs there, tickling the blonde. Katsuki felt like he was in the clouds, and Shouto almost couldn't believe what just happened. 

"You taste sweet." 

"I was eating a cookie earlier." Shouto smiled. Katsuki kissed his cheek, trailing kisses down to his neck and his shoulder. He honestly never wanted to let go of him now that they were in their position. He wanted to keep him as close as possible. His hand even moved, coming to rake it up his arm and rest on his neck so he could pull him closer. He loved everything about this idiot. They haven't even talked clearly about anything, yet Katsuki already wanted everyone to know that they were a thing. When he pulled away from his neck, he saw the state of Shouto's face. Beet red with a big smile. He looked happy. Happier than ever. 

"Yeah, so I like you, or whatever," Katsuki said, more as a joke than anything serious. Shouto was amused.

"Really? You do? Couldn't tell." He laughed. "I like you too." He humoured Bakugou a little.

"You better." 

Shouto rolled his eyes, still playing with the blond's hair, passing his hands through it, basking in how soft it was. 

"Oi- what the fuck are yo-"

"I like your hair too." Shouto smiled. 

"You're messing it up." The blond didn't even try to stop him; he just sat there, watching Shouto's amused nature as he played with his hair. It was kind of crazy how happy he felt right now. He didn't even care if anyone saw them in this state. He just wanted to stay like this with Shouto. Christmas was probably over, and Katsuki could honestly say it was one of the best Christmases ever. Not only did he get special gifts, but he ended up with the guy he’s been after for the last seven months. It was the best day.

They stayed there for a bit, enjoying each other's company, sharing kisses, and laughing about nothing in particular. Neither of them knew what time it was, too busy and preoccupied with each other. 

"I'm glad you confessed first," Shouto had mentioned after they both lay down, getting tired. Katsuki turned to him. 

“I couldn't hold myself back this time.” He told him, which was true. He was able to control himself for a while, but tonight it was hard to do so.

"If you had left it up to me, I would've probably confessed two years from now." Shouto joked. 

"You're cute." Bakugou snorted.

"Shut up!”

Katsuki kissed his cheek, wrapping an arm around his torso and closing his eyes. This was nice, lying here with Shouto in his arms. It all seemed like it was still a dream. However, as much as Katsuki wanted to stay up and spend an endless amount of time with Shouto, he was worn out.

“Tired?”

“Fucking exhausted.” He had the right to be sleepy. Setting up and planning the party took so much out of him. He would've loved to stay awake longer, but he could feel a headache start to form. Shouto watched him fondly, leaning closer to him, and placing a soft peck on his chin.

“Night Kats”

–

The next morning, Katsuki and Shouto woke up with smiles. Last night was, in fact, real, and they did, in fact, kiss. They were ecstatic. They decided to spend the entire morning together. Instead of going home, Shouto stayed at Bakugou's. He helped the blonde make breakfast for his parents. They always had fun in the kitchen. They made jokes, made a mess, and laughed at random things. This time, it was different, though. For one, Katsuki wasn't as focused or concentrated on his cooking as he usually was. He was too busy looking at Shouto. They ended up taking more time in the kitchen. They were constantly sneaking quick kisses or making out instead of getting breakfast ready. Katsuki might have burned a batch of eggs as well, but that was okay. It didn't take long to make anyway. He gave samples of food or ingredients to Shouto, too, making him taste if they were good or not. They looked so happy and in love. They were in their little bubble.

When his mom walked into the kitchen unannounced, she caught them acting stupidly in love and couldn't help but sneak a picture to show her husband. They moved around the kitchen like an old married couple, and Mitsuki found herself giggling at them. Amid his laughter with Shouto, he noticed her sneaking a video and yelled at her to get out of the kitchen. His face grew three shades darker, and Shouto had to hold back laughter in order not to worsen the embarrassment. 

Mitsuki thought her son was adorable. She showed the video to Masaru, and they teased him as they ate breakfast with the new couple. Shouto was kept entertained while Katsuki wanted to rip his hair out from how embarrassing this all was.

The plan was for Shouto to leave after breakfast, but Katsuki's parents insisted that he stay longer. And he did. Mitsuki and Masaru were so welcoming and nice. They made him feel like he was already part of their small family, which made it easier for him to talk to them. They treated him like their own son, so it wasn't hard to even open up about their new relationship. They asked him some personal questions, like, when he started liking Katsuki, what he liked about him, what made him so special, and funny things like that, which Katsuki hated. 

“Mom! Enough with the stupid questions!”

“Aw, I just want to know more about your relationship!” 

“You don’t need to know shit!” 

Shouto found it amusing. 

Later, he and Katsuki spent their time watching a holiday movie to pass the time until dinner was ready. Shouto scrolled through his phone, seeing the number of pictures that were posted by their friends and by his family members. Most of them were showing off their partner or their new gifts, which gave Shouto a new idea. 

He told the blonde that he wanted to take a picture together. He didn't tell him why or what it was for. He just said he wanted it. Katsuki was never opposed to anything Shouto wanted to do, and he never half-assed it. He always wanted Shouto to be happy. 

They took about twenty pictures because Katsuki kept messing up the picture by kissing him or tickling him. It took 15 minutes just to get a decent photo. 

“You're so complicated!”

“You got your picture, right?” Katsuki snorted.

In the end, though, Katsuki was right. He did get his picture. It was one that they took under the mistletoe, right at the front of the steps. Katsuki was already onto Shouto’s tactics, deciding to go all out. The picture was of him and Shouto kissing. It looked cute, and it would definitely be a shock to all of their friends. He ended up taking even more pictures, too. Pictures of Katsuki, of the food that Mitsuki prepared for them, of some of the decorations, lots of stuff. 

He made sure to wait until he was sure everyone would be online to post his picture. He wanted a reaction, and Katsuki was already supporting his every decision. He chose all of the pictures that he wanted, wrote the caption Secret Santa Gift, and hit post. 

It didn’t take long for all of their friends to see it and comment. Shouto was happy with his post.

At the end of the night, when Shouto did go back home, Katsuki posted his own little thing on a private story.

It was a picture of Shouto holding the necklace and earrings he bought for him, with the caption My Three Gifts.

Secret Santa couldn’t have worked out any better for him.