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It was a universally acknowledged fact that Bakugo Katsuki was not a soft, caring, or, above all, a touchy person. However, after everything that had happened during the war and throughout two entire academic years around his classmates (whom he now even dared to call friends), he found himself doing things he'd never imagined.
Even if he himself wasn’t entirely aware of it.
One time during chemistry class, Todoroki accidentally dropped his pencil, and Katsuki found himself crouching down at the table to pick it up for him.
Todoroki met him halfway and took the pencil from his hand, looking completely bewildered. Katsuki immediately noticed what he had done and shot him a scowl along with a warning glance, a faint blush covering his cheeks. Todoroki simply nodded and accepted the gesture for what it was, deciding not to bring it up ever again.
He also began to text his parents back more frequently. It’s not that he himself noticed or anything, but his father mentioned it one day when he was back home visiting, and Katsuki only shrugged and dismissed him.
“I have to say, son, I’m so glad things are going well for you these days. You seem to be in a good mood!” Masaru blurted out while eating.
“Huh? What makes you say that?” the blonde responded defensively.
“You are even replying back to my messages on the same day!”
“It’s whatever, leave me alone, old man.”
So yeah, in hindsight, he knew he was, somehow, and for whatever reason, getting softer.
What he wasn’t actively noticing, though, was the gradual change in his and Izuku’s relationship. The softness started coming naturally with him, and he accepted it just as he embraced all the twists and turns in their complicated relationship, even though somewhat obliviously.
1.
The first time it happened was when Izuku ended up severely wounded after a fight, to literally no one’s surprise.
He had certainly gotten better at the whole taking-care-of-himself thing, but there were still times when he ended up being too much of a self-sacrificing idiot.
Katsuki heard about it in passing on the hallways of the school, as they had been divided into different divisions for the patrols that day.
“Yeah, Midoriya is back at the infirmary. I don’t think it’s anything serious, but the teachers have let his mother know and she’s coming to check on him, just in case,” Katsuki overheard Jirou tell Shoji.
“Damn fucking careless nerd, I swear to God,” the blonde muttered to himself as he headed to the infirmary, fuming with exasperation.
Once he asked around and reached Izuku’s room, he was greeted by a seemingly inexperienced nurse.
“Oh, hi, you must be the relative”, the girl addressed him quickly and started fumbling with papers. Katsuki shot her a confused glare.
“Okay, you need to make sure he doesn’t choke while sleeping and that he doesn’t scratch the bandage on his left arm. He has inhaled quite a lot of smoke after all,” the girl explained hurriedly and sat him down on the chair next to Izuku’s bed.
Katsuki’s mouth hung open at the indications he was sure were more fit for a nurse than a 17-year-old without any medical experience whatsoever but kept on listening nonetheless, unable to say anything back due to the nurse’s frantic antics.
“That’s pretty much all, sir. Please, let me know if you need anything,” the girl said before hastily leaving the room.
“What the actual fuck?” Katsuki mouthed as he assessed Izuku’s sleeping form on the bed.
The green-eyed boy indeed bore a nasty wound on his left arm, half of it concealed beneath a bandage. And although he had clearly been cleaned a bit, his face and body were still covered in soot.
Still dressed in his worn-down hero costume, Katsuki reckoned it wouldn't kill him to wait until Inko arrived, so he tsked but made himself comfortable on the chair as he crossed his arms and watched his childhood friend’s sleeping body.
Katsuki fixated on Izuku's rhythmic breathing, syncing his own pace with the slow rise and fall of his friend's ribcage, nearly lulled into sleep himself.
A soft, faint cough from Izuku snapped him out of his trance. Glancing up, he saw Izuku coughing in his sleep, furrowing his brows unintentionally as he lifted his hand to — just as the nurse had advised — sleepily scratch his bandaged arm.
“Damn it, nerd, stay the fuck still, would you?” Katsuki muttered to himself as he attempted to push Izuku’s hand away from the wounded arm. Izuku’s sleeping movements resisted, so Katsuki tried as much as he could to keep the sleeping boy from scratching, just as he was instructed to.
“For fuck’s sake,” the blonde finally grumbled and took Izuku’s hand in his. “Stop fucking scratching, God.” At that, Izuku’s sleepy-scratchy fit seemed to cease, so Katsuki held on tightly and adjusted to the new position.
An entire hour and twenty minutes later, Inko hastily opened the door but was quickly taken aback by the scene that unfolded as she entered the room.
Katsuki was snoring softly, practically curled up on Izuku’s bed, his upper half sprawled alongside the other boy – and his right hand clutching Izuku’s hand tightly.
2.
The first time someone noticed a clear shift in their dynamic was during the brief break between Literature and Maths.
Izuku was occupying Uraraka’s chair, engaged in conversation with Iida and Kirishima about the latest Hero rankings, while Uraraka goofed around with Tsuyu and the other girls.
Katsuki strolled over, pausing at Uraraka’s desk and casually resting his elbows on Izuku’s shoulders, who appeared unfazed and continued his discussion. Kirishima and Iida looked at eachother with baffled expressions.
“I’m telling you guys, Hawks would totally beat Mirko in an arm-wrestling fight,” Izuku declared as he lifted his hands to emphasize his statement.
Without thinking, Katsuki instinctively grabbed Izuku's hand, absentmindedly fiddling and intertwining their fingers as he disagreed with what the other boy just said.
“Shut up, nerd, you know that’s not true. Hawks might be the number 2 Hero but that doesn’t make him stronger muscle-wise.”
He then launched into a tangent about how Mirko would undoubtedly beat Hawks, passionately explaining his reasons while still holding onto Izuku's hand.
Unaware of the baffled expressions around them, Izuku distractedly rested the back of his head against Katsuki's torso, casually looking up at his face from under him as he listened. The two of them continued bantering, discussing Pro-Hero power scales with their fingers still intertwined, seemingly in their own little world.
Iida, Kirishima, and the rest of class, on the other hand, were at a loss for words.
3.
On another occasion, Katsuki and Izuku sat side by side on the floor, leaning against the sofa, absorbed in watching TV with the rest of the class.
It was movie night, and as expected, Kirishima and Kaminari were late. The two boys suddenly rushed in, taking seats next to Katsuki and Izuku. Kaminari, in his attempt to make space for both of them, accidentally bumped into Izuku, causing him to tumble over Katsuki, who was sitting next to him.
Izuku allowed himself to be shifted to the right, pressed against Katsuki’s warm side uncomfortably. Trying to accommodate his beefy friends, Katsuki tried to move to his right but found himself uncomfortably pressed against the large loveseat on his other side.
It was then when Katsuki tsked and deftly grabbed Izuku by the arms, effortlessly changing his position and settling him into his lap, between his open legs. His demeanor was nonchalant, handling Izuku with the ease of someone who had done this countless times before.
Izuku blushed profusely but adjusted to the change nonetheless, settling comfortably between Katsuki’s legs and resting his head on the blonde’s chest.
Time went by as they adjusted to the new, cozy and intimate position. Izuku leaned against Katsuki’s sturdy chest, snuggling into the space between his legs. Katsuki draped his arms around Izuku’s waist and rested his chin on the other’s shoulder, focusing on the TV screen and absentmindedly caressing Izuku’s side.
Completely engrossed by the movie, not a single soul noticed Katsuki tenderly kissing Izuku’s nape, gently lulling him to sleep.
4.
Katsuki remained oblivious to everything even in the most obvious situations. And, Izuku, well, he was just going through the motions, feeling as if he wasn’t caught up with his favorite TV show, but loving it all the same.
It was an uneventful Saturday afternoon for them. The dorm was fairly quiet and empty, with most of their classmates having gone back home with their families or being out and about with friends. Katsuki and Izuku opted to stay in in order to study for their upcoming tests, and after reviewing everything they had scheduled, they chose to simply chill on the couch.
They ended up playing a few rounds of Smash Bros, and when Katsuki got tired of losing, he switched to playing Mario Kart solo as Izuku picked up a new manga he had recently bought.
Seated on the left side of the couch, Izuku read while Katsuki screamed like a gremlin at Waluigi through his Nintendo Switch screen. A snort escaped Izuku at the blonde’s antics and he shot him a sidelong glance. Unfazed, Katsuki kept on maneuvering as if he was really driving a car through a fantasy desert, eventually reclining his head on Izuku’s lap. The smaller boy, accustomed to Katsuki’s now usual touchy-feely gestures, welcomed it and adjusted his position to make more room for him.
Katsuki's head settled comfortably in Izuku’s lap, and Izuku took it as a cue to take the initiative for the first time. He was fairly used to this new dynamic, but it was usually Katsuki initiating these touches, so he took a deep breath and nervously brought his hand down to cradle Katsuki’s soft hair with his fingers.
The blonde appeared unfazed, engrossed in his game and poking his tongue out in concentration. Izuku smiled to himself at the adorable sight, continuing to massage Katsuki’s scalp soothingly throughout the afternoon.
It wasn’t until Izuku finished his manga that he noticed Katsuki had fallen asleep in his lap. For the first time in forever, Katsuki’s brows weren’t furrowed, and he was peacefully snoring as he rested both his hands on Izuku's thigh. Izuku smiled fondly at the image, gently pushing a soft blonde lock out of Katsuki’s forehead lovingly.
What Izuku didn’t notice, though, was the heavy, longing sigh he let out, and Uraraka and Tsuyu watching and cooing at them from the doorway.
5.
On another occasion, Katsuki was sitting on top of the kitchen counter, waiting for the microwave to finish heating his snack. Izuku stood upright between Katsuki’s legs, hugging his torso and comfortably resting his cheek against Katsuki’s belly when Ashido and Yaoyorozu found them.
With one hand supporting his weight on the marble counter and the other casually resting on top of Izuku's unruly spikes, Katsuki scrolled through his phone nonchalantly, chatting idly about that morning’s English test.
The two girls entered the kitchen in order to start setting up the table, and were completely taken aback by the sight. Their hearts skipped a beat at the thought of having stumbled upon something private they weren’t supposed to see.
“Hey, you shitheads, tell the nerd it was option number 3, not 4 in today's test,” Katsuki addressed them without moving an inch from the boy wrapped around him.
In response, Izuku turned on his axis, still between Katsukis legs. He rested his arms on top of the blonde’s thighs as he faced the girls and rolled his eyes at Katsuki’s remark.
“I'm sure it was option 3! I'm better at English than you, Kacchan!”
Ashido and Yaoyorozu exchanged equally shocked expressions as they started retrieving plates and glasses from the cupboards.
“Err, yes, Bakugo, it was definitely option… option B!” Yaoyorozu blurted out without much thought, shooting a funny, confused look at Ashido. She raised her eyebrows as if silently pleading for her friend, conveying a message that said, “Help me, I don’t know what’s going on, and I don’t know what I just said.” A bright blush covered her cheeks.
Ashido snorted, collected the glasses handed to her, and quickly ushered them both out of the kitchen.
“What did she say?” asked Katsuki indifferently, still scrolling through his phone.
“I don’t know, Kacchan,” Izuku shrugged, using the new position to try and peek at the blonde’s cell phone screen. “What are you looking at? Let me see!”
Both girls giggled at the situation and silently motioned for the rest of the class to come and look through the half-tilted door.
5+1.
There was one other time, though, when Katsuki noticed something had definitely changed.
It was only a few days before graduation, and the entire class gathered for dinner in the dorm. Finally having reached the culmination of their studies, they were eagerly chatting about future plans and buzzing with excitement at the prospect of officially starting their careers as Pro-Heroes.
It was when Uraraka casually asked Izuku about his plans of leaving to the US for an overseas internship that everything came crashing down.
“Really, Midoriya? That’s awesome! Who are you going to be training with?”, Kirishima asked enthusiastically.
Before Izuku could respond, the sound of shattering glass drew everyone’s attention to Katsuki sitting at the other end of the big table.
Izuku glanced awkwardly at the blond, who was cursing faintly at the mess of shattered glass on his plate, as he stood up and started to angrily stomp toward the kitchen.
Izuku quickly followed him and awkwardly excused himself from the table. “Er… I-It’s not- I don’t really know if I’ll- I’ll- I’m sorry, I’ll be right back,” he said as he hurried after the blonde.
In the kitchen, he found Katsuki fumbling with his bloody hand and scattered glass in the sink, letting out faint curses nervously. Izuku cautiously approached him from behind and touched his shoulder.
“Kacchan, hey, what's wrong?”
“Nothing. Fuck, just– nothing.” Katsuki huffed. Izuku took a chance, slowly sliding his hand onto the other’s shoulder and hugging him from behind. He rested his cheek on the other’s broad back.
“I'm fine” Katsuki repeated again, like a mantra. With the proximity, Izuku noticed his breathing had evened out a bit.
They stayed like that for a while, ignoring the chatter from the living room. After a few minutes of complete silence, Katsuki turned around in Izuku's arms and held the smaller boy's waist, letting his chin rest on top of Izuku’s head.
“Are you really leaving?” Katsuki asked softly.
“I don't know yet” Izuku responded with honesty. “Is this what this is about? Are you mad that I'm leaving?” He tried to push forward.
“Fuck, Izuku. I-I don't know” Katsuki admitted, tightly gripping Izuku’s shirt. “Yes? I guess? I… I– The idea of you leaving it just– it pisses me off.”
Katsuki’s eyes remained as red as ever, his piercing glare fixed on something behind Izuku’s head.
“It’s okay, Kacchan,” Izuku tried to reassure him, bringing his hands to Katsuki’s face, attempting to make him face him.
“No, it’s not. Fuck, I hate this,” the blonde spat with venom, still refusing to look at Izuku but holding him tightly.
“What do you hate?” Izuku asked, determined.
“I don’t know. Feeling this? Why should I care about what you do? Hell, it’s actually a very fucking good idea to pursue something abroad, nerd, I know that. It’s just, fuck, I don’t know.”
Katsuki was trembling again, and Izuku cradled the sides of his face gently as he guided them both down to sit on the floor. Katsuki let him. They were now face to face, impossibly close, both chests pressed against each other’s, and their entangled legs resting on their sides.
“Hey, Kacchan, it's okay. Breathe,” Izuku instructed softly. “It would be the same for me too, you know?”
“Huh?” Katsuki finally looked at him.
“I wouldn't want you to go away either,” Izuku admitted openly, softly rubbing circles on Katsuki’s side through his sweater.
“Then why are you?” Katsuki asked, a faint blush Izuku was not used to tainting his cheeks. ”Going away, I mean.”
“I'm not, not yet. I still need to decide.” Izuku said.
Katsuki nodded but pressed further. “What are you waiting for, then?” The blonde gazed intently into Izuku’s open, viridian eyes, and for the first time that night, Izuku seemed to falter. He avoided the pointed, red look and glanced to the side.
After a pregnant pause, Izuku replied with a question.
“How do you feel about me, Kacchan?” Izuku blurted out, still not daring to look the other in the eyes. Now it was his turn to blush.
Katsuki gulped. “I-I dont fucking know, Izuku.”
Izuku nodded at his response and leaned forward to rest his chin on Katsuki’s shoulder. Katsuki enveloped him in his arms and did the same. “I don't know, but I know I don't want you going away.”
Izuku smiled at his answer, and his eyes welled up.
“And you?” Katsuki asked softly, almost cautious.
“Me what?” responded Izuku, trying not to let the tears show in his voice. Their faces were still hidden from each other because of the position they were in.
“How do you feel about me?” Katsuki asked, his voice carrying a softness that even he wasn’t aware he was capable of.
Izuku then disentangled from the embrace and met Katsuki’s almost vulnerable eyes.
“Do you really want to know?” Izuku asked, raising his eyebrows wittingly.
“Yeah,” Katsuki nodded with a knowing look, his eyes trailing down to Izuku's mouth, as if he already knew the answer.
Izuku bit his lip nervously, and after one last glance into Katsuki’s ruby eyes, he leaned forward and pressed his lips against the other’s.
Katsuki welcomed him avidly, kissing him back as eagerly as his expertise allowed. Tilting his head slightly to the side, he offered Izuku more room and brought his hand up to cradle his cheek, catching the tears in Izuku’s freckles.
Izuku smiled into the kiss at the action and affectionately grabbed the stray blonde locks on Katsuki’s nape. Self-indulgently basking in Katsuki’s undivided attention, he tentatively used a hint of tongue. And Katsuki, as always, met him halfway and lapped at Izuku’s mouth as if his life depended on it, making sure not to leave any spot behind.
Izuku felt Katsuki smirk into the kiss, and he couldn’t help but smile again as well, too many emotions stockpiling in his gut.
Izuku tried to break away to breathe, and Katsuki quickly trailed after his lips, caging him inside his strong arms and kissing the underside of his mouth and his cheek instead.
Slowly coming off of their high, Izuku looked at Katsuki with the softest gaze and rested his forehead against his.
“So… yeah. This is pretty much how I feel about you, Kacchan,” he said with the brightest smile Katsuki had ever seen.
“Yeah, I might feel the same way, nerd,” Katsuki said as he closed his eyes and brought Izuku closer. “I probably always have.”