Archive of Our Own ^beta

The interruption of his music was probably his last straw for the day. 

He woke up late, nearly got creamed by a villain, got stood up for a date, and forgot his ID when he went to purchase beer before he just gave up and came home to workout instead. That clerk knew very fucking well who the hell he was. Asshole. So no, he did not take a picture with the jerk. Sue him.

Ripping out his earbuds and throwing them across the room, he hopped off the still running treadmill and stomped over to his phone.

He half expected it to be Shitty Hair, or Pikachu. Maybe Raccoon Eyes looking for a ride since her car had broke down. The last number he expected to see on his screen was Deku’s.

He double checked the time. It wasn’t terribly late, but he knew Deku. It was unusual for him to be up at this time. He had always had a pension for sleep. Early to bed, late out of bed. More surprising was the fact that he hadn’t actually seen his green haired annoyance in probably over a month. Not since their last press release. He couldn’t figure out what the hell reason he’d be calling now for and interrupting his jog.

“Deku this had better be good.” He grumbled when he hit the green button on his phone. He did a quick mental check to make sure it wasn’t July or April. It was neither. So it wasn’t a birthday related issue.

“Kacchan!” The voice on the other end sounded a little winded, raspy, and more than a little confused. Like he hadn’t expected Katsuki to actually answer his damn phone. Dumbass.

“Yeah. You called. What do you want? I was working out.”

“I’m sorry! I thought I hit my mom’s contact. I’m so sorry, Kacchan. I’ll let you get back what you were doing.” He heard the nerd cough on the other end, extensively, and winced as he pulled the phone from his ear. If his music and his quirk hadn’t made him go almost completely deaf, then that cough surely would.

“What are you—” But he was cut off when the line went dead mid-cough. He blinked at the phone. He stared at his home screen for a few seconds before he quirked a brow. He knew from his mother that auntie was out of town for a wedding. Why would he be calling his mother if Deku knew very well she wasn’t in town?

“Son of a crack whore.” He grumbled, grabbing a dry towel to wipe the sweat off his face and neck before he turned off the treadmill and gathered up his ear buds.

That cough didn’t sound good. The idiot probably got sick. Come to think of it, last time he saw Half-and-Half and Yaoyorozu they had mentioned the nerd looked a little pale. Not that he was paying attention or anything. He assumed Deku had forgotten to go outside or something. Like normal people did. To get sunlight.

Work had been pretty slow lately, with the current graduating class of UA becoming side kicks and extras, there was more training than ass kicking. Their class had been Pros for years now. He and Deku were nearly neck to neck on the charts as the third and fourth on the boards, respectively. They only had to slip past Half-and-Half and Mirko to get to the top. As if they could get past Mirko. The woman was a league of her own.

“There’s just no rest for the wicked.” He rubbed the back of his head and headed out of his workout room, taking a quick shower before he packed an over night bag and hopped in his rebuilt ’67 Mustang. 

Sleek and shiny in Hot Rod orange, with black racing stripes down the sides, she was ancient, but gorgeous. She still purred like a kitten. A hefty price, and he had to install the motor himself but it was worth it. He even had the interior done in olive green vinyl and the trimmings done in silver, to match his original grenades from his UA days.

This car was his pride and joy. He called her Baby Girl.

“Shitty fucking nerd better be happy it was something important.” He muttered and cranked his volume up. If he remembered correctly, the asshat lived on the other side of the city. A hefty drive, but he enjoyed his music and his car, so it was almost worth it.

Almost.

Over the years, he’d had a lot of time to think about their relationship. Or lack thereof.

While he was sure Deku hadn’t meant to call him, he had. So either he was delirious, or he had been thinking about him. Which sounded accurate. There wasn’t a day he could recall where Deku hadn’t been, in some way, stuck so far up his ass they might as well have been fucking.

He stopped on the way to get some things from the corner store that was still open before he took off again, taping his fingers on the black steering wheel to the beat of Renegade.

Now there was an entertaining thought. Him and Deku fucking. He laughed out loud to his All Might bobble head attached to the dash of his Baby Girl. “Could you imagine?” He asked offhandedly. His bobble gave him no answer, of course. But he often spoke to it like he should have the hero when he was still alive.

Was Deku, in his older years, hot as a fuck? Yes. He was fucking gorgeous now. Something that was not lost on Katuski at all. But was the idiot also straight as an arrow as far as he was concerned? Yup.

Freckles weren’t supposed to be hot, for fuck sake, but here was Deku anyway. Rocking green fucking hair, freckles, and a really good complexion marred only by scars from years of fighting villains. And being a dumbass.

But alas. The idiot was on girlfriend number three. He wasn’t sure how someone like Deku had managed to date so few people. He was smoking hot and a Pro Hero to boot, but whatever. Maybe he was demisexual or something.

Even though Katuski had apologized years ago, they never really made any sort of steps to stay friends after high school. They were amiable at best. Civil. Sometimes they worked together, other times they didn’t see each other for months at a time. He’d expected Deku to call or text once in a while at least. He’d been so obsessed in their earlier years. But he couldn’t be too upset about it. He hadn’t kept in touch either.

He pulled into the apartment complex and parked nearest Deku’s space as he could, hoping to whatever God was listening that no one scratched his Baby Girl.

“Fuck this guy.” He sighed and grabbed his bag from the back seat before trudging up the steps to knock on the door.

Nothing.

Five minutes of knocking and cursing and swearing and he finally had enough. He fished his spare key out of his pocket, an emergency contingency plan Deku set into play years ago when they graduated and got their own places. They each had a key to the other’s place. ‘just in case’, Deku had said. They’d literally never used them because they didn’t talk, but it was a good thing he had one now, because five minutes was more than adequate time for the dumbass to answer his fucking door.

He dreaded walking in. He wasn’t sure what he was liable to find. A body? A heap of trash? Both? Did Deku have bugs? He shuddered at the thought. This side of town was cheap but shitty, meant for starting out heroes and not much else but people down on their luck. Deku was neither.

But he ventured in anyway, because he was here. He might as well. 

The place stunk to high hell, and he had to cover his nose just to edge his way into the hallway. He almost didn’t want to take his shoes off and there wasn’t a spare pair of house slippers. Thankfully he brought his own.

“Fucking…shit.” He muttered, taking off his shoes and nearly tripping over an empty umbrella stand. Where the hell was the umbrella? He stepped over takeout containers and loose trash, clothes, and an occasional, can of beer. He didn’t know Deku drank.

He set his bag down when he heard a crash from the kitchen. He didn’t have far to venture into the apartment, it was about as small as they came for a one bedroom in this part of the city.

He heard a whine followed by another clatter, and wondered if his bad day hadn’t been nearly as bad as he thought. Deku sounded like he was having it far worse.

He poked his head into the kitchen area that was so small, it could fit into his workout room twice over with room to spare, and saw arguably the most intriguing sight he’d seen in a long time.

Deku was on the counter trying to reach the top shelf of his cabinet to retrieve a pot, but had managed to knock over at least three other dishes in the process. He was barefoot, wearing a baggy t-shirt that just covered his ass even when he was stretched out, and he wasn’t sure he was wearing anything under it.

Oh, he was. Damn.

He sighed and took a step into the space, coming up behind the oblivious man and wrapped his arms around him, dragging him down from the counter before he fell and broke something. Like that pretty skull of his.

“AH!” The man shrieked, his quirk sparking green and catching them both off guard. It took every ounce of strength he had not to fall over with the struggling man in his arms. He was sure that was glass on the floor.

“Deku! For fuck sake! Chill out!”

“Kacchan? What are you doing here?” The struggling ceased, and the man started to relax in his grip. He carefully set him down in a glass-free area and looked around for a dustpan. Or broom. Or anything. A paper towel? A…christ. The man had nothing available.

“You called me coughing up a storm, interrupting a good jog on the mill, and you didn’t think I wouldn’t come over and give you a piece of my mind? What the fuck are you doing? Trying to kill yourself? There are far fucking easier ways, you know.” He had meant it to be a joke, but he didn’t miss the way the man in his arms tensed.

“W-what?” Oh. Fuck. That might have been going just a little far. He pressed his lips together and let go of Deku. It was not lost on him that he should probably not be saying that to a former bully victim of his, even in jest.

“That’s…” What? Not what he meant? It wasn’t, but he had said it carelessly all the same. “I’m sorry. That was uncalled for. What are you doing? Aren’t you sick or something?”

Deku sniffled and rubbed his nose with the back of his hand. He finally turned and Katsuki got a proper look at him. He looked like death warmed over. His eyes were puffy and pink, and his red nose was running endlessly. He sounded raspy from coughing, and he was, in fact, very pale.

Well shit.

“I was trying to make soup. I need the pot. For some reason I can’t use Black Whip and I’m short.”

Katsuki blinked. “Deku, you’re two inches shorter than I am. You’re not short.” He looked back up at the cabinet again and blinked again. This apartment was shitty as hell. The ceiling was way too high for the space. The shelf was really up there. That made more sense now. “I got it. Just…go sit somewhere—not that way!” Katsuki grunted and picked the man up again to carry him out to his couch.

Deku had been about to take a step on the glass. Katsuki’s nerves were already shot and he hadn’t even been there a whole ten minutes. “Where the hell are your house slippers?” He grumbled.

“Oh, I don’t know.” Of course he didn’t.

The whole apartment was a disaster that looked like a tornado of villain’s had squatted in and left all their shit behind.

“What the actual fuck, Deku? It smells so bad in here.”

“I don’t smell anything.” Katsuki made a strangled noise, staring down at the man in his arms. Of course he didn’t. He was sick. He couldn’t smell anything. Damn.

“Alright. Just sit the fuck down and…let me run damage control. Or…have a funeral for your security despot or something.”

Despite being the number four hero, Deku lived in squalor compared to most heroes. He couldn’t figure out why. The man had to be loaded. He was only a space behind himself on the boards.

“You don’t ha—” Cough, hack, cough, wheeze. “Have to do this!” He finally gasped out. The walking disaster could hardly breathe, let alone talk. Usually that would have thrilled the shit out of Katuski, but it was so pitiful he almost felt sorry for him.

Almost.

“Shut up. Sit down. I’ll do something about this…biohazard.” Katuski shuddered and moved back into the kitchen carefully, making sure to avoid crunching any of the glass in his slippers.

He opened the fridge and found it lacking anything at all to make soup with. How the hell was Deku going to make soup if he had no ingredients? He had to be delirious. He shook his head and wandered back out into the entry way to get his bag and the corner store haul. Shitty instant ramen would have to do for now.

It only took a few minutes to be done, so while he waited he organized the dishes to be washed. Deku was disorganized, sure, but being sick had made him an unbearable slob.

Placing the soup in front of the green eyed man, he motioned for him to eat it. “Just fucking eat this. I’ll get groceries tomorrow and put something in your fridge. Because this is ridiculous. You’re the number four hero and somehow you can’t even keep your fridge stocked?”

“I…what are you doing here Kacchan?” It was the tone of shock that caught Katsuki off guard. Deku looked like he was seeing him for the first time and he frowned at the nerd. He put the inside of his wrist to the freckled forehead and found it to be searing.

“Shit.” He muttered and grabbed the OTC fever reducer from his haul, shaking it a good time before measuring out a semi accurate dose. Honestly, Deku should just drink the whole bottle. Given his metabolism, height, and weight it couldn’t hurt. But he decided instead to give it to him at intervals.

He felt like he was growing as a person. It was truly enlightening.

A little sickening. But enlightening.

“Just eat the fucking soup, take this, and I’ll get you some water.” Katsuki should have grabbed bottled water at the store, because Deku had no clean dishes to speak of save the pot he was trying to get off the top shelf. “Someone really hates me.” He muttered, rinsing a cup that he thought looked least offensive and filling it with water.

“I still don’t—” Cough, cough, wheeze, hack, hack. Katsuki rubbed his temples. He was tired as hell. He had a full day and was so ready to just go to sleep.

“Shut your cake hole.” He grumbled, kicked some trash out of his way as he made his way into the rest of the dark apartment. He flicked on lights as he went.

There wasn’t much to write home about. The tiny kitchen, a bathroom, and a bedroom. The living room, if you could call it that, was about as small as the kitchen. How the hell did Deku live like this? He couldn’t imagine having such little space. He wasn’t one to get claustrophobic, but he just might in this apartment.

He sighed. “Do you have any cleaning products?” He turned away from the bedroom which really scared him, and got a head shake from the freckle faced man. “Of course you don’t.” He was tempted to just take him back to his place, but it was such a long drive, and that didn’t actually do anything to benefit the living space.

“I think I ran out?”

“Fine. Finish your soup. Do you at least have clean sheets?” He thumbed at the bedroom. If he could clear off the bed, he could at least make sure one of them slept alright.

“I…think?” He thought? He didn’t know? Ah, fever. Right. His brain was probably fried by now. He rummaged around in the closet of the bedroom and managed to pull out at least a fitted sheet and a large All Might blanket. That would have to do. 

He stripped the bed and put the fitted sheet on, laying out the blanket. Around the time he was done checking the pillows, Deku came wandering in rubbing his eyes.

Oh but heavens he was fucking gorgeous, even sick. Katsuki sighed, wishing he could take in the sight for a moment longer, but pushed it aside in favor of getting the sickly man to bed. “Do you need a shower?” He asked to distract himself from the actual sight of the man and his impure thoughts.

Why did he have to be attracted to someone he couldn’t have?

“No? I…don’t know?” Deku yawned and stood in his own doorway awkwardly. 

“Well, fuck it. You can shower tomorrow.” He took two steps forward and grabbed the nerd by his wrist, yanking him into the room. A startled protest later, and Deku passed the smell check. “Go to bed. Tomorrow I’ll deal with the mess you call a fucking apartment.”

“W-wait, what? You’re staying here?” Deku was half-way onto the bed when Katsuki turned around and really needed to stop that train of thought if he knew what was good for both of them.

“Yes. Idiot. You’re sick. Auntie is out of town. Unless you have someone else coming at,” He checked his watch. “Midnight to rescue you, Cinderella?”

“I don’t need rescuing, Kacchan. It’s just a cold.” He pouted and Katsuki thought he should win an award for being a saint because he really liked that sound.

“Lie down. Go to sleep. I’ll see you in the morning.” Katsuki didn’t wait for Deku to say anything. He turned the light off and shut the door.

🌛🌝🌜

The morning rolled around, and Katsuki could say with one-hundred precent certainty that he wanted to commit mass homicide.

As predicted, Deku was still asleep so he took off to the store to get cleaning supplies, food, and lots and lots of coffee.

He got zero sleep on the couch last night. If he had his way, he would just kidnap the failure to thrive and bring him to his own apartment. But that wouldn’t be very plus ultra of him, would it?

Kidnapping was like, against the law or something. He should know.

The rest of the morning was eventful to say the least.

He managed to fight off some old bat and got the last bottle of toilet bowl cleaner, nearly got rear-ended. The icing on the cake? He spilled half his coffee on himself when Discount Pikachu had thought it would be funny to surprise attack him, and he still had a whole apartment to clean.

He gruffly had a small conversation with the other blonde before excusing himself and checking out, getting the hell out of dodge.

It was only eight in the fucking morning! On Saturday! And he was finally off for the weekend. “Fuck my life.” He muttered. He would be spending it taking care of a sick nerd.

When he finally made it back into Deku’s apartment, he was ready to make heads roll.

A quick peek in on the sick green bean revealed he was still blissfully knocked the fuck out. Good. That gave him plenty of time to get to work without being bothered.

One earbud in, a glorious playlist of blood-pumping rock, and he was ready to roll.

He started with the kitchen so he could get some chicken noodle soup going, and moved onto the bathroom.

Now it wasn’t so much that Deku was the type to forget to flush, but in his sick haze he had managed to miss the fucking whole ass toilet bowl and hit pretty much everything else with his stream. Deku was lucky Katsuki was a guy. Any woman worth her tits would have ran for the hills. How the fuck did his girlfriend put up with him? And why was he even here? Where was she? This was her job.

Once the bathroom was done, it was time to grab the trash bags and move onto the living room.

By the time he was elbow deep in rubber yellow gloves that would give Dexter’s mom an inferiority complex, Deku wandered out of the room. 

“Oh, look who decided to grace me with his presence.” He snapped, confusing and startling a still sleepy and off kilter green eyed man. 

“W—”

“It’s just me, Deku. Sit your ass down on that contraption you call a couch and zip your trap. The soup isn’t done, but I have more medicine for you.” Katsuki didn’t wait for a reply, and grabbed the bottle off the table. He could almost see the surface now.

Almost.

“But—”

“No buts. And yours better stay on this couch until I tell you you can get up, got it?”

A wary nod from the man with bags under his eyes and a few coughs later, Deku had his medicine and Katsuki skimmed the froth from the top of the soup and gave it a good stir. A taste test told him he needed a little more seasoning but other than that it was perfection. Of course. Because he made it.

Deku was twisting the hem of his shirt around, keeping it pulled down over his lap and stretching the hell out of it. He had had that stupid fucking ‘shirt’ shirt for as long as he’d known him, and Katsuki had no idea how it still fit him at all. Maybe it was all the nervous stretching and over washing. It sure was faded. He needed new clothes.

He stood in front of the man on the couch, arms crossed and it took a few moments before unfocused eyes found his. Deku really, really looked like shit. He sighed and got down on the other man’s level, sitting on the coffee table across from him.

“You accidentally called me last night, so I came over. You’re sick. I’m cleaning your apartment. You will be indebted to me for the rest of your miserable life.” Katsuki deadpanned when it looked like Deku had been bursting with questions.

This seemed to satisfy the need to blurt out word soup enough that Deku sat back. “Ok.” He said lamely. It was so weird to see the usually bubbly hero so subdued he almost wondered if he should get him to the hospital. He settled for a bottle of Gatorade instead, and grabbed the thermometer.

It was weird Deku skipped over the life of indentured servitude, but ok.

Deku squirmed under his touch, but otherwise gave little complaint when he shoved it under his armpit. “Sit still.” Katuski ordered, and to his credit, the freckle faced man listened.

Katsuki waited for the beep and checked the number. Well, he would live. “Can you take a shower and not die?” 

“I think so?”

“That didn’t sound convincing, Deku.” Katsuki frowned at him, peering down at sleep heavy eyes. He just woke up after sleeping for eleven hours and already looked like he could fall asleep where he sat. “Please don’t make me bathe you.” He grimaced. As much as he would kill to see Deku naked, he wasn’t the mood to wash another person. The apartment was enough.

Deku blinked at him, but didn’t move. There was a flash of defiance behind those emerald eyes and Katsuki had to squash, like a roach, the  impulse to prod at that bratty look. Now was really not the time for fantasies.

“Leave the door open. If I hear even the strangest noise, I will be in there faster than you can say ‘All Might’.”

Deku didn’t move.

“You got earwax, too? Go. Shoo!” 

He still didn’t move.

“Why are you being nice?” Katsuki blinked at the tone of the man’s voice. It was guarded and a little skeptical. In all fairness, the nerd had been fever-addled so it made senes. His patience just was on a very short leash at the moment.

He took a second to really think about the question, though. Maybe this was a little out of left field. He wasn’t one to stick his nose in other peoples lives. He got that. But this was Deku. Not just someone. It took Katsuki far too long to realize that he’d had a lot more going on in his head than he was showing outright, and he sighed.

Actually, the more he thought about it, the more he wondered if he’d even do this for Denki or Kirishima. Probably not.

“Am I not allowed?” He asked.

“I mean—I just…” Deku fidgeted on the spot, shoving his hands under his thighs. He looked frustrated, unable to put his thoughts into words. “You’re Kacchan.” Katsuki nodded, following so far. “And I’m Deku.” Katsuki nodded again. Deku’s answering scowl was cute as fuck. Katsuki was purposely being an ass because it was fun at this point.

“What do you want out of this?” Deku asked, finally fed up with his inability to come up with a semi conversational argument.

“Your servitude to me for the rest of your life. What else?” He didn’t think it was possible but Deku actually paled a little more. Katsuki rolled his eyes. “Dumbass. I’m joking.” He wasn’t. Not really. He would lord this over Deku until they were on their death beds. “The last thing we need is for you to pass out and die in your...squalor.” Deku squeaked a protest, but that only seemed to set off another coughing fit. 

Breathing out of his nose the blonde man grabbed a bottle of cough medicine and eyeballed the measurement. He shoved it at the other man but he refused to take it. “Take it, Deku.”

“Mm-mm.” Deku kept his lips tight, his hands under his thighs, and craned his neck back away from the purple liquid. 

“Deku, just take your medicine.” Katuski insisted. He had yet to use his commanding voice.

“Don’t want it.” Deku muttered, looking away.

Katsuki reassessed the situation. He wasn’t going to get anywhere with force this time. He’d have to change tactics.

“Deku, be a good boy and take the medicine.” Katsuki practically purred, and not surprisingly, Deku reached up with a shaky hand and downed the whole cap. Katsuki cocked his head to the side and took the empty container.

“Huh.” He mused out loud, but made no further comment. That actually worked. It was a half-baked scheme, but it was right on the money. He would have to look at that a little bit later.

“I’m going to check the soup. Go ahead and go get a shower. Do you have clean clothes?”He depths voice light and conversational. Deku looked past him towards the bedroom and shook is head.

“No.” Of course he fucking didn’t.

“Just go. I’ll get you some.” Katsuki went back to the kitchen to stir the soup. This should be fine.

When he was satisfied the soup was done, he took it off the burner and went to get his spare pair of clothes out of his bag. His black sweats and matching hoodie with his signature orange criss-cross on the front. It was a second gen and he knew Deku would love this shit. He had plenty. He could keep it.

He laid it on the toilet silently, making sure not freak out the nerd or get an eyeful of…well, nerd. He went back out to finish cleaning up and taking the multitude of trash bags down.

When he got back, Deku was standing awkwardly in his own apartment looking for all the world like a lost puppy. At least he was clean. And not dead in the bottom of the shower. That was an improvement on the situation.

“I’ll get you a bowl of soup.” Katsuki waited to see if Deku was going to protest, question, or comment. He just stood there in clothes that were a few inches too long, his fingers curled around the cuffs of the sleeves. 

Oh but fuck. He wanted this man so badly. Deku was so fucking cute.

“Deku?” He asked, taking a step towards him. Green eyes met his, but they were unfocused still and he sighed, frowning. Maybe he should cool his jets. The poor guy was clearly sick as a dog and trying to grapple with this uncharacteristic behavior.

Alright so he could have better managed this. Instead of getting horny, maybe he should have maybe figured out how to finally bridge that gap they still had in their frayed relationship.

All things said, they had made their peace a long time ago. They just didn’t hang around the same space as they used to. And maybe that was something he should remedy.

“Hey, come here.” He got a slow blink in response, but Deku obeyed. It wasn’t as quick as when he’d responded to ‘good boy’, but he still moved forward slowly anyway. “Look at me.” Deku let his eyes wander up, two feet away now. He blinked again, slowly, and Katsuki resisted the urge to reach forward and yank the other man towards him.

He still had some impulses to work on, but otherwise he was proud of the person he’d become. Still gruff but nothing like what he’d been.

He closed the space slowly and brushed damp, green curls away from a freckled forehead, placing the inside of his wrist there again. “Still warm.” He said. He rubbed up and down Deku’s arms in a soothing motion. “Can you sit on the couch so I can bring you some food?” Deku nodded at him, seeming to respond better to honey than vinegar. Which, ok, fair. He knew that. Katsuki had never been good with watching his mouth.

He lacked his old venom and bite, but he was still a sarcastic asshole. It was a huge leap compared to his younger years. He spent months and months in therapy and anger management addressing all the little things. Like his explosive nature, his childhood trauma (because oh yes. He had a ton of that), and everything in between.

With Deku firmly seated on the couch, he was able to get a clean bowl of soup for him, coming back to sit beside him on the couch.

“You made soup?” Katsuki had to resist the impulse to be a dick. He had to remember the whole reason he was outside of his comfort zone was because Deku was sick, and his brain was addled and overheated.

“I did.” He answered, calmly. Deku looked at the bowl in his hands before he looked up at Katsuki with that heart-melting, goofy-ass grin. It should be patented.

Katsuki sat back and let him eat in silence for a bit. Deku didn’t even have a TV. Which made sense. Being a Pro Hero had little down time. Their only saving grace was it was the weekend.

Things like pets and televisions were too hard to manage. You never knew when you wouldn’t be coming home from your shift outside of a bodybag, so none of them even had house-plants to speak of.

Finally, Deku broke the silence. His voice was hoarse and a low whisper. “It’s so good.” He muttered, slurping the broth. 

“There’s plenty more.” Katsuki said, holding out a hand for the bowl.

“Oh, that’s ok.” Deku handed him the empty bowl, content as a kitten that just licked a whole bowl of milk clean.

“You’re full?”

“I don’t eat much.” Katuski was sort of upset by that. The man had a single bowl of soup. One. And it wasn’t even very big. How did this shithead survive on his own?

“We’re gonna address that later. Right now you should get back to bed.” Deku yawned to emphasize Katsuki’s point and stood, rubbing his eyes with the backs of his knuckles.

Fuck, he was so Goddamn cute. It took him bitting the inside of his cheek and tightening his leg muscles to keep from doing something he’d regret.

“Kacchan?”

“Hmm?” Katsuki set the bowl on the coffee table, but turned his head to look at the dumb green walking broccoli floret.

“Where are you sleeping?”

“On this couch. No, don’t even try it. Now, go. Get some sleep.” Deku looked like he wanted to argue, or say more. But he just nodded and scurried off to bed.

Katuski was starting to realize why each and every one of his relationships didn’t work out. He would never truly be happy with anyone but Deku. 

Man he was fucked.

🌛🌝🌜

Come the next day, Deku was even more miserable. 

Katsuki was starting to wonder if he should call off work for the both of them. He frowned and watched Deku sleeping fitfully in his bed that honestly was too small for him. Katsuki just didn’t understand why the man chose to stay here.

When they all graduated most of them went their separate ways. Katsuki to Best Jeanist’s agency, Deku to Mirko’s. They rarely saw each other anymore for being two of the top contenders on the leader boards.

His attention was drawn back to Deku. He was whiney, and not in an attractive way. It was like every time he looked like he was about to fall asleep, he jumped back awake, and Katsuki wasn’t sure if he should give him something to help him sleep.

He decided against it when the nerd started projectile vomiting into the toilet.

By mid afternoon, the throwing up had stopped. Katsuki was sort of useless there, telling the man to just sit in the tub with his head over the toilet next to it and get it all out.

Katsuki resolutely stayed near the door.

“Sorry, it’s the smell.” He admitted with a shrug. Deku looked so hurt and abandoned.

“‘So’k.” It wasn’t, Katsuki could tell. But Deku was a fighter. He had faith in the green haired man that he would make it through this.

The blonde man made his way back out into the clean apartment and sat on the couch, mulling over a few things like what the hell he was doing here.

When the shower turned off abruptly, Katsuki got up from his spot on the couch. He had been mindlessly scrolling through the Pro Hero social media, laughing to himself at the images someone had posted of Chargebolt and Red Riot screwing up comically. Epic proportions of comedic relief.

“You ok?” He called as he made his way to the bathroom. 

“NnHnn!” That was convincing. He should probably just call out for the both of them at this point. Deku was still pretty under the weather and it was Sunday afternoon.

He stopped in the door way, arms crossed, and shook his head at the sight. Izuku was still wrapped in his towel, but he was hanging over the edge of the tub, arms resting on the toilet and he looked absolutely miserable.

“Alright, nerd. Time to get up and get dressed. Soup time.” After some very careful maneuvering, he managed to help Deku get changed into the clothes he’d washed that morning, and back out to the couch.

“I’m really fine. I just had to throw up. A lot. But I feel better now.” The freckle faced man tried to argue, but Katsuki waved a hand to dismiss it.

“Now you need to try and put something back in that stomach.” Katsuki rolled his eyes when Deku whined.

It took a lot of persuading, but he finally got Deku to eat more soup. The catch? He had to feed it to him. He was practically shaking with the effort just to sit up right.

Yeah. He was calling out for both of them tomorrow.

🌛🌝🌜

In the morning Katsuki awoke to someone standing over him, and he sucked in a startled breath.

Surprisingly, the couch was actually in far better condition than he initially thought. It wasn’t very comfortable, but at least it was clean.

“Wha-?” He slurred, sitting up and rubbing his face with the heels of his palms.

“Kacchan. Why am I wearing your clothes?” Katsuki yawned loudly, unconcerned by the question. He sat up and stretched before looking back at concerned green eyes.

Deku pulled at the collar of the hoodie a little. He looked much better today. Out of habit, Katsuki reached a hand up and placed his wrist against the other man’s forehead. He was much cooler today.

“Cause you suck at house keeping.” He answered simply before he yawned again and got up, scratching his stomach under his shirt. He ambled off to the kitchen to start a pot of coffee. It was shitty store-bought, pre-ground shit but it was caffeine.

Katsuki stood in the kitchen, watching the pot fill with glorious life essence, idly scratching at his stubble when Deku came up behind him. 

Before Deku had a chance to ruin the moment, Katsuki said, “I hope you’re ready to help with your laundry.” 

Deku, taken off guard by the comment, furrowed his brow like it was a complex math problem. “I think I can do that.” He seemed to be better today, which was good. It was Monday, and Katsuki called in a favor to Mirko’s agency to get the nerd time off. His own personal assistant actually sounded relieved she got the day off herself, so there was no problems getting himself the day off.

Katuski snorted and grabbed two mugs, sugar, creamer, and a spoon. He made them each a cup, Deku’s sweet enough to rot an elephant’s teeth, and his; black like his soul.

They stood in the kitchen in companionable silence for a few minutes, soaking in the elixir of life in their mugs.

It was obvious from Deku’s restrained stance that he was brimming with questions, and Katuski had to hand it to the nerd. He was showing a surprising amount of self restraint.

“Out with it.” Katsuki finally grunted, turning to pour a second cup. 

“I really appreciate all this, Kacchan. I’m just a little confused. Why exactly are you here? I mean I know you said I called, which I guess I did. On accident. But I haven’t seen in you in a month and I thought you…I don’t know. Hated me?”

Ah. There it was.

Katsuki took a sip of his scalding coffee as a distraction before he answered. He needed a second to get his thoughts in order. 

He had learned a long time ago how attracted to the freckled nerd he was. But he also knew the man in question was of the heterosexual kind. 

Actually this particular revelation alone had been enough to make his brain short circuit on his therapists couch for a solid thirty minutes. It might have been longer if she hadn’t called security to make sure he hadn’t had an aneurism and died on the spot.

“I thought I did, for a long time. But I don’t. I’m just bad at feelings apparently.” His response was so candid that Deku’s face fell into one of shock, his mug nearly slipping from his fingers.

A quick catch from Katsuki saved the clean, glass free floor. 

Deku’s mouth worked in a carp fashion as he grappled with those words. “What?” He finally managed to ask oh so eloquently.

“My therapist and I surmised I never really hated you. I hated my insecurities and saw you as the embodiment of those.” In retrospect, he probably should have had this conversation with the green eyed hero a long fucking time ago, but it is what it is. “I don’t ‘hate’ you, Deku.” He learned his throat.

“I know we kind of left UA on better terms, and we don’t exactly work with each other or see each other very often, but I don’t hate you. I just get busy and don’t really communicate well with people.” He shrugged.

Deku leaned heavily back on the counter while Katsuki set their mugs down. He was either in for waterworks, a massive hug, or both. He wanted his hands free for that, otherwise he’d spend more time cleaning than he already had.

Deku’s face took on a few different expressions before he settled on a timid sort of hopefulness. “You mean you tolerate me?”

Katsuki snorted. Such a Deku response. He wrapped an arm around a stuttering Deku’s shoulders and drew him into a lopsided, one armed hug. “We can go with that, I guess. Tolerate probably isn’t the word I’d use, but sure.”

Deku’s fever recovering brain must have been still in a brain soup consistency, because he hadn’t even moved to reciprocate the hug yet.

Katsuki let him work through this one on his own. He really should have talked about this sooner. He could kick himself in the ass at his own pride and stupidity.

Deku still hadn’t said anything at all, or moved. He was tense and rigid. Katsuki frowned over his head. “Hey, loosen up. I’m not gonna kill you, damn nerd.” He said, but with an air of fondness. “I don’t hate you. You’ve grown on me, I guess.”

“You mean…you…what? Like me?” Deku ventured, flinching a little.

Katsuki chewed on his lower lip for a moment before he answered. “Yeah. I do.” There was no time like the present to either have his heart finally trampled on, or on the flip side, maybe he could play this off as some sort of platonic, brotherly thing. Deku would like that, right? 

Deku didn’t say anything right away, and craned his neck back enough for green to meet red. Katsuki let him work through that how he saw fit. 

If you had told Katsuki Bakugo years ago, or even last week, that the response from his childhood friend, the object of his torment, and his personal wet dream, was going to kiss him he’d likely have thrown you off a roof. He probably wouldn’t even have waited to watch if you hit the ground or not.

But it was his turn for his brain to flat line when soft, pink lips met his. 

Everything else seemed to stop because he was still reeling from the feeling of those lips when they pulled away, and was a little surprised at himself that he was following them.

No fucking way. This was the conclusion Deku came to? Not “I like you as a brother” or “we can be friends for real this time”? No. He fucking kissed him!

Wait. Deku was straight. Right?

Katsuki stopped for a second and stared down at the other man in a dazed confusion for a moment before he closed the distance again, letting his own lips take control of a new kiss, one that was both gentle and needy.

Katsuki gripped strong ass cheeks and lifted Deku to sit on the counter, wedging himself between thighs that could crush a man’s head like a sparrows egg*. 

There was a squeal of surprise from the unsuspecting man, but Katsuki ignored it in favor of nosing the skin beneath his ear. That elicited a whole new noise that he wanted to unpack intimately, slowly, and thoroughly.

“K-Kacchan!” Deku squirmed a little, shifting so he was leaning back a little. His eyes were wide and full of surprise and wonder. 

“Hmm?” Katsuki muttered, dipping his head to run his teeth over the Adams apple that bobbed nervously when Deku swallowed. “You kissed me first, nerd.” He reminded the man on the counter. 

“I-I know! But I thought at the very least that would earn me a punch to the gut or something! I didn’t know you were gonna kiss me back!” Deku’s voice grew shriller with each sentence. He was truly flustered. His cheeks were that gorgeous shade of rose and freckles he loved so much.

“Uh-huh. I did. Was I not supposed to?” Katsuki raised a brow but didn’t pull back. He was practically on top of the counter with Deku, strong arms on either side of the shorter man, caging him where he sat. 

“I don’t know!” He squeaked out. “I kissed you because I thought you were acting strange! The Kacchan I know would have punched me into next week for a stunt like that! I wanted to see what you’d do! I didn’t think you’d, I don’t know, enjoy that. How do I know you’re not some villain in disguise?”

Ah. Fair. He was right. He would have — pre-therapy. 

“You remember that one time we had a sleep over when we were three and you woke the whole house because you pee—“

“Ah! Ok! Ok! You’re Kacchan. I get it!”

Katsuki smirked. “I can stop…” He offered. Scarred hands came up to grip the front of his shirt so abruptly it startled even the green haired man. 

“N-no.” He said weakly. “No. Please. I…I like you, Kacchan. I’ve liked you since we were kids. I just…didn’t think I stood a chance. So I never showed any interest. Not romantically.”

Well holy shit. That wasn’t something Katuski wasn’t expecting. He stared at the man before him with wide eyes. Also the nerd had never been able to keep a secret to save his life. So what the actual fuck? He had just assumed the nerd was hero and quirk obsessed with him. He had no idea…

“You’re straight?” It was more a question, but a reminder nonetheless. 

“I’m…bi.” Deku frowned, as if Katsuki was supposed to know that.

“Really?” He blinked, taking that in, and decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth. “Huh.”

Deku sighed and shook his head. “I told you when we were like eighteen. Oh. You were drunk. Never mind.” Katsuki snorted at that. Damn his early years of drinking. He just stared back at the freckles faced man and eventually started chuckling, not really sure why. Maybe it was because he’d been pining for a man that would have gladly accepted him years ago if his head hand’t been stuck up his ass. Yeah. That was probably it.

“Kacchan.” Deku muttered, twisting the black tank top he had his greedy fingers in. “It’s not funny.”

“I mean, a little. I’ve been attracted to you for years, nerd.” Katsuki nipped the tip of his button nose. 

Deku scrunched it up in response, but didn’t pull away this time. “Wait what?”

Katsuki nodded. “You had girlfriends though, so I never made a move. Figured you were straight. Plus, I used to bully you. So there’s that. By the way, where is your girl? Why not call her?”

“Nana? We broke up like three months ago!” 

Katsuki’s brain paused to process the words. “Oh. I did not know that.” He shrugged and went back to running his nose over the sensitive spot under Deku’s hear, earning him a small whimper. “So what is it about me you like exactly? I’m not exactly winning any awards for longest relationship records, here. And I’m an asshole.”

“I-I-what do you want me to say? You…you turn me on. You’re strong, independent. Yeah you have the personality of a porcupine but porcupines are cute. You’re c-cute.” Deku swallowed again when a tongue traced little circles over the dip in his clavicle. “You’re…amazing. Your voice is soothing. Your eyes are—” Deku stopped abruptly because Katsuki was watching him again.

“A porcupine? Really, Deku?”

“I was gonna say your eyes are like rubies in a sunset.” It was Katsuki’s turn to blush because what. The. Fuck?

“When the hell did you become a poet?” 

“I’ve always been…ok at words. My brain and mouth just can’t keep up with each other. I vomit words.”

“Deku you are the very definition of ADHD.” 

“Which I’m taking medication for!” Deku said indignantly. 

“Seriously? Since when?”

“It’s been a month.” That meant something. The longer Katsuki thought about it and it made sense. Despite being sick, he’d been a lot calmer while Katsuki had been there.

“So what do you want?” Katsuki asked abruptly, standing up straight. 

Deku nearly pitched forward because he was still gripping his tank top. “What do you mean?” He asked.

“What do you want to do now? You just admitted you’re medicated now. So does that mean you don’t want me? Was it the ADHD talking? Was I a hyperfixation?”

“N-no!” The objection was adorable. Half quiet shriek, half panic, and all flustered Deku.

Katsuki was teasing the poor man. And he knew it was a dick move. But oh those blushing cheeks were like a drug. “Relax, Deku. I’m messing with you.” Katsuki wrapped his arms around the other man’s shoulders, pulling him close.

“Kacchan. Is this ok? Are you sure?” Deku muttered against his shoulder, his arms squished between them.

“Mm-hmm.” He muttered, smelling the other man’s shampoo and natural musk mixed with his own clothes.

Deku relaxed into him, hooking his neck over Katsuki’s shoulder and wrapping his legs around slim hips. He sighed contentedly. 

“Are you not seeing anyone at the moment then?” Deku hedged eventually.

“Nah. Been super busy with work. Haven’t had the time to try and date recently. Actually I got stood up the other day.”

“What? Really?”

“Yeah. It happens. People date heroes on a dare sometimes just to say they did.”

“Oh. Yeah. I get that.” Katsuki could see how Deku’s eyes skittered to the side a little, not really meeting his. He frowned. That made sense. He’d always made Deku nervous.

“Sorry about that, by the way.”

“Huh? What?” Deku did look at him now, brow furrowed a little.

“Being busy and not being there after graduation. And I should have. And I’m sorry. I probably should have told you I was in therapy, and told you the shit I figured out before now. Honestly I wasn’t expecting this visit to go this way.” Katsuki mused.

Deku was quiet for a few minutes. “It’s ok. Life is hectic. We both have things going on. I get it.” 

“That’s no excuse. If I can regularly smoke with Denki and Eijiro, I can see you, too, Izuku.”

“I-Izuku?!” Deku did pull away now. “The last time you used my name was…”

“I know. And I’m sorry for that, too.” 

“Don’t be sorry, Kacchan. Deku is my hero name now. And it’s thanks to you. I don’t hate it.”

“It was still a dick move.” Katsuki rubbed his arms, Deku finally releasing the front of his shirt. “Let’s get you some clean clothes, lazy bones.” He slapped the side of Deku’s ass as he stood, and he squeaked again. He fucking loved that squeak.

🌛🌝🌜

In the laundry room, Deku was pretty much useless. He knew the basics to at least get his clothes into the machine. But he really wasn’t any good at time management, folding, or really anything else. Katsuki was lucky the man knew how to throw detergent into the clothes before he washed them.

“Deku, go sit down. I got this. I’ll…teach you how to fucking wash your clothes later. What the hell did auntie do when you were a kid? How have you been living like this all this time?”

“Ah. Um…mom tried. I think I didn’t listen. I guess the ADHD was really bad.” Deku blushed and dipped his head. “I just live out of the basket, honestly. If it’s clean, it goes in the basket. If it’s dirty, the floor is a good place.”

Katsuki snorted. He finished throwing the clothes into the dryer and scratched at his stubble again. “I need a shower. And to shave. This shit is itchy as hell.”

Deku looked at him as if he were considering something. “I kinda like it.” He admitted, blushing furiously.

“Huh? You like stubble?” Katsuki slid over to the other man and rubbed his cheek against his freckle faced friend. Boyfriend? What even were they?

“Kacchan!” Deku squealed, laughing and pushing the blonde man away. Luckily, they were the only ones in the basement washroom. 

“What? You said you liked it.”

“I meant you should grow a beard.”

“No.” Katsuki deadpanned, stepping away. “No fucking way. That is a hill I will die on.”

Deku laughed and Katsuki had to shake his head to focus. He was here to do Deku’s laundry. That was all. He cleared his throat.

“Hey, Deku?” Katsuki mused after he was able to squelch the urge to destroy the other man.

“Hm?”

“Why do you live the way you do?” 

“Oh. I pay mom’s rent, too. And I give a huge chunk of my pay to UA, so that they have the funding they need to keep it going. After we defeated Shigaraki and AFO, the school received more backlash from the press and citizens. So I do what I can to help them.”

Of fucking course he did. Why hadn’t Katsuki thought of that? That was exactly something he would do. He chewed on a thought for a bit before he addressed his next question.

“Why don’t you move in with me? I have more than enough space. And I can cover rent and utilities on my own. Plus, it’s bigger. And, I dunno. If we’re…I don’t know what we are, but it wouldn’t hurt to live together, right? Then you can pay Auntie’s rent and not your own.”

Deku stared at him like he had proposed he cut off his big toes. “But Kacchan, I can’t even wash my own clothes without screwing up. You want to live with me?”

“Deku, we’ve known each other since we were in diapers. And if you’re medicated now, why not? I’m pretty sure I can teach you the basics. Come live with me.”

He almost wasn’t expecting the green haired man to launch himself off the table and into his arms.

Almost.

“I take that as a yes?” He asked, bemused.

“Yes, Kacchan. I absolutely will live with you!”

Katsuki grinned and returned the embrace, finally taking a moment to let it sink in that this was his life now. Sure there would be a lot to work through. They had to talk about a lot of things. There was breaking Deku’s lease. Figuring out their work schedule. Should they join the same agency? But in the end he was just happy that him and the nerd were close again.

“I can’t wait to tell mom! She’ll be thrilled.”

“Hah?!”

Deku giggled at him. “She’s known I’ve had a crush on you since middle school. She’ll be happy to know we’re getting together.” Katsuki frowned and pulled back a little.

“Izuku…that’s…I was horrible to you in middle school. What the fuck? You had a crush on me all those years ago?” He watched green eyes grow soft and the other man nodded.

“I mean I know how it sounds. For a long time I had assumed what I felt for you was admiration. But I eventually realized it wasn’t just infatuation. I really liked you. I can’t explain why at the time, but I did. When I came out to mom she asked how I knew I was bi and I had to tell her it was because when I looked at you…my heart beat too fast. I know we had rough patches through high school, and went our separate ways, but I always felt the same about you anyway.”

It was a lot to take in, so he just nodded. He didn’t know what to say to that at all. He knew he liked Deku, too, but was it just lust? Was he the one that was infatuated? Was he just horny?

“What?” He blinked at the other man and realized he’d been too quiet for too long.

“Just thinkin’, nerd. What if…what if I don’t make you happy in the long run? What if we don’t work out? What if I’m too much to live with, or what if—”

“Hey, it’s ok, Kacchan. We won’t know until we try. Let’s just see where this goes, ok? We can take it slow. Work into it. Moving in together will be a big deal. We’ll have to figure out work and stuff, but I think we can do this.” Leave it to the nerd and his nerd brain to already be thinking what Katsuki was trying to figure out.

“You’re right. We won’t know until we try.” He said, leaning in and kissing Deku’s forehead. “But right now, you are getting over being sick. And I need to feed you before you wither away. And don’t think we aren’t talking about your eating habits. Because we are going to have a whole ass discussion about that.” Deku groaned, but hopped off the folding table anyway.

“Fine. But I want katsudon.”

“Of course you do, nerd.” They walked back up to Izuku’s apartment, hand in hand, and Katsuki finally felt like maybe this could be good. They’d weathered a lot in the past. They could tackle the future together too.

He smiled at the green haired man and listened to him talk about all the things he’d missed in the last few years. And to think, he almost missed the start of this new chapter in his life.

Almost.

He would forever be thankful for taking that call.

Back in the apartment Katsuki’s throat was becoming scratchy and he coughed a little. Both men eyed each other and groaned.