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Izuku was burning hot. Skin forming red patterns from parts where the sun rays peered themselves in the small gaps left by the shade covering them above. Green curls sticking to his forehead and uncomfortably around his ears and nape. Maybe it was time to get a haircut.
The number of people didn’t help with the case at all. It was suffocating. He could physically feel bodies emitting heat. The hanging fans would only bounce back the warm, headache-inducing air towards them, making it hard to breathe. But the wait was so worth it.
Field trips that didn’t include training or texting your family if you’d get out or not were rare. So when Aizawa told them it was a special break—a trip to the amusement park—Izuku was elated. It wasn’t often that he was able to let go and relax like this. Including the class.
And middle school was rough, so he never really joined them. Back to the present, where most of his friends are currently lined up for the roller coaster, he still has a story and an experience to cherish with them. Something he can finally check off his list. The realization hits him once again, smiling widely like a kid. Bouncing ever so slightly from his feet just to let out some of his excitement.
A dollop of sweat slides down to the corner of his eyes, stinging. He opens his bag, grunting as he props it up by the railing. Rummaging in, weakly trying to find— Oh, there it is! He pulls out a mini-fan. Growing red in embarrassment when he heard his friends’ snickers behind him.
“Deku-kun, if it works, it works!” Ochaco cheerful as ever. Winking and a thumbs up to his face.
The fan was a comical face of All Might with his two golden antlers for the blades. Something he thrifted just a few days before the trip. He turns it on, letting out a breath of relief when the small bar shows it is fully charged. He pulls it closer to his face, moaning shamelessly. It was still hot, but with desperation, he basked in it like it was the winter winds.
Taking the small handkerchief from his pocket, he pats it around his neck. He really should’ve cut his hair. He felt stuffy alone from the feeling it stuck all over his skin. He had already tried asking around if anyone had an extra pair of hair ties, but even Momo was too exhausted to make one for him.
Hip leaning against the railing, he closes his eyes and starts cooling down. He tries to relax until someone's grunt behind him ticks a nerve. Already sensitive from the heat. He ignores it, but grunts turn into a few shufflings of bodies.
"Move." Gravely order.
Izuku turns around just to suddenly see all of Katsuki’s glory beside him, red eyes that seem to get more threatening peeking slightly from his cap.
“WAH—cchan!” A squeal he tried to suppress but flailed out his lips when the blonde stepped closer. Bending down enough to intimidate him.
“Fucking fan me or I’ll kill you.” Panting out the order yet Izuku follows his command like he’d actually die if he didn’t.
He taps Katsuki’s chest, telling him to back up. Raising his arm just slightly to swirl the fan around, hovering over his face. Katsuki takes off his cap, fanning himself with it. Jade eyes shamelessly glued as he throws his head back. Adams apple shifting beneath flesh. Skin clearly kissed by the sun. Glistening gold with his sweat dripping. Hair in a perfect ruffled mess that makes him look— Izuku gulps. That was weird. Was he supposed to find that hot? No.
But for some reason, he feels bitter that his eyes are not the only ones being laid on him but also the people around them. Whispers and obvious gazes are being thrown their way just enough for that small possessiveness in him to get triggered.
Distracted, the hand holding up the mini-fan goes down in abandonment, but Katsuki was fast enough to catch his attention back by kicking his leg enough to earn a pitched “Ouch!”
“....—ku, it’s really hot. Adjust the fucking thing.” That Izuku did. Embarresment simmering down. Katsuki visibly relaxing with the new setting.
He rubs his nose awkwardly. “Kacchan, it’d probably help if you took your jacket off.” Tugging at the sleeve, jet black leather. Going up to his collar. Just wandering. No wonder he was burning.
“Deku.” Gritting his teeth, he spits out, “One.” A threat.
Izuku immediately shuts his mouth closed. Taking his hand off. Looking away under the intimidation but weirdly he still felt Katsuk’s gaze on him so he stares back. A question in his eyes as he watches him dance around his hesitancy.
“Be my cane.”
Izuku blinks once. Twice. Probably a question mark on top of his head. “Huh?”
“You heard me, idiot. Be my cane. Hold on to this.”
Katsuki straightens his back slightly just before he takes his jacket off. Revealing bare arms with the tank top he was wearing. Skin damp from sweat, and Izuku tries not to focus on how it exaggerated his shifting muscles at the slightest movement, but he’s only human, alright?
He gets hit with the tantalizing aroma of caramel, metallic almost. So heavy, it sits on his tongue. Mouth-watering. Would his sweat taste like—thoughts put to a halt as he gets hit on the face by the jacket, mouth clenching at the concentrated scent. It smells bitter. Bitterly sweet. When he licks his lips, the ghost of it lingers.
Breathing in to gather his composure back, he lets it hang around his arm.
“Kacchan.”
“Mhm?” More of a grumble.
“You’re sweating a lot.” Izuku notices. Cheeks even tinted slightly red.
“Surprise.” Sarcasm heavy in his tone which earns a small pout from the shorter man.
“I can wipe you down? You’ll get sick if you just let it dry off!” Because between the two, Katsuki was always the easier one to get sick. He giggles at the memory where the blonde would always be the one skipping on their playdates from his sore throats and fevers.
“Relax, princess. This won’t get me.”
Sure.
Wait, why was he the one being called a princess here?
Izuku sighs, getting another towel he had in his bag. Stepping right behind Katsuki, ignoring the protests. Pulling the shirt up slightly before shoving in the towel flat against his back, hoping it sticks and collects his sweat. Patting it like he’s proud of his work. “There, princess. Just like when we were kids.” Sticking his tongue out teasingly.
As much as Katsuki was frustrating to deal with, he didn’t want him to get sick.
“Whatever, you prick. Fan. Now.”
After a while, he starts sweating again. He gives a look over to his friend before placing himself in front. Adjusting the fan setting to the highest level so it covered both of them.
Then it happened.
He feels slender, deft fingers scratching through his scalp. Shivers running down his spine and arms from the sensation; he can't help but relax into it. Hands gathering every strand possible into one piece just before he ties it loosely. “There, just like when we were kids, better?” A smile appeared on his face, and Izuku blushed furiously.
“Y-Yes! Thank you. I was just asking around if someone had any extra. Didn’t know you used them.”
“I don’t, dumbass. Look at my hair.”
“Oh? Wait, why then?”
Katsuki’s expression morphs weirdly like he was supposed to know the answer. “...Too many questions. You’re supposed to shut up and fan me.”
“Okay.”
Katsuki bends down and lays his forehead on Izuku’s shoulder. Wiping down his sweat, a damp spot forming on the man's shirt. Letting himself linger. Sighing and groaning in frustration. Complaints under his breath. Izuku giggles at that but earns a pinch on his side when he doesn’t stop.
Ironically, Katsuki never did well under the heat. You don’t expect it from someone with a quirk that could melt a mountain effortlessly.
Stiff as a board to not stir him. He carefully pushes some of the blonde's hair back. Wiping down the sweat with the small corner of his towel.
“Don’t touch me, you freak.” He growls. Red eyes piercing as he tilts his head up. His hand creeped up to tug at the small ponytail of Izuku’s in reprimand, which caused a few curls to escape.
A strand falls around his eye, and Katsuki blows on it just before he pulls them back around his ear, thumb brushing against the shell of his ear, and god, he could melt from it. So gentle, so caring—
He clears his throat, though it barely hides the emotions that just ran through him. “You can leave, you know? If it's too hot.”
Katsuki huffs, shoulders jumping slightly. “You think I’m letting this heat get to me? Know who you’re talking to, Deku?” He deadpanned. Izuku wasn’t even challenging him, yet the tone of his response indicates otherwise. "Besides, who’s holding your hand once we get to ride? Fucking crybaby.”
Izuku’s eyebrow twitches up. “What? You’re gonna sit next to me and hold my hand then?”
“Whatever the crybaby wants.” A tease, yet the pull, the invitation clear as ever. Izuku had no plans sitting next to him; he didn’t even dare to think about it, but now, fully aware that he was Katsuki’s first thought had him wringing through his bones. Eyes sparkling from excitement. His little heart striking high as the heat.
He looks away, trying to calm himself down. Lips stretched into a wobbly line, trying to hide his smile, but his dimples were showing in no way that the man beside him didn’t notice.
Katsuki fully rested his head on his shoulders, nuzzling in closer. Izuku could feel the tip of his nose nudging against his neck, his breath delicately brushing his skin. And when he speaks over his fluttery pulse, it almost feels like it's on purpose. Izuku was down so bad. So bad. His voice is low, deep, and raspy. It croons all over his body. Feeling his lips move so close—too close. He’s too aware of it. If Katsuki just moved ever so slightly, it’d be like a kiss.
The thought alone tickled him, but he stood still, not wanting to scare off Katsuki. It was rare for him to initiate physical touches like these, yet Izuku’s always been his safe place.
He gets taken aback when Katsuki wraps an arm around his shoulder, grunting at him fully leaning half of his weight against him uncaringly. He has to hold onto the rail on the side to stabilize both of them.
The sight was almost domestic; it was weird. Slipping into each other's space so easily despite the knowing tension. Like they weren’t just at each other’s throats in the bus after Katsuki found out they were assigned to sit together.
“Noticed somethin’ about you.” His hand grips his cheeks with crass, turning them left and right, examining. “New freckles. Cute.”
Not even the heat could cover up how fast Izuku got red. No excuse, no escape. He still holds on to his composure. Getting flustered over a compliment is a normal reaction, right? Even if it came from his rival? While he was panicking, Katsuki got lost counting the peppered specks. They’ve always been his favorite sights growing up but he'd rather die than to acknowledge that.
He pokes a spot right at the corner of his lip. “You know, you have one shaped exactly like a dick.”
Did he, or was he just trying to rile him up?
“Ever looked in the mirror, cockface?” He says this while pinching Izuku’s nose hard.
“O-Owh! Let g– let go—! You’re not funny, Kacchan.”
But he starts smiling, covering his face as he rubs his nose. And something about Katsuki teasing him makes his heart beat just a little faster. Thumps reaching his ears. Treasuring the moment for later so he could retell the story, but— with exaggeration to his friends.
Exactly.
The line moves, and as they walk, Katsuki continues clinging to him. A wave of heat washes over them, and Izuku sighs. He was sweating so much and was getting self-conscious, especially considering how his friend is currently holding him captive.
You’d think that with a world of quirks and advanced technology, they’d invent better line queues, but I guess that was the least of their priorities.
He hears another groan coming from his shoulder, almost hanging off of him. Katsuki was doing way worse than him.
He wipes his sweat on his shoulder again, the tips of his hair tickling his neck. “Give me the fan,” he spits lowly. He holds it up with the arm slinged over Izuku, raising it up over their faces. With the new position, it makes both of their cheeks touch. So close—so hot.
Okay, fuck. He’s actually burning up. He can fully smell Katsuki. His cheeks clenching, his heavy breaths, both of their skin warming up with the contact.
Izuku knew, hell, everyone knew Katsuki could just take the fan from him, yet he stayed and even came close physically, which wasn’t his typical self.
Don’t you usually get uncomfortably stuffy, especially around people, when it gets this hot? Hell, he could’ve gone to Todoroki; his right side being cool would have helped him more. Weren’t they close enough to do this too?
Feeling a beat in his head.
He's losing it.
Just in front of him, he could hear his friends whispering, giving him a look he couldn’t decipher.
“They’re like those annoying couples with overly displayed affection.” Ochaco throwing an eyebrow at him. Iida chirped in. “I feel like sweating just looking at them.”
Izuku stumbles out of the ride, his curls tangled from the impact of the drops and twists. Walking out with his legs still shaking, adrenaline high.
He starts planning what he should do next. Though he wishes his friends were here, they all agreed on a schedule where they would spend half of the day with a different group, others reuniting with other people from different schools that had the same schedule set as them.
His tongue sticking out, deep in thought. There were so many things to do; where does he even start? Ice-cream doesn’t sound bad, then maybe he can play a few games, saving the ferris wheel for last.
“Hey, Deku.”
He turns and sees Katsuki, hands shoved in his pockets. His usual telltale sign that he wasn’t in the mood. Or just feels closed off.
“Mhm, Kacchan?”
With Izuku’s response, Katsuki takes his hands out of his pockets.
Oh?
“...Get ice cream for me.”
“Oh! I was just about to get some anyway. Still like pistachios? It’s on me. Don't worry!”
“You’re not paying! Just follow me and be a good dog, alright?”
“Huh? Aren’t you going with Kirishima-kun?”
“Ei? What? and leave you all alone here? Like I said, you’re a crybaby. Better off following me instead and watch me beat those games. Ferris wheel for last, just because I know you hate them."
Izuku loved them; Katsuki knew that. He didn't need to force him.
That was unexpectedly sweet. Izuku knew Katsuki wasn’t as fond of these like he was, but he also knew him enough to read that this was an invitation, that he wanted to spend time together, just phrased like he was in control.
A smile dances on Izuku’s face, and Katsuki relaxes from it. “Alright, Kacchan. That sounds good. Can we get roasted corn after ice cream?”
“Disgusting. No.” But he’s pulling out his wallet, looking around, and walking towards the long line leading towards the corn stall.
Katsuki was easy. Just a little hard on the head.