Work Text:
“If Kacchan stopped talking to me, I think it would actually break my heart,” Izuku whispered one night when they were breaking a few rules by sleeping together in Katsuki’s dorm room.
“Even more than us breaking up?”
Izuku’s eyes fill a little at that but still smiles bravely, “Even if we were to break up it’d still be okay as long as you kept talking to me.”
Katsuki’s mystified, “Why?”
“Because I like you so much I’d rather have you in whatever capacity I’m allowed.”
Katsuki’s heart bursts with fondness so deep he can barely breathe. He yanks Izuku closer and snuggles him aggressively, “You’re a stupid little shit, god , I can’t fucking stand you.”
Izuku giggles, kicks his feet and cuddles in as if Katsuki were whispering poetry in his ears.
A couple of weeks go by. School is busy with tutorials, practices and incoming exams.
And then they get attacked by Villains, once fucking again.
It’s fine, they’re heroes in training, this is what they’re studying to deal with, except for one thing.
Izuku throws himself in it without a single care for his own self-preservation.
Like usual.
Even now, nothing’s changed.
By the end of it, Katsuki’s heart feels like an open wound, every beat a throb making him wish he could just carve the thing out and throw it out the window.
“WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?”
Katsuki shouts as soon as Izuku is close enough to receive an earful.
It kickstarts one of their usual fights. Always the fucking same ; Izuku acts reckless, Katsuki gets mad and yells, Izuku yells back because he’s a stubborn asshole and round and round they go.
“How many times do I have to remind you, haaah ?” Katsuki growls. “You’re not out there alone, fucking lean on the others!”
“I had him!” Izuku glares. “I was handling it.”
Idiot fucking shitty bastard , Katsuki wants to headbutt him until all the fears and worries inside his head would bonk into Izuku’s thick skull.
“That’s not the fucking point,” Katsuki hisses. “Tokoyami could’ve helped! He was right there!”
“And I’m telling you I was fine! We caught the villains, everything’s fine, why are you even yelling at me?!”
“BECAUSE THAT SHITTY FUCK THREW YOU OUT A FUCKING BUILDING WHILE YOU WERE UNCONSCIOUS AND I WAS TOO FUCKING FAR AWAY. ”
Izuku’s expression softens immediately, stepping closer to Katsuki. “I’m alright, though, see? All good,” he gives Katsuki his confident, comforting smile, but Katsuki can’t even look at it.
He’s so sick of this. Sick of seeing Izuku breaking himself because he thinks he has to.
Sick of knowing he can help but unable to because Izuku won’t fucking let him.
And he’s sick of these fights that never solve anything.
He needs to make Izuku understand. There need to be consequences to his actions or Izuku will never learn.
“Still not the point,” Katsuki sighs tiredly, steeling himself to carry through his decision. “If talking isn’t going to make you understand, then I’m going to stop.”
Izuku frowns. “Stop what?”
Katsuki doesn’t answer.
He walks away.
“You’re really not going to talk to me?” Izuku bursts at the end of the day, after Katsuki had spent all dinner ignoring him.
Katsuki turns the corner for his dorm room, persistently silent.
“How long are you going to ignore me?”
Katsuki bites the inside of his cheek to not snap.
When they reach his room, they both pause.
“Can I still sleep with you?” Izuku’s voice comes unsure and wobbly, like he knows he’s going to get pushed away and is bracing for it.
And god, Katsuki should carry it through, But, fuck , he can’t .
He opens the door and holds it, waiting for Izuku.
Izuku’s eyes meet Katsuki’s for a startled second, but he doesn’t question it, quickly stepping in.
They climb into bed, first Katsuki and then Izuku.
Izuku is as stiff as a board, obviously afraid to move and risk getting kicked out, so Katsuki bridges the distance between them with an open arm, nudging Izuku with the tip of his fingers until the nerd finally gets the message and cuddles in.
Katsuki holds him, rubbing his back because he’s a weak motherfucker and he can’t go too long without touching his nerd.
Hot teardrops dampen his shirt, Katsuki’s heart breaks when the sniffles come next and Izuku starts trembling all over under his hands.
“I know why you’re angry,” Izuku says in a small voice, clutching the front of Katsuki’s shirt. “I just- I can bear it. I’m supposed to bear it.”
Katsuki pushes him back far enough to see his narrowed, pissed off look.
Izuku squeaks and ducks his head under Katsuki’s neck.
It’s so fucking cute that Katsuki has to fist the material of Izuku shirt not to give in to the sudden urge to kiss Izuku all over his stupid face.
“Please, Kacchan,” Izuku’s voice is small. “Talk to me.”
Katsuki pulls him out of his hiding place to give him a raised eyebrow.
“You’re going to make me promise I won’t do it again, aren’t you?”
Katsuki nods solemnly.
Izuku’s chews on his bottom lip, eyes shiny, worried and conflicted.
“It’s hard though,” he finally says in a small voice. “It’s hard, letting myself take it easy.”
“Letting your friends and future colleagues help you is not taking it easy, you absolute sack of shit.”
Izuku blooms into a blinding smile, before he tries to unsuccessfully bite it down at Katsuki’s glare. “I know you’re right, but my brain doesn’t see it that way.”
“Well, tell your brain to get it or I swear I won’t talk to you ever again.”
Izuku’s eyes fill again, but then he nods reluctantly. “I promise I’ll try.”
Katsuki narrows his eyes but lets it go with a final sigh, pulling Izuku flush against him again.
“We are heroes, I’m not asking you to set that aside, I just want you to lean on the others.”
“I know, I just can’t help but think that people expect me to be like All Might, and I don’t want to disappoint them.”
“Fuck them,” Katsuki says viciously. “They put that pressure on the old man and look where it got him. They’re just noise, Izuku, listen to me.”
“I am,” Izuku says, beseeching. “I’m going to try, I promise.”
“Good,” Katsuki settles at last. “Because I want to grow old with you, nerd.”
Izuku’s smile is sweet and precious. “For the rest of our lives?”
“For the rest of our lives.”