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“You’re a bubblegum today,” Izuku murmured, his head resting on Katsuki’s chest, eyes closed and content, still drowsy from sleep.
“I thought I was a baby ferret?” Katsuki replied, fingers threading through Izuku’s wild green curls. They had just woken up, the chirping birds outside signaling the start of their final day as UA students.
“That was yesterday, Kacchan. Keep up.”
“Alright, then you’re a…” Katsuki’s gaze wandered around the room, searching for inspiration. His eyes landed on their shoes by the door. “You’re a sock.”
“A sock?! Kacchan, you’re supposed to say only cute things! I don’t want to be a sock!”
“But you are small, old, and smelly, just like a sock.” Katsuki grinned, struggling to suppress his laughter. “I’m just stating facts. I can’t believe I didn’t think of it sooner.”
“You know what?” Izuku turned his head, fixing a fierce look on Katsuki. Katsuki would never tire of that vibrant green gaze.
“I hate you. I’m leaving,” Izuku declared, pushing himself off Katsuki’s bare torso and making a move to get out of bed.
“Oh no you’re not,” Katsuki said, surging forward and wrapping his arms around Izuku's waist, pulling him back into the bed.
Izuku’s resistance was short-lived. Katsuki pushed him down and caged him with both hands on either side of his head. It had been a long time since he felt any pain in his right one.
Izuku looked up at him and reached a hand to Katsuki’s nape, pulling him down for a kiss.
“Ready?” Katsuki asked, eyes half-lidded with affection.
“Yeah, ready.”
✲✲✲
A couple of weeks after the end of the war, even though some of them had decided to return to their homes and the comfort of their families, most of the class chose to stay in the dorms. After all they had been through, the warmth they needed most was the one from those who had faced the same terrors.
When the Friday movie ended and everyone started heading to their rooms, Izuku quietly grabbed Katsuki’s hand and gestured towards the kitchen. Katsuki seemed to understand him perfectly.
“What is it, Izuku?” Katsuki asked, resting his weight on the counter.
Izuku's gaze remained fixed on the ground.
“I wanted—No, I needed to talk to you, Kacchan.”
Katsuki gulped and nodded for him to continue.
“After what you said at the hospital, I just— I feel like I owe you an answer, or an explanation or… I don’t know.”
Katsuki interrupted him. “You don’t owe me anything, Izuku. That was the whole point. I said what I had to say. I won’t stay in your way anymore.”
“But I want you to stay!” Izuku blurted out, lifting his head and looking directly at Katsuki.
“I mean, I also thought we would be competing and on each other’s heels for the—for… forever.” Izuku started looking flustered and averted Katsuki’s gaze.
“I don’t know what’s in store for me now, or how much time with OFA I have left, but I want to keep fighting by your side, if you’d let me.”
“Izuku, I…” Katsuki tried to answer him and moved a bit towards the boy.
“I couldn’t have done it without you, Kacchan, you know that, right?” Katsuki seemed to only be able to gulp and stare.
“You died, I—I still can't believe that happened. I lost it, I... I lost you,” Izuku looked like he was on the verge of crying. “And I never got to tell you what I— What it was like wh—when I saw you there. It was…” He was trembling now.
“Hey,” Katsuki finally gathered the courage and touched him on his shoulder. “Izuku, it’s okay.”
“I’m just so glad that you're okay, Kacchan. I need you to know that I— even if I wish it had never happened, I thank you so much for what you did.” He was straight up crying now, big fat tears falling down his scarred cheek.
Izuku was completely crumbling, and Katsuki could only reach out. Reach out and hold onto him for dear life.
“Thank you,” Izuku sobbed. “I’m sorry.”
Katsuki held him until he was done crying.
✲✲✲
“I’m going to throw up,” Izuku blurted out, staring anxiously at his reflection in the mirror. Uraraka, Yaoyorozu, and Katsuki were gathered around him in the back room, helping him prepare. Katsuki and Yaoyorozu because they were the other two top students in 3A and had to say a few words as well, and Uraraka for best friend’s moral support.
“Gross,” Katsuki shot him a sidelong glance through the mirror. “Come on, nerd, you’re gonna be fine. Just relax, will you?”
“Yeah, Deku-kun! You’ve faced a war, are you seriously worried about a graduation speech?” Uraraka asked, bewildered.
“It’s completely different?!?!?!” Izuku protested. “I appreciate the encouragement, guys, I really do, but don’t act like you didn’t see me embarrass myself last week when talking to those first-years.”
The three of them chuckled pitifully.
“I’m still awful at social interactions! Why did I agree to this? Oh my god,” Izuku said, paying them no mind and frantically searching for a bag to either calm his breaths or hurl into.
Katsuki then placed his hands firmly on Izuku’s shoulders from behind, grounding him and locking their gazes through the mirror. “Izuku,” he said with a steady, reassuring tone.
“Kacchan,” Izuku replied, his voice tinged with relief.
Katsuki had this effect on Izuku—a grounding, warm presence that steadied him. He found comfort in those fierce, passionate eyes he’d admired for so long, letting their intensity soothe him. “Breathe,” Katsuki instructed gently.
Lost in each other’s gaze, they were completely oblivious to the soft snickers of Uraraka and Yaoyorozu as they exited the room.
“Okay,” Izuku said, almost as if in a trance.
Katsuki’s grip tightened slightly on Izuku’s shoulders as he spoke, his voice steady and reassuring. “We defeated the League, nerd. You’re All Might’s fucking successor. Everyone in this country knows who you are and what you’ve done, and they see you as the new Symbol of Hope.” Izuku nodded, absorbing Katsuki’s words.
“You’re going to nail this speech. We’re going to graduate from UA, just like we promised when we were kids. And then we’re going to become hero partners and take over the charts together, okay?”
“Okay, Kacchan,” Izuku replied, his voice catching with emotion. The weight of nerves, anxiety, and excitement all seemed to converge in that moment—Katsuki’s words being the final, reassuring push he needed. He gulped, a wobbly smile on his lips, as he struggled to keep the tears at bay.
Katsuki glanced around, making sure they were alone and free from prying eyes, before letting his arms slide from Izuku’s shoulders to wrap around his front, pulling him into a full embrace from behind. He rested his chin on Izuku’s shoulder, feeling the warmth and softness of his boyfriend’s body against his.
“And the minute you’re off that stage,” Katsuki murmured, his breath warm against Izuku’s ear, “I’ll take on all those annoying fans and make sure everyone knows you’re mine. How’s that sound?” He punctuated his promise with a gentle kiss to Izuku’s freckled cheek.
Izuku’s resolve melted as he allowed his tears to fall freely, the emotion overwhelming him. He held Katsuki’s hands against his stomach and turned his face slightly, meeting Katsuki’s lips with his own in a tender, shared kiss.
“Sounds amazing, Kacchan,” Izuku whispered, his smile radiant despite the tears. “Thank you.”
✲✲✲
“For god’s sake, what the fuck is wrong with you, Izuku?” Katsuki snapped at him when Izuku dropped one of the pots he was stocking on the kitchen counter and accidentally brushed his hand with Katsuki’s.
“I–I’m sorry, Kacch…” Izuku held his hands in front of him and cast his glance down.
“Just, fuck, wha—You’ve been fidgety all afternoon, nerd. What the fuck?”
They had been assigned kitchen cleaning duty today, and Izuku had been a nervous wreck, all mumbling, avoidant, and wimpy, startling every time he accidentally touched Katsuki in passing.
“Spit it out,” Katsuki demanded as he fixed his piercing gaze on him.
“Okay,” Izuku let out a nervous sigh. “Okay, okay,” he repeated like a mantra. “I guess this is as good a moment as any. Dr. Yashiro will be proud, yeah.”
“What the fuck are you on about, Izuku?” Katsuki, even if used to Izuku’s constant mumbling, was at a loss for words.
“Dr. Yashiro is my therapist. Aren’t you going to therapy too, Kacchan?” Izuku cocked his head. “I thought it was a requirement for all of us since the war. Well, at least Todoroki, Uraraka and I are forced into going. I thought you would be too, but it’s true that I never really got to ask you and—”
“Izuku,” Katsuki interrupted him. “Why are we talking about your therapist? Are you okay?”
“Yeah, yeah, sorry, you’re right…” Izuku avoided Katsuki’s gaze, fixing his eyes on a random point behind him. “Dr. Yashiro is helping me express myself better. She says I should speak my mind more often and that bottling up my feelings is bad for my mental health, especially now, after… after everything we’ve been through.”
“She’s damn right,” Katsuki agreed. “Didn’t we already have a talk and stuff, though? A few weeks ago,” he added, blushing at the memory of their heartfelt conversation that ended in that warm, long embrace. Katsuki still thought about it whenever he had trouble sleeping.
“Yeah, we did, I just… She keeps telling me I need to come clean in order to heal properly and move on and…”
“What do you mean, come clean?” Katsuki asked, his brow furrowing.
“After the war,” Izuku began. He looked flustered, but his nervousness seemed to evaporate. “I’ve let myself think about everything I’ve been avoiding,” he said, now looking at Katsuki intently.
Katsuki nodded expectantly, his heart pounding erratically for reasons he couldn't quite put into words. Fuck his newly mended heart—he still felt like he had no control over it.
“I’ve been thinking a lot about what I feel for you, Kacchan,” Izuku said, his smile soft and tinged with defeat. “I wasn’t sure about telling you this, especially since things seem to be better between us now and I really really don’t want to risk losing this, but I guess it’s for the best.”
Katsuki could barely hear Izuku over the pounding in his ears.
“I like you, Kacchan,” Izuku finally confessed, his voice trembling and a tear threatening to fall down his cheek. “I mean, I like you as more than a friend. I love you, Kacchan. I’m probably in love with you, and I’m so sor—”
Before Izuku could say anything else, Katsuki surged forward with a sudden burst of energy he didn’t think he had left in him these days, wrapping Izuku in a tight embrace as best as his fucked up, bandaged arm would allow.
“Shut up, shut up, damn it, Izuku, just—shut up,” Katsuki muttered, struggling to breathe—needing silence, wanting to cry, feeling the urge to kiss him, completely overwhelmed with so much he wanted to say and do.
Izuku let himself be held by this unusually affected Katsuki, his gaze fixed unblinkingly on the wall and his eyes wide with confusion. “Wha—Kacchan?” he asked, resting a hand on Katsuki’s back.
Katsuki kept his good arm around Izuku’s shoulder and gently held the back of his neck, pulling away to face him fully. “Can I kiss you?” he asked.
“Wh—Why would you do that, Kacchan?”
“Are you stupid?” Katsuki rested his forehead against Izuku’s, a chuckle escaping him.
“Because I fucking love you too.”
✲✲✲
The second Izuku finished his speech and students were ushered out of the ceremony hall to go back to the dorms, Katsuki pushed Izuku inside the nearest bathroom. He maneuvered them into one of the stalls, grabbing the back of Izuku’s neck with his bad hand and his ass with the other, pushing him against the wall.
“You did amazing,” Katsuki said, leaning in to capture Izuku’s lips briefly. “Your sock peers back in my room are going to be so proud of you.”
“Kacchan, shut up!” Izuku playfully shoved Katsuki’s shoulder with his fist, trying to wriggle free from his embrace. Katsuki knew he wasn’t really mad, he had always loved riling him up.
“I take it back,” Izuku pouted, his eyes narrowing in mock seriousness. “You’re not a bubblegum anymore.”
“Oh, I’m not?” Katsuki feigned surprise, lifting an eyebrow in amusement.
“Nope,” Izuku declared with finality, his expression resolute as he looked up at Katsuki. “You’re a green onion now.”
“Is this supposed to be a bad thing?” Katsuki pretended to be puzzled.
Izuku nodded vigorously, though his smile betrayed his playful intent. “Yep!”
“But you like those,” Katsuki said, pulling Izuku closer with a teasing grin, his eyes sparkling with mischief.
“No, I don’t! Shut up,” Izuku retorted, though his voice lacked any real bite.
Katsuki then leaned in and captured Izuku’s lips in a warm, urgent kiss. Despite his earlier protest, Izuku quickly surrendered to Katsuki’s mouth, resting his weight comfortably against him. Their hands roamed freely across their bodies, and Katsuki lifted the hem of Izuku’s gown to caressing the skin of his hips.
“Well, you definitely don’t taste like a green onion,” Izuku murmured between breaths, his smile evident in the kiss. “I’ll think about it, but for now, you’re surely not a bubblegum. You’re not worthy of such a cute title today.”
Katsuki chuckled, lost in the kiss and overwhelmed by the depth of his feelings. Every moment together was a reminder of how far they’d come, and how close he had been to losing this, to losing him.
“You sure you want to do this?” Katsuki asked, resting their foreheads together—the air suddenly tinged with seriousness.
“Of course, Kacchan, why wouldn’t I?” Izuku pulled back slightly to look at him fully, analyzing his expression. “Wait, are you having second thoughts?”
“No, of course not, nerd. I told you, if you want us out, then we’re out,” Katsuki said, biting Izuku’s nose playfully. “It’s about damn time anyway. I told you I’m sick of those second years thirsting all over you. I want everyone to know you’re mine. I just… I don’t want this to change, is all,” Katsuki admitted, casting his gaze down.
Izuku still struggled with cute aggression most of the time when it came to Katsuki. Soft Kacchan was going to be the death of him.
“It won’t,” Izuku said, resisting the urge to pinch Katsuki’s cheeks and bite his pout away. Instead, he settled for a soft peck on his lips. “As long as you’re ready, I am too, Kacchan.”
Katsuki’s response was a grounding kiss. “Okay, let’s do this, nerd.”
With a final peck on the lips, they exited the toilet and collided with the rest of Class 3A heading back to the dorms.
“Let’s do what?” Todoroki inquired, raising an eyebrow.
✲✲✲
“You're so soft today, Kacchan, you kinda remind me of a marshmallow. Are you a marshmallow?” Izuku mused, cradling Katsuki in his lap while they sat on his bed, resting comfortably against the headboard. They were technically watching a movie, but Izuku seemed more interested in Katsuki’s cheeks.
It was the end of their second year, and they had been together for almost a year already. Yet, Katsuki still found himself flabbergasted by Izuku’s antics.
“What the fuck?” Katsuki twisted his neck to glare at Izuku.
“Oh my god, you are! Why did you never say anything? When did your parents pick you up from the marshmallow orphanage?” Izuku blurted, clasping his hands around Katsuki’s waist and caging him in a bear hug from behind.
“I’m going to kill you, you fucking dumbass,” Katsuki grumbled, struggling in his boyfriend’s vice-like grip.
“Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me, Kacchan,” Izuku murmured, nuzzling his face into Katsuki’s cheek from behind. He rubbed their matching scars together, as he always liked to do.
And Katsuki let him, because of course he did. He was completely gone for Izuku, and for his silly antics, and for his scar on his left cheek, and for his faded freckles. He was so head over heels in love that he didn’t even know how to voice it most of the time. Words felt too lacking in comparison.
“Do you think anyone’s picked up on us?” Izuku asked suddenly, settling back into the creaking headboard and pulling Katsuki closer, the movie long forgotten.
“I don’t think so,” Katsuki replied honestly. They had agreed not to tell anyone about their relationship for fear of the attention it might attract, and they never really revisited the topic. So far, no one had said anything to them, either.
“Why? Are you thinking about telling the others?”
“I don’t know,” Izuku admitted absentmindedly. “I mean, eventually, I guess… right? Would you–Would you want that, Kacchan?”
Katsuki didn’t need to give it much thought. “I want what you want, Zuku.”
Izuku’s smile beamed down at Katsuki, almost blinding him with its brightness. “Then yes, Kacchan, I think I want to tell the world that you’re mine.”
Katsuki gulped. Izuku was getting better at speaking his mind, and Katsuki was left reeling most of the time.
“I’m just… I don’t know if I’m ready for the attention yet. What if they don’t like it? Don’t like… us?” Izuku continued, his voice tinged with doubt.
“There’s no need to rush, nerd,” Katsuki said, instinctively caressing Izuku’s crooked fingers resting on his waist. “We can wait till graduation if you want. Then, if somebody gives us shit, we won’t need to see them again.”
“Okay, yeah, you’re right. I can wait a bit more, my lil’ marshmallow.”
“If you keep this up, I don’t think you’ll be alive by then, you son of a–”
Katsuki’s threat was cut off by Izuku lifting him and spinning him around, clasping their lips together.
✲✲✲
“So yeah, long story short, Izuku and I are together and have been since the beginning of second year,” Katsuki announced abruptly to the expectant crowd of his 3A classmates gathered in the dorm living room.
A heavy silence followed.
“If anybody has a problem with it, go fuck yourselves, because we don’t give a shit,” Katsuki added, his gaze narrowing at Mineta in particular. Izuku, though visibly blushing, stood his ground, gripping Katsuki’s hand tightly and nodding in support.
Kaminari was the first to react, unable to contain his laughter.
“Pffff, oh my god, this was better than I anticipated,” he said, wiping tears of amusement from the corners of his eyes. “Sero, you owe me.”
Sero groaned, ruffling his newly cut wolf cut hair. “Yeah, fine, I’ll bring it to you later.”
Izuku and Katsuki exchanged bewildered glances.
Before a sobbing Kirishima could unleash whatever over-the-top reaction was brewing inside him, Mina clamped her hand over his mouth to silence him and let out an exasperated yell. “Finally! Oh my god, I was THIS close to bursting!”
Uraraka looked at them with a mix of tenderness and barely contained laughter. “Guys,” she said, approaching them with a soft smile. “We know. We’ve always known.”
“What????????????” Katsuki and Izuku chorused in disbelief.
✲✲✲
It was their first day off together after nearly a month of non-stop hero work. Katsuki had just stepped out of a refreshing shower after an exhilarating yet exhausting day at the new hero amusement park in Kamakura. He was now scrolling through his Twitter feed, stirring a pot of broth absentmindedly.
A particular tweet thread caught his eye, causing him to smirk involuntarily. Izuku then sauntered into the kitchen, clad in nothing but a pair of basketball shorts and using a towel to dry his wild curls.
“What’s got you smiling like that, pipsqueak?” Izuku asked curiously.
Katsuki looked up, resting the spoon on the marble countertop as he gazed at his fiancé. The smile he gave was so tender and affectionate that it made even Izuku raise an eyebrow. It wasn’t that he wasn’t used to Katsuki’s softer side after six years together, it was just too much of a fond gaze all of a sudden.
“You’re a smoliv,” Katsuki declared with a grin, snatching the towel from Izuku’s hands and tossing it aside. He pulled the slightly smaller boy into a warm embrace, their bare torsos pressed together. Izuku had long since given up trying to convince Katsuki to wear a shirt while cooking.
Izuku, momentarily distracted by Katsuki’s gently yet playful behavior, tried to keep up with the conversation. “A what?”
“A smoliv,” Katsuki replied, planting a quick kiss on Izuku’s lips. “This new Pokémon—a timid, fearful little olive.”
“Hey!” Izuku protested. “I’m not fearful!”
Katsuki chuckled and kissed him again. “You’re right, you’re not.” Izuku’s eyes brightened with amusement. “You’re just green and cute, exactly like him,” Katsuki concluded.
Katsuki’s explanation seemed to please Izuku, who then wrapped his arms around Katsuki’s neck and pulled him in for a deeper kiss. Katsuki side glanced at the pot of broth, deeming it safe enough to indulge a bit longer, and melted into the kiss.
After a few moments, Izuku pulled back slightly, still holding Katsuki close. “You’ll be a cyndaquil, then.”
“A cyndaquil, huh? What’s that supposed to mean?” Katsuki asked, his brow raised in playful curiosity.
“That you’re a fiery little rat-like creature that’s adorable and warm,” Izuku explained, a playful glint lighting up his eyes. “And, you know, always ready to bring some heat,” he added with a mischievous tilt of his eyebrows, trying to stifle a laugh.
Katsuki rolled his eyes and couldn’t help smirking as he pulled Izuku back into the embrace, their laughter blending with the gentle simmering of the broth.
He kissed him fervently, savoring the moment as he came to the conclusion that he didn’t mind coming up with cute, silly nicknames for Izuku forever—as long as it meant he’d get to see him laugh like this for the rest of their lives.
