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Izuku has no idea how to react once Kacchan starts showing a softer, more vulnerable side, after the war.
He’s seen him explosive, he’s seen him emotionally vulnerable, but... he’s never seen Kacchan… soft.
But after their experience during their summer internship, when they had transferred OFA, even though neither could remember it, Izuku starts to notice how Kacchan reaches for his hand when he gets scared (because yes, even The Katsuki Bakugou™️ get scared) only to retract it, his usual scowl on his features, but now there’s… a tinge of pink, on the tips of his ears.
He notices how he sits with him at lunch now. Typically, Kacchan stuck to what Denki had self-proclaimed as “The Bakusquad.” But after the war? Kacchan had invited Izuku to sit with them, and while he was slightly perplexed, he agreed, eager to be able to hang out with some of their friends together.
He took a seat across from where the blonde’s lunch sat— he assumed that that spot would work, seeing as Kacchan was probably used to Denki sitting next to him—but then Kacchan scowled, and pushed his lunch across the table, right next to Izuku.
The greenette blinked as he heard a “Scoot over Izuku!” and he nodded quickly, embarrassment clouding his features as he stumbled around a quick apology (“S-sorry Kacchan!” “JUST SCOOT ALREADY!” “AHHH okay!”)
All in all a very normal conversation between the two.
But it was difficult for Izuku to not notice how Kacchan had his leg pressed right against his—thigh to thigh. He did a small test, worried about encroaching on Kacchan's personal space, and he shifted just enough to where they were no longer touching.
He heard the smallest mix of a whine and a growl come from the other boy’s throat. So, Izuku blushed and moved back to where he had been—thigh to thigh.
After that he started noticing more... things. A lot more, actually: like how now, anytime they were able to sit near one another, kacchan was there again, right up against him. And Izuku doesn’t mind, but he wonders why all the same. Along with other things he begins to notice.
(1) Kacchan begins to exclusively spar with Izuku after class. It makes sense, he claims it’s because he’s the only one who can help him fight with the flickering embers, and it’s a logical enough answer.
(3) Kacchan invites (more like threatens) Izuku to come study with him and “Dunce Face.” They start off in the library, then by the time they move into Kacchan’s dorm, Denki has taken up tutoring with Momo.
(5) Kacchan starts to come by to Izuku’s dorm more often—anytime he has a nightmare. He doesn’t even send a text anymore, he just walks up and knocks on the nerd’s door.
And Izuku always always answers.
After a week of stopping by unannounced at the other’s dorm to talk or watch some All Might rerun or get ahead in schoolwork, Kacchan starts to softly test physical boundaries.
It’s nothing like that—he just stays practically glued to Izuku’s side. “It... helps. Being near you,” Kacchan admits one afternoon, while they’re walking back to their dorms after class, his cheeks dusted in pink, and Izuku tries his best to hide the smile that brings to his lips.
(6) Kacchan likes to borrow Izuku’s weighted blanket (Note: He cannot fall asleep with it on, otherwise Kacchan panics and thinks he is suffocating, like he was with the sludge villain).
(8) Kacchan reaches for Izuku's hand freely now whenever he feels even slightly irritated. Izuku lets him (and realizes it helps him, too. grounds them both). He likes the feeling of Kacchan’s hand in his own. He likes to feel the softness where he and everyone else expected roughness, callousness.
(10) Kacchan likes to have his back lightly scratched, especially when he wakes up from a nightmare. And, to Izuku’s surprise, he’s open to talking about his nightmares, his fears.
(11) Kacchan wants to teach Izuku sign language. “I have to get these shitty fucking hearing aids like some goddamn old hag because it’s... it’s getting impossible to hear people because of my quirk...” (Izuku agrees, not mentioning that he’s already started learning sign language for this very reason).
(12) Sometimes Kacchan’s voice gets soft when he feels his faults showing. Or when he feels weak. And Izuku is more than happy to be there while he’s processing these things (Kacchan even likes it when Izuku holds his hand, rubbing his thumb in idle strokes along the skin).
(13) Kacchan is very receptive to praise now. Sometimes (most of the time) he blushes— “Everybody needs to be told when they’re doing amazing, Kacchan!”
(14) Kacchan likes to have his hair played with. Izuku realizes it is exceptionally soft despite the spikes.
(15) Kacchan is starting to ask for “soft things” more— after a particularly impossible training session where class 2A was divided into heroes and civilians, Kacchan had to play as a civilian (which, as you can imagine, he was thrilled about). Only he was restrained. In a small space.
With no windows.
After Izuku saves him, he curses and pushes the greenette off of him before stomping off.
It's not even an hour later when Izuku hears that all too familiar knock at his dorm room door.
All words and thoughts eddied out of his head as he hears the softest Kacchan tone ever (accompanied by the cutest pout, and the sweetest blush). “Can... can you just...hold me and play with my fucking hair?”