Chapter Text
Katsuki couldn’t exactly say he was very sly about it. Making extra food every single day for two years straight couldn’t be a coincidence every time. At first, it had been. Now, it was just a habit.
He walked into the Teacher’s Lounge at UA, expecting to see Izuku, but he wasn’t there. Katsuki was about to check the time, when someone sighed heavily to the left of him. He turned, his eyes landing on his old teacher, who was staring at him, looking more tired than usual.
“Extra food every day, huh?” Aizawa asked. “Do you just always believe that you can eat more than you can stomach…or do you just use this as an excuse to see Midoriya? Every. Day.”
Katsuki pulled a face. “He’s the only one used to the spices I use. And, I usually make katsudon. That’s his—“
“I know it’s his favourite.” Aizawa said. “He only says it is every fucking time you hand him it. And then, he tells me, you go to him on the weekends, too, because you can’t possibly make one lunch, you just have to make two, don’t you?”
Katsuki glared at him. “Whatever.” He put the bag on Izuku’s desk, staring at it for a few seconds. “When will he be back?”
“About an hour. He’s in a meeting. Unless you want to bring that up to him?” Katsuki shook his head at Aizawa’s words, and grabbed a piece of paper, writing a note on it.
‘Some fuel for the day. - Katsuki.’
He could’ve written Kacchan on it, but he didn’t trust Aizawa not to look at it. “See you.” Katsuki said, walking to the door.
“You could tell him, y’know.” Aizawa said, making Katsuki pause.
“Tell him what?” Katsuki asked, his back turned to his old teacher.
“You know what.” Katsuki pulled a face, and left the room, the door shutting loudly behind him, echoing in the desolate hallways in front of him.
On his patrol, he sat on the roof of a building, eating his own lunch. He usually gave Izuku more, because he knew Izuku had a tight schedule, and never had enough time to get himself some other food, unless it was the shitty canteen food.
You know what. Aizawa’s words ricocheted through his head. No, Katsuki didn’t know what. Unless it was the pressing matter that Katsuki, after two years of doing this, was getting closer and closer to Izuku, he didn’t know what Aizawa meant at all. His old teacher was probably the only one who knew, and it wasn’t like he would ever state the obvious, to him, at least.
Nothing was obvious. Especially when it came to Katsuki and Izuku. When Izuku went on patrols, Katsuki would freak out, checking his phone every two seconds to see if there was a news report, never sleeping if it was at night. There were too many reasons for him to do so, but when he spoke to others about it, or when they picked up on it, he just mumbled something about making sure Izuku didn’t ruin the suit Katsuki spent eight years saving up for.
But, Katsuki didn’t even care. Izuku could throw the suit into the trash and he’d still…feel whatever he felt towards him.
“Still moping?” Eijiro asked, dropping down beside him. Katsuki always wondered how the hell he managed to get up the building with his quirk, but he’d never asked. The method would probably freak him out.
“I don’t mope .” Katsuki said, finishing his sandwich, and his entire lunch.
Eijiro eyes narrowed. “You’re finished already? You only started that five seconds ago—“
“Stalking me now, Ei?” Katsuki asked, turning to glare at the redhead. Eijiro rolled his eyes.
“Aizawa told us to look out for you. He said something about you always making too much food to give to Izuku.” Katsuki gritted his teeth. Of course Aizawa had told Katsuki’s shitty friends to look out for him. As if he couldn’t look after himself perfectly fine.
Katsuki scoffed. “Bullshit.” He said, shoving his box in his bag. “The fuck would I do that for?”
“You’d do it for Izuku. Most definitely. Maybe you need a debrief with Mina—“
“I’m not having a debrief with a girl who’s never been in a relationship.” Katsuki snarled, but his tone didn’t match what he wanted it to be like.
Eijiro laughed. “I never said anything about a relationship, Katsuki.” Shit. “Even though she’s pretty good at that, after living through everyone vicariously.”
“Whatever.”
“My point is,” Kirishima said. “You need to start thinking about the reason behind what you do instead of continuing to do it.”
“Why the hell would I do that?” Katsuki asked. Thinking about his reasons, his feelings , was something he’d been trying to avoid for the past ten years. He’d saved up for the suit for Izuku. To help Izuku achieve his dream. But also…no. He didn’t have another reason. He couldn’t. For ten years, it’d been like this. Avoiding his reasons and feelings made him safe. Shielded against anything that could make him vulnerable. He’d risen in the rankings, getting closer and closer to the top ten, then the top five. He was sitting at a comfortable number seven now, and his popularity was only increasing.
His phone went off with Izuku’s specific tone Katsuki had set, and he checked the message, as Eijiro groaned.
Izuku
Thank you!!! >w<
He’d attached a picture of the food Katsuki had put on his desk in the Teacher’s Lounge, then started typing again.
Izuku
You didn’t have to though :( I can go down to the canteen perfectly fine
Katsuki rolled his eyes, then responded.
Kacchan
As if. That food tastes like shit
Izuku
That’s mean!! And it’s gotten better, Kacchan
Kacchan
It’s just my charm
Izuku
Are you going on patrol tonight?
Katsuki froze, staring at his phone. The one question he’d avoided every time he’d been asked it by Izuku. Patrol? With Izuku? Having to talk to him for so long and never getting a break?
Torture.
Kacchan
I’ve already done my patrol for today
Izuku
Nooo :(
Alright then ^^
See you tomorrow?
Kacchan
Bye, Izuku
Katsuki pocketed his phone, and Eijiro snorted. “What?” Katsuki yelled.
“Gay people always have such a weird ass way of confessing their love.” Katsuki shoved Eijiro, and he almost fell off, yelping. “Hey!”
“Nobody’s confessing their shitty love. Now, get to work, idiot.” Eijiro rolled his eyes, as Katsuki scaled down the side of the building.
-
Katsuki got back home later that day, changing and bandaging injuries he’d suffered. He’d managed to save an entire traffic line from being crushed by a falling train, and he’d captured a few villains along the way. On his way home, his face was already on the papers they still stocked in front of televisions.
Izuku was on patrol with Shoto, the only one Katsuki could really trust to take care of the self-sacrificing bastard he’d been pining for since the start of the war.
Not pining, Katsuki. He told himself. He refused to stoop down to that level.
The television was on when he walked into the living room, and he jumped when Mina’s voice sounded from the kitchen. “You’re home!”
“How—how the fuck did you get in my house?” He yelled, glaring at her as she leaned against the counter in his kitchen.
“Eijiro gave me his key.” Of course he fucking did. “I heard you need a debrief on your feelings for Izuku?”
“I don’t have feelings for him, idiot. Now, get out.” Katsuki said, walking into the kitchen and getting his ingredients for dinner ready.
“Don’t be so rude, Katsuki!” Mina pouted. “You have to at least look on the bright side—you won’t be lonely anymore if you talk to him!” Katsuki glared at her, and she sighed. “Fine. You need to at least spend time with him. 2 years of giving him food every day and you never stay around for a chat longer than 5 minutes because somehow you have a patrol every single time and he just believes you?”
His eyes widened. “Did you speak to him?” Katsuki yelled.
Mina nodded, crossing her arms. “More than you’ve done in the past 2 years. Just had a little chat, then brought up you and he started gushing—“
“Leave.” Mina groaned, but headed towards the door, not before giving Katsuki a cheeky grin as she left. “Arsehole.” Katsuki muttered.
-
Izuku wasn’t there. Katsuki frowned as he looked down at Izuku’s desk. He wasn’t in the Teacher’s Lounge, Aizawa hadn’t seen him, and—
“Kacchan!” Izuku yelled, and Katsuki froze, before backing away quickly from the teacher’s desk.
“Izuku. I have some food.” Katsuki said, gesturing to the lunch bag he’d put on the desk five minutes ago before he started snooping.
Izuku smiled, one that reached his eyes—one that Katsuki had only seen again after Izuku had gotten his suit. “Thank you! Sometimes I wonder how you always manage to make so much food.” Katsuki forced out a smile, as Izuku sat down, looking into the bag eagerly.
He slowly started to back away, but was stopped when Izuku said, “Do you want to go walk around? Just outside of the grounds?”
“Um—I have a patrol—“
“It starts in 30 minutes, doesn’t it?” Izuku asked. “At least, that’s what Aizawa said.” Shit.
Katsuki nodded sheepishly. “Yeah, well, I try to be early—“
“I can walk you there!” Izuku shouted. “I have a free period after lunch!” He got up, grabbing his blazer and putting it on. “We can eat and talk!”
Katsuki failed to mention to Izuku that at this point in time, he never made food for himself and only for Izuku, and soon they were out of the school grounds and in the city.
Izuku rambled on about heroes, and recent patrols, and his favourite things to do at school—which Katsuki already knew—before he stopped, grinning. “Your food is really nice, Kacchan.”
“Thanks.” Katsuki said, quieter than usual. After eight years of barely talking to Izuku, too focused on his goal of making his childhood friend a hero again, and another two of just slipping him some food every moment he got, he didn’t know how to talk to him anymore.
They didn’t talk. Talking was never their thing, but at least in the past, they talked more. Katsuki would always mutter something to Izuku about not going overboard, Izuku would promise he wouldn’t, they’d have late night talks while training about random shit Katsuki never talked about with anyone else, but now Izuku didn’t have his quirk, and Katsuki had spent so much time caring for Izuku that he no longer cared enough for himself. Yeah, his hygiene was good, he ate enough, but he didn’t care. He’d have nightmares every night and go straight back to sleep, focus on his training more than he’d ever like to admit, to try and get back to his prime—being in your prime at the age of 17 wasn’t something to show off—to ignore the ache in his heart any time someone talked about the war, and to ignore the lopsided star-shaped scar over his heart from when it was ravaged.
He couldn’t bring himself to care when he wasn’t good enough to. Even through those eight years, those eight years of caring for Izuku more than ever before, he’d ignored the boy at any chance he’d gotten, not trying to slip any hints. But through that, he pushed Izuku further away than he had in middle school, when he was the worst person in the world.
Katsuki wasn’t cut out for this love bullshit, and he doubted he ever would be. He doubted he’d ever be able to look at Izuku and count the freckles on his face without being overwhelmed by guilt for not counting them enough times when the boy still had all of them.
“Kacchan?” Katsuki’s head immediately turned to look at Izuku. “Why do you always make me lunch?”
Katsuki shrugged. “I just make more food than I need to. I don’t portion well.”
“Every day? Usually people learn things after two years.” Oh, shit. He’d been oblivious for ten years, but now Izuku was finally catching on.
“I don’t.” Katsuki said, continuing to walk–faster, so he wouldn’t have to stay in this conversation for much longer. “Maybe I’m just different from the other people you know, Izuku.”
Izuku smiled. “Yeah. I know you are, Kacchan.” Katsuki felt a pain in his chest, and pursed his lips. It was probably just Edgeshot playing around with his heart again–that was it. That was the only thing it could be.
Katsuki sighed. “I really have to go on my patrol now, Izuku.”
Izuku frowned, and Katsuki felt that pain again. “Oh. Okay. Uh, are you free anytime soon?” Katsuki froze, looking at Izuku, who just continued to smile. “Just to catch up. You can come round my apartment, if you’d like.”
“O-okay.” Katsuki nodded. “I’m free tomorrow night.”
Izuku beamed. “I’ll see you then!” He turned, and walked back down the sidewalk, his face still straining from his massive smile.
Okay. So Katsuki had to actually talk to Izuku now. Would he be able to say he had an emergency patrol? Or, would Izuku catch him out?
He didn’t think life could get any worse, until the notification showed up on his phone in the morning of a news station who’d posted a ‘Dekumight video’.