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“Kacchan,” D-Izuku whined against his shoulder. The rest of the extras had already left the bath, hopefully remembering to cook something for the mess of a human being next to him.
“What?”
Fuck. Katsuki hadn’t wanted to sound as gruff as he had. But he was talking to Izuku. It was reflex.
But Izuku acted as though Katsuki had crooned at him, smiling. “Kacchan.”
“Yes?”
“Kacchan.”
Katsuki growled, a yell on his lips before he reigned himself in and took a deep breath. “Yes. That’s my name, nerd.”
“Kacchan,” Izuku giggled and rubbed his cheek against his shoulder.
Someone help Katsuki before he blew up the nerd’s head. It would be counterproductive, though. He hadn’t spent months planning to hunt down Izuku and drag him back to UA, alive, just to injure him as soon as Izuku annoyed him a little.
Izuku had the right to annoy him as much as possible without Katsuki blowing up.
“Anything else you can say?”
A smirk was pressed into his skin. “Kacchan.”
He blinked. “Woah, impressive. You made that sound like a no.”
And Izuku laughed.
In middle school that sound had grated on Katsuki’s ears. Anything that brought a little joy to Izuku had offended Katsuki and emotionally constipated as he had been – shut up, Katsuki had always been self-aware enough to know that – he hadn’t known why.
During Izuku’s absence in his life, Katsuki had enough time to ruminate on the whys and should have dones of his life, and especially his relationship with the nerd. Back then, he’d always snuffed out Izuku’s happiness because it had never been Katsuki who made him happy. But because of said emotional ignorance he had interpreted that as anger at Izuku. Anger because the nerd kept looking down on him, which was also wrong.
Really, how Izuku could stand to look at Katsuki and still think “friend” or “amazing” was beyond Katsuki. Izuku had always been a better person than Katsuki and that was threatening. At least Katsuki apologized, even if it was years later and more like a blanket apology.
“Kaaaaachan.”
“By All Might, what do you want, nerd?”
“Nothing.”
Goddammit. Do not blow up on the thin and obviously exhausted and delirious nerd. Nerd better be delirious, otherwise he wouldn’t bait Katsuki like that.
“It’s kinda cute, though.”
“Ha? Nerd, I hope you’re not calling me cute.”
“Your actions are, though.” Izuku let himself lean more on Katsuki. “I mean, you’re strangely agreeable. It’s weird.”
Katsuki clicked his tongue. “Oi, don’t tell me you want me to be mean.”
“Not mean. Just, more yourself.”
Izuku murmured something else, his chapped lips – Katsuki would have to ask Ponytail whether she had or could make some good lip balm – stroking Katsuki’s skin but inaudible.
“Louder, nerd, I don’t speak mumbling.”
“That’s more like it.” Izuku huffed and once again rubbed his cheek against Katsuki like he was a damn cat.
Then he froze and distanced himself before looking at Katsuki’s chest without saying anything. In front of Katsuki’s eyes, Izuku wilted in on himself and –
Fuck that.
Without much thought, Katsuki’s hand snapped up to smush Izuku’s cheeks together, almost making him look like a pufferfish. Izuku tried to yelp and jerk back but Katsuki was stronger in their current state.
“Dunno what you’re making that face for but stop it.”
“Whachace,” Izuku said. He probably meant to say “What face” but well. Katsuki’s grip was tight.
“As though someone had pissed in your Oreos.”
“… Kacchan, Oreos are against my diet, you know.”
“So’s everything else, apparently.”
Izuku grimaced at him. Or pouted. Katsuki couldn’t tell exactly.
Satisfaction flared in Katsuki’s chest when Izuku stopped struggling and trying to get out of his grip and settled into it. It helped that Izuku also settled against his chest again.
(On another note, God, Katsuki was lucky that Izuku was way too emaciated and bone-deep tired or Katsuki’s libido might get into the way. This way only his take-care-of-nerd instincts were the only thing rising.)
Apropos food. He needed to get Izuku out of the bath and check if the rest of the idiot brigade, aka his entire class, had prepared something. And whether that something was edible in the first place.
“C’mon, Izuku, I think you’re clean enough now. Food and then bed.”
“I missed Kacchan turning into a fussy mother hen.”
Katsuki bristled. It wasn’t his fault that nobody here seemed to be able to take care of themselves, especially the motherfucker he was sharing a bath with.
But then Izuku continued, whispering low enough that Katsuki had to strain his ears. “… I missed Kacchan.”
“Then don’t leave me behind, asshole.”
No matter how much personal growth Katsuki had forced himself to go through … he didn’t think he could force out the truth here. He’d also missed Izuku.
“Not even to protect you?”
“Especially not then.”
A scarred hand settled over his shoulder scars, crooked fingers splayed to cover all three entry points. “If it hadn’t been for me, though, you wouldn’t have these. They weren’t there before, after all.”
I’m (going to be) a hero, scars are inevitable.
It’s not your fault.
I’d gladly do it again.
Katsuki could respond in so many different ways. The issue wasn’t his words, however, but what Izuku would be hearing. He had to be very careful with his words here.
He curled his own hand over Izuku’s. “Listen, nerd. My actions are my own and I choose to take the hit. I know you’d have done the same for me, too, asshole. Let me own them.”
Izuku laughed weakly, shifting his fingers so that they were holding hands over Katsuki’s slightly faster beating heart.
“Sure, Kacchan. Own them.”
“Now, c’mon, you need to eat, you underfed, overgrown jackrabbit.”
Izuku blinked. “What?”
And Katsuki couldn’t help throwing his head back and barking out laughter himself.