Chapter Text
It started not with an explosion, but with a quiet question under starlight.
A week after graduation, Katsuki had walked Shoto home — not because he had to, but because he wanted to. They were both tired, freshly-minted pro heroes in a world that suddenly felt too big and too fast. When Shoto turned to say goodnight, Katsuki blurted it out without thinking.
“Wanna date me, Icyhot?”
Shoto blinked, lips twitching. “I thought you'd never ask.”
That was how it began — soft pajamas and shared breakfasts, late-night movie marathons and teasing kisses before missions. Their lives were loud, but their love was something quiet. Steady. Real.
Katsuki Bakugou had always been loud — sharp, blunt, honest to the point of cruelty. But there were times Shoto wished he could read him better, especially when silence filled the spaces where affection should have been.
They were already dating. Not new, not old — just steady. At least that’s what Shoto liked to believe. Until the day Katsuki asked Izuku to join his agency.
“Oi, Deku,” Katsuki called across the street , wiping sweat off his face after a brutal patrol. “You free later? Got somethin’ to run by you.”
Izuku blinked, caught off guard mid-drink, but grinned. “Yeah, sure. What’s up?”
“Thinkin’ of making you my partner. For the agency what ya' think?"
“I think I need to figure myself out a bit more before working with someone else,” he’d said. “Especially someone like you. I admire you, Kacchan, but we’ve always walked different paths.”
And Katsuki had nodded, pretending it didn’t bother him. Pretending it didn’t sting. But now, hours later, he sat still in the quiet of his office, unmoving.
When he finally stood and walked out, his hands were stuffed deep in his pockets. The sun had set by the time he made it back to his shared apartment with Shoto.
He found Shoto in the kitchen, quietly reading something on his phone, an apron around his waist and rice cooking in the pot behind him.
Katsuki barely greeted him before collapsing onto the couch face-first.
Shoto glanced up. “Long day?”
There was a muffled grunt. Then, silence. Then, “He said no.”
Shoto blinked. “Izuku?”
Katsuki rolled over, arm draped over his eyes. “Yeah. Said he doesn’t want to work with me. That he’s not ready. That we’re different.”
Shoto wiped his hands on the apron and walked over to sit beside him. “Are you upset?”
“No,” Katsuki lied. Then groaned. “Yeah. A little. It just—it feels like he doesn’t think I’m someone worth working with. That he still sees me as that angry, screaming bastard from middle school.”
Shoto sat in silence for a few seconds, then gently placed a hand on Katsuki’s head, threading his fingers through his hair. “You’ve changed. He knows that. You’re not that person anymore.”
Katsuki closed his eyes.
“But it still hurts.”
He didn’t respond. But he didn’t move away either.
Shoto stayed there, rubbing soft circles over his scalp. “I’m proud of you. Whether Izuku joins or not… you built something amazing. You didn’t need anyone to do it.”
Katsuki huffed a laugh, just a small exhale through his nose. “That’s why I like you, you icy bastard.”
“You’re lucky I made extra rice,” Shoto said, brushing a kiss to the top of his head.
And for a moment, the ache dulled.
---
The explosion cracked like thunder through the warehouse district, shattering windows and sending clouds of smoke billowing into the early evening sky. Shoto’s comm was already buzzing with scattered reports, but it was the panicked voice of an intern that made his blood run cold.
“Dynamight’s down—he shielded Deku!”
Shoto didn’t wait for orders.
By the time he arrived, the area was chaos. Civilians had been evacuated, but the building was unstable, half its supports crushed from the villain’s last rampage. Fire licked at the walls, and debris lay scattered across the concrete. EMTs scrambled through the dust, searching for survivors.
And then he saw him.
Katsuki was slumped beside a slab of concrete, chest heaving, half his costume scorched and besides him was Izuku, who looked stunned but otherwise unharmed.
Katsuki, on the other hand, was bleeding.
“Katsuki!” Shoto ran to him, kneeling quickly, eyes scanning for injuries. “What happened?”
Katsuki grimaced, one eye swollen, his voice raspy. “Dumbass rushed in. Didn’t even see the second blast charge.”
Shoto turned to Izuku, fury hidden behind icy restraint. “You let him take the hit for you?”
Izuku flinched. “I—no! I didn’t see it either! He just shoved me out of the way—”
Katsuki growled. “Cut him some slack. It was instinct. I wasn’t about to let him get blown to bits.”
“You almost died,” Shoto hissed, biting back the tremble in his voice.
Katsuki tried to sit up, and Shoto gently pushed him back down. “Stay still. You’re hurt.”
For a moment, all Katsuki did was stare up at him. The look in his eyes wasn’t apologetic. It wasn’t even defensive.
It was… distant. Like he didn’t quite understand what he’d done wrong.
Shoto swallowed hard.
Because it wasn’t the first time Katsuki had nearly died for Izuku. And no matter how much he tried to rationalize it—hero instinct, battlefield decisions—it still left a pit in Shoto’s chest each time. A quiet ache, sharpened by the realization that Katsuki’s first thought, always, was to protect Izuku.
Even if it killed him.
He squeezed Katsuki’s hand, hard enough to ground himself.
Katsuki didn’t pull away.
But the silence between them felt heavier than the debris.
---
It was supposed to be just a simple lunch.
Katsuki and Izuku had met up at a quiet ramen spot tucked away from the usual hero crowd—a place Katsuki had discovered during a solo patrol weeks ago. No cameras. No press. No interruptions.
Just two friends catching up.
But the internet saw it in a different light.
Shoto was scrolling through his phone in the living room when his eyes caught the flood of notifications blowing up his screen. One post after another showed pictures of Katsuki and Izuku sitting close, laughing, sharing food, the lighting catching the softness in Katsuki’s rare smile.
The tags were everywhere:
#ExplobloomForever
#KatsuDekuVibes
#NotSoSecretLunch
Shoto’s fingers tightened around the phone, his breath catching.
He flipped to Izuku’s Twitter.
Deku
@allmight#1fan
Some bonds can’t be broken. Grateful for the ones who’ve saved me more times than I can count 💚💥 #LunchWithHeroes
🕓 8:14 PM · Jan 15, 20XX
❤️ 231.4K · 🔁 66K ·
💬 7.8K Comments
Dekufan: They are truly the other.
Dynalover:they’re totally dating again omg
BakuDekustan:shoto could NEVER lol”
Kristy: This is peak ♥
The post was innocent enough, but the implication had fans spinning wild theories. Comments speculated on everything from rekindled romance to secret missions. Fanfiction writers had already started crafting entire sagas around the two of them.
Shoto felt a heavy weight settle deep in his chest. And Shoto, in a moment of masochism, read every single one
He hadn’t even known about the lunch.
When Katsuki finally came home that night, cheeks flushed and eyes tired but bright, Shoto forced a calm tone.
“So. Lunch with Deku.”
Katsuki glanced at him sideways, eyebrows raised. “Yeah? It was nothing special. Just catching up.”
“Nothing special?” Shoto echoed softly. “Because the internet’s going wild. They think you two are an item again.”
Katsuki snorted, running a hand through his messy hair. “Fans will be fans. Not really important for me to give you details play-by-play.”
Shoto’s heart twisted not saying a word.
Katsuki’s expression flickered, just for a second, before his usual scowl returned. “It wasn’t a date, alright? And I didn’t think it was a big deal.”
Shoto’s voice broke slightly. “But it is a big deal to me.”
Katsuki opened his mouth to argue, but then he caught the hurt in Shoto’s eyes. Instead, he sighed and dropped onto the couch beside him.
“Look. You’re the one I’m with. Some tweet or shipping nonsense will ever change that cause i belong to you and you to me. You know that, right?”
Shoto swallowed. “I want to believe that.” he murmured to himself.
“well you should Princess,” Katsuki promised quietly, his voice low enough that only Shoto could hear. “Just give me a little time, I'll start on dinner.”
But even as Katsuki reached for his hand, the knot in Shoto’s chest didn’t loosen.
Because sometimes love felt like walking a tightrope — and the wind was never still.
---
The room was thick with silence when Izuku finally spoke.
He had invited Izuku to a café after noticing the growing tension between him and Katsuki — hoping for clarity, hoping for some peace.
But what he got was anything but.
“I… still like him,” Izuku said quietly, eyes downcast. “I’ve never stopped.”
Shoto’s breath caught, his heart pounding painfully in his chest.
“After everything, with the way Kacchan treats me sometimes… I think he feels the same.”
Shoto blinked, the words hitting like a sudden storm.
“You think Katsuki likes you?” Shoto’s voice was barely steady.
Izuku nodded, meeting his gaze with honest eyes. “He worries about me, protects me—even when it’s reckless. That’s how he shows it.”
Shoto’s fists clenched, the weight of jealousy and fear crushing him. Shoto laughed which was scary for someone who barely even let out a smile. "You're pathetic Midoriya and here I was thinking you were my bestfriend. "
Izuku flinched. “I never wanted to come between you two. But I can’t keep pretending.
“He’s mine,” Shoto snapped, his voice sharp and unyielding. He then gets up "You have deluded yourself, Katsuki loves me and me alone." Then leaves.
----
The night was thick with silence, broken only by the soft hum of the city beyond the apartment windows. Shoto sat on the edge of their shared bed, staring at the rain drops on the window as his thoughts tangled in frustration and fear. He hadn’t spoken to Katsuki since his conversation with Izuku, and the distance between them felt wider than any battlefield.
The apartment was heavy with unspoken words, the soft hum of the rain the only sound in the room. Katsuki entered the room and peeled off his jacket, his eyes immediately locking onto Shoto’s. Katsuki didn’t understand why it has been hard to converse with his lover lately and this was hurting him both emotionally and physically.
“Why the hell are you avoiding me?” Katsuki’s voice cracked as he threw his jacket aside.
Shoto looked outside like he was intrigued by the rain. “I’m not avoiding you.”
“Then why don’t you even look at me?” Katsuki’s fists clenched at his sides. “Why’re you acting like I betrayed you?”
“I’m scared, Katsuki,” Shoto said, voice barely a whisper. “Scared that you’re slipping away—that you don’t love me anymore.”
“Love you?” Katsuki’s laugh was bitter, shaking his head. “is this because of some dumbass lunch and some stupid internet rumors?”
Shoto’s eyes burned. “Maybe. Or maybe you keep making me question your relationship with Izuku, and leaving me to watch you fall apart piece by piece like how you almost lost your life for him.”
Katsuki’s jaw tightened. “I do what I gotta do. Protect who matters. You included.”
“But you don’t talk to me anymore. You shut me out!” Shoto’s voice cracked, tears slipping free. “I’m scared of losing you, but you don’t even try to let me in.”
Katsuki took a shaky step forward, his usual bravado faltering. “I’m not good at... all that shit, alright? I don’t know how to fix things with words.”
Shoto shook his head, voice breaking. “I don’t need you to fix things. I just need you to be here. To let me be here.”
Shoto said quietly, voice steady but laced with pain. "Izuku spoke to me the other day, he says he still likes you." He then looks away pained. "He thinks he's feelings are mutual."
Katsuki’s jaw clenched, angry, stunned but mostly hurt.. “What now? You're throwing Izuku’s confession in my face? What's that got to do with what he thinks, you think i like him?”
“No,” Shoto shook his head, trying to steady his breath. “It’s just that everything—the silence, the distance, is making me always second-guessing us.”
Katsuki scoffed then looks away, "Funny coming from you who's always pulling away." He's hurt, hurt that Shoto can even question his love. It makes him think maybe he's not a good partner.
Shoto swallowed hard, fighting back tears. “I pull away because I’m scared you don’t want me around anymore. Because you don’t tell me what you feel until it’s too late.”
Katsuki’s voice dropped, raw. “Maybe I’m not good at showing it the way you want. But I’m here. I’m with you.”
“But I can’t keep wondering if that’s enough,” Shoto replied, voice breaking. “I need more than words, Katsuki. I need to know you want me—truly want me.”
Katsuki took a step closer, his voice soft, laced with pain, hurt and fear he says. “And you think I don’t?”
“I don’t know what to think anymore,” Shoto whispered, tears spilling freely now. “I feel like I’m losing you to everything and everyone else. And I don’t know how to stop it.”
For a moment, silence fell between them. The weight of years of unspoken fears and frustrations pressing down like a storm.
Katsuki’s posture softened, but his eyes still held fire. “I’m fighting too, Shoto. You're not the only one struggling here.”
“I know,” Shoto said, voice barely audible. “But maybe… maybe we both need to step back. Figure out what we want without tearing each other apart.”
Katsuki’s lips pressed into a thin line. “So what? You’re just gonna walk away?”
Shoto nodded slowly, wiping his cheeks with the back of his hand. “For now. I need space to breathe. To heal.”
Katsuki’s voice cracked on the edge of desperation. “Don’t do this. Don’t leave.”
Shoto’s final glance was filled with a quiet sorrow. “I love you, Katsuki."
He turned toward the door, every step feeling heavier than the last.
Katsuki stood frozen, watching the man he loved walk away into the night, the silence after the door closed louder than any shout.
---