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See, Bakugo got cocky.
For just a brief moment, he allowed himself to think he had it in the bag. There couldn’t be any other explanation. Izuku had been suspicious about their friendship for months already! And that’s on top of the weirdness he’s kept up all their lives. Katsuki may be blonde, but he ain’t fucking stupid.
It was obvious the nerd was in love with him.
Which was just fucking great, because Katsuki realized not too long ago he kind of, sort of, maybe, perhaps feels the same way. But he’s much cooler about it.
Be as it may, Bakugo has to admit he wasn’t in any rush to make an explicit move. They were still adjusting to being heroes together, Deku was getting used to his new suit and hero work while still being a teacher… the timing was off.
So he waited, telling himself that he’d do something about the weird tension between them when the time felt right.
And during Kirishima and Mina’s wedding, four months after he’d initially clocked their mutual feelings, the time felt absolutely right.
Both in tuxes, smiling at each other like idiots during the ceremony, walking down the aisle together because that’s how they were paired up… Izuku mentioned he wanted to dance once they were settled into the party, and for once, Bakugo decided to not make fun of him. He said nothing.
He was on his best behavior.
If the nerd wanted to dance, then they could. That totally sounded like an invitation is what he’d thought, and even if Bakugo wasn’t that much of a dancer, he’d give it a go.
And hey, maybe afterwards, he could pull Deku aside and say something . It was starting to feel like he was wasting his goddamned time just standing there doing nothing. He needed to act.
So he did. Katsuki got up, searching for the dork that went to the bathroom twenty minutes ago. After a few laps around the venue, he started to get a little worried. Did something happen? Did he get called off on some mission?
That mild worry turned sour in a matter of seconds. As he let his eyes linger on the dance floor.
There, in all his glory, was the mess of green hair he’d been looking for. Yeah, there the bastard was… dancing with Round Cheeks of all people. Literally hanging off her neck, smiling close to her, whispering shit in her ear.
His brain scrambled to try to justify that this was nothing, and he had no reason to make a big deal out of it. But watching the bastard plant a sloppy kiss on Uraraka’s cheek, something shifted in his mind. He was suddenly hyperaware that there was a big fat possibility that maybe he just… misinterpreted his relationship with Izuku.
Maybe it was just wishful thinking.
Wide smiles, free coffees and daily texts had him delusional enough to think that Izuku was interested. He’d gotten cocky and assumed only he could make that dork smile like that. But looking back, if he really thinks about it, every last one of those ‘gestures’ he’d been feeding off of done hefeel meaningless. That nerdy bastard might as well be doing nothing.
Everybody knows Izuku is just nice. Annoyingly so. For no reason. All the time. To everybody. It’s certainly not something he does for Katsuki, it’s just something he does. Period. Smiles and coffees? Everybody has got their share from Deku, it’s really not anything special…
He’d thought about it once, last year. Briefly, he had this thought that if Izu insisted on treating everybody special, then nobody was, because they all got that extra something from his ass. At the time, it was worrying to think anybody could come and take advantage of that kindness. He remembers thinking the nerd had to learn that nobody was special, period.
Now, though? Now it definitely stung to feel so utterly inconsequent in Izuku’s life after months of entertaining the possibility of mutual feelings. For the second time in his life, his ego let him think he was special.
It had been months of what he thought were subtle signals, so of course Bakugo felt disappointed. He’d really wanted something to finally happen between them, against all odds. He’d tried to not pathetically pine over Deku over the years, tried to keep it in and focus on what was important. He’s not the kind of person to just mope and sulk. But those feelings had become something he couldn’t ignore anymore, and a part of him had always hoped…
Clearly that part of him needed a reality check. Because it led him to mistake kindness for feelings.
The way Izu turns back to Ochako, smiling wide and lost in his own little world? See, that’s what actual love looks like. Maybe. Sort of. The contact between them is effortless, they vibe off each other like it’s nothing even at something as stupidly trivial as dancing.
All those gestures that had been enabling his cockiness… they were nothing compared to that .
“Oi, Kirby” Bakugo calls gruffly after a particularly rough mission. “Want a coffee?”
The brunette perks up at that, “You’re not gonna judge me if it’s mostly just sugar?” she asks sweetly, sending him a tired smile.
The blonde shrugs, “What you do to get diabetes is your problem. I’m just paying” he offers, hoping that’s non-threatening enough.
“Yessss” is all she replies, following behind him.
They arrive at the first shop they find, ask for their respective orders and sit down, nursing a scalding styrofoam cup in hand each.
Shit, this whole thing was harder than he’d anticipated… but it was necessary. After not a lot of thinking these past two days, Bakugo concluded that maybe he should stop avoiding the issue and start solving.
Yeah. Solving. See, the way Izuku danced with Round Cheeks at the party and all the photos he saw posted later, those meant something. Deku had that little extra sparkle in his stupid eye. He concluded after not enough analysis that for some reason, what happened back at the wedding was undeniable proof that Izu was in love with his ex-turned-best-friend.
Now, Kirby and Deku are exes, yes.
They dated back in high school, and it was a very amicable but definitive break up not even six months later. They stayed best friends, mostly because shortly after, Ochako came out as a lesbian, so the tension was sort of gone, if there was any left.
Izuku, however, came out as pansexual a few years later, which means he could still harbor feelings for his ex. It wouldn’t be all that far-fetched. First loves really have a way to fuck you up like that, Bakugo would know.
So, if Katsuki can’t and won’t keep feeding his delusion, the least he could do as a friend is find out what the hell is going on with Pink Cheeks and set things straight. For Izuku’s sake. If that nerd’s not gonna take care of his own heart, someone has to.
After about ten minutes of absolute silence, Kirby snaps, “So, what did you wanna ask?”
Narrowing his eyes, Bakugo huffs, “I dunno. What did YOU wanna ask?!” he shoots back defensively.
“I wanna ask why you bought me a coffee out of nowhere” she states, quirking a carefully manicured eyebrow to pressure him.
Easy. “I wanted to” he shrugs.
Rolling her eyes, Ochako sighs, “ Why? ”
“Just because” Bakugo replies a little too quickly. He’s aware he has to explain, dammit, he just hasn’t thought about how to even go about this. He really should stop acting on impulse.
But Kirby, the witch that she is, reads him like a book, “This is about Izu-kun isn’t it?” It’s kind of insulting that she guessed it that quickly. Katsuki’s really losing his poker face. He hates to admit it but age is really softening him up a lot. “What about him?” she presses.
Well, let’s start chronologically, “You and him dated, didn’t you? Back in UA”. Back then, he wasn’t all that involved in anybody’s life. Of course he found out a lot of the shit happening anyways, Mina’s one of his best friends, and the bitch knows everything about everyone, but when it came to those two’s break up, nobody really knew much of nothing.
Even when he and Izuku started getting closer back then, they never really talked about his relationship, or his break up for that matter. Kirby seems taken aback by the question, “Yeah…? Why?”
“Why’d you break up?” Katsuki asks, trying his best to seem non-threatening.
Sadly, his out of context questions are raising red flags, “Why is this relevant?” she asks, now guarded and skeptical.
Still, Bakugo has to insist, “Humor me. If you don’t wanna answer just say so”.
After searching his face for a little while, she finally decides he’s trustworthy enough. “We wanted different things. That’s why we broke up” she supplies eventually. ‘Different things’ must be code for ‘I was a lesbian’, which is the reply he’d expected.
“Do you… still want different things?” he pries, a part of him hopeful that maybe Izuku could really have a chance here. Although, he’s not sure ‘hopeful’ would be the right word here.
“You mean, now that I have a girlfriend ?” Oh. Right. That doesn’t bode well for the nerd. “I’d say so…” she chuckles, eyebrows drawn in concern, “Why?”
Bakugo narrows his eyes, “What do you mean why ?!” Jesus, how can people be so oblivious! “You didn’t notice how he hung off your neck all of Shitty Hair’s wedding?!”
The accusation seems hilarious to this asshole, because Round Cheeks positively cackles. “Oh, shut up! You had a glass full of whiskey all night, you don’t see me calling you an alcoholic, so don’t go calling me straight for dancing with a friend!” The fact that she uses ‘straight’ as a near-insult is neither here nor there.
“I’m not calling you straight, I’m saying he was awfully fucking chummy with you! You seriously didn’t notice the puppy eyes?!” Katsuki explains, a little worried just as the words leave his mouth that he’s made a mistake saying all this.
Uraraka, however, seems unfazed, “‘ Chummy ’?!” She chuckles, “He loves to dance! He wanted to dance at least a little and he knew everyone else had a partner. Plus, he was too nervous to ask y—“ she clears her throat, “anyone else!”
Ha! Yeah, that’s utter bullshit. “You expect me to believe you were just dancing?” he challenges. Like hell that was ‘just’ dancing, Izuku can be so obvious when he likes someone, it’s almost painful to watch.
“You better believe it! ‘Cause we were just dancing” Round Cheeks huffs, offended.
Unwilling to take that as an answer, he decides to be even more direct. “He still has feelings for you” he reveals, hoping that she would take him seriously.
“He doesn’t” she shakes her head, seeming amused that this is even a conversation they’re having.
Whether she wants to believe it or not is inconsequential, that’s not what he came here for, “Do you ?” he asks her.
The question makes her tilt her head, almost looking at him with pity. “I don’t. We broke up years ago, Bakugo-kun why the hell would I wanna go back?” Shit. This means that Izuku’s gonna have to go through a second heartbreak sooner or later. The thought makes him irrationally mad.
His face contorts into something akin to worry, “If he really has feelings for you… what are you gonna do?” If this witch just wants to shrug everything off and pretend like it’s not there, they’re gonna have a problem.
“He doesn’t!” she insists.
Groaning with exasperation, he tries “What are you gonna do if he does!?” All he wants is to know what to prepare for. Last time these two broke up, he didn’t care about Izuku’s relationships and breakups all that much, but now he does. He wants to help. “It’s not your fault, Cheeks, I just wanna know what to expect when he goes through it again”.
The statement makes Kirby look at him like he’s grown two extra heads. She studies him for a couple moments, and finally, she asks, “What is this really about?”
“I’m just looking out for him” Katsuki shrugs, hoping to sound casual enough.
Ochako, however, is a bit more observant than that, “No, that’s not it. If you were looking out for him you would’ve asked HIM . You talk to him every day, and you never cut him any slack about anything”. It’s odd to be read so easily. “You and I talk once a month at gay bars, we laugh loudly, complain about work, drink til we pass out and that’s it. We don’t talk about stuff like this. And you never buy me anything ”.
Shit. Even if it’s true that he’s just trying to look out for that goddamned nerd, it’s undeniable that there’s more to this than meets the eye. And maybe Bakguo’s still reeling from the whiplash he got on the wedding, or he got hit in the head in the past week and forgot, because he decides he needs to talk to somebody about this.
“I…” he sighs, “I feel like I’m going crazy” he admits, leaning on the table and hiding his face behind his hands.
“Why?”
Well, there’s a lot of shit about Izuku that just drives him insane generally, but this time around, he really fears for his sanity. “Look” he drops his hands and levels Kirby with a look, “I do wanna look after that bastard. If he’s gonna go and break his own heart all over again, I wanna know so I can… do something. I dunno”. Averting his eyes, his shoulders jerk a little in an aimless shrug, “But the bastard has been doing all this stuff that confuses the shit out of me, too, and I have no clue what to think anymore”.
Eyebrows furrowed, Round Cheeks leans forwards, interested, “Stuff like what?”
Bakugo proceeds to tell her everything. All of it. He makes a careful chronological list from back when he started to notice. He mentions times when Izu would buy him shit he needed unprompted, times when he’d visit the blonde to not-so-covertly check on him after a couple days of no texts. Those are the tame ones.
There’s also the time Katsuki overheard the nerd talking with Mina about his ‘type’, and the bastard proceeded to say that all he knew is that he really liked ‘blondes’. And when Pinky went “Bakubro is blonde” the dork replied “I know”.
Also, every time they’re in the same room and Bakugo has to be shirtless for some reason, Deku can’t hold a conversation to save his life.
There’s the fact that the dweeb will call him over to fanboy over every little Dynamight-related thing. He’ll boast that he bought whatever it was if it was for sale, be it a shirt, a bag, a fucking keychain…
Then, there’s the fact that Izuku has been systematically ‘borrowing’ old shirts of Bakugo’s, only to never return them. He’s noticed the nerd uses them often when they video call, but he never says anything.
There’s… there’s a million things! The way he smiles, the way he acts, the gestures, the words, everything! Just- fucking everything ! It really had Katsuki convinced he had a chance! And then he was reminded Deku wasn’t really the kind to idolize anybody anymore. What he did for Bakugo, he did for all his friends. The guy was nice like that, to everybody equally.
Nobody was special.
Talking about this was intended as a way to get this out of his head. Having someone tell you you’re delusional has to help for something right?
Well, Bakugo wouldn’t fucking know. Because goddamned Kirby just spurs him on!
Instead of telling him to get over it, she goes “Pay attention, Bakugo-kun. Really pay attention. You’ll figure it out sooner or later”.
“Figure what out?!”
She smirks, “What this all means. People don’t do all of that for nothing, you know? It’s not an accident”.
That’s how Ochako Uraraka became the primary feeder for his delusions.
Somebody should’ve told Bakugo that this whole ‘asking for help’ thing was addictive . Fuck’s sake, he feels like a junkie! He’s constantly hovering over Uraraka’s contact info, wondering if it’s okay to write or call her again. He figures, if he can’t understand what the fuck is going on, then at least he’ll have Round Cheeks to bounce ideas off.
She seems like she knows a little more than she’s letting on, and Katsuki can’t help but feel like she needs to be the one to help.
By day three, he’s already called her again. At five in the morning. To the only coffee shop suicidal enough to be open at this hour.
“I don’t appreciate being summoned at the ass crack of dawn, Bakugo-kun” she grumbles over the lip of her mug.
He’ll never understand why the majority of his friends aren’t early birds. “It’s the only free space I had” he shrugs. And it’s the truth. After this, he has patrol, paperwork, gym, a call with Izuku, another shower, and making dinner. No time.
Kirby groans, chugging the scorching hot liquid without even a hint of a flinch. “So…? What now?”
“He did it again” he states. No need for a back and forth.
Eyes slipping closed every so often, she replies “Did what?”
“See this?” He shakes his own coffee from another shop. “He brought this to me just half an hour ago. It’s the sixteenth time he does that! He knows I bring my own coffee, but he still brings me this one. And today I asked why, and he said I once told him this was the best I’d had in a while!” he huffs. “That was last year!”
Uraraka snorts, “Izu-kun is a dork like that, what about it?”
“That’s what I thought!” Bakugo sighs angrily, “He turned around and gave everyone in the room a cup of coffee, too, I know I’m probably reading too much into it. But this is the shit I keep telling you about! It’s confusing!” It’s as if one second, he feels like this gesture could mean something, and the next that perspective crumbles completely.
To Round Cheeks, though, this seems pretty par for the course, “So… you’re thinking he’s just being nice? To everyone and not you specifically?”
He doesn’t ‘think’, he knows . Kind of. That’s how Izuku fucking is! Bakugo just needs someone to tell him definitively to get his head out of his ass, because every day that fucking goes by just proves to him that he can’t trust his own judgement when it comes to that goddamned nerd!
“He does shit like this even when I’m not there, right? I’m just mistaking it again for something it’s not, I just… he fucks with my brain, is all. But he does it for everyone” he remarks, shaking his head and staring down at his own cup. “I can’t even count how many times he’s hung up a video call because he wants to buy you something” he throws out, “Did you keep an eye out like I said?”
After their first conversation, his advice had been simple. She knows how Izuku looks when he’s in love, so she needs to use that. With an open mind, she needs to keep an eye out.
Ochako rolls her eyes, “I did. Guess what? He doesn’t have feelings for me! I know it! I asked”. Shit… still, Izuku wouldn’t really admit to it just to spare her having to reject him. “And wanna know what else? That coffee shop—“ she gestures at Katsuki’s cup, “—is so out of his way! You guys had your debrief at UA, right? He had to literally run in the opposite direction and then back. Why would he go to that one specific shop to get everyone coffee?”
Eyes start searching through the air for answers, “So you think…”
“I’m just stating facts” Kirby shrugs, “I’m not getting involved. ‘Cause I told you I didn’t wanna be involved, remember that?”
Bakugo’s already lost in thought. So if… if Izuku really did go to that stupid shop thinking it was his favorite, then “What does it mean then?!” He can’t do shit like that one second and then do what he did at the wedding… it’s making absolutely no sense! They were teasing and talking all night and then he just went off.
And that smile he had dancing with her, it had to mean something, too. This was all so fucking confusing !
“Take it however you want it to take it” Round Cheeks suggests, “And do something about it”.
Oh, fuck off! “That’s not an answer!”
She chuckles, “Yes it is! You’re so focused on what he’s doing, what does he ‘mean’, you call it suspicious, but you’re the one talking to me about it in secret! You’re the one being suspicious!” she accuses. Which… fair enough.
Sighing, one look at his watch tells him he should get back to the fucking debrief meeting. He has sixty seconds. Standing up, he nods once, “Thanks Round Cheeks”.
“I didn’t do anything” Uraraka scoffs, and then “Except suffer at the ass crack ‘o dawn for your sake”.
Bakugo smirks, “Same time next week, then?”
“Go to hell”.
It’s three days later when he finds Uravity in the field, and approaches. They’re handling some robbery situation jointly, and it’s probably the worst possible time to bring something like this up. But for once, Deku isn’t out on patrol with him, so he needs to seize this moment.
Catching up to her, he whisper-shouts “OI!” When she stops and turns, he approaches, “It happened again”.
The look of utter shock and indignation is kind of hilarious “We’re working !”
“It’s a quick one!” he argues, landing and immediately blasting some bastards into submission. “There” he shrugs, turning every which way to demonstrate they’re temporarily free.
She sighs heavily, busying herself with touching a few rocks to have up in the air just in case, “Make it quick”,
“I went clothes shopping with him and Mina” Katsuki blurts out.
“Riveting” Kirby grumbles.
Not paying her any mind, the blonde explains “Mina kept putting me on these stupidly outrageous things and calling it fashion. After she had her fun, I picked what I really wanted and we headed out… Pinky joked that there were some fits I just couldn’t pull off and that’s why I didn’t like em, and Izuku—“
Three idiots immediately walk into their territory, and in seconds they’re on the ground with concussions, either from the rocks falling from the sky or the blasts. “Izuku said I could pull anything off. And he said ‘just look at him!’” he finishes, huffing, “He was just smiling! What the hell’s that supposed to mean?!
Uraraka snorts, “That Midoriya-kun is really forward?” she jokes, but that’s not it. It wasn’t just a stupid mindless compliment, the nerd actually believed the idiocy he was saying! It’s maybe more concerning when you take into account that at one point in that stupid little fashion show, Bakugo had a dress on. Chaps. Short shorts. Crop tops.
“He just said ‘look at him’!” Katsuki huffs, distractedly blasting one of the couple dumbasses around them that was starting to move again. “What does that mean ?!”
“It means he’s looking at you. And from where he’s looking, you can pull anything off” Pink Cheeks states simply, maintaining eye contact. The words feel heavy for some reason.
“That makes no sense” he mumbles to himself, before he’s dragged somewhere else by the last few robbers trying desperately to escape.
Day and a half later, Bakugo finds Round Cheeks eating at the same soba place he and IcyHot are at. She’s with some female friends he doesn’t quite recognize, but he doesn’t really care. Excusing himself, he leaves Half-n-half there having an orgasm about his stupid cold soba, and physically picks Ochako up from her hoodie as her group goes by.
Her friends walk out without her, just a blonde one turning back and quirking a questioning eyebrow. For some reason, that face seems oddly familiar… Kirby just waves a hand at her, signaling she’s fine.
Once the blonde one is out, she struggles to get down and not-so-accidentally kicks Bakugo in the shin. “What the hell?!” she demands.
“He did it again” he opens with, because why sugar coat it?
Pouting, she rearranges her hoodie, “Seriously?! Wait for our coffee in two days, asshole”.
Girl’s just wanting to be difficult, but this can be quick. “I walked in a room and he went from zombie to this hyperactive little puppy” he relays, “And I’m not crazy this time, ‘cause literally everyone else commented on it and he just said he was ‘suddenly excited to work’”. That was a bullshit excuse if he ever heard one, by the way, “What’s so exciting about a stakeout?!”
“The stakeout wasn’t the one that woke him up when it walked in the room, was it?” she deadpans, clearly exasperated with him.
Katsuki thinks for a second, “Could’ve been a coincidence that I walked in right then”.
Kirby shakes her head, taking pity on him, “Whatever he found exciting, it wasn’t about the stupid stakeout, I can guarantee you that much. He hates stakeouts. He’s too hyperactive to just lay low like that for so long and we both know it”. That makes sense, but then the bastard proceeded to just enjoy every second of the steak out! So what the hell’s Bakugo supposed to think?! He feels delusional if he just assumes !
For once, Katsuki allows himself to show how much this is genuinely taking a toll on him. “It just keeps happening…” he huffs, “Over and over and over, I never know what to think. Either I’m being paranoid or delusional, and it’s pissing me off”. He must look genuinely frustrated, because Round Cheeks reaches out to pat his arm, “I really don’t know what the fuck is going on”.
After a beat of silence, Uraraka seems to have made up her mind about something. “I believe you” she nods, “Tell you what. Let’s talk tomorrow, my treat. We’ll settle this once and for all. I’ll find a way to not be a terrible friend in the process”.
“A terrible friend?” he asks, not understanding what she pretends to do tomorrow.
“BUT!” she ignores him, “You gotta do me a favor”.
This is where shit got dangerous. It’s one thing to do somebody normal a favor. But this woman was a cheap, vindictive and conniving bitch. It’s exactly why they were friends. “What?” he pries, eyes narrowed in suspicion.
Sticking her hands in his hoodie, she smiles, “Think reaaaally long and hard tonight about why you wanna know so badly what all this means. Okay? And if you want me to help you out tomorrow, you gotta tell me first”.
Shit. See, he’d strategically avoided that particular matter. It’s one thing to show he’s confused, and another to put on the table that the real reason he’s obsessed with this conundrum is because he desperately wants all of those gestures to mean Izuku really wants to be his boyfriend. Feels a little pathetic. But at this point, he’s desperate, “Fine”.
“Deal” she smirks, walking out.
Next day, as it turns out, he and Deku had patrol together. To this day it’s suspicious how their hours coincide so much. Yet another thing he has to try really hard not to misinterpret… even if it feels really fucking intentional.
As they walk, now off-duty, they just joke around animatedly, having their fun teasing and bantering in person. More often than not, work and other activities keep them from spending time like this off-duty, just the two of them.
Izuku is having his fun teasing him about the news this week. Every slimy pathetic reporter decided to make up a story about Dynamight becoming No. 5 on the charts and how there’s a conspiracy theory saying it has to do with Deku’s return to the field.
It’s true, but it ain’t their fucking business! Plus, they’re spinning it weirdly, trying to imply there’s something there between the two heroes. At first when he caught wind of the tabloids, he was worried. How would the nerd take it?
Turns out, he had nothing to worry about. Being the fanboy and the little shit that he was, Izuku was over the moon apparently. The teasing has been nonstop ever since the initial article dropped. Mostly lighthearted jabs about their childhood rivalry, it’s mostly nonsense. But it’s nonsense that Bakugo would call downright flirty .
They’re even walking a little slower, just to drag their moment together on a little longer. Katsuki has to go grab coffee with Ochako, and Izu probably has a class to give. Or he had . Until he’s notified that the kids are gonna be in training a lot longer today.
It didn’t register that it could be a problem ‘til they approach the shop where Round Cheeks was waiting. “I’m just sayin’…” Izuku chuckles, smug smirk proudly stretching his lips sideways.
“Shut your fucking mouth” Bakugo deadpans, rolling his eyes.
“It’s true, though! Even the news are saying it’s sooooo suspicious how hero Dynamight suddenly started playing nice for the rankings” Deku remarks, seeming to enjoy this a little too much.
The last thing his reputation needs right now is to take a hit as hard as this one. ‘Dynamight is a lovesick chump’ may sell, but the reality of it being out there may just end Bakugo’s will to keep playing nice. He’ll drop on the rankings faster than anyone can say ‘ No, Dynamight, please don’t blast me, I’m sorry! ’
Clicking his tongue, he replies, “I’m not playing nice”. He’s just decided to strategically not blast anyone that doesn’t absolutely need it. Because competing with Izuku is more important. It’s called having priorities.
“With me you’re playing super nice” Izu points out, smug smirk widening into a full grin, “I keep getting asked what I did to have Dynamight working with me and not go solo like you usually do”.
Oh yeah? “I’ll blast you to hell right now” he reminds the nerd.
Bumping their shoulders together, Deku wags his eyebrows “Just admit it’s a little bit weird”. That’s a low fucking blow. This has to be textbook emotional manipulation.
“You wish”.
Izuku flashes his teeth, “I do, actually”.
Fuck, was that…? No right? He imagined it. It was a casual comment. Seeing as he already took to long to say something though, Bakugo has no other choice but to shove the idiot.
The nerd tries to shove back, but only ends up tripping and falling right in front of the blonde. Reflexes acting before he can do anything about it, Katsuki reaches out to grab onto his friend’s chest, and the awkward contact has them both at a loss for words for a few seconds.
“S-Sorry” Izuku rights himself.
Taking his hands back, Bakugo replies, “It’s fine”. Shit, the contact alone has his heart acting up for real. His watch is sending him notifications and everything, the fucking snitch. Catching the name of the coffee shop they were walking by, he stops, “This is me”.
A flash of something akin to disappointment goes through Deku’s expression, “Oh”. He quickly recovers, though, “You know who loves the coffee from here? Urara… ka…” he catches her through the window, “There she is!”
Fuck. Shit. Now that it’s not an ominous meeting, Izuku could start asking questions. Questions he has no fucking answers to. He slips in front of Izuku, trying to block his vision, “Don’t you have a class to teach?”
“I told you, they’re still in training” the freckled man smiles, “I have time to kill!” Well, shit.
“Still—“
Izu pays him no mind, “Oh! We should have lunch together! The three of us! We could—“
“NO!” The last thing Bakugo needs right now is to postpone this conversation. Whatever Kirby’s got to say today is important , he can feel it, and he can’t keep going through life like this! Just now he racked up like seven different things he needs to tell her about.
However, from the outside, his negative seemed a little harsher than intended. Deku’s smile falters, “No?”
Shit. “N-No” the blonde reiterates.
Blinking, Izuku makes the only logical question, “Why not? You said you were gonna have a meeting with somebody here, we could wait for your meeting and then—“
“I’m having a meeting with her ” he clarifies. Why did he say that? He has no fucking clue. He could’ve played it off or something. Fuck…
This seems to make the remaining awkward smile on Deku’s lips disappear completely. “With… Uraraka-san?” he asks.
Shit, it must sound weird. But how can he explain what this meeting is without being incredibly conspicuous! “Yeah. And it’s… you can’t come”. It can’t be job-related because they usually don’t work on the same shit, it can’t be friend related, because they don’t do shit like this… so what?! What?!
“Why not?” Izuku tilts his head, “Is there something wrong? You know you can tell me anything, right Kacchan?” The offer is just heartbreaking at this point, “I—“
Think, dammit, think! Just give an excuse! Any excuse! What reason could a boy and a girl have to meet at a coffee shop?! “It’s because it’s a date!” he yells out, “You can’t come because we’re gonna have a date”. Shit, that feels so wrong.
It’s so eerie to see Izu’s face go from concern to something a lot more guarded, but still barely hiding that something hurt him. “A date?”
Deku seems genuinely confused, so he says confidently “Yeah”.
Looking between Uraraka and Bakugo, Izuku gives up. “Oh… well… have fun then” he smiles, barely so, and turns around to leave.
That went horrible.
Fuck ….
Bakugo’s really getting a bad feeling that the hurt in those green eyes was a little more than what was warranted. He may hesitate when it comes to feelings and shit, but he knows how his best friend looks when he’s genuinely upset… and that was it.
He nearly chases after the green-haired man twice, following him with his gaze as he walked up the street alone. Hell, the blonde even thought of texting him, trying to ease the stupid lie a little. Although if he admitted that he lied right now, it would mean he’d have to explain… and he couldn’t explain just yet…
Not before he got this important talk with Round Cheeks.
So he walks in, sits down, and just blurts out what just happened casually.
“You WHAT?!” Uraraka yells, calling everyone’s attention to herself and not giving a damn.
Pulling her down, Katsuki whisper-shouts, “I freaked out, okay?!” Sipping at his coffee, he shrugs, “I’ll clear it up in a week or two, I dunno”.
Kirby takes a deep calming breath, closing her eyes as she does so, and threading her fingers together. “You’re gonna fix this” she instructs at once, sounding ominous, “And you’re gonna fix it now”.
“I can’t” he clarifies, “He left. He’s halfway back to UA by now”. It’s not like he can’t fix it later, this conversation is way more important, right?
Apparently, to Ochako, things are different, “I hate to do this to you, Bakugo-kun, but I have to. You fix it today, by midnight, or I swear to god I’m telling Izuku everything I know by 12:01”.
Is she… is she threatening him?! “What?!” he protests, feeling betrayed, “Why?!”
“I can’t do this!” Round Cheeks insists.
That’s no excuse! “Why not?! It’s just a white stupid lie, we can pretend to break up later!” There’s no reason why they can’t keep up the facade for a couple days and then shrug it off.
“We can’t do this to him!” she reiterates, raising her voice again.
Trying to keep his own voice from rising to the challenge and yell back, he sighs with exasperation, “But he—“
“He’s in love with you!” she states loudly. The whole damned shop finds out what they’re talking about. And yet… those words ring so loud in Bakugo’s mind. “He talks to me about it all the time!” she admits, looking defeated, “What kind of a shitty friend would I have to be to date you?!”
Wait… wait, she’s for real?! “He… He…?”
Looking like she feels guilty about having said it out loud, she pouts a little, “He loves you. Okay? All those times you asked me what he meant with those gestures? That’s what he means. He means that he loves you and he never told you because he never imagined you feeling the same way, but he can’t help treating you like you’re special”.
Bakugo exhales shakily, full body chills still going over his entire body. Izuku really does love him? He felt the same all along? That’s… that’s great! That’s fucking awesome!
“And the only reason I’m telling you is because you wouldn’t bring me here weekly if you didn’t love him too! Okay?! I wanted to be sure before I told you. I couldn’t just betray his trust without being sure!” Ochako explains, pleading with her eyes, “So drop the games, for gods sake, this went too far!”
Too far? Oh, right. Because he lied to Izu. He told him… he told Deku he was dating his best friend and ex-girlfriend… he made him feel like shit about it and that’s why he looked so upset.
“I…” he says, understanding dawning on him, “I told him to his face I was dating somebody else…”
Shoulders sagging in relief, Uraraka huffs, “Yes! You idiot ! Now get your shit together and go make it right! Please”.
———
With that prompt, Bakugo runs across the city to find Deku. He goes to the usual spots including his mom’s house, his favorite burger joint, the gym he goes to when he wants to rock climb… but no dice.
He goes back to UA even when the nerd’s supposed to be off work, and he starts asking around. That’s when a teenage boy smelling of hormones and axe body spray scoffs and tells him that Deku-sensei is ‘obviously in the common room’.
If Bakugo didn’t have other priorities right now he would’ve blasted the attitude out of that little brat.
Regardless, he makes his way inside, not really asking for anybody’s permission. He figures he’ll take Izu, bring him somewhere outside that’s private enough, and they’ll finally talk about it. Like adults. Like they should’ve.
He hears Izuku before he sees him, mumbling along with other female students of his, “I dunno why you agreed to this, sensei, but I’m willing to bet it was a boy” says one of the students.
“What makes you think it’s a boy?” another student chimes in, “He could be having money problems. A gambling addiction. A baby mama angry at him!”
A third student scoffs, “Look at him” is all she offers.
The first student he’d heard sighs, “I’m just sayin’… men are pigs. I wouldn’t be surprised”.
Izuku chuckles, “It’s nothing, really” he says with that typical teacher voice of his Bakugo finds a little adorable. “I was just a little down is all. Plus, Aizawa-sensei said I had to talk to you girls about melting down the kitchen a couple days ago”.
“That’s what great about a spa day, Deku-sensei” one of the students (he forgot which one was which) says, “We’re doing a spa day so we can’t talk about stressful stuff. We just get to complain and feel pathetic while we take care of our skin”. The explanation sounded bleak.
They were bullshitting, obviously, thinking Izuku really was so stupid as to forget to chastise them. They were in for a disappointment either way, but it had to be a testament to how ‘down’ he truly felt that Izu just went with it, “Why the cucumbers, again?”
“‘Cause they look funny” one of the students snorts.
There’s a thud, and an ‘ow’ from the previous student, “They’re supposed to help with the bags under your eyes, sensei”.
“Oh…” Izuku hums, “I should use these more often”.
At that point, Bakugo finally rounds the corner. He’d been walking slowly, trying to gather what was going on. Mostly just trying to figure out if the nerd had been feeling down because of the stupid fucking lie he told him earlier. Because if so, he was bound to feel ten times shittier than he already felt.
When he catches sight of the scene, it’s a little heartbreaking. Not the kids, necessarily. It’s three girls, a goth one, a blonde one and one in a dinosaur onesie. He recognized them and could even name their quirks simply because they were Deku’s (unofficial) favorite students. A bit of a riot, but mostly sweet girls.
They four of them are surrounded by junk food, energy drinks, a bunch of packets for skin care stuff. Only Izu had cucumber slices on his eyes, and remnants of a glitter mask on his face. Otherwise… he looked anxious. He kept wringing his hands, scratching at his wrists and biting at his bottom lip. A Deku-expert would know that wasn’t a great sign.
Perhaps it’s the realization that he seriously fucked up that keeps him there, a little paralyzed on the doorway.
Blonde-brat catches sight of him first, her chuckle dying down and her eyes going wide, “Uh… Deku-sensei?”
The other two had their eyes closed, so it would be a little hard for them to notice just yet. Izuku doesn’t quite heed the warning he just got, he’s still lost in his own world. “Thank you, girls…” he smiles softly, “I guess I really needed this”. The other two students smile softly too, “Only thing I regret is having so much ice cream”.
He should regret it. Izuku gets the worst sugar-highs and then sugar-crashes ever. Once he starts eating something sweet he can’t stop ‘til it’s all gone, and then he crashes for a couple days even.
“Tell me about it” says Dino-onesie-brat, belching loudly. “I feel like a beached whale”.
Hitting the goth girl beside her, Blonde-brat tries again, “D-Deku-sensei…”
“HOLY SHIT!” Goth-brat yells, sleep leaving her eyes real quick.
“Language!” Izuku chastises sternly.
Clutching at her chest, Goth-brat pants, “DYNAMIGHT?!”
That single word makes Izu straighten, cucumbers falling to the sides as he stares up in horror. “I- What-“ he stutters, rushing to stand up and tryin this best to fix his disheveled suit. “Uh…” he clears his throat, “Is everything okay?”
Shit. Shit, shit, shit . “Can we talk?” he asks earnestly, trying his best to convey that this is serious.
“Sure!” says Blonde-brat.
Goth-brat is smirking already, “We won’t even listen in. We promise”. Everything about her face said that she didn’t promise. Little bitch.
“I’m too busy dying to care about this” grumbles Dino-brat.
Blonde-brat snorts, “You knew you were lactose intolerant, Violet!” Dino-brat just makes ungodly noises to embody her suffering. Bakugo hates that he can empathize, mostly because Shitty Hair is just the same.
Shaking his head, Bakugo looks back to green eyes, “ Alone ” he states firmly. “Can we talk alone?” he gulps, gritting out “Please?”
Izuku tries to pat down his shirt one last time, taking off the head band with bunny ears he had on. He nods as he rubs his face to get the remnants of glitter clinging to it. He’s only half successful but somehow, the disheveled look just registers hot as fuck.
Bakugo can think that now. Because he loves Izuku. And apparently that’s okay. Right?
Still undecided. But shit has officially hit the fan, and he needs to do something.
Izuku walks towards him, a little ways away from his students and stares, signaling he’s ready to listen. But those little brats seem to be trying really hard to listen in. So Bakugo asks low, “They moved the Sakura, right?”
Izu blinks, “Sakura?”
“Yeah. The bigger one that was at the entrance” it has a trunk that can easily shield them from prying eyes, which is perfect. “They moved it, right? Where is it now?”
Having to take a moment to remember, Izuku finally replies “In the garden out back. Near the—“
“I’ll find it” Katsuki says, picking up Deku and throwing him over his shoulder as he opens a window and blasts them both outta there as quick as he can. He’s convinced those little shits are gonna try following them wherever they go, so this was the only way to do this that ended up with them actually having some privacy.
Izuku yelps and protests loudly, but they both know it’s nothing he can’t handle. Once they’ve found the Sakura, Bakugo lands as carefully as he can, putting the nerd down.
“Don’t throw us off a window, Kacchan!” Izu yells as soon as his feet hit the ground, “I nearly had a heart attack!” It really looks like it, with the way the idiot is clutching at his chest, eyes wide and hair sticking every which way. “I’m gonna throw up” he announces, but hopefully that’s just a false alarm.
Clearing his throat, Bakugo gives him a second, “Sorry, I just needed to get you really alone for a second”.
Shaking off his dizziness, Deku turns up to look at him, concerned etched deep between his eyebrows, “…Okay”. He’s concerned, clearly he is. Bastard probably has no idea what this is about, he’s thinking someone died.
Feeling a little awkward, he stalls, “What were they doing to you in there?”
Not expecting the question, Izuku reels for a second, “Uh… they saw I was a little tired and tried to cheer me up” he explains, but that can’t be the whole truth. He doesn’t look tired, he looks sad … “Kacchan, what’s going on?” Fuck. “Are you okay? Can I help with anything?” Fuck, fuck, fuck. “I thought you were supposed to be on a meeting- I mean- a ‘date’ with—“
“I lied!”
The words just came out, leaving them both stunned enough that silence stretched for a minute or two.
Izuku blinks, “Lied?”
Rip off the bandaid, “Kirby and I aren’t dating”.
Lips pressing momentarily, Deku sighs, “I know that”. The disappointment is all Katsuki really registers, though.
“I just—“ he starts, ‘til his brain completely screeches to a halt. “Wait, you know?”
Averting his eyes, Izu shrugs, “Yeah. Uraraka’s been dating the same girl for months, Kacchan. We met her, remember?” Fuck! He’s suck an idiot for lying so fucking impulsively like this! “She wouldn’t do that to her girlfriend”.
Fuck.
“So you knew I was lying” Bakugo states, surprised at his friend’s lack of pushback earlier.
Scratching his neck, Izuku chuckles nervously, “Well, yeah… Figured it was just that you didn’t want me in there”. He could handle it if the nerd was mad about being left out like this, so blatantly and with such a stupid lie. But it really destroyed him completely to realize Izu wasn’t mad… he was ashamed … like he’d done something to warrant the rejection.
If he hadn’t resolved earlier to just come out and say everything right now, this would’ve been his turning point. “I didn’t want you in there” the blonde confesses.
Nervous smile faltering, Deku coughs, “Yeah, okay…”
“She and I…” Bakugo steels himself, “I’ve been literally stalking her every two days or so for the past week or two. The only thing we talk about is… you …”
“Me?”
He might as well just break it down, right? “It started after the wedding. I saw how you were with her… dancing and shit… I thought I saw something . So I bought her a coffee days later and asked if you guys were dating again” he recounts. He’s leaving out some key details, like how he freaked out in the wedding, but he’s giving the important bits. “I figured what I saw is that maybe you still had feelings for her even after all these years. Wanted to make sure she’d notice so she didn’t break your heart”.
His intentions back then had been only half innocent, half freak-out-induced, but he did want to protect Izuku. Not that the bastard needs protecting, but as always, his body moved before his mind could process.
Izuku laughs, “I don’t have feelings for her, Kacchan”. He’s looking at the blonde like he’s insane. “She has a girlfriend! Obviously she doesn’t have feelings for me either, right?”
“That’s what she said, but I was worried you did have feelings and you were just in denial or something” he huffs. Up to this point, it’s still a possibility. “So I kept pressing her to make sure…”
Confusion clear on his eyes, Deku’s eyebrows twitch, “You could’ve just asked me”.
Ha! “No I couldn’t” he states, clenching his eyes shut. He needs to keep talking or he’s gonna lose the nerve. “Look, I really did ask ‘cause I wanted to help you at first, but then we got to talking and I started to ask her other shit” he gulps, “Like advice. Because I… You’ve been doing all this weird shit around me, and to me, and I needed to know if all that shit meant something”.
Nervous smile falling completely, Izuku presses, “What ‘shit’? Did I do something wrong?”
“No!” Bakugo sighs, “The opposite!” Shit, this is more embarrassing than he’d expected. “I’m fucking obsessed… every time you smile at me or you do or say something extra nice I start thinking nonsense and I was trying to understand if it was all in my head or not. ‘Cause I started to figure maybe I was just mistaking everything! You’re kind to everyone, right? That’s how you are ! Disgustingly-sweet-Deku!”
If the nerd hadn’t been worried about his sanity before, he sure as hell was now.
“But then… maybe I wanted it to mean more…” he feels so fucking exposed. “Round Cheeks kept telling me that you were doing all that because you wanted to, that they had whatever meaning I wanted to give them. She kept saying if I wanted to know for sure I had to ask you, but I couldn’t! I can’t just go up to you and go “hey, Izu, I know I’m literally your childhood bully but I noticed you smiled at me last Wednesday and so I decided to ask- what if…” his stomach drops underground, “What if I think I’m in love with you?”
Izuku’s eyes widen comically, a single hand reaching out to grab at Bakugo’s jacket. The stupid cartoonish glinting going over those eerily green eyes ended up throwing him off his game completely.
“What if…” his voice cuts off, “Wha-“ he can’t. He can’t ask again. He doesn’t know what the fuck to say. “Stop looking at me like that”.
Voice reflecting a quiet awe, Izu tries to confirm, “You’re in love with me?”
Shit. “Yeah…” he lowers his head, “Yeah…” What’s he supposed to say now?! Isn’t it the nerds turn to embarrass himself or something?! “I, uh… didn’t plan to tell you. For the record. But I had to set the record straight. Round Cheeks made me, she didn’t wanna seem like a bad friend. I’m, uh… sorry if—“
“I think I’m gonna pass out”.
Izuku wobbles into Katsuki’s arms, and the latter helps him sit on the ground, back against the cherry blossom tree.
Trying to get his shit together, Izu grumbles, “This is why you don’t have too many sweets as an adult”. One could argue, this is why no human being should down two pints of ice cream in one sitting.
However, Bakugo is too embarrassed still to really think of a jab to throw out. He literally told someone he was in love with them and they nearly passed out. “Shit, I shouldn’t have said anything” he says, meaning it as an apology before he straightens again, figuring maybe Deku needs some space right now. “I’m gonna—“
Izuku’s grip on his jacket is still unmovable, though, so he can’t really straighten up all the way. Eventually green eyes meet his, “Sit down with me?”
In that moment, despite every fiber of his being yelling at him to bolt, Katsuki does as he’s told. He figures this is either about letting him down easy, or confronting him about how he’s messing up a good friendship. Either way, he needs to get this out of the way.
He didn’t expect Izuku leaning on his shoulder and burying his face on the blonde’s jacket. It nearly made him choke on his own spit when he felt their fingers being laced together.
“I’m in love with you, too” Deku says. Calm. Clear. Like it’s something he’s made his peace with a long time ago. “For years…” he huffs a laugh, “Uraraka-san knows the whole story. Another reason why she would never date you”.
“Wait—“ Bakugo calls, trying to organize his thoughts.
Izu chuckles, “I can’t believe this is happening”. It’s such a weird combination they’re making at the moment. The nerd is just accepting, happy and relieved. Bakugo is two seconds away from an aneurysm.
Fuck, Katsuki needs to understand. He needs to! “So all those things you were doing…?” he trails off, reaching out to hook his hand under Izuku’s chin, smushing his cheeks up. “The smiling wider when I came close, the coincidentally being assigned to my same patrol area, the coffees in the morning, just— everything! What— what did that mean?!”
Laughing his ass off, Deku remarks mostly to himself, “Now I know why Uraraka-san kept asking if I was doing it all on purpose to seduce you”.
That’s it! That’s what he’d been meaning to ask all this fucking time! That’s what he initially assumed and then went back, thinking he was being an idiot for assuming shit like that!
“Were you?!”
Scarred hand over Bakugo’s, Izu smiles gently, releasing his own face from that vice grip. “I’ve been in love with you for years, Kacchan…” he admits, “Obviously I—“ he shakes his head, as if to scratch that, “I wasn’t trying to be a pervert or anything, I just liked doing all that stuff. I tried to be subtle about it to not make you uncomfortable”.
Fuck, the way his chest just exploded right that second with a billion emotions is surreal, “So you did… you actually…” Katsuki really doesn’t know what he’s supposed to say to that. “It’s real…”
“I’m as surprised as you are” Izuku smiles widely. The blonde becomes a complete and utter moron, just staring dumbly with a barely contained smile on his face. “Should we… go out sometime? On a date?”
Bakugo chuckles like a little fucking girl, “Yeah…” he lowers his head, staring at their joint hands. “Whenever you want” he concludes.
Squeezing their hands together, Deku hums, “This isn’t how I always imagined this was gonna go”.
Quirking an eyebrow, the blonde asks “Why not?” Hell, this is exactly what he always wanted.
“Whenever I pictured it”, Izuku smirks, “We always confessed and then we kissed right after”.
Okay, well… that can be arranged. Bringing up his free hand to cup Izu’s face, Katsuki leans in slowly, savoring every last second of suspense before their lips brushed. After that, though, his self-restraint sort of went out the window.
They didn’t do anything indecent, they were in school grounds for crying out loud. They did, however, keep kissing chastely over and over again for at least half an hour ‘til Bakugo remembered he had shit to do, and so did Izuku.
———
The only message Uraraka sent Deku at 12:01 was “You’re welcome”.
———
[Izuku POV]
What’s the record for fastest break up in existence?! Because, Izuku feels like he’s about to break it. He’s been dreaming of this for years, years , and he’s gonna lose it because his students have a very poor notion of boundaries. They mean well, most of the time, but this is just a mess!
>> —Dynamight and pro-hero Deku have been spotted kissing in school grounds. UA students from Deku’s class say Dynamight is always a prominent figure in their school work and analysis, so they’re not all that surprised. What do you think about this Hinata?
>> I’m frankly surprised Dynamight has let himself be photographed in such a vulnerable position. This is definitely a hit to his aloof reputation, and I’m excited to see how his explosive personality takes to the world finding out in this way about his relationship
>> Deku on the other hand, I feel like as a country we can all agree that we saw it coming from a mile away, am I wrong? I always—
“No, no, no, no.. he’s gonna kill me!” Midoriya exclaims, head running through his hair for the gazillionth time. He turnes to his students, being held upside down by black whip. “And then he’s gonna kill you three!”
His nieces student, Sereida-san, pouts “We just thought you looked so cute together!” Her blonde hair swings around in the air as she somehow manages to swoon upside down.
Hairi-san seems apologetic, at least. Although it’s unclear if it’s just the way she did her heavy black eyeliner today, or if it’s genuine guilt, “We didn’t mean—“
His phone buzzes, and his soul immediately leaves his body. “Shhhh!” he snaps a little harshly, turning to the girls, “If I die today, you still have to do your homework, you hear me?!”
“Ugh” Violet-san complains, seeming cozy in her Dino-onesie even as she’s held upside down.
Hitting the button to accept the call, Izuku braces himself for the worse. Instead, he gets a very soft “Oi” clearly spoken through a smile.
“K-Kacchan, hey…” he greets, cheeks immediately going red. Thinking about yesterday still raises his blood pressure to the roof. He can’t believe they stayed there just kissing like teenagers! That was so inappropriate… and now the whole world knows…
Kacchan, however, seems completely oblivious about this, “So we’re on for tonight, right?”
Oh. Well, it was a bad idea to answer this on speaker, “Yeah. Obviously” he replies, responding to his students’ thumbs up with his own.
“Awesome” Kacchan replies, “Uh… are we doing the whole dressing nice thing? ‘Cause I will, but I’m not even sure you own anything nice that isn’t that suit you’re wearing”.
Excuse him, he has three different suits! He alternates them throughout the weeks! “I have nice clothes!” he protests.
Kacchan snorts, “Your call, then. We dress nice”.
Although for a date … “Maybe let’s just…”
“Dress normal? Got it”.
This is such a wholesome exchange, honestly. Izuku is really proud of Kacchan for the way he’s learned to manage his anger. It’s truly admirable, “I’m surprised you’re taking it so well, Kacchan” he smiles at the phone.
“The date?” the blonde asks confused, “I kinda wanted it, you moron, why would I take it badly?”
“No, no” Izuku chuckles, “I meant the whole stuff with the picture”.
There’s a beat of silence, and then “What picture?”
For lack of a more eloquent way to put it: well, shit. “You, uh…” he gulps, “You haven’t seen the news today?”
“I was on a mission overnight and just got off” Kacchan explains, “Why?”
Why? Oh gods. “Well, remember those three students of mine I was with when you came over yesterday?” The only thing he hopes is that Kacchan is far enough from UA that his students have time to hide.
“Yeah”
Midoriya sighs, “See, they actually followed us a little—“
“What?!”
Oh lord, “And took a picture of us when we were… you know…” kissing over and over and lost in each other’s eyes. That’s what they were doing. But that’s neither here nor there.
“WHAT?!”
That’s not even the worst part. This is the worst part. “One of them posted it online and it went ‘viral’” he explains, turning to his students to confirm he used that right, “And now it’s kind of a whole thing on the news”.
“WHAT IN THE ACTUAL—?!” There’s a bunch of explosion sounds in the background and then the line goes dead.
Putting the girls down, he starts ushering them out of the room, “Girls, run! Don’t look back!”
Sereida-san stops walking “We can’t leave Deku-sensei behind!” she declares, a true hero through and through.
“Yes we can!” yells Violet-san, picking up her blonde friend over her shoulders. It’s good that she’s getting a better handle of modulating her strength quirk.
“It’s too late” chimes in Hairi-san, pointing at the opposite window, “I can hear him”. Hey, at least she’s not panicking. She keeps a cool head in crisis situations. He’ll have to keep this in mind for future training.
The yelling and explosions approach, though, and his little moment with his students dissolves into pure panic. Somehow, Kacchan manages to find the exact window they’re at and slams against it, “I’LL MURDER YOU!”
See, that’s no way to talk to teenagers! “Kacchan, you can’t threaten my students!”
His bravery dissolves immediately when crimson eyes pin him with an incensed look, “I’LL MURDER YOU, TOO!”
“I’M YOUR BOYFRIEND!” he shoots back without thinking, trying to just defuse the situation as best he can.
“YOU—“ Kacchan starts, but his face goes from fury to endearment in an alarmingly short amount of time. “You are?” he asks softly, small smile giving away that he’s actually really pleased about that.
This isn’t how Izuku ever planned to make it official, but he might as well, right? “W-Well, yeah…” he smiles back, “Is that okay?”
Kacchan smiles wider, “Yeah… that’s fine…”
A snort from behind Midoriya pops their bubble, and when he turns, Violet-san already had a phone in her hand. It seemed like she was already recording. “This is gonna have those dynadeku chicks swooning” she remarks distractedly.
The next second, the window is shattered into pieces, “I’LL SHOVE THAT PHONE SO FAR UP YOUR—“
“KACCHAN!”
“—YOU’RE GONNA BE THROWING UP INSTAGRAM COMMENTS!” Kacchan finishes, cracking his knuckles.
Desperate times call for desperate measures, so Izuku resolves to use the ace under his sleeve, “Kacchan, I really really like you, but I gotta do this, okay?” Breathing in deep, he calls “AIZAWA-SENSEI!” as hard as he could, “CODE DYNAMIGHT!”
Kacchan scoffs, “I’m faster than that old man” he shrugs, cornering the four of them against a wall, “All it takes is one very well placed explosion and I’ll blow all of your asses to smithereens”
Hairi-san still sounds calm, “He’s not actually doing it, right?”
On the other hand, Sereida-san was already panicking hard, “I didn’t wanna die young!”
“I did!” Violet-san gulps, “But not like this!” They’re gonna have to talk about that later.
A second goes by. Then two. Then half a minute. And Kacchan is looking more and more frustrated by the second. That’s when he spots Aizawa in the doorway, using his power on the explosive blonde. “Girls. Out. Now” he instructs relaxedly as always.
When Kacchan tries to move, he’s quickly wrapped in Aizawa’s weird scarf thing. “Get off me!” protests the blonde, but to no avail.
Once they’re alone, Aizawa smirks, “What’s wrong, Romeo?”
Kacchan’s eye twitches, “I’ll turn you into a meat firework” he threatens without heat. That’s how they communicate, Izuku finds out. It’s been weird to learn that new dynamic so far.
“Get off my school. I let you graduate for a reason, and that was so you wouldn’t come back” Aizawa teases, crouching in front of a Kacchan that was no longer struggling. “Let alone to make out with one of our teachers. Don’t you have work to do, No. 5?”
Kacchan narrows his eyes, “I’ll upload the hundreds of pictures I have of you and Mic, see how you like it”.
Aizawa stands up, smirk gone. He addresses Izuku specifically, “Get him out of here. And if he uploads even one thing of mine, I’m having you fired”.
“COWARD!” Kacchan yells from behind, already standing up to go look for his students.
Immediately, Izuku stops him, both hands to his chest, “Kacchan” he breathes. He takes only a second to freak out about touching Kacchan’s chest like this. “Look at the bright side…” Quirking an eyebrow, Kacchan expects to be swayed. Problem is, Midoriya didn’t think this far ahead, “Uh… at least now we don’t have to pretend we’re just friends as heroes…?”
“I’m gonna kill you” Kacchan announces, but instead of squaring up like he did before, he leans in to kiss again.
The next day, three more pictures were uploaded to social media, and the news couldn’t stop talking about the hero love-birds.
Izuku never said it but he had a sneaking suspicion that it was Aizawa who did it that time. Regardless, Kacchan learned that if he wanted a kiss, he had to wait ‘til they were out of UA.