Work Text:
˗ˏˋ 1 ˎˊ˗
Katsuki stepped onto the city’s subway and chose the nearest seat, wanting nothing more than to get home and go to sleep. She ran a hand through her blonde hair, feeling a headache beginning behind her eyes.
At this time of night, the ride home was substantially quieter, so Katsuki closed her eyes and began her attempt to rest. After a couple stops, she opened her eyes, wanting to check the location, and was instead met with a mop of green curls.
Blinking slowly, she realized who the person in front of her was: her ex-girlfriend, Izuku.
“It’s fine. I’ll be there soon… okay, okay, I’ll see you then!”
Katsuki watched as the woman ended the phone call she was on, feeling bile creep up the back of her throat. All she could see was the woman’s back, but she knew it couldn’t have been anyone else.
Unfortunately, Katstuki knew every freckle, mole, and scar that peeked out from her tank top. After what felt like a tortuous amount of time, it was finally Katsuki’s stop. She got off without even a glance from Izuku.
As Katsuki walked to her apartment, she felt tears begin to form. Why was she crying over the simple sight of her ex? Hadn’t they been broken up for over a year now? She tried everything, had done everything in her power to forget about those curls, those eyes…
୭*｡
Katsuki had gone for a run. She always enjoyed the feeling of everything blowing past her, all her fears, anxieties, and especially her problems. Izuku and her were in one of their little fights again. It was nothing uncommon, a small issue would always escalate until suddenly, they were yelling at each other.
Katsuki never knew how to deal with people being angry at her, even as a child. If her mother got upset, Katsuki would end up going outside or into her room, locking the door until the problem blew over.
Eventually, though, Katsuki always had to come back. She opened the door to the apartment to find Izuku sitting silently on the couch, face red and eyes puffy from crying. Katsuki stared at the woman before quietly clearing her throat.
“I’m sor-”
Izuku turned to her, tears running down her freckled cheeks.
“Do you really mean it when you say that?” Katsuki was startled by Izuku’s tone, never seeing her yell so angrily. “It always goes like this. It’s always the same dumb argument that gets blown out of proportion,” as she continued, her voice grew more desperate, “and then you leave me here to try to pick up the pieces. For once, Kacchan, I wish you’d be the one to fix it.” Finishing her speech, Izuku erupted into sobs. Katsuki felt her heart drop as she sat down on the couch, coming closer to her girlfriend. She cleared her throat, “I promise I’ll be better, baby, I swear. I’m so sorry.”
Izuku swallowed heavily, eyes focused on the ground in front of her. She mumbled something almost incoherent, but Katsuki could hear it crystal clear:
“I think we should spend some time apart.”
Boxes were moved out, phone calls were made. They agreed no contact would be best. Katsuki vowed to change herself. She got a new job as a bartender at a small place downtown, and if she was being honest, she fell in love with it.
The blonde never thought of herself as a people person, but she grew to love the playful banter with guests as she mixed drinks. She started working out more, finding it calming on her mind (She also liked the ego boost it gave her, but that wasn’t important). Most importantly, Katsuki started going to therapy.
She began to unpack all the problems within her, stemming from how she was raised all the way to her own self-esteem issues. Katsuki could confidently say that she was a better person than she was before, but one thing never seemed to change: her undying devotion to her ex girlfriend.
Izuku got to move out, live in a fresh clean slate. If she never wanted to think of Katsuki again, she didn’t have to.
Katsuki would never be that lucky.
She had to live in the house they loved each other in. She felt Izuku in the sheets, in the kitchen counter, even the curtains that she would always pull back to feel the sun. Katsuki tried everything to try and get rid of the feeling: dating apps, meaningless hookups, parties, alcohol. Nothing could quite push down the craving in the back of her throat.
˗ˏˋ 2 ˎˊ˗
Katsuki took a sip from her glass, getting lost in the noise around her. It was weird to be on the opposite side of the bar top, not the one preparing drinks, but rather enjoying them. As she drained her glass, Katsuki suddenly smelled something in the air behind her.
Izuku
She whipped her head around, eyes widening as she looked for the source of the familiar scent. Her gaze finally landed on a woman sitting down at a near barstool. Poking out of her purse was a crystal bottle that Katsuki remembered buying so long ago…
୭*｡
The two women strolled through the aisles, examining different things. Izuku stopped at a shelf full of perfumes, picking up a small crystal bottle.
Katsuki watched as she uncapped it before spraying some on the inside of her wrist. She lifted it to her nose, inhaling.
“Wow! This smells heavenly, Kacchan!” Izuku ran over, pressing her wrist to Katsuki’s nose.
The blonde inhaled a scent almost as beautiful as the girl in front of her. She reached for Izuku’s arm, pressing a kiss to her wrist, right where the perfume was sprayed.
Izuku giggled, checking the price sticker at the bottom of the perfume box. A sigh escaped the girl as she gently set it back on the shelf. “Damn, it’s so expensive.” As Izuku continued pushing the cart forward, Katsuki stayed behind, grabbing the box and hiding it behind her back.
“Keep looking, babe! I forgot to grab something, be right back!” Izuku nodded, turning the cart into a different aisle. Katsuki smiled to herself, walking to the checkout counter and purchasing the perfume bottle, not caring about the price.
Later, at home, Izuku would spot the bottle sitting on the top of their dresser.
She ran into the living room, ecstatic. “KACCHAN! YOU REALLY BOUGHT IT FOR ME?!” The freckled girl ran to the couch and jumped onto her girlfriend’s lap, peppering her face with kisses. Katsuki laughed
“Of course I did, baby. It smelled too good on you not to.” The blonde snaked her hand through green curls, pulling her lover in for a deep kiss.
—
Katsuki couldn’t do this anymore. She paid her tab and left, the smell of the girl’s perfume poisoning the air around her.
˗ˏˋ 3 ˎˊ˗
Katsuki ran out of the door of the bar, breathing a sigh of relief as the cool breeze hit her. Feeling a buzz in her pocket, the blonde pulled out her phone.
🩷 Mina Ashido
> Hey Kats! I'm hosting a party this Saturday! There will probably be lots of people, but it won’t be too crazy! You should come!! It’d be nice for you to get out once and a while ;)
Walking down the street, Katsuki thought about the invitation. Mina was right, it would be nice to go somewhere other than her apartment or the bar. Who knows, maybe this party could even help her meet someone new, someone to finally help her get over…
As Katsuki glanced up from her phone screen, a flash of green curls passed by her. Izuku was walking hand in hand with a brunette girl. The pair was silent, neither of them looking very happy with the other. As they disappeared down the street, Katsuki felt anger brewing deep inside her.
Who the fuck does Izuku think she is, dangling off the arm of some random girl like that?
Katsuki turned the other way, practically running to the subway station. As the ride home went on, a lump got heavier in her throat. This was the third time Izuku had haunted her, and twice in one day! Katsuki hadn’t seen her in a year, and now all of a sudden she’s lurking around every corner.
Why did she have to move on more? Why isn’t she stuck like Katsuki is? The blonde unlocked the door of her apartment, slamming it behind her as tears brimmed in the corners of her eyes.
That stupid girl doesn’t treat her right anyways. Izuku was practically begging that idiot to look at her. Doesn’t she know how much she should cherish that woman?
Katsuki threw herself onto the bed. She twisted her fingers in the sheets, once warm with the love of another, now bitterly cold.
The sobs that were building finally escaped the girl’s throat, ugly and strangled. She hugged herself, gripping tightly at her sides for some form of grounding. As her nails dug into her skin, Katsuki remembered something.
She slowly crawled off her bed and peeked underneath. Thrown beside yearbooks and forgotten socks, there was a cardboard box. Katsuki pulled it out and lifted the lid. Inside lay the entire life she used to have: blurry polaroids, kiss marked birthday cards, bracelets, stuffed animals, t-shirts, dried flower petals, and most importantly, a ring.
୭*｡
It was their two year anniversary. Katsuki and Izuku had been stuck to each other like glue the entire day, cuddling, going for a walk, making out in the kitchen.
Finally, the sun had set and they settled at a restaurant for a fancy dinner together. They both dressed their best, with Katsuki in a form-fitting black dress and Izuku in a flowy silver one. As the two took a seat at their table. Izuku took the blonde’s hand in hers.
“Kacchan, these two years we’ve had together have been the best of my entire life. I didn’t know I could feel this way about anyone.”
Katsuki felt a blush begin to spread through her cheeks. She looked into Izuku’s eyes, noticing how concentrated she was.
“It’s always been you and me, and it always will be.”
As she said this, the girl pulled out a small box from under the table and pushed it over to Katsuki. Inside lay a silver promise ring embedded with emeralds. The blonde looked up at her girlfriend with a wide smile. Izuku beamed back at her.
“I want you to know that you’re mine forever, Kacchan. I swear it.”
˗ˏˋ 4 ˎˊ˗
This party was overwhelming.
Katsuki had forced herself to go. This morning she was set on not showing up. Why bother with all the noise and people when she could be doing something better with her time?
The truth was, there wasn’t much of anything better to do. It’s not like she was the type of person to go out much, minus the rare hangout when Mina and Ejiro begged. With a desperate phone call from Mina a couple hours prior, Katsuki was convinced.
However, the blonde was starting to slightly regret her decision. Here she was, weaving her way through the crowded makeshift dance floor, searching for her pink haired friend. She pushed through people, muttering about a dozen “excuse me”s, when she suddenly stopped in her tracks.
There she was, her green curls fallen messily around her face. Her skin was shiny with sweat, making it appear as though her whole body was glowing. She wore a silver dress, the same one as the night she promised Katsuki forever. She danced with such utter joy, the kind that was contagious. It made Katsuki miss her more than ever.
The blonde was so close to her, closer than she’d been in over a year.
She fought the urge to reach out and touch her arm, to feel those soft curls in her hand. Katsuki turned around, stumbling back through the crowd as fast as possible. She felt unsteady as she rushed into the bathroom, emptying the contents of her stomach into the toilet. After a few minutes, the blonde heard a knock at the door.
“Occupied.”
“Kats? Is that you? Let me in, are you okay in there?!”
Katsuki fumbled for the lock on the door, letting Mina in. The girl stumbled through the doorway, clearly a bit tipsy.
“OH MY GOD, KATSUKI!! ARE YOU OKAY??” She bent down and ran her fingers through the blonde’s hair.
Katsuki looked up, “Yeah, I’m fine. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”
Mina grabbed a washcloth out of the cabinet and began to wipe Katsuki’s face. “I didn’t even know you were here, Bakubabe. Why didn’t you come find me?” Katsuki took the cloth from her friend's hand, not fond of being babied.
“I was trying to, but I accidentally found someone else.” Mina looked at her quizzically. The blonde sighed, “Izuku’s here.” Mina jumped up, “Oh my god, seriously? I’m so sorry Kats, I wouldn’t have let her in if I knew!” Katsuki stood up, shaking her head.
“No, she hasn’t done anything, it’s alright.” She walked through the door, Mina following close behind. The two girls spent the rest of the night close together, drinking and dancing.
When Katsuki got home that night, as she lay in bed, she thought—
What would’ve happened if I did reach out?
˗ˏˋ 5 ˎˊ˗
Katsuki was out at the grocery store, just needing to pick up a few things before she had to go in to work. As she approached the protein powders, she heard voices arguing from the next aisle over. Forever a nosy bitch, the blonde listened in.
“I just don’t understand why you feel the need to go to a party without me. What could you possibly be doing there that I don’t need to be included in?”
“It’s not that big of a deal! Ochaco and I just checked it out and did a bit of dancing! An old friend of our’s was hosting it! I don’t know why you’re so concerne-”
“You know what? You’ve been hanging out with that Ochaco girl a lot lately. How do I know the two of you don’t have something going on? Maybe that’s why you go off with her when I’m not around.”
Katsuki peeked around the corner to see Izuku and the brunette girl standing there. Izuku had that desperate look she always had during an argument , and the girl across looked down at her with disdain.
Katsuki walked away from the aisle towards the checkout, not even bothering to look for the rest of the stuff on her list. So that’s better than what Katsuki could give her? Why did Izuku go for the worst girl ever before even considering her as an option?
As Katsuki left the store, she thought about everything the two of them shared together.
୭*｡
The two girls giggled as they unpacked boxes of clothes, dishes, bedding, stuffed animals, and all the other things both of them had accumulated over the years.
They’d finally done the thing they always talked about: moving in together. Izuku almost cried when they put their toothbrushes in the same cup. Something so miniscule meant the world to her; even the tiniest things were theirs to share.
Katsuki kissed the side of her head and teased her for being such a sap. Photos of their first dates hung above the couch. Their shoes mixed together by the front door, neither of them caring who slipped on who’s to take out the trash. Two hairbrushes sat on the counter, a mix of blonde and green strands clinging to each of them.
“What's yours is mine, and what’s mine is yours.”
❤︎ +1 ❤︎
Izuku slammed the door behind her, walking out into the slight drizzle outside. She didn’t care, she’d rather be anywhere than in that house. The girl had finally gotten the guts to do what had been necessary for months; break up with her sorry excuse for a girlfriend.
Reigen was a girl that Izuku could never seem to make happy. Rather it be her clothes, what she ate, who she hung out with, or even how she slept, the brunette always had a problem with it. The constant angry nagging led to more arguments than she could count, all in which she was the one who ended up apologizing.
After their third argument in the middle of the grocery store, Izuku finally called it quits. Thank god they never moved in together, she’d never have to worry about seeing that face again.
As the rain grew heavier, Izuku decided that she should probably stop inside somewhere. The girl passed by a bar that she was familiar with, but had never actually been to.
Apparently it was a bit dingy on the outside, but inside was the best drinks and service their town had to offer. As she took a seat, Izuku saw a familiar explosion of blonde hair behind the bartop turn to greet her.
“Kacchan?”
The only expression readable on the blonde’s face was pure and utter shock.
“I-Izuku? What are you doing here?”
“I could say the same for you. Since when have you worked here?”
Katsuki looked down at the counter, “About a year or so,” She picked up a glass with slightly shaking hands, looking back up at Izuku, “so what can I get you?” Izuku cleared her throat, “Just a screwdriver, please.” Katsuki started on it.
“Such a boring drink.”
“You know me…”
“...I guess I do”
Katsuki coughed uncomfortably, sliding the drink over to Izuku, the girl thanking her before lifting it to her lips.
The blonde then began washing glasses, hesitantly speaking. “I saw you arguing with your uh… girlfriend today. In the store” Izuku cringed, " Did you really see that? Yeah, she’s a bit crazy. Good thing I don’t have to worry about that anymore…” the girl sighed, taking a sip of her drink. “Did you break up with her?” Katsuki asked, a bit too eagerly.
Izuku giggled at the blonde’s reaction. “Yeah, why do you ask?”
“No reason! I was just…curious.” Katsuki blurted, the tips of her ears turning red in embarrassment.
She ducked her head, continuing to scrub the glassware in her hands. After a minute of deafening silence, Katsuki raised her head again.
“Izuku,” The freckled girl looked up from her glass, locking eyes with the blonde.
Did you ever even think of reaching out? Did you ever think of me as an option at all?” Katsuki couldn’t believe she was saying this out loud, but she had to know. She’d rather die than live without knowing if there could be a second chance for them.
Izuku’s breath hitched in her throat as she responded, barely above a whisper,
“All the time.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?” Katsuki sounded exasperated, looking into the eyes of the girl in front of her with an almost pleading look. “I would’ve given anything to hear your voice some nights.”
Something in Izuku’s face shifted, almost like a realization. “I didn’t think you’d care to hear.”
In truth, Izuku never stopped thinking about Katsuki. She’d see the girl in every run she’d take, every meal she’d cook, things the blonde loved so dearly.
No matter how hard Izuku tried to convince herself, she could never love anyone the way she loved Katsuki. Nobody else truly noticed her.
୭*｡
Sometimes, Izuku would stop mid rant, nervous about the possibility of annoying Katsuki. In turn, the blonde would look up at her. “Why’d you stop? I wanna hear what you have to say.” Izuku never had someone be that interested in her before.
You’d never expect Katsuki, a girl so strong and mean, to be as soft as she was. The truth was that persona was simply an armor, defending her true, loving nature. Shortly after the two got together, Izuku’s friends all told her the same thing: “I’d never have expected you to get on with someone so…brash.”
They’d never seen who Katsuki really was, the way she doted on Izuku like she was the most precious thing in the world. Alone together, Katsuki would sometimes sit up on the bed, admiring everything Izuku had to offer.
She’d count her freckles and moles, pressing a kiss to each and every one. It seemed all she could talk about was how beautiful her girlfriend was, how perfect…
—
“You know me, Izuku. I would cherish anything if it were to come from your mouth.”
Izuku thought of all the times she searched for the only blocked number in her contacts, finger hovering over the call button.
She thought of the speeches she’d make in her head, telling Katsuki that they both had it all wrong, that they needed each other. She cleared her throat.
“I would always end up pushing my feelings down, convincing myself I didn’t need you. I guess that’s why I went for Reigen.” She explained, fiddling with her fingers. “I thought if I found someone close enough to you, it’d cancel out the problem. But she was nothing like you at all.” Reigen used her girlfriend as a prop, someone she could take out to look like she was doing well. Once they got home, Izuku was lucky if she got a glance from the girl.
“That freak?! Of course she couldn’t compare to me!” Katsuki teased, breaking the tension that was growing between the two.
Izuku laughed, finally relaxing her shoulders. “Yeah, she couldn’t dream of it.”
The two felt as if they were falling into an old, familiar rhythm. They began to talk about all the things they wished the other was around for. As they spoke, there was a connection making its way back between them, but laced with an understanding that neither of them had ever experienced before.
As the bar grew emptier, Katsuki glanced at the time, realizing it was the end of her shift. As she finished the small tasks leftover, Izuku waited patiently by the door.
The two walked out together, headed to the same subway station. Once they got on, Katsuki turned to Izuku.
“I’m sorry for being such an asshole back then. I should’ve treated you better, especially when most of the arguments were my own doing. I think I’ll always regret how I handled it all.”
Izuku looked at the ground, trying to find the right words to say. “It’s okay, Kacchan. I wasn’t always the best either in those situations. I shouldn’t have reacted in the ways I did, either. I think we both learned from all that, though.”
Katsuki locked eyes with the girl beside her, and in that moment, the blonde realized something —
Izuku had finally seen her. After all the times that she had turned her back to Katsuki, the girl was looking at her, clear as day.
Katsuki could never let her go again.
“Would you-“ the blonde cut herself off , wondering if she was going too far. Izuku looked at her with those big, familiar eyes. Her head tilted slightly to one side, waiting for what the girl would say next.
“Would you wanna go back to my place?”
Izuku smiled wide, nodding profusely.
As the subway continued its route, Katsuki thought back to all that time ago, when she first saw Izuku standing in front of her, so out of reach. She looked down now, seeing the freckled girl’s head slightly rested against her shoulder.
They were finally where they were always meant to be.