Work Text:
Katsuki laid his head back in the uncomfortable chair he sat in, the incessant sound of his advisor typing beginning to drive him insane.
“How the hell am I supposed to fix this?” He questioned, growing impatient.
His advisor paused her typing and cleared her throat, “Well, that’s what I’m trying to figure out. You’re currently sitting at a fifty-four percent in your physics class. We are well past the withdrawal deadline. You could potentially get your grade up by doing well on your final exam but that is… unlikely, with your current standing.”
Katsuki groaned. This was his worst nightmare. He didn’t fail things; not tests, not projects, and definitely not an entire course. He was an exceptional student throughout his childhood, constantly listening to his praises being sung by teachers and mentors. This continued as he got into his top choice university, deciding to study chemical engineering simply because he heard it was difficult. Even then, he got through his first two semesters at university with ease.
And then he took fucking physics.
Physics, the only class he struggled to get through in high school, which got a million times more difficult in university for some reason. Physics, which he desperately needs to pass to continue on with the rest of his degree. Physics, the subject everybody loved telling him was just plugging in formulas but it’s literally not? Why do people keep fucking telling him that? And also saying it’s easier than chemistry? Chemistry makes fucking sense and physics doesn’t at all? And don’t even get him started on the—
“Are you listening?” His advisor’s questioning ripped him from mental ramblings.
“Uh, yeah. No. What?” He mumbled. Nice save.
“I said your best bet is to enroll in this peer tutoring program,” His advisor repeated as she handed Katsuki a small pamphlet. “Perhaps another perspective will improve your grade. Worst comes to worst, you’ll have to retake the course. Don’t worry about it too much, kid. You’re not the first university student to flunk a class.”
He mumbled a weak thank you before storming out of the office.
The pamphlet sat crumpled in his hand the whole walk back to his apartment. He felt ridiculous, in what world would he need tutoring? He didn’t even glance at the contents of the pamphlet until he attempted physics practice problems to no avail. Upon admitting defeat, he read through the contents and followed the information onto an unfamiliar website. He scrolled and scrolled until landing on a physics tutor, finding one that had openings as soon as the next day. He glanced between the physics problems on his desk and his laptop, clicking register with a sigh.
- · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
The building he was meeting his tutor at was a quick ten minute walk from his apartment. He stomped his way there, a black sweatshirt covering his identity, shielding himself from this humiliation. He hoped this whole event was one big nightmare, that he would soon wake up and find a ninety-five percent on his transcript instead of his current fifty-four. But alas, he made it to the designated building, still fully conscious, and stepped inside.
He made his way to the small study room his tutor had booked, opening the door and finding another guy his age sitting in front of a laptop. He matched the small profile photo Katsuki had seen on the website; messy green hair, freckles, big green eyes. His tutor looked up and grinned, his smile shining brightly in the fluorescent light.
His smile was blinding, Katsuki immediately felt like blushing. “You must be Bakugo Katsuki! I’m Midoriya Izuku. Please, have a seat.”
Katsuki simply nodded and sat down, still overwhelmed by his new tutor’s seemingly angelic presence. It pissed him off.
“So,” Izuku began. “What have you been struggling with? Is there anything in particular you want to work through?”
“I just want to start off by saying: I’m not an idiot. I don’t belong here. I’ve never failed a class. Haven’t even come close to it.”
Izuku nodded slowly. “But… you are failing one right now, correct?”
“…Yes. But that’s because physics is fucking stupid and useless. I don’t even understand how I’m going to use any of—”
“Okay lets start with this,” Izuku interrupts. “What grade do you need on the final to pass?”
Katsuki paused. “I need an uh… I need…” He lowered his voice. “A ninety-three.”
“And what’s the highest grade you’ve gotten on an exam in this course?”
Katsuki narrowed his eyes. “I don’t see how that’s relevant.”
“I don’t see how that’s not relevant.”
Katsuki sighed. This guy was good. “A sixty-seven.”
“How badly do you want to pass this class?”
“I need to pass this class.”
Izuku leaned back and nodded slowly. He typed a bit on his laptop before turning it around and showing Katsuki the screen.
“This is every concept you need to know for the final,” Izuku explained, Katsuki gawking at the long list of physics concepts sitting in front of him. “Since you’ve been struggling for the whole duration of the course, why don’t we go concept by concept until you know physics like the back of your hand? That’s the only way in hell you’re going to secure a ninety-three on that final.”
Katsuki glanced up and met Izuku’s eyes, his bright green eyes staring into his soul.
“Fine. If you’re such an expert this shouldn’t be too difficult.”
- · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
It was so difficult.
Their first tutoring session was three hours of the Katsuki muttering this makes no fucking sense under his breath every five minutes. They reviewed lectures, did practice problems, looked over flash cards. Three hours straight of physics and Katsuki managed to come to a full understanding of two of the concepts for the final exam. Out of thirty. This had to be some sort of divine punishment.
The worst part was the stupid, shit-eating grin Izuku wore on his face the whole session. He kindly explained the problems and concepts over and over again while Katsuki grew more and more frustrated. All these concepts just came so easy to him while Katsuki had to rack his brain to figure out a single problem. He was annoyingly good at physics, annoyingly nice, and annoyingly good-looking. Katsuki lost count of the amount of times he zoned out gazing at his tutor’s soft features as he explained momentum for the fifth time.
As much as it pained him to admit, Izuku did help him through physics concepts that Katsuki hadn’t been able to begin to understand. He once again had to admit defeat, booking another study session with Izuku for the second time that week.
The second time he walked into a study session with Izuku, he was greeted with the same smile and warm words. However, this time Izuku wore a pair of small reading glasses. Katsuki’s knees almost buckled at the sight of the cute glasses sitting low on Izuku’s freckled nose. God, he must’ve hit his head or something. The rest of the session went similarly to the first, Katsuki constantly cursing under his breath as his beautiful tutor slowly explained concepts he needed to know for the final exam. He managed to get through a whopping three concepts before Izuku declared they’d made enough progress. Before Katsuki could walk out and begin his trek home, Izuku stopped him and handed him his phone.
“The tutoring website is annoying to make tutoring appointments on, do you just want to exchange phone numbers?” Izuku beamed.
Katsuki could never say no to a beautiful man in glasses, so he grabbed the phone in front of him and quickly typed his number before dashing out of the study room.
- · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
Katsuki felt quite conflicted about Izuku having his number, as it just added to the list of things he can do to make Katsuki blush.
To: Midoriya (Tutor)
>> Can we meet today
From: Midoriya (Tutor)
>> yes of course! r u free at 4?
To: Midoriya (Tutor)
>> Yeah
From: Midoriya (Tutor)
>> ok perfect! I’ll see u then ૮ ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶ ა
To: Midoriya (Tutor)
>> Yeah
Katsuki tossed his phone onto his bed and buried his face into his hands. How was his tutor making him this flustered all the time?
- · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
“And after you multiply these together your final answer should be…” Izuku scribbles some calculations and circles his final answer. “Three meters per second.”
“That makes no fucking sense.”
“You always say that.” Izuku chuckles. “But then I explain it to you and it eventually does make sense.”
Katsuki feels his face get hot. “Yeah. After I do it wrong a hundred times.”
“You’ve been making less and less mistakes, I know you’ve noticed.” Izuku looks away from the paper in front of them and meets Katsuki’s eyes. “See? Physics isn’t too bad.”
“Physics sucks shit. I have no clue how you understand this stuff so easily.” Katsuki spits.
“If it makes you feel better, I suck at chemistry. I had to withdraw from organic chemistry earlier this semester.”
Katsuki scoffs. “Chemistry makes way more sense than physics. And organic is just memorization.”
“No it isn’t! That’s biology, organic chemistry is a bunch of bullshit, plus my professor completely sucked—”
“What’s your point, freckles?”
Izuku raised a brow at the nickname. “My point is I don’t understand why you’re constantly throwing a fit over how much you suck at physics—”
“I don’t suck at physics, you just said—”
“—when you’ve done fine in every other course you’ve taken.” Izuku continued, ignoring Katsuki’s interruption. “I mean, have you even failed a test before this?”
“I got a seventy once.”
“You could’ve just said no.”
“But now I have. And not just a test, I could fail this whole course! How am I supposed to not throw a fit over it?” Katsuki huffed, eyeing the man across next to him. Izuku stared at Katsuki for a bit before bursting out laughing.
“What’s so fucking funny?” Katsuki questioned. Izuku is clutching his chest at this point, still giggling.
He wiped his eyes and replied with another laugh; “I’ve never met anyone like you, Kacchan.”
- · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
To: Midoriya (Tutor)
>> How do u do this
>> (image: physics practice problem)
From: Midoriya (Tutor)
>> oh that’s easy, use these two formulas and plug n chug!
>> (image: formula sheet with two formulas circled)
To: Midoriya (Tutor)
>> Are u fucking kidding me i’ve been doing problem this for an hour
From: Midoriya (Tutor)
>> should’ve texted me sooner kacchan! ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶
To: Midoriya (Tutor)
>> Stop calling me that
From: Midoriya (Tutor)
>> ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶
- · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
Katsuki continues to meet with Izuku, continues to get frustrated over physics, and continues to ignore how attracted he is to his tutor. It scares him how easily Izuku can turn him into a flustered blabbering mess. He continues on with each session keeping his tutor at a distance, he’s his mentor and nothing more. Izuku occasionally tells Katsuki about himself, Katsuki listens intently each time while attempting to feign indifference. He learns that Izuku is studying psychology, he’s a member of seven clubs including the peer tutoring program, and the glasses he looks insanely good in are only for reading.
Katsuki decides to double his weekly sessions after taking a practice final and receiving a forty-seven percent. The more he sees Izuku the more he feels like he’s going crazy, constantly forcing physics concepts into his brain and confusing thoughts about Izuku out of it. He keeps telling himself that he just needs to get to the end of the semester and he can be free of all of the confusion happening in his mind.
They walk home together once after Izuku mentions that Katsuki can borrow an old textbook he had. They live in generally the same direction, with Izuku’s apartment being a bit further from their tutoring rendezvous point. They talk about high school as they walk, Katsuki talking about his various achievements and Izuku telling him about an explosion he caused in chemistry. They walk so close that Katsuki imagines reaching out to “accidentally” brush his fingers with Izuku’s. He insteads shifts a bit to the left to increase the space between them, feeling his face get hot as Izuku’s laugh fills his ears.
He’s just your tutor. He’s just your tutor.
- · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
“Okay, let’s take a break.” Izuku mumbled with a sigh, sensing Katsuki’s frustration. They were two weeks away from the final and Katsuki hadn’t been able to score above a sixty on any practice exam. He had an additional three finals on top of his physics one, the work he had ahead of him was weighing on his shoulders constantly.
Katsuki sat his pencil down and stood up, pacing around the small room in an attempt to stop himself from freaking the fuck out.
“Hey, Kacchan.” Izuku’s words pierced through the silent room.
“What.”
“I know we’re all really stressed about finals so… I’m having a party on Saturday, if you wanna go? I don’t think you’ll know anyone there but I’ll be there and—”
“Midoriya. You are seeing how bad I’m doing at practicing for the exam I have in two weeks and you’re inviting me to a party?”
“Well I… it’s just one night, I thought it might help you clear your head.”
Katsuki glared at him. “Why the hell do you care? You’re my tutor. You’re supposed to help me pass this fucking test not clear my head.”
“I’m your tutor but I’m your friend too, am I not? Is it so bad that I want to hang out with you?”
“We aren’t fucking friends Midoriya. I need to pass this class. You are supposed to help me. That’s all this is. If you can’t help me, let me know so I can fucking find someone else.”
Izuku's eyes meet his, guilt consuming him immediately as he glares into the hurt look in the other’s eyes. Izuku stands up and glances at the time.
“I have to run to a club meeting. I guess I’ll see you on Monday, then.” He stands up and walks out of the room before Katsuki can say anything else.
As he stands under the fluorescent lighting in the empty study room, he can’t help but feel like he’s a huge fucking idiot.
- · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
Katsuki sat behind this boy in middle school who smelled like pine trees and had fluffy brown hair that reminded him of his neighbor's dog. He constantly thought of him as he walked by the line of pine trees outside his school or when he saw the dog in his neighbor’s lawn, realizing later that he had a huge crush on the kid.
As young Katsuki grappled with these feelings, he was approached by the boy one day and asked for a pencil. They had never really interacted before this, yet the boy asked kindly with a gentle smile on his face. Katsuki got so panicked he shoved the kid so hard he fell onto another desk and hit his head. His teacher scolded him as the boy stared at Katsuki with hatred.
He kind of felt like he was in middle school all over again.
- · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
This was a bad idea. This was a really bad idea.
It was Saturday night, the look of hurt in Izuku’s eyes had been burning a hole in Katsuki’s head all week long. After seven hours of studying physics and another flunked practice exam, Katsuki was convinced he’d lost his mind. In his insanity he got up from his desk, got dressed, and walked over to Izuku’s apartment. He didn’t think about the absurdity of what he was doing until he stood in front of Izuku’s front door, the sound of muffled loud music filling his ears.
This was a terrible idea. He turned to leave before the image of Izuku’s sad eyes filled his mind once more, turning back immediately and banging on the front door. A very drunk brown haired girl answered the door and raised an eyebrow.
“I dunno you…” She muttered, staring Katsuki up and down.
“Is uh… Is Midoriya there?” The girl nodded and clumsily shut the door before returning with Izuku a minute later. The two stared at each other for a bit before Katsuki finally opened his stupid mouth.
“I—”
“You’re here.” Izuku muttered, eyes still wide.
“Yeah…”
Izuku raised an eyebrow and placed a hand on his hip. “Why? Got sick of studying?”
Katsuki looked at the ground, unable to meet the other’s eyes. “I just… I’m sorry. About the other day. What I said.”
Izuku giggled and stepped closer. “You’re pretty emotionally constipated, aren’t you?”
“I don’t—” Katsuki was cut off by Izuku grabbing his shirt and dragging him into the apartment, shutting the door behind the two of them.
“Can I get you something to drink?”
“Uh, sure. Look, I really am sorry about what I said, I—”
“You’re here, aren’t you?” Izuku said with a smile.
“…Yeah. And uh, I am your friend. I know I said… I’m sorry about what I said. We’re friends.”
Izuku beamed and slid a beer into his hand. “Friends, then. Come on, we're about to play a drinking game. Can you keep up?”
Izuku winked as he asked, leaving Katsuki bright red. “…Yeah.”
They end up playing an hour long game of truth or drink, most of the questions people asked left Katsuki choking on his beer. The crowd went pretty easy on him since he only knew Izuku, thank fuck. A few questions he opted to chug his drink rather than reveal past embarrassments to the guy he’s been infatuated with for weeks. Along with a bunch of strangers, not to mention. The game left him with three empty beers in front of him and a loose feeling in his bones.
“Izuku,” He muttered as people began to give up on the game. “Can we get some air?”
Izuku nodded and led him out to the roof, the brisk air sobering him up a bit as he walked around.
“That was a fun game, I kinda wish I didn’t admit the whipped cream thing, though.” Izuku laughed as he skipped around the rooftop.
“I know exactly what I can use to blackmail you now.”
“Wooow… I did notice you sipping a lot more than spilling, didn’t get much blackmail from you out of that game.”
“Sorry I didn’t feel like telling people I’ve never met what my most embarrassing moment was.”
Izuku giggled. “I guess that’s fair.”
Izuku walked up to the railing at the edge of the roof and leaned against it, staring up at the stars. Katsuki joined him against the railing, brushing his shoulder into the other’s.
“I did get sick of studying, by the way. That’s why I’m here. This was definitely a lot better than calculating momentum.”
“I’m honored that my presence is more entertaining than your least favorite subject.”
Katsuki felt himself smiling. “Yeah, you should be.”
They stay like that for a bit, staring at the stars and enjoying the cool air. Katsuki keeps sneaking glances at Izuku. The moonlight lights up his beautiful features, his freckles peaking out. Katsuki feels like he can’t breathe. He wants to kiss him. He spends minutes arguing with himself whether he should stop acting crazy and go back downstairs or just fucking kiss him.
He doesn’t have to decide, apparently, because Izuku suddenly reaches out and runs his fingers through his hair.
“I’m really glad you came tonight.” Katsuki nods, barely registering the words and leaning into the other’s touch. “I was thinking about you all week.”
“I… Same.” He leans closer, feeling the other’s breath on his lips.
“Katsuki?”
“Yeah?”
“Do you want to kiss me?” Katsuki breathes shakily into Izuku’s mouth.
“…Yeah.” Izuku smiles and leans in even closer.
“Then get a ninety-three on your physics exam.” Before he can even register the words Izuku loosens the grip in his hair and steps away.
“Huh?”
“You heard me.”
“Are you serious?”
“Dead serious. Don’t you think you need a little incentive?” Izuku asks with a sheepish grin plastered on his face. He steps forward and wraps his arms around Katsuki’s neck. “Besides, I still have to get back at you for being an asshole to me on Wednesday.”
“You are… ridiculous.”
“Is this your way of rejecting my offer?”
“No!” Katsuki spits out before trying his best to feign indifference.
“Good,” Izuku beams, backing away and heading towards the stairs. “Let’s go back to the party then.”
- · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
Bakugo Katsuki has two, equally important things on the line: the fate of his university career and a kiss with his beautiful tutor. He needs to get a good grade on this physics final. His entire life for a week and a half consisted of sleeping, eating, thinking about Midoriya Izuku, and studying physics. His practice test scores are improving but not as much as he needs them to be, and his tutoring sessions are back to once a week since Izuku has to study for his own finals. He does not see the light at the end of the tunnel.
It’s four days before his physics exam when he grades another practice final and gawks at the score in front of him. He got a ninety. He reaches for his phone without thinking.
To: Midoriya (Tutor)
>> (image: practice test with large red ‘90’ written on it)
From: Midoriya (Tutor)
>> close, but not close enough!! ꉂ(˵˃ ᗜ ˂˵)
He threw his phone on his bed.
- · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
Two days before his physics exam, he and Izuku meet one last time to review. Katsuki focuses, for the most part. Until Izuku brushes his knee against his.
“That’s unfair.”
“It was an honest mistake, Kacchan.” Izuku giggles and lifts his hands in surrender.
“You’re such a liar. I have two days until this exam so you better help me actually study.”
- · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
He sits in a full lecture hall, an empty exam sitting in front of him and a pit in his stomach.
The exam proctor lifts his hand to examine his watch. “Begin.”
Katsuki has three hours to conjure up a ninety-three or above on this exam so he can kiss a boy and move the hell on with his university career. He opens up the testing booklet and says a silent prayer.
The exam is difficult, but he manages. He remembers details he picked up from practice exams and different tips Izuku gave him. He can’t think too hard about his tutoring sessions because it always leads to him just thinking about Izuku instead of the extremely important exam sitting in front of him. By the end of the three hours, he has every single question completed and has literally no idea whether he aced the exam or got a four percent.
It’s four, long, grueling days until he gets the results back. He opens his laptop one morning after his last exam to an email with the physics results linked. He grabs his laptop and jets out the door.
- · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
He’s so embarrassingly out of breath as he approaches Izuku’s front door, but he bangs his fist on it anyway.
Izuku opens the door and greets him with a smile. “Hey, are you okay? You look—”
Katsuki interrupts him by pushing past him into his apartment, setting his laptop down on the nearest counter, and opening it to his results.
He points to the ninety-four percent on the screen with a sheepish grin. “Easy.”
Izuku stares at him with wide eyes before bursting out laughing. “I think our several tutoring lessons suggest that it was anything but easy.”
Katsuki scoffs. “Well, anyway. I’m pretty sure somebody promised me something if I got above a ninety-three.”
Izuku tilts his head. “A promise is a promise, I suppose.”
Katsuki looks at him expectantly before Izuku rushes forward and kisses him, running his fingers through his hair as he does so. Katsuki runs his hands down the other’s sides, settling his hands on his waist. Izuku kisses him slowly at first, lowering his hands to rub circles in the other’s hips as he swallows his shaky breaths. It’s Katsuki who pulls him closer and deepens the kiss, swallowing the whimper Izuku lets out as he does so.
Katsuki roams his hands over Izuku, the other following suit, until they're a mess of roaming hands and heavy breathing. Izuku eventually puts a hand on Katsuki’s chest and breaks the kiss to whisper into his ear.
“Was that reward enough for all your studying?”
For once, Katsuki knows exactly what to say. “Not at all.”
Izuku giggles and grabs his hand, leading him back into his room. Katsuki stumbles behind him, his hand loosely around the other’s.
“I’ll make it all up to you, Katsuki.” Izuku says once they enter his room, wrapping his arms around his neck.
“I suppose I’m in your care, Izuku.”