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It was a summer camping trip where things changed. A simple shift in dynamics. Or maybe the shift had already occurred, two tectonics shifting closer and closer until finally the Earth shook. And when the aftershocks cleared something new and exciting was born. Izuku and his mom had been invited to the Bakugous yearly summer camping trip up north. Izuku vaguely remembers a time in his youth where they had been on these trips, him and Katsuki racing around the woods and trying to play with the embers of the fire every night.
Izuku hadn’t been on one of these trips since they were maybe eight or nine. It had been an awkward and tense trip, Izuku clinging to his mom and attempting to avoid Katsuki the entire time. The boys had been slowly mellowing on these trips, drifting further and further apart, and their parents took notice. And the following year when the invite was extended Inko took one look at the way her son's head ducked down, hands nervously clutching the hem of his shirt, and stuttered through a half-assed acceptance and she decided that maybe just this once they’d decline.
The invites stopped after that.
But then Katsuki offered a slightly awkward but hopeful invite on the last day of school this year and for the first time in years Izuku was actually excited. He had raced home and immediately begged his mother to go. Inko had been a bit reluctant at first but Izuku was prepared for that. He pulled out his best puppy dog eyes, peering at his mama through his fringy bangs and jutting out his lower lip with a brief wobble. It wasn’t easy, given how he no longer has to look up to see his mama at this point in his life. But the effect was the same as always. And the second he saw her flawless features soften and her shoulders slump he knew he’d won.
“Alright; Izu, Kats, you two are gonna ride with Masaru. Inks, you’ll ride with me. We’ll stop halfway for food. We should be at the campsite by sunset.” Mitsuki announces as they finish loading up the two cars.
“You’ll be ok with this right, baby?” Inko asks, cupping Izuku's cheeks.
“Yeah mama. I’ll be ok. Promise.”
Riding with Uncle Masaru is always far more peaceful. Katsuki has always been more calm around his soft spoken father than the loud mouth of his mom. And Izuku has always gravitated toward Masaru's calm but firm hand. Maybe it’s because Izuku’s own father had walked out on them around when Izuku was six. Maybe it’s because in his fathers absence Masaru had stepped up to fill that gap to the best of his ability. They played catch with Katsuki. He taught both boys how to shave, how to drive, how to manage a check book. He became their model of not only how to be a good parent but also a good husband.
Izuku and Katsuki spend the first half of the drive napping on and off, drifting closer and closer until a head would lay on a shoulder, blond spikes mixing with green curls. Soft snores from above as a small puddle of drool tainted the shoulder of a familiar black t-shirt. They slept like that for hours before green eyes blinked open and suddenly Katsuki was shoved away with a bruised chin while Izuku rubbed the crown of his head where it bashed into Katsuki in his haste to sit up.
“We’re almost at the rest stop boys.” Masaru announces with a soft chuckle as he glances at them in the mirror.
Katsuki grumbles but nods and turns to stare out the window as he wakes up more. Izuku glances at the blonds profile. His sharp jawline. His soft skin. His cheeks are tainted a pretty pink and his expression is rested in a not-scowl for once. The sunlight shimmers off his ruby eyes like freshly polished jewels and Izuku has to look away. Katsuki has always been beautiful to Izuku, strong and fierce and oh so perfect. But like this, tired and soft and relaxed in a way Katsuki rarely allows himself to be, he just looks ethereal.
The second half of the drive is far less peaceful. They briefly fight over Katsuki's switch, more specifically what game they want to play. Izuku wants to play Stardew Valley. Katsuki proclaims that it’s a pussies game and declares a Mario Kart tournament. Izuku had whined for a solid five minutes before eventually giving in with the promise that Katsuki would at least let him play Stardew later in their tent when they should be sleeping. There’s bickering over who gets to play Yoshi. Katsuki does. Because of course he does. And Izuku gets stuck with Luigi.
They fight over wins, accuse each other of cheating and shove each other to gain leads until they finally stop playing out of fear that the usually calm Masaru will take the console and toss it out the window if they don’t calm down. After that Izuku is allowed to play Stardew while Katsuki scrolls through his phone quietly. And at some point the blond shifts closer, leaning his head on Izuku's shoulder with small whispers on where to go or what to plant on his farm.
Izuku can only hope that Katsuki doesn’t hear the way his heart beats rapidly in his chest.
“You brats had better of been good! Katsuki start on the damn fire.”
“Fuck off old hag!”
Izuku chuckles at the two as he helps unload the tents. They’re both decent sized, though one is slightly bigger. The three adults will end up in that one while Izuku and Katsuki get the smaller of the two. Izuku thinks back to their youth, how he and Katsuki would stay up in their tent far past their bedtime sharing stories and playing a quiet game of heroes. They’d always end up sleeping later in the mornings until Mitsuki woke them up for breakfast with a chastisement about proper bedtime schedules. They never regretted it. And come nightfall they’d only do it again.
“Oi, nerd! Come gimme a hand.”
Izuku turns, leaving Masaru to finish pitching the smaller tent, and approaches his friend. The bottom of the firepit is loosely covered in dry leaves and twigs. A few pieces of firewood stand leant against each other in a pyramid in the center. Katsuki pokes a few things with a stick, loosening up the tinder more than it already is before turning his red gaze on Izuku and gesturing at the unlit pit.
“Your quirk is more controlled than mine.”
Izuku just nods and squats beside his friend. He sticks a hand between two of the firewood pieces, close to a little bundle of leaves and twigs under them, and snaps his fingers. A small spark ignites the leaves and as he pulls his hand away he pulls the fire with him, spreading it through the rest of the tinder and licking up the firewood until the fire begins to grow on its own.
“Remeber the first time I tried doing that?” He asks as they watch the growing flames dance along the logs in the center.
Katsuki snorts. “You mean when you finally got your damn quirk and didn’t consider your serious lack of quirk control before nearly starting a forest fire?”
“It wasn’t that bad.”
“We had to stay in the parents tent that trip because you burned ours down.”
Izuku offers a tiny glare, softened by his pout. “Ok maybe it was that bad. But you didn’t make it any better Mister ‘I look for every opportunity to blow things up.’ There was already a fire, Kachaan. The trees don’t need to suffer your wrath.”
“Oh fuck off.”
Izuku giggles as he’s shoved aside. Katsuki huffs, a small smile gracing his features, and Izuku can’t help but stare. It isn’t often that Katsuki genuinely smiles. Even rarer that he smiles because of Izuku. It’s nice, having his best friend back. If only he could shoo away the butterflies swirling in his stomach every time Katsuki does something as simple as existing.
“What?”
“Hm?”
“You’re staring, stalker. Got somethin’ to say?”
“No. You’re just pretty when you smile.”
Oh shit. Oh fuck. Izuku did not mean to say that. He looks away, staring into the fire and desperately hoping that it’ll just swallow him whole. He can feel a deep blush start to paint his cheeks and leans a little closer. Maybe he can just say the heat from the firepit flushed his cheeks and not the sheer mortification of the exchange. It’s quiet between them for a moment before Katsuki lets out a breath beside him.
“Yeah well, yours ain’t too bad to look at either.”
Izuku's head snaps over to look at the blond with wide eyes. He opens his mouth, though nothing comes out. Katsuki doesn’t look at him and before either of them can say anything Mitsuki calls out to her son, yelling at him to be helpful. Katsuki grumbles and stands, yelling something back as he walks away but Izuku doesn’t hear what gets said.
Did…Did that really just happen? Were they flirting just now? No. No there’s no way. Izuku didn’t even mean to say what he said. It’s not that he didn’t mean his words, it was an honest statement, just one he never had any intention to voice. It was a compliment, nothing else. And Katsuki was just simply returning the compliment. Yeah. Yeah, yeah that’s all it was. Just friends casually complimenting each other's smiles after years of a strained relationship. Purely platonic.
“Sweetheart? Are you alright?”
Izuku jumps slightly at the sound of his moms voice nearby. He offers a small smile and nods as he stands up. “Yeah! I’m ok mama. Sorry.”
Inko doesn’t look convinced, squinting at his smile with a look just as analytical as Izuku's own. He shifts slightly, suddenly reminded of just how uncomfortable that stare is. Maybe he should apologize to his friends. He can only imagine how they must feel being on the receiving end of his own stare. But eventually Inko offers a nod and a smile of her own before offering up a tray of pre-cute veggies and a cast iron skillet.
“Help me with dinner?”
Izuku and Inko work flawlessly together to make a simple beef and veggie dinner while the Bakugou’s finish pitching the tents. Katsuki just kinda throws his and Izuku’s things into their tent, earning him an exasperated look from the green haired teen. Katsuki just flips him off and walks away. Just as Izuku is pulling the skillet off the fire a small thermos is shoved in his face. He blinks and looks up at Katsuki's expectant face.
“Pops made tea earlier. Was still warm. Figured you might want some.”
“O-oh. Um thanks, Kachaan. One sec.”
Izuku sets the warm skillet on a hot plate set on the folding table nearby before turning, unsurprised to see that Katsuki had followed, and taking the tea with a warm smile. He takes a sip, noting the sweetness of honey that compliments the chai, and he allows himself to smile knowing that Katsuki likely added honey for his sake.
“This is good Kachaan. Thank you.”
“Tch, whatever.”
Izuku watches him walk away, a small content smile on his lips. He had dreamed of a day where he and Katsuki would be friends again. Where they could reminisce on old childhood memories and share tea while camping. It’s nice to be able to talk to Katsuki without the worry that he’ll be yelled at or exploded for even existing in the same proximity as the blond. He still often wonders why it was that Katsuki had drifted away from him in the first place but he can’t deny that just having Katsuki's friendship again is enough to keep the old questions and frustrations at bay.
Dinner that night is a relatively quiet affair. They’re all tired from the day of driving and the sun is nearly set by this point. They make idle chatter as they eat and Mitsuki and Masaru clean up from the meal. Despite the vacation Katsuki slips off to their tent for bed with a half-hearted ‘Night fuckers, and Auntie.’ before disappearing into their shared tent. Izuku watches the light illuminating the mint colored fabric before it fades and he turns his gaze away.
He stays with the adults by the fire for a little while, mostly just because it’s his job to snuff the flame when the time comes. He curls up at his mama's side, more tea in hand as they snuggle under a blanket. The conversation around him fades as his tired eyes wander. He watches the fire dance nearby, the leaves on the trees swaying in the slight summer breeze. He watches the stars twinkle brightly above and wishes he could see them every night through the light polluted skies of the city.
‘Hey Zuku?’
‘Hm? Yeah Kachaan?’
‘You ever think that the stars kinda look like your freckles?’
‘Wha- hey you’re right! How many stars are there?’
‘I unno, too many to count. But hey, lemme count your stars!’
‘Ok Kachaan!’
Izuku wonders how many more stars his body has amassed since then. He wonders if Katsuki would take the time to count them, gripping his chin as he had that night and tilting his face every which way. Mumbling small curses when he loses count and has to start again. He wonders, dangerously, if there may ever come a day where Katsuki would count the freckles hidden under clothes. Would he still be aggressive in his search or would it be softer, more intimate. Izuku can imagine a life where they lay together on a comfortable bed, a bed they share. Where clothes are slowly stripped, not for any perverted reasons but purely for gentle fingers to trail his stomach in search of tiny stars. For those same hands to travel to his back and follow a path to his thighs, all to memorise the expanse of stars that paint Izuku's skin.
“Izu, sweetheart, why don’t you put out the fire and head to bed?”
Izuku glances up at his mom, registering the gentle hand in his wild curls. He takes a second to close his eyes and lean into the affection before he offers a single nod and slowly pulls away. He notices that Katsuki’s parents are gone, likely already in their tent if the low light is anything to go off of, and figures they’re probably just as tired as he is. He shuffles over to the fire, holding a hand out palm up, and watches as the flame slowly dissipates until the final ember fades.
“Night mama.”
“Good night baby.”
Izuku accepts the kiss to his cheek and watches his mom slip into the adults tent before making his way to the one he shares with Katsuki. He kicks off his shoes before silently slipping inside. He glances at Katsuki, the blond laying on his side with his back turned, before making his way to his bag and digging through it as quietly as he can for his pajamas. He changes quickly before settling in under his sleeping bag and taking a deep breath.
“All good?”
Izuku jumps with a little squeak at the sudden voice beside him. He turns his head as Katsuki shifts, laying on his back. His friend turns to look at him, soft glare aimed his way, and Izuku clutches at his chest under the sleeping bag as he attempts to calm his racing heart.
“Uh, y-yeah. Sorry, did I wake you?”
“Nah. Couldn’t sleep. Hard ass ground.”
Izuku blinks at what is clearly just an excuse. They may be camping but the Bakugous, specifically Mitsuki, would never survive one of these trips without something to cushion the ground they sleep on. The tents they have are more high end. Waterproof, sturdy material and cushioning on the floor. A sun roof if you decide you want to sleep under the stars. It’s nice. And more importantly, it’s comfortable.
“Right. Yeah. Hard ass ground.” Izuku repeats.
Katsuki laughs softly. “Watch your mouth, Deku. Auntie’s gonna think I’m a bad influence.”
Izuku rolls his eyes. “She already thinks that, Kachaan. Don’t get shy now.”
“Whatever.”
They fall into a comfortable silence then, both boys staring up at the covered sun roof of the tent. There’s a healthy space between them, though Izuku can’t help but wish he could scoot closer. He wants to feel the warmth of the explosive blond beside him. He wants to talk in hushed whispers all night, exhaustion be damned. He wants to trail gentle fingertips along a chiseled jawline in the moonlight while Katsuki sleeps.
He doesn’t.
But he wishes.
“Remember when we were little and we’d stay up late telling scary stories?” He suddenly asks.
He sees Katsuki turn to look at him out of the corner of his eye, though he keeps his gaze skyward bound. “Yeah. I remember it used to scare the shit outta you but you still wanted to do it.”
“Hey, I’m horror obsessed now so that’s unfair.”
“Uh huh. Why you bringin it up? Wanna tell scary stories in the dark, Deku?”
His tone is somewhat mocking but Izuku ignores that to shrug. “Maybe. Could be fun right? We’re older now, I bet we could come up with some pretty gruesome tales.”
“Sure. Cause our lives ain’t scary enough.”
Katsuki turns back toward the roof as Izuku makes a face. And, ok. Yeah. That's a fair point. But Izuku also thinks that if they don’t find a way to either sleep or fill the silence he’s gonna lose his mind and start another fire just for the fun of it. Nothing major. Maybe just a small bush or something. He’d put it out before it could spread.
“No arson, Deku.”
“Tell me a story then.”
“God, you’re so fucking needy.”
Izuku smiles softly, knowing he’d won. Silence falls once more but this time Izuku waits. He keeps his gaze upward and listens to the steady breathing of his friend beside him. It’s a little uneven so Izuku knows Katsuki didn’t fall asleep and a quick glance shows the other boy is just simply gathering his thoughts. So Izuku remains patient. He waits for several minutes before finally Katsuki lets out a small sigh and speaks.
“Once upon a time..” Ok. Not how Izuku thought this would start.
“Once upon a time, there were two boys. The older, a cocky little shit with ash blond hair and stupid red eyes-”
“Hey, I like your eyes.”
“Shut up Deku. This ain’t about me.”
Yeah. Sure it’s not. Izuku just huffs but gestures for him to continue.
“And the younger, a twiggy motherfucker who decided the color green was gonna be his whole ass personality.”
Rude.
“The two boys were best friends. They did everything together. They played heroes and got into some wack ass shit. Probably made the rest of the world regret pairing them together.”
Izuku lets out a small laugh. Yeah. he can vividly remember all three of their parents letting out little sighs and shaking their heads in disappointment whenever one of them broke something or they came home soaked and covered in mud from the river near Katsuki's house. He remembers Uncle Masaru once saying that they’d be a force to be reckoned with some day and if Izuku gets his way he’ll make sure those words are something they live by.
“But at the age of four the blond boy developed a power stronger than any he had ever seen before. He felt powerful. Superior. And he let it all get to his head.”
Izuku turns his head slightly, staring at Katsuki's profile. His eyes are still open, staring up at the top of the tent intently. He’s avoiding Izuku's gaze but it does nothing to hide the sight of guilt and regret in those bright rubies. And suddenly Izuku realizes, this isn’t just a story. It’s an admission. It’s acknowledgement. It’s an apology. And it’s something they both need.
“So what happened to the green haired boy?” Izuku finds himself asking, a soft whisper in the sudden silence.
“Well, he didn’t get a power of his own. So he got left behind.” Katsuki says.
Izuku shuts his eyes and nods. “Why? Why would the blond boy leave him behind? They were best friends.”
His voice cracks slightly on the question but neither of them mention it. He opens his eyes again, staring back up at the blond with pain but so much patience in his gaze. He wants to know. He needs this. He can live without the closure, sure. As long as he has Katsuki by his side again he’ll be happy. But yet, his heart pounds in anticipation. He just wants to understand.
“Because he was an idiot. Because he thought he was better than the green haired boy. Because he blamed his friend for their broken dreams.” Katsuki explains.
“What?”
“The boys wanted to be heroes. Together. And when one gained power and the other didn’t, the blond boy thought that meant they couldn’t do it anymore. He thought it meant they couldn’t be together like they always had been. So he pushed the green haired boy away. He yelled at him and hurt him and called him mean names. And ya know what the green haired boy did?”
Izuku hums softly. He knows. Of course he knows. But he still asks. “What did he do, Kachaan?’
And finally, those beautiful red eyes meet his own emeralds. “He stayed.”
Izuku stares for a moment, finding himself lost in the familiar soft gaze. He wants to reach out. Wants to cup Katsuki's flawless cheeks and say yes. Yes, of course he stayed. There’s nowhere else he wants to be. But he doesn’t. Instead he turns on his side and slides a hand up under his own head comfortably. He smiles softly.
“The green haired boy sounds like an idiot.”
Katsuki snorts and turns his head again. “Total idiot. Not a single brain cell up there.”
“Mean to me.”
“Can I keep going?” Izuku nods slightly, still staring.
“So the green haired boy never quite got the memo that the blond asshole didn’t want him around anymore. He kept following the blond boy around like some lost little puppy, even when the blond made him cry and told him how much he hated the green haired boy.”
Katsuki lets out a tiny little sigh and rolls his eyes fondly, a barely there smile gracing his pretty face and Izuku can’t help but swoon.
“And then one day when the boys were around eight the blond boy tried to use his power against his old friend. He had done it before, burned him with little explosions and tried to pretend that the tears in the green haired boy's eyes didn’t kill him every time.”
“Kachaan-”
“Shut up. Quit interrupting.” Katsuki offers a tiny glare and Izuku mimes zipping his lips and tossing the key.
“When the explosion came for the green haired boy he threw his hands up protectively and suddenly the heat just disappeared.”
Izuku thinks back to the day his quirk came in. They were at the park and he wanted so badly to play heroes with Katsuki and his friends. He remembers how Katsuki was getting slowly angrier but he had ignored it in favor of continuing to follow his friend around and whining about how much he missed playing the game. Katsuki had lost his temper, shoved a hot hand toward Izuku and on instinct he took a step back and brought his hands up in front of him. The hand wrapped around his wrist but the heat never joined. And the second they realized what happened Katsuki turned on his heel and raced out of the park without a word.
“Turned out, the green haired boy had a power the whole time. One just as strong as the blonds- and don’t you dare disagree you little shit.” Izuku huffs but says nothing.
“The blond, he didn’t know how to feel about any of it. He realized how much of an asshole he had been. He was overcome with guilt and regret but he had no idea how to fix any of it. He wanted his best friend back but he didn’t feel like he deserved that.”
For a second Izuku thinks he sees tears brimming in the corners of Katsuki's eyes. But then they both blink and the sight is gone. Katsuki takes a deep breath and Izuku resists the urge to reach over and take his hand. He wants to reassure his friend, remind him that he’s forgiven, but he doesn’t. It’s not what Katsuki needs right now and Izuku sincerely doubts it’s what the blond wants.
“So instead of apologizing he just kept his distance for a while. He wallowed in his guilt and ignored the green haired boy. He stopped hurting him but he never tried to help when others hurt him instead. He watched, for years, as the light slowly faded from the green haired boy's eyes and he hated himself for missing it because he knew that it was all his fault.”
Izuku swallows the lump in his throat and blinks the tears from his own eyes. He never knew just how regretful Katsuki was. He never noticed how much Katsuki grew to hate himself for his past behavior. He can’t help but think about how if Katsuki had just talked to him they both could’ve been spared the pain. But he also can’t deny that Katsuki has always struggled with being honest about his feelings. There’s no point in dwelling on the past. Izuku is just grateful that his friend is opening up now, in his own way.
“Eventually the two boys got accepted to a hero school. They were finally achieving that dream they had always wanted. And at first, the blond boy still pushed his old friend away. But then he realized, what the fuck is the point anymore?”
Katsuki throws his hands up slightly, glaring up at the mesh ceiling. “What the fuck is the point in hating y-him? In hating him. What’s the point when I’m the one that was in the wrong in the first place?”
“Kachaan…you know I never hated you. Right? I never blamed you.”
“You should have. God, Deku. You fucking should have. Tell me you don’t have scars. Tell me you don’t have nightmares. Tell me you were never afraid of me.”
Izuku doesn’t. He knows he can’t. Still, he shakes his head. “I don’t. Not anymore. If I did, I wouldn’t be here now.”
“Tch. Whatever. I ain’t fuckin done.”
Izuku sighs softly but nods for him to continue.
“The boys went through some wack ass shit together. Bunch of villains obsessed with them like some weird homicidal, yandere type shit.”
Izuku barks a laugh at that, turning to bury his face in the pillows. He’s suddenly reminded of Toga, how she had been so obsessed with both Izuku and Ochako. It was certainly weird but Izuku always just reminded himself that it was the least worrying thing about any of the shit they went through in their first year at UA.
“And over time the two boys started getting closer again. They started fighting together instead of fighting each other. Slowly, they started becoming friends again.”
Katsuki turns to look at Izuku as he pries his face out of the pillows. “Selfishly, the blond boy doesn’t think it’s enough.”
It was a whisper, but in the silence Izuku hears it. His breath catches in his throat, eyes wide. He bites his lower lip slightly and glances at Katsuki's lips briefly. He hopes he isn’t reading too much into the soft spoken words. Hopes he isn’t about to make a fool out of himself with his own soft spoken reply.
“And, what if the green haired boy doesn’t think it’s enough either?” He asks.
Katsuki's jaw clenches slightly and he finally turns on his side, facing Izuku. They’re closer now, somehow having shifted further into the space between them. Katsuki shifts an arm out of his sleeping bag and reaches up to tuck a green curl out of Izuku's face. Then that warm hand cups his cheek gently and Izuku can’t help but lean into the touch.
“Well, then I guess we’ll just have to wait and see how the story ends.”
Izuku swallows slowly and nods, never once taking his eyes off the boy in front of him. They both stare for a long, silent moment before Katsuki slowly pulls his hand away. He lifts his arm invitingly and Izuku wastes no time in scooting closer. It’s mildly uncomfortable with the sleeping bags surrounding them but they manage to make it work. And as an arm wraps protectively around his waist as Izuku's own arms press against a broad chest he can’t help but feel like this is where he belongs.
–
They wake up slowly the next morning. A gentle hand rubs his back as Izuku slowly returns to reality. He lets out a soft noise of content, burying himself further into the warmth beside him. Katsuki chuckles softly, moving his hand up to tug at a lock of hair and pulling a tired whine from Izuku.
“Wakey, wakey nerd. If we don’t get up soon the hag will barge in here and see us cuddling.”
“You gotta stop calling your mom a hag, Kachaan. It’s not nice.”
“Whatever. Get up. And dress for a hike today.”
They both reluctantly pull away, heading to their respective duffles and sneaking small peeks at each other while they change. By the time they emerge from their tent breakfast is ready and Mitsuki is actively marching her way over to wake them up. She pauses when she spots them, eyes squinted dangerously. Izuku just shuffles awkwardly like he’s been caught with Katsuki's tongue down his throat or something before following his- whatever Katsuki is to him now- as he marches his way over to the food.
“Morning mama.” Izuku says, kissing her cheek before grabbing himself a plate.
“Good morning sweetheart. Sleep well?” Inko asks.
Izuku glances at Katsuki, briefly making eye contact before they both look away. He nods. “Yep. like a baby.”
They eat breakfast, a simple meal of scrambled eggs and bacon, before quickly cleaning up and grabbing backpacks for a hike. Masaru and Mitsuki take the lead, Inko staying close to her two friends. Katsuki walks beside Izuku, arms brushing every so often as they walk the trail. It’s still early, a slight breeze rustling the trees every so often. It’s peaceful. And Izuku can’t help but stop in the middle of the path and tilt his head up to the sky, eyes closed and enjoying the early morning sun.
It’s silent for several minutes. He shudders as the breeze rushes through him. A hand rests on his arm but neither of them speaks just yet. They just exist together, soaking in the peace. Their parents' voices grow distant and Izuku vaguely thinks maybe he should snap back to reality soon before they end up getting left behind. Katsuki’s still with him, standing steady at his side and waiting patiently. He smiles softly and peeks his eyes open, glancing sideways and immediately making eye contact.
Red might just be his favorite color.
“Hi.” He whispers.
“Hey.” Katsuki whispers back. “Good?”
“Yeah. I’m good. Sorry.”
Katsuki shakes his head and says nothing. Izuku takes one last deep breath, holding onto this moment for only a second longer, before taking a step forward. Katsuki steps with him, his hand moving from his arm to his hand and lacing their fingers together loosely. If he wanted, Izuku could pull his hand away whenever. He could reject the affection, reject Katsuki. But he doesn’t. Couldn’t even dream of it. And soon every step they take tightens that grip on his hand until there's a comfortable pressure reminding him that last night something between them shifted.
Looking back, there’s always been something unspoken between him and Katsuki. Even during the toxic parts of their relationship there was something just below the surface. A quiet buzz between them. This odd sort of pull drawing them closer no matter how much they tried to pull away. Like magnets. Like moths to a flame. It was always just them, side by side. Together.
Maybe that’s why it was always so easy to forgive Katsuki's terrible behavior. He’d look up at Katsuki with tears in his eyes but a smile on his face. ‘It’s ok Kachaan. It doesn’t hurt too much. We can still play.’ There was always some excuse of the tip of his tongue. Even when Izuku began to fear Katsuki, pulling away far enough for his mother to put her foot down about camping trips, he’d still follow from a distance. His eyes never once left his old friend.
And now he hopes Katsukis will stay on him as well.
“We go home tomorrow.” Katsuki suddenly points out.
“Yeah. Sucks that our parents couldn’t get time off.”
“Yeah well, this year was a little last minute.”
“How come?”
Katsuki doesn’t answer at first. His grip on Izuku’s hand tightens briefly and Izuku draws his eyes up from their feet on the path to look at him. Katsuki’s got his lower lip drawn between his teeth, a barely there blush coating his cheeks. He turns his head away, mumbling slightly, and Izuku furrows his brows. Is he embarrassed?
“What was that, Kachaan?”
Katsuki sighs. “I said, we only came this year cause of you.”
Izuku blinks a few times in confusion. “What?”
“After you and Auntie stopped coming to camping trips we sorta just stopped doin em. Wasn’t the same without you guys I guess. I invited you guys and then asked if we could do a trip this year.”
“You- wait so the trip wasn’t planned until I agreed to come?”
“Pretty much. Just kinda figured, I dunno, we were getting closer. Thought it might be nice. Old times sake or whatever.”
Izuku smiles softly, suddenly overwhelmed with a swell of affection, and squeezes Katsuki's hand gently. Boldly, he leans up on his tip toes and presses a soft kiss to Katsuki’s cheek, watching with a smile as the blush on his friend's cheeks deepens. Katsuki turns to look at him, his freehand coming up to touch the spot Izuku just kissed.
“I missed this too, Kachaan. And I promise I’ll never miss another camping trip again.”
“Oi! Quit being gay and hurry the fuck up, you two! We’re almost to the break point.”
Katsuki throws a glare at his mother as a deep flush paints Izuku’s cheeks. They step away from each other, their hands disconnecting in the process, and quickly catch up to their parents. Inko giggles at them softly, making Izuku blush even more. He wants to glare but he can’t bring himself to aim any aggression toward his mama. Besides, she would just tell him that he looks like a grumpy bunny again and Izuku really doesn’t think he could survive that comparison right now.
They make their way to a flat peak on a cliff halfway through the hiking path. Inko pulls a blanket out of her backpack and lays it out under some trees while Mitsuki helps Masaru unpack their lunches. Izuku reaches for a sandwich and a granola bar, water already in the side of his pack. But before he can make contact the two packages are settled in his palm. Another hand wraps around his wrist and tugs him up off the ground, mumbling for Mitsuki to fuck off as she opens her mouth for a tease. And then he’s tugged along, stumbling behind Katsuki as he’s dragged to the cliff edge.
Katsuki wouldn’t throw Izuku over the edge, would he?
They sit down on the edge, feet dangling over as their shoulders press together while they eat. It’s a beautiful view, acres and acres of deep green trees. A long, familiar river breaking them apart as it flows freely through the ocean of green. Izuku remembers swimming in that river as a child, splashing Katsuki and laughing at the miserable look on his face as his ashy hair dripped down his chubby cheeks. He glances at the blond, a small fond smile on his face, and wonders if that same pout would show if he did it again.
“Later, after our parents go to bed, come on a walk with me. I’ll tell you how the story ends.” Katsuki says, never taking his eyes off the view below.
“Ok Kachaan. I can’t wait to hear it.”
After lunch they finish their hike. Izuku refrains from any more sudden stops to enjoy the sun. He stays close to Katsuki the entire time, trading little teases and old childhood memories. There’s a brief moment where the group has to stop because a playful shrug turned into a heated little spar that Izuku thinks maybe Aizawa would be proud of. Mitsuki, however, is not Aizawa. And they spend the last bits of their hike getting random lectures about when it’s appropriate to be ‘damn fools.’
Masaru and Mitsuki make dinner that night, a chili that leaves Izuku's mouth burning and his poor mom crying from the spice. He pats her back in sympathy. If he hadn’t been living with Katsuki's cooking since halfway through first year he’d probably be crying too. Clean up is quick and they spend some time loading up anything they won’t need through the night into the two cars. Izuku wishes they could stay at the campsite for a few more days but he doesn’t complain. He’s just grateful they got to do this again after so many years.
‘We only came this year cause of you.’
“What’s got you smiling so much?”
“Huh? O-oh uh nothing mama. Just happy. It’s nice out here.”
“Yes it is. Are you sure you don’t just think that because of Katsuki?”
She nudges his shoulder playfully and chuckles at the sight of his deep flush. Izuku waves his hands slightly with a sputter, though he doesn’t try to deny it. They saw the hand holding, the cheek kiss, the way they sat together at the cliff. There’s no point in trying to hide his affections for his friend, least of all from his mother. She’s always supported him, no matter what. She won’t stop now. Izuku just worries about the shovel talk Katsuki might get if this works out.
“I’m happy for you Izu. And so unbelievably proud. I can not wait to see the man you grow into.”
Izuku tears up slightly but for once, he doesn’t cry. His mama opens her arms and Izuku is quick to accept the warm hug he’s always loved. Comforting arms wrap around him as he buries his face in her long, straight hair. This woman, this absolute angel, has given her life to make Izuku happy. And he will gladly give his own in return to make her proud.
“Thanks mama. I love you.”
“Oh my baby. I love you too. More than anything. Don’t you ever forget that.”
“I could never forget that mama.”
When they pull away Inko has tears of her own in her eyes. Izuku wipes them away without a second thought, the action only bringing more tears to her eyes. Izuku smiles down at her as Mitsuki comes over to drag her off to bed. The blond woman offers Izuku an approving smile and lets him know the fire is ready to be put out before pulling his crying mama away. Izuku heads back over to the fire, Katsuki waiting nearby. He’s watching Izuku, a small fond smile on his face, and Izuku notices the hoodie in his hand.
“Here. put the fire out and then let’s go.”
Izuku nods and accepts the familiar AllMight hoodie. For a moment, he thinks it’s his own. But then he remembers that he never packed his AllMight hoodie and he blushes slightly as he tugs Katsuki's hoodie over his head. Mirroring his actions from the night before, he holds out a hand and waits for the last ember to snuff out before turning back to Katsuki and letting the blond take his hand and lead him toward the treeline.
They walk through the trees for a while, hand in hand and completely silent. A cool breeze breeches the long sleeves of the hoodie and Izuku shivers as he subconsciously leans into Katsuki's side. His friend shifts, lifting an arm and wrapping it around Izuku's shoulders. Delightfully, their hands don’t separate. Izuku gives his hand a small grateful squeeze as they walk only a few more yards further and stop to sit on a fallen tree.
They sit in silence for a while, leaning into each other's sides with Izuku tucked comfortably under a strong arm. He inhales deeply, enjoying the smell of fresh air and nitroglycerin. He looks back up to the sky, admiring the stars as he had done the night before. Maybe some day, well into the future when he’s old and retired and lived a life he can be proud of, he’ll find a small cabin near the camp grounds and live out the rest of his days in the calm quiet with a dog or two and the stars in the sky every night.
“So, the end of the story.” Katsuki eventually says.
Izuku hums softly, head on Katsuki's shoulder now as he continues to stargaze. “Yeah. They were becoming friends again.”
“Yeah. But the blond boy didn’t think it was enough.”
“Mmhm. So what does he do about it?”
“Well, for a while he just accepts things as they are. He doesn’t think that the green haired boy could feel the same way about him, not after everything the blond put him through. But then he starts to notice things.”
“Notice things?”
“Mm. He notices how the green haired boy lights up when he enters the room. The way he always stares with these stupid little heart eyes. The way his smile turns softer and more gentle when they speak. And it gives the blond boy hope.”
“But why? It sounds like the green haired boy always did those things.”
“He did, but the blond boy never noticed before.”
“Never noticed what?”
Izuku turns his eyes away from the stars, shifting instead to stare up at Katsuki. His friend is already looking at him, head tilted down and a softness to his features that Izuku is growing used to. It’s then that he realizes how close they are. He can feel Katsuki's breath against his lips as their noses brush slightly. And for once he doesn’t feel the need to pull away. He doesn’t want to put distance between them anymore. Not when he’s already right where he belongs.
“The love.”
Izuku swallows as tears brim his eyes. He nods, a silent confirmation he knows Katsuki doesn’t need. He’s never looked at Katsuki with anything short of love and adoration. Even when cowering in fear at the blonds feet. Even when he kept his distance. Even when he thought Katsuki hated him. He could never bring himself to feel anything other than pure, unconditional love.
“So then what happened?” He whispers.
“The blond boy asked him to go on a camping trip with their families. And he told a story he had been wanting to share since he was a little boy. He let himself be selfish. He held the green haired boy while they slept, hoping he could one day hold that boy in his arms every day for the rest of their lives. He held his hand during a hike and looked for every opportunity to watch his old friend the same way his friend watched him their whole lives. He watched him with love.”
Izuku's breath catches slightly and his eyes dart down to Katsuki's soft looking lips. “And then? How does the story end?”
“It ends…it ends with a kiss, under the stars. And then, hopefully, forever.”
And when Katsuki leans forward, closing the gap between them, Izuku can only let his eyes flutter shut as lips meet his own in a soft, tender kiss. A warm hand cups his cheek and Izuku's own comes up to rest on Katsuki's beating heart. Another breeze passes through them but this time it goes unnoticed. Izuku presses forward, deepening the kiss for only a moment before he pulls away and rests their foreheads together gently. A small, giddy little smile stretches across his face and he giggles like a lovesick school girl.
“Forever sounds like the perfect ending.”