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"Izuku, come on!" Ochako whined, gently pulling on Izuku knitted jumper. "We hardly do anything nowadays- you're always so busy studying."
"I have midterms coming up Uraraka." He replied, ignoring the shaking of his arm growing frantically faster. He didn't look up from his dorm room desk, textbooks and empty coffee cups scattered across the surface.
He briefly wondered what time of day it was. How long had he been studying?
"Everyone has midterms coming up, but we're still taking breaks." She insisted, her pout audible in her voice. "Even Iida's taking a break and that's saying something."
The mention of Iida 'taking a break' made Izuku's pen pause.
She was right, they were hardly spending any time together recently, but he couldn't help it. He needed to be prepped and ready for this exam. He supposed if Iida, the hard headed class president could take a break, he could as well.
"Alright." he sighed, caving in.
Ochako's face lit up, she let go of his jumper, and in a fit of excitement she spun his chair around in circles. "Let's go to that restaurant Kaminari recommended!"
Izuku was nearly flung out of the chair, grabbing onto the desk for safety. "Alright, alright!"
By the time they met up with Iida and Tsuyu along the way, Ochako was buzzing with energy. Izuku was jealous to say the least. She seemed to breeze through every lesson, every exam and still managed to find time for her friends, gym and the occasional uni party.
"So Uraraka, this restaurant..." Izuku inquired.
They were entering the town center, all the hustle and bustle of couples and families shopping rushing passed them.
The noise of the cars driving by and people talking loudly with each other made Izuku hide his growing discomfort behind his thick frame glasses. He tended to avoid crowded places for this reason.
"It just opened up a month ago." Tsuyu said. "I heard it's getting popular- a lot of my class have eaten there."
Iida nodded along, pushing up his glasses. "Yes! Their ratings are quite impressive online, even my brother recommended it."
That's another thing, even Iida's older brother found the time to recommend restaurant's.
What was Izuku doing with his life? Stuck inside, studying away while everyone else was living. Maybe Ochako was right, maybe he did need this break.
When they entered the mall the restaurant was unmissable.
It stood snugly between a bookstore and a modest cafe. The glass front was covered in posters advertising new meal deals, and inside, people were sat around the tables eating, talking and laughing.
"Here we are!" Ochako squealed, grabbing Izuku's arm and pulling him towards the front door. "Let's go!"
The atmosphere inside was even more lively than he first thought.
The loud rock music playing overhead made him squint his eyes in discomfort. It was a good song but why was it so loud? More noise of the customers, chanting and laughing belted out around the restaurant and Izuku cast his eyes around the place.
The style was similar to a 1940s American diner, typical red and white squared lino flooring, classic red shiny bar and seats with neon lights shaped like flames and musical notes plastered on the walls.
All in all, it looked nice.
A guy with red spiky hair approached them with a wide, toothy grin. He was balancing a tower of plates on one arm with a notepad in his other hand like a pro. "Welcome to Flamin' Grill! Table for four?"
Iida stepped forward, hand chopping the air. "Yes, thank you. A table for four please."
The guy nodded. "Just so you guys are aware, here at Flamin' Grill are a unique type of restaurant. My job is to make sure everyone here knows that-"
Uraraka's frantic waving hands stopped the guy from speaking. "We know, we've all been here before!"
Izuku raised an eyebrow.
Hadn't she just said she'd never been before?
The guy seemed to understand, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "I get you. This way!"
He lead them to a booth tucked in the corner, giving them a somewhat clear view of the rest of the restaurant.
As they slid into the plush red seats, the smell of sizzling meat and frying onions enveloped them, making Izuku's stomach rumble. The menu was a vibrant explosion of color and bold fonts, promising burgers that could "set your tongue on fire" and milkshakes "taller than your dreams." It was intriguing to say less.
Ochako was already vibrating with excitement, pointing at pictures of towering burgers and monstrous fries. "Look at this one, Deku! The Inferno Challenge! If you finish it in under ten minutes, it's free and you get your picture on the Wall of Flame!"
Izuku followed her finger to a photo of a burger that seemed impossibly large, layered with bacon, jalapeños and what looked like a sauce that was literally smoking.
"I think I'll pass on that one." He said, already feeling a headache brewing from the music and noise.
"Me too." Tsuyu added, her long fingers trailing down the laminated menu. "I'm not a big fan of spicy food."
Iida was examining the menu with the intensity of a legal document, occasionally pushing up his glasses. "The nutritional information is surprisingly comprehensive. I appreciate their transparency."
Izuku couldn't help but smile. Leave it to Iida to analyze the nutritional content of a burger restaurant menu.
The spiky-haired waiter returned, setting down four glasses of water with practiced efficiency. "Your waiter will be with you soon." He gave a wink to Ochako who giggled in reply. Izuku sensed something fishy, like they had a joke he wasn't included in.
He should've been suspicious at that moment but decided to ignore it in favor of pulling the menu closer to his face, trying to block out all the other customers.
"Well, well, well what do we have here?" A rough voice commented. "A table of nerds."
Izuku's head snapped up so fast he almost got whiplash to glare at the person who spoke until he realized their waiter was standing at their table.
Had the waiter just called them... nerds?
The waiter in question had spiky ash blonde hair and sharp crimson eyes that seemed to pierce right through whoever dared look in them. He wore a simple black uniform with the restaurant's logo – a cartoon flame with a devil's tail – embroidered on the chest pocket. A name tag reading "Katsuki" was pinned crookedly to it.
Katsuki smirked, tapping his pen against his order pad. "What's it gonna be? Or are you just gonna stare at the menu's all day like a bunch of lost puppies?"
Ochako's face went red but she didn't seem phased. "We're ready to order!"
"Good 'cause I ain't got all day, cheeks." Katsuki leaned against their booth, radiating an energy that was equal parts intimidating and strangely captivating. "Start talkin'."
Iida, ever the formal one, cleared his throat. "I would like..." He paused for a moment.
And then another moment.
The table was silent- waiting-
"Oh my god!" Katsuki groaned, slamming his pad down onto the table. "Spit it out, four eyes."
Iida began stuttering, his hands chopping the air in frantic motions. "I-I apologize, I seem to have..." He trailed off, face flushing a deep crimson.
"Takin' too damn slow! How about you, pink cheeks?" Katsuki turned his attention to Ochako, who was now trying to hide her smile behind her menu. "Or are you just gonna giggle the entire time?"
"I'll have the-" She stammered, her eyes wide with what looked like a mix of fear and fascination. "The Firecracker Burger! Please."
Katsuki snorted, scribbling something on his pad. "Bold choice. And you, frog girl?"
Tsuyu, to her credit, remained calm. "I'll have the Garden Hop Salad and a lemonade."
"Boring." Katsuki grumbled but wrote it down anyway.
Uraraka took that as her opportunity to speak to him.
"So your name is Katsuki?" She asked with a grin.
"Do you have eyes?" He grumbled sarcastically back.
Izuku was appalled by the behavior he was witnessing.
It was unacceptable and he couldn't understand why his friends were putting up with it!
He looked over at Ochako and Tsuyu who seemed to be more amused than offended.
He felt anger slowly rising up inside as his friends continued to ask the waiter questions and for him to reply in that sarcastic tone with that smug smile, it grated on Izuku's last nerve.
"How long have you worked here?" Tsuyu asked.
"You wanna stalk me or somthin'? Want my home address too?"
Izuku had enough.
He took a deep breath to try and control himself.
He didn't want to cause a scene, especially not here- where everyone else seemed to be having a good time.
But he also wasn't going to sit there and let this guy treat his friends like that.
He looked up at the waiter, his green eyes flashing with determination.
"Excuse me." Izuku said, his voice quiet but firm. "I'm not sure if this is your idea of a joke or if you're just naturally this rude but I'm not going to sit here and listen to you talk to my friends like that."
The table went silent.
The rock music overhead seemed to fade into the background.
Even the noisy chatter of the other customers seemed to die down, leaving only the sound of Izuku's heartbeat pounding in his ears.
Ochako's eyes were wide, a mix of shock and a little bit of admiration on her face. Iida's mouth was hanging open, and even Tsuyu looked surprised.
Katsuki stared at him, his red eyes narrowing.
For a moment, Izuku thought he was going to explode, maybe even throw his notepad at him.
But instead, a slow, predatory grin spread across his face.
"Oh, we got a brave one, don't we?" he said, his voice dropping to a low growl. "What are you gonna do about it, nerd?"
Izuku didn't back down. "I'm going to ask for a different waiter and I'm going to speak to your manager." Was that enough? He took a look at the smug looking smile still plastered on Katsuki's face and retracked his statement. "Or I can write a very detailed one-star review online!" Not much of a threat but at least he tried.
"Deku." Uraraka spoke, but he was too busy burning holes into the waiters eyes.
Words were fuzzy in his ears.
She repeated his name again.
With his eyes still burning over the edge of his menu he heard her this time. "Deku- it's fine! It's what the restaurant does."
He blinked, finally breaking eye contact and looking at her. "What?"
Ochako lowered her voice, leaning in close to him. "It's a theme, Deku. They're supposed to be mean, all the waiters are. It's a 'rude service' diner."
Izuku's mind reeled. A rude service diner? That was a thing?
He looked around the restaurant again, really looked this time.
He noticed the other waiters, all of them with a similar swagger, all of them delivering insults with a smirk. He saw a table of girls giggling as their waiter told them their order was stupid. He saw an old man cackling as his waitress called him a grandpa. It was all part of the show.
His face flushed with heat.
He felt like an idiot.
A complete and total idiot.
He had just made a huge fool out of himself, and worse, he had done it in front of everyone.
"Oh." Was all he could say, the word barely a whisper.
He finally lowered the menu, his shoulders slumping in defeat.
Katsuki let out a loud, barking laugh that turned the heads of several nearby tables. "Look at this guy! Didn't read the fine print did you, 'Deku'?" He drew out the nickname, letting it hang in the air.
"I... I didn't know." Izuku mumbled, refusing to meet anyone's eyes.
He just wanted to sink into the red vinyl of the booth and disappear.
"Can you blame him?" Tsuyu said, her calm voice a welcome relief in the tense atmosphere. "It's a pretty unusual concept for a restaurant."
Iida, having recovered from his shock, straightened up, his usual serious expression back on his face. "Indeed! While I must admit, the execution is... commendable in its commitment, I believe a more prominent disclosure of this... 'theme' upon entry would be beneficial for customer satisfaction!"
Katsuki rolled his eyes so hard Izuku was worried they might get stuck. "Yeah, yeah, whatever, four eyes. You can write a one star review later." He turned his attention back to Izuku, a triumphant smirk still plastered on his face at recycling his comment from before. "What you havin'?"
Izuku's mind went blank.
He hadn't even had a chance to look at the menu properly.
His eyes darted to the colorful page, but the words were just a blur, he was too flustered, too embarrassed to think straight.
"Uh..." He stammered, feeling the heat creep up his neck. "I'll just have a cheeseburger... and fries?"
"Wow, living on the edge there, aren't we?" Katsuki scoffed, scribbling on his pad.
The other three leaned forward, waiting for a mean comment but none came.
"Anything else?"
Izuku just shook his head, unable to form another word.
"Alright." Katsuki snapped his pad shut and tucked it into his apron gave them one last, dismissive glance before turning on his heel and stomping off towards the kitchen, muttering something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like "amateurs."
The silence that settled over their table was heavy.
Ochako was the first to break it, reaching across the table to pat Izuku's arm. "Hey, it's okay, really. I should've told you sooner. I'm sorry."
Izuku managed a weak smile. "No, it's my fault. I overreacted. I just... I thought he was being genuinely horrible to you guys."
"It's an interesting form of entertainment, I'll give them that." Iida said, adjusting his glasses. "Though the 'rude service' model certainly has its drawbacks, as we've just witnessed."
Tsuyu sipped her water. "It's all about the thrill, I guess. Like a scary movie. You know it's not real, but you still get the thrill."
Izuku nodded, trying to see it from their perspective.
He could sort of understand the appeal but he'd always been used to being polite, growing up in a small town outside the city helped with that. His mother taught him from an early age to always speak kindly and with good manors to others.
This experience was... different to say the least.
Though, as he thought about it more... Katsuki certainly had the look of a mean guy.
It was horrible for Izuku to think that but the way Katsuki was conducting himself, strutting around like he owned the place- his manner of speaking- the insults being sprayed. It seemed a little too real.
And that smirk. That stupid, smug, smirk.
It was infuriating.
But also kind of impressive? At least he was committed to the act.
"Okay." He said, taking a deep breath. "It's a theme. I'm on board now."
Ochako's face lit up. "Yay! See? This'll be fun!"
"Why didn't Katsuki insult your order like ours?" Tsuyu asked innocently.
Izuku paused, he hadn't thought about that. "Maybe he ran out of steam?"
"Or maybe he was intimidated by your heroic stand, Deku!" Ochako said, striking a dramatic pose.
Izuku couldn't help but laugh at that, the tension finally starting to dissipate. "Yeah, right. More like he felt sorry for me."
As if summoned by their conversation, a different waitress appeared at their table.
She had deep purple hair that shielded most of her face, two nose rings, an eyebrows piercing and a plethora of lip piercings. Her name tag read "Jiro."
"Here are your drinks." She said, out stretching her tattooed arms and slamming each one on the table.
"Thank you!" Ochako cheerfully replied, watching Jirou roll her eyes and walk away.
When she was out of ear shot Ochako spoke again. "I now know why Kaminari comes here."
It wasn't a secret, it was Kaminari after all. Nothing was secret around him. His 'type' was the exact description of Jirou.
Izuku felt sorry for her- she was just trying to do her job, she didn't need someone like Kaminari coming here to harass her.
As if he could read Izuku's mind, Iida started to talk. "Speaking of Kaminari, I hope he doesn't cause any trouble for the staff here." Iida took a sip of the water, his expression thoughtful. "His... forwardness might be misinterpreted in this environment."
"We should set him up with her!" Ochako whispered, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Imagine their dynamic. Insults and compliments at the same time, it would be chaos."
The conversation was lost on Izuku's ears.
He was still thinking about that moment with Katsuki.
Why did he stop insulting him? Was he just trying to find an opening to see how much he could get away with? Maybe he was trying to find new ways to annoy him?
"Alright. Deku, spill." Ochako said, leaning forward and resting her chin on her hands. "What's got you so deep in thought? Still embarrassed?"
"No." He said, a little too quickly.
As if she knew the answer already by his reply she smirked further. "You still thinking about our dear waiter?" She sang the words. "Got a little crush, do we?"
Izuku's face burned. "What? No! Of course not! I was just... thinking."
"Thinking about what?" Ochako pushed, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "Thinking about his dreamy eyes? Or maybe that smirk? You were staring for a while."
"I was not!" Izuku insisted, pushing his glasses up his nose. "I was just... analyzing the situation."
"Analyzing, huh?" Ochako leaned back, a satisfied smile on her face. "Sure you were."
He knew she was teasing but she was kinda right, there was a part of him that felt a strange pull towards the waiter.
It wasn't a crush.
At least he didn't think it was.
It was something else.
Why was Katsuki so good at being mean? And why, for a brief, horrifying and yet strangely thrilling moment, did a part of Izuku actually enjoy it?!
The arrival of their food broke the spell he was under.
Ochako's eyes never left him as she watched him interact with Katsuki, who looked busier than he did before.
The blonde skillfully balanced all their plates on his two arms as he swayed in and out of the different tables before sliding the plates onto each persons area.
Izuku, ignoring Ochako's eyes smiled at the sight.
He hadn't realized just how hungry he was until he saw the burger and fries in front of him.
"May I get some ketchup, please?" Iida innocently asked, picking at his fries and popping one in his mouth.
"Do I look like your personal slave?" Katsuki shot back, a scowl etched onto his face. "Get it yourself."
Izuku rolled his eyes and began to stand up from his place. "I'll get it- I want some too."
Before Izuku could fully get up and start moving around the built in table of the booth Katsuki spoke. "Ugh, would you just sit down." He said, his voice low and gruff but for the second time that afternoon, it was devoid of its usual malice.
Izuku sat down automatically, his heart pounding.
And then, to everyone's surprise, Katsuki turned on his heel, went to the kitchen and returned a moment later with a full bottle of ketchup.
He slammed it down on the table in front of Izuku before catching his eye, holding his gaze for a fraction of a second too long.
Izuku almost couldn't hold his gaze and thankfully Katsuki grew bored and returned to serving.
"What was that about?" Tsuyu asked, her head tilted to the side, as she nibbled on a leaf of lettuce.
"Beats me." Ochako said, but her eyes were glued to Katsuki, who was now arguing with another table about their choice of burgers.
Izuku couldn't explain it.
The way Katsuki looked at him just then wasn't the look of disdain he had before.
It was something else, something he couldn't quite put his finger on.
He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. He was overthinking it. It was nothing. Just another part of the show.
As he took a bite of his cheeseburger, he couldn't help but sneak a peek at the waiter as he worked.
Katsuki was leaning against the shiny bar counter, scrolling through his phone with a look of bored indifference on his face.
Izuku turned his attention back to his friends, trying to focus on their conversation.
But he found that he couldn't.
His eyes kept drifting back to Katsuki.
He was a mystery that he couldn't solve and unfortunately Izuku had always been a sucker for a good puzzle.
He couldn't help but think about the way Katsuki looked at him.
He thought about the way he moved with a certain kind of grace and confidence that was both intimidating and strangely attractive.
He thought about the way he spoke, the way he used words like weapons but with a certain kind of finesse and artistry.
Izuku took another bite of his burger, the taste of the meat and cheese filling his senses, he sighed in satisfaction.
Would his friends ever want to come back? What would happen if he saw Katsuki again? Would he remember him?
The thought sent a thrill through him, a feeling of excitement and anticipation that he hadn't felt in a long time.
He shook his head again, that sounded creepy.
Ochako was talking loudly to Iida and Tsuyu, the only pair actively listening to her ranting.
The words were like blurred pages in a book to Izuku.
"Did you hear me?" A voice cut through his delusions, a low growl that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.
Izuku spun around to see Katsuki leaning against their booth, his arms crossed over his chest, his red eyes fixed on him, a look of intense concentration on his face.
"I... I'm sorry, what?" Izuku stammered, feeling a blush creep up his neck as he swallowed an unchewed piece of burger.
He felt it lodge in this throat but he was too flustered to cough so he held his breathe, face slowly growing redder.
"I asked if you were done with that?" Katsuki said, gesturing to Izuku's half-eaten burger. "Or are you just gonna stare at it all day?"
Unaware of Izuku's predicament he simply stared at him in silence, waiting for a reply.
Izuku simply shook his head in reply, unable to breathe.
"Right." Katsuki said dubiously, pushing himself off the booth. "Let me know when you're ready to join the land of the living, nerd."
He turned and walked away, leaving Izuku feeling a strange mix of embarrassment.
Once out of eye sight, Izuku hacked into a tissue until the burger dislodged from his wind pipe. He caught the eye of Ochako, who was watching him with a knowing smile.
"What?" He asked, a little defensively.
"Nothing." She said, her eyes twinkling. "Just looking."
Izuku sighed, picking at his fries.
He knew what she was thinking. He was thinking it too. And he hated to admit it, but she was right.
There was something about Katsuki, something that drew him in, something that made him want to know more.
"So, Deku." Ochako said, changing the subject. "Are you glad you came out with us?"
Izuku looked around the restaurant, at the lively atmosphere, at his friends who were laughing and joking.
He thought about the way he'd been holed up in his dorm room, surrounded by textbooks and empty coffee cups. "Yeah." He said, a small smile playing on his lips. "I am."
The next few days were a blur of lectures, library sessions and late-night study marathons.
Midterm exams were relentless, a tidal wave of information threatening to pull Izuku under.
He tried to focus, to immerse himself in the world of historical dates and chemical formulas, but his mind kept drifting.
It drifted back to the red vinyl booths, deafening rock music and a pair of crimson eyes.
It was distracting.
In the middle of Toshinori's lecture on medical economics, he’d find himself wondering what kind of music Katsuki listened to when he wasn’t forced to listen to the restaurant's playlist. While trying to refamiliarize himself with the periodic table, he’d catch himself analyzing the precise, almost aggressive way Katsuki slammed the ketchup bottle on the table.
"You're spacing out again." Shouto, one of his classmates said, nudging him with his elbow. "You're going to fail this midterm if you don't get your head in the game."
Izuku blinked, shaking his head to clear the thoughts. "Sorry. I'm just... tired."
Shouto didn't reply, simply gave him a look at said 'I don't believe you'.
Izuku tried to focus on the textbook in front of him but it was no use. The words were just a blur of black ink on white page.
He was thinking about a certain waiter again.
That's what bought him here, to the Flamin' Grill, alone.
He told himself he just needed a break from studying.
A greasy burger and a loud, distracting atmosphere was exactly what he needed to 'clear' his head before the big exam.
He wasn't here to see anyone in particular.
He just wanted a burger.
That was all.
But as he pushed open the heavy glass door of the restaurant, the familiar wave of heat and noise washing over him, he knew he was lying to himself.
His heart was pounding in his chest, a rhythm that had nothing to do with the rock music blasting from the speakers. His eyes scanned the restaurant, a desperate, hopeful search for a flash of spiky ash blonde hair.
And then he saw him.
He was wiping down a table, his back to Izuku. The muscles in his arms tense and defined.
He moved with a practiced ease, a certain kind of grace that made Izuku's stomach do the flip thing.
He took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves and took a moment to actually think. This was ridiculous. He was just a customer and Katsuki was just a waiter. There was nothing more to it than that.
He walked up to the host stand, a young girl with hair colour similar to Katsuki's stood grinning menicingly.
She had a look in her eyes that read, don't mess with me.
"Welcome to Flamin' Grill- hey, don't I know you?" She asked. Her name tag read 'Toga', she seemed welcoming enough but he's pretty sure he's never met her before.
"Oh- uh. I came here a couple days ago." He stuttered, scratching the back of his neck.
"You go to UA university, right?" She continued, clicking her fingers.
Honestly, he was starting to get a little creeped out and by the look on his face she must've realized she needed to explain herself. "I'm a friend of Ochako's."
Oh.
Ochako never mentioned a Toga to him before... unless. "Are you Himiko?" He said, a little too loudly.
He recalled Ochako telling him about her new 'friend' and admitting that she had a huge crush on the blonde girl since the beginning of their term.
She giggled. "The one and only! How is Chako?"
"Uh... She's good." He answered, a little confused as to why they were just talking like old friends in the middle of her shift. "Table for one please."
"Of course." She said, grabbing a menu and leading him to a small table in the middle of the restaurant. "Just so you know, this restaurant is different to the usual-"
Izuku's heart sank slightly. He was hoping for a booth in the corner, a place where he could observe, but this table was right in the middle of everything. He felt exposed, vulnerable.
Himiko seemed to notice his discomfort. "Is this okay?"
"It's fine." he said, forcing a smile.
"Alright, your waiter will be with you soon." She said, before skipping away.
Izuku took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves.
He was being silly. This was a good thing. Being in the middle of the restaurant meant he had a better view of everything.
He watched as Katsuki finished wiping down the table, throwing the rag over his shoulder with a flick of his wrist.
He turned around, and for a moment, their eyes met across the crowded room.
Izuku's breath caught in his throat.
Katsuki's expression didn't change, but Izuku could've sworn he saw a flicker of something in his eyes.
He started walking towards Izuku's table and his heart started pounding harder in his chest. He felt like a deer caught in the headlights, unable to move, unable to look away.
Katsuki stopped at his table, a smirk playing on his lips. "Look what the cat dragged in. Back for more punishment, are we?" He said, his voice a low growl.
"I... I just wanted a burger." Izuku mentally high fived himself for delivering the whole sentence.
Katsuki leaned in closer, his face just inches from Izuku's.
He could smell the faint scent of coffee and something else, something spicy and distinctly Katsuki. "A burger, huh? Is that what they're calling it these days?" He said, a teasing glint in his eye.
Izuku's face burned.
He felt like he was under a microscope, like Katsuki could see right through him, see all the secret thoughts he'd been having for the past week. "I'm just here to eat." He said, his voice a little too high.
"Sure you are." Katsuki said, straightening up. "What's it gonna be. The usual cheeseburger or are you gonna try something a little more exciting this time?"
Izuku's mind went blank.
He couldn't remember the name of a single burger on the menu.
All he could think about was the way Katsuki's eyes crinkled at the corners when he smirked.
"Uh..." he stammered, reaching for the menu. "I'll just have a minute."
Katsuki let out a sigh of exaggerated impatience. "Fine. But don't take all day. I've got other tables to torment."
He turned and walked away, leaving Izuku feeling a strange mix of relief and disappointment. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart.
He had to get a grip!
He was here for a burger, not for whatever this was...
He opened the menu, his eyes scanning the colorful page. He saw the Firecracker Burger, the Inferno Challenge, a whole list of burgers with names that sounded like they were designed to cause pain.
And then he saw it.
The Dynamite Burger. It was a double patty with pepper jack cheese, crispy onions, and a "secret explosive sauce."
It was the spiciest thing on the menu and the main star to the death challenege.
He didn't even like spicy food but he looked up and saw Katsuki leaning against the bar counter, watching him.
In that moment, Izuku knew what he had to do.
He closed the menu and waited.
Katsuki sauntered back over to the table, a bored expression on his face. "Made up your mind yet or do I need to come back with a wheelchair?"
"I'll have the Dynamite Burger." Izuku said, his voice surprisingly steady.
Katsuki's eyebrows shot up into his hair line. "The Dynamite.You sure about that? I don't think your delicate constitution can handle it."
"I'm sure." Izuku said, meeting Katsuki's gaze.
A slow, predatory grin spread across Katsuki's face. "Alright. One Dynamite Burger, coming right up. Don't say I didn't warn you."
He scribbled on his pad and walked away, leaving Izuku feeling a strange sense of accomplishment.
He had faced the challenge, and he had won.
Sort of...
He hadn't even eaten the burger yet.
He watched as Katsuki gave the order to the kitchen, the two of them sharing a look of what looked like genuine amusement.
Izuku's stomach churned with a mixture of anticipation and dread.
What had he gotten himself into? Why was he even doing this to begin with? To impress Katsuki?
He tried to distract himself by looking around the restaurant.
He saw Himiko teasing a group of guys at a nearby table, her laugh echoing over the rock music. He saw a family celebrating a birthday, the waiter presenting a flaming dessert with a flourish. He saw couples on dates, friends catching up, people living their lives.
And then he saw Katsuki walking back towards him, a plate in his hand.
The burger was even more intimidating than he imagined. It was a towering monstrosity of meat and cheese, the sauce dripping down the sides. It was a deep, angry red, and it seemed to be radiating heat.
"Here's your death wish." Katsuki said, setting the plate down in front of Izuku. "Try not to die on my watch. The paperwork's a bitch."
Izuku picked up the burger, his hands shaking slightly.
It was heavy, heavier than he expected.
He brought it to his lips, took a deep breath, and took a bite.
A wave of pure, unadulterated heat exploded in his mouth. It was like a volcano erupting on his tongue.
His eyes started to water, and his nose started to run. He could feel the sweat beading on his forehead.
He grabbed his glass of water and chugged half of it in one go, but it did little to quench the fire.
"Having fun yet?" Katsuki asked, leaning against the table, a smirk on his face.
Izuku couldn't speak.
He just nodded, his eyes wide with shock. He took another bite, and this one was even worse. His throat was burning, his stomach was churning. He felt like he was going to be sick.
He was in so much pain.
Actual, physical pain. And yet, he couldn't stop.
He took another bite and then another.
He was determined to finish it, to prove to Katsuki that he could handle it.
He was a man on a mission and a man on the verge of a complete and total meltdown.
"You're a glutton for punishment, aren't you?" Katsuki said.
Izuku looked up at him, his vision blurry with tears.
He could see something in Katsuki's eyes, a flicker of something that looked an awful lot like worry.
He probably looked gross.
Tears streaming down his face, which was a bright glaring red colour, hands wet and greasy with sweat and oil.
By the next bite he realised there were others surrounding him, he distantly heard through the crackle of his ears they were cheering him on.
On the last bite, he prayed to be swallowed whole by the planet.
And then, as suddenly as it started, it was over.
The pain subsided, replaced by a strange, euphoric warmth that spread through his entire body.
He felt alive, invigorated, powerful.
He'd done it.
He'd conquered the Dynamite Burger!
He looked up at Katsuki, a triumphant red lipped grin on his face.
Katsuki stared at him, his red eyes wide with shock and then, he did something that Izuku never would've expected.
He laughed.
It wasn't a sarcastic, mocking laugh. It was a real, genuine, barking laugh that filled the restaurant. "You're insane." He said, shaking his head. "Completely and totally insane."
Izuku just shrugged, a smug look on his face. "I'm just full of surprises." He said through hiccups.
Katsuki's laughter died down, but the smile remained on his face. "I'll say."
He looked at Izuku for a long moment, a strange, unreadable expression in his eyes.
Himoko rushed over with a digital camera in her hands. "Izuku- pose for your mug shot!"
He went to refuse before he felt Katsuki slide himself into the seat next to him, he shuffled their chairs closer so that they were snugly sitting next to each other.
What he did not expect was for Katsuki to throw his arm up and around his head.
The flash of the camera left white dots in Izuku's already blurred vision but he could still feel the heat of Katsuki's arm against the back of his neck.
"Here." Katsuki said, sliding a glass of milk across the table. "This'll help with the aftermath."
Izuku took a sip, the cool, creamy liquid a welcome relief to his burning throat. "Thanks." He said, his voice a little hoarse.
"No problem." Katsuki said, his gaze still fixed on him. "So, what's the verdict, was it worth it?"
Izuku thought for a moment. He thought about the pain, the tears, the sheer agony of it all.
Then he thought about the look on Katsuki's face, the sound of his laugh, the feeling of his body against his.
"Yeah." he said, a small smile playing on his lips. "It was."
The week after midterms was a blur of celebration and relief.
Izuku had somehow managed to pass all his exams, a feat he attributed more to luck than to actual knowledge. He'd spent so much time thinking about Katsuki that he'd barely had any time to study.
He tried to take the waiter out of his mind, to focus on his friends, on his classes, on anything other than a certain pair of crimson eyes.
But he always came crawling back.
"It's been ages since we last came here!" Ochako cheered, as they approached the restaurant. Tsuyu said she couldn't make it for lunch this time but after Izuku asked Shoto, he agreed to come. Izuku made sure to thoroughly warn him of the theme of the restaurant and although he didn't really understand, he understood not to take the things said seriously. Iida was, of course, early and already there waiting for them.
The familiar wave of heat washed over him as he pushed open the door.
He scanned the restaurant, a desperate, hopeful search for a flash of spiky ash blonde hair.
But he couldn't see him anywhere.
His heart sank a little.
He didn't know why he was so disappointed, he didn't even know if it was Katsuki's day off but a part of him had hoped to see him.
He tried to push the feeling aside, to focus on his friends.
"I'm sure you'll see him next time." Ochako said, noticing his glum face.
He didn't need to ask who she was referring to. She always knew.
Once sat down on one of the corner tables their waiter came by- he was a tall, lanky guy with black hair and a lazy expression. His name tag read "Sero" he was rude, of course, but it was a different kind of rude.
Whilst waiting for their food Shouto got up to use the bathroom.
He wasn't gone more than 5 minutes before returning with a look of mild shock on his face.
He plopped down on the seat next to Izuku with a poof and said in an extremely awkward voice. "Congratulations."
The table went silent.
Izuku looked at him confused. "What?"
Shoto didn't reply, simply pointed up at the wall near the welcoming desk.
Izuku followed his finger, and his breath caught in his throat.
There it was.
The photo.
He scrambled up to take a closer look at the Wall of Flame board.
It was a photo of him... and Katsuki. His face was a mess of tears and sweat, his lips stained a bright, alarming red from the explosive sauce. He looked like a disaster and next to him with an arm slung casually around his shoulders, was Katsuki. He wasn't smirking, or scowling or even looking mean in any way. He was just... smiling. A real, genuine, teeth-baring smile.
Under the photo in bold black letters was the caption "THE SPICE KING AND HIS JESTER."
Izuku's face burned.
He was a public spectacle. A joke. And yet, a part of him, a small foolish part of him felt a strange sense of pride. He was on the Wall of Flame and he was a part of this place.
"So 'Spice King', huh?" Ochako teased, nudging him with her elbow. "That's a new one."
"I can't believe you did that Midoriya!" Iida said, pushing up his glasses. "That was a very reckless thing to do."
"I told you he was tough!" Himiko suddenly appeared at their table and squealed. "He's one of our most challenging customers!"
Izuku just stood there, speechless.
"So, where is he?" Ochako asked, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "Is he working today?"
Himiko's smile faltered for a moment. "Oh, uh... no. He's not in today. He, uh... he had a family thing."
Family thing? Izuku couldn't help be intrigued but it really was none of his business.
"Well tell him we said hi." Ochako said, a knowing look in her eye.
"I'll do that." Himiko said before skipping away to torment another table.
Izuku sat back down at their booth and looked towards the board dreamily.
"I can get Himiko to give you his number if you want?" Ochako's voice interrupted his daydream state.
"That's a bad idea." Shoto said, taking a sip of his lemonade. "I don't think you're supposed to do that."
Ochako shrugged. "It's worth a shot. What's the worst that could happen?"
"He could say no." Iida said, ever the voice of reason. "And that could be very awkward."
Izuku didn't say anything.
He just sat there, staring at the photo, a war waging inside him. A part of him wanted to say yes, to take the chance and to see what could happen but another part of him, the sensible part was screaming at him to stop and to forget about the whole thing.
"Let's just... eat our food." He said, finally. "We can talk about this later."
The rest of the lunch was a blur. He barely tasted his food, barely heard the conversation around him.
As they were leaving the restaurant, he couldn't help but take a look back at the Wall of Flame, at the photo.
The campus library was supposed to be a sanctuary of silence and focus, a fortress against distraction.
For Izuku, it was like that until it became the opposite.
Currently, it was a prison where his own mind was the warden and the sentence was an endless loop of spiky blonde hair and barking laughter.
He was trying to read a chapter on bioethics, a subject he usually found fascinating but the words swam before his eyes, rearranging themselves into phrases like "secret explosive sauce" and "delicate constitution."
He'd close his eyes and still feel Katsuki's arm around his shoulders, a brand of warmth against the back of his neck.
"Midoriya." Shoto's voice was a low whisper but it cut through Izuku's thoughts like a knife. "You're muttering again."
Izuku blinked, realizing he was indeed murmuring to himself. "Sorry. Just... trying to process the information."
"You're not processing. You're obsessing." Shoto stated it as a simple fact, not an accusation.
And it was true.
He did tend to obsess rather than have a clear boundary when he knew he should stop something. Just like his studies before going to that restaurant, he always had his head in a book or was rereading articles he'd read before. Now, by just two different experiences with the blonde, he managed to occupy 80% of his brain.
This was bad.
He needed a break from the Flamin' Grill- he needed to focus on his studies, his friends and his future.
He would forget about Katsuki, about the Wall of Flame, about the way his stomach did that stupid flip thing whenever the sight or thought of him occurred.
For a while it worked. He threw himself into his assignments with a renewed fervor. He spent hours in the library, in his dorm room, in the campus coffee shop. He aced his quizzes, participated in class discussions, even helped Shoto outline a paper.
He was in control. He was focused. He was fine.
Until he saw him.
He was walking across campus one morning, lost in thought about a particularly difficult theory of relativity, when he looked up and saw him.
Katsuki wasn't wearing the black uniform of the Flamin' Grill Izuku always saw him in but a simple black hoodie and ripped jeans, a backpack slung over one shoulder. He was walking with a purpose, his head down, a pair of headphones clamped over his ears. He looked... different.
Izuku's heart, not stomach, did the flip thing this time.
Izuku ducked behind a large oak tree, his breath catching in his throat before realizing how weird it looked. He felt like a stalker but he couldn't look away.
He watched as Katsuki stopped to talk to a pretty girl with short pink hair, a smile on her face. He couldn't hear what they were saying but he saw the way Katsuki's expression softened, the way he nodded, the way he gave a small, almost shy wave before continuing on his way.
Izuku's heart sank a little.
He put two and two together, Katsuki was a student here. Of course, he was a student at the same university as him!
Why hadn't he thought of that before? He had a life outside of the restaurant, a life that probably included friends, classes, and pretty girls with short pink hair. Stupid Izuku!
He felt a pang of jealousy, a sharp, unexpected pain in his chest. He'd built Katsuki up in his mind, turned him into a mysterious, unattainable character but he was just a guy.
A guy who went to the same university as him.
The realization was both thrilling and terrifying.
He waited until Katsuki was out of sight before stepping out from behind the tree. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart.
He needed to talk to Ochako.
He found her in the common room of their dorm building, surrounded by textbooks and highlighters. "Uraraka!" He said, his voice a little shaky. "We need to talk."
She looked up, a concerned expression on her face.
"I saw Katsuki."
Ochako's eyes widened. "Katsuki. Where?"
"On campus- he's a student here."
Ochako's face broke into a wide grin. "I knew it!" She cheered as if she'd won the lottery.
"This isn't a good thing, Uraraka!" Izuku whispered loudly, running a hand through his hair. "What if I see him again? What if I have a class with him? What if..."
What if he sees me?!
"What if he's single and looking for a nerd to spice up his life?" Ochako teased but her expression was serious. "Look Deku, this is a good thing. It means he's not just some waiter in a restaurant. He's a real person and you have a real chance of getting to know him."
"I don't know if I can do that." Izuku said, slumping down onto the couch. "I can barely talk to him when he's being paid to be mean to me. How am I supposed to talk to him in real life?"
"You just do." Ochako said, patting his leg.
"That doesn't help." He groaned, pulling at the loose strings on his jeans.
"Okay, okay." She said, thinking for a moment. "The next time you see him, don't hide. Don't run away. Just say a simple 'hi'. That's it."
"A simple 'hi'." Izuku repeated, the words feeling foreign and clumsy on his tongue.
"A simple 'hi'." Ochako confirmed. "What's the worst that could happen?"
He already knew the answer to that.
He could be ignored. He could be laughed at. He could be told, in no uncertain terms, to get lost but as he looked at Ochako's hopeful face, he knew he had to try.
The next few days were a rollercoaster of anxiety and anticipation, he found himself scanning the crowds, unconsciously searching for a flash of spiky ash blonde hair.
He walked with his head up, his shoulders back, practicing the simple word in his head. Hi. Just hi.
And then, it happened.
He was in the campus coffee shop before his lesson, waiting in line for his usual caffeine fix, when he saw him.
Katsuki was at a table in the window, hunched over a laptop, headphones over his ears.
This was it. Izuku thought.
This was his chance to finally chat to Katsuki outside of his job!
His heart was pounding in his chest and he took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves.
He could do this.
He could say that one word.
He got his coffee, a simple latte and started walking towards Katsuki's table, his feet hopelessly dragging behind him.
One meter away he paused, the greeting was on the tip of his tongue, his hand coming up to gesture a small wave.
But before he could do anything, Katsuki looked up.
Their eyes met and for a moment, the world fell away.
Izuku could see the surprise in Katsuki's expression, followed by a flicker of recognition.
And then Katsuki did the last thing Izuku expected.
He took off his headphones and actually started the conversation.
"Hey." He said.
"Hi." Izuku managed to squeak out, his heart leaping into his throat.
This sounded better in his head! Was he being too forward? Was he obvious?
"Come here often?" Katsuki said, a small smirk playing on his lips.
Izuku's brain panicked.
That was a flirting saying, right? Ochako told him that phrase was a clique flirting technique but why would Katsuki be using it on him in a cafe?
He had to remind himself to breathe. "All the time." Izuku said, realising how awkward he probably sounded by replying literally. "It's a great place for...coffee."
Katsuki raised an eyebrow. "Coffee, huh? Thought you were more of a burger guy."
"I'm a well-rounded individual." Izuku said, a small smile playing on his lips. He felt a little more confident now that Katsuki was joking around with him.
"You gonna stand there all day or are you gonna sit down?" Katsuki said, gesturing to the empty chair across from him.
Izuku hesitated for a moment, his mind racing. This was more than a simple 'hi'.
This was an offer of a whole conversation.
He sat down stiffly, the chair scraping against the floor. "I didn't want to bother you." He said, setting his coffee down on the table.
"You're not bothering me." Katsuki said, his eyes fixed on Izuku. "I was just studying."
Izuku was so in his own head he hadn't realized he was meant to reply. "What?" Izuku asked dumbly.
"I'm doing my engineering major." Katsuki said, gesturing to his laptop as if that explained everything.
Izuku's eyes widened. "Engineering? That's amazing!" He couldn't help but feel a little intimidated. He was a Clinical Medicine student, he wrote essays and analyzed medical practices. Katsuki used his hands to built things. Both very important in terms of job opportunities but very different.
"It's not that amazing." Katsuki said, a hint of something in his tone that Izuku couldn't quite place. "It's just a lot of math."
"I'm terrible at math." Izuku complained, a small laugh escaping his lips.
"Figures." Katsuki said, but there was no malice in his voice.
They sat in silence for a moment, the only sound was the hum of the coffee shop and the quiet tapping of keys on a nearby laptop.
"So, uh... what are you working on?" Izuku asked, desperately trying to keep the conversation going.
"Just some designs for a project." Katsuki said, closing his laptop. "But it can wait."
"Wait, you don't have to..." Izuku started to say, but Katsuki held up a hand- stopping him.
"I want to." He said, his eyes intense. "So your names Deku, right?" He asked, a teasing glint in his eye.
He was confused for a moment. "No... it's Izuku."
"Izuku." Katsuki repeated, the name rolling off his tongue. "I swear your nerdy friends called you 'Deku' at the restaurant."
Then it clicked.
"Ah! It's a nickname from middle school- my friend Ochako made it into a thing." He fiddled with the sleeve of his jumper, suddenly feeling self-conscious. "It means 'you can do it' apparently."
Katsuki stared at him for a long moment, a strange, unreadable expression on his face. "Hmph. Sounds like something she'd do. Can't say I disagree though, you destroyed that Dynamite burger."
Izuku blushed at the memory.
"You know-" Katsuki moved closer, leaning in and whispering. "The only other person to do that challenge was me. No one’s been able to handle it."
Izuku was in a state of shock.
Katsuki completed that challenge?
The one that almost put Izuku in his grave early?!
"So Deku, what's a guy like you doing in a place like this?" He said it with a smirk, but there was a genuine curiosity in his voice.
"Trying to pass my classes." Izuku said, a wry smile on his face. "And you know, trying to avoid being tortured by my waiter."
"Is that what I do. Torture you?" Katsuki relaxed his elbows on the table, his gaze fixed on Izuku. "I thought I was providing a valuable service."
"By bringing me ketchup?" Izuku shot back, feeling a surge of confidence.
A slow grin spread across Katsuki's face. "So you remember that, huh?"
"I remember a lot of things." Izuku said, his heart pounding in his chest. He couldn't believe he was being so bold.
"Like what?" Katsuki asked, eyes searching.
Izuku's mind went blank. He couldn't say 'the way you laugh or the way your arm felt around my shoulders or the way you looked at me when you brought me the ketchup.'
That would be a little too much.
He took a sip of his latte, the foam leaving a white mustache on his upper lip. "I remember that you're an engineering major." He said, choosing the safest option.
Katsuki looked at him as if he was a dumbass and gestured to his lips with a pointed finger. "And I remember you're a messy eater."
Izuku just sat there staring at Katsuki, a foolish, lovestruck grin on his face.
He felt like he was in a movie, a cheesy, predictable rom-com and he didn't want it to end.
"You know." Katsuki said, his tone suddenly serious. "You're not as bad as I thought you'd be."
"Thanks?" Izuku said, not sure if that was a compliment or an insult.
"It's a compliment." Katsuki said, as if reading his mind. "You're interesting."
Izuku's heart did a triple axel. "Interesting." He repeated, the word feeling like a victory. "That's a step up from 'nerd'."
"Don't get ahead of yourself." Katsuki said, smiling.
They sat in a comfortable silence for a while just watching each other.
Izuku couldn't believe this was happening.
He was sitting in a coffee shop with Katsuki, the guy who had been occupying his thoughts for months.
"So what's your deal?" Izuku asked, feeling brave again. "Why do you work at a place like Flamin' Grill?"
"Money." Katsuki said, with a shrug. "It pays the bills and it's... fun."
"Fun?" Izuku said, raising an eyebrow. "Being a jerk to people is fun?"
"It's not just about being a jerk." Katsuki said, his expression hardening. "It's about the performance. It's about playing a role."
"It's a good performance." Izuku said, and he meant it. "You're very convincing."
"I have to be." Katsuki said. "People expect a certain kind of experience- I give it to them."
"And what about when you're not working?" Izuku asked, his curiosity getting the better of him. "What's the performance like then?"
"There is no performance." Katsuki said, his red eyes intense. "This is me."
Izuku's breath caught in his throat.
This was him. The real him.
The guy who was an engineering major, who listened to loud obnoxious music, had a great sense of humor and was brutally truthful.
Oh no...
He liked this guy.
A lot.
He saw Katsuki check his phone, the time flashing up and Izuku quickly realized he was dangerous close to his next lesson.
He had to go, but he didn't want to. He wanted to stay here, in this moment, for as long as he could.
Before he could think of a good excuse, Katsuki spoke. "You got somewhere to be?" He asked, a knowing look in his eye.
Izuku's face burned. "Uh, yeah. I have a class in fifteen minutes."
"Figures." Katsuki said, a smirk playing on his lips. "You and your classes."
"You have classes too." Izuku shot back, a playful challenge in his tone.
"Not this afternoon." Katsuki said. "I'm a free man."
A wave of jealousy washed over Izuku.
He wanted to be a free man.
He wanted to stay here and talk to Katsuki for the rest of the day.
"Well, I should go." Izuku said, reluctantly getting up from his chair.
"Right." Katsuki said, his expression unreadable.
Izuku started to walk away, his heart heavy with disappointment.
"Hey, Izuku." Katsuki called out.
Izuku turned around, his heart leaping into his throat. "Yeah?"
"Gimme your phone." Katsuki said, holding out his hand.
Izuku fumbled in his pocket, pulling out his phone and handing it over.
Katsuki's fingers flew across the screen and a moment later he handed it back. "There." He said. "Now you have no excuse."
Izuku looked down at the phone.
"Katsuki Bakugou." He read aloud realizing Katsuki added his number. "No 'Spice King'?"
Katsuki snorted. "That's my stage name. This is the real deal."
Izuku's heart soared.
The real deal.
"Thanks." He said, a wide uncontrollable grin spreading across his face.
"Don't mention it." Katsuki said, putting his headphones back on. "Don't be late for your important nerd stuff."
Izuku walked out of the coffee shop, his feet barely touching the ground. He felt like he was floating, like he was in a dream.
He had Katsuki Bakugou's number!
He was so lost in his thoughts that he almost ran into Iida, who was marching down the hall with a stack of books in his arms.
"Midoriya!" Iida said, adjusting his glasses. "Please watch where you're goi- why are you smiling like that?" Izuku was too deep into his little dream and left a very confused Iida behind as he made his way to his lesson.
He spent the rest of the day in a state of blissful peace before his over thinking got the better of him.
Should he text first? If so, what should he text him? Does Katsuki prefer texting or calling? Will he be available when Izuku gets out of his lesson? He cursed himself for not asking.
He went to the library hoping to find some solace in the quiet, but he just ended up staring at Katsuki's name in his phone, a war waging inside him.
He wanted to text him. He needed to text him... but what would he say? 'Hey, Izuku here'. No, that was terrible. "Thanks for the number"? A bit formal. "Thinking of you"? Too forward.
Just as he was about to give up and go home, his phone buzzed.
He looked down hoping to all things holy it was who he thought it was!
Ochako...
He swallowed his disappointment.
From: Ochako
You'll never guess what!
Katsuki's in my class
Sent 14:05pm
Izuku's brain short-circuited for a second.
He was going to respond when a second text came through.
From: Ochako
He's sitting two rows in front of me
He looks less angry without the apron
Sent 14:06pm
A picture followed showing a slightly grainy, sneakily-taken photo of the back of Katsuki's head, the familiar spiky ash-blonde hair unmistakable even from a distance.
Izuku's heart hammered against his ribs.
Ochako was in the same advanced bioethics seminar as Katsuki.
This was bad.
If Katsuki was with Ochako- he was done for!
He scrambled to pack his bag, shoving textbooks and pens into it with trembling hands.
He had to see Ochako and explain before she said something weird about him.
To his shock and horror when he managed to reach the seminars door Ochako was already halfway out with her back pack slung over her shoulder. She was talking animatedly to someone behind her but from the angle Izuku couldn't see who it was.
"Ochako!" He called out, jogging to catch up with her.
She turned with a wide conspiratorial grin on her face. "Deku! You're not going to believe this I-"
A shock a blonde hair caught Izuku's eye and he froze because standing right behind her, looking at Izuku with an expression that was a mixture of amusement and annoyance was Katsuki.
"Speak of the devil." Katsuki said, a low rumble in his chest. "You two are everywhere. You sure you're not following me?"
Izuku looked from Ochako's beaming face to Katsuki's unreadable one.
This was a disaster. A complete and utter disaster!
"Katsuki was just telling me you two met in the coffee shop." Ochako said, oblivious to Izuku's internal meltdown. "Isn't that wild? I had no idea he was an engineering major!"
"It's a wild, wild world." Izuku managed to say, his voice cracking.
"We were just about to grab some food," Ochako said, linking her arm through Izuku's. "You wanna come, Katsuki? My treat, for putting up with our rambling professor."
Katsuki's eyes flickered from Ochako to Izuku. "I don't know. I've had enough of nerds for one day."
Ochako pouted. "Oh, come on. Deku here is a fascinating conversationalist. Right, Deku?"
Izuku wanted the floor to swallow him whole.
He looked at Katsuki, a desperate, pleading look in his eyes.
Katsuki's lips twitched. "Fine." He said, with a dramatic sigh. "But I'm picking the place and if it's got kale on the menu, I'm out."
They ended up at a small, hole-in-the-wall ramen shop that Katsuki swore by.
It was loud and steamy and smelled incredible. They squeezed into a small booth, Izuku and Katsuki on one side, Ochako on the other. She insisted she wanted to sit alone but Izuku knew it was all a plot to get him to sit next to Katsuki. Very sneaky of her.
"This is amazing!" Ochako said, slurping her noodles with gusto.
"It's alright." Katsuki said, though the way he was devouring his own bowl said otherwise. "You should try their ghost pepper noodles, much better than that garbage."
Izuku just nodded, trying to focus on the ramen and not on the way Katsuki's thigh kept brushing his under the table.
Each touch sent a jolt of electricity through him, a distracting, thrilling current that made it hard to think straight. No pun intended.
"So, Katsuki." Ochako said, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "You got a girlfriend?"
Izuku almost choked on his noodles and kicked Ochako from under the table, she simply ignored him.
Katsuki finished his mouthful and sat his chopsticks down with a deliberate click. "Don't have time for that." He said, his gaze fixed on Izuku. "Too busy 'torturing' people.”
Izuku's face burned.
"Right the 'performance'." Ochako said, making little air quotes with her fingers. "So, you're single, then?"
"Yeah, I'm single." Katsuki said, a hint of irritation in his voice.
They ate in silence for a few minutes, the only sound was the slurping of noodles and the clinking of bowls.
Izuku could feel the tension building, a palpable energy that hummed between the three of them. He wanted to say something, anything, to break the silence but what could he say? His mind was a blank slate, wiped clean by the proximity of Katsuki.
"Your friend with the pink hair." He said, the words tumbling out before he could stop them. "You two looked close."
He immediately regretted it.
He sounded like a jealous ex.
Katsuki looked at him, a flicker of surprise in his red eyes. "Mina? Nah she's just a friend- my best friend's girlfriend, actually."
"Oh." Izuku said, a wave of relief washing over him. He didn't even realize he'd been holding his breath.
"You jealous nerd?" Katsuki asked, a teasing glint in his eye.
"No." Izuku said, a little too quickly.
"He's totally jealous!" Ochako chimed in, earning another kick under the table.
"I'm not jealous." Izuku insisted, his face getting hotter by the second.
"Right." Katsuki said, leaning back in the booth, a slow, predatory grin spreading across his face. "You're just interested."
"I am interested in many things." Izuku said, trying to regain some semblance of control over the conversation. "Like bioethics and the structural integrity of this table."
Katsuki let out a short, barking laugh. "You're something else, you know that?"
"I try." Izuku said, a small, triumphant smile playing on his lips.
"Well if you were interested, I'd hope you'd be an adult and talk about it." That part was whispered more to Izuku than anyone else and he froze.
Was that a hint?
Ochako always told him he was totally hopeless in the eyes of interested people.
Curse his sense of obliviousness!
The rest of the meal passed in a blur of easy conversation and comfortable silences. They talked about classes, about professors, about the best places to get coffee on campus. Izuku learned that Katsuki was a brilliant but notoriously difficult student, that he had a passion for building things and he had a surprisingly soft spot for stray cats.
He also learned that Katsuki was kind of soft. Still blunt and a little abrasive but there was a warmth to him, a genuine interest in the world around him that Izuku found incredibly attractive. Not that the Flamin' Grill Katsuki was unattractive but Izuku didn't want to look too far into why he enjoyed Katsuki being mean to him...
That was a conversation for two bottles of wine deep Izuku.
As they were leaving the ramen shop Ochako's phone buzzed. "Oh, that's Himiko," She said, studying the text. "She's having a little get together at her place. You guys should totally come!"
Katsuki groaned. "I hate parties."
Izuku shared that sentiment.
"It's not a party." Ochako said, waving her hand dismissively. "It's just a few people hanging out and drinking cheap wine."
"Yeah like a party." Katsuki grumbled. "Toga's 'get togethers' always are."
"Please!" Ochako said, turning on the full force of her puppy-dog eyes. "For me?"
Katsuki looked at Izuku, a silent question in his eyes.
Izuku, feeling a surge of courage (or perhaps stupidity) and gave a small nod in agreement.
"Fine." Katsuki said, with another dramatic sigh. "But if someone tries to make me play beer pong, I swear-"
"I'll take you guys there!" Ochako grabbed their arms and started dragging them down the street. "This is going to be so much fun!"
Izuku had a feeling it was going to be anything but.
Himiko's apartment was exactly what Izuku expected: a chaotic, colorful mess of mismatched furniture, fairy lights, and an alarming number of throw pillows. It was already packed with people, the air thick with the smell of cheap wine and something vaguely like lavender.
"Ok so... maybe it is a party." Ochako said, sounding unapologetic.
She went over to the kitchen island and grabbed a red plastic cup on display, the liquid inside looking a dangerous color.
A blur of blonde launched itself at them and Izuku flinched before realizing it was just Himiko. "You made it!" She squealed, grabbing Katsuki's face in her hands. "I'm so glad you're here! And you brought your little boy toy!"
"He's not a toy!" Katsuki grumbled, trying to pry her hands off his face.
Izuku noticed he made no move to correct the assumption of their relationship though.
"And you brought your little friend!" Himiko said, turning her attention to Ochako.
"Ochako!" She waved flirtatiously over to the brunette girl who blushed a bright red in reply. "So cute~”
Izuku stood there, feeling like a fish out of water. He hardly went to parties, not that he was ever invited anyway-
Katsuki as if noticing his discomfort placed his hand on the small of Izuku's back. "You alright?" Katsuki said.
He seemed to be in his element here, he even gave a few head nods to people in the crowd like he knew them.
Katsuki was a known name here. He must've had a reputation.
Izuku jumped at the contact, a jolt of warmth spreading through him. "Yeah." He said, his voice barely a whisper. "It's just a lot of people."
"Stick with me." Katsuki said, his voice a low murmur. "I'll protect you from Toga."
He lead Izuku through the throng of people, a steady presence at his side. They found a relatively quiet corner and Katsuki handed him a cup of whatever was in the giant plastic punch bowl.
"What's even in this?" Izuku asked, sniffing it cautiously.
"Fruit juice." He paused. "And probably vodka." He took a sniff. "A lot of it."
Izuku took a tentative sip. It was sweet, but with a sharp, alcoholic kick that burned his throat. He wasn't a big drinker but took another sip, liquid courage absorbing into his blood stream.
Maybe this is what he needed to be a normal functioning adult for the night.
"So." Katsuki said, leaning against the wall. "How are you enjoying the party?"
"It's loud." Izuku said, trying to project his voice over the thumping bass of the music.
"You get used to it." Katsuki said, taking a long swig from his own cup. "Or you get drunk, either way works."
They stood in silence for a while, watching the party unfold.
Izuku saw Ochako in the middle of a group of girls, her face alight with laughter. Himiko was chasing a guy with a can of silly string. They both looked like they were enjoying it.
"You know." Katsuki said, breaking the silence. "You're the first person from the Grill I've ever... you know- hung out with."
"Oh yeah?" Izuku asked, already feeling the alcohol work its magic.
"Yeah." Katsuki said, his gaze fixed on Izuku. "I try to keep my work life and my work life separate but you're different."
"Different how?" Izuku asked, his heart starting to beat a little faster.
"Firstly, you're not afraid of me." Katsuki said, a simple, honest statement.
"Why should I be afraid of you?" Izuku asked, taking another sip.
"Most people are." Katsuki said with a shrug.
"I'm not most people." Izuku said, a small, defiant smile on his face.
"No." Katsuki said, a slow grin spreading across his face. "You're not."
He was leaning in closer, the space between them shrinking.
Izuku could see the individual flecks of gold in Katsuki's red eyes, could smell the faint scent of spicy cologne mixed with the cheap punch.
His heart was pounding, a wild, frantic rhythm against his ribs.
"Izuku." He whispered, his voice a low, husky rumble that sent a shiver down Izuku's spine.
And then, the moment was shattered...
"Katsuki! My man!" A loud, booming voice cut through the noise.
A tall, muscular guy with spiky red hair and a wide toothy grin threw an arm around Katsuki's shoulders. "I was wondering when you'd show up!"
"Kirishima." Katsuki said, his tone flat but there was a flicker of something in his eyes. Affection, maybe?
Izuku recognized him as the guy he saw at the Grill the first time.
"Who's your friend?" Kirishima asked, his grin widening as he looked at Izuku. "He's cute."
"Izuku." Izuku said, sticking out a hand.
Kirishima shook his hand, his grip firm and friendly. "Izuku, huh? Nice to meet you, man. I'm Eijiro Kirishima, this guy's best friend- wait I know you! You're the famous Deku, huh? The one who conquered the Dynamite challenge!"
"He told you about that?" Izuku asked, glancing at Katsuki who was suddenly very interested in his plastic cup.
"Told me? He won't shut up about it." Kirishima said, laughing. "Says you're the only person who's ever come close to beating him."
Izuku's face burned.
He looked at Katsuki, who was pointedly not looking at him. "I- it was a team effort." He stammered.
Himiko appeared out of nowhere, a ping pong ball in her hand. "Are you guys playing or just being boring?"
Before Izuku could protest, he was being dragged towards a makeshift beer pong table in the middle of the living room.
The crowd parted for them and suddenly he was in the spotlight, the center of attention at the end of the table. "I can't play this." He whispered to Katsuki, who was standing next to him, a resigned look on his face. "You said if Toga made you play this you'd be out of here!"
"Dramatics." Katsuki muttered back. "Just follow my lead."
The game was a blur of plastic cups and cheap beer.
Izuku was terrible at it, but somehow with Katsuki's expert guidance and a few lucky shots, they were winning. The crowd was cheering, the music was pumping, and for a moment Izuku forgot to be nervous.
He was actually having fun.
And then, it was the final cup.
The room went silent.
All eyes were on Izuku.
"You got this, Deku!" Ochako screamed from the sidelines.
"Come on, Izuku!" Kirishima yelled. "Show them what you're made of!"
Izuku took a deep breath, the ping pong ball feeling heavy in his hand. He looked at Katsuki who gave him a small nod.
He threw the ball.
It sailed through the air, a perfect arc and landed with a satisfying splash in the last cup.
The room erupted in cheers.
Izuku was lifted onto someone's shoulders, his plastic cup held high in the air. He was a hero. A champion.
And then he was being set down and Katsuki was there, in front of him, a wide, triumphant grin on his face.
"You did it." He said, his voice filled with a pride that made Izuku's chest swell.
"We did it." Izuku corrected him, a dizzy, happy grin on his own face and then, before he could think- before he could even stop himself, he leaned in and kissed him.
It was a clumsy, beer-soaked kiss but it was perfect.
Katsuki's lips were soft and for a moment, he kissed him back, his hands tangling in Izuku's hair.
And then, just as quickly as it started, it was over.
Izuku’s surrounding blurred together in a mixture of cheers and noise but all he could focus on was the look in Katsuki's eyes.
Katsuki was looking at him as if he'd hung the stars.
Like Izuku was the only person in the world worth taking time to look at.
Then he leaned in close, lips brushing against Izuku's ear sending a shiver down him that had nothing to do with the alcohol. "Took you long enough, nerd." The words were a low growl, a private joke in the middle of a public celebration.
He didn't pull away, letting the heat of his body seep into Izuku's, a silent, solid presence that was more grounding than any sobering thought.
He let his arm slip around Izuku's waist, pulling him closer.
The world faded to a warm, pleasant hum.
He was vaguely aware of Ochako giving him a thumbs-up, of Kirishima clapping Katsuki on the back and of Himiko trying to get them to do a victory lap but it all felt distant, like it was happening to someone else.
All he could focus on was the feeling of Katsuki's arm around him, the scent of his cologne, the low rumble of his laugh.
"Toga's gonna have a field day with this." Katsuki said before leaning down and closing the last remaining space between them.
This kiss wasn't like the last, this one was planned. It was a claiming. A silent statement to everyone in the room.
When they finally broke apart, Izuku was breathless, his mind a fuzzy, happy mess.
"We should get out of here." Katsuki said, his voice a low murmur.
Izuku just nodded, his throat too tight to speak.
They said their goodbyes, a flurry of high-fives and back-slaps.
Ochako gave him a look that said "we are so talking about this in the morning" and Kirishima just grinned, a knowing, happy light in his eyes.
The cool night air was a shock after the stuffy heat of the party.
Izuku stumbled, his head spinning but Katsuki's arm was there, steadying him.
"Easy there, champion." Katsuki said, a teasing lilt in his voice. "Don't want you breaking before I get my prize."
"Your prize?" Izuku asked, a wave of heat washing over him that had nothing to do with the alcohol.
"For winning." Katsuki said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "You were the star player. You deserve a reward."
"I think... I think I've had enough rewards for one night." Izuku said, his words slurring slightly.
If he felt like he was floating when he got Katsuki's number- he was on cloud nine right now.
Katsuki relented. "Alright." He pulled Izuku closer by the waist and he replied by snuggling further into Katsuki, sighing contently. "How 'bout we get you back to your dorm, rest up and in the morning we'll talk."
Talk? The word sent a shot of panic up him. What could Katsuki possibly want to talk about?
"Hey, hey I know that look." Katsuki did his best to comfort. "We're just gonna talk about what we want, what this is and where we'll go from here."
Izuku relaxed.
This was not the conversation that he was expecting. "Okay." He said, now full of giddiness and a warmth radiating from the pit of his stomach. "But only if you stay."
"Wouldn't dream of leaving." He said, as they continued their walk.