Chapter Text
It happens after the umpteenth time Katsuki and Shoto are forced to duck into an empty classroom to escape a hoard of underclassmen. They're catching their breaths, Katsuki leaning against a wall and rubbing a hand over his chest, when Shoto speaks up.
"I think that's a new record for how many people tried to ask you out at once." He mutters, brushing his hair from his eyes. Katsuki scoffs, shaking his head, pressing his fingertips harder against his chest to make sure his heart's beating how it should be.
"I swear to fuck, they can't take no for an answer. Maybe I should just ask some extra out, drag them along everywhere to get those rabid assholes off my dick." Katsuki replies, trying to make the sarcasm obvious despite how his lungs are burning. Stupid fucking idiots, he's still recovering, damn it.
Shoto nods, stepping closer to lean against the wall beside Katsuki, who doesn't currently have the energy to glare at him. "Yes, they are rather persistent." Then after a pause, he adds, "Do you think they'd actually stop if we got partners?"
Katsuki shrugs, glancing at the boy next to him. It's really no surprise people swarm him. Katsuki would understand why they do, even without the whole war hero thing. He's not bad to look at. ...Wow. Katsuki really is on a shit ton of meds.
"Who the fuck knows? Could be worth a shot, is all I'm sayin'." Shoto considers this for a moment, then turns to look at Katsuki, a sparkle in his eye that Katsuki can't be bothered to figure out the origin of.
"Date me."
Katsuki blinks. Blinks again. Feels his brain rev to try and catch up. Feels his thoughts come up short. Blinks one more time for good measure.
"Fucking excuse me?" He demands, a grimace working its way onto his face as he shifts away from Shoto a little. Shoto shakes his head, a small, amused smile on his face as he watched Katsuki try to process what's happening.
"Not really. Just pretend to. You know, to get our... admirers to leave us be." Shoto explains, like that's a totally normal thing to suggest, and is not at all making Katsuki's brain spin and his stomach flutter.
It's stupid. It's a bad idea, right? The backlash for being an openly queer couple with how well known they both are, plus Shoto being the number one hero's kid? Would it even be worth it? But then again, what's the worst that could happen? All those extras would probably leave them alone. Nobody who Katsuki values the opinion of would care. Why not go for it? If it doesn't work, they could just fake a breakup, right? After a moment, he realizes he's been quiet for a little too long, and Shoto's still looking at him expectantly.
"I... Guess that's not the dumbest idea I've ever heard." Katsuki finally mumbles in reply, looking away to stare at the floor, hoping to hide the blush he can feel burning his ears. Shoto makes a noise of affirmation, and they settle into silence, awkward, but not uncomfortable.
After a moment of Katsuki's mind running as fast as it can with all the drugs in his system, Shoto speaks up again, something Katsuki's still not used to someone doing to him directly. "So... Was that you agreeing?"
Katsuki sighs, shrugging again, risking a glance at the other boy and looking away just as quickly when he finds mismatched eyes already on him. "It was me saying we should talk about this. Just... Ugh, just come to my dorm after classes, we'll figure it out then. We're gonna be late."
Shoto, apparently satisfied with that, nods, pushing himself off the wall and fixing Katsuki's blazer over his arm sling when he does the same. Neither of them talk as they make their way to their class. Katsuki's lost in thought, about what this arrangement might look like, about where Shoto's boundaries might be, about where his own might be.
They'll figure it out, Katsuki tells himself. And if one of them changes their mind, it's not a permanent arrangement. Just to get those assholes off their backs. Nothing else... Totally nothing else...