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In the three years that Izuku and Katsuki had been hero partners working at Endeavor’s agency, neither of the Wonder Duo took any time off – except for annual leave (which Endeavor practically had to hold them at gunpoint to finally use) or if either of them got so injured that they had no choice but to go on sick leave (similarly, much to their dismay). When Izuku had his skull cracked open by a villain with a bone manipulation quirk, he thought he was going insane by the time his forced two weeks off was over. Equally, when Katsuki got impaled yet again when a building got dropped on him about six months later, Izuku thought he hadn’t seen Kacchan so irritable since they were in middle school.
One thing was always certain though: they always took their time off together. If one half of the Wonder Duo was off work recovering from an injury that probably should have killed them, the other stayed off work too to look after them.
It was unspoken – Izuku wasn’t sure at what point this unofficial rule came about, but he never complained. He was even surprised that Endeavor just accepted it at this point and expected that the other would take time off, no questions asked. It was their routine. Kacchan would cook for Izuku every single day during injury recovery which always made Izuku feel good as new. He liked the company, he liked how close he and Kacchan had finally grown, and even though Izuku imagined he’d never admit it, he thought Kacchan felt the same way.
So when Izuku showed up to his shift one temperate Wednesday morning and found out that Kacchan wasn’t going to be working today, he felt as though he’d had a swift Texas Smash to the face.
“I… excuse me, what?”
“Dynamight phoned me this morning, he’s sick. He’ll be off work until he recovers,” Endeavor replied nonchalantly. “You’ll be patrolling with Shouto today.”
Izuku gulped harshly as a painful knot formed in his stomach. “Kacchan? Is he okay? It’s not anything serious, is it? Did something happen? Did he tell you his symptoms? I should really go over there and–”
“Relax, Deku. It’s nothing major. Try not to worry yourself sick too.” His response was slightly more strained this time, raising a hand to put a stop to Izuku’s word vomit. “You work well with Shouto. Consider this some respite from Bakugou. It’ll be a good opportunity for you to work with somebody more… cooperative.”
Normally, Izuku would’ve argued that latter point – Kacchan was completely different to how he was at UA. He’d learnt how to work solidly in a team, regardless of whomever he was paired with (granted, there may have been some snide remarks here and there), but the Wonder Duo were living proof that Katsuki Bakugou was finally a team player. The two just bounced off each other, fighting in sync to the point where reporters questioned if they had telepathic abilities. No, there wasn’t some hidden One For All quirk which allowed Izuku the skill to communicate psychically with Kacchan, they just knew each other that well. One meaningful glance and they both knew the change in plans. One miniscule twitch of Kacchan’s lips and Izuku knew that they had secured the fight, the villain had screwed up somehow, and they were guaranteed a victory. All that being said, he hadn’t had much time to work with Todoroki lately and was looking forward to the opportunity. He just wished it was under different circumstances.
Izuku might’ve found the workday without Kacchan a lot easier if the patrols hadn’t been so uneventful. Not even a petty shoplifter! Despite Todoroki keeping him company, his mind kept wandering back to how his hero partner was holding up, and he had to use every inch of strength in his body to not text him every single minute asking for an update. Granted, how often he did actually text Kacchan was still nothing short of obsessive.
Deku
Hey Kacchan!!! How are you feeling?
(09:04AM)
Deku
You’re probably resting, sorry. Let me know how you’re doing when you’re awake?
(10:34AM)
Deku
Have you eaten?
(11:10AM)
Deku
Make sure to keep hydrated, too
(11:51AM)
Deku
Work is strange without you here
(12:46PM)
Izuku regretted that last message as soon as he hit send. Why did he do that?! Well, at least it would get a reply out of Kacchan, even if it was just a rude “piss off, Deku” or something along those lines. The worst part was how Kacchan was never the best at replying to messages quickly, let alone when he’s sick, so that left Izuku checking his phone every five minutes like a maniac. At this stage, Izuku would’ve been happy with any sort of reply, even just the middle finger emoji, as it meant Kacchan was well enough to look at his phone screen.
Kacchan!!!
Don’t need checking in on every five minutes, Deku
(1:23PM)
Deku
Kacchan!!
(1:23PM)
Deku
How are you feeling????????
(1:23PM)
Kacchan!!!
Just the damn flu, I’m not dying
(1:29PM)
Deku
But are you feeling okay? Do you want me to bring you any medicine or food???
(1:30PM)
Deku
Wait, you have the flu?
(1:30PM)
Deku
Have you seen a doctor? Did Auntie bring you any meds?
(1:30PM)
Deku
Can I come over later? I don’t want you to be on your own
(1:31PM)
Kacchan!!!
I have a fever, you can’t come
(1:41PM)
Izuku’s blood ran so cold that he wondered for a moment if Todoroki had blasted an ice wall nearby.
After analysing Kacchan’s quirk as a teenager and suspicions only growing after Kacchan’s quirk awakening during the war, Izuku suspected there was a reason that in the rare instances when the blonde got sick, he was always away from school far longer than the average person. Not because Kacchan had a bad immune system… but because if he got a fever, Izuku wondered if it might become difficult for him to control his quirk. At first, when everyone believed Kacchan’s explosions only came from his palms, there was no real evidence that a fever would impact him at all (minus the usual crappiness that comes with it). But after they realised that he could concentrate his explosions all over his body wherever he was sweating, not only did his quirk become an even greater weapon against villains, Kacchan could turn into a ticking time-bomb if he ever got a fever. Izuku didn’t know for certain if this had ever happened before – perhaps he always took quirk suppressors as a precaution? – but this, paired with how long Kacchan would be away from school, was bad news.
As his freezing blood continued to chill his entire body, Izuku’s jittering hands typed a reply.
Deku
Kacchan, do you have your meds?
(1:42PM)
Deku
Are you safe?
(1:42PM)
Deku
I’m coming and I’m bringing you some meds anyway
(1:44PM)
Deku
Make sure to rest Kacchan, I’ll be over as soon as I can
(2:05PM)
Izuku didn’t get a reply after that. With a hitched breath, he put his phone back into his pocket and tried to shut out the bad thoughts that plagued his mind.
Izuku arrived at Kacchan’s apartment in record-breaking time after his shift had finished, even with the quick pit-stop at the pharmacy and the local ramen takeaway. The plastic carrier bag full of groceries and comfort food was hoisted onto his right arm. Upon arrival, he reached into his jacket pocket to reach for his set of keys (yes, he had a spare key to Kacchan’s apartment, and Izuku nearly fainted the day Kacchan gave it to him), the other hand on the door handle, when he realised that the front door was already unlocked. Kacchan must be really sick if he forgot to do something so important, Izuku thought to himself. Being in the top 10 Pro Hero charts came with its risks, and Izuku’s knees nearly buckled as the electrifying One For All energy woke itself up in preparation to attack. Thankfully, those fears were quickly reassured when he entered the apartment and saw that it looked no different to when he had last visited. No signs of a break-in and nothing looked as though it had been exploded. With a small sigh, Izuku took his shoes off at the genkan and headed to the kitchen.
“Kacchan! I got you some flu medicine, quirk suppressors and some extra bits I thought you’d need. I didn’t know if you’d eaten yet, so I picked you up some ramen and miso soup. I know spicy food can usually help with blocked sinuses, but I didn’t know if you’d be up for something super spicy, so I asked them to put the chilis and shichimi on the side so you can add as much as you want,” Izuku called to Kacchan, unloading the shopping onto the breakfast bar. “I’ve got liquid medicine as well as tablets you can take. I remembered as a kid you always hated the liquid kind, but I didn’t know if that had changed… Kacchan?”
When he hadn’t heard Katsuki yelling at Izuku to stop waffling on, he went silent and turned around to face the living room.
Kacchan looked awful, with red, irritated skin around his nostrils from over-blowing his nose, a slick layer of sweat resting comfortably on his forehead, and eyebags so dark and heavy that Izuku would’ve thought Kacchan hadn’t slept for a week. He was laying on his side on the sofa, using the armrest as a pillow, and wrapped in what looked like at least four fluffy blankets. For a split second, Izuku allowed himself to indulge the thought that the Kacchan-burrito before him looked extremely cute, even if he must’ve been in tremendous pain. That smug, lovestruck thought was shut down very fast when he remembered just how sick Kacchan was.
“Oh Kacchan, you look terrible! Are you okay?” Izuku blurted out and, yikes, he hadn’t meant to say that quite so ineloquently.
“Thanks for that, shitnerd,” Kacchan sarcastically responded with a hoarse voice, followed by a coughing fit. His throat was evidently very sore, given that his voice had dropped nearly an entire octave. Izuku decided he’d think about how hot his voice sounded at a later date. “I thought I told you not to come, Deku, I’m fine, you shouldn’t be h–”
“I brought quirk suppressors.”
The other man’s eyes widened, attempting to sit upright, wincing, and then gave up after about five seconds. “How’d you know?”
“I guessed a while ago,” he said as he threw the plastic pill bottle over to Katsuki. It missed Kacchan’s hands – dammit, Izuku, why did you think he was going to catch that? – but he grabbed it anyway, and Kacchan couldn’t open the bottle fast enough. “Did anything happen?”
“I blew the bathroom door handle off and cracked the support handle on the bathtub when I tried to get out of the bath,” Kacchan mumbled incoherently with two of the quirk suppressors in his mouth, reaching over to his water bottle on the floor. His shoulders relaxed after swallowing the medication, Izuku suspected due to not having to keep his quirk-related ailments a secret anymore. He wished more than anything that Kacchan trusted him with these things a little more, but he could understand why he’d keep it to himself. Not wanting to come across as weak, or dangerous. “Nothin’ serious so far.”
Izuku shot him a sympathetic look, which Kacchan did not acknowledge. “Have you eaten?”
Kacchan’s silence answered that question for itself.
With a disapproving glance, Izuku turned back around to face the breakfast bar and started to dish out the food he’d bought. He returned almost immediately with Kacchan’s piping hot udon noodle soup, which Kacchan accepted with a grunt – Izuku, being a self-proclaimed expert in Bakugouology, understood this to be the closest he’d ever get to a “thank you” in Katsuki language. He set down the bowl of miso soup on the coffee table, as well as the extra chilis and shichimi, before kneeling in front of Kacchan and placing the back of his hand on his forehead. He knew better than to touch Kacchan without permission, but he felt that the risk was worth it in this scenario. Much to his surprise, Kacchan didn’t protest. It was a testament to how poorly Kacchan was feeling if he hadn’t shoved Izuku away.
“Kacchan, you’re burning up! Have you been drinking enough?” Izuku asked, cringing at how concerned the words sounded.
“’M fine, Deku. Jus’ wanna eat,” Kacchan murmured as he dumped the entire tupperware box of fresh chilis and shichimi into his ramen. If Izuku didn’t know any better, he’d have thought that for once in Kacchan’s life, he didn’t even have the energy to speak. He nodded and returned to the kitchen to fetch his own meal, before perching himself at the far end of the sofa.
The pair ate their meals in silence, minus the occasional slurping sounds. Izuku’s stomach continued to churn uncomfortably as he noticed how Kacchan’s hands were trembling weakly as the chopsticks slowly tried to pick up the noodles. Looking after Kacchan was a piece of cake when he was injured badly after a villain attack. Mostly because his personality was the same as it always was – still an independent grump who didn't want to ask for help, but was gradually learning how to accept it when it’s offered. But this? Well, Izuku was of his depth. Here he was, face-to-face with a version of Katsuki Bakugou so sick that he didn’t feel like himself anymore.
When the hero duo shared meals together after particularly long shifts, there was never a silence. Whether they were talking about work strategies, or what their former classmates from Class A were up to, there was always conversation… even if it was just Kacchan grunting and interjecting with a snarky comment here and there. Kacchan always listened though, he knew that, even if he wasn’t in the mood for a full conversation. So, this was incredibly strange to Izuku. His heart ached as he continued to slurp up his own udon.
When Izuku finished his meal, he put the bowl down on the coffee table, noticing that Kacchan was still struggling to pick up one pesky shiitake mushroom with his chopsticks. “Do you want a spoon?” He asked gently.
Kacchan’s brows furrowed, as a small pout formed on his lips. “Nah, I’m done.”
Izuku wasn’t in the mood to swoon over how cute that pout was. He was sure the man was lying, but trying to save face. If he’d not eaten all day, he must be starving. Or maybe he felt nauseous? Izuku decided it was best not to argue.
Nodding, he stood up and took all the dirty dishes over to the kitchen, although he didn’t have the energy to do the washing up right now. The long and boring workday had already drained him mentally, but the disturbing pit of negativity swimming around in his abdomen didn’t help his lethargy.
“Come on, Kacchan, I’ll help you get to bed.”
With an irritated grumble, Katsuki got up off the sofa and stumbled his way over to the bedroom. Izuku followed obediently, his own brows forming a frown when he saw how sluggish his hero partner’s movements were.
Kacchan threw himself into bed and rolled to the side furthest from the bedroom door, immediately shutting his eyes and not acknowledging Izuku stood in the doorway.
“I… uh, I can stay on the sofa, if you’d like. Just so I’m nearby if you need anything in the night. Don’t be worried to ask me for anything,” Izuku muttered so quickly that he wondered for a second if it was even coherent.
“Whatever, nerd,” came Kacchan’s gruff reply, his eyes still shut. Izuku could hear Kacchan’s wheezy open-mouth breaths, and Izuku pursed his lips as he resisted the urge to coddle him.
“Okay then,” Izuku replied softly, with an inaudible sigh. “Well… goodnight, Kacchan.”
He had already dozed off before he could hear Izuku’s reply.
Izuku switched the light off and made his way over to the sofa in the middle of the lounge, throwing the extra thick woolly blanket over himself. The sofa was pretty comfortable to sleep on, having done it several times in the past when Kacchan was injured and needed looking after, though most of the time he’d just drive himself home. Kacchan was a proud man and found accepting help particularly difficult, but Izuku was glad that Kacchan was letting him take care of him. As he found his heart fluttering, a tiny smile graced Izuku’s lips.
A couple of hours later, Izuku was violently jolted awake by the sound of loud retching coming from the bathroom. He didn’t hesitate to barge in there and bring his cool hands to Kacchan’s damp neck, as his head was still hanging heavily in the toilet bowl. Kacchan had always been a particularly sweaty man as a result of his quirk, but Izuku was taken aback by just how slick his neck was. Some of Kacchan’s signature blonde spikes had glued themselves to the nape of his neck from the grease and fever-induced nitro-sweat; Izuku carefully unstuck them with gentle fingertips and hoped the feeling was relaxing Kacchan somewhat. How had the fever not broken yet? Izuku normally would have expected to see some signs of recovery by now.
He also couldn’t help but acknowledge that Izuku might’ve been a mangled pile of flesh by now if he hadn’t brought Katsuki the quirk suppressors, based on how much the poor man was sweating. He wasn’t surprised that the door handle had been completely disintegrated.
Regardless of his ponderings, he silently but supportively rubbed light circles between Kacchan’s shoulder blades as he expelled the contents of his stomach. Izuku didn’t dare open his mouth to say anything, knowing he was already potentially crossing a line in their friendship by seeing Kacchan like this.
Once Kacchan was done vomiting, he stood up by himself, a bit wobbly as if he were a new-born giraffe learning how to walk. He dragged himself over to the sink to splash some cold water on his face. Izuku hadn’t missed the tear-stained streaks on Katsuki’s scarlet cheeks, causing a momentary stab in Izuku’s heart. He wanted nothing more than to just grab the man and hug him until he felt better. Still, he tentatively watched as Kacchan raised a shaky handful of water to his mouth, swilling it round before spitting it back out with a grimace. He ambled his way out of the bathroom, swaying slightly due to the pain Izuku assumed he was in, and Izuku swiftly followed him, flicking off the light switch on the way out.
As Kacchan collapsed onto the bed with a dull thud, Izuku timidly stood in the doorway once again. Would bringing over a large bowl help so Kacchan doesn’t have to worry about making it to the bathroom in time to vomit? A hot water bottle, or an ice pack? Soothing music in the background? Izuku didn’t even remember the last time he got sick himself, he’s a useless nurse! But Kacchan valued his pride too much to accept any form of coddling after Izuku already interfered and saw him vomit, so he knew to just take a step back and be of more use to Kacchan in the morning.
Not that he’d ever dared to discuss it, but Izuku always presumed Kacchan’s love language would be acts of service, as opposed to words of affirmation or physical touch. If Izuku were to hug Kacchan right now, he’d only be doing it for his own benefit.
“Izuku.”
The word was spoken barely above a whisper; if Izuku had not been trying to slink out towards the corridor as quietly as possible so as to not disturb the man, he might not have heard it.
“Yes, Kacchan?”
“Stay with me.”
He couldn’t think of the last time Kacchan had sounded quite so vulnerable, and Izuku felt his heart painfully swell at the polite request (or as polite as humanly possible for Kacchan). However, the warmth that spread all over his body had quickly dissolved into further bouts of sickening knots in his stomach. Surely there’s no way the additional body heat would help Kacchan’s fever, right? Oh God, what if Kacchan didn’t mean any of this, it was just a fever-induced mania or something? He’d hate Izuku forever if he woke up to see that stupid mop of green hair in his bed!
His mind running a mile a minute, Izuku cautiously approached the bed and perched neatly on the edge, simply staring at Kacchan for a few moments. His eyes were already shut tight again and Izuku wondered if he could sneak off back to the sofa without waking him up. Sleeping in the same bed together was not going to be any good for Izuku’s dumb little crush, which was ever-growing by the day.
However, before he could even decide whether he should abide by Kacchan’s wishes or run away to the furthest end of the apartment, a hot and clammy hand reached out and grabbed Izuku’s. It was simultaneously firm and soft, gentle yet confident, and Izuku felt his brain short circuit at that very moment.
Kacchan held his fucking hand. Kacchan reached out and grabbed Izuku’s hand to stop him from leaving the bed. Kacchan’s bed.
Izuku gradually turned his eyes to look down at Kacchan’s face to see his eyes, once again, still shut tight. Yeah, Kacchan’s really sick and his inhibitions had declined and that’s the only reason he did any of this. Now their friendship was going to be weird for a while. Great. Izuku wished he just listened to Kacchan when he said was fine and shouldn’t come over.
Still convinced that he was having a weird fever dream himself, Izuku scrambled under the covers to the best of his ability while his hand was being held hostage, laying completely still and pressing his hands against his sides. Kacchan’s hand had still… not let go. He was gripping onto Izuku like his life depended on it. Izuku squeezed the man’s hand tighter in an attempt of reassurance, forcing himself to try and get comfortable in the bed.
Of course, it was a much easier task than Izuku had anticipated. As if it were a natural behaviour, he draped his hand gripped by Kacchan’s around his chest, taking extra care to ensure the handhold remained intact. It was insanely comforting… It felt like home. Their bodies were puzzle pieces, designed by some higher being to slot together so effortlessly like this. It didn’t matter if it was only a temporary grace for one night; Izuku thought that the world could end in the morning and he would be happy to have been granted the privilege to hold Katsuki for as long as he could. It wasn’t long before Izuku nodded off again, a far easier feat now that he had Kacchan safely in his arms.
By the time Kacchan had woken up, Izuku had already gone for a run, gone back to his own apartment for a spare change of clothes, showered, bought some more groceries, and had begun making a bulk batch of comfort food for the sick patient. Izuku looked over towards the living room when he heard Kacchan enter, a soft smile on his face.
“Good morning! Or, er, afternoon. How are you feeling? You slept for nearly fourteen hours, I couldn’t wake you.”
Katsuki frowned, before spotting his hearing aid on the coffee table. Izuku knew that his lip reading had improved substantially as his hearing decreased over the years, but he could still see the angry microexpressions on his face whenever Kacchan realised just how much of his hearing had been damaged by his explosions. “Probably couldn’t hear ya. I still feel like crap,” he grumbled, rubbing his sore red nose on the end of his grey sweater. “You’re cooking?”
Setting the cooking chopsticks down, Izuku rummaged through his grocery bags and retrieved a tub of Vaseline. “If you rub this around your nose a couple of times a day, it’ll help the dry skin. It looks sore,” the man muttered, before passing the tub to Kacchan, who looked dumbfounded. “I hope you don’t mind me using your kitchen, but I haven’t set anything on fire! I’m making a batch of okayu. I got some chilis you can add to it if you want, but I didn’t want to risk irritating your stomach.”
“Shouldn’t you be at work?” was the only response Kacchan had.
“Oh, yeah.” Izuku put on a brave front as he felt the heat rising to his face, rubbing the back of his neck. “…I’m using some of my annual leave.”
Kacchan’s eyes narrowed at this revelation. “The fuck did you do that for?”
“…I wanted to take care of you,” he mumbled quickly and quietly, even though he knew that Kacchan definitely heard that, as he was actually wearing his hearing aid now. Kacchan, speechlessly, stared at him for a few more moments – which felt like a goddamn lifetime – before opening the tub of Vaseline and dipping his calloused fingertips into the clear gel. “Anyway, are you hungry? I can leave this to simmer on the stove if you’re still feeling a bit—”
“Thank you, Izuku.”
Now it was Izuku’s turn to be rendered speechless. His brain repeated a blaring loop of what the hell what the hell what the hell for several moments, before beaming Kacchan another wide smile. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kacchan plop himself onto the sofa like a lead balloon, his stupid eyes shut already. How is he still so tired? Did the whole Edgeshot thing actually give his immune system a beating? Watching the man drift in and out of consciousness on the sofa gave Izuku the sudden reminder of why there were so many blankets on the sofa in the first place. And why they weren’t neatly folded up and put away after use.
Izuku slept in Kacchan’s bed last night. What the hell.
He wondered if Kacchan remembered it, if he hated Izuku now or felt uncomfortable around him. Surely not, Kacchan would’ve kicked him out of the house by now – and besides, he thanked Izuku for taking care of him! Calm down, Izuku, everything’s fine. He took a deep breath and held it for a few seconds before exhaling, possibly a bit too loudly.
“The fuck you are sighing about?” Kacchan enquired, much harsher than he intended, as he erupted into a coughing fit.
Izuku immediately grabbed both packs of medication he’d bought the night before, rushing over to Kacchan. Without thinking, the man dropped to his knees in front of the sofa again, a hand falling onto Kacchan’s knee. Oops. That was a mistake. Katsuki didn’t miss it, his eyes following Izuku’s scarred hand at the speed of light, but his face was unreadable.
“You need to take something, that cough doesn’t sound good. Liquid or tablet?”
Once Kacchan had regained some composure and took a deep breath, his crimson eyes examined Izuku’s features for a second, before quickly shifting them away. “…Tablet.”
“Still hate liquid medicine, then?” A small smirk tweaked at Izuku’s lips, as he pierced the pill packet and popped two of the white pills into Kacchan’s hand. Izuku cupped Kacchan’s hand in his own, the touch lingering for a few beautiful moments, before he let go and passed Katsuki a glass of icy water. Kacchan was still shivering, and his palms were far sweatier than normal. What Izuku hadn’t noticed was that Kacchan’s gaze didn’t leave Izuku once through that interaction. He grimaced as he swallowed the tablets with the cool water, and Izuku really hoped it was helping with the temperature. “How’s your fever?”
Kacchan groaned, likely a mixture of annoyance and pain. “Ain’t got one anymore.”
“Right.” Without hesitation, Izuku’s hand was carefully lifted onto Kacchan’s forehead, unaware that the cold condensation from the water felt incredible on the ill man’s skin. “Your pants are on fire as well as your head, I see. Take another dose of the quirk suppressors.”
“Piss off, shitty De—” Kacchan’s insult was interrupted by a sudden sneeze. Izuku didn’t like to swear, but his brain couldn’t help but formulate well, that was fucking adorable at the sight of it.
Yeah… Izuku had it bad.
He reluctantly stood back up, wanting nothing more than to just engulf Kacchan into a suffocating hug that he could never escape from, and cleared his throat awkwardly. “So… okayu? And maybe some hot lemon with honey for your throat?” Izuku offered, blissfully unaware of the heat that had risen to his cheeks.
He had no idea that Katsuki had absolutely noticed it.
Kacchan nodded whilst he popped the quirk suppressing medication into his mouth, and Izuku headed back to the kitchen.
This was nothing like caring for an injured Kacchan, as he had already reflected upon the night before, but every waking minute this task appeared to become more of a challenge. As he treated himself to a brief glance over towards the blonde, those stupid butterflies flailing around in his stomach (after well over a decade, how do these things still appear at the worst of times?), he couldn’t help but allow a loving smile to grace his lips as he saw Katsuki wrapping himself up into yet another Kacchan-burrito.
“Try not to go back to sleep just yet, Kacchan. You need to stay awake for a little while. Do you wanna watch some movies? I brought over some All Might DVDs.”
Katsuki’s eyes flew open, those too-familiar carmine eyes flickering over Izuku once again, narrowing slightly afterwards. “What era?”
“Silver age, I’m not a complete menace,” Izuku responded seriously, passing Kacchan a spoon and his bowl of okayu and placing the steaming drink on the coffee table.
And here, Kacchan gave his hero partner a weak smile, one that looked as though it took all his energy to muster up and God, did it melt Izuku’s heart. “Go on, then.”
Izuku set up the television and sat on the far-right side of the sofa, with his bowl. The pair ate in silence once more, except now there was a pleasant and awfully familiar background music to fill the silent void. He wasn’t the best cook, but Izuku was quite proud of the dish he’d made – naturally, he would be nervous preparing food for a cook as good as Kacchan, who normally would’ve sooner kicked Izuku’s ass than let him step foot in his kitchen. Despite this, Kacchan ate his meal with no complaints. It wasn’t lost on Izuku that he opted to omit the fresh chilis for his portion, serving as yet another reminder that Katsuki must’ve been feeling really sick. Granting some solace at least, this time Kacchan had finished the entire serving. Izuku was glad he’d made enough to last until tomorrow too.
Between scenes of his favourite Pro Hero, Izuku’s gaze kept wandering back over to Kacchan, whose eyes were firmly locked onto the television screen with the mug of the lemon-honey blend in his (still shaking) hands. He didn’t look any healthier than yesterday, despite the long sleep, ramen so spicy it should’ve killed off any bacteria Katsuki was harbouring and heck, even the vomiting should’ve made him feel better. Thank God he’d brought over the quirk suppressors though, else this entire apartment could’ve been destroyed. Izuku gently took a hold of the blankets on his side of the sofa and draped them over his lap, smoothing out the ones messily thrown over Kacchan’s. He didn’t think that Kacchan had noticed, with his sight still set on the tense interrogation scene between All Might and the villain.
Even though the magic of these movies had been lost since All Might became their teacher and mentor, they still reminded Izuku of his childhood. He’d watched this particular movie more times than he can count, and he remembered how he saw this one for the very first time with Kacchan on Izuku’s 6th birthday. Izuku had hated the part where All Might realises his sidekick, Red Defender, was secretly working for the villains and gets poisoned by him and nearly dies, but his underdeveloped brain couldn’t comprehend that it was fictional at the time. That hadn’t stopped Izuku from clinging onto Kacchan and burying his face in the crook of his neck every single time. A couple of times, he’d even cried. When that scene was coming up, Izuku turned to Kacchan ready to laugh about how stupid he was as a kid, but was met with the shock of his life.
At some point during the movie, Kacchan had fallen asleep, his left arm thrown over Izuku’s lap and head leaning on his shoulder. Izuku must’ve been so engrossed in the movie he hadn’t even noticed… even at 21 years old, his All Might obsession still interfered with things.
He blushed furiously, not sure what the right move was next. Waking Kacchan up would be best – Izuku can’t obsessively monitor Katsuki’s condition when he’s asleep – but… he looked so peaceful. His elegant eyelashes fluttered slightly with every silent intake of breath, the light of the television reflecting against his delicate skin to make his cheeks glisten, as if Katsuki were some ethereal being. Since when were “elegant” and “ethereal” appropriate words to describe Kacchan? Many would’ve described his expressions as something akin to a feral animal, but not everybody was granted the privilege of seeing this side of Kacchan.
For the first time since Izuku arrived, Kacchan wasn’t shivering. A small trail of drool had escaped from Kacchan’s lightly parted lips, which made Izuku struggle to contain his giggles. Izuku turned to rest his mouth tenderly on Kacchan’s head, his free hand stroking the blonde hair as he took in the man’s scent; some concoction of a cinnamon-ginger shampoo, slight burnt caramel– no, that’s creepy. Get it together. He’d never had this much difficulty being not creepy around Kacchan (or so he thought). These next few days together were going to be even harder than facing off against Shigaraki/AFO.
He pressed his eyelids shut and tried to forget about how Kacchan was allowing him the chance to get this close, and before he could stop himself, Izuku instinctively pressed a feather-light kiss to his head.
His heart plummeted into his stomach once again. What did he do that for? He had literally just spent the thirty seconds prior to that moment telling himself off for being creepy. If Kacchan were to find out about Izuku’s feelings for him, it would be game over. They might have still been hero partners since Katsuki wouldn’t be stupid enough to kiss goodbye the possibility that their ranks would drop if the Wonder Duo split up, but he remembered not-so-fondly from their time at UA that Izuku and Kacchan were more than capable of not being cooperative in combat at all. There was no way they could go back to that. And their friendship! Izuku had spent years dreaming of being best friends with Kacchan again, he wondered if his heart would literally stop beating if they went back to being just colleagues or rivals. He had friends like Uraraka and Todoroki and Iida, but they just weren’t Kacchan. Izuku didn’t even want to think about what his life would be like if Kacchan wasn’t in it.
Thankfully, it seemed that Izuku’s temporary lapse in judgement went unnoticed by the blonde, who was slowly waking up about halfway through the third movie.
“Hey, Kacchan. I told you to stay awake.”
Katsuki blinked groggily a few times, glancing around the apartment. “Shit.” He immediately sat upright, seemingly unaware of the fact that he’d been using Izuku as a pillow a few minutes prior.
“It’s fine. Do you want to take a bath? I think it would do your fever some good.”
“Mmm… Blew the door handle off, and the support handle. Gonna be a pain in the ass if I get woozy.”
“I— um, I can help. As much as I can whilst preserving your modesty, obviously.” The words just fell out of Izuku’s mouth before he had a chance to stop himself. Did he damage his prefrontal cortex when that villain split his head open? Where the hell did his social inhibitions go?
Despite the inner turmoil Izuku was currently experiencing, Kacchan let out a weak, croaky laugh. “We shared locker rooms at UA, nerd, nothin’ you ain’t seen before. But fine, I guess.”
Izuku nodded, putting any verbal response he would’ve had on house arrest since his mouth was betraying him today. He headed to the bathroom and began to run Kacchan’s bath, picking up the broken support handle that was hanging off the bathtub. Kacchan was right – if the heat from the water got to his head, he’d need help gripping something so that he doesn’t slip and hurt himself.
Izuku had advised getting the support handles installed after the building was dropped on him, smirking to himself as he remembered the ridiculous phone call he got from Kacchan that day. He’d begrudgingly called Izuku and admitted that he’d slipped out of the bath, tore his stitches open and, much to Katsuki’s irritation, might need a ride to the hospital to get them redone. Izuku had gone to Uraraka’s apartment for a movie day (despite protesting that he should be looking after Kacchan), and that was when he learnt that literally everyone knew about Izuku’s feelings for Kacchan. Well, everybody except Kacchan.
“I’m sorry, I’m going to have to go. Kacchan’s fallen over and I need to check he hasn’t made his injuries any worse!” Izuku screeched, grabbing his car keys and manically trying to put his shoes on at speed. Ochako started giggling to herself at this point, making Izuku frown. “What?”
“Oh, nothing. It’s just… It’s sweet, you know? How you think nobody’s noticed,” she replied with a caring smile, taking the empty cups of tea over to her kitchen.
“Noticed what?”
“That you’re in love with Bakugou.”
Izuku choked on his own spit and stopped dead in his tracks. “I— what? Uraraka, I’m n-not in love with Kacchan, don’t… don’t be silly.”
“Deku.” Ochako put a hand on his shoulder reassuringly. When did she get so close? “It’s okay. Nobody’s judging you for it. We just want you to hurry up and tell him, since fawning over him all the time clearly isn’t getting the message across.”
‘We’?! He didn’t have time to unpack that now. Izuku inhaled sharply and gulped. “I can’t. I can’t lose him again. Every time he gets hurt, I… I just see his body on the ground after Shigaraki… Well, yeah. We’re actually friends again now, I can’t ruin that with my little crush.” He focused on that word seriously, trying to convince… Uraraka? Himself? It was anybody’s guess. “I just have to be there for him when he needs me.”
That caring smile was back on Ochako’s face again. If Izuku didn’t know any better, he’d say there was a hint of smugness in that smile, like she knew something that he didn’t. “Of course. Go, Deku. He needs you.”
Once Kacchan’s bath was ready, Izuku grabbed a towel and some fresh pyjamas from Kacchan’s closet. As his cheeks continued to ferociously burn at the fact that he had to rummage through the blonde’s underwear drawer, he returned to the living room to let Kacchan know that the bath was ready.
Kacchan sluggishly got up off the sofa and hauled himself over to the bathroom. Upon arrival, he wasted no time throwing off his sweater and joggers. Izuku’s eyes assessed the man’s well-built back; he was a mountain of roiling muscle, his immense biceps living proof of how hard he trained for years to withstand the power of his quirk. Every muscle was painted delicately with scars which demonstrated his many victories. Izuku’s image of victory.
As hard as it was to look away from the God-like body in front of him, Izuku forced himself to, as he had become very much aware that Kacchan had now removed his underwear too and was completely naked. Suddenly, Izuku’s cheeks felt uncomfortably hot. What he hadn’t noticed, however, was that there was a set of ruby eyes turned to watch him the entire time.
Izuku cleared his throat, trying to look literally anywhere but Kacchan. “I’ll, um, wait outside. There’s clean clothes on the radiator for you. Shout me when you’re ready and I’ll help you get out,” he stuttered, before leaving the bathroom.
After about twenty minutes, Izuku’s stomach was wringing itself inside-out again because he hadn’t heard from Kacchan yet.
“Kacchan?” Izuku asked, knocking on the bathroom door and gradually pushing it open. “Are you okay?”
Kacchan didn’t reply. Taking the lack of a response as a worrying sign, Izuku opened the door fully.
Katsuki was still sat in the bath, with his knees brought up to his chest, and his head in his hands. There was a hint of reservedness in his posture, his robust shoulders deflated. His blonde hair was wet and some soap suds still lingered where he’d obviously gotten too tired to continue, and Kacchan’s cheeks were flushed a deep red. Izuku suspected this was more to do with the fever and the bath’s temperature, rather than embarrassment. Lucky for the two of them, there was a cluster of bubbles covering anything that would’ve made Izuku’s brain fry.
He entered the bathroom and dropped to his knees in front of the bathtub. “Kacchan?”
The man was still silent for a few more moments before finally lifting his head up. “Still… still feel like shit,” Kacchan sniffed, his voice quiet and timid. He glanced over at Izuku, finally meeting his eye, and the pained expression on his face could’ve shattered Izuku’s heart there and then.
Izuku knew every microexpression that could ever form on Kacchan’s face, and that man had been crying, albeit silently. He internally cursed himself for having not heard it.
With a reassuring nod and a bright smile, Izuku placed a scarred hand on Kacchan’s back and rubbed small circles. “That’s okay, you’ve done really well, Kacchan. Let’s get you dressed and into bed.”
Izuku stood up first. With one hand still on Kacchan’s back, he outstretched the other for physical support, which Katsuki accepted. He guided Kacchan out of the bath and sat him down on the side of the tub, retrieving the towel and gently towel-drying his soggy spikes (so it did seem that the spikes naturally dried this way). He wanted nothing more than for Kacchan to get better and return to his usual self, but this domestic bliss was going to hurt when it was gone. Izuku wanted to take care of Kacchan every day for the rest of his life.
“Can you get yourself dressed, or do you want some help?” Izuku asked kindly, removing the plug from the bathtub.
Kacchan just stared at him with his big ruby eyes, his expression still vulnerable, defeated. Izuku’s heart cracked once again under the pressure.
“Okay.” He shot Kacchan another calming smile. Izuku picked up the black skull sweater he’d picked out for him (even at 21 years old, that same design had followed Kacchan his whole life), pulling it over his head and adjusting the sleeves so that Kacchan could put his arms through them. Throughout this entire interaction, Kacchan’s eyes didn’t leave Izuku, causing the hairs on the back of his neck to stand on-end. Katsuki followed suit with his underwear and joggers too, before finally standing himself up.
One hand still gently resting between Kacchan’s shoulder blades – distractingly broad, but not as feverish as earlier – Izuku guided the man to his bed, using his free arm to move the duvet over. Kacchan crawled in and pulled the covers right up to his neck, as he shifted into a more comfortable position.
“If you still feel nauseous, or feel nauseous at any point in the night, the bin’s here so you don’t have to get up. Sleeping on your left side is good for easing nausea,” Izuku said, bringing the dustbin from the corner of the room close to the edge of the bed. Katsuki’s eyes hadn’t left Izuku’s, feeling discouraged by the vermillion orbs watching his every move. “Our stomachs are naturally left-leaning, so any stomach acid doesn’t sit too close to your oesophagus and reduc—”
“Izuku.” Katsuki interrupted his informative word-vomit and Izuku suddenly grew tense, despite the softness in Kacchan’s voice. He gulped, and found himself unintentionally clenching his fists.
“What is it, Kacchan?”
Kacchan appeared to have a hard time keeping his eyes open, but for some reason, he was determined. He took a deep breath, his eyes still locked into place, and… was he blushing? No, it must be the change in temperature after his bath, or his fever was returning. Kacchan’s voice was small, almost inaudible. “Sleep with me again tonight… please.”
Izuku was certain that his heart missed a beat. Kacchan not only remembered that they slept in the same bed last night, but for some reason unbeknownst to him, he… didn’t mind it? And he wanted it again?
Not trusting himself to speak, he nodded, sliding under the covers. The same as the night before, Izuku laid completely still for a moment, hands firmly at his sides. Kacchan immediately rolled onto his left side to throw his leg over Izuku’s and encircled his waist with his arm, using Izuku’s chest as a pillow. There must’ve been no way that Kacchan couldn’t hear Izuku’s heart forcefully pounding against his ribcage, even if he was partially deaf. The vibrations alone gave Izuku’s true feelings away. If Katsuki did hear it, he didn’t comment on it.
To make Kacchan feel more comfortable – not for any other reason, obviously – Izuku allowed himself to wrap his right arm around the blonde’s shoulders, a hand falling into his hair to massage the scalp beneath each tuft. Katsuki’s hair was far softer than many people would’ve imagined. His unruly spikes appeared rough and coarse, but it was insanely soft and now evidently not styled that way with any products. His hair just naturally exploded into that hot mess. As his sleep-deprived brain took over, Izuku found himself yet again pressing another kiss to Kacchan’s head between massages. He hoped he’d gotten away with it again if it weren’t for the much louder sigh of contentment from Kacchan, who had curled up even closer to Izuku in response.
He noticed.
Oh, God. This was it, game over. Why couldn’t Izuku have just controlled himself? He’d had these feelings for Kacchan for as long as he could remember. And yet, one period of caring for a feverish Katsuki had made him lose all of his common sense, and allowed himself to indulge in the fantasy that maybe they could be something more, except now he hadn’t been subtle about it and Kacchan knew because he curled up closer to Izuku and—
Wait. Kacchan curled up closer. He let Izuku play with his hair, and kiss his head, and didn’t push him away.
It was probably the sickness plaguing Kacchan’s cognitive abilities. And yet… there was a chance? No, Izuku couldn’t allow himself to think this way. Not right now. That sounded like a conversation for the morning, or when Kacchan’s feeling better.
In an attempt to stop the horrible stirring in his stomach, he closed his eyes and tried to sleep, his fingers still intertwined in Katsuki’s blonde locks.
“Izuku…”
His eyes instantly flew open at the mention of his name, arm still protectively wrapped around Kacchan’s shoulders, assessing the room for danger. Upon concluding that the bedroom was safe, he averted his bleary gaze down to the blonde. “Kacchan?”
Katsuki was still asleep from what it looked like with the limited visibility. Except now, almost the entirety of Kacchan’s upper body was resting on Izuku’s chest, his head comfortably nestled into the crook of Izuku’s neck. Feeling Katsuki’s breath tickle his neck made Izuku’s hair stand up all over his body… It was sensational. He’d bottle up this feeling and drink it everyday like a dying man, if he were able.
“…Izuku…"
“You’re okay, Kacchan. I’m here,” Izuku cooed, stroking his hair reassuringly.
“Don’t leave me.”
Izuku paused, with bated breath. Was Kacchan having a nightmare? Where did he think Izuku was going? Nightmares weren’t unusual for either of the pair, or presumably for any Pro Hero. Izuku had to learn relatively quickly that he couldn’t save every single civilian. And the way that some of those civilians died… Well, Izuku suspected he’d never forget those images. He felt a chill shoot up his spine at the thought, redirecting his efforts to Kacchan.
“I’m not going anywhere, Kacchan.” He couldn’t stop himself from pressing another kiss to Kacchan’s head, still delicately running his fingers through his hair. “I’m right here. I always will be.”
Katsuki replied with a small groan of content, enveloping Izuku’s torso into a giant bear hug. “Stay with me… Izuku… don’t go…”
He kissed Kacchan’s head again, his own heart continuing to swell with every word that dripped out of sleepy-Kacchan’s mouth. Unfortunately, Izuku wasn’t in control of his heart anymore. His tired brain was in control now, and that brain-to-mouth filter had vanished. In that moment, his mouth just moved on its own.
“Shh… you’re okay, Kacchan, you’re okay. I love you. I’m here. You’re safe. I’m not going anywhere.”
He hadn’t even realised what he said, Izuku drifting in and out of consciousness himself. “Kacchan… go back to sleep, Kacchan…” he whispered softly into the other’s ear, pressing kisses onto his head until Izuku fell asleep too.
Izuku woke up peacefully, as his eyes got used to the sunlight seeping through the curtains. He yawned, attempting to stretch his aching limbs, until becoming very aware that something was preventing him from moving. Something heavy was crushing his legs and chest. Frowning, he looked down at the obstacle and let out the breath he hadn’t realised he was holding.
Kacchan was still fast asleep, cuddling him. Okay, not that unusual, they’d done the same the night before. Kacchan was feeling vulnerable due to his sickness and this would never happen again. That’s fine. But that’s when the memories from the night before came flashing back to Izuku like a whirlwind that he’d had no time to prepare for.
He told Kacchan he loved him... He thought he’d dreamt that! Suddenly, Izuku’s head hurt in a weird way and thought that the entire room was spinning.
Katsuki was probably asleep and didn’t hear Izuku’s impromptu love confession. It didn’t look as though he had his hearing aid in either, he must’ve removed it before his bath. That, and Kacchan hadn’t immediately woken up and kicked Izuku into another city. Izuku’s body relaxed with a hearty sigh – he might’ve gotten away with it this time, but he needed to be more careful. He’d had too many slip-ups these last three days.
With a deep breath, Izuku squirmed his way out of Kacchan’s (very strong) grip and got himself out of bed, ready to get himself busy whilst the other was still sleeping soundly.
Much like the previous day, Izuku had the time to go for a run, have a quick shower and prepare some leftover okayu before Katsuki awoke just before midday. Thankfully, he slept for much less than fourteen hours this time.
“Good morning, Kacchan!” Izuku greeted him cheerfully when Kacchan entered the living room, his spiky hair even more chaotic than normal. “How are you feeling?”
Kacchan trapped Izuku under his red gaze for a few moments, before eyeing up the two cups of sencha on the breakfast bar. “Feel a bit better. Think the fever finally broke, but my throat still feels like it’s been sucker-punched,” he groaned, picking up one of the mugs.
“That’s great, Kacchan!” Izuku beamed. “You do look better. Do you still need the quirk suppressors?”
“Nah, think I’m good,” he said, sitting on the sofa. Kacchan’s voice was still noticeably hoarse, but he seemed brighter. “How did you even get ahold of those, anyway? They’re only available on prescription.”
“Uhh… I might’ve bribed the pharmacist with an autograph,” Izuku said sheepishly.
Kacchan choked on his tea. “You did what?!”
“Hey, I did what I had to, for the greater good!” He protested, serving up their meals and Katsuki’s medication onto a tray, walking over to the sofa. “You might’ve blown yourself up if I hadn’t done my duty!”
He chuckled darkly as he accepted the okayu with an appreciative nod, wasting no time dumping the entire side-dish of chilis onto his portion. It was bittersweet, in a way – Kacchan was getting better, but that meant that Izuku wouldn’t get this sweetened version of him for much longer.
The pair ate their meals in silence again and God, Izuku hated the silence, but didn’t trust himself to speak. He still glanced over every few minutes, pleased to see that Kacchan’s hands weren’t shaking anymore, and he was eating much faster than he had the previous two days. He also noticed that Kacchan looked straight back at him every single time. Those gorgeous crimson eyes were both captivating and intimidating.
“Izuku.” Kacchan was the first to break the silence, placing his empty bowl onto the coffee table. He sounded serious and it made Izuku’s skin crawl. He knew what was coming.
“Yes, Kacchan?”
“I heard you. Last night.”
Izuku thought it was his turn to start throwing up. He sighed shakily, putting his bowl on the coffee table too, as he tried to stop his body from going into fight-or-flight mode (in which he was heavily considering flight). “…Oh.”
“Did you mean it?” Kacchan’s unwavering gaze was still firmly fixed on Izuku’s.
His heart was flopping around like a fish out of water. Despite how much his mouth had been word-vomiting recently without any consultation from the sensible parts of his brain, he was suddenly speechless. Was there any saving their friendship at this point? Why hadn’t he kicked Izuku out yet? Why did Kacchan curl up closer to Izuku when he kissed his head? What was Izuku possibly supposed to say?
“I… I did. Uh, I do. But don’t worry, Kacchan, I don’t expect anything from y—”
“I love you too, Izuku.”
Katsuki’s words were spoken with so much sincerity that it made Izuku’s chest ache. The hammering in his ribcage stopped and he thought that the Earth had stopped spinning. Izuku’s ears must’ve been deceiving him. Maybe he was the real deaf one out of the two of them.
“You… what?” Izuku’s brain was still restarting.
Kacchan turned to face him, cupping Izuku’s face in his strong hands to stop him from running away, and Izuku melted into the touch. “I… I’m not great at the whole ‘feelings’ shit, let alone saying them out loud, but if you’ll have me, I’ll prove it to you every single day until the day I die. I love you so much that it suffocates me.”
“Kacchan…” He gasped, his vision becoming blurred with tears. Izuku loved Kacchan so much in that moment, he wondered if it was the strongest emotion he’d ever felt. “Of course I want you.”
He didn’t get a second to breathe after speaking before Kacchan’s lips were pressed against his own. It was serene, tender, and not at all like he’d imagined it would be – Izuku had fantasised about their first kiss being rough and heated after battle, or perhaps just that all of Kacchan’s behaviours were chaotic and unrestrained, so their first kiss would be too. Izuku didn’t realise that Kacchan was capable of such tranquillity and devotion. His lips tasted like a unique blend of Izuku’s tears and the sencha they were drinking, and yet, Izuku couldn’t get enough of it. He wondered if this was what tasting starlight was like, basking in the warmth that Kacchan radiated. Izuku would never get used to this. It was safe, sound, home.
They pulled apart, gasping for breath, and Kacchan brushed Izuku’s tears away with his thumb.
“I really fucking love you, Izuku,” Kacchan whispered, pressing their foreheads together desperately.
The words were spoken so simply as though it were just a fact that everybody knew. The Earth spins on its axis. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. And Katsuki Bakugou loved Izuku Midoriya.
“I love you too, Kacchan,” he replied.
Kacchan beamed and pressed his lips against Izuku’s again, intertwining their fingers in the process. This time, there was much more awkward teeth clashing together through both of their smiles. Izuku didn’t mind, though – to know that he was the cause of Kacchan’s smile was more than he ever thought he’d need. As if Kacchan could read his mind, he gripped Izuku’s hand harder, and every single synapse in Izuku’s body exploded from the touch.
God, Izuku fell more and more in love with explosions every day.
“How did you even hear me last night?” Izuku pulled away again with a slight frown. “Did you sleep with your hearing aid in?”
“You said it right into my ear, dumbass. I’m only partially deaf.”
A watery chuckle was all Izuku could muster, putting his face in his hands. Kacchan didn’t hesitate to grab Izuku’s scarred hands and pull them away from his face so that he could kiss every last freckle on Izuku’s cheeks. He held Izuku’s hands so delicately as if they were a precious metal, and kissed his freckles so adoringly as if Katsuki were kissing stars.
“Kacchan, you’re gonna get me sick too if you don’t stop kissing me!”
A gentle smile formed on Kacchan’s lips. “If you do, I’ll take care of you.”