Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Aizawa’s office always smells like whatever weird plastic-y fabric they use to make sleeping bags. It’s hastily folded in a corner, like Aizawa heard them coming and only just managed to peel himself out of it. 

Katsuki is more tired than he’d like to admit, because he’s jet-lagged, and also he woke up at the ass crack of dawn to get out of Izuku’s room before anyone could catch them. 

After a much needed bath and change of clothes, visiting their teacher is the first order of business if Izuku is going to get back to training and make up for the couple of months he dropped out of hero coursework. 

Fucking nerd and his idiotic ideas. 

Despite the fact that it was Izuku who insisted on coming here before doing anything reasonable like eating breakfast, he now looks a bit pale. He drags his feet, shuffling into the room like he’s expecting a punishment. 

When they close the door to Aizawa’s office behind them, Izuku starts to fidget. 

Katsuki steps a bit closer to him, hoping to reassure him. The piercings on his ear catch the light, distracting Katsuki for a moment. He’s still not used to this version of Izuku, despite the fact that it’s the version he’s made out with until they’re out of breath. 

Shaking his head to get his thoughts in order, Katsuki forces himself to refocus. Izuku is nervous, and Katsuki cannot let his mind wander to indecent places. No matter how attractive Izuku’s undercut is. 

”Relax, nerd,” he whispers, low enough that Aizawa doesn’t catch it. There’s no reason for Izuku to be nervous about this. Everything is going to be fine. They performed a miracle. There’s no way Aizawa will be anything other than thrilled. 

Right? 

Izuku glances sideways at Katsuki. He swallows. 

Katsuki sort of wants to put a hand on the small of his nerd’s back, but it’s too soon. It is too soon, isn’t it? Argh. Katsuki has no idea what he is allowed to do. Boyfriend-ing when there are other people around is sort of hard.

“Midoriya, Bakugo,” Aizawa says, rubbing a hand over tired eyes. “Good to see you are, indeed, alive and in one piece.”

”Hah?”

Aizawa braces both hands on his desk, and Izuku makes a sound too close to a squeak, so Katsuki decides it’s on him to take charge of this. Sometimes, it’s easy to forget that their teacher is a powerful pro hero. The sleeping bag doesn’t help. 

Not now, though.

Right now, Aizawa looks all kinds of pissed.

”You disappeared,” he says slowly. He puts more weight on the desk, and it creaks ominously. Izuku flinches. Katsuki glares at their teacher. “You vanished from the dorms in the middle of the holiday break without saying a word to anyone.”

”It was important,” Katsuki bristles. “And we’re pro-heros. Surely—”

”You’re not pro heroes yet! You’ve got a provisional license! You’re still students. You’re the responsibility of this school,” Aizawa says, jaw ticking. 

“But—”

“Seven students went missing at once. No one knew where you were.”

Izuku’s lip starts trembling. Katsuki swears under his breath. This shouldn’t be going so badly for them. It’s Izuku’s triumphant return to the life of a hero and Aizawa is ruining it all for him. 

Unacceptable.

Katsuki didn’t die thrice for this shit. 

Katsuki braces his hands on the table, facing off with his teacher. Nobody will beat him at cocky. 

“Sensei,” he says slowly. “The provisional license thing worked before we saved the world on international television. Before we broke ourselves to pieces to stop the worst villains ever. Before we had to hold the line against Shigaraki and All For One. It doesn’t work anymore.”

To his credit, Aizawa does grimace at that. His tone softens just a smidge. ”You are still my students.”

Izuku takes a deep breath and says quietly, ”But the others came back a couple of weeks ago and explained the situation, didn’t they?”

”An unsanctioned rescue mission in another country isn’t an explanation,” Aizawa all but growls, temporary guilt forgotten. Katsuki would be impressed by how intimidating their sensei can be if he weren’t ruining his plans. “It’s an international disaster waiting to happen.”

”Sensei—“ Izuku tries, voice small. Katsuki’s palms heat up. He hates it when Izuku tries to make himself less than he is, no matter the reason. “We just—“

”A friend was in danger, and I went to rescue her,” Katsuki says. “My friends didn’t want me to go alone. Don’t tell me you’re surprised, old man. It’s hardly the first time we put our necks on the line.”

Aizawa closes his eyes and sighs so deeply it’s a miracle his chest doesn’t crumble. “I was worried,” he says. “Even more so when Todoroki informed me you hadn’t come back with the others, and he wouldn’t tell me why.”

Katsuki frowns, an odd feeling like shame piercing through his annoyance. Aizawa was worried? Is that why he’s being an asshole?  

He mellows out just enough to pull away from the desk, rubbing a hand over his face. It catches on the piercing on his eyebrow enough for Katsuki to remember he looks different now, too. He is different. 

Maybe he should act like it, then. He’s a grown up. He can be reasonable. “Alright, look. I get it, old man. We didn’t mean to worry you. It won’t happen again. Now, just hear Izuku out, and you’ll understand where we were and what we were doing.”

Aizawa looks surprised by this as his eye swivels to Izuku, but at least he nods and waits. Good enough. They’ll take it.

Katsuki takes half a step back, hovering at Izuku’s back like he’s his bodyguard even though they’re in safe grounds. The instinct to protect his nerd will never really go away, and Katsuki is okay with that. 

“We… ehm…” Izuku clears his throat, frowns. “I don’t know how to explain, other than—“

Without further warning, Izuku takes a breath that sounds suspiciously like Full Cowling and lights up like a sparkler. Black and green ignite on his skin, flooding the room with ozone. Izuku grins at Aizawa, triumphant. Elated. 

Katsuki wants to cry. 

Aizawa doesn’t disappoint. His mouth falls open inelegantly for a long moment, before he finds his composure again. “How?”

”Kacchan found someone with a super rare quirk!” Izuku says excitedly. “We can’t tell you about her. We promised. But there was a difficult procedure. We had to do all sorts of tests, that’s why we were away for a while. But look, sensei. Look.”

A tendril reaches out towards him. It’s shy, and it doesn’t try to touch Aizawa—thank God that sort of reaction is reserved for Katsuki alone or he’d have to go on a rampage—but it is there. Impossibly. Beautifully. Definitely there. 

“I am looking,” Aizawa says. “And I don’t know what to say.”

”Say I can go back to training,” Izuku tells him. “Please.”

The silence is tense. Katsuki can’t help but to think about how many people have written Izuku off. He made the greatest sacrifice in front of the whole world, giving up his dream, his quirk, to save everyone. Nobody thought he’d come back from that.

Not even Aizawa. 

But Katsuki found a way, and Izuku survived the procedure, and he’s back. He is back. So what is taking so long?

Katsuki has to bite his tongue not to tell Aizawa to just get on with it and confirm Izuku is back in the hero course full time. 

Just when he’s starting to taste blood, Aizawa clears his throat. “Are you sure?”

”What?” Izuku asks.

”Are you sure this is what you want?”

Izuku glances over his shoulder, straight at Katsuki. He smirks back, and the glint of anticipation is reflected in the spark in Izuku’s gorgeous eyes. That Aizawa even has to ask is a bit insulting. 

”Respectfully, sensei, I’ve never wanted anything more badly in my life.”

Aizawa smiles. A genuine, very much not tired smile just for Izuku. Katsuki relaxes immediately. Izuku rocks on his feet, excitement getting the better of him. They all know what Aizawa is going to say before he even opens his mouth.

”Welcome back, Midoriya,” he sighs. “Try not to destroy the gym on your first day.”

”No promises, sensei!”

##

Because Katsuki is the world’s best boyfriend (!) he walks Izuku to his room. 

The nerd cannot stop bouncing, which is spectacularly cute and not helping Katsuki keep his impulses in check. If they were still in the compound, he’d slam Izuku against the wall and kiss the living daylights out of him.

Unfortunately, they cannot be caught kissing in the middle of the school. UA has rules for that sort of thing, and a detention isn’t the way they want their friends to find out about their relationship.

It’s late enough that they don’t really run into anyone. After speaking to Aizawa, they had to go meet with Principal Nezu, who had a lot more questions about how they managed to equip Izuku with a whole new quirk. 

From there, it was a compulsory check in with Recovery Girl, and then the world’s most uncomfortable call as Izuku had to talk to Auntie Inko and tell her was alive and in one piece. Katsuki suspects All Might was listening, but he had the good sense to not say anything on the phone.

His own parents were more chilled. Katsuki did tell them he was leaving when he went to the compound the first time, and after Nat called him when he was home, he casually implied he’d be disappearing again before he came to school to recruit help. Not to mention, the old hag knows better than to try to govern Katsuki by now. She only shouted at him for about four minutes before she calmed down.

Perks of having died in front of thousands of people on a rainy night, Katsuki reckons. She’s been a lot mellower since the war.

They saw their friends sometime between all the meetings and check ins for all of ten minutes, so Class 2A knows they’re back, but nothing else. There was no time to talk to anyone, and Katsuki didn’t have it in him to pretend to muster enough patience to engage in further social interaction. 

They’ll break the news about Izuku’s quirk tomorrow when he re-joins training. In fact, Katsuki is a little excited about their classmates' reactions when Izuku powers up in green and black again.

The other news… that’s still a bit of a question mark. He’s in no rush to advertise to everyone that he finally succumbed to his feelings, and he’s no better than a lovesick buffoon. 

”I am so excited about tomorrow, Kacchan,” Izuku says when they stop outside his room. 

“Really? I couldn’t tell.”

”Oh, don’t be an asshole,” Izuku whines. “I have missed this so much! And tomorrow there’s proper hero training, too. The timing couldn’t be better.”

”I bet Aizawa makes you go last just so you don’t disrupt his class.”

Izuku gasps, looking up at Katsuki. “I don’t know if I can keep quiet that long.”

”Yes, you can,” Katsuki tells him. He checks both sides of the corridor before leaning in to press a kick kiss to Izuku’s mouth. “Now, get in your room and get some sleep. You’re two seconds away from crashing.”

”I am not!” Izuku looks affronted, but it’s all quite diminished when he immediately yawns wide enough for Katsuki to get a glimpse of his amygdala. 

Sheepish, Izuku opens the door to his room. He hesitates. “I was going to ask you to come in for a bit.”

”Not tonight, nerd,” Katsuki tells him. “I am knackered, too. I need proper sleep, and I get an extra hour if I’m not worrying about getting caught.”

”But Kacchan…”

”And I doubt we’ll get any grace if we’re not alert for classes tomorrow. Aizawa was pissed. Plus, I’ve missed enough school this year as is.”

Izuku steals another quick kiss from his mouth. “I hate that you’re right.”

Katsuki smiles at him. “Good night, nerd.”

”Night, Kacchan.”

If Katsuki has a little pep in his step all the way back to his own room, that’s nobody’s business. 

He goes through his night routine, relishing the comfort of the familiarity. Clean pyjamas after a quick shower. The taste of his toothpaste. A glass of water by his bed. 

Except when he lies down to sleep, he absolutely cannot manage it. 

His brain is, once again, full of Izuku. His freckles. His body. The way he kisses. The way touching him felt like flying. Better than flying. It was heaven. 

Izuku made these little noises, gasps of surprise like he, too, had no idea it would feel that way. 

Inevitably, his thoughts spiral in that direction before Katsuki can do anything to stop it. Izuku’s skin, both soft and rough in his hands. The blush on his face, spreading down his chest. The redness of his lips, shiny with spit. 

And it occurs to Katsuki, quite suddenly and violently, that he’s in his room now. Alone. He has privacy, a computer, and internet access. 

Why the fuck did he not think of this the moment he came back from his shower? 

Annoyed at himself, but also oddly jittery, he sits up on his bed, running a hand over his face. He’s going to do this. He must do this. He wants to do this.

So then why has his stomach decided to take up gymnastics right this very second?

Clicking his tongue, Katsuki tells himself to calm the fuck down. Looking things up doesn’t mean he has to do it all immediately. In fact, it would help enormously if he had a better idea of what’s possible, so he can pace his progress. 

Knowledge is power, and Katsuki will not relinquish it to his fucking nerves. He’s got this.

Despite his pep talk to himself, he still feels like a fugitive for literally no reason as he gets out of bed and sits at his desk. He doesn’t turn on the lights. 

It takes all of two seconds for his computer to power up. Katsuki’s guts do a double pike off the vault, but he’s doing this. He wants to learn. He wants to know. He wants to try it next time he’s in Izuku’s room. 

“Alright,” he mutters, biting his lip to keep his nerves sort of in check. 

The keys are way too loud as he types, like shotguns at close range. He’s being dramatic, and he knows it, but he is Googling ‘how to have sex’ so he thinks a little drama is justified. This better fucking yield results, because Katsuki needs to know what he’s doing pronto. 

Results take but a moment. 

Katsuki blinks, leans in, and promptly recoils from his screen in horror.

”What the fuck,” he says weakly.

He was absolutely not prepared to be confronted with this much skin. These many parts. What even is all that? Too many boobs. Too much softness. Do girls really pout like that all the time? 

Katsuki suspects what he saw was exaggerated. Ain’t no way that’s real life, but it’s not like he’s going to ask. In the name of all that is holy, Katsuki is so glad he never felt the need to confirm he was not into women.

He might have actually passed away if he’d tried.

Trembling like a spooked cat, Katsuki quickly clicks on his search bar. He needs this gone. Immediately. He wishes he could bleach his eyes. Peel this experience from his brain. Scourge it from his memories. 

Shit. He’s going to have to resume therapy, and for once, dying during the war won’t be the root cause of his trauma. 

Deep breaths, Katsuki. You can do this. Properly, this time.

Resolute, and bracing a little he’s about to receive a punch to the gut, he types ‘how to have sex two men gay sex’ for good measure. That should clear up any and all misunderstandings. He’s prepared to look at men, and men only.

Anyway. 

The results this time are much more agreeable. There’s still too much skin. He was hoping for a sort of manual, not so much… graphic evidence. But then again, this is the unfiltered internet. He should have known. 

While he browses and scrolls through various explanations, most of which are accompanied by either pictures or video clips, he begins to take notes. And yes, it hasn’t escaped his notice that this is exactly the kind of shit the nerd would do. Sue him. Sometimes, nothing beats handwritten analysis and planning.

He’s halfway through a note on ‘prep’ when someone knocks on his door. Before he can yell ‘fuck off’ or otherwise react, Todoroki steps into his room.

To Katsuki’s absolute horror, he fails to click the tab closed fast enough. And because Todoroki is Todoroki, he doesn’t even blink. He simply shuts the door behind him and turns to Katsuki.

”Do you need help?”

”Hah?”

”Help,” Todoroki says again. “I could explain the best way to do that to you, if you’d like.”

Katsuki feels like he’s having an outer body experience. There is absolutely no way in hell that Todoroki Shouto is standing here in his room in the middle of the night offering to explain sex to him.

”Absolutely not.”

”But you are researching it,” Todoroki insists. “And I know that the internet is unreliable. I did the same. It wasn’t helpful.”

”You—“ Katsuki groans, becoming more and more overwhelmed by discomfort. 

“I thought that ‘relaxing your jaw’ for example, was easy,” Shouto says, delivery so deadpan you’d think he’s commenting on the color of the dorm walls. “It is in fact quite tricky, when Shinsou—“

“Stop talking right now. I do not want to hear—“

”It’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

”I am not ashamed!”

I am revolted. 

”Well, then,” Todoroki says with a shrug. “It’s better if you don’t overthink the mechanics, Bakugo. Just remember that whoever is bottoming needs to be prepped and that you want to use a lot of lube. Lots of it.”

”Stop. Talking.”

Todoroki tilts his head. He puts his hand in his pocket. “But—“

”I will explode you into the stratosphere. Get out!” Katsuki shouts, face so red he’s concerned he might pop a blood vessel somewhere. 

“Alright,” Todoroki says. He throws something at Katsuki. “Enjoy.”

Katsuki watches in abject horror as a packet of lube blinks at him from his lap, where Todoroki skillfully threw it. He’s about to bang his head against the desk when the door opens again.

”FUCK OFF!”

”I came to ask if it worked. I didn’t want to go to Midoriya in case it didn’t. That would be insensitive, Shinsou said,” Todoroki says from the threshold. “I got distracted by—oh. Oh, it worked, didn’t it?”

”What? Yes, but—“

”I see.”

”What do you see?” Katsuki feels like he’s going crazy.

And then, Todoroki nods to Katsuki’s lap and says, like it’s obvious. “Well, it must have worked since you’re obviously going to have sex with Midoriya.”

Katsuki vaults from his chair and physically shoves Half ‘n Half out of his room, slamming the door in his face to forcefully it rattles on its hinges.

##

Their hero training session happens to be in Ground Beta today. 

If Katsuki was a sentimental sap, which he isn’t, but if he were, he’d think it a sign from fate. Almost like their fight here two years ago changed the course of their lives, setting them on the path that would end up with Katsuki getting everything he didn’t know he wanted. 

Damn. 

He should have kissed the nerd then and there, when he first thought about it. 

Katsuki stands near the spot where he pinned Izuku to the ground, staring at his boots. He’s transfixed by the memories. Izuku’s blood on his knuckles, his chest heaving with heavy breaths. Katsuki’s hips pinning him down, their bodies pressed together so tightly he could feel the heat radiating off Izuku. He could smell the taste of his skin. 

It’s entirely possible that Katsuki’s sexual awakening came about because of that fight, which is no longer surprising to him, but does explain a lot of his reservations around letting himself be near Izuku.

Violent love breeds violent urges, and until recently, Katsuki hadn’t realized that Izuku could take it.

That he wanted to. 

“You okay, Bakubro?” Shitty Hair asks, waving a hand in front of Katsuki’s face. 

“Hah?”

”You look like you’re a million miles away,” Raccoon Eyes says. 

Katsuki rolls his eyes. “I’m fine. Let’s go.”

Aizawa and All Might are going to teach this class together, which Katsuki didn’t know until he sees them walk onto the grounds side by side. He twists his mouth into a grimace. 

Izuku isn’t ready to forgive All Might just yet. Will this affect his comeback? 

Katsuki glances over his shoulder, scanning the bunch of extras gathered for the lesson. There are a few still missing—class doesn’t start for another five minutes. Of course, his nerd is cutting it close. Timekeeping has never been one of Izuku’s most polished qualities. 

“Hey.”

Kaminari steps up next to him, looking up through his eyelashes. There’s a pretty blush on his cheeks, which alerts Katsuki to what Kaminari is about to say. 

“So, tonight we’re going to play videogames in the common room,” Dunce Face starts. “And we’re doing pair matches. You… it’d be cool to play together.”

Katsuki feels a twinge of something alien in his chest. It takes him a moment to realize that it’s regret. Not because he wishes things were different—he loves Izuku in such an all encompassing, overwhelming, consuming way that Katsuki honest to God thinks he might die if they ever broke up.

But Kaminari is his friend. He’s pretty. Stupid. Courageous. Loyal to a fault. Katsuki likes him, and he hates that he’s going to have to hurt his feelings. 

It’s not his fault. Katsuki agreed to just kissing for fun. But he should have noticed earlier that Kaminari was developing a crush on him. He should have stopped it sooner. 

Unsure of what to say, he grunts. Kaminari’s eyebrows twitch like he can’t quite decipher if it’s a yes or a no. Katsuki opens his mouth, uncertain, but before he can speak, Aizawa calls them all to attention at that moment. 

Katsuki breathes a sigh of relief. He can’t tell Kaminari he’s with Izuku quite yet. Kaminari is a gossip mill, and he’ll tell everyone faster than Katsuki can make him promise to take the secret to his grave. But he doesn’t want to give him false hope, either.

Fucking hell.

“Bro,” Kirishima says, nudging Katsuki’s shoulder. “Does that mean it worked?”

When he looks up, Katsuki is blessed with the absolutely glorious sight that is Izuku in his hero costume. It’s tight like a second skin, but reinforced in all the right places to keep him safe. He looks gorgeous. 

Katsuki can’t stop himself from checking him out, eyes snagging on the thickest thighs in school.

An idea blooms in Katsuki’s mind, spurred on by the research he spent the better part of the night doing. He’s going to have to try it out at the earliest opportunity.

”What the fuck are you thinking about?” Mina asks. 

“What?”

”You look like you’re about to Howitzer Impact Midoriya into next week!” Raccoon Eyes shrieks. “I thought you guys made up after that whole building collapse situation.”

Katsuki smirks, ignoring her in favor of stepping closer to Izuku. That’s when the rest of the class notices him. The surprise on their faces annoys Katsuki, but he swallows it down. 

Soon enough, they’ll see. 

“Midoriya! Did you decide to continue attending classes after all, ribbit?” 

“Hi Tsuyu,” Izuku says, blushing a bit. He rubs the back of his neck with his hand. “Yeah. I—I wasn’t quite ready to give up on being a hero just yet.”

Katsuki notices the concerned glances passed amongst the students that did not go with them to Jaqie’s rescue. Icy Hot looks totally unconcerned, and Katsuki is grateful that he doesn’t comment. It won’t do if he ruins the surprise.

Eyebags’ expression is also neutral. Kirishima, Ashido, and Kaminari are watching Katsuki instead of Izuku, so he’s careful to keep his face blank. 

Shitty Hair nudges him again. “Bro! Did it work or not?”

Katsuki shrugs just as Aizawa and All Might call the class to attention. 

The exercise is simple enough. They’re fighting villain bots, similar to what they faced in their entrance exam. They’ll go in pairs. Katsuki catches Aizawa’s eye as he starts to call out the assigned partners. He sort of wants to go out there with Izuku, but he also wants to be in the room when the rest of their class realise that Izuku has his quirk back. 

“Bakugo,” Aizawa says, totally deadpan. “You’re with Uraraka.”

Katsuki catches himself just before he rolls his eyes. Fine. Aizawa has been on his ass to improve his teamwork with people he’s not ‘close’ with. “Sure.”

Uraraka comes to stand next to him, even though they’re second to last so it’ll be a while before it’s their turn. 

“And last, Midoriya, I’m putting you with Iida.”

Izuku nods. 

Katsuki watches the first few pairs go. Out of the corner of his eye, he can see Izuku fidgeting again. It takes all his self control to stay where he is, watching the screens, and not go to Izuku and throw an arm over his shoulders. 

“Satou, Tokoyami, you passed, but that was a mediocre effort from both of you,” Aizawa says when they come back. “Why?”

Both of them shrug, and it hits Katsuki that no one wants to show off when Izuku is here. They think Izuku is going to try to take on the machines quirkless, and they don’t want to set the bar too high. 

It’s oddly nice of the class, albeit totally futile. 

"Bakugo, Uraraka. You’re up," All Might calls. “Plus Ultra!”

Katsuki doesn’t look at Round Face at all. He’s got nothing against Uraraka, he just cannot bring himself to care about anyone other than Izuku right now. Their eyes meet, and Katsuki’s heart does a little backflip.

The corner of Izuku’s mouth twitches, and Katsuki gets the message. 

Izuku doesn’t want anyone’s pity, no matter how well-meaning. 

##

Katsuki could have held back just a bit, he thinks as he stands over the smoking remains of the bots not three minutes after the whistle went off. Oh well. Izuku didn’t want him to act any differently for his sake, and Katsuki has always been an all-or-nothing sort of person. 

Uraraka lands next to him, eyes wide. “Bakugo, that was a bit over the top, no?”

Before he can respond, two more machines come careening around the corner. He smirks. “You taking this down with me, or leaving me to do all the work?”

“Oh, you’re on!” she says, and Katsuki is reminded that Uraraka can hold her own when she has to.

They explode forward. Katsuki blasts the first machine, knowing he doesn’t have to worry about any debris hitting him because Uraraka is right behind him. He vaults over the second machine and shoots it from the back, straight into the trap Uraraka has built for it.

They’re done in seconds. 

They walk back to the observation room in comfortable silence, which is all Katsuki can ask for. Now that it’s Izuku’s turn, he’s getting nervous. He’s trying to hide but, he’s not sure if he’s doing a good job. Uraraka keeps shooting him strange glances, but Katsuki cannot even begin to try to figure out if she’s picking up on his anxiety, or if it’s because he really did obliterate those machines with more force than was necessary.

When they enter the room, most of the class is whispering. Katsuki frowns at the disappointed glares he gets from a few extras, mildly confused but not bothered enough to think about it too hard. 

“Last pair,” Aizawa announces. “Midoriya, Iida. Begin.”

The tension in the observation room is suffocating. Katsuki has to bite his tongue hard enough to taste blood so he doesn’t shout at everyone that they’re being idiotic. Izuku is fine. He’s back. He’s going to show them all.

Iida turns to Izuku, a hand on his chest. He looks so solemn you’d think someone died and Iida is responsible for delivering the eulogy at the funeral.

For fuck’s sake.

“Don't worry, Midoriya-kun! I shall provide the offensive front! You focus on the tactical mapping!”

Izuku’s mouth twitches again. Katsuki jams his fist into his mouth, earning more confused glances. 

“Are you ready, Midoriya-kun? We don’t have to—”

“Iida-kun,” Izuku says, his voice staticky through the comms system. “It’s going to be fine.”

The buzzer goes off. Izuku and Iida step onto the ground. Katsuki’s heart accelerates so much he has half a mind to worry about cardiac failure, but he can’t take his eyes off the screens. 

Three massive bots roll out from the nearby alleyways. On the screens, Katsuki watches them advance, leaving tracks on the dirt and debris that wasn’t cleaned properly from previous battles. 

Iida revs his engines, shoots one worried glance at Izuku, and leans forward to take off. Before he can even lift a foot, Izuku casually takes one single step forward, landing it hard enough to crack the ground.

The first bot gets caught on the crack, rolling forward to crash in the middle of the street. Izuku tilts his head, grins so wide his cheek bunch up under his eyes, and darts forward in a haze of green and black crackling. 

“What the—” Shitty Hair whispers in the room. 

“Is that?”

“Oh my God!”

“Midoriya shounen?” All Might says in shock. 

The entire class erupts into confused sounds. Katsuki pretends he can’t hear them, keeps his eyes on the monitors. 

Izuku launches himself at the bots, moving like a slingshot. His shoot-style comes back to him like he never had to take a break. He kicks a bot over the head, sending it towards Iida who has just about recovered enough to join the party. 

Black tendrils of what used to be Black Whip (he’s going to have to ask Izuku if he’s come up with a new name yet) shoot out, trapping the third bot so Izuku can do a flying, turning kick and crush it like a soda can. 

“Fuck yes,” Katsuki says without meaning to. “That’s it, nerd.”

“Bakugo?”

“Did you know about this?”  

He still ignores them. In the monitor, Izuku is a beautiful, unstoppable storm. Katsuki notices that Izuku is still whispering under his breath his old attacks. ‘St Louis Smash’ makes an appearance, right before his trusty ‘Detroit Smash’.

“How did he get One for All back?” All Might asks, and the alarm in his voice is enough for Katsuki to break out of his trance for a second. 

“It’s not One for All,” he says. The entire class falls silent. Katsuki sighs. “It’s a new quirk. Izuku’s quirk.”

“How?” 

“Doesn’t matter,” Katsuki tells them. “But he’s back.”

Aizawa looks proud. All Might tears up, his hands braced on the desk, trembling a bit. He looks torn between happiness and longing. Katsuki rolls his eyes, and focuses on the monitors. He doesn’t want to miss the end of Izuku’s training session.  

More bots have appeared, and now Izuku and Iida are working together. It takes only a few more minutes for all the machines to be crumpled in the ground like paper cranes. 

When Izuku lands in a crouch in the middle of the destruction, the black tendrils retract and disappear. He’s breathing hard, but there’s a joy on his face that Katsuki will commit crimes to protect. 

Izuku looks up at the nearest camera, and says ‘Thank you.”

Heart in his throat, Katsuki has to turn away from the screens, and the adoring look on Izuku’s eyes, before he does something stupid. 

##

Katsuki is not having a good time.

He is, in fact, having war flashbacks to the first time he came back from the compound to find Izuku, gorgeous but changed, singing karaoke on top of a table. The air smells like cheap store-bought cake, sweat, and the electric fizz of Kaminari’s over-excited sparks. 

Jiro set up a speaker, and has music blaring from it loud enough that Katsuki cannot hear anything else. His tortured eardrums aren’t made for this much noise. 

There’s a "Welcome Back" banner hanging from the mezzanine that is slightly crooked, courtesy of Sero’s rushed taping. All in all, it’s kinda nice that the extras put this together so quickly for Izuku, but Katsuki was hoping they’d get to hole up together in his room instead. He’s been on edge since watching Izuku fight again. 

Resigned to enduring this ‘party’ for at least one hour, Katsuki stands by the snack table, gripping a plastic cup of water so hard it’s beginning to warp. Across the room, Izuku is absolutely surrounded by the entire class. 

Everyone is yelling at Izuku—which they wouldn’t have to do if Jirou turned the music the fuck down—and asking him questions about his new quirk. Izuku looks tired, but excited. He doesn’t seem to need rescuing just yet, so Katsuki is trying his very best to not be overbearing. 

It’s particularly hard because Izuku keeps glancing his way, and every time he catches Katsuki’s gaze over the heads of the extras, his mouth twitches into a small, private smile. Katsuki wants to kiss him so badly it hurts. 

"Hey, Bakugo."

Oh shit. Kaminari appears out of seemingly nowhere. One moment Katsuki is alone, the next Kaminari is right there, leaning against the table with a forced casualness that sets Katsuki’s alarms blaring immediately. 

“Hey, Dunce face,” he says carefully. Guilt bubbles to the surface, even more so when it’s clear Katsuki simply cannot hear a word Kaminari is saying. “I can’t hear you.”

Kaminari’s eyes flash. He leans closer. Too close. “A few people are playing Pocky,” Kaminari says, his voice dropping an octave. Katsuki blinks. Kaminari looks up through his lashes at him, in that way he did the one time they made out. He’s got a hopeful, terrifyingly vulnerable expression on his face. “Do you want to… maybe, play? I bet you’ll chicken out before I do.”

He would pay good money to not have to do this. But Katsuki isn’t a coward, alright? He can do hard things. Taking a deep breath, he squares his shoulders and tries his damned best to keep his face sort of neutral. 

“Listen, Kaminari,” Katsuki says, as soft as he can manage. “I’m not… I can’t play. Not with you.”

Kaminari’s face is cautious, like he can’t tell if this is a rejection or just Katsuki being Katsuki and hating parties. “Oh. Is it... do you want to leave the party, then? Or—”

“It’s because I’m with someone,” Katsuki interrupts, the truth burning its way out. He doesn't say who, but his tone is serious. There’s no way Kaminari will misunderstand. “I cannot play Pocky with you. I don’t…” 

I don’t want to.

He doesn’t have to say it. Kaminari gets it immediately. He swallows hard, once. “It’s Midoriya, isn’t it?”

“Dunce Face—”

“It’s alright,” Kaminari says, looking away. A blush has taken over his face. “I sort of… I figured. I won’t tell anyone.” 

Before Katsuki can get another word in, Kaminari retreats toward the couch. He sits down heavily, biting his lip. He’ll be fine, Katsuki tells himself. It was just a crush. Katsuki still feels like shit, though. 

He turns back to the room, looking for Izuku. Mineta is, for some reason, waving his hands in the air. Katsuki lets a few explosions pop on his palms as he approaches. He wants to hear whatever the fuck that pervert is saying to his nerd. 

“Midoriya really lucked out,” Mineta is saying, loud enough for the girls nearby to wince. “All the girls will be swooning at his—“

Katsuki doesn't let him finish. He sets off an explosion hot enough that the table next to him catches a spark, a small fire starting where someone spilt what should have been unspiked punch. 

A low, dangerous growl vibrates in his chest. What the fuck is Mineta on about? Izuku doesn’t need nor does he want any girls.

He doesn’t.

Right?

“Bakugo? No need to be jealous,” Minera says. “Midoriya will leave some girls for the rest of us, right Mid—“

“Shut the fuck up.” Katsuki pushes his way through the crowd around them, grabbing Izuku’s arm. “Need to talk to you.”

Izuku doesn’t even bat an eye. He smiles that sweet, innocent grin of his at the extras, saying, “Sorry guys! Have to help Kacchan!”

They don’t wait for a response. Katsuki turns on his heel and storms toward the elevator, his boots thudding a bit too loudly on the floor. He’s pretty sure he looks a little unhinged right now. Izuku doesn’t complain a single time. 

Izuku does, however, gasp excitedly when Katsuki slams him against the door the second it closes behind them in his room. 

“Kacchan?”

“Don’t,” he grunts, and then he’s kissing Izuku with all the pent up want he’s been holding in since morning. 

Immediately on board, Izuku buries his fingers in Katsuki’s hair, tugging at the longer strands at the back of his head. Izuku’s piercing is cool on his tongue. Without warning, his brain flashes him with wonder what that feels like on my–

No.

Or… maybe yes? 

Katsuki breaks the kiss, chest heaving. He looks at Izuku, whose eyes are wide and sparkling. His cheeks are red, the flush spreading down his neck by the second. Fuck, he’s so beautiful. 

“I—” Katsuki kisses his teeth, unsure of what to say. Of how to say it. “I was thinking… maybe—”

“Yes,” Izuku says immediately, without hesitation. 

“I haven’t told you what yet.”

Izuku makes a face like he thinks Katsuki is being dense, and tells him, “I don’t care what it is. I want it. Anything.”

Katsuki’s knees betray him then. They go weak, like jelly, and he only stays upright because he is Great Explosion Murder God Dynamight and nothing can bring him down. Not even Izuku’s earnestness. 

“Okay,” he says, voice raspy like he swallowed sand for dinner. “Well, then… ehm… tell me if you want to stop.”

Before Izuku can protest that he will not be wanting to stop any time soon, Katsuki kisses him again. He can’t let the nerd start talking, or he’ll lose his nerve. Want and panic are currently having a battle inside his chest, and Katsuki needs to get things going before the panic has a chance to set in. 

He tugs Izuku by the shirt, mouths still pressed together, and they stumble towards Katsuki’s bed. Izuku goes so willingly, so pliantly, that Katsuki finds himself relaxing just a smidge. This is Izuku. His nerd. They’ve been to hell and back together. 

This is going to be fine. 

“Sit,” Katsuki barks at him, his nerves making him sound a little rougher than he means to. 

Izuku’s face tightens, and Katsuki somehow knows that he’s doing everything in his power to stop himself from asking questions. He’s grateful for the effort. Katsuki doesn’t think he’d be able to go through with it if Izuku required an explanation beforehand. 

“Kiss me again, Kacchan.”

He does, leaning forward, arms caging Izuku. Katsuki bites Izuku’s lower lip—so soft, so plump—and he makes a noise that shoots straight to Katsuki’s pants. He almost jerks with it, but no. Not yet. He has to do this properly. 

Katsuki kisses along Izuku’s jaw, down his neck. Izuku makes a small noise of want, almost a moan, and it spurs Katsuki on. He can do this.

He really, really wants to do this. 

The moment he admits to himself that, despite his nerves, this is something he absolutely, fundamentally wants, it becomes easier. He’s still a little tense, because what if he does a bad job? But if he doesn’t start, he’ll never get better, and the only thing more embarrassing than being bad at something is staying bad at it. 

Izuku loses his shirt quickly. Katsuki kisses down his chest, stopping at the random scars peppered all over. He admires the freckles, lets his fingers track a path over the constellation of Izuku’s skin. 

It’s getting awkward to stay in this position, and Katsuki was going to have to move anyway, so now is as good a time as any. He swallows, heart ricocheting in his chest, and kneels on the floor between Izuku’s legs.

“Kacchan?” Izuku squeaks, high pitched and breathless. “Kacchan, what—”

Katsuki looks at him, fingers on the button of Izuku’s jeans, and cocks an eyebrow. He cannot form words right now, so he hopes Izuku understands the question.

“Oh my God,” Izuku says, his blush spreading all the way down to his chest. “Yes. If you’re… if you’re sure. You don’t have to.”

Katsuki rolls his eyes, pops open the button, and yanks Izuku’s trousers and underwear down in one go. The clock is ticking now, and Katsuki’s nerves are resurfacing. He has to get this going. 

“I’ve never done this before,” Katsuki announces, mostly as a reminder to himself that it’s okay to not be perfect the very first time. 

Izuku doesn’t reply, so Katsuki braves a glance to his face. He is looking at Katsuki with such utter devotion on his face, with such raw excitement, that Katsuki feels his worries melt away. He smiles softly, and leans in to press a kiss against Izuku’s inner thigh. His skin is warm, and he smells so good, and Katsuki cannot wait a second longer.

So he doesn’t. 

##

In hindsight, deciding to have his first time—because yeah, oral sex is sex and therefore, as far as he is concerned, what happened last night was officially their first time—the week they’re supposed to catch up on all the school they missed wasn’t his most brilliant moment.

A tactical misstep, if you will.

Because how is Katsuki supposed to focus on anything but the way it all felt? His brain is absolutely useless for anything that isn’t replaying the night on a loop. He had no idea that it would be like that. Feel like that. Not just physically, but… in his chest. In his heart.

Oh, fucking hell. He’s a sap now, isn’t he? Is this what he’s been reduced to? Disgusting. Thank fuck no one can hear his thoughts. 

It’s just… Look, it’s not like he’s an idiot. Of course he knew it would be great, otherwise people wouldn’t go nuts about it. 

But the… intimacy of it all sort of caught him off guard. If anyone had asked him, Katsuki would have probably guessed that receiving had to be better. And, it was. It was fucking awesome. That piercing was every bit as destructive as Katsuki had assumed it would be. 

And yet… something about Izuku panting, writhing, begging nonsensically just from a few swipes of Katsuki’s tongue was a high better than any battle he’s ever won. And he’s won plenty. 

“Kacchan?”

“Hah?” 

Next to him, Izuku has his arm propped on the desk, chin resting on his hand like his neck can’t support the weight of his head alone. “I cannot focus. Maybe we call it a night?”

Katsuki smirks, deeply relieved that he’s not the only one distracted. “Something on your mind?”

Izuku blushes, and Katsuki’s blood sings. “Obviously.”

They exchange a heated look that promises a repeat performance for a long second before they’re both scrambling out of their seats and shoving their books into their bags as fast as humanly possible. 

Katsuki punches the button on the elevator a tad harder than necessary, shifting his weight from his heels to the balls of his feet. Izuku is practically vibrating in his skin. He’s not even the least embarrassed about how eager he is to get upstairs. Katsuki is, too. 

Except as the elevator pings and the doors start to open, Uraraka turns the corner and shrieks, “There you are! I’ve been looking for you.”

Panicked, Izuku glances at Katsuki. What is he supposed to do? Uraraka is Izuku’s problem to deal with. Katsuki just hopes he does it fast. 

He’s about to walk into the elevator alone when Uraraka tuts. “Nuh huh. You’re not getting out of this, Bakugo.”

“Hah?”

Horrified, Katsuki turns to find Uraraka staring him down, hands on her hips. 

“Uraraka-san, did you need something?” Izuku asks, trying to sound casual but failing so miserably Uraraka’s smile twitches. 

Katsuki knows what’s coming before she even says it. He shouldn’t have been surprised. 

“When are you going to tell everyone that you’re dating?” 

“We—I mean…” Izuku looks at Katsuki hopelessly, like he has the answers. Katsuki supposes he sort of does, so he shrugs, throws his arm over Izuku’s shoulder, and says, “Did Dunce Face talk?”

Izuku frowns. Katsuki gently squeezes his arm in an ‘I’ll tell you later’ silent message. Uraraka shakes her head. “Kaminari? No. I haven’t spoken to him. But you… I mean, am I wrong?”

“No,” Katsuki says. “You aren’t. It’s just what we do is nobody’s business. We don’t need to announce it.”

Uraraka shrieks. “I knew it! Oh my God, when did this happen? How? Who confessed first?”

“U–Uraraka-san?”

“Please tell me that it was you, Midoriya-kun,” she says, eyes wide and excited. “I will make so much money.”

Katsuki blinks, realisation dawning on him. “You did not make a bet about this.”

“Oh, yes, I did,” Uraraka says matter of fact. “Have you any idea how obvious you two are?”

“I—no?”

Uraraka laughs. It’s well meaning and kind, and she’s obviously so happy for them that it’s hard to be mad. But Katsuki is sort of annoyed that he’s been the butt of a joke he wasn’t in on. “Who else?”

“Just the girls,” Uraraka tells him. “The boys are too dense to pick up on any of it. But you are not subtle. Neither of you. You were so obvious that it’s been hard to guess if you’d actually gotten together yet.”

Izuku runs his hand through his hair, a bit more composed now that the shock has worn off. “Well, it was… Kacchan, actually. He told me first. He was… he was braver than me.”

“Heh,” Katsuki says, pleased. “Of course I was.”

“Ugh. Really? Okay, fine. How long?” Uraraka asks. 

“Couple of weeks,” Katsuki tells her with a shrug. 

“I need specifics,” Uraraka tells them. “Half of us thought that you’d confess after Rody kissed Izuku before the Winter break. The other half thought you’d be too angry and would hold out for a while yet.”

Fucking Background Character #19 is going to haunt Katsuki for the rest of his life. His hands fist at his sides, and he barely restrains the urge to drag Izuku upstairs right now to remind him why he should have never kissed that uncooked noodle ever.  

Izuku does a good job of looking contrite and mortified, which appeases Katsuki ever so slightly. “Uraraka-san, do not talk about that! It was while we were in the lab where I got my quirk. Three weeks ago.”

“You owe money, Midoriya-kun!” Uraraka protests. “But, I’m happy for you. Really.”

“Uraraka, if you are so happy for us, can you maybe shut up and let me take him upstairs already?” Katsuki asks, giving her a pointed look. 

Izuku yelps, scandalised, but Uraraka just smirks and gives them a little bow. “Be safe, boys!”

Katsuki drags a spluttering, slightly hysterical Izuku into the elevator. 

##

After Uraraka confronted them, Katsuki and Izuku agreed that it was time to tell their closest friends. He told Izuku about Kaminari’s advances, and how he turned him down. Izuku was a little jealous, which was hilarious, and may or may not have resulted in another awesome hook up. 

They told Kirishima in the gym. He cried. It was embarrassing. 

The rest of their friends, including Half ‘n Half, didn’t bat an eye. Apparently, they all shared Uraraka’s opinion that subtlety had never been Izuku or Katsuki’s forte. Sero even commented that he thought they were dating during the war and only realised neither of them had actually had the balls to confess and they were just pining uselessly until Katsuki came back from his first absence. 

All in all, Katsuki is glad that’s done with because now, whenever he wants to be alone with Izuku, he doesn’t need to come up with any excuses. He just gets up and tugs Izuku by the wrist, wolf whistles and stupid, lewd comments be damned. 

There are only three—well, four—people they need to tell. Two of them, Katsuki isn’t worried about in the slightest. But the others… well. 

They’re at the door, ready to knock, except Izuku keeps chickening out. For once, Katsuki doesn’t want to tease him. 

“I’m not sure if I’m ready for this,” Izuku says, chewing on his lower lip. “I—I know you’re right that I reacted a bit out of proportion about All Might dating my mom. But…”

“Hey. We can leave and come back another time,” Katsuki says, slipping his hand into Izuku’s. “They can wait.”

“No,” Izuku says, shaking his head. “Auntie Mitsuki made dinner. I’m not… it’s not right to let it go to waste. I just—”

“I can kick Auntie Inko and All Might out, if you want.”

“No.” Izuku takes a deep breath. “It’s fine. Let’s do this.”

Izuku knocks, and squeezes Katsuki’s hand so hard he feels his bones grind together. The door swings open. The old hag stands there, wooden spoon brandished like a weapon, eyes immediately dropping to their joined hands.

The smirk on her face reminds Katsuki of his own so much it actually sends an uncomfortable shiver down his back. 

“I see," she says, stepping aside. "Get in here. The curry’s getting cold and Inko is so nervous she’s going to walk a trench in our living room with all her pacing.”

Katsuki feels Izuku’s grip tighten—if the nerd squeezes any harder, Katsuki’s going to have permanent structural damage—but he doesn't pull away. 

The old hag was right about Inko. She looks as nervous as Katsuki knows Izuku feels. Mother and son look at each other for a moment, tension building in the air. It’s awkward. Katsuki hates it, so he gestures towards the table. Set and ready.

“Come on. I’m starving.”

All Might gets up from the sofa, where he was sitting so still Katsuki didn’t even notice him at first. They all take their places at the table. Inko fidgets with a napkin. Katsuki’s dad look completely out of his element. 

“This is—” the old hag starts, but Katsuki doesn’t want his mother to rescue him. He’s got this. 

It’s his job to help Izuku.

“We’re together,” he says, forcefully. “We’re boyfriends. And Izuku has a quirk now. That’s what we wanted to tell you.”

Izuku squeaks, his face turning a shade of red that rivals the tomatoes chopped into the salad in the middle of the table. “Kacchan! I—I mean, yes. What he said.”

Inko lets out a shaky breath, immediately dabbing at her eyes with a tissue that seems to appear out of thin air. Izuku looks distinctly uncomfortable. Katsuki isn’t sure what to do next. 

He shoots his dad a pleading look, but it’s actually his mother who takes charge. It doesn’t surprise him, really. His mum has always been brave and brash. He had to get it from someone. 

“Ha! Finally,” the old hag cackles, slapping the table so hard the water glasses rattle. “You better do right by Izuku-kun, brat. He’s much too good for you.”

He takes back all the nice things he was just thinking about the old hag. Immediately.

“Auntie!” Izuku protests. “Kacchan is a great boyfriend. The best.”

Katsuki feels his ears burn. 

All Might clears his throat. They turn to look at him, and a small twinge of pity stabs Katsuki. He looks so out of his depth it’s sort of sad. As much as Katsuki blames All Might for all he put Izuku through, he also knows that he cares. He has always cared about Izuku. Almost like a dad.

Possibly more than Izuku’s dad, who up and left when he was little. 

So, okay. Maybe they can cut him some slack. 

“Midoriya shounen,” he says, his voice soft. “I—we are sorry. I know that you… I should have talked to you before I told Inko how I felt about her. I understand you’re upset. But I hope that we can… that you’ll forgive me.”

Inko reaches across the table, covering Izuku’s free hand with her own. Izuku tenses, but he doesn’t pull away. 

“Izuku, we realise we handled our own relationship poorly. We didn’t think of how it would impact you, and we should have. It’s been a difficult year, after everything that happened and… we should have talked to you before we decided to... We were so caught up in it all that we didn't give you the respect you deserved as my son.”

Katsuki watches Izuku. The nerd’s eyes are already brimming with tears—typical—but the rigid tension in his shoulders finally snaps. The anger that Izuku had been holding since he found out about them seems to go up in a puff of dust. 

“You should have told me!” he cries. “I—I was so mad at you. But I… I understand. It’s still weird. Please do not ever do anything where I can see. But I guess… I get it.”

He looks at Katsuki then, and it’s all Katsuki can do not to kiss him in front of their families.  

“Okay, enough of this,” Katsuki grunts before things get out of hand at people start crying. “Can we eat now?”  

##

By the time they make it back to school, everyone else is asleep. 

They don’t even need to talk about it. They head upstairs together, straight to Izuku’s room. Katsuki can’t imagine spending the night alone after the grilling they were subjected to. 

The moment the tension snapped and their parents felt it was safe to do so, they began to ask all sorts of questions. Katsuki held it together until the old hag started lecturing them about safe sex, at which point he almost blew their living room up. 

He feels exhausted by it all now. 

Katsuki had every intention of just sleeping tonight. He really did. Except when they lied down in bed together, and Izuku started kissing him, well… his exhaustion sort of disappeared. 

Their kisses get more heated, and before Katsuki can process what’s happening, they’re discarding their clothing as they go. The silver moonlight coming in through the window dances on Izuku’s skin, on his hair, catching on the piercings on his ear. He’s so beautiful.  

Usually, Katsuki takes control of these things. Not always, but almost. And Izuku seems to really like it. Perhaps it’s because he had to be in charge of the fate of the world for so long, it must be nice to be able to just let go. 

Tonight, however, something is different. Izuku is leading, not aggressively, but assertively enough that Katsuki has no choice but to go with it and see what the nerd wants to do. 

He’d be lying if he didn’t admit that he likes this, too. It’s nice that he doesn’t have to think about the tips he’s read, or remember the technique. He just… all he has to do is follow Izuku as he sets a pace, running his hands all over Katsuki. 

He’s curious about what will happen. How far they’ll go tonight. It’s not always the same. Sometimes it’s hands and mouths. Sometimes it is just one or the other. Sometimes it’s neither.

They’ve lost their pajamas now, and it’s skin sliding against skin. It’s not the first time they’re fully naked, but Katsuki thinks something about the way Izuku is kissing him is a little different. It doesn’t matter, though. Katsuki would give him the world. Anything he wants. All he has to do is ask. 

Just as Katsuki thinks it, Izuku hesitates, pushing himself up on his elbows to look at him. It hits Katsuki like a punch to the face. He wants to have Izuku. In every way a person can have another. Right now. Right here. 

No more waiting. He’s ready. 

Fuck, he’s in love. 

Izuku is so beautiful. Perfect and strong and naked and right here.

“Izuku,” he says. 

“Yeah, I know,” Izuku replies, leaning in to kiss Katsuki again.  

“No, I—” Katsuki says, voice cracking a bit. He might be ready, but the nerves won’t leave him alone. “I just—do you… Izuku, would you… Do you… maybe. Do you want to have sex? I mean, like, you know. That.”

“Yes,” Izuku says so quickly Katsuki knows he was thinking it, too. “How do you want to do it?”

“What?”

“Should we talk about it?” Izuku asks.

Katsuki shakes his head. “No. We should just do it. We’re smart people. And I’ve done research.”

“You have?”

Katsuki takes a deep breath. This is embarrassing. “Well, I wanted to make sure I knew what to do so, yeah. I did. Now please shut the fuck up.”

“But Kacchan! We need—”

That’s enough. Katsuki will not get through this if Izuku keeps talking, so he closes his fingers around Izuku and strokes. That shuts him up nice and quick. 

“Oh.”

Yes. Talking is over. 

“Okay,” Izuku whispers, and then, shocking the living daylights out of Katsuki, he throws a leg over his hips and moves to straddle him. 

It gets very hot very quickly, kisses sloppy and hungry. Izuku’s hand finds Katsuki, too, and they’re stroking each other, frantic, and out of rhythm. 

Katsuki has to break the kiss after a while, releasing Izuku. “Wait, stop. Stop, or I won’t… yeah. Just. One moment.” 

“Okay,” Izuku says, but he stays seated in Katsuki’s lap. “I—are you sure? You were nervous, before, and I don’t want to rush you.”

“I’m sure,” Katsuki tells him. “Just—”

He pauses, then twists his body to grab his bag from the floor. When he shows Izuku the small bottle of lube, Izuku frowns. Katsuki hurries to explain, “We need it. For… so it works. Otherwise, it could hurt. I mean—”

To Katsuki’s horror, Icy-Hot’s deadpan voice rings in his ears. He’s going to murder him tomorrow. 

“I know,” Izuku says. “But why—have you been carrying that around?”

“You’re not going to believe this.”

“What?”

“Fucking Half ‘n Half gave this to me,” Katsuki tells Izuku. 

The look on Izuku’s face is worth the whole ordeal, Katsuki decides. He looks so flabbergasted, Katsuki cannot stop himself from laughing. Soon, Izuku is giggling, too, and it helps.

The tension ebbs away, and when they recover from their hysterics, they kiss again and they’ve got this. 

They move with purpose, slow, careful. Izuku cradles Katsuki’s face in his hands and tells him he wants to go first. They agree they’ll try it both ways, so they can find out what they like the most, but Izuku mutters that he’s thought about it a lot, and Katsuki has nothing to say to that. 

It’s clumsy. It’s less straightforward than oral. Katsuki is worried Izuku won’t tell him if it hurts, so he proceeds at a glacial pace. Izuku makes the prettiest noises. He encourages Katsuki, asks for more, whispers how much he loves him. Through it all, Katsuki’s chest feels like it’ll crack open and spill all it’s holding all over Izuku. 

When they finally get it right, and Katsuki looks down at Izuku, hair on his pillow, cheeks red, eyes glassy, he thinks, I would die a thousand times to end up here.

Once they get going, they don’t last very long, but for once, Katsuki isn’t worried or embarrassed. They’ll do it again, and again, and again, until they’re so good at it they’d be top of the rankings if such a thing existed. 

When they lie down next to each other, naked and a bit sweaty, but floating in the haze of what they just did, Katsuki turns to look at Izuku. His profile is gorgeous. The scar on his cheek, the shape of his nose, the curve of his lips.

“Izuku.”

“Hmm?”

“I love you,” Katsuki tells him, and it’s the easiest thing in the world. 

##

Neither of them is expecting their phones to start blaring in the middle of the night. 

They jerk awake, disoriented for a second. Izuku winces as he sits up, and mutters, “I should have expected that.”

“You okay?”

“Yeah,” Izuku says, blushing. “I—I just can feel… well, you.”

It should make Katsuki want to preen,  but alas. He smirks, stupidly proud, and in love, and—

“What the fuck!”

Groaning, he reaches for his phone and blinks at it. The bright screen hurts his eyes, so it takes him a second to read the alert. It’s a villain attack in one of the shelters. Some idiot trying to take advantage of the disaster recovery efforts still ongoing. 

They haven’t rebuilt enough of Japan for people to have normal lives just yet, so thousands of civilians still live in emergency housing, waiting for reconstruction to finish. 

“Well,” Katsuki says, throwing his legs over the side of the bed, Izuku right behind him. “There’s some ammunition for the next time Aizawa claims we’re only on a provisional license.”

Izuku chuckles under his breath. They look at each other, grinning like idiots. This is how it’s meant to be. The Symbol of Peace and the Symbol of Victory, together, getting ready to take down another idiot villain. 

“Try to keep up, nerd,” Katsuki says, reaching for his costume. 

Izuku’s answering giggle is the best sound in the world.

THE END