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Katsuki had been sitting on the toilet for about five minutes in utter despair.
The cause was a dull dark stain in his boxers—a sight he hadn’t beheld since he was twelve years old. Were it not for the damn spot, he’d be changing into his gym uniform (even if only so that he could sit on the bench and work on his other classwork during training at the USJ). Instead, he was thinking through the rest of the school day, and what he could possibly do other than making a dash to either the lockers or his dorm room without anyone seeing.
Getting a pad wasn’t the problem. There were some stashed on the wall next to the bathroom door in the boys’ and girls’ bathrooms. Unfortunately, he didn’t have a spare change of underwear, or another pair of uniform pants. Sure, he could try and dry out the stain in his boxers, gross as that would be, and just change anyways. But he’d probably bleed through his gym uniform, too.
If he was wearing briefs, he would just stick a pad in there. That would buy him time to cut class and run back to the dorms for a change of pants. Hell, he could nab a supply of pads for the next few days if he wanted, but that didn’t change the fact that not a single pair of underwear he owned would accommodate one. Boxers had always just made him feel less girly; he hated how other men’s underwear felt designed to be filled out by anatomy he didn’t have.
If he changed now, he’d still only have a soiled pair of pants to change back into after class was over. Unless he skipped his next class to leave in his gym uniform and run back to the dorms. That wouldn’t be suspicious at all, no. And his nosy friends definitely would not notice and would not bother him with all kinds of questions.
He was always early to the locker rooms. Not because he preferred privacy, but because he loathed being roped into locker room talk and having the other boys hang off him. Since arriving, he’d heard someone come into the main door shortly after he sat down to relieve himself, then a few more arrivals while he’d stared at the stain in his pants in disbelief that he’d completely bled through them.
He’d definitely missed his chance to get to his locker without being seen.
If his phone was on him, he could text someone to bring him a tampon, but he’d dropped his bag on the bench before coming in so he didn’t have to squeeze it into the stall with him. At this rate, he’d just have to fucking sit and wait until everyone went to the USJ, change into his gym uniform, and book it for the dorms. He didn’t have any tampons there either, but he could text Jirou on the way and maybe wait in his room for her to come bring him one. They might be late for their next class, but it would get him through the rest of the day.
Someone entered the bathroom, beelining for the urinal. Katsuki shrank into himself reflexively, and then scoffed at his own reaction, puffing his chest out. The fuck did he have to be embarrased for? It wasn’t his goddamn fault his dosage had been missed for about two months. He’d only gotten to do his shot a week before class started back up, his prescription halted to prioritize his other medical needs, despite how much he complained. They were weaning him on and off so much medication that they’d just made him go cold turkey on T, which was bullshit.
A pair of shoes stopped at the urinal front of him, unmistakable red sneakers. Gears turned in his head, and he eyed them warily. Izuku could go grab his phone for him, or—
“Izuku, can you go get me, uh…” Fuck, it was more embarassing asking for it than he thought. He was well aware that he liked Izuku in a way that was different from his other friends. His stupid crush had been impossible to stomp out, and now it was just something he lived with.
That being said, he’d rather recruit his crush for this task over any of his other classmates. As much as Izuku liked to blab everything he knew about Katsuki’s entire life to anyone who listened, he never, ever tried to embarrass him on purpose. There was a time when Katsuki had thought differently, but he knew that Izuku harbored no ill intent now. That could not be said of the other boys, who never passed up on the opportunity to tease him.
The shoes in front of him jumped, and Izuku squeaked in surprise. He seemed to pause a moment as Katsuki suddenly found himself hesitating. Should he ask Izuku to go bring him his gym uniform from the locker? Or to run to the dorms for him and get a change of clothes? Maybe he could even go get him a tampon from a classmate.
“Sure, Kacchan!” It seemed Izuku had caught on to his predicament. He was briefly relieved, but then Izuku was hurrying into the stall next to him. The sound of toilet paper being unrolled was loud, and he was too mortified and startled to interrupt him.
A wad of toilet paper was held under the divider between the stalls for him. “Here.”
He took it, tightening his fist around the useless sheets. Of course, Izuku must have assumed he’d run out. The truth was worse.
“Thanks,” he mumbled, “I need something else, though.”
“Oh, sure! What is it?” Tch, he really lived to serve. Too bad he couldn’t read Katsuki’s mind.
“Can you ask one of the girls for a tampon?” There was no movement in the stall next to him, no response. “Izuku?”
Katsuki heard him clear his throat, and then in an irritatingly high-pitched voice he finally replied, “Ah, okay, anything else?”
“If you think you have time before class to grab me another pair of uniform pants and some underwear from my room, I left my bag on the bench and my keycard is in the front pocket.”
“You want me to go into your room?” Izuku was unable to hide the blatant disbelief in his voice, but he probably hadn’t been trying to.
“Well there’s no one else in here for me to ask!” His voice echoed off the tiles. It was already humiliating enough that he needed this kind of help. Why the hell did Izuku feel the need to point out that he would never normally allow anyone to invade the only private space he had!?
“I’ll be right back,” Izuku said, sounding contrite. The stall door next to him opened. Great, now he felt guilty for snapping at the nerd.
“I’m trusting you not to fuck this up,” Katsuki said, as means of a peace offering.
When Izuku answered from behind the door, his tone seemed brighter. “I won’t let you down!”
***
“You fucked up,” Katsuki said, staring down in disbelief at what Izuku had retrieved. He’d brought his gym bag, so all his clothes, his phone, and his keycard were now back in his possession. That was great, especially because he’d neglected to ask Izuku for it. Izuku had grabbed a takeout bag from somewhere and folded another pair of pants and underwear inside, likely for the trip back from the dorms. That was perfect, concealing his underwear from prying eyes as Izuku made the trip, and even giving him a place to put his soiled clothes after he changed.
But on top of the bundle was a pad.
“Huh? What do you mean?” Izuku said, speaking through the stall door.
“This is a pad. I asked you for a tampon.”
“But I asked Uraraka-san for a tampon, and she gave that to me!”
“I could have gotten one of these. From the dispenser. Myself!” he explained through gritted teeth.
“I’m sorry! Let me go ask again. We still have a little time before class starts.” Izuku was gone before he could say another word.
Actually, it was kind of perplexing how quickly he’d returned from Katsuki’s dorm. Not that he’d have suspected Izuku of lingering on purpose. Even though he’d been anxiously waiting for his return—time seeming to slow with nothing for him to do other than sit there—it still felt like Izuku couldn’t have been gone more than five minutes.
If it was true that they still had time before class started, then…
The door slammed open again, Izuku offering a thin, plastic-wrapped tube under the door. He accepted it, muttering his thanks, and got himself ready for class as Izuku discretely left the bathroom.
There was a question on his mind that he needed to ask with his pants on.
Hefting his gym bag up, he washed his hands and then headed for his locker. Izuku was hovering in wait.
“Uh, did you want to walk togeth—”
“Izuku,” he interrupted, trying to keep his voice even. “Did you use the embers to bring me a tampon?”
“Well.” Izuku rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “It wasn’t just a tampon—”
In an instant, he detonated his left hand in Izuku’s face, smoke curling from the half of his head that still had hair.
“Idiot,” Katsuki seethed, though there wasn’t any real heat behind it. “If you keep using it for stupid shit, they won’t last as long!”
“You’d never ask me for something stupid!” Izuku shot back, eyes going wide the second the words left his mouth, as if he already regretted yelling back.
But it was true. It was a point of pride for Katsuki that he never asked for help, and when he did it was serious. Which was why he felt like a goddamn moron for falling victim to such a mundane predicament.
“Tch.” He shoved his bag into his locker, then stormed past Izuku, knocking their shoulders together. When he didn’t follow, Katsuki grit his teeth and barked back, “Well, you coming?”
***
Katsuki wasn’t used to having a period, and fuck, he was in pain. Not only that, but he’d get the feeling that he needed to use the bathroom, only to sit there endlessly when it didn’t subside. Now it was just him and his cramps, curled up on his mattress an hour past his bedtime. He’d purchased tampons for himself, but he hadn’t anticipated this.
And of course, now there was a knock on his door.
“Unless you have EVE, fuck off!” he yelled, popping his head out from his layers of blankets.
“Um, I can get it for you?” Izuku replied. “I did bring chocolate.”
Well, shit, chocolate sounded amazing. He pulled his phone out, texting Izuku the name of the pills he wanted, then got up and opened the door.
“Come back with drugs. I sent you a text,” he said, taking the chocolate from Izuku and moving to close the door.
“Wait, where do I get them?” Izuku asked, grabbing the edge before it closed. Tch, Katsuki was still forgetting how stupidly strong he’d gotten.
“Even a konbini should have it, but you could try Ears first.” She would definitely be awake. He didn’t need a fresh package to have on hand, just something to get him through this one instance.
“Okay, I’ll be right back.” Katsuki retreated to bed with the chocolate, not getting too comfortable in anticipation of Izuku’s return. It wasn’t long before he was knocking again.
“Kacchan, it’s me.” Who the fuck else would dare to bang on his door after nine? He kept a blanket around his shoulders and let him in. Izuku immediately headed for Katsuki’s desk, setting out a small ziplock bag and a bottle of water. There were about ten pills, definitely enough to keep him comfortable.
“Ears?” he asked, opening the water bottle and picking up two.
“She said she was out, but Yaoyorozu-san was with her and I told her it was an emergency—” Katsuki doubled over and cackled—thankfully before he’d tried to swallow the dose.
Oh, it hurt to laugh.
“You convinced her to make drugs for me?”
Izuku flushed. “Well, when you put it that way…”
Katsuki wiped tears from his eyes and took his medicine. He trusted that their Vice President wouldn’t have made the attempt if she wasn’t able to duplicate the specific formula that Izuku had asked for on his behalf. Normally, she was against creating things that interfered with the free market, but Izuku must have put a little pressure on, whether he’d begged or just been his usual pathetic self.
“I guess I don’t have to pay you back, then.” He went over to his bed and sat, hugging the blanket tighter around himself.
“I wouldn’t let you,” Izuku replied, his determined expression falling away as Katsuki patted at the spot next to him, inviting him to sit. He moved slowly, as if worried it was a trick, but hesitantly settled down. Good, Katsuki hated when people hovered.
“Well, thanks for not being weird about it.” Katsuki couldn’t imagine asking any of the other boys for help. They flinched at the sight of a pad.
“Huh? What do you mean?” Izuku asked, cocking his head. Oh, of course he had zero awareness.
“Not a lot of guys need tampons,” he deadpanned, hoping that was enough of a hint.
“Hmm.” Izuku tilted his head in consideration. “Well, it’s not really polite to ask why.”
“I… guess not," Katsuki said, eyeing him curiously. He could tell that Izuku was interested in why he suddenly needed all of these supplies, even if he was hesitant to ask outright. If it were a regular occurrence, surely Katsuki would have just asked Izuku to get a tampon from his dorm room. Not to mention that he’d have remembered to buy menstrual relief medication. He decided he could give Izuku a little bit of a clue as to why he was so woefully unprepared. “Hopefully I don’t have to deal with this bullshit again for the rest of my life.”
He could almost see the gears turning in the nerd’s head, but that was all he was willing to say without being asked directly. Overall, he’d been feeling far more run down than usual, probably because his organs were shedding or whatever.
Katsuki tugged until his blanket was a little more snug and leaned against Izuku’s arm as he wrestled with it, conveniently forgetting to move away again afterward.
“Uh, while I’ve got you alone,” Izuku said, suddenly rigid beside him. “I was wondering if I could run a couple of things by you from advanced quirk theory? I just tend to understand things better after I explain them to other people and you already know it really well—”
“Mhmm,” Katsuki replied, head growing heavier but somehow coming to rest against something as his eyes fluttered. It was past time for him to be sleeping, but he just didn’t feel like kicking Izuku out yet for some reason. “Knock yourself out.”
He had no idea how much later it was that Izuku gently shook him awake. “Kacchan, you can’t sleep like that for too long, you’ll hurt your neck.”
“Huh?” he replied, sitting up and wiping his mouth. His eyes widened as he spotted a little puddle of drool on Izuku’s shirt.
“Come here,” Izuku said, pulling back his covers and taking him by the arm. Katsuki let himself be tucked in, already half-asleep again. “Did you set your alarm?”
“Goes off ev’ry day,” Katsuki mumbled, curling up under his sheets. He made a mental note to really appreciate not having cramps while they weren't happening.
“Alright. Good night, Kacchan.”
“G’d night, Izuku.”
***
Izuku was up his ass a lot more than usual, which was saying something.
That wasn’t to say that he hated it, exactly.
Before, his problems with Izuku’s staring had come from a place of self-consciousness. Especially so when he’d started going through puberty. Was Izuku still looking down on him? Could he tell that he was pitching his voice lower on purpose? Did he notice when Katsuki stopped binding and started working out more? The first time he’d done his shot, had Izuku spotted the bandaid on thigh when he changed for gym? Had he wondered why it was there? Maybe he knew why.
Of all the people in his everyday life during middle school, only Izuku and his parents had known that he was ever a girl. There was a vulnerability there that he hadn’t been able to shake. He was more open about it after getting into UA—hoping that would fix the issue—but still, something about Izuku knowing had bothered him.
That feeling went away the same day he finally realized that Izuku had only ever admired him, never judging or thinking less of him. His crush had also come back full force after they duked it out at Ground Beta. Following that fight, he had no reasons left to justify pushing Izuku away.
So instead, he’d invited the proximity, the chase, Izuku’s eyes on him.
He supposed that was why he didn’t mind when Izuku commented on his hunched-over posture, wracked as he was with cramps and lower back pain.
“My fucking back hurts, is all.” He straightened up now that class was over and their lunch period had begun.
“Let’s eat together,” Izuku offered. That was how Katsuki ended up splayed out on Izuku’s jacket in the grass, firm pressure applied to his aching muscles by large, scarred hands. He was nearly asleep from the treatment—basking in the warm sun—when Izuku gently informed him it was time to go back.
He didn’t protest when Izuku picked up his bag, insisting that it was only because he didn’t want Katsuki to undo all his hard work. In the few remaining days before Katsuki was finally free from pain and the threat of ruining another pair of boxers, they settled into a sort of routine, which involved Izuku hauling his bag everywhere like it was his job.
It was nice, especially with his arm out of commission and strict orders not to lift anything too heavy. The thing weighed more than usual because he refused to be caught unaware again—choosing to lug around a spare pair of underwear, as well as both gym and uniform pants in the event that he managed to bleed through again.
If he squinted and titled his head to the side, it kind of looked like they were dating. And the longer he spent squinting like that, the more ashamed he became. Izuku was a nice guy, and he deserved to know the secret that Katsuki had been harboring for months now. Years, really, but back then he’d ignored his crush by pushing Izuku away. There was no ignoring it now, and he certainly had no interest in distancing himself again.
He also had no excuses left to justify keeping his feelings to himself. Or, at least, hiding them from Izuku. Not when there were no longer any villains after them, no war to fight. This wasn’t something that could potentially distract Izuku from his destiny, since that was all behind them. Nothing was stopping Katsuki but his own cowardice, afraid of inevitable rejection bruising his ego. Unfortunately for him, he’d vowed to never let his pride get in his way again, and Katsuki wasn’t one to go back on his word.
Sure, Izuku would reject him, but at least he’d be able to move forward without the secret weighing on him once it was out in the open. And it was far better to come clean of his own volition than for Izuku to find out some other way. Once it was over with, he’d still have some dignity.
Besides, it wasn’t like he’d fallen for some loser; Izuku had saved the world. He was simply the first in what would certainly be a long list of people who fell for Mr. Perfect, only to have their hearts broken. This was hardly the hardest confession he’d made to Izuku, and he knew that if he didn’t make his intentions absolutely clear, the nerd would never get it.
The sooner he got it over with, the sooner he could deal with the fall-out.
While he was certain that Izuku wasn’t interested in him like that, he was also certain that the other boy wouldn’t be a jerk about it. He just wasn’t the type. His other major secret had always been safe with his childhood friend, and he knew that this would be too. He also knew that they’d still be friends at the end of the day, and that was all that really mattered. Maybe one day he’d even get over Izuku—find someone who wasn’t the entire world’s current sweetheart.
Hah. Yeah, right.
It was during their usual walk back from class that he ambushed Izuku.
“Meet me out front later.” Izuku had only just finished dropping Katsuki’s gym bag on his desk. He slowly lifted his chin to meet Katsuki's gaze. Whatever Katsuki’s expression was, the sight of it made Izuku swallow, his own look turning grim. “We need to talk.”
Izuku didn’t say anything, just nodded and quietly left his room. Katsuki changed into more casual clothing, tugging another compression sleeve on that he’d sleep in tonight.
On the front steps outside, Izuku was already waiting. Ground Beta felt like an appropriate setting, a place that held quite a few memories for them at UA. His relationship with Izuku had been flipped on its head more than once at that training ground, what was one more bump in the road? He led them there silently, finding his way to familiar restored buildings and leaning against a railing as he finally turned to face Izuku again.
“You should know that I’ll accept what you say, no matter what,” Katsuki began, wasting no more time keeping Izuku in suspense. “Izuku, I’ve known you our whole lives, but the truth is that recently, I feel like there’s been more between us than just friendship.”
“You’re right, Kacchan,” Izuku said, tears starting to well in his eyes. He looked like a condemned man, which was pretty funny, considering that Katsuki felt like he was the one Izuku was about to pass sentence on.
“I can’t pretend I haven’t noticed something different, so I want to get this out in the open,” he continued, trying not to let Izuku’s tears deter him. He probably felt so sorry for him, but at least he was going to let him finish and get this off his chest. “Your answer doesn’t have to change a thing.”
“Okay, I understand,” Izuku said, rubbing tears away from his eyes.
“Let’s just get this over with.” He took a deep breath, then forced himself to meet Izuku’s eyes. Bakugou Katsuki never backed down from a challenge.
“I like you.”
Izuku tilted his head, brows drawn together in confusion. “I–I like you, too.”
Fuck me. He really was the most clueless dweeb in the world. With no other recourse, he closed the gap between them, marching up to the slightly shorter boy as Izuku raised his hands defensively in front of him. Too bad.
Katsuki grabbed his face and kissed him, his meaning surely unmistakable now. Gently, he shoved Izuku away as he released his brief hold, licking his bottom lip. “Well, what are you going to do about it?”
He was ready for Izuku to be upset, even pissed. Katsuki shifted his own stance, just in case Izuku decided to kick his ass for kissing him. Izuku reacted more swiftly than he expected, lunging forward and grabbing his waist, surely preparing for a take-down—
Once more, Izuku’s lips met his, and the sparks he was preparing to detonate in order to push himself away fizzled out, all thoughts of escape vanishing. He clutched at Izuku’s bicep with his good hand, pulling himself into the embrace. Izuku was grabbing and tugging at him, kissing him like it was the last chance he’d ever have to do so.
It was pretty uncoordinated, but Katsuki didn't really know what he was doing either.
He slid his hand up until he was cupping Izuku’s face, thumb tracing over his cheek and the wide scar that rested there. He tried to slow the pace, eyes fluttering closed as his body relaxed into Izuku’s chest. Izuku’s fingers loosened their almost painful grip on the jut of his hips, flattening and smoothing over the thin material of his tank top.
Time moved slower, or maybe they were just less rushed. Katsuki guided Izuku’s head to tilt a little with the hold he had on his face, moving his own in turn, humming into the feeling. It felt like he’d swallowed a sparkler, shivers going through him as they pressed together and desperately sought each other's lips through hurried breaths, only relaxing when they were firmly attached once more. He was dizzy with it—
Actually, he was really dizzy.
With a gasp, he tore his mouth away, resting his head on the jut of a clavicle as he swayed on his feet, his hand moving to hang on to Izuku’s shoulder in an effort to stay upright. Outside of the excitement of the moment, he could feel his heart pounding in his chest, hard enough to be a concern. It was racing like he’d just run five kilometers, and he was expressly forbidden from that kind of cardio for the time being. Thankfully, there was no chance of him collapsing in Izuku’s hold, his grip still firm around Katsuki’s waist.
“I love you.”
Yeah, it was a good thing Izuku was holding on to him.
“Idiot,” he hissed, lightheaded as the words really sunk in, but still mad enough to release the death grip he had on Izuku’s shoulder in order to punch it instead. “Don’t say that to someone you haven’t even started dating. You sound like a creep.”
“You said you’d accept what I say, no matter what,” Izuku reminded him. “Well, I had something to get out in the open, too.”
“You just had to go and upstage my confession,” he grumbled. “You’re a real piece of work.”
“I thought you brought me out here to beat a confession out of me,” Izuku admitted. “That you must’ve finally noticed I have feelings for you.”
They both considered a moment, replaying the conversation in their heads, and then—
“Hah!” Katsuki doubled over, giggling maniacally, “You thought I brought you here because I figured you out.”
“That’s what happened last time!” Izuku protested, trying to hold back his own laughter and failing. “Heh. But you thought I didn’t get it the first time when I said I liked you too.”
“Like you have room to talk, thinking I was going to beat your ass when I was just trying to kiss you—”
“You thought the same thing! I saw you getting ready to use an explos—”
He pressed his lips to Izuku’s again, shutting him up pretty damn effectively. Oh, he was going to win every argument from now on.