Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

They were holding out pretty well against the villain until Katsuki made a mistake.

The boy didn't make mistakes. That wasn't him. Even though his personality was far from flawless, each of his decisions was carefully crafted and thought out. He never failed against a minor villain. That was ridiculous.

Despite that, in one second, Katsuki's attention on the villain wavered when he heard someone yell out, "You can do it, Kacchan!"

Except it wasn't Izuku's voice, which was the main reason why Katsuki turned around in confusion. He spots a random pedestrian grinning at him, his hair annoyingly colorful and his hands rapidly waving at him. Katsuki tried to understand why the hell someone would use a childhood nickname on him, until he remembered what he said a few weeks back, in the Final War.

"'Cause my name is Kacchan Bakugou!"

Fuck.

Who let him come back alive and say that shit? 

The fact is that Katsuki would have never announced his childhood friend's nickname for him if he wasn't thinking so much of him. He had meant to say Katsuki, but his mind was so consumed by Izuku that the wrong name slipped out of his mouth. Now it was coming back to haunt him, with strangers calling him that because of how it was broadcast on national media. After so many outbursts, Katsuki tried to get used to it, but it still caught him off guard every time. 

In one second, he glared at the pedestrian; their eyes met, and suddenly, foreign energy surrounded him, something that wasn't his own quirk. The multicolored-haired boy's eyes widened, his horror instant. Katsuki could barely process what was happening as his vision dimmed and he could feel his senses fading away. He opened his mouth to yell curses at whoever could hear him, but his vocal cords were ripped out. His ears rang, and Katsuki wondered if he could release another explosion when almost all of his senses were malfunctioning. 

Then everything went dark, and he couldn't think anymore. 

When Katsuki woke up, he wasn't in the hospital room as he expected. That's where he usually ended up when he got knocked out in a fight. He only hoped the others would take over for him and beat the villain with ease.

Instead, he was in his bedroom. And not in his dorm room at UA. No, he was all the way at his home, the one where his parents also lived. He was in the room where he had spent most of his life before the past year. The room, which was supposed to be bare. All of his stuff was in his UA dorm. But through his open closet, he could see his clothes still intact. All of his belongings, along with things he was sure he had thrown out, were all there staring at him.

He sat up in his bed, scowling. Was his mom fucking with him again? Did she think this was funny, after he got distracted so easily during the fight? Maybe he did deserve it. He had fought in a literal war, and he still managed to get beaten by some low-ranked villain. Even though it wasn't exactly the villain that made him collapse.

Exactly what did that pedestrian do to him? Did he have the power to knock someone out with one look?

Did that matter now? He had to get out of here and go back to UA. He was wasting too much time already.

Before he could get off his bed, his bedroom door slammed open, and his mom stood in the doorway, looking absolutely furious. 

"Katsuki, what the hell are you still doing in bed?"

The blond boy rolled his eyes as he got up and headed to his closet. Maybe his parents decided to buy him some new clothes. That would make sense as to why his closet was suddenly full. "Whatever, I know, I'm going back to-"

"You're going to be late for school, you brat!" Mitsuki grumbled as she stormed out of his room, maybe to go rage in the kitchen. She hasn't been grumpy like that for a while, Katsuki noticed. He wasn't sure why his mom was worried about him being late for classes. He had a plausible excuse anyway. Of course, he didn't want to be late either way, but still.

There was something strange going on, but Katsuki wasn't sure if he could figure it out. It could just be the aftermath of that peculiar quirk.

He grabbed a plain shirt, glancing at it with furrowed eyebrows. He was sure he had thrown this out a year ago, just before he started living in the UA dorms. He had thrown out a lot of T-shirts as they struggled to fit him with his muscular build. What, did that quirk have the power to rewind his room's appearance?

He didn't like the way he was overthinking, just like Izuku. He couldn't be unconsciously copying his mannerisms, right? Maybe the quirk made him act like the person he thought about the most, or some other dumb shit like it.

Whatever it was, Katsuki was sure he was still under the influence of it, and he had to get rid of it fast. 

He rushed, getting ready, changing into whatever he found, and brushing his teeth while screaming as always. He avoided looking at himself in the reflection, slightly apprehensive at what he could see. 

Once he was finished, he went downstairs to the kitchen, debating whether he had time to eat breakfast. Before he could decide what he could eat, his mom was already glaring at him from the living room, with his father nowhere to be found. 

"What are you wearing?" Mitsuki narrowed her eyes at him. "Where the hell is your uniform?"

Katsuki sighed. "It's back at the dorms."

"What dorms?" Mitsuki snapped. "You're going to make yourself even more late! Go and change!"

The boy scowled as he stomped back into his room, heading to his closet. What the fuck was she talking about? He didn't see the UA uniform in his closet, so he just wore whatever he found. 

As Katsuki stared into his closet, he noticed the Aldera middle school uniform, standing out against the rest of his clothing. That was strange. He was so sure that he had thrown it out. Was this what his mom was talking about? Why the hell would she want him to wear his old uniform? 

All Katsuki knew was that this was all because of that damn quirk. If he wanted to find out anything about it, he decided he should play along.

Wearing the black uniform felt odd, and it felt even stranger that it fit him so perfectly. He was sure he was way more buff now than he had been in middle school. 

When he went back downstairs, Mitsuki looked satisfied. 

"I'll drop you off," she said, slightly calmer than usual. "If you walk, you'll be even more late."

Katsuki scoffed. "Of course. Why would I walk to UA?"

Mitsuki frowned at him. "Did you hit your damn head on the way here? The hell you mean UA!?"

He decided to ignore his mom as he headed out to wait for her in the car. 

When they arrived at his old middle school, Katsuki frowned. He expected it now, since he was wearing that damn uniform, but he was still puzzled. Why were they here, in this school that he hadn't stepped into for more than a year? Was there some reunion going on? He sure as hell didn't want to go. 

He didn't want to do anything that reminded him of his middle school days. 

During the drive, he attempted to ask his mom a bunch of questions, but she only snapped at him to think straight. Katsuki only huffed and reluctantly stopped talking.

Mitsuki parked the car, and Katsuki demanded, "Do I have to act like a regular student here?"

"The fuck do you mean act?" Mitsuki barked. "Get out of this car before I smack you for being so dense!"

Katsuki kept a permanent scowl on his face as he grabbed his bag and left the car. Walking into the school, he saw classmates he hadn't seen for, like, months. It was at that moment that he realized there was a possibility that he was in the past.

A huge possibility. 

When he looked at his arms, he realized how much skinnier he was. Of course, he was never bony, but all the muscle he spent months gaining was barely there. He was back in his middle school body and life.

What the fuck?

He was going to find that pedestrian who caused this and murder him. 

At least he remembered his classes. It would be easy enough to pretend he was a regular middle schooler. Although as soon as classes were over, he was going to figure out how the hell he was going to go back, even if it killed him. 

When he arrived at his first class, he got yelled at for being late. He only rolled his eyes and headed to his spot. He ignored the boy next to him, who was attempting to talk to him. He must have been one of the morons who followed Katsuki around back then. He could barely remember his name, and he only knew he had stretchy fingers. 

He didn't listen in any of the classes, knowing he had learned all this material a long time ago. What day was it anyway? Did the Sludge Monster Incident already happen? How close were they to the end of the school year? 

When he first saw middle school Izuku, he took a double-take. He had almost forgotten that the boy was part of his middle school life as well. That only reminded him of who they were to each other at the time, and it made him feel even more bitter. 

It was weird to see a wimpy and skinny version of Izuku. He definitely hasn't started his training with All Might. Maybe he hasn't even met him yet. 

Katsuki stared at him during classes because what else could he do? He stared at the way the nerd mumbled under his breath and rapidly took notes. He stared at his unruly green hair and his bright eyes. He watched as Izuku fidgeted with his pencil before writing again. Izuku didn't miss a single detail on what was written on the board, and Katsuki didn't miss a single detail about Izuku. 

Finally, the green-haired boy looked up and found Katsuki's gaze on him. Izuku's face flushed, and Katsuki instantly looked away. He should have scowled or some shit like that, not look at him with some shitty lovesick expression. And obviously, he wasn't feeling lovesick for him. 

When Izuku turned his attention back to studying, Katsuki looked at him once again.

It was lunch, and Katsuki was relieved. He had forgotten how boring middle school classes were, especially since he already knew the material. He missed breakfast for the first time in a while, so he was practically famished by now.

One of his supposed friends approached him, followed by others. The moron grinned at him and said, "Hey, Bakugou, you were kinda quiet today for what?”

The last thing Katsuki wanted to do was deal with the people he hung out with back then. He only scowled and walked away, knowing they would probably just be amused. 

After he bought his lunch, he wolfed it in a lonely corner before looking around the cafeteria. It only took him a few seconds to spot the familiar green-haired boy. Izuku was sitting alone, more focused on his book than his food. Katsuki rolled his eyes at the sight. 

Nevertheless, he got up and headed towards him. There was only one thing he wanted to do if he ever had a chance to go back. 

He sat down across from him, and Izuku looked up. The shorter boy took a double-take, panic flashing in his eyes. Katsuki knew he only tormented him during these times, and Izuku only expected brashness from him. He didn't know the Katsuki who thought about him constantly and put his life on the line for him.  

And now, the blond boy had only one goal in mind, which was even more significant than going back to the present. 

They stared at each other. Red eyes met green. 

Finally, Katsuki said, "Are you just gonna stare at me like a fucking idiot?"

Izuku blinked and seemed to shrink in his seat as he quickly shook his head and stared into his book. Katsuki realized he might've been too harsh with his first words, and he instantly felt guilty. 

"Don't just-" Katsuki paused. He tried to act natural as he continued, "Don't just read that stupid book and remember to eat!"

Izuku's eyes widened at him, as if that was the last thing he expected Katsuki to say. Katsuki reminded himself that Izuku is used to the worst version of Katsuki. Even if he exhibited the slightest hint of kindness, it would be extremely strange for the boy.

Well, fuck that.

"S-sorry, Kacchan," Izuku murmured, his eyes avoiding Katsuki's.

Hearing Izuku's voice say that dumb childhood nickname made Katsuki's heart lift. At least there was one thing that was stupidly constant. 

"Don't apologize all the time," Katsuki said quietly, and Izuku looked even more shocked at the sound of his soft voice. "It's shitty." 

"Sor- I mean- I don't- I meant-" 

Katsuki narrowed his eyes at him, and he stopped talking. Then he hated the way he shut Izuku up. He wished he had kept talking instead. 

They were silent for so long as he just stared at Izuku. Izuku probably felt his gaze at this point, but Katsuki didn't care. He only watched the boy flip each page and take occasional bites of his food.

Finally, Izuku spoke up, "Uh… why are you sitting here, I mean?"

Katsuki paused, realizing that he had no plausible excuse for sitting across from him. He couldn't just explain his situation. It would be too complicated to explain the whole thing. 

"My friends are being idiots," Katsuki decided. "Is there anything confusing about that?"

Izuku was still staring into his book as he muttered, "I just didn't know you still knew how to be nice."

From anyone else, it would have sounded backhanded, and Katsuki would have attacked them on the spot. Yet, from Izuku, he could hear fondness and disbelief, with only pure intentions. 

Katsuki felt so much love for the boy at that moment that he wanted to explode. He wanted to wreck something, just to avoid these raging feelings. He was okay with tolerating Izuku, but feeling all of this was too much. 

Izuku continued to eat and read, while Katsuki watched him. When the boy got food on his face, Katsuki instinctively reached over and used a napkin to wipe it off. Izuku flinched, but Katsuki was gentle as he wiped the crumbs off his cheeks. Their eyes met as Katsuki brushed the shorter boy's mouth with the napkin. He could only see confusion in his eyes. 

Then the bell rang, breaking the spell. Katsuki pulled away, getting up and leaving without a word. 

The rest of the day went by in a flash, and Katsuki was eager by the time the last bell rang. He could finally go home, and without the constraints of middle school, he could figure out a way out of this hellhole. He wanted to go back to his present, where he and Izuku were actually friends, and he saved people in his daily life. He didn't want to be this sulky middle schooler with shitty friends. 

Yet as he walked home, trying to formulate a plan in his head, he spotted Izuku on the way. The boy in question was kicking rocks as he walked, but not in the aggressive way Katsuki would exhibit. He was cautious with each kick, thoughtful in every movement. Katsuki wished his past self had stopped tormenting him for one second and just looked at him. Even without a quirk, he seemed so strong. It always scared Katsuki. 

Putting his half-constructed plan aside, he headed towards the boy. Izuku didn't even notice him until their shoulders brushed, and he finally looked up. Of course, he blinked as if he was convinced he was seeing things. 

"Hey," Katsuki said. He wasn't sure what to say to him, but he just wanted to make some amends before he left and went back to his present. At least Izuku would have one good memory of him from their middle school years. 

"Hey, Kacchan," Izuku said, and this time, there was a hint of a smile on his face. Katsuki wanted to shake the boy. What, one kind action, and the boy was already forgiving him for everything he had done to him? He needed to have better self-respect. 

Katsuki noticed the notebook in his hand. He supposed he hadn't thrown his notebook in the river yet. That was good. 

"Are you heading home?" Katsuki gestured vaguely ahead. It was a stupid question, but Izuku didn't berate him for it. He merely nodded. 

"I guess you are, too?" Izuku asked.

Before Katsuki could say anything else, he felt a hand grab his shoulder, and he turned around to see the two guys he hung out with in his middle school days. The one with stretchy fingers and the other one with an undercut, both of whom he had forgotten their names.  

"Hey, where are you heading to?" the one with the stretchy finger asked.

"And why are you with him?" the other boy chimed in, pointing at Izuku without being subtle about it.

"I'm heading home, dumbass," Katsuki shrugged off the boy's hand. "Stop fucking questioning everything I do."

Stretchy Finger chuckled. "Whoa, chill, Bakugou! We were just looking out for you."

Izuku watched in bewilderment as Katsuki scowled at them and turned away. "Fuck off." With that, he stormed off, and Izuku hesitated before following him. 

When the two boys were out of sight, Katsuki slowed his pace, so he and Izuku were walking together. The two boys were silent for some time before Izuku quietly said, "Did... did your friends do something you didn't like... or something like that?"

Katsuki paused, reeling in the question. He acted worse towards Izuku than his friends did, so he had no right to be mad at them. He just didn't like the fact that he'd wasted so much time with them. "They're just idiots."

"Huh," Izuku said, looking as if he were thinking very deeply about something. Katsuki didn't have the nerve to ask him what it was.

They arrived in front of the apartments Izuku lived in, and the green-haired boy stopped to look at Katsuki, while the latter didn't meet his eyes. He turned around and said, "Bye, Izuku."

"Izuku?" the boy said in a strangled voice, but Katsuki ignored him and walked away. 

When he got home, the house was empty. He went to his room, instantly changing out of his stupid uniform, and flopping down on his bed. After much deduction, it was likely that this quirk must have some time limit or something like that. Every quirk has its own limitations, so it must end someday, right? He can't be stuck in the past forever, reliving everything. Maybe it allowed him to fix things, but he still didn't want to be here. He just wanted to be in the present when the Final War was finally over. 

Tomorrow, he will wake up in a hospital room at UA or even in his own dorm. He will not wake up in the past. Quirks like these would usually last a day or even less. There was no reason to fret so much.

Tomorrow, he will be in the present where Izuku is used to Katsuki calling him Izuku. 

He didn't wake up in the present. 

As soon as he opened his eyes and went downstairs to demand what year it was, his mom revealed it was still the year when Katsuki was in middle school. In response, he accidentally explodes the flour bag in the kitchen, making his mom scream at him. Then the boy stormed into his room, practically shoved the uniform on him, and stared at himself in the reflection. He still had minimal muscle mass, and he could only see the face of an immature boy.

Before leaving his room, he grabbed all of his allowance that he earned over the years. His past self would hate him for it, but that little shit didn't deserve it anyway. 

Katsuki wasn't going to do it. He wasn't going through another day of torturous middle school classes, with people irritating him with every opportunity they got.

No, he was going to do something today to guarantee that he'll wake up in the present. 

He walked to school today, but not to attend his classes. He only wanted to see Izuku.

He found the green-haired boy on his way as he expected, and he approached him. For once, Izuku noticed him right away, glancing up and tilting his head at him. They walked together in silence, and he knew Izuku assumed they were heading to the same destination: their shitty school. When they neared the building, Katsuki grabbed Izuku's arm and pulled him in a different direction. The boy let the former drag him for a while before he yanked his grasp out of his hold.

"Kacchan, where are we going?" Izuku furrowed his eyebrows at him. Katsuki dragged him far enough, to a foreign neighborhood which was pretty empty. "This isn't the way to the school."

"When did I ever say that we're going to school?" Katsuki scoffed. Izuku frowned. Since the boy didn't say anything else, Katsuki grabbed Izuku's hand this time and pulled him to who-knows-where. He had no idea where he was going, either, just far away from that school. 

He finds an alleyway, and they finally stop walking. It was dark, and there was no one else around, at least. As Katsuki tried to think of any way to access the quirk that landed him here, Izuku inhaled sharply. 

"Kacchan!" he said, sounding exasperated now. "Why are we here? Classes are going to start any minute."

"Shut up, nerd," Katsuki said, but there was no real harshness in his voice. Even Izuku could hear his distant tone. "We're skipping classes today."

"Who's we?"

Katsuki scoffed, forgetting how stubborn the boy could be. Which was something he loved about him, but he also didn't have time for any shit he wanted to pull today. "You and me, idiot!"

"I'm not skipping classes with you," Izuku said firmly. "I'm really glad you're being nicer to me, Kacchan, but I'm not gonna do whatever you want now that you're treating me as an equal."

Katsuki stared at the boy in front of him, at a loss for what to say next. The shorter boy's eyes were only fixated on Katsuki's, the confusion and shock from yesterday gone.

He had to tell Izuku the truth. He couldn't let Izuku believe that this was the real Katsuki from his time. He only deserved the truth, and it might also be the only way to make him stay. Plus, he could also help Katsuki out of this dilemma. 

"Look, Izuku," Katsuki said carefully. "The thing is I-"

"Why are you calling me Izuku now?" Izuku narrowed his eyes at him. "It's weird." 

Katsuki inhaled sharply. "If you let me explain, then it would be less weird," or maybe he would make it even weirder by accident. Who fucking knew?

Izuku frowned at him but stayed silent, giving an opening for Katsuki to explain. Suddenly, now that he had a chance, he didn't know what to say. 

"Why do you think I'm being nice to you?" Katsuki asked instead. 

Izuku blinked. "I don't know. Maybe you had a change of heart overnight?"

"That's not it," Katsuki said, sighing a little. He had to tell the younger version of Izuku words that were long overdue. Words he wouldn't hear from Katsuki until months had passed. "Soon, I might go back to being an asshole, and I want you to know that I'm really sorry and I never wanted you to kill yourself when I said that and I know you won't understand it, but I feel-"

"What are you talking about?" Izuku said, his voice shaking slightly. "Why do you look so sad?"

Katsuki looked away. "I love you, Izuku."

It was spontaneous and something Katsuki couldn’t even admit to himself until experiencing this moment with Izuku.

Izuku jerked backwards, his head hitting the wall behind him. Katsuki realized what he said, and he flinched. He instantly regretted it. He hadn't even said that shit to his present Izuku, and now here he was, confessing to the middle schooler he'd probably just hurt the day before.  

"I'm sorry," Katsuki said quickly, lifting his hands to grab his shoulders. He felt his vision start to blur, and he wanted to slap himself. First, he accidentally confessed to Izuku, and now he was about to cry in front of him again?  How could this situation get any worse? "I shouldn't have said that. It makes no sense, I know. I bullied you, and I probably just bullied you yesterday, right? It must make no sense at all. I'm sorry."

Izuku only stared at him, his eyes wet and confused. "Kacchan..."

"I hurt you so much," Katsuki mumbled, his voice quivering. His grip on his shoulder tightened as he lowered his head to look at the ground, instead of Izuku. His forehead hit Izuku's chest, the lack of muscle in them evident. "You're still so nice to me, but all I did was hurt you."

Sure, present Izuku knew a much better version of Katsuki, but that's not what this Izuku has seen. He needed a proper apology, an apology he wouldn't get for a while. 

"I never knew you felt like that," Izuku said quietly.

Without meaning to, Katsuki buried his head into Izuku's chest, his hands fisting his uniform. The shorter boy froze, staying completely still, as if scared to move and break the moment.

Katsuki's voice came out muffled as he said, "Don't just think about me, you idiot. I never paid attention to how you felt back then."

"Back then?"

Shit. He forgot that he hadn't told Izuku the truth. He got completely distracted. 

Yet for a few moments, he wanted Izuku to believe that it was his present Kacchan apologizing to him, not a future version. Even though that was shitty, he wanted this Izuku to see the good side of the boy who bullied him, even though Katsuki didn't deserve it. 

Realizing he was practically clinging to Izuku, he lifted his head, only to see the boy's eyes full of unshed tears. Katsuki's heart twisted.

"Izuku, I-"

"No, Kacchan, it's okay!" Izuku said quickly. "I’m not upset, I swear!"

Katsuki wiped the tears from Izuku's face anyway, each drop falling to his fingers instead. The palm of his hand cupped Izuku's face, causing the boy's face to flush. Katsuki was sure that he had a matching expression on his face. 

"You look stupid when you cry," Katsuki said, halfheartedly. Izuku rolled his eyes, a small smile forming on his face, despite his tears. 

Then Katsuki couldn't resist. His hands left Izuku's face, and before Izuku could react, Katsuki's arms enveloped Izuku in a tight embrace. The shorter boy let out a muffled squeak, his body rigid as Katsuki's arms tightened around him. Eventually, Izuku relaxed in his arms, wrapping his arms around the taller boy's body as well. 

They were silent when they hugged for the first time in so long— well, it was different for both of them. For Izuku, it has been so long since Katsuki touched him so gently. For Katsuki, he had already done it so many times before, but this Izuku just didn't know it.

Katsuki pulled back to look at Izuku, but he didn't remove his arms from around him. Izuku looked at a loss for words for a few seconds before his gaze dropped to Katsuki's mouth. 

The blond boy looked away, trying not to seem flustered. 

"Hey, Kacchan, what did you mean when you said you loved me?" Izuku said quietly, lifting his hand to touch Katsuki's face, making the boy look at him. 

"Uh, what else do you think I fucking meant?" Katsuki spat out, his voice sounding strange to his ears.

Izuku shrugged. "I don't know. I mean, it's not like I don't love you back, but-"

"Wait, wait, what?" Katsuki's mind was reeling, and he almost took a step backwards in shock if he didn't enjoy his proximity with Izuku so much. "Are you fucking insane?" 

Was Izuku admitting that he loved him, even though Katsuki was sure he had probably recently bullied him? How could anyone love someone like that? Either Izuku was a masochist, or he was just psychotic.

"Come on, Kacchan," Izuku sighed. His hand was still on the side of Katsuki's face. 

Once again, Katsuki felt himself crumbling under his gaze and his touch. He leaned in carefully and, almost too quickly, Izuku reciprocated this movement. Their noses bumped, and Izuku was the one to tilt his face, closing the gap between their mouths. 

When they kissed, Katsuki's first thought was, This is a horrible fucking idea. 

There was no way their first kiss would be in middle school, during the worst era of their relationship, when Katsuki was in the body of his past self. This was nothing like what Katsuki imagined. 

Katsuki knew he should move away right away, but he just couldn't. His mouth on Izuku's seemed too good to be true. His hands slid to Izuku's waist, lightly grazing the sides of his body. 

Then thoughts only raged in his head, This isn't your Izuku, this isn't your Izuku, this isn't your Izuku, this isn't your-

Katsuki pulled back.

Izuku opened his eyes, his face pink as he looked up at Katsuki. He looked sickeningly beautiful, even without all those muscles. 

"Izuku," Katsuki said. "I'm not who you think I am."

Izuku stared at him.

"I mean, I am Katsuki," Katsuki clarified. He didn't want Izuku to think he just kissed an absolute stranger, although maybe that was better than kissing his bully. "But I'm not from here."

"What are you talking about?" Izuku asked, sounding more puzzled than upset.

"I'm from the future."

All the confusion in his eyes cleared as Izuku's face softened. He didn't doubt him. Of course, he didn't. It completely matched Katsuki's behavior, and they lived in a world of powers after all. Time travel was hardly a shock.

"That makes sense," Izuku said. Then, he blushed. "Uh… how far into the future?" 

"Only a little over a year from now," Katsuki reassured him. If he were an adult, he definitely wouldn't have let Izuku kiss him. 

"Oh."

"I could use your help to get back," he continued.

Izuku tilted his head at him. "How could I help?"

Katsuki shrugged. "You analyze quirks. I'm sure you can help in some way."

"I guess so," Izuku said. There was sadness in his voice that wasn't there before. "So you really didn't have a change of heart."

Katsuki wished he could punch his middle school self. 

"I promise I'll make it up for you one day," Katsuki said. "As soon as I get back, you'll get the asshole version of me, but I promise I'll make up for it." 

"It's okay, Kacchan," Izuku smiled at him warmly. "I understand. So who sent you back?"

"The guy who hit me with the quirk had colorful hair, but I don't remember what his eyes fucking looked like," Katsuki groaned. "He was a pedestrian in the battle I was in."

"Battle? You become a hero?"

"Yes," Katsuki paused briefly. "We both become one."

"We- well, I guess that's not important right now. How old did he look?"

"He looked only a little younger than me," Katsuki said. "Maybe he was the same age as you now."

"What was he wearing? Was he wearing a uniform?"

Katsuki squinted his eyes, trying to remember. Was the guy wearing a uniform? This could help narrow things down even more. He was wearing some kind of professional clothing, but it could have been daily attire or a school uniform Katsuki didn't recognize. It wasn't the Aldera uniform, though. 

"He had a collared shirt, and it was white," Katsuki said slowly. "There were stupid black strips in some corners. And he wore black pants."

Izuku looked thoughtful before his eyes gleamed. "I think I know what school uniform you're talking about!"

"Really?" Katsuki looked at him intently. 

Izuku nodded. "The school is actually really close to ours. Assuming he still goes to the same school in the past, I think we can get you back in no time! As soon as classes end, we can wait at the school gates, approach any guy with colorful hair, and find out which one has the time-traveling quirk. Then we can learn the limits and how to get back, and everything will be perfect! That is, assuming he still goes to the same school, and if he doesn't, then I'm not sure-"

"Izuku, fucking chill," Katsuki sighed, grabbing the boy's shoulders to make him stop talking. "I get it. We just need to wait for now, right?"

"Right!" Izuku beamed before he deflated. "I just… I just feel guilty that I'm skipping classes today."

"Don't be," Katsuki said. "I'm pretty sure no one will notice anyway. This school is crappy enough that they won't notice one absence."

Izuku pursed his lips together. "I guess you're right."

Once they got some food (Katsuki paid), they ate their food in silence. Katsuki felt a weight lift from his shoulders, now that Izuku knew the truth and they had a solid plan. He was also glad that he didn't have to be that cautious around the shorter boy, now that he understood why Katsuki was acting so differently.

When Izuku was already done eating, and Katsuki was nearly done, the boy's questions started. "So, did you get into UA? Did we get into UA together? How long did it take you to be nice to me? How did I even get into UA? Do we get to fight villains together? What was the hardest villain you had to fight? Are classes hard at UA? Do you like being a hero? How am I as a hero? Do you-"

"Izuku," Katsuki said before swallowing his last bite of food. He threw away the wrappers in the nearest trash can before turning his attention to the other boy. "We have all day to talk about this shit. Don't bombard me with these questions."

"Sorry, Kacchan," Izuku said sheepishly. "It's just really nice to talk to you normally."

Katsuki didn't know what to say in response.

Thankfully, Izuku kept talking. "So, did we both get into UA?"

"Yes, and we're in the same class," Katsuki answered. "We fight together a lot."

"How did I get in?"

Katsuki hesitated. "You got a quirk."

"How? Did my not being quirkless anymore cause you to not hate me anymore?"

"I didn't hate you because you were quirkless," Katsuki said reluctantly. "One of the main reasons I hated you was because even though you were quirkless, you had more potential to be a hero than I did."

Izuku was silent.

"I won't explain how you got a quirk. But you did, okay?"

Izuku nodded. Katsuki decided not to mention that Izuku lost his quirk a year later, barely having any time with it. He didn't need to hear anything like that yet. 

"So how am I like as a hero?" Izuku asked.

Katsuki stared at the sky, the sun briefly blinding his vision. He averted his gaze to stare at the ground, just to avoid Izuku's eyes. "You're fucking amazing. You're so devoted to perfecting your quirk, and not only that, your heroism is remarkable. You left a mark on the world in such a short period of time. Everything you've done has been ideal. I always struggle to catch up to you and your amazing abilities."

Izuku was silent for a few heartbeats.

"There's no hero as incredible as you."

A few heartbeats passed.

"Kacchan, you sound…" Izuku's voice trailed off as if he was scared to say the following words. "Like you're… in love?"

Katsuki's head snapped to look at the green-haired boy. He tried to glare at him. "What do you mean, love? I don't know what you're talking about."

"I guess I was hearing things," Izuku said carefully. "I mean, it's not like you said you loved me, right?"

Katsuki groaned. "I meant that- that-" he couldn't say he meant it in a platonic way because that was definitely not his intent. He couldn't exactly lie to himself or Izuku like that. 

"Are we…" Izuku's face flushed. "Like… together… in the future?"

Katsuki choked. "T- together? Uh, no fucking way, of course not! We're not dating. We're friends, that's all."

"Oh. Uhm, okay."

"Do you… Do you want us to be together?"

"I don't know," Izuku said. "Right now, I just want us to get along. I haven't thought… that far ahead until we, y'know, kissed."

"Oh," Katsuki said. He squinted his eyes as he looked at the sky once more. "I don't know, Izuku. It's just really weird."

"It's okay, Kacchan," he said, sounding more cheerful as he got up. "We have the whole day ahead of us, so we should do something, y'know? Where do you wanna go?"

Katsuki shrugged. "I'll follow you wherever you want to go."

Izuku blushed.

​​As predicted, Izuku wanted to go to the nearest shop with All Might merchandise. Katsuki was sure that if he revealed that the boy was regularly training with his hero, he would faint on the spot. At first, they didn't even buy anything-- Katsuki wanted to save the money he had for getting more necessary things, like food. He only watched Izuku admire the All-Might figurines, trying not to gawk at them himself. 

A specific All Might figurine caught Katsuki's eye. It was from his Golden Age, the rare kind that was sold out by the time of his present. He kept forgetting he was in the past and some things in the world were different. Right now, everyone in the League of Villains was alive and probably plotting the USJ attack. All Might hasn't retired yet. Things had changed so much during Katsuki's one year at UA. 

Looking back at the figurine, it was likely that this was one of the few merchandise items Izuku didn't have of All Might. He stared at it for a few seconds before giving in, carefully taking the figure off the shelves. Izuku noticed his sudden movement and turned to him. 

"Kacchan, are you going to buy that for yourself?" Izuku asked excitedly. "If you do, can I borrow it sometime?"

"It's not for me," Katsuki said, although he would be lying if he wasn't tempted to keep it himself. "It's a gift for someone."

"Who?" 

Katsuki sighed, knowing there was no point in hiding anything from this past Izuku anyway. "It's for your future self."

Izuku blinked, clearly not expecting that answer. "Future... me? How can you be sure I don't have it already?"

"This shit hasn't been in stores for months," Katsuki rolled his eyes. "It would be very difficult for you to get it."

"Wow," Izuku marveled. "You're really amazing."

The blond boy pressed his lips together, not quite meeting the shorter boy's eyes as he said, "It's just a present. It doesn't fucking mean I'm your savior."

The other boy just smiled in response and went back to admiring what was on the shelves. 

Katsuki ended up buying the figurine, and it was more expensive than he expected. The two boys stared at the remaining money they had.

"We can still buy takoyaki," Izuku suggested. "Or maybe a cup of noodles. Although we might have to share."

Katsuki groaned. They weren't exactly hungry yet, but it was only noon. They had a few hours before any school would end. Also, they couldn't exactly go to Katsuki's house to get more money or make food. He knew his mom didn't have work today, and she would ground him for life if she ever caught him skipping school. 

"Izuku, is your mom home?" Katsuki asked, turning to him.

The green-haired boy hesitated. "Probably... not. Yeah, I'm pretty sure she's at work today."

With that, Katsuki started walking, intent on his pathway to Izuku's apartments. The other boy scrambled to catch up to him, panic rising in his voice, "W- wait! I don't think it's a good idea to go there! One of the neighbors might see us and tell my mom!"

"Fuck the neighbors," Katsuki answered. Izuku grabbed his arm, making the taller boy stop and turn around to face him. 

"Kacchan!"

"If we get caught, you can tell your mom that I forced you to skip school," Katsuki shrugged. "I'll get in trouble with the old hag, but it's whatever."

"I don't want you to get in trouble!"

"I'm pretty sure I deserve it, dipshit," Katsuki pointed out. 

"Kacchan..."

"Look, either we just get a small bowl of noodles and pray it'll fill us up, or we can go to your place and cook a nice meal and have enough energy to figure out how to send me back to the present!"

"I'm not that good at cooking..."

"I figured," Katsuki said. "I never said you would be the one cooking."

"You cook, Kacchan?"

"I'm amazing at everything I do; what do you expect?" Katsuki forgot that Izuku hadn't really tried his cooking in this timeline, so it was no wonder he was surprised.

"I guess you are," Izuku said. "You're an amazing kisser, too."

Katsuki's head whipped to look at the boy with wide eyes. "Wh- wha- what- what the hell is wrong with you?! Don't just say shit like that because you feel like it! It was barely a kiss!"

"It was still nice."

Who knew that the middle schooler he bullied was such a flirt? How was he able to keep a distance from him when he kept saying shit like that? 

"Shut up," Katsuki grumbled under his breath. "We're going to your apartments, and that's final."

Izuku sighed, but thankfully, he didn't protest. 

The walk to his apartments was short, and Izuku searched his surroundings at every second. It drove Katsuki crazy, but he didn't say anything. When they arrived, Izuku had a spare key, and he used it to open the door of his apartment. They entered, and Katsuki looked around. He hasn't been in this place in forever. It hadn't changed one bit. 

It was empty, as Izuku said, and Katsuki went straight into the kitchen.

"Are you cooking already?" Izuku followed him. "I'm not that hungry yet."

"I don't know if you haven't noticed, but we spent two hours in that damn store," Katsuki scoffed. "At least let me prepare a snack."

"Fine," Izuku sighed, heading to the living room instead and turning on the TV. From there, he called out, "We shouldn't stay for that long, though. Mom comes home early on Wednesdays."

"I'll be quick," the boy said absentmindedly. After rummaging the kitchen, he decided to just prepare a fruit bowl for both of them. He added some spices, giving himself excessively more, of course. When he was done, he headed into the living room, sitting next to Izuku, who was watching some mindless shit on the TV. Without looking, Izuku took a fruit out of the bowl Katsuki had prepared for himself, and as soon as he put the fruit into his mouth, he winced. 

"Kaccha' this is so spicy!"

"It wasn't for you, dumbass!" Katsuki gave him the right bowl, with minimal spices. 

"Oh."

The boys ate the fruits in silence, both eyes intent on the TV. None of them was actually paying attention, though, their minds occupied by other matters. 

Izuku's head almost touched Katsuki's shoulder, his body itching to relax. The blond boy pretended not to notice, although his heart was racing on the inside. It felt so sickeningly normal and perfect, like this was how they were supposed to be. 

"Kacchan?"

"Hm?"

"When you go back to your future..." Izuku paused. "Will the Izuku in your timeline remember everything that happened between us when you were in the past?"

Katsuki froze. He didn't consider the possibility that, when he went back to his Izuku, he would remember everything Katsuki said to him. He didn't realize that by going back in time and treating Izuku differently, he might've changed the future--their future.

"If I can figure out how to get back to the future," Katsuki started. "Then I can figure out that shit. For now, we have other problems."

Izuku nodded. A few seconds passed between them. 

Finally, Izuku gave in, resting his head on Katsuki's shoulder. Katsuki tried not to react as he stayed as still as possible, and the boys sat like that for a while.

After an hour, Katsuki made katsudon, and they both eagerly devoured it. By the time they were finished, it was around two, and Izuku was anxious.

"We should leave now," he said nervously. "Mom always comes home around this time, and she knows when school ends, which is definitely not right now."

Katsuki rolled his eyes and put his empty dish into the sink, starting to wash it. The water from the faucet was clamorous, causing Izuku to look around in panic. 

"Just leave it, Kacchan! We should go now!"

"If she sees dirty dishes in the sink that weren't there before, she would be suspicious, dumbass," Katsuki pointed out. "Now give me your dish."

After washing the two dishes, they finally left the apartments, Izuku's pace more hurried than the taller boy's. Katsuki only walked with ease, knowing damn well Izuku was just overthinking. His mom was nowhere in sight when they left the apartments, and Katsuki was pretty sure they wouldn't have to worry about her at all. 

Katsuki kicked a stone on his way, his hands in the pockets of his uniform. How did that stupid extra's time-traveling quirk work anyway? Katsuki didn't just travel to the past —he woke up in his past self's body. Where was his past self now? Just non-existent or in the... future? Fuck, that would be disastrous. When his past self returned to his body, would that version of him remember everything his future self had done in that body? Probably not. These experiences weren't his experiences, not really. 

Well, fucking whatever. They had a solid two hours before it anyway. 

"Where do you wanna go, Izuku?" Katsuki asked, eager to take his mind off more pressing matters. He forced himself to focus on the green-haired boy, whose eyes were fixated on the ground.

"Anything is fine," Izuku murmured. 

Katsuki huffed. "Should we just walk around or something like that?"

Izuku nodded.

They headed into the park nearest to Izuku's apartments, with cherry blossom trees. The weather grew more scorching as the afternoon went on, and the occasional breeze was minimal. There weren't many people in the park, as most citizens were at work or school. There seemed to be no villain attacks today, making the atmosphere more peaceful than usual. The grass crunched under Katsuki's shoes as he headed to the pathway deeper into the woods. Izuku followed him, wordlessly.

As they walked, matching each other's pace, a heavy silence fell between them. Katsuki knew Izuku had a storm of questions in his head, but for some reason, the boy was hesitant to ask them now. Maybe he was still cautious of Katsuki, even though he tried to be as kind as possible. 

Finally, Katsuki couldn't stand the silence. "Spit it out, nerd. Ask me whatever you want. Who knows when's the next time you'll have access to future information?"

Izuku hummed as if that was precisely what he wanted to hear. The blond boy glanced at him from the corner of his eye, watching the way he took a deep breath and started rambling.

"Uh, first of all, thank you, Kacchan, for everything you have done for me! The cooking, the hug, keeping me company, and... even buying my future self a rare All-Might figurine. I really, really appreciate it, and if you want, I could also, maybe, make it up for you in some way, like maybe I can buy you a-"

"Okay, okay, I fucking get it," Katsuki rolled his eyes. "You're thankful. Just ask the damn questions."

Even without looking at him, he could hear the smile in Izuku's voice as he prattled on, "So, I've been thinking about a lot of things while we were watching TV-- I mean, if I'm being honest, I was barely paying attention to the show, even though it looked fascinating, but I just couldn't stop thinking, but the reason why I didn't ask you earlier was that you actually looked invested in it, and I didn't want to disturb you obviously, so I guess I have been looking for an opening and- oh my God, Kacchan, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to get so carried away," Izuku looked down at his feet once again sheepish. "Uh... I mean to ask... how are classes like at UA? What should I expect?"

Katsuki was surprised that he stayed quiet for so long just to listen to Izuku's chattering. When the boy finally delivered the final question, he cleared his throat. "Classes can be... extreme. Our homeroom teacher can be harsh, but he's good at pushing us to our limits," Katsuki paused. "I mean, most of the time we had to train for... more serious things. Even as first years, we did many things earlier on, like getting trained in hero agencies..."

"What, that's so cool!" Izuku's eyes were shining as he stopped to look at Katsuki. "Do you enjoy it, Kacchan? Do I?"

"I guess we do," Katsuki said. "We're heroes, after all."

"Soooo... how are our classmates like?"

"They can be fucking loud and annoying," Katsuki couldn't help but feel a particular kind of fondness as he continued talking. "But... they're way better than those morons I hung out with in middle school. They're all strong in their own way."

Izuku smiled when he heard the softness in Katsuki's voice. "Who are my friends?"

The boy went back to scowling. "Icy Hot bastard. Round Face and Four-Eyes. You get along with everyone in our class, anyway. Everyone fucking adores you."

Izuku blinked, looking stupidly confused. "So... are those their... hero names or...what?"

Katsuki rolled his eyes. "Do you think anyone would have a hero name like that?"

"No but..."

"The point is that you don't really know them, so there's no point for me to explain who they are."

"Oh, that makes sense," Izuku nodded. "So, I've been thinking about this more profoundly than anything else, but... how is our... relationship like? Can you tell me when exactly we became friendly and... touchy?"

Touchy?

Katsuki tried to ignore the way Izuku phrased the question and focused on answering it shallowly, "It's not that complicated, nerd. I found out you got into UA. I was mad; it took me months to warm up to you... I start seeing you as an actual rival, we fight together in battles, and I help you train, and somewhere along the way, it turned into something like friendship."

Something like friendship. Because his friendship with Izuku didn't feel the same as his bond with Kirishima, Kaminari, or anyone else. It felt much deeper and more complicated, something that can't be defined as simple as friendship. His feelings for Izuku were so much stronger than that. 

Katsuki didn't think he could ever understand it. 

"Something like friendship?" Izuku questioned. "So do you consider me as your friend?"

Katsuki hesitated. "Yes."

Izuku seemed to notice his hesitation, but he continued on anyway, "How did you... Apologize to me? I mean, did you?"

"I did," Katsuki said. "I apologized to you. Way too late, but I did it."

The green-haired boy smiled at him, the warmth so genuine that it made Katsuki's chest clench. "I'm glad."

They were silent, and Katsuki felt like he should admit something to the boy, but he didn't know exactly what. Should he tell the middle schooler the way his mind was consumed by him, the conflicting feelings he always gave him? Was it necessary? 

Maybe it wasn't. But the boy started talking again, "You know... Izuku, I feel differently about you than I do about any of my other friends. I just don't understand it."

Izuku's head whipped to look at him. "What do you mean?"

"I just feel... a lot when it comes to you," Katsuki couldn't help but mumble as he confessed. "I mean, without you, I don't think I would have discovered any emotions besides pride and anger. You're one of the main reasons why I'm a... better person."

"I'm happy for you, Kacchan."

Katsuki gritted his teeth, aggravated that Izuku completely missed the main point he was trying to make. 

"I can't really fucking explain it that well," Katsuki grumbled. "It's frustrating... You make me feel so frustrated."

"Uh... in what way do you mean that?"

The taller boy froze, turning to look at Izuku. "Don't fucking do that."

"What?"

"Make me feel flustered," Katsuki mumbled, looking away once again. "It's annoying as fuck."

"I didn't even say anything that explicit!" Now Izuku was blushing as well. "I... I didn't mean it that way, either! No, whatever, that's not important. Maybe you can list everything you feel when it comes to me?"

Katsuki swallowed, feeling vulnerable as he searched for every adjective he would associate with his feelings with Izuku. Anger. Frustration. Envy. Admiration. Sadness. Worry. Pride. Happiness. Lust. Confusion. Love. 

He wasn't going to say anything like that out loud. Instead, he turned away and said quietly, "You're really pushing it, nerd. I don't think I'm going to tell you. Just ask me other questions."

The rest of their time was filled with walking mindlessly as Izuku continued to ask him irrelevant questions. They were as pointless as, "How are the tests in UA like?" and redundant as "Is fighting villains as intense as it looks?" Katsuki reminded himself that this Izuku hadn't even jumped into a fight before or had an authentic taste of power. He was just an ordinary kid who only dreamt of such things. All he could do was remain patient and answer his questions without rolling his eyes. 

There was something that was irking Katsuki, yet he couldn't quite put his finger on it. It wasn't exactly Izuku's endless questions or the increasing burning sensation of the sun or the possibility that Katsuki wouldn't be able to go back. It was the realization that there was still a lot more he had to fix, even though he didn't understand it himself. It made him frustrated, wishing he could just snap at everyone in his path like the old days, but he couldn't do that. That wasn't really... him anymore, no matter how much he was used to those instincts. Of course, he wasn't gentle, but his raging emotions were more subdued. All he could feel was residuals of shimmering anger that used to consume him. 

Lost in his thoughts, sometimes he forgets to respond to Izuku. Whenever the shorter boy repeats his childhood nickname, Katsuki snapped his head to look at him. He wondered if Izuku could see the strange fondness in his gaze. 

When Katsuki checked the time, he cut off Izuku's next question: "We should really get going to that school. Do you know the direction to it?"

Izuku squinted his eyes, as if racking his brain to recall the exact location. Then he pressed his lips together before saying, "We should go to our- I mean, my school first, and I'll know the direction from there."

Katsuki nodded as he quickened his pace to get there as fast as possible. Izuku struggled to catch up, and the blond forgot his poor endurance in speed before training with All-Might. It will always be astounding how Izuku managed to accomplish so much in a short year, so much that Katsuki struggled to catch up. 

Once they arrived, Katsuki's heart sank. School has already ended, and students were already coming out. That meant there was a strong possibility that his friends would bother him again, and that they might be too late. Noticing how behind Izuku was, Katsuki grabbed his wrist, his hand dangerously close to his as they walked as fast as possible away from that damn school. 

"Do you know the direction from here?" Katsuki turned his head to look at Izuku, relieved that he was nodding. 

They were almost gone from the school's sight when Katsuki heard his damn name called out from a distance. 

"Bakugou!"

Katsuki almost stopped as an instinct, allowing the people who were calling his name to catch up to them. Izuku tensed beside him. 

Then he kept walking, dragging the shorter boy with him. Nevertheless, the morons kept fucking following him. 

"Bakugou, you were really skipping school!" one of the voices said, sounding mockingly astounded. 

Katsuki would have kept walking if Izuku hadn't stopped and tugged on his arm. The blond groaned but finally turned to his former lackeys. It was the same two guys, the one with stretchy fingers and the other one with an undercut.

If he could get over this interaction as quickly as possible, then he could get back to the present as quick as possible and never talk to them again. Just a few sharp retorts and he'll be free to go.

"What the hell do you want?" Katsuki snapped. "I'm fucking busy."

"I can tell," Undercut said, a pointed glance at Katsuki's hand around Izuku's wrist. It wasn't even intimate, but Katsuki's face flushed. 

"Eh? Just shut up and go home," Katsuki growled.

"So you skipped school for a quirkless loser?" Stretchy Fingers scoffed. 

Katsuki took a step forward, his face twisted into an ugly scowl. "Shut the fuck up!"

"Bet you liked it, didn't you?" Stretchy Fingers kept talking, and it was clear his question was directed at Izuku. "You were always chasing after him anyway. You think he finally likes you now?"

Izuku said nothing, glancing at Katsuki instead. 

"Maybe they were making out or some shit," Undercut smirked. He said in a teasing voice to Katsuki, "Skipped school to hook up? Since when did you do that, Bakugou?"

Katsuki's fingers steamed.

"Say another fucking word, I dare you."

"Don't tell me you actually have a soft spot for a weak-"

He lunged. 

Katsuki's hand shot out to grab Undercut's collar, his hands warming up viciously. The middle schooler's eyes widened in panic as faint crackling came from his palms. Stretchy Fingers acted to pull Katsuki away, but his grip was too firm. 

Katsuki wasn't even sure what he was going to do. He couldn't significantly alter the past by harming the boy, right when he was about to leave. Yet the fucking moron pissed him off so much that he didn't feel like being cautious anymore. It was only when Katsuki registered the feel of Izuku trying to pull him back that he was grounded in reality.

He can't be doing this. It was pointless. He was a future hero, not a violent middle schooler who only acted impulsively. 

Instead, he only pushed Undercut to the ground before he walked off, Izuku scrambling to follow him. He could hear his name getting called out once again, but this time he successfully ignored it. 

When they arrived at the unfamiliar school, Katsuki realized he indeed passed by this building many times when he went to the park or the grocery store, but he never thought much of it. It was quiet at this time, when many schools ended. No students were coming out of the buildings, not a single sign of life. 

"What the fuck?" Katsuki muttered under his breath, still feeling heated from his last encounter. 

Izuku furrowed his eyebrows. "That's weird. Maybe school ends later for them?"

Katsuki huffed under his breath as he leaned against the nearest tree. "Guess we have to wait."

Thankfully, they were just too early. A good fifteen minutes passed, and then middle schoolers started coming out of the building. Katsuki instantly focused, his eyes intent on every single kid coming out of the building.

"Keep your eyes peeled, Izuku. Pay attention to anyone with multi-colored hair."

"Uh... is there any physical traits you remember from that boy?"

"I don't remember his fucking eyes or anything else! I just knew his hair hurt my eyes, and he was short, maybe around your height, I guess. And I don't remember the rest!"

"Okay... but what if he didn't dye his hair yet, since it might not be his natural hair? Or what if he went to a different school a year before your timeline?"

"Stop talking, please."

Izuku obeyed for once as he kept a steady gaze on the crowd rushing out of the school. Chatter filled the air, giggles of gossip and future plans. No one seemed to notice the two middle school boys lurking in the corner, keeping a watchful eye on every middle schooler. 

Finally, Katsuki's eyes caught a vivid hairdo, with streaks of blue overriding every other color. He squinted his eyes, but the boy's face was turned away from him. At a lucky moment, the boy's face was revealed, and Katsuki could see plain brown eyes and a familiar face. It had to be the boy. He could vividly remember turning away from the battle, catching the stranger's eye who called him Kacchan. 

"I fucking found him!" Katsuki whispered-hissed. "He's right there, with that ridiculously colorful hair!"

Izuku took a while, but he eventually found him. "Well, let's talk to him quickly...?"

Katsuki grabbed Izuku's hand, making the boy squeak, as they stalked off to approach the boy who caused all this trouble. 

The multi-colored hair boy noticed them instantly, blinking at them in confusion. Katsuki almost wanted to grab him and shake him until he provided a way for him to get out of here. 

Instead, they stopped in front of them, just a few feet away. Fewer students surrounded them, giving them slightly more privacy. 

"Hey, you," Katsuki pointed directly at him, so he wouldn't question whether he was talking to him or not. "Take me back."

"Uh- wh- what?" the boy stammered. His face flamed. "I don't... know you?"

"You heard me, moron. Fucking take me back!"

Besides him, Izuku winced at his wording. 

"You- uh- what?" Multi-Colored Hair nervously laughed. "I mean, you're good-looking and all, but I don't- I don't know you! And I'm straight!"

"WHAT? SAY USELESS SHIT TO ME AGAIN, AND I'LL BLOW YOUR-"

"Kacchan!" Izuku said, exasperated. "You're being confusing. Also, you're in the past, so he wouldn't know you at all."

"Whatever," Katsuki said, glaring at the boy in front of them. "You sent me back with your fucking quirk, so I want you to take me back to the present!"

"Oh..." Multi-Colored Hair said, clarity in his eyes. "Well, I can't really do that. Can you explain how I sent you back?"

"I was in a battle, fighting with some D-list villain," Katsuki was practically yelling at this point. "And by the way, I'm a pretty fucking big deal in the future, so this isn't some careless mistake you can put aside, but anyway, you started fucking cheering for me, and you distracted me and when I looked at you, suddenly I was in the past!" 

"Right," he nodded. "Uh, so, I can mostly control my quirk, but sometimes it can go a little haywire when I'm not focusing, so yeah, I can make people switch with their past bodies with one look-"

"Switch bodies?" Katsuki was absolutely horrified. "You're telling me that my past self is in my future body right now, at this second?"

"Uh, yeah, that's what I just said, I mean-"

"I'm pretty sure Kacchan would be giving hell to anyone who tries to help him," Izuku murmured under his breath. It was insulting, but it wasn't wrong. 

"How can I get back then?" Katsuki demanded.

"So, I can't exactly do anything about it. If my future self were the one who sent you back, then he'll be the one to bring you back. I can't do anything about what I would do in the future. I can only send you even further into the past."

Katsuki almost jumped forward to threaten the boy into sending him back, when Izuku started talking, "Is there anything that can make the process of sending him back faster? Like if Kacchan really concentrates on his present or something like that?"

Multi-Colored Hair hesitated. "Well, I guess his willingness to go back helps the process a bit more."

"I WANT TO FUCKING GO BACK, SO WHY AM I NOT THERE ALREADY?"

"Do you really want to?" 

"YES, THAT'S WHAT I SAID!"

Even as Katsuki said those words with confidence, he couldn't help but recall the times when he put talking to Izuku a priority over getting back. He couldn't help but acknowledge the fact that he spent the whole day with Izuku, even though he could have done this on his own. He couldn't help but realize his efforts to go back were half-hearted. 

"Fucking whatever," Katsuki grumbled under his breath. He grabbed Izuku's hand. "Let's go, nerd."

"Sorry, I couldn't help much! Bye, whatever-your-name-is, uhm, Kacchan?"

Izuku stifled a laugh. The blond turned around, his eyes turning to slits as he said in a strangled voice, "Don't call me that." There was no way that both the boy's present and past selves thought Katsuki's real name was Kacchan. This was a nightmare.

"I just thought-oh, never mind. Good luck...?"

Katsuki ignored him.

They were wordlessly on the pathway to Izuku's apartments. Katsuki mentally decided he'll drop the boy off before sulking the rest of his way home. Even though he wanted to go back, he started to accept this wretched fate. At least he could make things easier for Izuku, and he would know everything before anyone else. How fucking cool would that be, anyway? Maybe this won't be that bad. 

It took a while for Katsuki to realize they were still holding hands, and he let go, his face flushing. Without looking at Izuku, he said, "I guess I'll be here for a while."

"I suppose," Izuku didn't sound that disappointed, which Katsuki wasn't surprised by. Why would he want his bully back anyway? The horrible version of Katsuki would only come back and torment Izuku again. 

Then again, Izuku was always a selfless person. Of course, he was more focused on what Katsuki wanted. 

When Izuku's apartment was in sight, Katsuki was about to turn to him to say goodbye when he heard a magical whirling sound behind him. He turned around, his eyes widening at a portal forming right behind them. It looked suspiciously similar to Kurogiri's powers. 

Izuku let out a yelp when he saw it as well. 

As the portal gradually increased in size, Katsuki took a step back, having a gut feeling that this gateway was for him. All of his doubt was erased when he could hear the calls of his name from the other side, faint but pronounced.

Multi-Colored Hair must have lied about willingness to leave part of a factor to go back quicker, because suddenly Katsuki didn't feel like leaving, even though the entrance was right in front of him. 

He turned to Izuku.

"If I go," Katsuki started, "you'll get tormented again. By me."

"It's okay, Kacchan," Izuku smiled. "Now that I know you'll change, I promise I'll just keep believing in you."

Katsuki hated the trust in his eyes, the easy smile on his face. He never deserved his kindness. 

"But if I stay," Katsuki said quietly. "You won't get bullied."

Izuku's smile faded away. 

"Now that I think about it," Katsuki started. "I don't mind staying. I don't mind repeating everything all over again, if it means protecting you-"

"Do you hear yourself right now?" Izuku's voice sounded uncharacteristically harsh. Katsuki paused, surprise written all over his face as he looked at the shorter boy. 

"You're just giving up, even though the exit is right there? Just because you want to protect me? I don't want you to do that!"

"It doesn't matter if you don't want me to do that!" Katsuki snapped. He instantly softened his voice as he continued talking, "I don't want you to keep seeing that horrible side of me."

"You're doing way more than just staying in the past. You're allowing your past self to stay in the future, which will mess everything up! Sure, you'll be mean to me as soon as you come back, but it doesn't matter. It's how it's supposed to be, and you can't just upset the balance of time because you feel like it!"

"God, Izuku, you don't know-" Katsuki cut himself off. "I just can't leave you like this." 

The green-haired boy only smiled again, and he stepped closer. "Kacchan. You know I can handle it. It's messed up, but I can do it without your help. I know you regret everything you've done, and I understand. Your place is the future with your Izuku. I know he misses you a lot."

"Probably," Katsuki sniffled. "My past self is probably being a little asshole to him right now."

Izuku chuckled. "That's that. Then you know where you belong, right?"

With you?

Katsuki swallowed and said, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry in advance."

"It's okay, Kacchan."

Before Katsuki could rant about how it was not okay at all, Izuku stood up straighter and kissed him on his cheek. Katsuki watched him, flustered, as the boy took a step back and gave him a soft smile.

"Bye, Kacchan."

Another version of Katsuki would have argued back, but he didn't do that. He only smiled back and said, "Promise you'll beat my ass as soon as you can with that quirk of yours. Teach me a damn lesson."

"I promise. Promise you'll tell your present Izuku exactly how you feel?"

"I promise."