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Katsuki knew he’d have side effects from his heart surgeries after the war.
Injury was an inevitable part of saving the world and almost dying doing so.
And ofcourse he knew his heart rate is higher than others due to the high levels of nitroglycerin in his system.
What he didn’t know is that these ‘side effects’ would only come into play around Izuku.
It had become routine since they were discharged from the hospital- Katsuki and Izuku sharing a room. They’d manage to convince Aizawa to give them a spare key for each others room.
Izuku had panic attacks, and Katsuki had nightmares that set off his quirk in his sleep.
Aizawa was not happy with the singed dorm sheets.
So the solution? Let them share a room. It seemed to keep both their symptoms in check.
It’s not like it was fucking weird- They always had sleepovers as kids before; Before they turned 4 that is.
So why, when they were sitting on izukus bed, watching an old all might rerun and commenting on the fights, why was his heart racing?
This wasnt new. It had been happening ever since this arrangement begun.
They’d just be sitting there, shoulder to shoulder, legs brushing, and izuku would ever so often press his ear to Katsukis chest to hear the soft beating of his heart, and Katsukis heart would be going a mile a minute.
surely, this is a result of that new medication they had him on, and not the thought of holding his bestfriend in his arms and the way he traced the scars on his arm and the way his muscles were so defined or the way his freckles perfectly complemented his eyes or-
Nope. Had to be the medicine.
”Izuku” He whispered, to where the green hair was resting under his chin.
”mmhmm- k’chn?”
His heart rate picked up again.
It couldnt have been from seeing the sleepy face izuku made or how happy and light he felt whenever they were close like this.
Wait- could it be- izukus embers somehow dying was effecting him too? He had wielded one for all at Nabu Island. That had to be it.
”Izuku, my heart”
Izuku never jumped to attention faster than when Kaachan mentioned his heart.
” it’s racing, need to get up for my meds”
”Kaachan you know you’re not meant to take them more than twice a day- it’s dangerous, just calm down.”
”calm down? If I get any calmer you’ll need an EMT to wake me up!- I’m fucking calm! I don’t know what’s causing it.”
”Do you need to see recovery girl?”
Whatever was causing it, if it went on Hed be in trouble. He had to get out of there.
” No- I- fuck. I need to sleep in my own room”
Izuku shrunk in a bit on himself at this, but he didn’t want to beg kaachan to stay either. It wasn’t fair.
”oh, okay kaachan”
”wait izuku no, that was harsh. It’s just that it only races like this around you. Maybe it’s the embers? I have no idea”
Izuku flushed bright red. Huh, that’s wierd.
Katsuki watched as he moved away from where he was laying on his chest and turned to face the wall, then left without saying a word.
Izuku didnt end up getting any sleep that night. He woke up multiple times in a cold sweat, after dreams of the war.
Kaachans cold body and pale lips lying still.
His chest tore open and heart not beating.
He rushed to the space beside him to check if Kaachans heart was still beating and-
oh that’s right. No kaachan.
After talking himself down from a panic attack, he finally managed to get a few winks.
its a shame he didn’t get those winks until 7am and completely missed his alarm.
well, he probably couldnt have gone to school today anyway on that little sleep, and surely aizawa would offer him a little slack on the basis that he did literally save the whole fucking world from certain doom.
Izuku didn’t show up to school today. Katsuki showed up, physically, but his mind wasn’t there at all.
All he could think about was Izuku. Had he been too harsh? He knew Izuku had a hard time being alone since the war and he still left him. Selfishness. That’s all it was.
Ofcourse, he didn’t sleep much that night either. The arrangement was for him and Izuku. And if his roommates heard mini explosions during the night from his nightmare induced state, they atleast didnt mention it.
The drag of the clock was almost patronising as each second past and felt like an hour. He needed to see Izuku. To explain.
Wait. Explain what exactly?
That was the next dilemma.
He wanted to explain himself, his selfish actions, but how do you explain something you don’t understand yourself?
As the final bell of the day rang out, he decided while walking back to the dorms that hed figure out what the fuck was going on— then talk to Izuku.
But who could he even talk to about this?
Shitty hair, tape face and pikachu were too unserious. Raccoon eyes would assume shit and cause some sort of drama.
Jiro seems like the only person who’d genuinely help him right now. With what exactly he didn’t know but he’d cross that bridge when he came to it.
Katsuki luckily, was on ‘the list’ of boys permitted in the female dorm areas.
’the list’ consisted mainly of anyone except mineta.
So there he was, outside Jiros dorm, banging on the door like his life depended on it.
When a confused Jiro finally opened it he barged inside and threw himself pathetically over her bed.
”let me guess” she started, “boy troubles?”
He darted upright now sitting at the side of bed and shot her a scowl while trying to pretend he wasnt furiously blushing.
”hah? Makes you think that earphones?”
”well, Midoriya wasnt in school today. You’ve been spaced out. And now- you barge into my room like some gay disaster moping and huffing and puffing”
Katsuki took her words in. Was he that readable?
”’m not fuckin’ gay, earphones”
she shot him a not so convinced look.
”I mean, I don’t think I am. That’s why I’m here, I don’t know what the fuck is going on with me.”
she sat across from him on her desk chair and all in all looked like a professional therapist right now.
”so what has been going on? You need a desperate yearning playlist because I actually already made you one I can send-“
”What the fuck? No. I just need to-“ He paused. Gathered his thoughts.
” Last night Izuku and I were about to go to sleep, in his bed, in a platonic way, and my heart it..”
How does one even go about explaining what happened his heart?
Everyone knew about the arrangement, they knew it was for the better. Atleast he didn’t have to explain that bit.
”it felt like explosions were going off in my heart? It’s like every time I’m with him and he looks at me or rests his ear on my chest or brushes my arm my face burns and my chest tightens”
It was Jiros turn to sigh now. How could you make someone so oblivious see sense?
“let me ask you this, Bakugo. When you picture your life in 10 years, what does that look like?”
”Damn talk about a loaded question”
”just answer it loverboy”
He huffed but thought over her question none the less.
”I guess I see myself being a hero with Izuku. Our own agency, maybe we could rent a place together or even-“
”aaaand I rest my case. I diagnose you with terminal homosexuality. Theres no cure.”
He huffed and folded his arms.
”how do I know if I’m even? I mean- I know Izuku is, maybe I could ask him how he knew or-“
When he looked up, Jiro was crouched above him and his word vomit was cut off by her lips on his own.
She lingered there for a few seconds but it wasn’t fireworks and euphoria like everyone described their first kiss.
Infact all he could think of was Izuku.
He wanted to share this moment with Izuku. Wanted to kiss his lips and find out what his freckles tasted like and-
Jiro pulled off his lips and sat back down like she didn’t just kiss him.
”Now-“ she continued, her casual tone making light of the awkward situation.
“re-evaluate your thoughts.”
”Holy shit headphones I think I’m-“
”Knew it!” She hollered, maybe a little too excitedly? “no offence taken by the way”.
He just stared at her, dumfounded. How could she alter his entire perspective and just giggle like that? He didn’t even have words right now. He just needed to find Izuku. Explain himself. Lay his heart bare.
He stood up abruptly rushing to the door, quickly turning back before he left to add one last remark.
”let’s never speak of this again and.. thanks, I guess.”
When he got to Izukus dorm, it was fucking locked. Dumbass fucking nerd probably assumed he wasn’t coming back after last night and left it locked.
Thats fine, he had a key.
Now where was his key?
Fuck. It was in izukus room.
He knocked once, twice, three times and called out for Izuku but when there was still no answer, he retreated to his room.
Izuku would have to talk to him at some point or another. In the meantime, he opened his phone to message Jiro.
Me:
Send me that fucking playlist.
19:14
Sleep didn’t come easy for Izuku that night. He hadn’t seen Kaachan all day. Hadnt even spoke to him. He tossed and turned and did anything to take his mind off it.
Could he be sure Kaachan was breathing right now? He had no immediate means of making sure. He couldn’t miss another day from lack of sleep, and he knew damn well he couldn’t go on like this.
He opened his phone and stared at the explosive blondes contact, then began to type.
Izuku:
Can we please talk?
23:17 — read
Kaachan was probably asleep. He probably had no trouble sleeping, unlike Izuku. He was probably perfectly okay with all this.
He was— actively knocking on Izukus door?
Kaachan had read the text and ran to Izukus dorm.
Izuku opened the door and relief flooded his senses when he saw Kaachan, very much alive, walk through.
“Kaachan I-“
”You look like shit nerd, did you sleep?”
Izuku shook his head.
”I’m sorry kaachan, for-“
”for what, zuku? Fuck that. I was an asshole and I shouldn’t have left. I’m sorry.”
Izuku sat upright on his bed and gestured for Kaachan to sit next to him, which he did.
”why did you?”
Katsuki looked him in the eye now with a more vulnerable expression that nobody but Izuku would ever see.
”I realised something that scared me. And I’m fucking shit at these shitty emotions.”
There was a pause. Izuku nodded and looked to Kaachan fot further clarification.
”I realised, Izuku, I- fuck. My heart was doing weird shit, but not in a bad way. I realised I want you by my side forever. I want more with you.”
Izuku stared deep into the beautiful crimson eyes infront of him. Katsuki noticed his gaze flickering to his lips.
When their eyes met again Katsuki looked down to Izukus soft lips then back to his eyes. A silent question.
Izuku nodded and soon their faces were close enough to share a breath. Katsuki felt a strong, scarred hand on his jaw and the gap between them closed.
It started out soft, but better than either could’ve ever imagined. Katsuki felt the fireworks this time.
Their eyelids fluttered closed as they savoured the taste of eachother.
Izuku was the one to break the kiss, much to Katsukis dismay.
“I like, no, kaachan, I love you”
”I love you too Zuku.”
Their lips met again, hungrily. Katsuki pulled Izuku impossibly close to him but nothing felt close enough.
He’d tried the drug that was Izukus lips and never wanted the high to end.
Izuku felt a tongue swipe across his lower lip and parted them easily, granting entry. And so they stayed like that- both seemingly never wanting this moment of bliss to end. Izuku explored Kaachans mouth with his own and took in deep breaths of addictive caramel scent from his boyfriends skin- wait, his boyfriend?
He moved back from Kaachans face, and broke the comfortable silence.
”Kaachan?”
”yeah?”
”youre my boyfriend now right?”
”Tch. Wouldn’t be fucking making out with you if I wasn’t, nerd”
”just making sure. Do you need to sleep in your own room tonight again?”
”hah? Fuck no! I’m staying right here Zuku.”
Katsuki crawled under the covers, and Izuku slotted between his arms, resting on his chest like he belonged there. Like their bodies were designed to fit togehter.
The lack of sleep caught up on him all too soon, but just before it managed to pull him under he reached up and landed one last kiss on his boyfriends jaw.
That sleep was the best he’d had since the war ended.
Katsuki was on the verge of falling asleep, Izukus arms wrapped around his torso and unruly curls splayed on his collarbone, but he had one last thing to do.
He held his phone up to snap a picture of Izuku and him, before sending it off to their ‘matchmaker’
Katsuki:
*attachment added*
Bagged my man. Thanks earphones.
Sent 00:36