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Katsuki was just about to deliver a decisive blow when he saw it out of the corner of his eye. 

It being a pink figure floating into the sky at an alarmingly fast pace. His mind took a moment to try and decipher what exactly he was seeing before he realized the object was merely Uravity. Since the anti-gravity hero flying through a battlefield was fairly normal all things considered, Katsuki wasn't initially alarmed. Only when Pinky gasped in surprise and pointed did Katsuki turn to get a better look. 

It seemed that Uravity and Deku had accidentally collided in the sky, the two of them spinning slowly like something straight out of a shoujo manga. 

“Those complete idiots!” he seethed. The sound of a projectile whistled past him, so he turned his attention back to the villain currently in front of them. Somewhere in the background, Chargebolt laughed.

“Traffic jam!” 

Katsuki fired off an explosion from his left palm as he rolled his eyes. 

“You would think they'd know how to share the airspace by now!” Mina said with a giggle. The villain, noticing their utter lack of attention, tried to amp things up, but her moves grew sloppy in the process and the young hero students had her apprehended within a few minutes. She started in on her typical “heroes bad villains good” monologue, and for his mental health Katsuki chose not to hang around. He was already cold, anyway, which made him more irritable than usual. 

Katsuki blasted into the air and began to make his way over to where half of class 3A had been dealing with the rest of the villains. Most of the physical effects of the war had been cleaned up by heroes, but the social effects would be lingering in Japan for potentially decades. The government and Hero Safety Commission wanted people to believe that peace had come and society could move forward, yet Katsuki knew from experience it wasn't that simple. There were people who had lost their homes, their loved ones, their jobs, their entire lives. Now, they were looking for an outlet to unleash their anger, and some of these low tier villain gangs provided them with a place to feel seen and heard. Recruiting these disgruntled civilians to loot and destroy was as easy as getting kids to eat ice-cream. 

Consequently, Class 3A had more patrols on their hands than they knew what to do with. They'd been promised an easy path to graduation after their service, but with many pros either injured, dead, or unwilling, it was once again up to them to bridge the gap. Katsuki never thought he'd live to resent hero work; then U.A. had asked him to chase down a street-tier criminal after his physical therapy session, and he rethought that belief. 

The sorest spot regarding this whole ordeal for him revolved around his friend Izuku Midoriya. In his opinion, nobody had gotten a worse deal than Izuku. Izuku, who'd saved the world and lost his quirk at just seventeen. Izuku, who'd barely gotten to live his dream for over a year. As of right now, he still had the embers of One For All, but what about in two years? Five? Ten? 

It kept Katsuki awake at night, and it also explained why he was rushing over rooftops to check on Izuku. He couldn't afford losing precious embers to make a dumb mistake like bumping into Uravity mid-air, and Katsuki was about to let him have it. If he wouldn't steward his quirk carefully, then Katsuki would force him to. 

He told himself that was the only reason he cared; because if Izuku didn't have One For All, they couldn't be heroes together. Plain and simple. 

(Katsuki wanted, needed, to make sure he was okay after the fight.)

He didn't get to scream Izuku's ears off, however. His boots touched down with a rather forceful grace on the concrete, putting him right alongside a cluster of their classmates gathered together.

“Where the hell is Izu–” 

The sound of crying cut through him like a knife, and for one horrifying moment he thought Izuku was genuinely hurt. Panic almost overtook him until he caught sight of Uraraka sniffling, clinging on to Izuku's arm in a clumsy fashion. They both appeared to be unharmed, at least. Izuku's posture was hesitant; one hand hovered nervously behind Uraraka's head, as if he couldn't decide where exactly to place it in order to comfort her. Around him, his classmates talked in hushed voices. 

“Did the villain get away?” 

“I think so?” 

“What's the quirk?” 

“Some sort of love quirk.” 

“Is she alright?”

“We don't know. She started off happy, but now she's been sobbing for at least ten minutes.” 

Uraraka leaned most of her weight on Izuku, babbling something in hysteria the rest of them couldn't hear. Her face was pitifully flushed, and she actually did have a small gash on her kneecap which was bleeding slightly. 

“Where the hell is Sensei?!” Katsuki snapped. Several people glanced back, surprised to see him. 

“We alerted him; he's on his way,” Iida replied, as if that fixed anything about Uraraka's current predicament. 

“And so, what? You're all just gonna stand around and gawk at her?” 

“We're not—” Hagakure protested, but Katsuki knew for a fact he'd just seen her with her phone camera out. 

Katsuki didn't pretend he was nice. He was lots of things— strong, brave, smart, powerful. But he'd never been good at nice. Being gentle with people was something which he'd just begun learning how to do, and some days it felt more painful to him than pulling teeth. It wasn't how he was wired. There was also the unnamed feeling which snaked up through his entire body whenever he saw Izuku and Uraraka together (he chose to ignore the implications of that). 

Still, neither of these things were enough to prevent him from taking pity on the poor girl. He didn't have any idea what the quirk actually did, but it was obvious it had severely impaired her judgement, and she was embarrassing herself. Then there was Izuku standing there awkwardly, doing nothing to help while blushing from head to toe. The sight made Katsuki's blood boil. 

He stomped forward and hissed, “What the hell, Izuku?! Get her out of here!” 

As if a switch had been flipped, the rational thought returned behind Izuku's eyes. 

“R–right! Um, Uraraka-san, let's go over here until the bus arrives, okay?” 

“We don't have the right colors for the flowers,” she sobbed. Up close, he could see the faint outlines of hearts on her irises. 

“What?” Katsuki asked before he could stop himself. 

“The wedding!” she cried, putting a hand over her face. “Izuku and I are getting married and I don't have the right color for anything!” 

Something about Izuku's actual name coming from her mouth instead of Deku made Katsuki's skin crawl. 

“The hell do you mean you're getting married?” 

Izuku scowled at him. 

“You have to play along, Kacchan,” he whispered irritably, “Or you'll upset her even more. It's a quirk. She doesn't know what she's saying.” 

There was something defensive in his tone which Katsuki didn't have the time or energy to decode. 

“Shit— okay. Start walking,” he shot back, ushering the two of them behind a wall out of sight of their classmates. The least he and Izuku could do for Ochako was give her some privacy. 

“Cheeks, we'll get the right colors.” 

“I needed lavender and everything they had was violet!” she blubbered. 

“We can go to a different store!” Izuku insisted kindly. He finally took some initiative and tucked Uraraka beneath his arm, which made Katsuki want to throw up. He stubbornly refused to acknowledge why that might be. “But for now, we can just go watch a movie, yeah? We have plenty of time to plan.” 

Uraraka mulled this offer over for a moment, and then she deflated, slumping against Izuku's side. 

“Right, that makes sense. Sorry. I don't know why I got so worked up.” 

“It's okay. You're probably just hungry,” Izuku mused. Was the fondness in his tone really there or was Katsuki imagining things? 

“I probably am hungry. Can we get dinner first?”

“Of course,” he replied with a breathy laugh. 

Ochako closed her eyes, at peace for the moment, then said sweetly, “I love you, Deku.” 

The cracks which had been working their way into Katsuki's heart deepened. He wondered with detached interest if the aching in his chest could be internal bleeding. 

Izuku's face colored up fiercely, and he began fumbling with his words. Katsuki didn't need to learn his lesson twice; he definitely wasn't going to hang around to hear the confession reciprocated. He turned on his heel to leave rather abruptly, only to hear, “Wait, Kacchan!”

Katsuki inhaled slowly and turned around.

“What?”

“Stay,” Izuku begged, all the warmth in his voice from seconds before gone. Ochako must've overused her quirk, because she was sound asleep despite standing up. “Um, please.”

“Why?” 

“Because— I— I don't know what to do with her! I don't know how long this lasts or what it really does. She doesn't care about anything but, well, um…”

He trailed off, staring at his feet. 

“You,” Katsuki finished flatly. Izuku blushed. 

“R–right. And she doesn't know what she's doing. She can't help it. Can you just… help me watch her, please? I'd never forgive myself if she got hurt or something.” 

In typical Izuku fashion, he'd worked himself up pretty badly, causing his voice to wobble by the end. Katsuki stared back at wide, pleading green eyes and sighed. He'd never been much good at telling Izuku no, not when it came to things which actually mattered. 

“Fine,” he muttered, looking away to break eye contact. 

“Thanks, Kacchan,” he said with relief. “I'm sorry. I should've gotten her away from the others quicker, but I was caught off guard.” 

Katsuki glanced back at Ochako, who seemed rather small when she was asleep and was snuggled contentedly into Izuku's side like a perfect puzzle piece. He tried to hate her for having something he wanted, but he just couldn't. 

“Yeah, well keep her away from them until that damn quirk wears off. How'd you like it if you were draped all over her in front of Mineta?” 

“She wasn't– I wouldn't—” 

“Blah blah blah. I don't care.”

Izuku huffed, blowing a stray curl out of his face. 

“I hope it doesn't last too long.”

“They didn't give you any info about it in the rundown beforehand?”

“Not really other than it's, um, a love quirk. The villain was so much weaker than the others we didn't take him seriously enough.”

“Does it cause you to fall in love with the first person you see or what?”

“I don't think so. Uraraka was on the completely other side of the battlefield.”

“So it just magnifies what's already there.”

Izuku flushed again and looked everywhere but at the girl sleeping beside him. 

“I guess.”

Silence hung between them for longer than Katsuki expected. 

“Hmm.”

“Please don't make it weird, Kacchan. It's not like that!”

“I didn't say shit!” 

Ochako stirred a bit, so they lowered their voices. 

“Ya gotta figure out what you're gonna tell her.” 

“No kidding,” Izuku snapped. Katsuki took a deep breath, trying to contain the mix of emotions swirling in his chest that were threatening to burst out onto the pavement. 

“My bad. I'm just… I feel bad for her,” he said eventually. Izuku peered at him with a curious look. 

“I do too, Kacchan. I didn't realize what had happened until she found me in the air, and then it was everything I could do to keep her out of danger. I wasn't trying to embarrass her, I swear.” 

“I know that, idiot. You can tell her that when the quirk wears off. I'm sure she'll understand.” 

Katsuki shivered subconsciously as the sun began to sink behind the buildings, cloaking the world in shadow. He thought it was imperceptible, but Izuku (ever the stalker) noticed. 

“Ah, is Kacchan cold?” 

“I'm fine.” 

He frowned but decided not to push it. 

“Your A.P. Shot back there was really good. It's gotten better since last time.”

Katsuki blamed the biting wind for the pink that rose to his cheeks. 

“ ‘S still too slow.”

“You'll get full speed back,” Izuku assured with a small smile. “Kacchan's amazing.” 

Thankfully, he heard the bus pull in and didn't have to reply to that last comment. 

“Come on, nerd. Get your girlfriend and let's go. Bus is here.” 

“Kacchan,” he protested, “She is not my girlfriend.” 

“Sorry, she's your fiancée, my bad,” Katsuki said with a snicker. 

“Asshole!” Izuku replied a bit too loudly, waking Ochako.

“Huh?”

He moved to untangle himself in case the quirk had worn off, but Uraraka cozied right back into his side, resembling a bunny. Katsuki tried to suffocate his disappointment. 

“Um, we're going to the bus, Uraraka-san.” 

“Oh, okay. Can we still watch that movie?” she asked as she took his hand. 

“Sure.” 

She turned her head, and strangely her eyes lit up in delight. 

“Oh, Bakugou-kun! You have to come to our wedding!”

Without replying, Katsuki left and all but stormed towards the bus, because that was more than his heart could take.

The bus ride back to U.A. was insufferable for him, and he tried to blame it on the cold making his joints ache, but that would be ignoring the elephant in the room. 

Ochako was sitting crossways in her seat, leaning against Izuku's chest while she typed away on her phone and chatted about their wedding. Occasionally she would find some cute idea and ask Izuku for his opinion. Of course, he was bright red and barely capable of words, but his squeaky replies were apparently sufficient. After this, she'd show her photos to the rest of the girls on the bus, who would all do their due diligence of weighing in as if the two were actually getting married. 

By the end of this, maybe they would. Maybe this was the push forward they both needed to get over themselves and confess. Then they'd get married and ride off into the sunset—

“Hey man, you good?” Kirishima asked. Katsuki's heartbeat monitor was beeping for high blood pressure. Great. 

“I'm fine.”

“Really? Because you look like you're about to live up to your hero name.” 

“Drop it, Kirishima.” 

He sighed and patted Katsuki on the shoulder. 

“Just remember those are her feelings, not his, dude.” 

Katsuki suddenly felt hot. 

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?!” 

Kirishima shrugged and started scrolling on his phone.

Back in the dorm, the teachers decided that it was probably best if Izuku and Ochako weren't alone together, which meant group movie night in the common room. Everyone was excited, of course. Katsuki could've just gone to his room. He wasn't sure why he stayed. 

Why did he stay and watch Ochako snuggle into Izuku's lap? Why did he watch him play with her hair? Why did he watch people sneak photos of them, giggling to themselves about how cute they were together? Honestly, maybe he still felt the need to punish himself even after his apology to Izuku. Maybe he felt like he deserved to let this unidentified feeling eat him alive.

The noise of a door clicking shut woke Katsuki in the middle of the night. He sat up in bed, checked his clock (two a.m.), and decided to investigate for no other reason than he'd rather not be alone with his own thoughts. 

He silently climbed the stairs to the roof. Katsuki knew which door had made that sound, because he'd escaped through that exact door many times to get a breath of fresh air after a nightmare. Who he'd find up there alone with the stars, he didn't know, but maybe he could help somehow. 

His eyes zeroed in on the lone silhouette sitting near the edge, and he approached carefully. As loud of a person as he was, he still understood that sometimes a softer approach was needed. He didn't want to scare whoever was there. 

“Hey,” he called quietly. “You okay?” 

A small gasp and quick head turn revealed Ochako, who had sparkly tears on her cheeks. 

“Shit, do you need Izuku?”

“No. No!”

Katsuki blinked, and then it dawned on him the quirk must've worn off. 

“Can I sit?”

She huffed and nodded, turning back to the skyline in front of them. Katsuki cautiously took a place beside her, briefly noting that the hearts in her eyes were gone. 

“Quirk wore off, I'm guessing?”

“Yeah, it sure did.” 

“Well, shit.”

“Shit,” she echoed, voice sour. Then, to Katsuki's surprise, she began to cry again softly. “I'm so embarrassed, Katsuki. I don't think I can ever look anyone in the eyes ever again.” 

He sat still for a moment, as this was unfamiliar territory for him. People didn't normally feel comfortable enough to cry around him, the main exception being Izuku, but he cried around everyone so it didn't really count. 

“Oi, it ain't a big deal. I was a total asshole for a year and people still put up with me.”

“Yeah, but– hic! It was hard to make fun of you. It'll be easy to make fun of me.”

“Do ya really think our classmates are that mean?”

“Mineta is.”

“I'll punt him.” 

A wobbly laugh bubbled out of her, and Katsuki found oddly enough that the sound eased some of the pain in his chest. He smiled against his will. After a brief moment, she grew somber again, and it was even stranger that Katsuki missed her laughter. 

“I just don't know what I'm going to say to Deku when I see him again. I know I embarrassed him, too.” 

She pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, cheek resting on the fuzzy fabric of her pajama pants. 

“If anyone would be understanding of a quirk accident, it's that nerd. You ain't got anything to worry about, Cheeks.” 

“Be honest,” Ochako said suddenly, “Do you see me differently now? Do I look silly? Weaker?”

Katsuki was taken aback by her question and blinked in confusion. 

“Of course not. Anyone who thinks that is an idiot. You just looked like a teenage girl with a crush. And at least it was a crush that made sense and the quirk didn't send you flying across the world to chase down a member of a boy band or something.” 

That drew another quiet laugh, and perhaps this one felt a bit more genuine. 

“That's true. I just wish I didn't have to see him every day. What if it's awkward?” 

“Eh, what if it is? The two of you are practically made of sunshine and rainbows; you can work it out.” 

Her elbow bumped his arm half-heartedly. 

“Maybe. Thanks. Oh, and thank you for getting me away from the others as much as you could. At least they didn't hear everything.” 

“No problem.” 

She leaned back to look at the stars, letting her knees drop as her palms stretched out against the concrete. The outlines of the pads on her fingers were barely visible in the dim moonlight. 

“Can I ask you a question? You don't have to answer.”

“Shoot.” 

“If you'd been hit by that quirk, do you know who you would've run to?” 

Her words seemed to slam into him even harder due to the quiet of the night. Katsuki's throat went dry as he tried and failed to chase freckles and green eyes from his mind. 

Then, without warning, everything clicked into place. 

He did know who he would've run to had he been the victim of this quirk. That's why seeing its effects on Uraraka had bothered him so much; he knew if things had been just a little different, he might have been the one crying over something ridiculous for his imaginary wedding to Izuku. He could've easily been the spectacle for their class. It was far too easy to slip into her shoes, which had made him feel a sickening combination of sympathy, envy, anger, and sadness. 

How had it taken him this long to see it when there had never, ever been anyone else? 

He loved Izuku. Maybe he always had, deep down. He loved Izuku and he knew he didn't deserve to receive Izuku's love in return. 

Yeah, if the quirk had hit him instead, it would've ruined his entire life. 

“Um, I think I would've messed my whole life up.”

Ochako nodded in thought. 

“I'm still not sure I haven't done that already,” she confessed with a dry chuckle. 

“ ‘S gonna be fine, Cheeks.” 

The wind whistled against the railing, reminding Katsuki how cold it actually was outside. 

“C'mon. You're gonna freeze to death out here.” 

He stood slowly (his joints were really aching) and offered her his hand. Ochako gave a half-hearted smile and accepted, wobbling a bit when she stood. 

“When's the last time you ate something, dummy?” 

“Oh, um, I actually can't remember.” 

Katsuki scoffed, holding the door with his good arm to let her pass ahead of him. 

“So if you didn't freeze to death, were you planning to starve yourself instead?” 

“Shut up!” 

“Go eat, Cheeks.” 

She laughed, shaking her head slightly, brown bangs swaying when she did. 

“Okay, okay. Thanks, Bakugou-kun.”

“ ‘S nothing.” 

“It's not, though. You were really kind to me when you didn't have to be.” 

“I'm not that much of an asshole.” 

Ochako giggled again, then disappeared around the corner, presumably to go grab something to eat. Katsuki stayed where he was for a moment, staring at the space she'd just occupied. A part of him was happy for her, because he knew she and Izuku would eventually work things out between them. They'd make a good couple. The deeper, sicker part of him stewed in some odd combination of resentment and admiration, because he knew she'd casually waltz into Izuku's heart like she'd always had the key. Katsuki wanted to hate her for that, but he couldn't. Not when he would selfishly do the exact same thing if given the chance. 

He shoved down his envy and started back towards his dorm, trying not to think about how close that quirk was to destroying his relationship with Izuku once and for all.

He'd hoped to get at least a full week of rest after their last escapade, but unfortunately the best U.A. could do apparently was three days. During that time, he'd watched Uraraka and Izuku closely. He hadn't really meant to; it had simply happened. Katsuki had always been an observant person. 

At first, they were both tense, but by day two post incident they'd basically relaxed back into the friends they were. Still, Katsuki imagined he saw a fondness between them which hadn't existed before. Had Izuku always held the door for her? Did Ochako usually give him book recommendations? Were the two of them sitting closer together at lunch, or was Katsuki losing his mind? 

It didn't help that others had started noticing, too. 

“I bet they're together in two weeks!” Mina declared triumphantly, setting down her soda with a satisfied clink. “I've been trying to push them in the right direction for forever! Maybe this quirk was the best thing that's ever happened to them.” 

“If it takes longer than two weeks I'm going to vomit,” Jirou added. “I can't take the subtle flirting anymore.” 

Kaminari shrugged his shoulders, then said, “Yeah, honestly I expected Midoriya to act faster, but I guess the guy's just clueless when it comes to girls.” He looked over at Katsuki with expectation. “You know him better than anyone, dude. What's the hold up with Uraraka?” 

Katsuki wanted to bite his head off, but he knew it would look suspicious if he got defensive all of a sudden. So instead, he rolled his eyes and replied, “Hell if I know. They're both nerds.” 

“Look, maybe we shouldn't rush them. We don't know the full story, anyway,” Kirishima tacked on. He gave Katsuki a knowing look which he didn't have the first clue how to decipher. For whatever reason, it seemed like Kirishima could sense the storm brewing inside Katsuki over the whole situation. He wasn't sure whether to feel relieved for being seen or vulnerable for being exposed. 

“Seven hundred fifty yen they're together by Friday!” Mina exclaimed, doubling down. 

“Deal!” 

Katsuki collected his plate and left, his knuckles itching to punch something. Maybe that would help this burning sensation pricking behind his eyes.

Now they were out on the streets again, pursuing another offshoot from the same pack of villains. 

“These idiots multiply like rats,” he grumbled, checking his phone again for location. Beside him, Red Riot whistled lowly. 

“There are a ton of ‘em, I'll give you that.” 

They rounded the corner into a rather empty alleyway. It was ordinary— trashcans, dull gray bricks, moss coating a chain link fence at the far end. Katsuki raked his gaze across it one time and was about to deem it clear, but then he heard a scratching noise from above. 

His head snapped upwards, and against the indigo sky he saw one of their targets. An unsettling mask hid their face, and their hands glowed with an unknown emitter quirk. 

“Heads up!” Katsuki shouted right as the first blow was fired off, weaving left and right as he blasted himself up to the roof. Red Riot would have to find a ladder unless Katsuki managed to knock this villain to the ground. Unluckily for Kirishima, whatever quirk this villain had allowed them to fly. It was obvious they wanted to fight in the air, and Katsuki was more than happy to oblige. He didn't have to watch his explosions so closely when he was in flight. “Rookie mistake!”

The villain, to their credit, didn't waste time explaining their quirk or giving some speech which might allow Katsuki to ascertain its use. Instead they launched beams of gold at him which crackled in the evening air. The noise sounded painful enough that he wasn't keen on finding out what that quirk felt like. 

Smack talk didn't seem to phase his opponent, so Katsuki was having to work slightly harder than normal to catch them off guard. That being said, the fight was still plenty easy for him, bordering on the edge of being plain fun. Katsuki twisted, ducked, dove, feinted— swooping through the sky and grinning as he did so. His movements were too fast for the villain to keep up, and it wasn't long before they showed signs of tiring. As soon as he could get a blow to really connect, the battle would be over. 

Katsuki pulled back to deliver a final explosion and— 

He smelled it before he heard it. 

Ozone, so thick it was almost suffocating, coursing through the air around him, forcing his hair to stand on edge. Next came the telltale crackling, and then he caught a glimpse of neon teal lighting up somewhere to his right. 

“DETROIT SMASH!” 

With far more force than was warranted, Izuku's fist collided with the villain and sent them sprawling backwards. The sight was so abrupt and violent that Katsuki briefly forgot to use his quirk to keep himself aloft. 

“What the HELL, Izuku?! That was uncalled for!” 

Thankfully the villain landed on the same rooftop Kirishima was currently scrambling onto, but the collision left a sizable hole in the concrete below. Katsuki had only taken a fraction of a second to survey the scene, but in the time he did, a strong arm wrapped around his waist. His head snapped around wildly, and he almost threw a punch until he realized it was still just Izuku. 

“Answer me! What the hell?!” 

“Are you alright?” he replied worriedly, ignoring Katsuki's question altogether. 

“I'm fine! You might have killed that dude, though!” 

Izuku cast a single uninterested glance over his shoulder to where Kirishima was handcuffing a scuffed up but otherwise okay villain, then focused his gaze back on Katsuki. He shrugged non-committally. Bizarre didn't even begin to describe how Izuku was acting at the moment. 

“I don't really care as long as you're okay.” 

“Real heroic of ya, huh?” Katsuki scoffed, unsure of why Izuku hadn't released him yet. He didn't have Float anymore, and the base power of One For All could only copy it at a fraction of the usual amount. He must be burning through embers like gasoline just to keep them in the air. “Put me down before we both fall!” 

Izuku lowered them onto the rooftop gently, then turned loose of Katsuki in a reluctant manner. It was then that he got a proper look at Izuku's face, and—

Oh. Oh no. 

Hearts. Little outlines of hearts in the middle of his eyes. 

“Izuku,” Katsuki began cautiously, “Where's the rest of your group?” 

Izuku frowned, as if he genuinely hadn't considered this. 

“Dealing with a few villains, I think. I don't know. I came here.”

His voice was low and serious, and he stepped forward when he said it like Katsuki had any spare space to give. 

“Yeah you did, idiot. Why?” 

Katsuki loathed himself for the wobbly reply. He swallowed hard, the hearts in Izuku's eyes distracting him momentarily. He could feel the blood racing through his ear canals, and his heart was beating so fast it bordered on painful. This had to be a mistake. Katsuki was imagining things. Maybe Izuku didn't have a crush, so the quirk had latched on to his strongest platonic friendship. That had to be it. 

Izuku's brows furrowed in confusion, like the answer was so obvious even a child could grasp it. 

“Because I love you, Kacchan. I had to make sure you were safe!” 

Katsuki's world went white. He hadn't known how desperately he wanted to hear those four words until they left Izuku's lips, and now he would never unhear them. The cruelest part was that they weren't real. Izuku didn't have any control over what he was saying, but Katsuki's poor heart couldn't tell the difference.

“You… You don't mean that.” 

It wasn't until Izuku's expression widened into one of shock that Katsuki realized his fatal mistake. 

The quirk. 

“Kacchan! Don't say things like that! Of course I love you!” 

His voice was loud enough to echo and painfully earnest, causing Katsuki to cringe. What should he do? If he tried to argue with Izuku, it would only upset him more. He didn't think he would grow violent, but he also couldn't guarantee that Izuku wouldn't break down sobbing if Katsuki said or did the wrong thing. Suddenly, he felt horribly guilty for judging Izuku's treatment of Ochako. He was every bit as stunned, if not more. 

“Uh– Um…” 

Izuku looked at him expectantly. He couldn't say it back. He couldn't. It wouldn't be right to say something so world-altering when Izuku couldn't control himself. But at the same time, he could see the hurt brewing behind Izuku's eyes. Additionally, he knew that the quirk amped emotions up and took away most of the victim's ability to manage them, too. If he broke Izuku's heart right now, it would be agony for him. 

“S–same, obviously. Now c'mon, let's go.” 

The other boy's posture relaxed immediately, and a sunny smile bloomed across his face. 

“Okay!”

He took Katsuki's hand with casual ease, as if he'd done it a million times, then leaned close and planted a kiss on his hairline. The sudden brush of his lips made Katsuki feel like he might spontaneously combust. A few starry sparks escaped from his palms before he could stop them, and he felt warm all over.  

This is fine. This is fine. This is fine. 

“You feel warm, Kacchan. Are you sure you're not hurt?” Izuku asked. In the moment, Katsuki cursed Izuku's unnerving perceptiveness. Before he could reply, the green-haired boy had slipped off his glove to press the back of his hand to Katsuki's forehead. 

“Iz– Izuku! I said I'm fine!” 

His hand slid down to cup Katsuki's cheek, and he ran a thumb across it, seemingly in thought. 

“You might need to see Recovery Girl. I can take you when we get back.” 

He's holding my face. This is fine. He's holding my face! Why hasn't he let go yet?! 

Izuku's eyes glanced up and down once, checking Katsuki over a final time before putting his glove back on and taking Katsuki's hand again. They made their way over to the ladder which led off the roof. Katsuki huffed moodily and moved to climb down first, only to have his feet swept out from under him. 

“What the–?!” 

Izuku had his arms beneath Katsuki’s back and knees, lifting him with little effort as he floated himself down to the street below. He felt warm and solid pressed up against Katsuki, whose brain couldn't latch onto any coherent thought except for: He's using too many embers. 

“Izuku! The embers!” 

He smiled sheepishly, easing Katsuki back onto his feet once they smoothly descended. 

“Kacchan's shoulder aches, right? I wanted to help.” 

“We–Well don't do that again without asking!” Katsuki squawked. Izuku nodded, then linked their hands back together because apparently nothing else would do. 

Should Katsuki call Aizawa and try to warn him? Maybe he could arrange them a separate ride home, away from the rest of the class. But if he called, he'd have to explain what happened right in front of Izuku, which would surely set him off. 

He was running out of time before they reunited with the rest of the group! Izuku walked ahead at full speed, humming softly to himself like a dork. If he was a dog, he'd certainly be wagging his tail. 

Katsuki tried to reassure himself that these emotions couldn't be real. Izuku was simply a sentimental person, and he'd been friends with Katsuki for such a long time. It had to be platonic. There was no way he actually liked Katsuki back. 

Then again, when they rounded the corner to meet up with Class 3A and Izuku slipped a large hand around his waist, it definitely didn't feel platonic. 

“Wh–what gives?!” Katsuki whisper-yelled, heat climbing up the shells of his ears. Izuku's gaze had lost its sunshine and grown dark without any warning. Before he could reply, however, Iida caught sight of them. 

“Midoriya! Bakugou! There you are! We've been searching for you!” 

“We're fine, Prez,” Katsuki huffed, failing to keep his voice at its usual pitch. Iida's eyes fell to where Izuku's hand rested comfortably. 

“What—?” 

“We had a run in with that same villain from last week,” he stressed, hoping that his classmates would be able to read between the lines. Izuku watched the interaction silently, which was odd given his personable nature. 

“Ah, I see. In that case, maybe Midoriya should come with us and you can call Sensei.” 

Iida reached out a hand quicker than Katsuki could warn him. 

“Don't touch him,” Izuku snapped, grip tightening. Katsuki was literally going to have a second heart attack as he felt fingers graze his hip bone. Why was Izuku acting like this? Sure, Ochako had been extremely clingy and emotional while under the quirk's influence, but they'd still been able to reason with her, and she definitely wasn't so… possessive. 

It magnifies what's already there. 

Katsuki shuddered just barely, and this time it wasn't because of the wind. Did that mean Izuku always felt like this somewhere deep, deep down? 

He couldn't afford to think too hard about that theory right now. He had to prevent Iida from his own impending doom.  

“Not a good idea,” Katsuki explained as patiently as he could manage, voice strained. By now, most of their classmates had noticed the conversation and were listening in. 

“Woah, dude, we just wanna help! We're all friends here!” Kaminari insisted. Izuku scanned the crowd like a bodyguard clearing a room before his client entered. 

“Hmm,” was all he said back. Katsuki suddenly became aware of ozone permeating the air again 

“Izuku,” he hissed, “Cut that out!” 

“Deku! It's us! Remember?” Momo asked, trying to give him a comforting smile. “Nobody is going to take Bakugou from you, yeah? It's safe here.” 

Izuku mulled her words over, and thankfully decided to deactivate his quirk. 

“Kacchan and I are getting on the bus now,” he said abruptly, ending the conversation. Still hand in hand, he led Katsuki towards the bus, ignoring their classmates completely. By the time they reached Aizawa, there wasn't much to be done. Izuku shot their teacher a dirty look while Katsuki helplessly mouthed “quirk” as they passed.

The ride back was mostly normal, minus Izuku's proximity. Not even a minute into the drive, he slumped against Katsuki's shoulder and let out a quiet sigh. Green curls piled underneath his jaw, beautifully shiny despite the long day on the streets. He smelled faintly of the apple shampoo he used and some sort of outdoorsy cologne, though most of that was covered by the lingering scent of ozone. 

Tension crept through Katsuki's whole body, puppetting him into stillness. His heart was definitely beating fast enough to betray his thoughts, but if Izuku noticed, he didn't say anything. Somewhere in the background Katsuki swore he heard a classmate snap a photo. 

The quirk obviously lowered the victim's inhibitions when it came to physical affection, but it seemed that it lowered emotional boundaries, too. For the first time since the war, Izuku appeared to be admitting publicly that he was tired. Katsuki had seen him be sad, emotional, regretful, but he'd never seen Izuku let himself be tired. Conversely, Katsuki felt like he was just now beginning to get his normal energy back. Pain meds and physical rehab kept him sore and sedated for months, long after the battles were over. He wondered if Izuku was operating under the silly impression that he had to work harder than everyone else before One For All faded away for good. 

“Tired, ‘Zuku?” 

“Yeah,” he replied softly, not lifting his head. “I like resting with you. It feels safe.” 

Katsuki's tension threatened to snap. 

“I– um… I'm glad.” 

“I love spending time with my Kacchan,” Izuku whispered. His voice sounded pure and innocent, like this was a simple fact and not something that forever altered their universe. “I love your hair, because it looks sharp but it's actually soft, just like you. Your eyes are my favorite shade of red; I get reminded of them whenever I look at my shoes. And I love your hands. They're so pretty and smooth compared to mine. No ugly scars.” 

“Your hands aren't ugly,” Katsuki replied on instinct, a little rougher than he meant to. “They're just marked from battle, like a true hero's.” 

Katsuki was vaguely aware of the people around him listening, but it was difficult to keep up his usual tough act when Izuku was being so vulnerable with him. 

“Hmm, maybe. But they're not pretty like Kacchan's.”

“I think they're pretty,” he said quietly. Izuku hummed to himself, sighing deeply as he let his eyes flutter closed. 

“Love you, Kacchan.” 

Katsuki wasn't on the hook to reply, however, because Izuku had already fallen asleep. He glanced up and accidentally locked eyes with Ochako, whose expression was unreadable. Guilt pinned Katsuki down as if he were a valuable insect and Ochako was a collector sticking him to a mount. What could she be thinking? Did she hate him? Was that same sickly feeling gnawing at her ribs the way it had gnawed on his? 

He wanted to tell her it was impossible for Izuku to like him that way, that she had nothing to worry about, but he couldn't. Because when push came to shove, Izuku had come running to Katsuki, not Uraraka. Katsuki wasn't exactly sure what that meant yet, but at the moment all he could do was allow Izuku to rest peacefully. 

He got a foreboding notion that once this quirk wore off, there wouldn't be peace for a while.

He had to gently shake Izuku awake when the bus reached U.A., then accompany him as Recovery Girl gave him a physical exam to ensure the quirk hadn't done him any lasting damage. Izuku acted like himself for the most part, except for the casual affection he doled out to Katsuki. 

“Kacchan, are you sure you're not hurt?”

“I'm fine. Worry about yourself, Izuku.”

He held Katsuki's hand in his own, pulling on his fingers one by one to make them pop like Katsuki was his personal fidget toy. 

“Hey, where's your ring?” he asked suddenly, cocking his head to the side. Katsuki's mind blanked unhelpfully. 

“My– what?” 

“Your wedding ring?” 

The room flashed in and out of his vision as he blinked, trying to bide time in the darkness behind his eyelids. What should he say? If he told Izuku they weren't married, he would almost certainly want to get married. If he lied about having a ring, he'd have to come up with an excuse on why he wasn't wearing it currently. 

“Uh—”

Recovery Girl walked into the room, serving as Katsuki's savior for the time being. 

“Later,” was all he said, and thankfully Izuku accepted that answer. When he was cleared to go back to the dorm, it was almost twilight outside. Purplish light had begun to stream in through the glass corridors, and their footsteps echoed loudly against the tiles in the empty building. 

Katsuki hadn't really meant to look. Izuku was walking along contentedly, every so often swaying their hands back and forth. He seemed happy enough, and Katsuki really should have had the common sense to leave him alone. But of course, he'd never been one to cherish a good thing when he had it. 

He caught himself admiring how Izuku's hair bounced slightly when he walked. It had taken months after his surgery for it to grow back again, and it made Katsuki strangely happy that the shaved patch on his scalp was finally gone. It was almost like a physical sign the war was over. 

He didn't get to be this close to Izuku much any more, not unless one of them had a nightmare. Even then, it was racing hearts, restless eyes, and quaking breaths in the dark, not the calm, grounding touch they shared now. He liked being able to count the freckles on his face. Obviously he knew better than to read too much into Izuku's behavior with this quirk, so he selfishly did his best to memorize Izuku in this relaxed state while he still could. 

Of course, he wasn't being nearly as slick as he'd first imagined. 

“Hi, Kacchan,” Izuku said with a giggle, cutting his eyes over. Katsuki tensed at having been caught. 

“Sorry.”

“What for?” he replied good-naturedly, and for a moment it was easy to forget this wasn't the real Izuku, but a quirked version of him. The only things that kept Katsuki certain of the quirk's lingering presence were the little hearts still dotting his irises. 

“Staring. ‘S rude.”

“I don't mind you staring,” Izuku replied, crinkling the corners of his eyes. He let his gate slow down and eventually stop, keeping a hold on Katsuki's hand the entire time.

“Something wrong?” 

He shook his head slightly, his gaze having a sort of magnetic quality to it. It was only then Katsuki recalled that they weren't supposed to be alone together. 

“Izu–”

He put his free hand on Katsuki's cheek, allowing his fingers to curve around his jaw a bit. 

“H–Hey,” he warned, but of course Izuku wasn't really listening. Katsuki's heart had begun climbing speed while he wasn't paying attention, and now it felt like a freight train was passing by in his ears. Heat rushed to his face, and his empty palm let out one or two involuntary sparks. 

“You're so wonderful, Kacchan,” Izuku whispered. His cheeks were flushed a rosy pink, and he looked the happiest Katsuki had seen him since he killed Shigaraki. “You're the only person that makes me feel normal.”

“What do you mean?” he replied, trying to keep himself from shaking where he stood. 

“I don't know. You make me feel like I'm not useless just because I'll be quirkless again. You're the only one who holds me to the same standard as you used to.” 

It was odd to hear Izuku speaking about these things while under the quirk's influence, but perhaps the quirk couldn't fully suppress his other feelings. A hint of sadness snuck into his smile. 

“You're not useless, Izuku. You never have been, and you never will be.” 

To Katsuki's shock, tears glimmered in Izuku's eyes for a second. Then he shifted his hold on Katsuki's face slightly, cupping it more, and every single rational thought Katsuki had ever had in his entire life flew out the window. 

“He's going to kiss me,” Katsuki's brain helplessly supplied. He didn't know what to think or say or do. It wasn't that he didn't want to kiss Izuku, but he knew that Izuku would be absolutely mortified in a few hours when the quirk wore off if Katsuki allowed him to do this. His tongue felt like lead, and he definitely wasn't going to throw a punch or shove Izuku away to create distance like he might have done two years ago.

It also didn't help that Katsuki had never been touched like this before. He wasn't exactly the cuddly type, and he'd never given romantic relationships the time of day until very, very recently. Combine his inexperience with his reluctance to make Izuku upset, and he was paralyzed. It was pathetic, but he could feel his body trembling.

In a move which would embarrass him for years to come, Katsuki merely squeezed his eyes closed and tensed as if he were bracing for a hit to the face. He heard Izuku let out a puff of air, and then his hand dropped away from Katsuki's cheek entirely. Two arms looped around him gently, holding him close but not tight. 

“Oh, I didn't mean to scare you, Kacchan,” he said softly. “I'm sorry.” 

Katsuki remained stock still for another moment, then cautiously wrapped his arms around Izuku and buried his face in his shoulder to hide his blush. He didn't know when his heart had spiraled out of control, but he could hear his watch beeping to alert him that his blood pressure was too high. Air came and went from his lungs at an almost painful pace as he realized how close they'd come to potentially ruining everything. 

“It's okay,” he cooed. “It's okay. Hey. It's okay. You're okay, Kacchan.” 

The words sounded so much like the real Izuku that Katsuki had to pull back where he could inspect his eyes, but the hearts remained. A part of his brain marveled at the idea that even Izuku's strongest, most infatuated version of love could still be this gentle. 

They stayed there for a while, Izuku holding Katsuki while his heart rate gradually slowed until it didn't hurt anymore. He felt horribly embarrassed that he'd let Izuku work him into such a state in the first place, and once again a pang of guilt hit him as he recalled judging how Izuku handled Uraraka's crush. 

“Come on, let's go back to the dorm,” he said eventually, taking Katsuki's hand and interlocking their fingers. “You'll feel better there.” 

“I feel fine,” Katsuki grumbled, but he walked alongside Izuku just the same.

Outside the doors of the dorm, All Might stood waiting for them despite it growing late. He looked them over worriedly as they drew near, but obviously his main concern was his protégé. 

“Shonen! How are you today?”

It seemed that not even Izuku's fanboy love of All Might could totally override the quirk, because he pulled Katsuki closer as if All Might was looking at him and not Izuku. 

“Cut that out,” Katsuki hissed. 

“We're fine,” Izuku replied, voice calculating as if he was assessing a potential threat. 

“I'm glad. I heard you saw some villains in the field today! Are you sure you're feeling alright?”

“Yes, sir. I'm taking Kacchan to get something to eat.” 

All Might smiled, and Katsuki didn't understand the fondness behind it. 

“Have a good night, then. Young Bakugou, check up with me in the morning, yeah?” 

“Right. C'mon, ‘Zuku,” Katsuki huffed. All Might shot him a concerned look, to which Katsuki replied with a discreet thumbs up. “Let's go get dinner.” 

“Okay!” he chirped, all previous wariness momentarily forgotten. 

The chatter of the common room died down when they entered. Izuku once again tugged Katsuki closer, though this time it was thankfully by the sleeve of his uniform and not his waist. He tried to maintain at least a bit of his dignity in front of his classmates, who were all looking at the pair with unrestrained curiosity. Katsuki risked a glance at Izuku. His green eyes were narrowed and poisonous. 

“ ‘Zuku, these are your friends,” Katsuki whispered, “Calm down.” 

“H–Hey Midoriya!” Kirishima said, giving a nervous wave as he attempted to break the ice. 

“Iida and Yaomomo made dinner if you two want some,” Mina added. Katsuki could smell something appetizing in the kitchen, but he wasn't sure he could get Izuku to relax enough to eat it. Surprisingly, it was Ochako who talked him off the ledge. 

“It's okay, Deku-kun! Why don't you grab some food and then we can watch a movie?” 

He regarded her with interest, and for a moment it seemed like the quirk loosened its hold. His hand finally fell away from Katsuki's sleeve. 

“R–right. Sorry. I don't know why I'm so worked up,” he confessed, placing a hand on his neck. “I'll fix you a plate, Kacchan.” 

He followed Mina and Sero into the kitchen, his shoulders relaxing into a normal position. Katsuki could hear him strike up a friendly conversation with Tokoyami. Everyone else slowly returned to their usual activities, which left just Katsuki and Ochako lingering by the doorway. Immediately, he felt the need to say something. 

“I'm sorry.” 

“Don't be,” she replied quietly. “I kind of already knew.” 

“Wh– How?” 

“I dunno. When you said the quirk would've ruined your life if it hit you, he was the only person close enough to you to warrant that.”

“Okay, but that's my feelings… Not his.” 

“Like I said, I'm not sure exactly what gave him away. All I can say is that I'm not surprised it was you.” 

“I'm not even sure it's real,” Katsuki said. “I mean, what if it's just a platonic thing that the quirk has blown out of proportion?” 

Ochako smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. 

“I know from experience that's not how it works.” 

“I'm sorry,” Katsuki repeated simply because he didn't know what else to say. “I think it should've been you. I don't— I don't know what's wrong with him, to make him feel that way about… me.” 

“Sometimes love doesn't make logical sense,” she replied, and Katsuki got the feeling she wasn't talking about her crush on Izuku. 

“Did you think of Toga?”

“Not until the quirk wore off. It can only use your feelings towards alive people, which is why when I had a dream about her, I realized it was gone. So, thank you, actually. I'm not sure I'm ready to move on anyway, and I don't want a quirk trying to force me to.” 

“I don't feel like I deserve him.” 

“Well, these are his feelings, not yours. You don't get to pick that for him.” 

On cue, Izuku arrived back with two generous plates of food, and his good mood still seemed intact for the moment.

“You want to come sit down at the counter, Kacchan?” 

“I–”

Katsuki hesitated, thinking back to Izuku's face in the hallway from before. He looked so happy then, just like he did now. Was it all fake, or was Katsuki really responsible for it?

Ochako nudged Katsuki's arm gently. 

“Go on,” she whispered. 

Katsuki nodded, following Izuku to the counter and taking a seat beside him. He focused intently on his plate in order to ignore the stares from the others and wished there was a way to make this whole ordeal less public for Izuku's sake, but the circumstances simply hadn't made that possible. Maybe they could just eat quietly and then go to bed. Izuku actually did chat with a few people around him, but one hand rested firmly on Katsuki's kneecap, sending a clear message to everyone in their vicinity. Katsuki tried to find spare oxygen in the room to breathe. 

Just as they were finishing up and people had begun to file out into the living area, Izuku took notice of Katsuki's hand again. 

“Oh, Kacchan! You didn't tell me where your ring was.” 

Somebody's fork hit their plate. 

“Ah–"

“You two aren't married,” Mineta interrupted incredulously. 

Mina thumped him on the head and muttered, “Idiot!’

“What?” Izuku exclaimed, clearly hurt. Oh, this was bad. This was really, really bad. If Katsuki didn't fix this immediately, Izuku might break down in tears, or worse, propose right here in the kitchen. 

“Um, we're uh, too young, Nerd.” 

“What do you mean?”

“We can't get married because we're seventeen. We ain't adults yet.” 

“Oh, so are we getting married when we turn eighteen?” 

“Um—”

Katsuki faltered, heat rising to his face. Izuku looked so earnestly confused that it made his heart ache. 

“Yeah. We are. I don't have a ring on because, um, our teachers wouldn't like it.” 

Kaminari whooped, and Katsuki glared at him with the fury of a thousand suns. 

“Ah, I see,” Izuku said seriously. “Then I'll have to get you a beautiful ring as soon as we turn eighteen. Kacchan deserves the best.” 

Behind him, Katsuki heard a chorus of awwwws. 

“I can help with that,” Shouto chimed in. “I know several high quality jewelers." 

“Oh, thanks!” Izuku replied with a smile. Then he turned back to Katsuki and asked, “Kacchan, do you want gold or silver? Or wait, would you want titanium? Would that withstand your explosions better? Hmm, I'll need to do research.” 

Katsuki wasn't sure if he could feel much hotter had he been boiled at a million degrees. 

“I think– You need to go to bed.”

“What?!” Hagakure exclaimed in disappointment. 

“C'mon, Bakubro! It's like eight thirty,” Kaminari laughed. 

Kirishima scowled at him. “Dude, knock it off.” 

Izuku looked back and forth between Katsuki and the others, amused, but Katsuki didn't find it funny at all. He was so uncomfortable it was making him itchy, and he couldn't remember the last time he'd been this embarrassed. It was only a few short days ago he'd even come to terms with his own feelings for Izuku, and then he had to deal with the fact that he probably (?) liked him back, and now he was openly discussing getting married in front of practically the whole class. It was too much for Katsuki to take. 

“Izuku, I want to leave,” he pleaded. “Let's go to bed, okay? You can walk me to my room.” 

Once Izuku heard the shift in Katsuki's tone, his demeanor changed on a dime. 

“Of course, Kacchan. Sorry.” 

Katsuki flushed as Izuku held out a hand to help him down from the stool, but he accepted anyway knowing things would only get messier if he didn't. A few of their classmates tried to bid them goodnight, but Katsuki wasn't listening. In fact, his ears felt like they were filling with static as they made their way to the elevator. 

“Are you okay, Kacchan?” Izuku asked, peering into his face. 

“Fine.” 

“Did I embarrass you back there? I'm sorry.” 

He was standing so close, close enough for Katsuki to feel the heat radiating from his side. The elevator was plenty big enough for both of them, but Izuku occupied his space anyway. Katsuki wanted to snap at him. He wanted to tell him to leave him alone, but he knew this wasn't Izuku's fault, so he bit his tongue. 

He tried to imagine himself in Izuku's shoes, and he knew the latter would have given him plenty of grace. 

The hallway was quiet when the doors slid open, since it was rather early to go to bed for most teenagers. Katsuki, however, felt worn to the bone. His pace must have been slower than normal, because he found himself trailing a step behind Izuku as they walked towards his door. 

He hadn't really planned on what to say when they reached their destination, and suddenly the memory of their earlier close call flashed into his mind. How was he going to tell Izuku goodnight without something romantic happening? His heart quickened as he tried to formulate the correct string of words to both keep Izuku happy and get them both into their respective rooms. 

“Kacchan?” 

“What?”

“Your heart monitor is going off again.” 

Katsuki rolled his eyes and angrily tapped the screen of his watch for the millionth time that day. 

“ ‘S nothing.” 

“I'm sorry I embarrassed you.”

Izuku had stopped in front of Katsuki's door and placed his hands in the pockets of his blazer. 

“I really didn't mean to.”

“I know,” he replied softly. “It's not your fault.” 

“You've been tense all day. Did I… Did I do something wrong?” 

It was then Katsuki realized the quirk must've altered Izuku's memories to the point he thought these sorts of interactions were common between them. The poor boy actually believed they were together and had been for some time now. 

“No, you didn't. I'm just tired, is all. From our fight this morning.” 

Izuku hummed in understanding, then stepped forward and gave Katsuki a gentle hug. 

“Get some sleep then, Kacchan. I love you.” 

Katsuki could've just left it there, should have. Instead, he stupidly let the word why tumble out of his mouth. Izuku pulled back enough to look him in the eyes, but his arms remained loosely around Katsuki. 

“What do you mean why?”

“I think it's pretty self-explanatory.” 

“Why do I love you?”

“Why… I don't even get why you like me. How can you stand me after everything? After everything I did to you?”

Katsuki knew it was wrong to be asking him these questions when Izuku wasn't in full control of himself, but he couldn't help it. He kept desperately trying and failing to understand Izuku's feelings and coming up empty. 

“Why don't you date someone like Uraraka?”

Izuku's expression widened in shock, then melted into something unfathomably soft. 

“Because I don't want to date her, silly. I only want you.”

“You can't mean that!”

“I do!” he insisted vigorously. “Kacchan, I have loved you for so long. It's one of the first things I even remember about myself.”

“Just because you've known me a long time doesn't make it right.” 

“It's not only that! I love you because you're you. You're always on time. Do you know that when it really counts, you've never failed me, not even once? When Nine almost killed me, you were there. When Shigaraki tried to stab me, you took the hit. When I ran away, you found me. When I messed everything up and was late–” 

His voice cracked and his lip wobbled, but he continued. 

“You still came back to me. When I call you always, always answer. Nobody has ever shown me love the way you do.”

A few tears had gathered near the corners of his eyes, and on instinct Katsuki reached up to wipe them away. 

“You don't make me feel like a burden,” Izuku whispered. “And I love you for that.”

Katsuki's heart was pounding frantically. It'd be a miracle if it didn't stop beating entirely within the next thirty seconds. Izuku's face was rosy from crying, but he wore the prettiest smile Katsuki had ever seen. The hearts in his irises were still there, and in the dim hallway light they seemed to glow. 

“I…” 

His voice trailed off as he watched Izuku's eyes scan up and down his face, landing on his lips. Katsuki swallowed hard. 

“Kacchan.” 

“Yes?” 

He was just a breath away now. Katsuki could feel the air brush across his face and count Izuku's eyelashes if he wanted to. 

“Can I kiss you goodnight?”

The world threatened to fall out from under Katsuki's feet. 

“Yeah, just… not on the lips, okay?”

“Okay.” 

Katsuki had been expecting a peck on the cheek or even his forehead. What he hadn't been expecting was for Izuku to carefully grab his wrist, flip it over to where his pulse point was exposed, and kiss him there while maintaining eye contact. The green in his eyes turned into a darker shade of emerald. Then, he moved his lips up to Katsuki's palm and kissed him there, too. 

Katsuki was fairly certain he was dying again. 

“Goodnight, Kacchan. I love you,” Izuku whispered, his mouth half muffled by Katsuki's skin. He could feel the vibration through his whole body. 

“G–Goodnight,” he replied breathlessly. Izuku held his arm another moment, as if letting it go was truly painful for him. He stared, and Katsuki got the impression Izuku really wanted to kiss him more. Finally he let go, his typical sunshine returning and chasing away whatever trance had come over him.

“Call me if you need anything, Kacchan.”

“Yeah, yeah. Go to bed, Nerd!” 

Katsuki scurried into his room without another word, slamming the door behind him. His breathing was coming fast and shallow, and his heart was exhausted from a day's worth of green haired turbulence. The pill bottles of heart medication on his desk glared at him accusingly. 

His phone lit up with a text from Kirishima.  

K: You make it okay? 

Katsuki typed out a shaky reply. 

B: Yeah. Izuku should be headed to his room. 

K: Nothing weird happened, right? 

Izuku's face flooded his thoughts— rosy cheeks, sparkling eyes, upturned lips. Katsuki was worried that if he raised his sleeve to his nose he might be greeted by the scent of Izuku's cologne. He knew that the quirk amplified romantic feelings, but that kiss had just been so… intimate. 

Katsuki felt dizzy. 

B: Obviously! I'm going to bed 

K: Ok man! 

He didn't remember getting ready for bed. Blissful darkness engulfed him when he turned his desk lamp off, finally granting him the privacy he'd been craving all day. 

Izuku… Izuku loved him. Maybe. Probably? What was he going to do? What should he tell Ochako? What if Izuku woke up tomorrow morning and realized he regretted everything? What if this ridiculous quirk undid all the years of hard work they'd done to repair their relationship? 

He'd been dying to sleep for hours, but now it eluded him, dragged away in the spiral of his overthinking. When he finally did manage to fall into an uneasy slumber, his dreams were filled with green eyes and soft ‘I love yous.’

The sound of his ringtone snatched Katsuki from sleep. He sat up abruptly, hand searching wildly for the device next to his bed. Just as he went to answer, he realized he'd forgotten his hearing aids, so he had to put them in hurriedly before he picked up. He didn't even get time to see the contact's name, but he knew who it was as soon as he heard the sobs. 

“Izuku?!”

“Ka— Kacchan. I— I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I can't calm down…” 

“Oi, hey. Are you still in your room?” 

“Y–yeah…” 

“Stay there. I'm coming.” 

Katsuki assumed poor Izuku had woken during the night, and then the quirk had induced sheer panic once he realized that Katsuki wasn't by his side. He pulled on his slippers and was out the door in a few breaths. The hallway was dark, illuminated only by the dim light coming from his phone screen. 

“Still there, ‘Zuku? Don't hang up.” 

“I'm still here. S–sorry…”

“One second.” 

Katsuki tapped his foot as he waited on the elevator doors to open, then pushed through them as soon as the gap was wide enough. When he reached Izuku's door, he rapped on the wood as quietly as he could due to the hour. His hand was still in the air when the door swung open to reveal a miserable looking Izuku. 

“Hey.”

“Hi, Kacchan. Sorry.” 

“Don't be. What's up?” 

Katsuki searched his eyes for the tiny hearts, but in the dark they were impossible to make out. 

“I—” 

His lip trembled, and his fingers curled tightly around the door's edge. 

“Nightmare?” 

“Can you, um…” 

“I can stay.” 

Izuku nodded, almost to himself, before stepping aside to allow Katsuki in. His room was dark except for the small lamp on his bedside table, and the covers on his bed were thrown in a crumpled heap. 

“Did you wanna watch a movie, or…?”

Another sniffle came from behind him, prompting Katsuki to turn. He was greeted by wide, teary eyes. 

Eyes with no hearts in them. 

“Kacchan, I'm so, so sorry.” 

“What?”

“The quirk…” Izuku replied, staring at his socks. Tears ran down his cheeks and onto his shirt. “It… I… I know I made you so uncomfortable, and I'll never forgive myself.” 

Katsuki blinked. 

“Izuku–”

“And I understand if you don't want to be friends anymore! I'll give you as much space as you need, and I can— I can… I'm sorry for calling you, but I'm so freaked out, and I tried to calm down on my own but I can't.” 

His shoulders were drawn close together, and he looked small standing by himself in the middle of the room. 

Katsuki tried to speak, but was interrupted again. 

“I'm sorry. I never meant for it to happen like this; I swear I was going to tell you! I'm sorry… I'm sorry…” 

Then he actually began to cry. It was soft at first, but soon his whole body started to quake. 

Katsuki moved. 

“Hey, hey. Izuku, it's okay. It's okay.” 

He wrapped the other boy in a hug, allowing him to bury his face. Katsuki could smell his apple shampoo again. 

“Sorry, sorry,” Izuku slurred, the word sounding less and less like a word each time he said it. “I can't believe, hic, I acted like that… I'm so sorry you had to deal with that.” 

“ ‘S fine. It was only a little awkward for me and Cheeks.” 

“Oh no, was she mad?!” 

“Nah, she wasn't mad. Nobody's mad at you, ‘Zuku.” 

“How could you not be mad at me? I just r–ruined everything!” 

Katsuki pulled away just enough to be able to see Izuku's eyes. 

“You didn't ruin anything, dumbass. It was just a quirk.” 

“But… But it's how I really feel,” Izuku whispered with shame. Katsuki hated how broken he sounded.  

“Is that bad?” 

“Is it… huh?”

In a risky move even by his standards, Katsuki let his fingers twist around the curls at the back of Izuku's neck. 

“That's how you actually feel about me?”

He nodded silently. Ochako's words came back to Katsuki's mind, prompting him to speak up. 

“If you'd been hit by that quirk, do you know who you would've run to?” 

“Izuku, if things had been the other way around, I still think we'd be right here.” 

“Wha–? But I thought… I thought you'd be so angry with me for embarrassing you in front of everyone.” 

“Yeah, I guess I was embarrassed, but I ain't mad. It's not like I hated having all your nerdy attention… I was just surprised. You're not exactly the subtle type.”

Izuku flushed and glanced away. 

“I really am sorry about all that.” 

“I did appreciate the honesty, though. I don't think you've actually said what you really meant since the war ended.” 

“Well, it's just… so much. I feel so much, and I didn't want to scare you off.” 

Katsuki recalled the vicious punch, the threatening looks, and the possessiveness, but he also remembered the gentle touches, the adoring smiles, and the trusting words Izuku had whispered for only him to know. 

“You callin’ me weak?” 

“What?” 

“I've been dealing with your crazy for years, ‘Zuku. What makes you think I can't take it now?” 

Izuku's mouth hung open slightly in shock, and Katsuki had to make a valiant effort to resist kissing him. 

“What are you saying, Kacchan?” 

“I'm saying,” he began, fighting the blush rising to his cheeks, “that if you're going to be batshit crazy in love with someone, I want it to be me.”

Silence sat between them, but this time it was filled with awe, not tension. Izuku's eyes took on that layered quality again, shimmering with shades of green Katsuki hadn't gotten the chance to discover yet. 

“It's not too much?” Izuku asked lowly, his thumb coming up to skim Katsuki's lip. His touch felt electric, and his pupils were wide and dark, lacking any hearts at all. There was something deeper there now. 

“No,” Katsuki breathed, trying to keep his voice even. 

“Can I kiss you on the lips this time?” 

Katsuki nodded, and Izuku didn't waste any more time. He closed the distance quickly, pressing their lips together and placing his hands on Katsuki's waist, causing him to shudder. Their inexperience was painfully obvious, and they broke apart not long after, breathing hard. 

He looked so beautiful in the dark. 

“I really love you, Kacchan. I'm sorry I'm so crazy about it.” 

“You're only a little crazy about it,” Katsuki teased. Then he realized he hadn't said three important words back yet and tacked on, “I love you too, Nerd.” 

Izuku leaned his forehead against Katsuki's shirt and sighed. 

“What am I going to tell everyone? How am I even going to look at them tomorrow?” 

“You're gonna walk in there with your new kick ass boyfriend and everything is gonna be fine.” 

“B–boyfriend?!” 

“News flash, I don't just go around kissing guys who I'm not dating. I have standards, idiot.” 

Izuku laughed and rolled his eyes. 

“Sorry, sorry, of course. I'd love to be your boyfriend, Kacchan.” 

Then he slumped into Katsuki's side, visibly exhausted. 

“Can we lie down?” 

“Sure.”

Once they were settled beneath Izuku's blanket in the dark, Katsuki heard him take a deep sigh. Izuku glanced up at him, face pink, a shy smile on his face.

“Thank you for coming, Kacchan. I knew you'd show up. You always do.” 

The tiny hearts in his eyes were all gone now, but the love was still there.