Chapter Text
It was mid winter in Musutafu. It was the kind of cold that didn't just give you goosebumps but instead seeped through your clothes and gave your lips a bluish tint. The streets were covered in frost and the trees were bare and dull.
Katsuki hated the winter and most of UA knew this because of his extra cranky moods throughout the cold months. Though it's understandable because his quirk didn't quite scream i love winter, given it only works when he's sweating.
In the dorm common area on an especially icy evening after class he was venting to the bakusquad (Kirishima, Denki, Mina, Jirou and Sero) about his cold weather troubles like how unfair it is that he has to wear extra thick clothes (to help make him sweat) that limit his mobility and how his explosions aren't at their maximum power.
They were all chiming in with somewhat helpful suggestions when Denki quietly asked Jiro to pass him a snack that was on the table next to her, only he had unconsciously called her 'jee.'
Although she seemed to not notice, Mina sure did. She pointed it out and added that she thought nicknames were cute for couples and that she needed one for kirishima.
This made him say he thought that nicknames aren't just for couples-he of course used his obsessive use of bakubro to make his case.
This struck up a conversation about nicknames and who they should be given to. Katsuki eventually chimes in saying that they're stupid and that he doesn't get the point in them because people have names for a reason.
Of course everyone thinks this is mental coming from katsuki since he literally has nicknames for everyone, including a certain green haired, mumbling nerd who also has one for him.
'what are you talking about bro, you literally have names for everyone' This came from kirishima accompanied by a look that basically said ur joking right?
'thats different shitty hair, i do it to make fun of you' katsuki replied slightly annoyed.
'but doesnt Midoria literally call you kacchan' mina giggled 'anyone else who calls you that gets their head blown off' Katsuki was starting to get really annoyed now 'yeah but i hate that stupid name and that damn nerd'
Everyone stopped as they heard a quiet 'you do?' from the bottom of the stairs, where they realise izuku had been stood the entire time. 'i didnt know...kat-su-ki'
This made katsuki freeze and his stomach twist with unease as he stared at who had said that. His name sounded strange coming from that face beacause to Izuku he had always been Kacchan never Katsuki or god forbid Bakugo. That's when he realised he liked the nickname and he couldnt deny it even if he wanted to.
And because he had never said it before, the way he said it just made it hurt even more.
Although the regret of what he'd said was big, his ego was even bigger and he couldnt let others think that a dumb reason like a nickname could make him soft, so instead of hurting his pride he doubled down. 'You heard what i said deku, it pisses me off, now get lost before i blast your arms off nerd'
He felt a kind of guilt but decided not to question it because accepting that he liked the name was harder than being nice.
Before he even got the chance to say more-which he'd rather not anyways, Mina had already started bashing him over the head with a book while hanta taped his arms down and his mouth shut (mainly for mina's sake).
No one really ever defended katsuki's bursts of anger because they were all kind of used to it at this point but from the look on Izuku's face they could tell he'd really hurt him. Honestly, Katsuki was kind of glad that they had stopped him from saying anything else.
During this izuku had walked past him, not wanting to look at him. But it wasnt like the middle school days when he didnt understand why izuku would never look him in the eye because this time Katsuki knew exactly why and that just made him feel worse.
Izuku grabbed his laptop from the coffee table infront of them-presumably what he came down for-then practically ran past him back up the stairs with a look on his face that made katsuki want to take it all back, though he still didnt.
Katsuki didnt sleep that night.
Over the next couple days izuku called katsuki his real name, not slipping up even though katsuki secretly wished he would, even just once.
The last time he heard it was when Izuku said that he was going to study in his room-right when he forgot his laptop downstairs on the coffee table-obviously katsuki didnt respond, he never did...well not anymore.
He just really wanted to hear it again so that this time he could atleast answer. Katsuki would do anything for that right now, but he had ruined it, not anyone else, just him trying to prove a stupid point to his friends that honestly didnt even matter anymore.
What did matter was finding a way for izuku to call him 'kacchan' again (without admitting that he liked it of course).
During this he would stare at izuku while trying to come up with something, though this wasnt very affective because how do you get someone to do something that you told them not to do?
Also, izuku had caught him staring a few times which was embarrassing enough without mina looking at them from across the room with a mischievous smile. She had definitely made some assumptions on what was happening here and mina being mina she loved drama.
They were training in gym gamma when she went up to izuku with a big grin on her face 'Heyyy midoria, can need to ask you something'
'sure, what is it?'
'first come over here'
'umm ok?'
she leeds him to the corner of the gym 'well this may be getting straight to the point but you do know that bakugo likes when you call him kacchan, right?' He
just stares at her for a few seconds '...HUH, wait, why did he tell me he hated it then?'
'oh come on we all know he has a bit of an ego problem' they started chuckling.
'just a bit?' he said skeptical on whether or not mina was being serious.
'what should i do then?'
'not that ive thought about it but we should tell someone else and then give you a nickname to call them so bakugo gets jealous'
'hah, bakugo? jealous?, i dont think he even has that emotion'
'could we try it anyways?'
'i dont think he'll even notice'
'have you seen the way he's been staring at you? Of course he will, pleeeeeeeease'
'...fine, but who?'
'YAYYY, how aboutttt...ermm' she looks around the room, her eyes landing on someone resting sat up against the wall not far from where they where they were standing.
'SHOTO' he looked up confused on why they were huddled in a corner during training.
They walked up to him and explained the entire thing, well mina did, izuku just stood there awkwardly. Thankfully, Shoto happily agreed, mostly because he liked the idea of messing with bakugo (even though he didnt quite understand why mina was adamant that bakugo would react). This is when it began.
Operation: make katsuki jealous.