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Katsuki Bakugou is in love.

Words he thought would never be true, considering his lack of crushes or romantic interest in general. He spent his school years striving to be the best, never looking twice at any girl or guy in his classes. His focus has always been his future and success, and he was never going to let some random extra slow him down.

Until he met Izuku Midoriya.

The first time Izuku told him to fuck himself, he finally understood what his friends were talking about all those years.

Damn nerd.

"Oi. Icy-hot."

"Yes?" He looks up from his notebook that is absolutely covered in doodles of animals that look slightly deranged. Katsuki isn't sure if it's on purpose, but either way it's equally disturbing. He supposes it's an upgrade from when Todoroki used to doodle directly onto his skin, which made him look like an overgrown toddler with tattoos.

"Quit tutoring English."

Todoroki furrows his eyebrows, leaning back in his chair and starts to click his pen repeatedly. "Why?"

Katsuki rips the pen out of his hand and tosses it to the other side of the table before he can stab it into his blue eye. "Does it fucking matter? You tutor enough other stuff, just drop English. I can do it myself."

"I don't doubt your abilities, it is just an odd request. Are you switching to an English major?"

He chews his lip in frustration. Lying isn't a good idea when he's dating a member of the idiot squad, but telling the truth is even worse considering he's a close friend of Izuku's and has the social awareness of a toad. But if Izuku sees Todoroki's name as an option on the tutoring list for English, there's no chance in hell he asks Katsuki for help instead. So he opts for a different strategy. Bribery.

"I'll buy you soba every day for a month if you just do it and don't ask questions."

Todoroki just blinks at him. "My father is rich, I have his credit card, and would like to inflict suffering on him. Why would I want you to buy me things?"

He clenches his jaw, and resists the urge to lunge across the table and throttle the idiot. The fact that Tape Arms can stand being around him enough to date him is fucking ridiculous. Maybe it's easier if you lack a functioning brain?

"I have access to the chem lab after hours. If you want to inflict suffering, I can make you some solutions to fuck his life up. I know a few that could make him itchy all the time or make his hair fall out- shit like that."

"And all I have to do is stop tutoring English?"

"Yes." Katsuki says through gritted teeth.

He holds his breath as Todoroki purses his lips and tilts his head back, seemingly considering the proposal. 

"Alright."

"Have you considered just asking him out?"

Katsuki glares at him, irritated. "You haven't even heard my plan, and you're already shitting on it? Fuck you."

Kirishima raises his hands in defense. "Not shitting on you, I just don't understand why you're doing all of this. If you like him, and you think he likes you too, then why do all this weird stuff instead of just being blunt?"

"Because, Shitty Hair," He rolls his eyes. "If you were fucking listening at all, you'd know I said I know he likes me. Not that he knows he likes me."

Kirishima opens his mouth to respond, before shutting it again and pursing his lips. "So- ah-hm.You're telling me that you know Midoriya's feelings, but Midoriya doesn't know Midoriya's feelings?"

"Now you get it."

"I don't think I do."

Katsuki groans in exasperation. “I’m saying that he likes me, he just hasn’t realized it yet.”

”So your plan is to make him realize it?”

“Yep.”

”What if you’re wrong?” Katsuki just stares at him, waiting for elaboration. “Like what if he doesn’t actually like you, and you just misread the situation? What if some other guy swoops in while you’re doing this weird plan?”

”I’m not fucking stupid!” He snaps. “And if for some reason he doesn’t like me, I’ll make him like me. I’ll woo him and shit. I’m not gonna let some b-rate extra steal him from me.”

”Can I ask a question?” Kaminari leans in, a Cheshire-like grin creeping across his face.

”No.”

He ignored Katsuki’s response entirely. Asshole. “If you want him to like you, why would being mean to him help? Shouldn’t you be, I don’t know, pleasant?”

Sero laughs at that. “It’s Bakugou, does he even know how to be pleasant?”

”Fuck you! I’m plenty pleasant!”

”Really showcasing that, aren’t ya.”

”Fuck off. And no. Pleasant is boring. Deku doesn’t want boring.”

”You’re crazy.” 

“There’s no way this works.”

He scoffs, sneering, “You can’t say shit, Dunce Face. You’ve been pining after Ears for fucking years, and she still doesn’t look twice at your dumbass.”

He gasps, offended. “Kiri! Bakugou is being mean!”

”Bakubro. What did we talk about?”

”Yeah, yeah, Dunce Face is pathetic and needs to be babied.”

”I don’t think those are the words that were used, actually.”

”We’re getting off track!” Katsuki slams his hands on the table, sending a pen rolling towards the edge. “Are you willing to be useful or not!”

Kirishima shoots his hand out to grab the pen before it hits the floor. "So all I do is just give Midoriya your phone number when he asks me for it?"

"Exactly."

"What if he doesn't ask."

"Shitty Hair." He clenches his fists, resisting the urge to rip out his hair or start swinging. "I will deal with everything else, don't worry about that. This is literally all I am asking you to do. Can you do it, yes or no."

Kaminari rips the pen out of Kirishima's hand, clicking it obnoxiously. "If he says no, are you gonna ask me instead?"

"Fuck no. You'd probably find some way to fuck it up!"

"What!" He gasps, offended. "I wouldn't! I'd be such a good wingman"

"Kami." Sero kicks his shin, making him yelp and grab at his leg. "When I asked you to set me up with Todoroki, you ended up going on a date with him yourself. You don't even like men. Or museums."

Kaminari pouts, "That wasn't my fault."

"I'll do it."

Katsuki's eyes snap back to meet Kirishima's, who's staring at him with a small smile. "Really?"

"I think your plan is actual garbage, but you're my bro. And if you really like Midoriya, and you think this is the best way to get him, then I'll help you."

"Thanks, or whatever," He looks away.

"Wow." Kaminari wipes away fake tears. "They grow up so fast. That was beautiful."

"I will deck you, Dunce Face."

"Give me your address." Katsuki stares down at Izuku, who is splayed across a beanbag like a lazy cat. Cute. 

"Why would I do that? I value my life."

"You shouldn't." Katsuki says immediately, like a reflex. "So we can study."

Izuku squints at him. "We study in the dining hall. Isn't that good enough?"

"Do you want to pass English?" Katsuki challenges, waiting for a nod before continuing, "That's what I thought. If you want to pass, we need to study more than twice a week. I'm gonna start having practice at our normal study times, and I need to eat before that. I only have one meal swipe a day. So we need somewhere else to study."

"And it has to be my place?" 

"Fuck. Fine. Come to mine. I'm sure you'd much rather deal with the extras." Given Dunce Face's track record of keeping secrets, he better hope Izuku doesn't take him up on that offer because if he does, Katsuki's gonna need a body bag and an alibi.  

"Do you mean Kirishima? He's actually very nice to me."

Katsuki rolls his eyes, stomach slightly clenching. "I can deal with Shitty Hair. But half the time the rest of the idiot squad is at our place anyway. It's like they don't have perfectly fine apartments of their own."

"Fine. Just give me a heads up so I can let my roommate know." 

"This is your heads up, idiot. After practice, tonight. 7pm, be ready."

"Yeah, whatever. I'll be here until then anyway, I have homework to finish." Izuku flops his head back onto the beanbag, hair fanning out around him.

He doesn't even realize he was holding his breath until he lets go. Katsuki kicks the side of the beanbag, rattling all the beans and Izuku. "Of course you do, nerd. See ya then." He saunters out of the library, smiling a little when Izuku swears under his breath at him.

Walking to soccer practice has always been his thinking time, so he can sort through anything that might weigh on him and fuck up his playing. 

These days, his mind can't stay away from Izuku.

He can't stop noticing.

The citrus scent of his shampoo. The slightly feral smirk he gives Katsuki when he's right about something. The softer smile when he gets a word right in English. The way he clicks his mechanical pencil four times before writing so the lead is the perfect length. 

Loving Izuku is as easy as breathing.

Of course, when he first realized, he didn't feel that way.

He was pretty fucking pissed, actually.

What do you mean this idiot is gonna occupy his every thought? What do you mean his brain with the ability to change the word was going to hyper focus on the amount of freckles on some nerd's nose? How inconvenient.

The first time he caught himself doodling Izuku on the corner of his notebook, he lit it on fire.

His mother was not happy.

But over time, he began to accept it. At least he fell for someone who's smart and pretty with the same fiery passion as him. He could've ended up like Tape Arms and fallen in love with someone like Icy-Hot. Ew.

"This is stupid."

Katsuki watches Izuku flop backwards onto his pillow, hair spanning out around him, and presses his lips together to suppress a laugh. "What, you're givin' up?"

"It's not giving up. It's taking a strategic break." Izuku argues, tilting his head to look up into Katsuki's eyes. With his wide eyed-stare, he could probably ask Katsuki for anything on the planet and he'd find a way to get it. But in this position, he has to force his brain to stay focused and not stray to all the times he's imagined Izuku laid out like this.

"Come on. We've been doing this for hours. I'm going to be dreaming in English at this point. We can take a short little break."

"That's the point."

"Kacchaaaan." Izuku juts his lip out a little. Katsuki wants to bite it.

"Fine, whatever." He scoffs. "What do you want to do then?"

Katsuki traces the movement of Izuku's lips as he chews on them. "I'm hungry. Can we get food?"

"Why don't you just make something here?" 

"Hmm..." Izuku twists his face. "I guess I should have some top ramen left."

He stares in horror. "What the fuck? Do you not have actual food?"

"That is actual food?"

He should strangle that idiot. "No, that's complete garbage." Katsuki stands up, grabbing Izuku by the wrist and pulling him towards the kitchen. "I'm going through your shit and finding stuff to make a real meal. You better have some actual ingredients."

He swings open the fridge door, and Izuku peers past him to check what's inside. Which is basically nothing, besides the ingredients for soba. Considering who he lives with, it tracks.

"Fuck, you have like nothing." Katsuki turns to look at him. "I'm making soba. Genuinely, what the hell do you eat normally?"

"Ramen?"

He side eyes Izuku who stays nice and close to Katsuki while he heats up the stove. "You're joking."

"Ramen is good! And I add eggs to it usually!" Izuku defends himself.

"You can't keep putting that shit in your body." 

Izuku gives him a shit-eating grin. "Why do you care what goes inside my body?"

His brain bluescreens a little. 

He stares blankly as Izuku hops up onto the countertop, swinging his legs like a brat and reading the instructions on the back of the noodle box aloud. It's the picture of domesticity that Katsuki has envisioned for them- that is, if Izuku figures it out. Katsuki grabs the box from his hands, dumps all the noodles into the pot and throws the box away.

"We don't need that shit."

"Do you even know what you're doing?" 

"It's fuckin' noodles," Katsuki scoffs. "And I definitely know more than you do."

'What? You don't know that! I could be an excellent cook, you've never tried my cooking!" Izuku protests. Katsuki's seen him handle fire in the lab. He has his doubts about Izuku's cooking skills.

Katsuki snarks, "Ah yes, your elite cooking of top ramen."

 "I don't appreciate your sarcasm."

"And I don't appreciate you kickin' me every time I walk past you." Katsuki grabs his ankle with his hand, stopping the movement entirely. His fingertips tingle from the contact with warm skin. Izuku tries to jerk his ankle free, but Katsuki's refuses to let go. "Sit still, dumbass."

"Or what?" Izuku challenges.

"Or I'll make you."

Katsuki feels his face heat up as he realizes what he just said, while Izuku is doubled over in laughter. "Shut the fuck up, asshole. Obviously I meant it like I'll kick your ass. Stop fuckin' laughing, you're so goddamn annoying I swear." He whacks Izuku's shoulder, but he's still folded over, practically in tears from laughing so hard. He looks beautiful, laughing without a care in the world. Katsuki bites his lip to hold back his own laughter, and commits the view to memory. 

"What, you're gonna make me?" Izuku gasps out through laughter, waggling his eyebrows. He loses it again at the horrified look Katsuki shoots him. Katsuki vows silently to do whatever he can to keep Izuku laughing forever.

"I should burn your damn noodles."

"Half-and-half."

Todoroki turns around in surprise. "What are you doing here Bakugou? Are you doing extra office hours this week?"

He shakes his head, shoving a bento in his face way too much aggression. "Put this in your fridge."

"Huh? You made me lunch?"

"What! No, idiot. I know you can take care of yourself, but your idiot roommate can't. He eats fucking top ramen for every meal. So put it in your fridge, I left a note on top so he knows its for him." 

Todoroki gingerly takes the bento, inspecting it closely. "You made lunch for Izuku."

"Yes."

"And not for me."

"Yes." Katsuki rubs his temples.

He finally looks back at Katsuki, seemingly satisfied with his investigation. "What will you give me if I do this for you?"

"The fuck do you mean, give you?"

"You're asking me for a favor, are you not?" Todoroki tips his head, a picture of innocence. Fucking bastard.

Katsuki plops himself on top of the table, kicking his legs up to rest on the top of the chair. "What do you want?"

Todoroki pauses, furrowing his eyebrows like he's solving a really difficult math problem. Which, for him, social interaction is probably harder than any math course he's ever taken. Katsuki once watched him use sign language on a blind person. Todoroki doesn't even know sign language. Finally, his eyes brighten like he's figured it all out. "Every time you make him a bento, I want you to make me cold soba."

"Hah? Last time I offered to get you soba, you spewed all that crap about being rich and not wanting it?"

"You offered to buy me cold soba," Todoroki corrects. "I can buy myself cold soba. However, I cannot cook it very well. I know that you are a good cook, so if you are cooking for Izuku, I would like to eat your cold soba. Homemade food is better than the restaurants."

Katsuki sighs, tipping his head back to stare directly into florescent lights. "Fucking fine."

"Pleasure doing business with you."

"Whaddya recommend?"

Katsuki decided to become a regular at Izuku's place of work, since he can't escape from him here and the food isn't terrible. Kaminari told him that 'sounds like harassment'. He told Kaminari to shove a stick up his ass.

"I recommend you leave." Izuku deadpans. "Do you actually like the food here that much?"

Katsuki grins, eyes trailing down Izuku's uniform, another bonus of coming to the diner. "Yep. And I'm a loyal customer, so you better treat me well, Deku, or you'll get fired."

After asking about a million questions for every item on the menu, Katsuki finally orders and pulls his laptop out to finish some extra work. His tutoring job takes up a lot of his spare time since there are plenty of kids who are terrible at chemistry and English, and now with the added time he's spending with Izuku, he's spread pretty thin. But he refuses to reduce practice or his Deku time, so he's just gotta push himself harder.

So after about an hour of scouring through one of the worst essays he's read in his entire life, he decides he needs some entertainment. Sue him.

He waves Izuku over.

"What."

"That's not very friendly of you, waiter." Katsuki smirks.

"I'm busy, what do you want." Izuku snaps. 

The fire in his voice makes Katsuki's blood itch. "My drink tastes funny. I want a new one."

"It's fucking water." 

"The customer is always right, Deku."

He watches Izuku's eye twitch, before plastering on a fake smile that doesn't reach his eyes in the slightest. It's honestly kinda creepy.

"Sure, Kacchan!" Katsuki watches as he walks off, cause damn, that uniform works wonders. A moment later he heads back over, holding dead eye contact, before leaning over and spitting straight into the drink. Then he places it in front of Katsuki.

"Thanks." Katsuki drinks it, eyes not leaving Izuku's as he swallows. 

This is his clearest sign yet. What shows your attraction to someone like swallowing their spit? Isn't that basically what kissing is anyway?

He smiles smugly as Izuku storms off.

Izuku wanted to give him his spit.

He's definitely in love.

Driving Izuku around is one of his favorite parts of his day.

They've built somewhat of a routine. With some prime stalking, aka bribing Todoroki with an extra bento, he found out that Izuku was staying on campus for debate. So naturally, he decided to lie and tell Izuku they lived in the same direction so he can completely inconvenience himself everyday and drive an extra half hour to get Izuku and himself home. Genius.

Honestly though, it helps him unwind a whole lot more than coming home immediately to the Kaminari shoving something new into an electrical socket, or Kirishima ripping an entire roll of duct tape off Sero's arms. 

Their car rides are peaceful, despite their usual bickering. The radio plays easy music that drowns into the background of the busy roads and their conversation. At every stoplight, Katsuki looks over to see Izuku either staring out the window, or at him. When he's caught staring, he blushes a bright red that makes his freckled cheeks look like a strawberry. He looks beautiful either way.

Every now and then, the conversation will die out, and Katsuki gets to bask in their silence which is surprisingly peaceful.

There's no discomfort, or rush to fill the air with anything more.

It's already full enough, with Izuku thrumming his fingers on the side of the car door, and Katsuki tapping his hands on the steering wheel in time with the song on the radio.  

Sometimes Izuku will accidentally start rambling under his breath about everything and anything that goes through his mind. One time he did an in depth analysis on who the strongest Ninja Turtle would be, without realizing he was narrating the entire thing. 

Once, he decided to roll the window down.

When he looked over at the red light, Izuku's head was out of the window. His hair flew back through the wind, cheeks flushed and grin stretched wide across his face. Katsuki thought he was having a heart attack. 

He kept the window closed after that.

Except for at Drive-Thrus, of course.

"Whaddya want?" He looks over to see Izuku gaping at him.

"You're actually taking us to Taco Bell? I thought you "don't eat that crap"." 

Katsuki rolls his eyes at the air quotes. "I don't, usually. But I know your dumbass has definitely not eaten any actual food today, and anything is better than that fuckass top ramen so." He had actually fucked up. He had intended to make another bento, but then he had soccer practice and he had to help this other idiot with a college essay that was complete trash, and it was like 10pm which is way past his bedtime so he really had no choice.

Izuku shoots him a mischievous grin, tapping his nails across the dashboard. "Have you ever had a Baja Blast?"

"Fuck no. Sparky drinks those and they look radioactive."

"You're totally getting one."

"Hah?!"

Izuku unbuckles his seatbelt, leaning across the car to stick his head out of Katsuki's window. He presses one hand into Katsuki's thigh to steady himself as he yells, "Two Baja Blasts, please!" Into the Drive Thru speaker. He turns to look at Katsuki expectantly, who just stares back dumbly. 

With Izuku's hand on his thigh, he can't find it in himself to object.

Of course, the second his brain boots back up he starts yelling at Izuku because fuck no he won't put that green garbage into his body and that shit is gonna give him a disease and not everyone is a sticky iPad kid addicted to food coloring and spicy water. 

As long as Izuku keeps his hands to himself, Katsuki can give as good as he gets.

He just has to make sure Izuku never finds out about this power, because ten minutes later he was talking about some Baja Blast pie.

Katsuki may be in love with a psychopath.

"Deku."

Izuku stops like he's been shocked, before turning around very slowly, as if he's scared of Katsuki. "Yes, Kacchan?"

"What did you think?" 

"Uh- you did good? I think?" Izuku smiles sheepishly.

Katsuki wants to kiss that stupid smile off his stupid face. His eyes trail down Izuku's body, drinking in the jersey before he realizes it says a name on it, a name that isn't Bakugou. His jaw clenches tightly, stepping forward. "Why are you wearing a Sero jersey?" 

Izuku glances down at himself, before meeting red eyes again. "Oh! Shoto let me borrow it, since Sero gave him his extra and he also has Sero's letterman to wear. He didn't need both and I don't have any merch."

"No merch? Thought you were a nerd for that kind of shit? I know you have an All Might jersey." He grits out.

"For stuff I'm into! Like All Might! Not really soccer." 

For stuff he's into. Huh. Well he's into Katsuki, isn't he?

"Wear mine." He pulls his own jersey off as he speaks, the cool air spreading goosebumps down his arms.

Izuku frowns slightly, eyes staying trained on his face. Bastard. Katsuki doesn't go this hard at the gym just for Izuku to not look. "How does it make any difference, they're for the same team."

"Mine has my name on it, dumbass." He holds it up, showing off the large 'Bakugou', stretching across the back. "So wear it. You barely even know Sero."

"No offense, but that thing is so sweaty, so there is no way in hell I'm putting it on."

He swallows thickly. Reminds himself that Izuku has no idea what it means to be offered Katsuki's jersey. "Fine, whatever, nerd. You comin' to the after party?" 

"There's an after party?"

"Yeah. The extras are throwing it to celebrate. You should come." His heart sits in his throat as he schools Izuku's blank expression.

"How did they know you guys would win though? Like assuming they'd planned this beforehand, how did they know they'd end up celebrating? Was the game rigged so you'd definitely win?"

Katsuki has to stop himself from laughing. He's really in love with an idiot. "No, dumbass. If we lost, it would've been a party to cheer the idiots up. But we never lose anyway."

"Oh. That makes more sense."

"You're stupid."

"Playing fair is important, Kacchan!" Izuku protests.

"No shit. We weren't even cheating though, you're just dumb." Katsuki rolls his eyes. "So, after party?"

When Izuku says yes, he can finally breathe again.

And of course, if cleanliness was really the issue with the jersey, Katsuki wasn't gonna let that stop him. So he ruffled through his gym locker, grabbing the spare jersey he keeps in case of emergencies he never has. 

Izuku is waiting for him outside when he finishes showering.

"My spare. It's clean." He tosses it at Izuku's head and it drapes over his face, making him look incredibly stupid. Katsuki kind of wants to throw him into a wall. Or kiss him. Maybe both at the same time. 

"Fine, I'll wear it." He pulls Sero's jersey over his head, and Katsuki swears he had a minor stroke. Izuku might be a nerd, but damn, he is chiseled. Katsuki's always known he has insane thighs considering his school clothes can't even hide them, but he never expected his abs and shoulders to be just as built. He's not as broad as Katsuki, but his compact strength fucking shows. "You good?"

His face flushes with heat, as he jerks his head up to look at Izuku's face again. "What? Yeah. Let's go."

The car ride is quiet, except for Izuku's anxiety filling the air. Katsuki doesn't interrupt his mumbling, just listening to his quiet evaluation of everyone who might be there and what Izuku knows about them. As they get closer, he can tell Izuku gets even more nervous as his leg bouncing speeds up. Before he can think too much about it, he reaches over and pins his thigh down to the seat. "Todoroki is gonna be there."

"That's good." 

"The extras are annoying, but they're okay." 

By the time they pull up, there's a crowd on the front porch.  

"Do you guys know all these people?" Izuku's eyes are wide as he presses against the car door to get a better look. 

"Fuck no. These idiots see a random party and decide to try. They're not gonna get in."

Izuku turns to look at Katsuki again, concern covering his expression. "Are they gonna let me in?"

"No shit. You're with me." Katsuki gets out of the car, hurrying to the other side to open Izuku's door for him. If Katsuki is gonna date, he's gonna do it right. The hag always did tell him to be a gentleman. He grabs Izuku's hand and pulls him towards the door, turning his face upwards and praying no one can see the bright red flush on his cheeks through the darkness of the night.

"Kacchan!" Kaminari shouts, grinning and stumbling like an idiot. Katsuki drops Izuku's hand immediately, scowling. He doesn't need to give a drunk Kaminari even more ammunition to embarrass him, especially before Izuku realizes. 

"Don't call me that shit, Dunce Face." 

"Wh- you let Midoriya call you that!" Kaminari's jaw drops slightly, along with Katsuki's stomach as he realizes what was noticed. Out of all his friends, Kaminari is the most likely to spill something he shouldn't, and the least likely to accurately read the room. "Midoriya? Could you turn around for a second?"

Izuku blinks in confusion, but obeys. Katsuki glares at Kaminari with everything he possibly has, hoping his expression conveys, "shut the fuck up".

"Holy shit."

"Shut it, Dunce Face." Katsuki scoffs, grabbing Izuku's wrist and dragging him inside. He needs to get away from Kaminari as soon as possible, and hopefully get them both drunk enough that anything weird that happens can be blamed on the alcohol.

"Dude." 

Katsuki flips him off, not even turning back around.

He can see people turning to stare at Izuku as they push through the house. He knows they're looking at the jersey that adorns his back, a gift that has a lot more meaning than Izuku realized when he accepted it. 

Katsuki's a damn good soccer player, and he's not ugly. He gets hit on plenty, by men and women alike. They twirl their hair, offer sex, and above all, ask for a jersey or letterman of his. A branding, a statement to everyone saying that they belong to him. 

But he never wanted some extra to belong to him.

Izuku, however?

He needs every person in this house, or really every person in the damn college to know that Izuku is his.

Kaminari might be an idiot, but fuck, for once Katsuki thinks he's a genius 

He supplied Katsuki with so many drinks, he can't really tell time anymore. Or walk properly.

And Izuku looks so fucking good in this lighting. Mina brought a disco lights system that Katsuki usually thinks is incredibly stupid, but after looking at Izuku in the colorful lights, he might have to invest in one for himself. He looks so peaceful and genuinely happy with Katsuki's friends. With Katsuki. The alcohol removed all of his fight, and it turns out that Izuku is a giggly drunk, which makes Katsuki want to squeeze him even more. 

His nose scrunches every time he takes a shot, or someone says something that gets him excited enough to want to ramble but he's trying to hold it back. He stops tapping his nails on everything after the third shot, opting to play with Katsuki's fingers instead. He traces callouses with soft hands, gentle yet firm. His eyes are even more expressive, widening and narrowing like a cartoon character being surprised. 

And he smiles, completely unabashed and carefree. 

At some point, people are moving and leaving and going to the bathroom. He's pretty sure Kaminari threw up in their house plant and arm chair. Kirishima said something to him before hurrying out with Mina, but he doesn't really remember what anymore.

All he can think about now, is Izuku, hovering over him.

He's doing something.

They're gonna go home, he thinks. It's surprising they're gonna leave together. Katsuki is happy they are. 

Izuku leads him out to the Uber, being sturdy where Katsuki is wobbly, and helping him into his seat. He cuddles into Izuku's side, enjoying the warmth and comfort. He allows his eyes to flutter shut when nails comb through his scalp. What feels like seconds later, Izuku is dragging him back outside.

He allows himself to be led into the house, where he collapses onto the couch and is consumed by darkness once more. He drifts in and out of sleep, catching Kirishima and Izuku's voices, but not conscious enough to decipher what they're talking about.

After a bit, Katsuki is dragged back off the couch and into his bedroom. When he's finally laid in bed, Izuku tries to leave. Katsuki doesn't want him to leave. He holds onto Izuku's arm.

"Kacchan, you have to let go of me. I need to go home."

"You're leaving me?" Katsuki frowns, squinting to focus on the freckled face in front of him.

"It's 4 in the morning." 

He wants Izuku to stay. "But you're gonna be gone?"

"Just for now." He squeezes Katsuki's hand. His hand is warm, and fits perfectly with his own. He doesn't want to let go.

"Deku. You still owe me that favor." He rasps out.

A soft hand cards through his hair, making him cozy up to it. "Yeah?"

"Well, 'm cashin' it in."

"For what?"

"Stay."

With him. Forever. Be Katsuki's. Stay.

"Uh... Kacchan? You promised it wouldn't be anything sexual. And I have to go home, it's too late."

Katsuki opens one eye at that, glaring at the idiot he's in love with. "What the fuck? No! That is not what I meant, idiot. I meant like, in general. Just stay. With me."

"Oh. Sorry." Izuku mumbles.

He frowns at the response. "That isn't an answer."

After a few moments of silence pass, Izuku finally whispers, "Okay."

Katsuki lets go of the breath he was holding, and allows his bones to melt into the mattress. Sleep starts to take over, the alcohol and comfort of his bed ready to sweep him away, until a voice cuts through his peace.

"So, what exactly do you mean by stay? Like could you give more specific instructions, 'cause I'm kinda lost and I don't wanna-"

"Shh. Stop talkin' so loud. 'M tryna sleep here."

Katsuki passes out.

Katsuki's pissed.

After all of that, after promising to stay, Izuku fucking disappears? Just stops showing up to class with no word, not even a text about their planned tutoring sessions, absolutely nothing. Not even a courtesy, "Hey, I'm not actually into you, sorry for the misunderstanding". Just ghosting.

He thought Izuku was better than that.

The first few days, he spends moping. It's bad enough his friends actually feel bad, taking the time to make him sweets and spend time with him. They're slightly less annoying than usual too, which he appreciates.

Then he decides to talk to Kirishima. 

"Look man, it's Izuku. I can't imagine he would actually want to hurt you like that."

Katsuki frowns, kicking the metal chair legs. "Why would he ghost then? If he didn't want to do it, why the fuck would he be doin' it?"

"Because, not everyone is as bold as you, man." Kirishima sighs, pulling both hands on his shoulders. He doesn't shove them off for once. "Most people have a harder time, talking about their feelings and all that crap. And you said yourself, Izuku didn't even know he liked you. It's probably just a lot for him to get used to, he might just not know what to do with all of it yet. Just give him some time before jumping to conclusions. Or he could've blacked out."

"He might not know what to do with all of it?" Katsuki repeats.

"Yes."

Katsuki stands up, satisfied. "Okay. I'll go tell him what to do with it."

"Huh? Bro, no, not what I meant."

"Thanks, Shitty Hair!" 

He's out the door before he can listen to Kirishima's complaints.

At least he's doing something about it, right?

When he shows up at Izuku's door, he panics a little.

He paces around the hallway a few times, glaring at an old lady who gets in his way. Apparently she "lives here" and "needs to get her mail". Fuckin' extra.

So after that, he finally gains the courage and rage to pound on Izuku's door. He hears a slight yelp through the door, signaling Izuku being home. He knows Todoroki should be at work right now, so hopefully they can talk alone.

The door swings open, and Katsuki freezes completely, brain shutting down. He quickly turns around, face melting off. He might be pissed, but damn, Izuku is still beautiful.

"Oi! Where the fuck are your clothes?"

"Oh. Oops. Why are you here?"

Katsuki slowly turns back, keeping his eyes trained on Izuku's face. "You haven't been showing up to class, dickhead. Where the fuck have you been? You expectin' me to carry our chem grade? And I didn't spend all that time teachin' you English just for you to start skipping."

"I didn't know what to do." Izuku says quietly, looking down in shame.

"Do about what?" The pauses feel like an eternity with his heart on the line.

"About what happened last time, when you were drunk. You cashed in your favor."

He blinks in confusion. "I know." 

Izuku looks genuinely taken aback by this knowledge. "You knew?"

"Yeah. You said okay."

"I did."

Katsuki glares at him. Izuku fuckin' remembered, so what the hell? "So if you said okay to staying, why the fuck are you runnin' from me?"

Izuku just stares at him, open mouthed. He resists the urge to make a crude joke, considering their current situation.

"Nerd?"

"I didn't-I didn't know you meant it?"

"Hah?! When do I ever say shit I don't mean?" Katsuki frowns. "If anything, you're the one sayin' shit you don't mean, saying you'll stay and then leaving."

"You never explained what stay even meant. How was I supposed to know?"

He steps forward, getting lost in the depths of forest green eyes. "I thought you understood."

"I might." Izuku breathes out, voice trembling along with his bottom lip. "But I don't want to risk being wrong, not for this."

He tilts his head, smirking. "You sayin' I'm not worth the risk? C'mon Izuku. Thought you said you weren't stupid."

For once, Izuku doesn't hesitate. He just steps forward and crashes his lips into Katsuki's. 

Katsuki devours him. He can't stop his hands from wrapping around the bare skin on his waist, gripping tightly like if he loosens even a little bit Izuku will be able to run away from him again. His other hand threads into soft curls that he's wanted to pet for months, but never got a chance to. He yanks slightly, grinning at the soft gasps that Izuku lets out in between kisses. 

Izuku's hand gently cups his jaw, thumb stroking back and forth in a way that should be soothing to Katsuki, but is more likely to be grounding for Izuku. His other hand wanders to Katsuki's stomach and chest, exploring despite his shirt being in the way. 

Never in his life did Katsuki think he'd fall in love.

But with Izuku, he doesn't mind it.