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“So what did you think?” Izuku glanced at Katsuki as he leaned against the push bar of the main entry, holding the door for Izuku to follow through. The evening had settled into darkness, and they followed a stream of people leaving the theater, dispersing in varied directions. The murmur of overlapping conversations hung in the background as they rounded the corner to begin their fifteen minute walk back to Katsuki’s apartment.
“Yeah, it’s pretty weird to see a full on reenactment of All Might in his youth like that. Effects were pretty convincing,” Katsuki commented.
“Yeah. I know! It’s wild to see his physical form portrayed with such accuracy. I can see they spent most of the budget on the effects for sure. But the plot and the writing?” Izuku shook his head vigorously. “They got so many of the actual details wrong!” he continued. “I’m surprised All Might didn’t object to the release. But, it does make me feel less guilty that we didn’t make it to the actual premiere in Tokyo.” He sighed before continuing, “I don’t know what I would have said to him in person…”
“Well, they probably had a licensing deal…I’m sure he couldn’t do much about it. He must have made a fuck load of money, though. I wouldn’t be too worried,” Katsuki attempted to reframe. Izuku shrugged, considering the logic to his argument.
Katsuki already knew the film was going to be a let down. All Might had said as much during a recent meeting they had to discuss Project Deku. Still, he planned to use the funds in various ways, including a portion put to good use towards their concealed endeavor, which had already quickly spiraled into an surprisingly expensive venture. With much of the royalties from his merchandising already allocated to other charitable causes, All Might had reasoned the film might be another avenue to garner additional funds to add to the small stockpile Katsuki had managed to organize. Though, Katsuki suspected he may have been more motivated by reliving the glory days of his youth.
“The dialogue was pretty bad,” Izuku resumed his critique, gesturing with growing intensity. “And the pacing off. They barely touch upon Shimura! Then to have all this implied romance subtext between—”
“Hey, It’s Dynamight!” A young boy suddenly interrupted, running a short distance with a woman trailing behind. Izuku and Katsuki halted their conversation, turning to take in the young boy who now stood in front of them. He appeared around the age of ten, wearing an All Might t-shirt and an expression of awe, eyes glistening in the glow of the street lights.
“Sorry, we don’t mean to bother you!” the woman apologized. “My son is a big fan of yours!” she explained, directing her attention to Katsuki.
“Can you make a flame?” the boy asked with an expression of pleading enthusiasm.
“Don’t be rude! We’ll let these people just enjoy their evening…say thank you for their time!” she explained as she attempted to pull the boy in the opposite direction. He looked down towards the pavement in disappointment.
Izuku elbowed Katsuki before interjecting into the conversation. “Dynamight is happy to make a flame for you, right?” He turned to Katsuki with an insistent look in his eyes.
Katsuki shook his head with his lips lifted into a faint grin. “Sure, kid,” he mumbled.
Izuku always tried to soften his interactions with the public. Normally he would just make a brief comment and drift away as quickly as possible. Katsuki still hadn’t gotten used to fans, or public scrutiny. He recently managed to scrape into the top 10 ranking, mostly due to a number of high profile retirements. Despite his new found prestige, he was easily a short slip away from falling behind again. His popularity and public persona was certainly his biggest challenge to maintaining forward momentum.
“I can take a picture for you?” Izuku offered, holding his hand to receive a phone from the mother. She gestured to her son to stand next to Katsuki with a confirmed nod of approval.
“Say Dynamiiiight!” Izuku exclaimed, waiting for the two to strike a pose. Katsuki garnered a small flame crackling with contained sparks in his palm. The boy gleamed as he mouthed Dynamight, and Izuku snapped multiple shots in the hope that one would turn out half decent.
“Do you know All Might?” the boy asked.
“Heh. Yeah,” Katsuki responded, a slight smile across his lips as he continued. “But, it’s nothing compared to this guy, here.” Katsuki nodded towards Izuku. “He’s practically All Might’s son,” he offered. The boy looked over to Izuku, his eyes like two round saucers as his mouth fell slightly agape.
Izuku brought his hand to the back of his head. “It’s nothing really.” Izuku shifted his stance back and forth. He wasn’t so used to being recognized or noticed in public these days, especially not from children.
“Wait, who is he?” He continued to inspect Izuku curiously, eying him as though to place his face in the archives of his memory.
“Come on. Let’s let these men on their way. I’m so sorry for the intrusion!” The woman tried to pull her son away, but he stood firmly in place awaiting an answer.
“He’s only the most important hero the world ever knew!” Katsuki continued. “You’re probably too young to remember much from the war, but this is the guy you have to thank for your life.” He looked over to Izuku who lifted his gaze up to the sky and bit down on his lower lip, clearly uncomfortable with the redirected attention.
The boy's eyes widened further. “Can you sign my ticket?” He handed Izuku his ticket stub and the woman shuffled in her purse to find a pen for his use. He scrawled Deku across the small slip of paper and handed it back to the child.
“Wow! Thanks…Deku?” He read the scribbled name, as though not quite familiar with its ring.
“Look him up!” Katsuki called, “If there is anyone worth being a role model…it’s this guy here.”
Izuku nervously chuckled before calling to the pair, “Enjoy the rest of your night!” They turned to begin their journey back in the proper direction. Izuku smiled, looking towards Katsuki. “You uh. Didn’t have to mention me like that!” Izuku said.
“What, you expect only I have to take on the role of feigned enthusiasm to these kids? Plus you're much better at that sort of thing,” he expressed.
“Come on, you must enjoy it a little?” Izuku questioned, nudging him lightly with his shoulder.
“What I’d enjoy is if people learned their basic history. It hasn’t even been seven years for fucks sake! I shouldn’t have to explain who you are,” Katsuki grumbled.
“I don’t mind, Kacchan. He would have been very young,” Izuku dismissed.
“Well, I meant what I said,” Katsuki assured, glancing at Izuku from the side to observe his lips lift into a smile. Izuku scanned the streetscape. After noting their privacy, he reached out to Katsuki and covertly brushed his fingers against his palm for a brief moment.
They turned a corner and began down an alley. Izuku took out his phone and started scrolling through his notes to resume his critical analysis of the film. “In the third scene they have All Might saying ‘America, the promised land for the future!’ He would never say that! Sounds like some dumb propaganda written by Americans.”
“You're such a nerd! I guess I shouldn’t be surprised you’d take notes the whole damn movie.” Katsuki shook his head with a smirk. “I mean, what did you expect? It was written for the idiot masses who don’t care about all these little details. They just want to see a hot younger All Might kicking ass.”
“Wait, do you think young All Might is hot?” Izuku slowed his gait and looked apprehensively at Katsuki.
“Well, I can’t deny some might be into that excessive muscle kinda vibe,” Katsuki explained.
“Like you? Do you like that sort of thing?”
“What All Might? Excessive muscles?” He drew his eyebrows firmly together. “Uh… Not really my type. I kinda have a thing for guys with a more lean build. Particularly ones with disheveled green hair and the dumbest green eyes.”
Izuku felt his cheeks warm, and he nudged his arm against Katsuki’s. He glanced across the alley before grabbing his hand, quickly disengaging to maintain their discretion. “Yeah, I guess I never really thought of All Might like that. He’s too much like a dad to me now.”
“What about when we were kids? I just sort of thought maybe that was part of your All Might obsession?” Katsuki suggested.
“What?! No! I don’t think so? I mean…you know I never really put anything together…until you.” Izuku squeamishly squinted his eyes and gritted his teeth at the mere thought. “No, that's way too weird to even think about!”
“Relax, Deku! I’m just teasing,” Katsuki assured.
“Did you? Was that something you liked, when we were kids?” Izuku asked.
“Tch. Nah.” Katsuki looked away from Izuku, observing his surroundings as they crossed the quiet street to continue down the next alley block. Izuku didn’t seem convinced, and raised his eyebrows as he shifted his eyes again toward Katsuki.
“Ok. Fine,” Katsuki relented. “Maybe a little. I just thought he was so cool…and maybe you know…”
“So you do like the excessive muscle vibes!” Izuku exclaimed and pointed a finger with a cheeky grin.
“Izuku! I was like eight. Besides, it was more like I wanted to be him, rather than be with him? It was a confusing time, okay!” Katsuki huffed, and folded his arms.
Izuku allowed a subtle snicker as Katsuki proceeded to softly grumble under his breath. He took small pleasure in finding ways to gently poke under his skin. Katsuki rolled his eyes and continued. “I did mean what I said about my type. There’s only one,” Katsuki affirmed, turning to pointedly meet Izuku’s gaze.
Izuku shook his head and he chuckled beneath his breath. “I’m not naive, Kacchan. You don’t have to pretend you don’t find other people attractive. Even if it’s All Might!” He shuddered as he spoke the words.
“Tch. I’m not attracted to All Might now! But, It’s cute when you’re jealous,” Katsuki commented, nodding his head as he spoke.
“I’m not jealous!” Izuku countered, shoving him lightly for emphasis.
“Sure…” he laughed. “Well, I’m not some dumb eight-year-old anymore,” he explained, trying to distance himself from the image of All Might.
Katsuki looked over to Izuku, the amber tint from the adjacent street light subtly illuminated the green of his darkened hair. He stopped in his tracks, shifting his eyes around before quickly turning, spontaneously pushing Izuku backward and pinning him against the adjacent building facade. “You got nothing to be jealous about.” He brought his hand to his face and kissed him, slowly drawing his palm up through his hair.
After a few moments he pulled his lips away from Izuku’s and tilted his head next to his ear. “God, if I could take you right here,” Katsuki murmured, the heat of his breath softly brushing across his skin to reverberate a chill down from the base of his neck.
“Fuck, Kacchan,” he whispered, restraining with great effort from yelling out. He leaned his head against the wall, closing his eyes, almost pained by his repression. His fingers grasped tightly at Katsuki’s denim jacket as he opened his eyes to look into the crimson gaze before him. Katsuki had one palm against the wall and the other still entangled in his hair, the weight of his body pressed firmly against Izuku’s. They lingered in the moment, their chests expanding and contracting with increased pace.
“Fuck!” Katsuki exhaled quietly and pulled back, rolling to the side and repositioning his back against the wall. He looked tentatively to confirm their solitude before lifting himself away from the wall, pulling Izuku by the hand. “Let’s get the fuck back. I have plans for you,” he smirked.
————
It was morning. Izuku slowly opened his eyes, the room a bleary haze through the thin slits of his lids. He laid in bed listening to the sound of the running shower, lulled by the patter of the cascading water. He let his eyes shut for a few more minutes of rest. The shower came to a halt, and Izuku shifted in bed, still attempting to ignore the sounds of Katsuki rummaging through the bathroom.
The door cracked open, and Izuku pulled the blanket over his head. Katsuki plopped onto the mattress with force, jostling Izuku as he pulled back the blanket to reveal his grimace.
“Go away, Mom. You can’t make me go to school!” Izuku grumbled, pulling the blanket back over his head.
“Come on, Deku. It’s not even that early anymore,” Katsuki said, peeling away the comforter to kiss the base of his neck.
“Lies!” Izuku murmured into the pillow.
“I already ate breakfast and came back from a run,” Katsuki reasoned.
“Kacchan, you run so early, though! You can’t fool me,” he whined. Katsuki continued his pestering provocation, nipping at his shoulder blades as Izuku squirmed in protest. After a moment, he turned around to face Katsuki. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and let his exposed form come into focus. “Mmm. Fine,” he relented and traced Katsuki’s jawline with his finger, observing the weight of the gaze before him. “Ugh. It’s like you can get away with anything when you look at me like that!”
“Like what?!”
“I don’t know. Like you want to keep me in this bed forever,” Izuku suggested.
“Would that be such a bad thing?” He asked, trailing his fingers across his chest.
Izuku’s phone buzzed, and he reluctantly redirected his attention. The time read 8:38AM. He proceeded to scroll through a series of messages before him.
“Uh, Kacchan? Have you checked your phone this morning?” Izuku asked after a moment. His eyes widened as his focus remained locked on his screen.
“Uh. Not since I got up. Why?” Katsuki repositioned himself upright, taking in Izuku’s focused expression.
“Umm…” Izuku stalled, consumed by the screen as if drawn into a vortex.
“You going to spit it out or what?” Katsuki prompted.
“Well. I guess it was bound to happen sooner later,” Izuku cryptically responded.
“Deku! What the fuck is going on?” Katsuki demanded.
Izuku sighed and handed Katsuki the phone with an article pulled up to a headline in large bold lettering:
Dynamight’s Explosive Exploits
From Childhood Friends to Modern Lovers
Katsuki whipped the phone from his hand and fell backward to the pillow with a loud exacerbated grunt. He began to read aloud.
“Photos of Number Ten Hero Dynamight and Deku, former wielder of One For All, have been circulating across the internet this evening, confirming suspicions of romantic tension between the childhood friends. The pair was seen earlier this evening after leaving the new box office hit ‘I Am Here.’ The captured embrace comes after witnesses have spotted the two together with increasing regularity. A source close to the couple has indicated the two have been dating for several months—”
Katsuki stopped short. “The fuck! Who is this source? If it’s Mineta, I’ll kill that fucker!” he shouted.
He continued to scroll through the article, which was mostly supplemental photos of the two together going about their mundane daily lives— Izuku’s arms wrapped around him on the back of his motorcycle, the two eating ice cream from a local shop, the pair sitting at the beach with a discernible grin captured across Katsuki’s face. “These motherfuckers are unbelievable!” Katsuki grumbled.
Izuku tensed his forehead and brought his palm to his head. “I know! Hero Watch. They might be the worst of them all.”
He curled his fist and let it fall to the bed with force, sending a subtle shake across the mattress. “Tch. I’m going to burn all their sorry asses to the ground!” he threatened in vain.
“Well, It was nice while it lasted? Away from public scrutiny.” Izuku turned and buried himself into the crook of Katsuki’s neck, his eyes squinted with a pained expression. “Kacchaaan,” he whimpered. “All my students are going to see this!” He huffed a sigh. “It’s kinda salacious. The image of us that jerk posted…”
Izuku reached for his phone and scrolled through his messages to find the image of them kissing in the darkened alley, the bridge of his nose scrunched as he passed the screen to Katsuki. The image had them closely cropped into focus. Their eyes were shut, Izuku thrust against the building with Katsuki firmly against his body. His hand lay at the base of Izuku’s neck with the tips of his fingers tucked into his wavy hair, framing their lightly parted, entangled lips. Their features were clearly discernible, despite the low lighting. Katsuki flicked upward against the screen to see a second image of him with his arm outstretched, guiding Izuku away from the wall, their hands intertwined and eyes fixed onto each other. The combined images painted a clearly recognizable portrait of the moment.
Katsuki let out a deep, raspy moan. “It’s all your fault!” He shook his head.
Izuku shot upright. “My fault!” he exclaimed.
“For making me weak. Uncontrolled,” Katsuki explained. “Do you have any idea how often I hold back? I thought we were alone…” He let his eyes fall shut for a moment and exhaled deeply. He brought his hand to his face, rubbing the tension from his brow.
Izuku shifted his position, the comforter slipping away to expose his bare chest, as he leaned against Katsuki. “It’s no one’s fault. Well…except the dumb exploitative tabloid empire.” Izuku gently brushed his fingers through his dampened hair. “You don’t have to feel guilty, Kacchan,” he comforted, recognizing the internal struggle in his expression. “This is systemic. Plus, we knew we couldn’t keep this a secret forever.”
“But it’s been nice, the last four months. You know I hate strangers in my business!” Katsuki groaned.
“You’ve had worse press…” Izuku offered.
“Is that supposed to be comforting?” Katsuki scoffed.
“Uh no! I just mean, you always weather the storms. And, this time you’re not alone?” Izuku tried to assure. “We could say the image was fake?” he offered.
“What’s the point? The idiots will have already made up their minds,” Katsuki argued.
“Well, I suppose we don’t have to hide anymore?” Izuku said, holding his shoulders upright in a shrug.
Katsuki’s phone buzzed and three rapid text notifications quickly emerged across his screen.
“Great! The onslaught begins…”
He swiped his phone open and scanned the emerging messages.
Pinky: 🥦💥
Pinky: cats out of the bag! 😹
Pinky: at least you two look hot 🔥🔥🔥
Katsuki drew his head deeper into the pillow, nearly feeling the mattress beneath. He fired off a quick response.
Me: Fuck. Off.
Pinky: 🥦😻😻😻💥
“Fucker,” he grumbled and tossed the phone to his side, not bothering to look at the ensuing messages that continued to arrive. Izuku looked at him with a quizzical expression. “Just Mina being a little shit,” he explained.
Izuku brought his palms to his face and dragged his fingers across the contours of his cheeks. “Ugh, Kacchan. I don’t want to leave the house today.”
Katsuki let out a deep sigh and knocked his head lightly against the headboard. He turned to look at Izuku, feeling the weight of his head against his chest. He shook his head. A discernible shift washed over him, and he chuckled lightly to himself. “Who said you were going to leave this bed today?”
Izuku lifted his eyebrows, a little surprised at Katsuki’s sudden lifted temperament.
“What?” Katsuki reacted to Izuku’s widened eyes. “Might as well take advantage of the situation,” he facetiously reasoned. “I told you. You make me weak. Uncontrolled.” He ran his fingers through Izuku’s tousled curls. “It’s all your fault, remember,” he mumbled. Izuku reached upwards to shove his head softly. “Besides, leaving the house is a tomorrow problem. Today, we can just pretend that the world is just you and me.”
————
Izuku sat at his desk, arranging and rearranging his pens and stationary as he awaited the arrival of his students. He had come earlier than usual, the nerves of the impending day had him speed through his morning routine, skipping breakfast all together. When he left, he had slipped out the secondary entrance and hurriedly escaped Katsuki’s apartment, seemingly avoiding unwelcome attention.
He managed to make it to U.A. with minimal interactions on his commute, though he couldn’t help but overanalyze every glance from the strangers he encountered along the way. Nobody cares…he repeated to himself like a mantra. It felt silly to be so concerned about some dumb photos that most people probably didn’t see or care about. He wasn’t that important. Katsuki wasn’t that important. Still, he couldn’t help but wonder if the woman sitting next to him on the train was imagining him intertwined with ‘The Number Ten Hero’ in a darkened alley.
His phone buzzed and Izuku was brought back into the reality of the moment. He braced himself to see what news might appear on his screen. He sighed in relief at the sight of a text from Katsuki.
Kacchan: don’t forget to breathe nerd!
He smiled and inhaled deeply, realizing he might not have remembered had he not been reminded. He sent a heart to the message and quickly responded.
Me: and you be nice today ;)
Kacchan: I’m always nice!
Me: 😆
Kacchan: 🖕
Me: I rest my case…
Me: thanks for checking in. I needed that
Kacchan: see…NICE!
Kacchan: your going to make it through
Kacchan: if those dumbass teenagers give you any shit, I’ll show them what a truly explosive exploit looks like.
Me: 🧡
The back and forth was a welcomed distraction, and before he knew it, the first students began to trickle in. After a few minutes, nearly all of the seats were filled, and a low hum filled the room with their muted chatter. Izuku scanned the room, trying to decipher their whispers and body language, taking note of the hushed Dynamight murmured by an unidentified student.
“I hope you all had a good weekend,” Izuku finally interrupted, trying to exude his best collected and normal inflection. The class remained quiet, subtly exchanging glances and shifting in their seats.
“Okay, well I hope you took the opportunity to consider the reflection prompt over the weekend, because—”
A shriek suddenly erupted from the third row of the class. A student clasped a hand over her mouth with reddened cheeks. Her forehead scrunched as she attempted an apology, “Sorry, Sensei!” She shuffled to hide the not so concealed phone, quickly tucking it under the table. The boy next to her let out a stifled laugh.
Here it goes, Izuku thought to himself. The class turned and looked back and forth between the two and Izuku, a mix of rounded eyes and repressed giggles. Izuku slowly inhaled, debating the possible responses in his head. The students eventually redirected their attention forward as they awaited his reaction.
He exhaled. “Alright. Let’s just acknowledge you all have seen personal things about me this weekend.”
The room fell silent. It was awkward for all involved. It wasn’t that anything they saw was overly explicit, but it was as Izuku candidly acknowledged, highly personal. Izuku tried to keep a professional distance from his students, though he failed on most accounts. He was easily identified as the most approachable U.A. faculty member, and many found his attempts to maintain an authoritative presence more endearing than anything else. They didn’t know whether to reassure Izuku or ignore his comment. a slight flush grew across his cheeks as he observed the students stoic expressions and averted eye contact.
“This is in part what today's lesson is about,” Izuku resumed. Puzzled expressions spread across the room as they tried to predict how his personal life could be tied to a lesson plan. “In that life as a pro hero means you are in the public eye for better or worse,” he further explained. “And today we are going to build off your weekend reflection to work on hero names,” he finally revealed.
The tension started to lift, and the students twisted in their seats, whispering amongst each other, some with overt enthusiasm, others more apprehensive. “Your hero name is like your calling card,” Izuku started. “Your brand. It’s something that stays with you. Unlike your costume which might evolve and change over time, it’s really hard to completely change your name once it becomes public. It’s just one of those things that seems to stick.”
Noticing the range of expressions in the room, he was glad to see the focus redirected away from himself. “If you land on something today, that’s great! But if it takes you sometime, that’s fine too. What’s important is that it is something meaningful to you. Which is why I wanted you to take some time to reflect on what being a hero means to you, and the type of hero you want to be. But first let’s talk about what approaches some take with their names. Anyone want to share some thoughts?”
A girl with blue hair in the front row shot her hand up. “Some heros seem to choose names that are easily associated with their quirk or appearance.”
“Ah yes! That can be really effective to support a persona that is easily recognizable. Like Burnin. Instantly without knowing anything about her or seeing her in action, you might guess she has some sort of fire quirk,” Izuku commented.
“I like how it sounds too! Like burning, without the ‘G’. It’s got a cool ring,” another student offered.
“Yeah, the way words play off each other or the vibe they elicit can really make a name stand out and add personality,” Izuku affirmed.
“But others seem to choose something specific and personal, without it being totally clear at first,” another student chimed in. “Like I wouldn’t have known what Lemillion meant if I didn’t hear him talk about it in an interview.”
A student from the back of the class raised a hand. “I think some also choose to take a name from someone that inspires them, like Red Riot!”
“Or, like Dynamight!” Another student abruptly added to the conversation. The class halted and and turned to stare intensely in his direction, pausing in the awkward implication of his interruption. He shrunk into his chair. “Um. You know. Like, the whole All Might reference thing?” he nervously added.
Izuku swallowed, noticing the collection of eager eyes awaiting his response. “Uh. Yes! These are all good observations,” he managed to redirect, ignoring the Dynamight reference. “And, as you can see there are a lot of different approaches you can take,” he noted, regaining his confidence. “It’s easy to feel you need to get it just right, but there’s no one way,” Izuku tried to reassure, knowing the pressure he had felt when it was his time to choose a name. Midnight and Aizawa weren’t the most affirmative duo.
“Deku Sensei? How did you choose your name?” a voice interjected from the middle of the room.
He knew this would come up. It often did in interviews or when the topic of names was discussed. “Yeah. It’s an interesting choice,” he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. “People tend to have an immediate association with it. For me it was a reclamation of sorts. A play off my given name. But also, a reminder that even negative connotations have the potential to hold hope and optimism. Someone close to me said that it sounded like ‘You can do it!’ That really spoke to me,” he explained.
He hadn’t expected to be so honest in his answer. Usually he had a more succinct response, only highlighting the ‘You can do it!’ message. For some reason, he felt compelled to express the deeper significance. Thinking back to the origin of the name, the painful associations he had long let go, it truly did feel like a reclamation. The day he chose his hero name was a pivotal moment, not only for him, but also Katsuki. It was one of many moments big and small that had paved the path that led them to places he never expected.
Back then he would have never envisioned standing in front of twenty students, knowing they had all seen images of him pinned beneath Katsuki, entangled in a suggestive kiss. In those days, he didn’t know the repression that had consumed Katsuki. Nor did he anticipate the way his own heart would plead for him, or how his touch could nearly swallow him whole.
He cleared his throat and brought his attention back to the students. “So a hero name isn’t just some flashy gimmick. It’s a part of you. Your hero identity.” He looked across the room, their eyes clinging to every syllable he uttered. Suddenly he worried he inadvertently put too much pressure on them. “But, it’s also something you can have fun with. You don’t have to take it too seriously,” he tried to downplay.
“What if I regret my name later! Like a bad tattoo.”
“You are first and foremost a hero. Your name is only supplemental to the actions you perform. That is what truly matters!” he reminded.
“So you can break into small groups and discuss amongst each other what names you are thinking about. Give each other feedback. Be constructive, but try to remember it’s not always easy to land on something.”
Izuku sat down in his desk chair as the students began to divide into small groups. He spun his chair to face the wall behind him. He made it through. Closing his eyes, he took several intentional breaths. It surprised him that he could be so direct with them. A simple acknowledgement, and it was over. It felt very mature. Very professional. He let a brief self-satisfied smile emerge.
After letting the groups convene for a while longer, he began to make his way through the class, stopping into the various groups to see where they were.
“Sirenity!” one of the students exclaimed with pride to Izuku. “See with my quirk, I can lure people with my voice, like a siren. And I want to use that to bring peace and calming. Which is why I want to focus on rescue. So that’s how I came to Sirenity.”
“That’s so excellent!” Izuku praised. “It has a really great ring to it with a play on words, but also reflects the type of hero you want to be.”
He continued to cycle through groups and students. “See, initially I wanted something that sounded super cool. Like Kinetic Surge, or even just Surge? But, maybe it’s actually dumb and doesn’t have a deeper meaning?”
“Nothing is dumb here,” Izuku reassured. “You are a close range fighter,” Izuku continued. “And, your momentum based quirk is a unique and important part of your identity. You can lean into that! There’s nothing wrong with being straightforward. Maybe simple and bold is what works for you.”
By the end of the class, Izuku had made his way through all the groups, providing words of encouragement and enthusiasm, along with a few gently phrased critical suggestions. Most students had ended with a name they felt excited about, with a few deciding to take more time to let the right name emerge. The students began to gather their belongings, meandering out the door and onto their next class. The room was nearly empty again, save one final student.
“Um. Sensei?” the student approached tentatively.
“Is there something you need help with?” Izuku offered.
“Not really. I just wanted to say. Uh. I think you and Dynamight are really cute together!” She blushed and began to gather her bag, retreating nearly as quickly as the words escaped her.
“Uh. Thanks?” Izuku managed to respond, though she was gone just as soon as he finished. He shook his head in slight bewilderment. If that’s the worst he would face, he’d figure it was going to be alright.
————
Katsuki was on his way back to his headquarters. He had just responded to a relatively simple traffic accident that had quickly spiraled into a quirk-fueled skirmish. When work was busy, it wasn't the type of incident he would typically bother to respond to. However, he wasn’t too far from the accident when he received the alert, and there had been a lull in villain activity over the last few months. Katsuki found himself often begrudgingly responding to events of similar insignificance.
After receiving the notification, he was quick to arrive at the scene. There were few active heroes in Musutafu that could match him on speed, which often positioned him as the first responder on site. When he decided to break out on his own, he rationalized a move back to Musutafu as pragmatic, a place he could easily dominate with little competition. Without a team of support like the big agencies had, he figured a slightly smaller city would be easier to establish a reputation, ensuring he could take control of the critical incidents. In truth, he had missed his home city during his two year stint living in Tokyo, though he’d never admit it was a driving factor.
After his speedy arrival, the individuals calmed their posturing. His reputation alone was often enough to deescalate minor incidents. Still, he allowed himself to at least put on a few theatrics, if for no other reason than to keep himself from succumbing to the sheer boredom of the mundane daily grind. Heightened villain activity came in waves. In this particular moment, there were few opportunities to fully unleash his power, save the handful of high-profile projects he assisted the police with on a long-term basis.
He nearly made it back to resume the awaiting paperwork, when he stopped a few blocks short to duck into his local corner market. He gave a head nod to an older man tending the cash register, who waved back with enthusiasm. He made his way to the familiar aisle of prepared foods, perusing the containers of bento boxes, onigiri, and prepackaged salads, deciding which he found most enticing.
His attention was abruptly diverted, hearing his name from a woman in an aisle over, seemingly unaware of his concealed presence. “Did you see Dynamight on the street just a minute ago?” the customer shared with the woman next to her.
“Oh, yeah. I see him often around here. I think his headquarters are somewhere nearby.”
“But, did you see this?” The woman pulled up her phone, and after a few moments of scrolling, shared the infamous image of Izuku and Katsuki.
Katsuki rolled his eyes and found his palms instinctively tensing into fists. He took several intentional inhales, in an attempt to quell the growing rage that began to consume him.
“Oh! Wait, who is that? Is that…uh?” The customer pulled the screen closer to inspect the photos with deeper attention, observing his distinctive freckles and green hair. “Oh! That’s Deko!” she exclaimed.
“I think you mean ‘Dek-oo’. I know, I almost totally forgot about him!” the woman admitted, as she casually tossed a box of sesame flavored rice crackers into her basket.
Katsuki attempted to distract himself, lifting a container up to read the ingredients, grasping the plastic edges with far more tension than required. He didn’t know what bothered him more, the fact that they were commentating on his love life, or that Deku seemed to be a forgotten afterthought in the back of their memories.
“I guess, they look kinda cute together!”
“What?! No, it seems weird to me. Like, Deku always seemed so sweet in interviews. I feel like he deserves someone a lot nicer,” she replied.
Katsuki considered leaving the market, but instead stalled, somehow compelled to hear the rest of their pathetic critique.
“Wasn’t he with that gravity hero?”
“I guess not anymore? Now they were cute—”
The two rounded the aisle, alarmed to suddenly be confronted by the recognizable form of Dynamight, who was holding two containers of prepared food. They both froze, startled by his unexpected presence. Turning to each other with eyes rounded in embarrassment, each shifted their stance awkwardly, unsure how to proceed.
“Well, don’t let me interrupt you!” he scoffed. “You obviously seem to know what’s best for Deku,” he said, pointedly emphasizing the last syllable of his name.
“So sorry. We uh, didn’t know you were—”
“Whatever. As if I give a crap about what you nobody strangers think.” He shook his head and turned away from the pair, exhaling a deliberate puff through his nostrils. The customers began to back slowly away, retreating to their former aisle.
“Fucking extras,” he muttered not so quietly to himself.
“That was so embarrassing!” one of the women whispered.
“I told you he’s an asshole,” the other responded, exiting the store as quickly as possible with the basket of assorted items left behind.
Katsuki finalized his purchase. The cashier tried to refuse his payment, but he insisted, thrusting cash down to the table. “You know I’m going to pay. I don’t know why we go through this damn charade nearly everyday!” he asserted, his tone sharp and abrupt.
The cashier shrugged, seemingly taken aback by his brusk response. Ever since Dynamight responded to an active robbery, the shop owner held a particular fondness for the hero, continually attempting to refuse his payment in gratitude. Katsuki inhaled and closed his eyes for a brief moment. The words of Izuku’s text emerged in the back of his mind, You be nice today!
Katsuki loosened his stance. “Look, I’m sorry,” Katsuki reframed, attempting to soften his misplaced overreaction. “I’ll put these away.” He grabbed the small selection of snacks the women left behind and attempted to place them back on their corresponding shelf before the shopkeeper interrupted, grabbing the basket from his grasp, insisting he would take care of it.
After leaving the market, he finished the last short leg of his commute. His ‘headquarters’ were only a few blocks away. It felt more like an open warehouse space akin to a gym rather than a prestigious office many of the top pro heroes established.
The space was bright and open, neither overly large, nor cramped. The repurposed industrial flat still held the vestiges of its past, with brick wall cladding and large floor to ceiling windows that looked out onto a fenced gravel enclosure. It was the perfect set up for training, and he didn’t bother to fill the space with ornamentation.
There were two desks at one end of the room and a minimal kitchenette. A punching bag, installed by Kirishima when they established their partnership six months prior, stood in the corner along with a small collection of weights and kettlebells.
“The man of the hour!” Kirishima greeted Katsuki upon his entry. He shot a cutting glare in his direction and grunted as he moved quickly past.
“I came in early to help with the paperwork…But, I guess I could leave it all for you,” he teased.
Katsuki rolled his eyes and began disrobing from his costume, placing his gauntlets on their designated shelf, and removing his mask. He brought his food over to the small kitchenette and sat at a round table, trying to shed the tension from the earlier interaction.
“Also, I still have this contract I need to read for that product license. Maybe you can look over it too?” Kirishima asked with a pleading smile, placing a stack of papers in front of Katsuki.
Katsuki shoved the document to the side. “I told you to get a fucking lawyer. How am I supposed to know what your contract should say?” Navigating the legalities of sponsorships and product licensing was not an area he had specific experience with. He did not have any corporate sponsors. He had been approached by several brands over the years, though most had questionable reputations that did not pass his standards.
“Sooo…” Kirishima observed Katsuki, watching him mechanically eat his meal, chewing his pork with an absentminded rhythm, his eyes distant and unfocused.
“What? Why are you looking at me like that?” Katsuki erupted, after noting Kirishima’s leering presence.
“Uh. Sorry! Just trying to see if you're maybe…Are you doing ok?” Kirishima attempted to comfort. Katsuki’s eyes narrowed in response, accentuating the creases of his brow.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” he warned. He pushed his container forward and leaned back into his chair.
“You haven’t been on your socials at all, have you?” Kirishima prodded.
“I told you, I don’t want to talk about it!” Katsuki reiterated, folding his arms across his chest and looking upwards toward the ceiling. “But no. What’s the point?” he concluded.
“Yeah…that’s…good. There is no point in going down that rabbit hole,” Kirishima affirmed, seemingly withholding specific context.
Katsuki let out a subtle sigh and resumed his meal. “Don’t you have work to do or something?” Katsuki commented, hoping his dismissal would finally motivate him to move along.
“Okay, okay. I’ll leave you alone,” Kirishima relented, retrieving the stacked pile of legal papers and positioning himself at one of two desks on the opposite side of the room.
Katsuki finished his meal, and rinsed the container for disposal. You haven’t checked your socials…he replayed in his mind.
“Fuck it,” he whispered to himself and unlocked his screen, bracing himself as he navigated through his apps to be greeted immediately with the reposted Hero Watch article. He prepared himself and clicked into the comments:
so cute to see Dynamight and Deku! I’m such a sucker for a childhood friend love story! #dekumight 🧡💚
Dynamight and Deku are on FIRE 🔥!! Shoto pls halp! I need someone to come and cool me off! What do we call them? DynaDeku? DekuMight?
“DekuMight, fucking dumb name…” he mumbled lowly as he scanned through a number of posts, a mix of enthusiasm and questioning judgement.
He sighed and clicked into the #dekumight hashtag.
How is it that everyone is so excited about this Deku and Dynamight thing? Deku definitely deserves better! #dekumight #dekumightdobetter
What is with #dekumight? What happened to #dekuravity?! I thought they were so cute together! #bringthemback
Everyone needs to stop talking about how hot they are together. #dekumight is not hot! #dekumightdobetter #teamdekuravity
Why are all the pro heroes gay all of the sudden?! Makes me wonder…when more than HALF the graduates from U.A. are gay…something’s not adding up. Even DYNAMIGHT?! #dekumight #wtf
He grunted audibly and turned his screen to black, slapping his palm to the counter with force. Kirishima looked up from his work and shot Katsuki a concerned look. “Dude, you alright?” he called, instinctively leaving his paperwork aside to return to the kitchenette.
Katsuki grasped his hair, and his eyes squinted shut. “Fucking fine!” He pulled the chair back, the legs audibly scratching across the floor as he plopped down with a thud.
“You looked, didn’t you,” Kirishima confronted as he approached, drawing himself into the unoccupied chair.
“No comment. Which is more I can say for these dumbass extras. I honestly don’t understand why they care!” Katsuki vented.
“Yeah. It’s like they forget we are actually real people!” Kirishima validated.
“Two days ago, I literally had to explain who Deku was, and now it’s like they all remember sweet little boy savior Deku. It’s like I’m some villain out to destroy his innocence.” He shook his head and rested his temple on two outstretched fingers.
“And what is with DekuMight?” he continued. “That’s just the stupidest couple name. Makes it sound like Deku’s with All Might!” He winced as he spoke the words.
Kirishima stifled a poorly restrained laugh.
“I’m glad this is so funny to you!”
“Come on, dude. It’s a little funny. And, sometimes all you can do is laugh! Otherwise the weight is too much,” Kirishima explained. Katsuki huffed and returned his arms to cross his chest, shaking his head to dismiss his comfort.
“Look, there are always going to be shitty trolls,” Kirishima continued. “But these people, they don’t know you. They only see little glimpses of you, and it’s not enough to get a sense of who you really are. Eventually this will all die down, and they will move onto the next dumb gossip,” he tried to assure.
“Well…also. Some asshole made some homophobic comment. I don’t care about fuckers like that. I can handle it,” Katsuki paused, his eyes narrowed as he averted his gaze down toward the table. “I just…I don’t want Izuku to see those things. It’s not fair to him,” he confessed.
“It’s not fair to anyone!” Kirishima quickly affirmed. “Not Midoriya, not you. Not all the people who might stumble across that bull shit!” His eyes met Katsuki’s, and he observed a subtle softening of his expression. “Just know, no matter what gets thrown your way, you have people who will always stand at your side! And, we’ll make our voices as loud as necessary to drown out the nonsense,” Kirishima assured.
Katsuki’s lip twitched, almost extending into a smile. He was surprised by the comfort he felt from his words. If it was just him, he could handle it. He could bury the garbage slung his way. Hell, he knew he deserved some of it. But, the thought of Izuku being dragged through it alongside him, targeted for being authentic to himself, that was a line too far.
Katsuki’s phone buzzed. He exhaled. If it’s that damn hag again, he thought to himself. He sighed in relief to see it was from Izuku.
Deku: Thinking of you. Don’t forget that you are Great Explosion Murder God Dynamight! You got this. No matter what, you are MY #1 hero. Always. 🧡
He felt the tension in his body slowly release and his shoulders rounded into a relaxed posture. He immediately responded.
Me: such a sap!
Me: 💚
Deku: 💚🧡💚🧡
Me: too much…
Deku: you know you love it!
He couldn’t restrain a broad smile as he visualized Izuku hunched over his phone, somehow knowing exactly what he needed to hear. He did love it. He loved everything about that sentimental nerd.
————
The sunlight was dissipating as Katsuki peered through the large paneled glazing to observe the bright emerging leaves on the maple trees lining the street. He returned to his desk to continue his perusal of the contract Kirishima left behind. Despite his earlier protest, he was worried Kirishima’s overly trusting nature would result in a poorly considered agreement. A sentence jumped out to him and he underlined the passage:
Any conduct, behavior, or statements made by the Licensee that the Corporation deems detrimental to its brand, image, or business interests shall be grounds for termination of this Agreement. The Corporation reserves the right to unilaterally determine what constitutes a breach of this clause.
He circled the term unilaterally. It seemed excessive. It was probably a standard clause in these types of legal agreements, but was exactly why Katsuki avoided the whole endeavor. The thought of being beholden to the will of soulless corporations never appealed to him. He preferred to sacrifice the extra income than have to monitor all his actions to conform to what self-interested executives would deem ‘detrimental’ to their brand.
The sound of the heavy door opening and slamming shut suddenly shook Katsuki from his concentration, and he dropped the papers on the desk in an involuntary reaction. He looked up to find the unexpected form of Izuku approaching from across the room, wearing his gray suit and red tie. He removed his jacket and tossed his backpack on the floor by the door.
“Fuck, Zuku! You startled the shit out of me. What are you doing here?” Katsuki called out.
“Nice to see you too?” Izuku responded, now at Katsuki’s side, thumbing over the papers strewn across the desk.
“Well, when you sneak up like that! I didn’t know you were coming by,” Katsuki explained.
“I left work a little early and thought maybe I’d surprise you? I didn’t mean to literally scare you though!” he apologized.
“Scared? Tch. Who said anything about being scared?” Katsuki, rolled back his chair and lifted himself to meet Izuku at eye level, drawing him into a brief yet sensuous kiss. Izuku lifted himself to sit on the desk facing Katsuki.
“You really think these damn puppy dog eyes can scare me that easily?” Katsuki scoffed, grabbing his chin, and playfully releasing it with flair. Izuku shook his head with a smile and shoved Katsuki’s shoulder in response.
“Your day? Okay?” Izuku asked, reaching for Katsuki’s hand and gently traversing each knuckle with his fingers. Katsuki only grunted in response.
“That bad, huh?” Izuku concluded.
Katsuki brought his palm to Izuku’s cheek. His thumb grazed across his prominent scar as he returned to his parted lips. “It’s getting better,” he assured as he released from their embrace, noticing a softening beneath his touch.
“Your day?” Katsuki returned.
“Surprisingly, not so bad? I guess the worst was having to look into Aizawa’s stoic eyes as he said, ‘And this is why I prefer solitude.’ Isn’t that a little depressing? To be so closed off just to avoid any attention?” Izuku pondered.
“Seems exactly what I’d expect from him,” Katsuki replied with a shrug. “But those dumb teenagers? They didn’t give you shit?”
“It was a little awkward at first. I’m not going to lie,” Izuku confessed. “But I was able to keep it together, and we moved on. They had enough on their minds once we got into hero naming.”
Izuku was still seated on the desk with Katsuki pressed against his waist, hands positioned on his thighs. “Well, they are lucky they have you, Deku Sensei,” he said, grasping his tie and pulling him slightly forward as he untangled the knot to free him from the constriction. He thought it was cute the way Izuku dressed for work, formal like All Might.
“You know how I feel when you call me that!” Izuku blushed and turned his gaze downward, fidgeting with the tie that lay in a sinuous pile next to him.
“I don’t know why it bothers you? It’s just an accurate descriptor,” Katsuki reasoned.
“You know it makes me feel like a creepy school teacher...especially when you look at me that way!”
Katsuki shook his head with the corner of his lips lifted into a half smile. He ran his fingers through his hair as he continued. “Relax, nerd. I’m just messing with you. Did they come up with good names?”
“Yeah! Or, at least I think a lot of them felt good about it at the end,” Izuku shared.
“Well, they should be grateful they weren’t stuck with Aizawa for that assignment. He was totally useless.”
Useless. He felt a pinching in his chest after blurting the word without thought. He fell silent and pulled slightly away from Izuku’s body, directing his attention towards the wooden floor boards. “Deku?” he softly called.
Izuku looked toward him, his forehead creased in confusion as he awaited his continuation.
“I uh. I never said sorry,” he expressed.
Izuku’s perplexed expression remained. “For what?” he asked, still unsure what was driving this sudden tonal shift.
“The day we were supposed to choose our hero names. I was such an ass to you…” Katsuki explained.
Izuku softened as he finally recognized the context for his apparent guilt. “Kacchan, that was so long ago!” he tried to assure.
“But…it doesn’t change the fact. I was not good to you,” Katsuki reasoned. He spun around and plopped into his desk chair, placing an elbow on the armrest to support his tilted head.
“I know. But, you were obviously working through some stuff. I’m not mad—”
“Izuku! Don’t defend my shitty behavior,” Katsuki interrupted, lifting his head from his outstretched fingertips. “I know it wasn’t right. I wasn’t right.” he swiveled his chair to face the window, observing the hastening darkness as the sun dipped beyond the horizon. “That’s all I’m trying to say. I was a piece of shit back then…I’m just…sorry, alright!” he said, nearly shouting.
“Hey. It’s okay.” Izuku lifted himself from the desk and approached Katsuki from behind, placing his arms around his neck. “Is this about the past…or…maybe the commenters?” he asked, placing his chin atop his head.
Katsuki’s eyes shifted back and forth, and he exhaled an audible breath.
“I saw online what the people are saying,” Izuku admitted. “But you know it’s not how I feel! I don’t know why they need to drag Ochako into this. You know I only see you her as a friend now,” Izuku reassured.
“I’m not jealous of Ochako…it’s just. I don’t know.” He folded his arms across his chest.
Izuku forcibly spun the chair around to face Katsuki directly. “You can’t take these people seriously. I mean they are dumb enough to call us DekuMight! It makes it sound like I’m with All Might? So stupid!”
“That’s what I said! Fucking idiots.” He rolled his eyes and shifted his gaze to the side.
“Please don’t let them get to you,” Izuku pleaded, grabbing his hand.
“Tch. I don’t care about what they think. It’s just. They aren’t totally wrong…that you could do better…” he jolted his hand away from Izuku’s and brought it up to tug at his hair.
“Kacchan. They are 100% wrong! They don’t know you like I do. They just see the clips of you out of context.”
Katsuki remained distant, still averting his eyes from Izuku, unconvinced by his attempted comfort.
“Okay,” Izuku relented. “Your younger self really didn’t make it easy for you now. I swear people still to this day hold onto the sports festival image of you, as if that’s the only thing that defines you.”
“Zuku, if you're trying to be reassuring…” Katsuki dismissed.
“Kacchan, I know you’re not ever going to be some cliche romance novel fantasy hero,” Izuku recognized. “But, that’s not the person I fell in love with. I fell in love with someone fierce. Someone not afraid to speak his mind,” he moved in to narrow the distance between them. “Someone bold, a little brash,” he continued, retaking his palm in his own. “But you show me all the time in big and small ways that you care. I feel safe with you. I see all the moments when you’re genuinely kind to me,” he finished.
Katsuki allowed his gaze to meet Izuku’s. “I hate that they are even focusing on this. If the media wants to focus on you, I feel like it should be because you saved the world from total collapse!” he grunted with an exacerbated sigh. “I hate that it’s been years since they wrote an article about you, and then it’s this dumb nonsense. When it’s tied to ‘The Number Ten Hero.’ Fucking Hero Watch didn’t even include your name in their dumb headline,” he grumbled, his growing frustration ever more visibly apparent.
“Kacchan, I don’t care about that! Of course you're more famous. You’re one of the top ten ranked heroes”
“Tch. Barely,” he scoffed.
“Well, even so. That holds a lot of weight. Plus, the media loves gossip more than substance,” Izuku reminded, his thumb still stroking the limp palm within his grasp.
“How come this isn’t bothering you more?” Katsuki questioned, letting his eyes close for a brief moment.
“Well. I am bothered!” Izuku corrected. “I’m bothered that they make you out to be someone you're not. And, I’m bothered that I didn’t have to dig too far to be confronted with small minded people that still somehow want to deny that queer people exist.”
Katsuki suddenly returned his distant gaze toward Izuku. He shifted in his seat before continuing. “You uh. You saw some of that stuff?” He asked. “I didn’t want you to see that…”
“Well, with these stupid conspiracy theories that try to link the rise in quirks to the ‘moral decay’ of society, I didn’t have to scroll too long,” Izuku explained.
“Fucking nut jobs. I didn’t want you to see that sort of thing,” Katsuki shook his head vigorously.
“Well I don’t want you to have to see that sort of thing either!” Izuku asserted. “You would think after centuries, people would finally get over it. I just think of little Kacchan, not wanting to be gay, because of these backwards beliefs.” Izuku brought his hand to Katsuki’s forehead, and gently traced his hairline.
“Izuku?” Katsuki tentatively interjected. He nodded, affirming his emotional safety, his eyes soft and encouraging.“I’m…sorry. When we were kids…I didn’t know how to process that. I’m sorry I took it out on you.” His breathing deepened.
“Kacchan, you don’t have to keep apologizing for—”
“Izuku, I do,” he interrupted. “And, I will continue to apologize. Because…well…you do deserve better. And the fucking trolls weren’t wrong about that,” he huffed.
“I wish I could hug little Kacchan right now,” Izuku confessed, his brow drawn closely together.
“Why? He’d just push you away…” Katsuki rejected.
Izuku ignored his dismissal and drew him into his waist. Katsuki exhaled, and reluctantly brought his arms around Izuku’s lower back. After a moment, he let himself fully release into his embrace. The tension began to dissipate as Izuku rubbed the back of his head. “It’s okay, Kacchan. You're safe right now,” Izuku comforted.
Katsuki wasn’t sure why he needed to hear that, but his words only motivated him to lean in deeper, drawing his arms tighter around Izuku’s waist.
“If I could take it back, Izuku,” he muttered against his abdomen, his voice muffled against his body.
“I know, Kacchan,” Izuku reassured. He broke himself free from Katsuki’s grasp and knelt to the ground, meeting Katsuki at his level. Katsuki looked away.
“Hey,” Izuku gently turned his cheek toward him and observed his reddened eyes struggling to hold back a well of tears. “It’s okay, Kacchan. You can cry if you need to,” he affirmed.
“I’m not,” he halted and swallowed, attempting to restrain himself as best as possible. “I’m not…crying,” he managed to utter as a tear escaped, rolling across his cheek to meet his chin. He was crying, and he wasn’t sure why, now unable to hold back a steady trickle of tears.
Izuku brought his hands to his cheeks and briefly kissed his salt tinged lips before directing his head to his shoulder. Katsuki let out several stifled sobs before inhaling deeply to regain his composure. He rested on his shoulder until he felt the swell of emotion pass. Noticing a calming in his body, Izuku pulled away from Katsuki, wiping the tears from his face.
“Come here,” he whispered and directed him out of the chair, rolling it aside as Katsuki joined him on the floor. Izuku positioned his back against the desk, and he guided Katsuki toward him. He twisted around and slumped backward onto Izuku’s chest, seated between his legs.
“I uh. I don’t know why. It’s dumb,” Katsuki said, forcefully wiping his face free of the remaining dampness.
“Kacchan. It’s okay. To be sad. To be frustrated. But, you don’t have to carry the weight of your past forever,” he rubbed his hands across Katsuki’s chest. “I’m not excusing it. This is your teacher. I have seen how you have grown.”
Katsuki stared forward, following the gentle rhythm of Izuku’s breath. Izuku continued to rub his chest, and after a moment Katsuki reached to grasp his forearm, tracing his skin with his thumb. They continued to sit in silence, Katsuki wrapped like a blanket in the warmth of Izuku’s embrace.
The evening light had now shifted, and the yellow glow of the adjacent building windows stood out in contrast to the dusk sky. “I meant everything I said before,” Izuku eventually interrupted. “I don't care what anyone says. Or what you think you don’t deserve. I’m happy with you,” he assured.
Katsuki smiled slightly, and squeezed Izuku’s wrist in acknowledgement. He briefly chuckled to himself. “DekuMight,” he mumbled, shaking his head as a growing laughter began to emerge. “So stupid.”
Izuku, now joining his laughter, drew Katsuki deeper into his arms. “DekuMight!” Izuku reiterated between giggles. “I hate it!” he howelled. His cheeks flushed and they both continued an unrestrained laughter. “Hashtag,” Katsuki chuckled. “Deku Might Do Better—”
“Hashtag,” Izuku quickly interrupted. “Deku Might Do Exactly What He Pleases!” he reframed. Their laughter started to subside. “Hashtag, Deku Might Not Care What Anyone Thinks,” he continued. “Hashtag, Deku Might Be Stupidly In Love.”
Katsuki leaned further backward, tilting his head with his cheek pressed against Izuku’s. “Deku, I’ve loved you my whole goddamn life. You know that, right?”
“I know, Kacchan,” his affirmation was gentle and assuring as he brought his hand to Katsuki’s, guiding his fingers between his own. Izuku felt as though they could sit like this forever, even as his legs began to tingle from the weight of Katsuki’s body and the hard floor beneath him. Katsuki started to shift, attempting to reposition himself out of their impromptu floor embrace.
“Wait,” Izuku whispered and pulled Katsuki back in place. “Just sit with me for another minute,” he pleaded. Katsuki released himself into the request.
They lingered for a few more moments before Katsuki lifted himself away from the floor, lending a hand to pull Izuku to his feet. He kissed him, his lips softer and more restrained than usual. Katsuki brought his hands to Izuku’s waist and rested for a moment in the palpable swell of his gaze.
“Hashtag,” Katsuki interrupted with a subtle smile. “Deku Might Mean Everything To Me.”
Izuku leaned into Katsuki with a wistful expression, savoring as he pulled him into a sensuous kiss. He pulled back from his lips, the corners of his eyes creased with enthusiasm. “Hashtag,” Izuku reiterated. “Deku Might Make Kacchan A Sentimental Sap!” he teased, pressing his forehead to Katsuki’s.
“Hashtag!” Katsuki responded with a smirk. “Deku Might Be A Little Shit!” he said as he playfully ruffled Izuku’s hair.
Izuku returned the gesture, and lightly shoved his head as he continued. “Hashtag! Deku Might Know You Love It!”
Katsuki rolled his eyes, but could not repress the uninhibited grin that snuck across his lips. His nose grazed Izuku’s, with his head still resting at Izuku’s brow. He could not deny the truth of his words.
“Alright Deku,” Katsuki eventually interjected after a moment of silence. “Are you ready to face the world again?”
“I’m ready, Kacchan. Even if the world isn’t.”
Katsuki released Izuku from his arms to prepare themselves for their commute. They began to gather their belongings, Izuku collecting his backpack and jacket left by the entry. They were ready.
Izuku and Katsuki stepped out into the darkened streetscape, no tentative glances to ensure their privacy, shedding their restraint at the door. Katsuki grasped Izuku’s hand in his palm, despite the slow trickle of pedestrians meandering along the adjacent sidewalk. They noticed a man with a camera in the distance.
“Figures,” Katsuki scoffed, but kept his fingers interlaced with Izuku’s. “Come on, nerd. Let’s go home.” He nudged Izuku’s shoulder with a smirk. “I’ve got plans for you.”