Chapter Text
Denki wakes up with his face stuffed in Izuku's mint-scented hair. Not a bad start to the day.
Izuku's on top of him, still dozing, and Katsuki's on the side holding them both. Denki kind of wants to stay like this forever, but unfortunately, Denki knows that Katsuki and Izuku would both be upset if they slept through morning training.
"'Zuku," Denki croons, rubbing the sleeping boy's back. "Wouldn't want to miss training, would you?"
Izuku stirs, cracks one eye open blearily, and then proceeds to squeeze his eyes shut and cuddle Denki even harder. "Don't wanna, 's my rest day."
"If you say so," Denki shrugs. "Kats?"
Katsuki looks half-awake and irritated. "You want us out of your bed that bad? Fuck, just say you hate us."
Denki laughs at Katsuki's comment, deciding not to overlook how sincere he sounds. "Right, I'd totally be cuddling you bitches if I hated you. Not to mention the stuff we did to each other last night..."
"Yeah, well, you were fucking that purple-haired motherfucker and now you guys can barely look at each other."
Denki stiffens and the room goes quiet. He gets a sudden urge to flee the scene. Izuku doesn't say anything, and it's definitely not because he'd fallen back asleep, because his eyes are wide open.
"I don't even know what you're accusing me of right now," Denki says slowly, trying not to show his hurt.
"I just feel like that's relevant information when you've done all the shit we've done with another guy who's pretty much in our fucking class," Katsuki bites. "Is this just some thing you do? Get guys to—"
"You came on to me," Denki reminds him quietly, but he feels a little like he has heartburn even though he's just woken up. He needs to leave, he needs to—
"Don't you think I have a right to know why exactly Shinsou decided you weren't worth the hassle?"
"Kacchan!" Izuku says, looking horrified.
"Shit—Denki, that's not what I—hey—"
Denki stands up suddenly and walks out.
-
He finds himself outside, still in his pajamas and sitting on a bench that overlooks a koi pond. It's a pretty view, but Denki can't bring himself to fully appreciate it.
Alternating between sharp pain and numbness, Denki tries to put his exchange with Katsuki out of his mind. But he can't forget what Katsuki had asked him last.
It opened up old wounds, making Denki relive the hurt and embarrassment of Shinsou not returning his feelings even though they were fucking multiple times a week. Maybe Denki should've used his head more when Katsuki first propositioned him, but his judgment had been clouded by shock and arousal.
Denki thinks it would be very difficult not to be on speaking terms with Katsuki. The very thought makes him cry a little—and Denki isn't a habitual cryer. But Denki's pulled out of his thoughts by a sudden voice.
"Morning, Kaminari. Nice day for a stroll, don't you think?" It's Present Mic. Denki proceeds to burst into tears. "Oh."
Denki covers his face with both hands. "Ugh, this is so em-embarrassing," he whimpers and sniffles miserably. "Just do me a favor and forget you ever saw me, sensei."
"I'd never do that," Present Mic says kindly. "I'm going to take a break from my walk right here on this bench if you decide you want to talk."
"But—but my issue is kind of—inappropriate—"
"Try me."
"Okay... I started hooking up with Bakugou." Denki lifts his head and surveys Present Mic's attentive and carefully blank expression. He decides to keep talking. "And then yesterday, Midoriya joined us."
Now, Mic's eyebrows shoot up curiously. "The more the merrier?"
"Well... I guess the problem is that it didn't come out until last night that Shinsou and I used to hook up first year."
"... You mean my adoptive son, Hitoshi."
"That's the one." Denki wants to crawl into a hole and never come out, but he shoulders through. "And now, Katsuki's mad that I didn't tell him that it was Shinsou, or why things ended between us, because he feels like I owe him that information or something."
Present Mic is quiet for a few seconds. "I was in a similar situation, once upon a time. But love tends to work itself out, my boy. Just try to be open with your feelings from now on so that everyone's on the same page."
Love? Denki isn't in love with—... But he suddenly envisions Katsuki and Izuku cuddling him on the bed, remembers the domesticity of brushing his teeth in front of Katsuki and eating his pancakes, and—
"Shit," Denki says, eyes wide. "I'm in love with Katsuki and Izuku. Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck fuck—"
"Is that such a bad thing, though?" Present Mic muses. Denki finds it in him to be glad he's ignoring the bad language. "Before Shota and I, it was the two of us and Oboro. I miss it sometimes... Don't let miscommunication ruin a beautiful thing, Kaminari."
Denki wraps his arms around himself in an attempt at self-comfort. "Thanks for the advice, sensei."
"I hope everything works out, kid. I'm always here if you want to talk." With that, Hizashi claps Denki on the back and resumes his morning stroll.
-
After Denki had run out, Izuku really laid into Katsuki as best he could.
"Kacchan, why would you say that to him? Oh my God, he looked so hurt—" Izuku rambles, his face in his hands.
Katsuki's turned uncharacteristically quiet. "... Yeah, yeah, I just fuck up everything good going on in my life. You should be used to it by now, Deku."
Izuku feels a pang in his heart when he sees tears brimming in Katsuki's eyes. "Oh, baby, come here." He opens up his arms in invitation and Katsuki looks at him doubtfully before snuggling up.
He hears a little sniffle. "D-don't be nice to me, 'Zuku."
"You can fix this, Kacchan," Izuku murmurs. "Kacchan can do anything."
"Yeah—everything except tell the little shit I'm in love with him."
They both freeze.
"I—," Katsuki chokes out, "I didn't mean—"
"He loves you, too," Izuku says with a watery smile. "I just know he does."
Katsuki goes quiet. "How could he? I'm—I'm me, I don't even know how to be a good friend, much less a boy—..."
"Oh, Kacchan," Izuku whispers, pressing his forehead to Katsuki's. "You're my symbol of victory. If you put your mind to it, you can do anything. That's how it's always been since we were kids."
"Izuku..." Katsuki says quietly. "I don't deserve you. Either of you."
Izuku kisses him softly, chaste, and pulls them both back into bed—Denki's bed. "Yes, you do. The only thing we're missing is..."
"God, I'm such a fuck-up," Katsuki groans, rubbing away new tears springing to his eyes. Izuku helps him.
"We'll fix this. But first, let's just give him a little space to calm down. I think he'd appreciate it."
"If you say so. Should we move to my room, then?"
"Okay, Kacchan."
-
When Denki gets back to his room, Katsuki and Izuku are nowhere to be found. He's slightly relieved, yet bitter they didn't stick around.
Denki considers Present Mic's advice; he needs to be more upfront with his feelings, but what if Katsuki wants to end things? What then? It's not like Denki can beg him to stay. And it's not like Katsuki's a feelings guy.
He just hopes the whole thing will blow over. He'd hate not to be on speaking terms with two of his best friends.
-
Katsuki and Izuku are cuddling in broad daylight on the couch.
Repeat: Katsuki and Izuku are cuddling in broad daylight on the couch.
Denki nearly pops a blood vessel when he first sees them. It makes him even angrier when he hears their friends commenting on it, wondering if they'd gotten together after last night.
"Hey, man. You okay?" Eijirou asks when they're both in the kitchen, meal-prepping for the upcoming school week.
Denki forces a smile. "Uh—yeah? Why wouldn't I be?"
"... Okay, that's chill," Eijirou resumes cutting his carrots into matchsticks. He's seemingly trying to make kimbap, if Denki were to guess from all the ingredients laid out on the counter. "You know you can tell me anything, right?"
"I appreciate it, man, but there's nothing to tell," Denki lies easily. "Good luck cooking."
He leaves the kitchen and proceeds to run directly into Katsuki's firm, built chest. Talk about rotten luck.
"Denki—," Katsuki starts, but Denki's already cutting him off.
"If you were going to apologize, don't bother. I can tell you meant what you said," Denki says, trying to seem as aloof as humanly possible.
"Just hear him out, Denki," Izuku pleads, but Denki can't hear past Katsuki's big hand on Izuku's waist. Katsuki never did anything public with Denki before that game of truth or dare, but apparently, Izuku's so much more special to him that he deserves more.
That makes Denki bitter. "Katsuki, we're done. Leave me the fuck alone."
Katsuki takes a step back in shock. "Wait, what?"
Denki laughs humorlessly. "You thought I had so little self-respect that I'd keep fucking you even after you said that shit to me? Really on brand for you, dude."
"Denki, can you just fucking hear me out?" Katsuki says loudly, with a glint of panic in his eyes. "I never meant it like that—!"
"You did. And, yeah, maybe I should've told you why Shinsou 'decided I wasn't worth the hassle,' but sue me for not wanting to tell you that I caught feelings for the guy and I was too annoying for him to like me back! Wasn't something I wanted to broadcast. Now, leave me the fuck alone—both of you." Denki directs a poisonous glare at a crying Izuku, too, and the shorter boy flinches. Now, Denki feels even more like a villain, but he can't take his words back.
"... Okay," Katsuki says, sounding defeated. Denki doesn't think he's ever heard Katsuki sound quite like that. "I'm—sorry. We'll give you space... Thanks—thanks for everything." Katsuki tugs Izuku away, presumably towards his room, and Denki starts to break down.
Fuck.
-
Denki can't bring himself to go to class the next day. He fakes a fever, calls in sick, and rots in bed all day on his phone.
When classes are over and his classmates are back in the dorms, Denki happens to overhear a conversation between Uraraka and Iida going on outside his door.
"Tenya, I can't believe Izu and Bakugou are dating now! Izu's been in love with him since forever," Uraraka gushes. Denki's stomach turns inside out.
"Yeah, I'm happy for them. But I'm a little surprised that they're being so open about—I didn't think Bakugou was that kind of guy."
"Oh, I thought he'd be. He's so protective over his things that I think it makes sense that he's staking his claim so publicly."
"They really suit each other, don't they?"
Denki claps his hands over his ears to not get his feelings trampled on even more. He really does have rotten luck.
-
Over the next few days, things get so bad that Denki decides to text Shinsou for an outlet.
2:05 AM
hey
you up?
yeah
you okay?
yeah i'm chilling hbu
same
so
what's up
was wondering if you maybe
wanting to start fucking again
..
thought you were fucking bakugou and izuku
not anymore
why not
i don't want to talk about it
okay that's cool
but i'm actually exclusive with someone now
sorry
Denki nearly throws his phone.
oh chill
who
if you don't mind me asking
hanta
we've been dating for a few months actually
good for you
come to think of it ofc you two would vibe
yeah
i love him a lot
Denki starts to cry again. He thinks he hasn't cried this much in his whole life, ever... not even during the war. He chalks it up to hormones.
He leaves Shinsou on read, even though it's rude. He's never felt this lonely.
Denki curls up in bed and clutches his pillow to his chest and pretends that it's Izuku. He pretends the wall that's up against his back is Katsuki.
Feeling absolutely pathetic, he drifts off.