I Write Bakudeku

Katsuki sighed, collecting his things and trailing out of the classroom, one of the last students to leave, and he couldn’t help the frown worming its way onto his face: not his usual scowl, but an actual, sad frown. When had he gotten so attached to Izuku that a week without his company made him genuinely sad? And why the hell did it hurt to be rejected by him even more than it hurt to be ignored? It wasn’t like Katsuki had bared his feelings to him or something, he’d literally just asked if he wanted to study together, and yet Izuku’s ‘no’ hurt just as bad as if Katsuki had been asking him to be his boyfriend – which, granted, he would never, ever do, even if he maybe wanted to, just a little – but, still! It was ridiculous!

Feeling that his cheeks had started to warm from all the embarrassing thoughts he was having, Katsuki shook his head, forced Izuku’s stupid, adorable face from his mind, and rushed back to his room. Even if Izuku didn’t want to study with him, he still had to study. He couldn’t get behind on his classes just because one dumb nerd was playing games with his heart.

---

Around six o’clock, Katsuki’s phone buzzed where it lay face-down on the desk, altering him to a text. Huffing out a sigh of annoyance, he reached for it and flipped it around to see who it was from, but that breath was immediately stolen from him when he realized it was Izuku. He instantly rushed to unlock his phone and read the text, eyes scanning quickly over the words.

Hey Kacchan, sorry about earlier. Do you want to grab dinner together?

“What the…?” Katuski whispered, brows furrowing. They’d never eaten together before, so it was a weird thing for Izuku to suggest to make up for turning down studying, but Katsuki couldn’t deny the way the offer made his cheeks flush and heart flutter in his chest. He pushed down the feeling, though, reminding himself that there was no way Izuku meant it like that.

Sure, he answered.

Okay great! I’ll meet you outside, Izuku responded after just a few seconds. He must have been hovering over his phone, waiting for Katsuki to respond. Katsuki refused to think about why he found that image endearing, and merely put on his shoes and jacket, locked up his room, and started down the stairs.

The common room was quiet that evening, and the silence gave Katsuki a moment's pause to wonder again why it was Izuku was inviting him to dinner like this. It was doubly strange that he asked him to meet outside when he could have just as easily come by his room or waited in the common area, or if he wasn’t at the dorms when he texted, they could have just met at the cafeteria.

He was so lost in his thoughts that when he pushed open the doors and hopped down the steps, he didn’t register the sight of Izuku until he was a few feet away and, looking up with a start, froze in his tracks. Izuku wasn’t wearing his usual baggy t-shirt and gym shorts, but an actually nice outfit, one Katsuki would have never even guessed the nerd owned before he saw it on him, but even more alarming than that was the fact that he was holding a bouquet of flowers in one hand: a combination of orange tulips, pale peach roses, and little purple flowers here and there to fill it out. His face paled, eyes going wide, and then he felt a rush of warmth and color fill his cheeks, his neck and shoulders, even his ears as he realized what it had to mean.

“D-Deku?” he stuttered out, taking a few steps back.

“Ah, Kacchan, I didn’t mean to startle you. Are you alright?” Izuku asked.

“F-fucking fine…” he muttered. “What’s with the flowers?”

“Oh! Right, sorry! I was gonna… but then you looked like you were gonna faint so I got worried, and–”

“I’m not gonna fucking faint!” Katsuki yelled. “Just explain what the hell is going on!”

“Right, right! Sorry!” Izuku chuckled, and then held out the bouquet, bowing his head slightly to Katsuki. “These are for you! I, um, I really like you, Kacchan, and if you feel the same way, I’d really like to go out with you!”

“Wh-what!?” Katsuki took another step back, his cheeks so warm at that point, he wouldn’t be surprised if his whole face was red. “B-but you, but I… that’s not…”

“Oh, um, I understand if you don’t feel the same way–” Izuku straightened back up, looking disheartened at Katsuki’s reaction, and Katsuki realized he was giving the wrong message with his confused blubbering.

“Fuck that! Of course I fucking like you!” he yelped, interrupting Izuku.

“Oh! Really?” Izuku perked back up.

“Yes, you idiot, I wouldn’t lie,” Katsuki admitted. “But you–why the hell do you like me? And isn’t this a little out of the blue? I thought you were…” he paused, biting his lip as his embarrassment started to catch up to him.

“Though I was what?” Izuku took a step forward, concern written all over his face.

“You didn’t even… talk to me all week. I thought you were done with me. I thought you didn’t want to be my friend anymore…” Katsuki whispered out his answer.

“Oh, no! I’m sorry Kacchan. I didn’t mean to, I just… I was starting to get really overwhelmed by my feelings for you, so I needed a little time to sort out exactly how I felt and what I wanted to do about it,” Izuku explained, then started to chuckle as he added: “And, well, at the end of it I decided I wanted to ask you out. Like… really wanted to ask you out. So I did!”

“Shit,” Katsuki blinked a few times, the reality of Izuku’s feelings for him finally setting in. He liked him back; his feelings were returned.

“Um, well, so I guess you do like me then? But you still haven’t answered about going out with me,” Izuku pointed out.

“Yes, obviously!” Katsuki clicked his tongue. “And gimme those damn flowers!” he snatched the bouquet out of Izuku’s hands, mumbling something about being surprised that Izuku actually picked out a nice one.

“Aww, I’m glad you like them,” Izuku said, rubbing a hand behind his neck. “Do you want to put them inside, and then we can go to dinner?”

“Why can’t I bring ‘em?” Katsuki asked.

“Uh, well… it’d be a little awkward on the bus and in the restaurant–”

“Restaurant!?” Katsuki cut him off.

“Oh! Yeah, I guess I forgot to mention. I got a reservation in town, just in case you said yes,” Izuku explained.

“Shit, you meant go on a date right now,” Katsuki realized aloud.

“Yeah! Well, I did invite you to dinner, didn’t I?” Izuku giggled.

“I’ll be back in five minutes! I need to change: I’m not going out with you dressed nicer than me,” Katsuki said, already rushing back inside.

“O-okay! Be quick! We don’t want to be late!” Izuku called out after him.

Katsuki left the flowers on his dresser, quickly slapping on a pair of black slacks and a nice button down, and ran back downstairs as quickly as he could.

“That was fast,” Izuku said, smiling at him as soon as he got outside again.

“I’m not gonna be fucking late for our first date,” Katsuki scoffed.

“Good. We’ve got a bus to catch.” Izuku held out his hand, and though he hesitated for a moment, still getting used to the idea that Izuku actually wanted to do things with him like hold hands, he eagerly clasped it in his own and let himself be guided away towards the street. Izuku started to tell him about the restaurant then, and thought he was listening, his mind was also reeling from the shock of the whole situation.

The other reason he suffered every day, though, was that the prince had a nasty habit of breaking rules and doing stupid things that put himself in danger, forcing Katsuki to constantly have to chase after him, go looking for him, and when he caught him, reprimand him for his foolish behaviour. Sometimes he theorized that Izuku only did it because he liked the attention or because he was bored, since somehow he knew well enough which things would be truly dangerous to do, and which things would verge on danger without truly presenting any consequences, and only went for the latter option. Thus, Katsuki had no choice but to let it go in the end, and Izuku never learned his lesson.

Frankly, Katsuki was getting tired of that. Partly because it made his job that much harder, and partly because Izuku’s recent string of escapes grated on his nerves for a far less noble reason.

Izuku had been sneaking from his room at night, tying his sheets together and using them to repel from his balcony and sneaking off to who knows where.

Katsuki, not allowed to actually wait up in the prince’s bedchamber for the sake of privacy, sat up and listened each night for sounds of movement just out in the hall, but somehow Izuku always evaded him, either being so quiet that he didn’t catch him, or perfectly timing his escapes to the moments when Katsuki inevitably drifted off. This left Katsuki restless from waiting up all night trying to catch the prince in the act, and annoyed because he could only guess there was one cause the prince had for stealing away each night; he must have a lover that he’s sneaking off to see.

Thus, Katsuki was also struggling between being genuinely frustrated with the prince’s lack of sense of personal safety, and being unfairly jealous that Izuku was visiting someone else in the night, leaving Katsuki to pine hopelessly for him without any chance of requitement in sight.

That very night, the prince had managed an escape again, and Katsuki had only realized it because it was windy outside and he heard the open panes of the window swinging out and hitting the wall. Alarmed by the noise, he’d entered the prince’s bedchambers to check on him, and found his bed empty and stripped. Enraged but completely unsurprised, he went to the open window and saw the usual rope of bed sheets hanging down, tried to one of the metal posts on the balcony’s railing. Katsuki groaned and ran a hand over his face. Why was this his fate: to endlessly and fruitlessly try to reign in the most foolish prince that ever lived?

Sighing, he pulled up the chair from the prince’s desk and took a seat next to the open window with his arms crossed. He’d pull up the bedsheets and close the window to force Izuku to find another way back into the palace just to teach him a lesson if that didn’t mean endangering the prince more, so instead he was forced to leave the evidence of his escape untouched and simply wait for him to return. He’d asked about getting locks for the windows when confiscating the key to the balcony door proved useless in stopping Izuku’s escapades, but somehow no one else quite took the prince’s safety as seriously as he did, and so his requests never came to fruition, and Izuku happily slid out through his window each chance he got.

And for what? Katsuki shut his eyes, rolling his head to the side as painful images of the prince in revelry with his secret lover at that very moment flashed through his mind. Katsuki hated that he didn’t even know who it was. He spent nearly every second of the day with the prince, and yet somehow he had missed that crucial moment; he hadn’t seen it when he fell in love.

He heard footfalls from below then, and straightened back up. The prince was returning, and he had to prepare his usual reprimands. Would he be harsh today, angry? Or disappointed, try to guilt trip him? He wasn’t sure he could manage anything so nuanced with the fiery rage of jealousy coursing through his veins, so when he heard the usual groans of effort that meant Izuku was climbing back up towards the balcony, he decided he’d just wing it, and say whatever came to mind, since his mind was already so focused on chastising the foolish prince anyways.

Outside, he heard Izuku haul himself back up onto the balcony, his feet hitting the stone and tired breath panting out. Katsuki gulped, keeping himself as quiet as possible as he listened to the prince gather up his bedsheets, toss them through the window, and then start to clamber through it himself. Katsuki sat waiting in the darkness for the perfect moment to reveal himself, when Izuku’s feet touched down right where he’d left the pile of bedsheets on the sleek, wooden floor, and as soon as he let go of the windowsill, he yelped and began to topple over, his foot slipping out from under himself.

“Izuku!” Katsuki yelled, instinctively sanding up and reaching out to stabilize him. He grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him into his chest, and Izuku gasped and froze up, his back flush to Katsuki’s front.

“K-Kacchan!” Izuku stuttered out his nickname, and Katsuki gulped, heat rising to his cheeks at their closeness, but instead of letting go, he wrapped his arms tighter around his prince, trying to be protective, although somewhere, pushed deep to the back of his mind he knew he was just being possessive.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Katsuki asked, growling right into the prince’s ear. Izuku shivered in his grasp, and Katsuki couldn’t help the satisfied smirk that rose on his lips.

“I-I… I tripped?” Izuku squeaked out.

“Ha! Nice try, but you know that’s not what I’m talking about,” Katsuki laughed, finally releasing the prince so he could slam the window shut and keep the cold breeze from chilling the room any further.

“How many times do I have to tell you to stay in your room at night?”

Izuku smiled at those words he’d heard a million times before, and Katsuki ground his teeth together. The prince thought this was some kind of game, didn’t he?

“I don’t know. As many times as it takes, I suppose,” he giggled.

“But you never listen! You never, ever just-just…!” Katuski huffed, the words getting stuck in his throat he was so frustrated.

“Do as I’m told?” Izuku finished for him with the cutest little tilt to his head.

“Ugh!” Katsuki threw his hands over his eyes. That was the other problem: it was so hard to be angry with him when he was so adorable all the time. He must have got away with everything as a tiny tot with those big ol’ doe eyes, and now he was still just as spoiled.

“Don’t worry Kacchan, nothing happened. I’m totally fine! See?” Izuku said, reaching out to take one of Katsuki’s hands and put it over his heart so his guard could feel that it was still beating. Katsuki felt his cheeks flush, feeling the prince's pulse under his skin for longer than was probably necessary, but then he ripped his hand away and averted his eyes.

“I can tell that much, obviously,” he scoffed. In the corner of his eyes, he could see Izuku’s smile falter slightly.

“Well, is that all, then? Or are you going to give me a time-out, too?” Izuku joked, though there wasn’t much heart in it. Katsuki turned to him with one eyebrow raised, and Izuku shifted from one foot to the other, eyes flitting away and a blush on his cheeks if Katsuku’s eyes were seeing right even in the dark room.

“What, do you like it when I reprimand you?” Katsuki asked, mostly as a joke, but then Izuku was reaching down to snatch up his pile of sheets and burying his face in them as he brought them back over to his bed.

“I do not!” he yelled, muffled into the fabric, his embarrassment ringing through clearly.

“You do! You absolute idiot, you do!” Katsuki laughed, following him to the bed with an amused smile on his face.

Izuku sighed, then, dropping his sheets onto the bare mattress and turning back to face Katsuki with his arms crossed.

“And? What of it?” he asked, pouting adorably.

“Nothing. I’m just surprised,” Katsuki shrugged.

“And I’m surprised it’s taken you this long to realize,” Izuku huffed, and then Katsuki dropped his smile, brows creasing as he thought over the implications of that. If he really felt that way – but then, no, that didn’t make any sense.

“Well,” Katsuki muttered, his anger and jealousy rearing it ugly head once again. “It’s a cruel game you’re playing, making me so damn worried about you all the time.”

“I–” Izuku opened his mouth, but whatever he wanted to say got stuck in his throat.

“No, no, I don’t want to hear you try and justify it. I’ll be too tempted to believe you,” Katsuki rolled his eyes, but then found himself biting his lip, tempted to say more. “Izuku, honestly. Who is so important that you have to go out there and risk your life each night to see them?”

“What?” Izuku blinked in surprise, his arms dropping.

“You know what I’m talking about, don’t act stupid now,” Katsuki huffed, his eyes datring between Izuku’s face and the unmade bed in front of them, unable to hold eye contact for more than a second at a time.

“No. No, I don’t. You think I’m going to see someone?” Izuku tilted his head in that perfectly adorable, curious way, and Katsuki felt his cheeks flare as he finally lost it.

“What the hell else would you be doing? I’m not stupid, Izuku, I know the markings of a lover’s tryst when I see one, and you–you–you–”

“I what? What, Kacchan, spit it out already so I can explain to you how very, very wrong your assumption is,” Izuku shouted back, looking just as angry and hurt.

“Huh?” Katsuki came to a full stop, completely taken aback.

“Oh, now he’s quiet,” Izuku rolled his eyes, and then reached out to grab the front of Katsuki’s shirt, pulling his face down so their lips crashed together in a searing kiss, all that anger melting easily into passion –  a shared passion, if Katsuki’s senses weren’t deceiving him, which, when Izuku lips parted from his and he had a moment to think, completely shattered his perception of reality.

“Wait, what?” he said, blinking fast and staring blankly at the prince he was so shocked and confused.

“I’m not sneaking out to see anyone, you idiot. I’m sneaking out to get your attention!” Izuku admitted, his cheeks so flushed by then Katsuki knew for sure they were red, even in the darkness. “It’s the only time you… you… seem to actually care about me, when I do something reckless and you have to reprimand me… tell me how p-precious my life is and how hard you work to protect it.”

“W-what?” Katsuki shook his head. “Then where the hell are you going at night?”

“I don’t go anywhere in particular,” Izuku shrugged. “I just walk around the gardens long enough until I think you’ve probably noticed and then come right back, hoping you’ll be up here waiting for me.”

“But… why like this? With the sheet and the balcony and in the middle of the night? Surely you see how it all looks?” Katsuki asked.

“I – well, I do now, but assure you I wasn’t thinking very much about the escaping part,” Izuku admitted, and then bit his lip as he moved closer once more, taking one of Katsuki’s hands into his and squeezing apprehensively. “I was much more focused on the coming back part, and how…” he paused, gulping, “How it would mean we’d been alone together, in my room, in the dark, with you all… all angry and passionate and concerned. Surely you can see how that all looks?”

“I… hadn’t thought of it that way…” Katsuki admitted, his voice clawing its way out of his throat.

“Well… are you thinking about it now?” Izuku asked, pressing closer until he was practically rubbing up against Katsuki’s side.

“I – Prince Izuku, you realize this is highly inappropriate, don’t you?” Katsuki asked, but his voice was breathy and he couldn’t make himself pull away.

“Somehow I don’t think you care about that as much as you say,” Izuku responded, his big green eyes shining even in what little moonlight slipped into the dark room, and Katsuki felt his roslove break like a dam against a flood: how he could he ever say no to those eyes?

“Damnit, Izuku,” he cursed, and then took the prince by his waist, pulling him in so their chests were flush against each other before kissing him, slow and sweet at first, but as Izuku softened to the touch, his arms coming rest around Katsuki’s shoulders, the pair pressed closer and closer still, until they were ravishing each other with all the passion of years of repressed feelings.

Panting, Izuku pulled away with eyes lidded and lips kiss-swollen, and Katsuki watched with a particular glee he’d never experienced before as a strand of spit still connecting them thinned and the split, dripping down each of their chins in a mirrored line.

“Does this mean you’ll behave from now on?” he asked, not really caring if it killed the mood, and Izuku giggled, shaking his head.

“Kacchan!” he chastised by slapping a hand to the knight’s shoulder, but then he settled himself down, and was smiling up at him with just as much love and lust and teasing intention as before.

“Maybe… but oh, I do love to watch you chase after me,” he said.

“You rascal,” Katsuki clicked his tongue, and then squeezed his arms around Izuku as he dipped his head to nip at the skin of his neck.

“Eep!” Izuku startled, squirming in his grasp, but soon let out a breathy moan that revealed how much he really liked the attention, and melted pliantly into Katsuki embrace.

“You make my job miserable, you know that?” Katsuki asked, the words breathed right into Izuku's ear. The prince shivered deliciously, but even all that wasn’t enough to make him docile in his answer.

“Interesting,” he corrected. “I make your job interesting.”

“That you do, prince,” Katsuki scoffed, but there was nothing mean in it, and he promptly returned to lavishing Izuku’s neck with kisses and bites, enjoying all the sweet sighs and moans he elicited from his sweet little prince.

Still, Izuku said nothing and shut the door, then turned back to see that Katsuki was sitting on his bed, perched on the edge of the mattress with his arms crossed over his knees, head hanging down so Izuku still couldn’t see his eyes.

“What are you um… What are you up to?” Katsuki asked quietly, his fingers toying nervously with the fabric of his pants.

“Um. Oh, well I was studying,” Izuku said, strolling back over to his desk, but then he chuckled awkwardly and corrected himself: “Er, well, not really. I was pretty distracted anyways, so…” he shrugged and shut the textbook, figuring he wasn’t going to get any more studying done that night.

He turned around, facing Katsuki once more, and leaned back against his desk with his arms crossed, looking over the gloomy figure of his… rival? Friend? He wasn’t exactly sure what they were, and that made this whole thing that much weirder.

“Uh… Kacchan?” he finally asked. “Is something wrong?”

“What gave you that idea?” Katsuki quipped, though there wasn’t any bite to it. Izuku just raised his brows and didn’t say anything, so Katsuki sighed and ran his hands over his face. When he looked up, Izuku froze with the realization that Katsuki’s eyes were red and his cheeks were wet; he’d been crying.

“No, I… I don’t know…” Katsuki shook his head. “I just feel like… like shit.”

“Yeah?” Izuku asked, but then bit his lip to stop himself when he heard the concerned lilt in his own voice. Katsuki hated it when Izuku tried to help him – he always thought he was looking down on him, or something – but then again, he was the one who came to Izuku this time, so what else could he possibly want?

“Listen I don’t…” Katsuki groaned again, pushing a hand up through his hair, which, now that Izuku thought about it, looked a bit messier than usual. “I don’t really want to talk about it.”

“Okay,” Izuku nodded. “That’s fine, but… what do you want, then?”

Katsuki squirmed, looking down at his lap again, but didn’t say anything. Izuku furrowed his brows, and stepped away from the desk, getting closer to Katsuki.

“Why are you here?” he asked as softly as he could, trying not to make it sound like an accusation or an invitation to leave, just the genuine question it was.

“I…” Katsuki started, but then his cheeks were turning pink and he was shaking his head. “I don’t know. I just… wanted to see you,” he forced the words out, and Izuku’s eyes widened in surprise for just a moment before he collected himself. Katsuki had come to him for comfort, apparently, and he wasn’t going to lose the opportunity by acting shocked and confused, even if he was both of those things.

“Well I… I’m right here, Kacchan,” Izuku said, reaching out to put his hand on one of Katsuki’s.

Katsuki flinched at the touch at first, but then let out the tiniest of sighs, so quiet Izuku might have missed it if not for the fact that all of his senses were trained upon him at that very moment.

“Deku–” Katsuki said his name like there was more he wanted to say, but he couldn’t get the words out, so he stood up from the bed instead and wrapped his arms around Izuku’s back, his head falling into the crook of Izuku’s neck as he held him close and squeezed him tight.

“Oh,” Izuku froze up in shock one more time, but once again quickly pushed it down for the sake of comforting Katsuki. He could deal with the fact that this was all very weird later: right now, he needed to be there for his friend… rival… person. Whatever Katsuki was.

“I-it’s okay Kacchan. I’m here,” he said, and held him in return, gently rubbing his hands up and down on Katsuki’s back. The blonde shivered at the touch at first, but then sighed and seemed to melt into Izuku’s embrace, resting his full weight on him. Izuku’s lips fought between a smile and a frown, his heart fluttering with pure happiness at the thought that Katsuki was relying so fully on him without any resentment, but at the same time his brow was creased with concern, deeply worried about what could possibly have made Katsuki so upset to need this kind of comfort in the first place.

Katsuki’s breath stuttered then, and Izuku was pulled back to reality with the realization that Katsuki had started to cry into his shoulder.

“Kacchan?” Izuku asked, his hands stilling and moving to try and pull them apart so he could look at his face, but Katsuki twisted his fists into the fabric of Izuku’s shirt, holding himself close and refusing to be pulled away.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay,” Izuku said, reaching instead to pick Katsuki up so he could carry him with him as he moved to sit on the bed, setting Katsuki in his lap without having to move him much at all.

“Shh, shh,” Izuku went back to rubbing his back, though this time he moved one hand into Katsuki’s hair as well, running his fingers through his scalp in soothing circles. “I’ve got you. I’m here…” he whispered, but then trailed off and bit his lip, not sure if Katsuki was actually finding any of his affirmations actually that comforting. He knew Katsuki usually hated that sort of thing, so he might just be annoying him, but it was impossible to tell when Katsuki just kept crying, showing no sign of response.

At last, though, Katsuki shuddered in a calming breath that cut off his sobs, and lifted his head so he could wipe his eyes.

“Hey,” Izuku said, setting his hands on Katsuki’s hips and looking up at him with concern written all over his face.

“Shit, I… I’m sorry, Deku,” Katsuk shook his head, moving to get off Izuku’s lap, but Izuku tightened his grip and held him in place.

“No, no, it’s okay!” he shook his head, and Katsuki met his eye with questioning brows and searing pink cheeks.

“I, um…” Izuku cleared his throat, looking away for a moment to compose himself before he met Katsuki’s gaze again. “I don’t mind, really. I’m just… worried. Are you okay? Do you… can you tell me what’s wrong?”

“I said I don’t want to talk about it…” Katsuki mumbled, squirming uncomfortably, and Izuku sighed and relented, releasing his grip on Katsuki’s hips so he could climb off his lap. Instead of leaving or even just moving away, though, Katsuki sat next to him on the bed, so close their thighs touched and their shoulders pressed together as Katsuki leaned his weight on him.

“It’s… I guess it’s okay if you don’t want to tell me, but… can you least tell me that you’re okay? It’s not like something horrible happened… did it?” Izuku asked.

“No, no,” Katsuki shook his head, chuckling slightly. “No, shit, Deku, I’m sorry. I can see how… this all would be really worrying.”

“Um… yeah?” Izuku nodded, and Katsuki chuckled again, but then covered his mouth and shook his head.

“Alright, look. I’m just stressed out, okay?” Katsuki admitted at last. “We have a lot on our plates, and I haven’t slept well the past few nights and I’m really worried about y–” he then promptly cut himself off, lips pressing together as his cheeks flared red.

“Worried about what?” Izuku asked, just genuinely curious.

“Nothing, you damn nerd!” Katsuki pushed his face away, but Izuku just chuckled behind his hand.

“What?” Katsuki snapped, quickly retracting his hand like it burned for him to be touching Izuku’s smiling face.

“Nothing,” Izuku shook his head. “It’s just good to see you acting like yourself again.”

“Oh, shut up,” Katsuki crossed his arms and looked away, but still didn’t move away. Izuku smiled, and reached out to hug Katsuki from the side.

“I’m really glad you came to me, Kacchan. If you ever need someone to lean on again, I’ll be here for you, okay?” he said, his breath coming out on Katsuki’s neck, and Katsuki’s shoulders rose to protect the sensitive skin there, though he didn’t make any moves to get out of Izuku’s embrace.

“As if,” he scoffed, but then they sat there for a while in silence, Izuku just holding Katsuki close, and slowly his shoulders relaxed, his scowl fading to a calm expression Izuku wasn’t used to seeing on his face.

“You really mean that?” he asked in the quietest of whispers.

“Of course,” Izuku nodded, and he heard another one of those tiny, relieved sighs escape Katsuki’s lips.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Katsuki said, finally pulling Izuku’s arms off of him and heading for the door. “Goodnight, nerd.”

Still, he leaned his head on his hand and watched Izuku wander through the isles, looking at all the plants, content to fantasize that maybe one of these days he’d get up the nerve to ask him out and maybe, just maybe, Izuku would say yes.

Izuku seemed to find what he wanted, then, pulling a tall ficus plant with broad, shiny green leaves off the rack and turning it around to inspect it. Satisfied, he carried it with him as he walked over to the pot display, and if Katsuki’s eyes drifted down to watch Izuku’s rear as he walked, well, that wasn’t anyone’s business. Letting his eyes wander every now and again was the least he could do to quench his thirst for the adorable, green-haired man, since he didn’t seem to be getting anywhere when it came to actually flirting. His stupid brain always shut off and the words came out wrong and, if he was being honest, Izuku probably thought he was either a nervous wreck or a complete idiot. Not a great look either way.

Izuku started walking over to the counter just then, and Katsuki straightened back up, reminding himself that he still had a job to do.

“Um, hi. Can I leave this with you while I get the pot I want? It’s a little big to carry both at once,” Izuku said.

“Of course. Want me to go ahead and start ringing this up?” Katsuki asked, feeling around to find the price tag as Izuku set it down on the counter.

“Sure! I’ll just be a moment,” Izuku smiled at him, nodding his thanks, and Katsuki felt his stomach do a somersault at the sight of it. This man was pure sunshine and rainbows, and damn if Katsuki didn’t want to bask in the glow of it. But then, of course, he turned around and went to get that pot, and Katsuki had to shake off his nervous butterflies and get back to work. He scanned the price tag, and then raised his brows, a bit surprised to see that Izuku was buying a more expensive plant than usual, and a larger one, too, though he supposed those two things kind of went hand in hand.

“Here we go,” Izuku said upon his return, setting a large, black, indoor plant pot onto the counter next to the ficus.

“Nice choice,” Katsuki commended, scanning the pot, too, before letting Izuku swipe his card to pay. “Kind of big, though. You have a space picked out for it?”

“Mm-hm! It’s gonna go in my living room. I already made sure the spot has the right amount of light, and it’ll be right next to a table with a few other plants, so I think it should look really good,” Izuku nodded eagerly.

“Yeah? How many plants do you have now, anyway?” Katsuki asked.

“Mmm… this will be number twenty nine, I think?” Izuku answered, his cheeks flushing slightly as he scratched behind his neck, and Katsuki’s mind short-circuited at the sight of the man’s freckled cheeks turning rosy. How was he so goddamn cute?!?

“That’s… a lot of plants,” was all Katsuki managed to say in response, and though it did get a good chuckle out of Izuku, he mentally kicked himself for saying something so stupid and obvious.

“Yup. It, uh… it sure is!” Izuku nodded, and Katsuki suppressed an ashamed groan. Izuku definitely thought he was an idiot.

“Well, um… I’m guessing I don’t have to go over the care instructions. It sounds like you’ve done your research, as usual,” Katsuki said, because at least he could still carry out a transactional conversation.

“Aww, you trust me that much?” Izuku asked, tilting his head to the side, and Katsuki felt his cheeks flare. Was that… was that a teasing tone? Was Izuku flirting with him? Or was he just crazy?

“I, well… you’ve just… been here a lot?” Katsuki stammered out, and Izuku looked down, smiling at his shoes, his eyelashes fluttering and goddamnit of course even his eyelashes were all long and pretty.

“Yeah, I suppose so,” Izuku chuckled, then bit his lip, and the two of them were quiet for a moment, lingering there for an awkwardly long pause before Katsuki got the first and only good idea he’d ever had around Izuku.

“Do you need help carrying this to your car?” he asked, and instantly Izuku’s face lit up.

“Oh! Actually, that would be a great help, yeah!” he nodded, and Katsuki mentatlly high-fived himself. Finally, a coherent thought!

“Here, I’ll take the ficus,” Katsuki offered, because it was the heavier of the two items, and he maybe, sort of, kinda wanted Izuku to think he was strong or something like that.

“Thanks so much!” Izuku smiled at him, and if Katsuki’s heart skipped a beat any harder he might have dropped the poor ficus plant.

“No problem,” Katsuki forced out the words, his face red again, and watched as Izuku picked up the pot and headed for the door. He held the door open as Katsuki walked out, and then led him to a small grey car in the parking lot.

“This one’s mine,” Izuku said, setting the pot on top of the trunk so he could get out his keys and unlock it.

“Enjoy your, um, ficus,” Katsuki said as he handed it over for Izuku to place in the back seat of his car, and was instantly back to cursing himself out in his head. Apparently one coherent thought was all he got, uh?

“I will,” Izuku giggled, shutting the car door now that everything was stowed away inside, but then he was lingering and biting his lower lip once more, and Katsuki was standing there like an idiot in front of him, not sure what to say.

“You, um…” Katsuki said, not sure where he was going, but now that he started he had to ask something, so he said the first thing that came to mind. “Your place must look really cool, with all those plants. I wish I could see it, some time…” he said, and then immediately regretted it when Izuku’s eyes went wide. What the hell was he thinking, inviting himself over to Izuku’s house when he hardly knew the guy! He was being a total creep!

“I, uh…” Izuku stammered, and Katsuki worked quickly to correct himself.

“I mean, you could show me a photo, next time you come? Th-that’s all, I didn’t… I wasn’t…” he shook his head, trailing off as his face completely overheated from embarrassment.

“Oh,” Izuku said, and somehow Katsuki could have sworn he looked… disappointed? “I guess I’ll do that then… unless – ah, no, nevermind!” It was Izuku’s turn to go red-faced, his arms flapping through the air as he shook his head.

“What? What is it?” Katsuki asked, leaning forward as his heartbeat pounded in his ears.

“I-I just…” Izuku gulped. “I mean, if you… gave me your number, then I could text you some pictures as soon as I get home and then… you wouldn’t have to wait.”

“Yes!” Katsuki said, probably a bit too fast, so he backed off and cleared his throat. “I mean… yeah. Sure. Fine with me,” he shrugged, feigning nonchalance, but Izuku was giggling, and he knew his cover was blown, if he ever had any cover in the first place.

“Here, you can put your number in my phone,” Izuku offered, and Katsuki did so without a second’s hesitation.

“I should, um… get back to work,” he said then, because he was afraid if this conversation went on much longer, either his heart would explode from happiness or his head from embarrassment.

“Right! Sorry,” Izuku took his phone back, but then got a determined look in his eye, and leaned up to plant a tiny kiss on Katsuki’s cheek. “I’ll text you tonight!” he waved, rushing to get in his car and leave while Katsuki stood there, frozen in shock.

“Y-yeah,” he waved slowly as Izuku left, no doubt looking just like the love-struck idiot he was.

---

Katsuki’s phone pinged about an hour later, and sure enough it was Izuku sending pictures of all the plants in his apartment. Katsuki smiled to himself, scrolling through them and being pleased that he recognised them all, meaning Izuku never bought from other shops or even came in when he wasn’t working.

He texted a response, commending Izuku’s decoration choices and complimenting the condition of plants, since they seemed very well taken care of, overall, and Izuku responded with a Thanks! and a smiling, blushing-face emoji. Katsuki tucked his phone back into his pocket, pleased with himself and thinking that was the end of it, when he heard another ping a moment later. Curious, he slid his phone out, but then nearly dropped it when he saw what Izuku had texted.

Hey, um, I don’t know if I was misreading the situation, but I feel like it would be weird not to say anything after what I did in the parking lot, so… I really like you! And, if you happen to like me too, maybe we could go out sometime?

No way, no way, no way! Katsuki’s heart thrummed like a drum in a marching band, his jaw slack in shock and mind completely blank, unable to think of anything except, holy shit Izuku likes me!

After a moment, he shook himself from his stupor, realizing he was leaving Izuku on read every second he didn’t respond, and quickly typed out a reply.

I like you too. Want to get coffee? I’m off on Saturday.

He hit send, and then stared wide-eyed at his phone, clutching it nervously and too afraid to even breathe. The text was marked read a moment later, and then he saw those three little dots that meant Izuku was typing.

That sounds great! I’m so glad! Izuku sent, along with a string of happy emojis that made Katsuki’s heart clench at his cuteness.

Katsuki and Izuku hashed out the details of their date, and after a good back and forth, he found himself able to calm down and really let the whole situation sink in. Izuku actually liked him back and wanted to go out with him, and had even kissed him on the cheek! Everything was going right for him, which was shocking because he had no idea Izuku was even interested in him at all! It’s not like he had dropped any hints… besides, well, buying an insane amount of plants just to see him, perhaps?

Katsuki bit his lip, suddenly getting curious, and typed out a new question.

Hey, just out of curiosity... do you really like plants that much, or were you just trying to see me?

He hit send before he could change his mind, riding on the confidence high of securing a date with Izuku, but then found himself regretting it as the text lingered, unread, for a few minutes. Getting nervous, he put his phone down on the counter and tried to concentrate on something else, but there were no customers in the store at the moment, so he had nothing to do but stew in his worry.

When at last his phone pinged, he quickly picked it up and scanned the lines of Izuku’s text.

Umm… I swear I do like plants! But… yeah, it was mostly just to see you… oops! He texted, the words interspersed with embarrassed and blushing emojis, and Katsuki’s worry was instantly replaced with a heart soaring at Izuku’s cuteness.

But hey, you can never have too many plants, right? Katsuki texted back, secretly elated that his theory had proven true, but not wanting to sound too cocky.