lettertoelxse

omygod I've never drawn them kissing

Anyways, what a win, of course they get their shit together first (there was no other option)

"Does that make any sense?"

We're experimenting with coloring on this one

"Scorch the Ice (Between Us)" by @/lettertoelxse , scene from Chapter 10

This is such a goddam gentle scene and there's no way to truly convey Izuku's internal thoughts outside of writing but I hope I did it justice

The freckle dialogue? -- Izuku is a goner

Some zooms below :)

🎵 "you kill my mind" 🎵

What a fuckin' tease

"Scorch the Ice (Between Us)" by @/lettertoelxse

Slumber Party

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"Scorch the Ice (Between Us)" by lettertoelxse on AO3

(it's lo~ong)

(10) Shoto def has a crush on Izuku and only Katsuki has picked up on it.

Little glimmer in Ch.3, the first sprinkle of infatuation with Shoto picking the game-prize Izuku said was best 'in his opinion'. Katsuki notices how Shoto was acting different ('never seen him talk that much') but other than that, leaves it.

Then again in Ch.8 with (a) Shoto asking Izuku for help to the cafeteria, it's not an obvious shooting-of-shots (and Izuku's reasoning to Katsuki is logical) but Shoto is testing waters and a bit probing with his questions. Due to the Ch.3 interaction, Katsuki is already dissecting their every interaction (especially after their yard-brawl in Ch.5 and feelings were aired).

Katsuki wasn't upset that Shoto asked Izuku for help instead of him (like Izuku believes). He was mad Izuku chose Shoto over him (as illogical of reasoning that is)

& (b) during second practice when Shoto asks Izuku to help him one-on-one. Shoto doesn't know of Izuku's previous hockey experience, it's just an excuse to be with him. Katsuki clocks this immediately, noticeably bristling at the request (which Shoto notices, but presses his luck anyways).

I love that we all collectively as fans generally agree that Izuku is a dense motherfucker when it comes to romance lol.

(11) Izuku is gonna have to be the one to make the first move, or at least offer the next olive branch, after Ch.8.

In the swim-lockers, after Katsuki dries Izuku (an absolutely brutal scene, might I add), the "twinge of concern" Katsuki has is likely his fear that he overstepped Izuku's boundary (and, yeah, he kinda did, that was a bold move).

While Katsuki face was shadowed but kept his gaze "locked solely on Izuku's", how much light was casted on Izuku's face? How did Katsuki interpret Izuku's expressions? Probably not in his own favor, probably thought Izuku was disgusted/uncomfortable.

Then in their room, after Izuku's shower, when Izuku looks sick and is trying to save face, Izuku rejects Katsuki's care. To Katsuki, it looks like Izuku shuts down emotionally, which he has never done before (to our knowledge). It's implied that Katsuki starts crying for fucks sake, because he thinks he crossed a line (fair) and that Izuku is now put-off by him (furthest thing from the truth).

That is a hard thing to mentally come back from unless Izuku takes the next step to explain things fully (or, at the very least, claim he was feeling sick (Katsuki gave him an easy out saying he looked pale) and "didn't want to risk getting Kacchan sick" (doubt, Izuku is gonna spiral and make things worse))

I need Himiko to lock these dumbasses in a closet or something ffs

(7 - Revisited) Katsuki did not know what he was doing in the swim-locker scene (explained above in point (11)). It was survival instinct to make sure they didn't get caught, and he seemed concerned about crossing a boundary after.

(12) Theory for Ch.9 (edit: debunked): All Might is gonna be alerted by the Uni staff that shenanigans had occurred, and none of the 4 culprits are gonna be prepared for the confrontation.

If they were smart (they're too relieved to have escaped to worry about potential follow ups, so they won't be) they would convene (at least a group chat) to get their cover stories in order, and pretend to be shocked at the news.

All Might would probably do a mass-meeting, and potentially put Katsuki in charge of making sure nothing else happens because he's the responsible varsity captain.

Except, Katsuki doesn't lie. He never lies, and he's gonna start fumbling his words and look suspicious until Izuku steps in to assure All Might, that they will take this role very seriously and be on the look out for the miscreants because Izuku lies like he breathes.

^this will become another point of contention because if Izuku can lie so easily to an authority figure, their childhood (hockey) idol, how can Katsuki know for certain anything Izuku has said to him was the truth?

I even think Ochaco is gonna be confused / off-put by Izuku's ease of lying. They've been partners in crime for years but I don't think there was ever a real opportunity for Izuku to lie like this in front of her.

(2.a/b - Revisited) :)

I'm losing my fucking mind over this.

I truly thought Izuku's injury happened mid game, by the opposing team -- but that's what I get for believing our unreliable narrator

Fuck, Izuku doesn't even blame Katsuki for it if he even remembers how it really happened, blood loss is a funny thing.

[omygod i bet he doesn't remember because in Ch.7 Izuku offers to show Katsuki his scar as if it's a fun story to tell and not the exact reason Katsuki distanced himself so thoroughly. I don't think anyone (Inko) tried to bring up what/how it happened (because it is traumatizing) to Izuku which is why Izuku is so dumbfounded at Katsuki's reaction to Inko. -- Or, better yet, Izuku has put that whole incident in 'The Vault' as a way to cope and preserve his friendship]

Was any of that even Katsuki's blood? Did Izuku even join the fight? Did Izuku hear the comment?

Ch.8 while chatting with the team Izuku says "I only ever got into one fight while I played, and it didn’t end too well for me." -- fuckin good thing Katsuki wasn't eavesdropping at this point because I don't think he'd ever fucking recover (bitch I don't even think you fought)

Also just looking back at all their previous fights/interactions (basically anything Ch.1-5), Ch.10 really adds a new light to it.

(13) Katsuki had, at one point, dealt with internalized homophobia. This had started stemming not by his own actions, but by Izuku's and the comments made to Katsuki about Izuku.

(this was a point I was writing up before Ch.10 dropped but it's definitely still applicable now).

In Ch.2, the flashback with the rival team members on the ice, Extra1's comments at Katsuki:

"Must be nice to have someone who follows you around like a lap dog." -- not necessarily leaning into homophobic territory, but is placing the building blocks by belittling Izuku. Placing Izuku in a light that makes him seem lesser, which aren't new comments being made, but would hit differently from someone fully on the outside of their social circle.

"You guys seem way closer" -- now Extra1 loops Katsuki into the light, into the bubble of humiliation of being perceived as lesser. It's reciprocated.

""Plus we’re not all like,” he reached towards Katsuki’s torso instead of finishing the sentence." -- first of all the audacity of this child The dots are connecting in Katsuki's head, the duo's clingy nature is, and has been, on display; the world perceives their interactions as something more.

It doesn't take much for connections to be made, even if it's only correlation and not causation.

The comments made about Izuku being lesser/weak followed closely behind the connotation that he's queer is damaging even if there is no actual connection between the two points.

And with Katsuki reciprocating some of those actions, he would then mentally lump himself into that lesser-category even if there is no basis for it.

The only reason I think Katsuki 'got away with it' for so long is because of his volatile nature and abrasive personality -- the data doesn't align with the trend

I'm gonna bypass the Ch.10 ending-flashback dialogue revolving all that because all it really does is solidify that connection.

However, now (immediately after the accident) with Izuku in the hospital, there's no real deterrent to stop the team from making similar comments about Izuku (without directly lumping Katsuki into the insinuations because they value their lives).

I can see it now: 'why are you getting so defensive about this, Bakugo?'

And now, for the first time practically ever, Katsuki is in survival mode because he's alone. And what do we do when we don't want to be lumped in a 'negative' category? We push hard in the other direction. I bet Katsuki not only didn't stop the comments, but adds to them, belittling Izuku along with their team.

And when Izuku returns? Katsuki can't simply back track a months worth of commentary -- so he severs ties, cuts Izuku off

Addendum: the severing of their relationship is more likely due to the fact that Katsuki literally sees himself as a danger to Izuku (Ch.5 Katsuki Dialogue: "I’ve tried to put boundaries between us, because I fucking know what I’m like and what I’ve done" "Why don’t you stay away—"; the Accident Reveal in Ch.10) and wants to protect Izuku at all costs even if it kills him

Somewhere along the line, Katsuki gets over his internalized homophobia (Ch.8 it's insinuated that the whole team knows Katsuki is gay, and don't bat an eye at it).

Katsuki's probable mindset was "if I keep pushing myself to be stronger/better/the best, then there will be no worry if people do find out I'm gay", which, you know, isn't the best coping mechanism but I can't say it's not effective

(3 - Revisited) Katsuki tried to visit Izuku in the hospital once, and Inko made sure he never tried again.

At the rink, immediately following the accident, it's implied that Inko is effectively reliving Hisashi's death as Izuku lays bleeding out, and the look she pins Katsuki with is one of pure blame and hatred -- freezing Katsuki in his tracks.

I bet Katsuki tried once after that to visit Izuku, only to be layed into about how such a negative influence he is on Izuku's life by Inko. (Even though I think I've picked up on hints that Izuku wasn't just 'along for the ride' on a lot of their shenanigans; but perks to being the quiet kid means you could get away with murder)

Ch.10: "[Izuku's] such a good boy" -- this general quote is brought up 3 separate times by the adults in the boys' life: twice at Izuku, once at Katsuki

What this really reads as is: "[Izuku]'s such a good boy now that he's not around [Katsuki]" which is exactly how Katsuki likely interprets it. (This will surely be revisited further along the story its integral for the duo's individual growth)

Also, while I'm sure similar comments were made before their initial fall-out, the fact that these comments are being made prominent in the present is going to be so degrading to both their mental states but especially Katsuki's (since he already fully blames himself for what happened)

(14) after watching the girls kiss, Katsuki was absolutely thinking "fuck, I should do that" (if only there wasn't an audience lol)

(15) you know what would be fucked? Amnesia :)

🎵 "Unsweetened Lemonade" by Amélie Ferran