WMUWSE / Chapter 5 (ENG) (Patreon)

Two days.

That was how long it had been since Ochaco left, but it was also how long Izuku had gone without seeing Katsuki.

After he’d rushed out of the cabin to hide in his tent and cry out every last drop of water in his body, he hadn’t seen the blond again.Kirishima had come to get him a few minutes later. He didn’t say a word about the state he’d found him in red, swollen eyes and a nose dripping with snot, and Izuku silently thanked him for that.

Katsuki had told the guys he’d be sleeping in the lodge with them until Ochaco got back, then left as well. So even though part of Izuku just wanted to stay curled up in his tent until his best friend returned, he let himself be dragged along by the redhead.

That night, none of them felt like cooking, so Sero ordered tacos for everyone. And as usual, even if some people were missing, they laughed and talked all evening.

When everyone split up to go to bed, Kirishima offered Izuku his room, saying that he was going to spend the next few nights with Mina anyway.Izuku was too tired to argue, so he accepted without a fight.

He lay on the redhead’s bed for what felt like hours. Despite his exhaustion, sleep wouldn’t come. So he grabbed his phone and started scrolling through social media. He followed all the guys now, and he could see the photos they posted every day.

Izuku smiled at Kaminari’s posts. He’d taken a selfie with Sero in the background, lying on his stomach on his towel, seemingly asleep, his bare back covered in streaks of sunscreen drawn in a phallic shape. Scrolling a bit further, Izuku saw a second photo posted later in the day: this time Sero was in the lake, the sunscreen long gone but the tan lines leaving the shape perfectly visible. He literally had a dick on his back.

Izuku giggled quietly so he wouldn’t wake the guys in the other room.

He kept scrolling and scrolling until his blood ran cold and his smile vanished as he landed on one particular picture.

The photo wasn’t from an account he knew, but he’d recognize that blond hair anywhere. There, in the soft dim light of early morning, Katsuki was lying on his stomach, naked, his ass covered by a thin sheet, at least from what the picture allowed him to see, in messy sheets. The condom packet Izuku had noticed when he walked into the blond’s room was fully visible on the nightstand. Only Katsuki’s broad, muscular back and messy hair could be seen, but the caption and tag left no doubt.

“Guess who hooked up with the sexiest drummer in the country? 🤭🔞”

With @KatsukiBakugou.

And maybe, in other circumstances, Izuku would’ve drooled over this picture. Damn, he probably would’ve zoomed in on that round ass hidden under the thin white sheet just to try and see a little more…

But now? Now all he wanted to do was throw up from sheer rage.

His anger and his curiosity took control of what he did next.

He checked out the account that had posted the photo and quickly recognized the redhead he’d met that morning.

What a bitch.

But apparently Izuku liked to hurt himself, because he opened the comments under the picture.

It was a parade of jealous girls, dreaming of being in the place of the one who took the photo. Most of them talked about Katsuki like he was just a piece of meat. There were also guys asking if he was gay because they’d “totally fuck an ass like that.” Izuku was seeing red.

And then he saw that the bitch had replied to a comment asking if she was his girlfriend. She’d answered: “🤣🤣🤣 he might be good in bed, but I pity the girl he’ll make it official with… I can say his ego is as big as his 🍆”

And he lost it.

He didn’t know why he did it; he wasn’t really thinking as his fingers moved to reply to that comment. He was probably being controlled by his anger. Whatever. He didn’t reread anything when he slammed his thumb on “send,” the pressure making his screen flicker a little.

He sighed as he turned off his phone. He rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling, bathed in the soft glow of the streetlights outside filtering through the curtains.

His breathing slowly calmed down. He’d never felt this angry before…

Fame sometimes really seemed like it sucked…

Izuku wondered if Katsuki had seen the photo. The guy didn’t seem to be on social media a lot; he never posted anything “useless.” It was always something to do with his band or his modeling jobs. Izuku understood why now, if this was the kind of stuff he saw whenever he opened his apps, no wonder he rarely checked them.

After what felt like an eternity and a half, he finally fell asleep.

The first day, he woke up when the sun was at its highest in the sky. Kaminari and Sero were cooking when he got out of the room. He was embarrassed to have slept so long, but neither of them seemed to care and quickly offered him a plate.

They spent the rest of the day at the lake and in the evening went back to their usual routine of games and chatting until bedtime.

Still with no sign of Katsuki.

Honestly, Izuku was on autopilot when he woke up on the second day after his best friend’s departure.

He hadn’t even checked his phone since he’d replied to that… ugh… comment.

He refused to think about it.

The guys had decided to go do some shopping that day, so Izuku went along.

Sero drove them to a town much bigger than the tiny village they’d gone to for Izuku’s birthday. There was a mall, a movie theater, a big stadium, and an outdoor pool.

It wasn’t exactly a “big city,” but it was more than enough.

“Kirishima once broke in there with Mina in the middle of the night.” Kaminari pointed at the pool. It was large and surrounded by tall fencing, with a building on the side that Izuku guessed were the locker rooms. “It was a while ago. Mina made fun of him because he was trembling, scared he’d get arrested by the cops and not be allowed to go to college.” He huffed a laugh.

Izuku smiled, imagining the scene. “So Mina had the idea?”

“Oh no, that was Kiri’s.” Sero laughed. “He heard Katsuki once say he’d dragged a girl there. He said something like-”

“- Danger is hot, but it’s not for weak extras like you!” Kaminari cut in, trying to imitate Katsuki’s deep voice.

Both boys burst into loud laughter, and even if Izuku forced a smile for show, he felt that knot in his stomach tighten every time the blond was mentioned. And it was even worse whenever he was mentioned together with someone else…

And yeah, okay, Izuku wasn’t stupid. He understood that the little green monster scratching at his chest and making him nauseous was called Jealousy. But what could he do about it? It was the first time he’d felt something so nasty, and it smothered every part of him. So he did what he knew how to do best. Run. Or in this case, change the subject.

“Oh, is that the mall?” he asked, pointing at a large building at the end of the road.

He was relieved every time the conversation drifted away from the blond, and even if he thought he was being subtle, it seemed someone was starting to have doubts about his behavior, judging by the way Kaminari kept looking at him.

But even if Kaminari suspected something, he didn’t say anything. They did their shopping as planned and went back to the campsite.

Kaminari and Izuku unloaded the bags while Sero put everything away.

Once the bags were empty, the blond grabbed Izuku’s arm. “Hey, Sero! You mind finishing up? We’re gonna go check if Kiri and Mina wanna join us for dinner tonight.”

Izuku blinked at Denki, a bit surprised he’d suggest that when he could’ve just texted the redhead. But the second Sero said “sure,” Izuku was dragged out of the cabin with a strength he didn’t suspect the smaller blond had.

Kaminari let go of him and walked by his side. After they passed the showers, he finally spoke, and said the most unbelievable thing he could have.

“Uh… do you… have feelings for Bakugou?”

Wait, was it written on his face or something? What, did he have a rainbow neon sign above his head flashing “I’m gay for Katsuki Bakugou”?

Izuku was stunned. “…What?”

Kaminari stopped a few steps in front of him and turned to face him. Izuku had never seen that look on him before, he looked… worried? “You like him, don’t you?”

They stared at each other in silence.

He didn’t know what to say. Izuku wasn’t really good at putting his feelings into words and yeah, even if he talked a lot, it was never about himself or his emotions.

But more than his own emotional immaturity, he hated lying to his friends.

So… “...Well… maybe… a little?” He rubbed the back of his neck, avoiding the other boy’s gaze.

Kaminari looked at him a moment longer before sighing and crouching down, burying his face in his hands. “Shit…”

Izuku watched him, confused, completely thrown off by the blond’s reaction. Okay, now he was maybe worried… was it that bad? “Uh… are you okay?”

“Dude… I really like you, a lot, but… Bakugou? Seriously?” He looked up at Izuku again. “And don’t get me wrong, I love that guy like a brother, but…”

“Kaminari-”

“I saw the comment.”

Izuku blinked. “The… wait… what comment?”

“You know.”

Oh. Yeah. His completely inappropriate angry outburst. “…It was stupid, wasn’t it…”

Kaminari jumped to his feet. “What? No! Dude, that was badass! You defended your man and everything…” Izuku flushed slightly at that. The blond was grinning, gesturing wildly as he said Izuku did well putting those assholes in their place, before his enthusiastic smile faded into an almost sad one. “But you do realize he can read it too, right?”

“Uh… yeah…” He sincerely hoped Katsuki had too many notifications and would just scroll past it. Maybe he should make a pact with a demon to make sure the other blond never saw it. And yeah, okay, he could’ve just deleted the comment, but Izuku was way too scared to go back there, because he knew whatever waited for him would not be pretty. He’d just ask his best friend to delete it for him, like the coward he was.

“Listen, Mid-… Izuku.” He sighed. “I might be an idiot, but you don’t need to be a genius to see how you feel about him. I mean, that night at the bar? Dude, I thought you were gonna eat each other alive on stage, it was so intense! Last time I saw that kind of connection between two people was when I watched WALL-E.” He laughed, and Izuku couldn’t help laughing too. “And then that comment on Insta… If Bakugou hasn’t figured out how you feel about him yet, he’s either an idiot or-”

“-He doesn’t want to know…” Izuku finished for him.

That was one possibility, and probably the most likely.

Of course, Izuku hadn’t planned on confessing his feelings. He wasn’t even sure he’d see Katsuki after this summer anyway. But feeling rejected without even having taken a step forward still hurt.

They fell silent, Izuku staring at the ground and Denki watching him.

The electric blond must’ve realized that this wasn’t something Izuku really wanted to talk about right now. “Okay, I need a drink. Or six,” he declared, slinging an arm around Izuku’s shoulders and steering him toward the campsite bar.

“I thought we were going to see Kiri.”

“Oh yeah… I lied.” He stuck out his tongue and winked at Izuku.

In the end they shared six drinks between them, and since Izuku was a total lightweight, he was already feeling dizzy after his third. But it numbed his negative emotions enough that he didn’t care.

The rest of the afternoon went by quickly. Sero offered to make his “special cocktails,” which just meant he mixed pineapple juice with coconut rum. But Izuku let himself be tempted again.

Alcohol relaxed him and made him happy. And for now, all he wanted was to enjoy his friends and his vacation, so the “happy drink” was more than welcome.

That night they were so drunk that Izuku let Kaminari connect the freckles on his cheeks and turn them into constellations. Even though he was pretty sure there was no constellation shaped like a dick.

That boy really needed to stop drawing dicks on everyone…

Well, thankfully Izuku was drunk too… Or unfortunately… because he went to bed without even washing his face or changing out of his clothes.

Whatever, that would be sober Izuku’s problem.

Except in the morning, Izuku had bigger things to worry about than the three blue-marker penises on his cheeks and forehead.

Because when he woke up, he didn’t recognize Kirishima’s room. But he did recognize the TV at the foot of the bed, the desk covered in notebooks and scribbled-on papers, and the guitar case in the corner.

He was lying in Katsuki’s bed.

He had slept in Katsuki’s bed.

Shit… he’d DROOLED on Katsuki’s pillow…

He was going to die today…

…

Izuku took a deep breath, trying to slow his heartbeat, which was probably going as fast as a rabbit running for its life.

Let’s assess the situation.

Currently, Izuku had a hangover so bad it felt like a woodpecker had made a nest in his hair. His stomach churned over and over like he was on a sinking ship. Kind of ironic, considering his own “ship” had sunk before it even left the harbor.

In short, his body was a wreck.

Now, let’s check his surroundings.

The blond was nowhere to be seen in the small room, which was already something.

He stood up as carefully as his drunk-man legs allowed. Sorry if he knocked some papers off the desk just trying not to fall.

He pressed his ear to the door… no sound on the other side, so either the guys were still asleep or they’d gone out.

Izuku turned, too fast, and holy shit his head hurt so much… and tried to find his phone in the room.

Then he remembered he’d left it charging on Kirishima’s nightstand…

With a sigh, and on his tiptoes (not really, or he’d definitely end up kissing the floorboards), he slipped out of the room. The guys’ door was closed, so they were still sleeping.

He glanced at the microwave clock as he passed to check the time and groaned to himself, because of course no one had ever set the damn thing, so it just blinked 12:00 over and over…

He suddenly froze. Kirishima’s door was closed. Had the redhead come back last night? Shit… He didn’t want to wake him, but his phone could ring at any time… his mom, Ochaco, or some spam call from a country with a language he’d never heard…

He bit his lip and turned the handle as slowly as possible.

He slipped his head through the crack and, indeed, there was a large body curled under the blankets. Maybe Kirishima had come back in the middle of the night.

He spotted his phone on the nightstand and carefully stepped inside, making sure to walk in the middle of the floorboards so they wouldn’t creak. He grabbed it and unplugged the cable. Turning it on, he saw no notifications. Good, that was something. And he hadn’t woken Kirishima.

It’s already past eleven… he thought, checking the time on the screen.

He snorted a little laugh when he heard the man under the sheets grumble.

But as he turned to look at him, his smile vanished instantly, along with all the color in his face (as if the alcohol hadn’t already drained it).

Because instead of bright red hair, ash-blond strands were sticking out from under the blanket.

“…Katsuki?” He didn’t realize he’d spoken out loud until the other boy grunted again and rolled onto his back, the blanket sliding down his bare torso to his stomach… and fuck, Izuku would totally have breakfast on that delicious- NO. Don’t even start.

He blushed furiously. He didn’t wait for the other to open his eyes. He listened to his instincts screaming at him to bolt, forgetting all about the need to stay quiet and making the floorboards creak with every step.

He shoved his feet into his shoes, opened the front door and rushed out of the cabin. He realized, as he took a deep breath, that he’d been holding it since the moment he recognized the blond in the bed.

He knew he was overreacting but honestly, he felt like a lamb thrown into a lion’s cage. A hyper-sexy lion he would happily let devour him. Uuuugh...

Well, at least he had his phone, which was good because he really needed to talk to someone.

He quickly found his “gay panic emergency contact” and hit the call icon.

He wandered aimlessly along the path, the dial tone ringing in his ear as he chewed nervously on his thumbnail.

After a few rings, someone picked up.

“Hey, Izuku! Missing me already?”

“Hey, Ochaco…”

“…Oh shit… that doesn’t sound good…”

God, this girl knew him by heart. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Not really…”

“Is it Bakugou? Did he do something?”

“No… I mean yes, it’s him, but no, he didn’t do anything… It’s me…” he groaned. “Ochaco, I’m a disaster…”

“That’s not exactly breaking news, babe…”

“Don’t make it worse… I can’t even stay near him, and you left at the worst possible time, I feel like my skull’s gonna explode from overthinking… he… he almost kissed me…”

“HE DID WHAT?!!!” Izuku winced, pulling the phone away from his ear. He moved farther away from the cabin, as if the others might hear his best friend screaming at him through the line.

“Ocha-”

“No, no, no… wait a second… When did this happen?”

“Uh… right before you left.”

“Ooooh… So I didn’t imagine that weird tension between you two! Oh my god, I thought you’d just had a fight or something but… oh my god, Izuku! Why didn’t you tell me?! Wait wait… Why ‘almost’? What happened???” The girl talked so fast and loud it was impossible she’d had time to breathe.

Izuku sat on a fallen log by the path, far from the cabin and his main source of anxiety. “Well… we were playing some stupid game and he dared me or something, he leaned in and asked if I wanted to kiss him… and…” he groaned. “Ochaco, he was so close! And he smelled so good! And… fuck, he’s so damn handsome… haaa…”

“Yes, I get it Izu, you’re a disaster… But that still doesn’t explain why you only ‘almost’ ended up with your tongue in his mouth!”

“Yeah, well… you showed up right then.”

“…Oh.” He heard her suck in a sharp breath. “Oh my- I cockblocked my best friend!”

“URARAKA OCHACO!!!” He grimaced, realizing how loud he’d just shouted. Thank god he was alone. He was embarrassed enough as it was.

“I’m so sorry, Izuku, and little Izuku! Anyway…” She went quiet for a moment before continuing. “I don’t get why you’re avoiding him.”

“Actually, it’s more like he’s avoiding me…”

“…Now I’m confused…”

“Right after you left we… we had a pretty weird moment, I left and when I came back to the cabin he was gone… and I didn’t see him again until this morning, and even then it wasn’t on purpose, he was in Kirishima’s bed, and I just wanted to get my phone and-”

“Oh hang on! In Kirishima’s bed? Weren’t you supposed to sleep there? Mina told me he’d given you his room.”

“…Let’s just say I must’ve gone to the wrong room when I went to sleep last night…”

“Izuku.”

“I slept in his bed…”

“Holy shit…”

“Yeah… and he must’ve come back while I was sleeping, saw me, and took Kirishima’s room instead…” He clutched the front of his t-shirt as if that would help his heart feel less tight and let out a pitiful whine. “He saw me sleeping in his bed, Ochaco! He must think I’m some kind of creep or something, when I was just drunk! I was drooling all over his pillow!!! Haaaaaa this is so embarrassing!”

“Or maybe your omega body knows how to recognize its alpha’s scent~”

“Don’t start.”

She giggled. “Sorry, sorry…”

“Ochaco… I don’t know what to do, I’ve missed him these last two days but at the same time I’m scared to go near him…”

“…Izuku… You know you won’t see him again after summer vacation, right?”

“…”

“Izuku-”

“I know but…”

“No ‘but,’ this isn’t Grease, baby… you’re not magically going to bump into him on the first day of school and burst into desperate love songs for each other. This story doesn’t have a future, he lives too far away, he’s not going to the same university, it’s just not possible.” She sighed. “I know I sound like the bad girl saying this, but honestly Izuku, think a little further ahead…  it might be better if you and him stay away from each other.”

She was right. Because of course she was always right. She’d always been Izuku’s voice of reason, the one who supported and advised him in every important moment of his life, and he trusted her so much because so far she’d never been wrong…

And yet…

“No… I can’t stay away from him… It physically hurts, this distance between us, and damn it, Ocha, I know it’s weird because I just met him but at the same time it doesn’t feel like I did…”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s hard to explain but… I get this feeling with him, like seeing an old friend again after years and picking up right where we left off…” He snorted a little laugh and stood to walk back the way he’d come, determined to finally face his feelings. “Sorry, that sounds stupid. I just… need him, for as long as this can last.”

She didn’t answer right away; a silence stretched between them before she groaned in frustration. “Fine! But if he hurts you I’ll kill him and dump his body in the lake! You hear me? And wait for me before you do anything stupid! I’m coming back tomorrow.”

Izuku laughed. “Okay, okay… Did you manage to sort everything out on your side?”

“Yeah, it’s all good. My parents asked me to stay for the evening and I planned to stop by and say hi to your mom before heading back tomorrow since she’s on my way!”

They chatted for a few more minutes before saying goodbye when Izuku reached his tent.

He needed a shower, so he grabbed whatever clothes he had on hand and went to wash quickly.

He came back to the cabin and froze in front of the door.

He knew he must look stupid. He could just go in; there was no noise indicating anyone was awake, so there was no reason to be this nervous. And yet there he was, fists clenched, questioning all his life choices because of a boy.

What if Katsuki didn’t even want to talk to him anymore? What if he’d ruined everything with that stupid hug the other night? Ugh…

Screw it.

He grabbed the handle and opened the door harder than necessary, sending a gust of air through the small common room.

“Oi! Easy, Dammit!”

Oh.

Please let a meteor hit the earth. Like, right now…

Katsuki was standing there, clearly very awake, cooking… pancakes? At noon?

Yeah, no, no time to dwell on the pancakes, because HOLY FUCK who had given this man permission to walk around shirtless in shorts that sat perfectly on his hips while he cooked?! He looked like an ad for a cologne brand or a dating app for finding the perfect man. Or the beginning of a porn video that Izuku would definitely… ahem… watch. He barely held back a whine when the blond raised his arm to grab something from the cupboard above, stretching his whole body and making every visible muscle ripple.

Forget porn sites, this guy could probably make Izuku come just by sneezing.

He was so screwed.

Izuku didn’t realize he’d let out a sigh at his defeat against his common sense in favor of his heart and his uncontrollable dick, but apparently Katsuki heard it loud and clear.

“No need to sound so disappointed, I’m leaving as soon as I’m done with this.” He didn’t turn around to talk, his brows were furrowed and his eyes focused on the pan in front of him.

Izuku stepped further inside and gently shut the door behind him. “I-I never said I didn’t want you here…”

The blond raised an eyebrow as he turned toward him. “Really?”

Izuku nodded slowly.

This time it was Katsuki’s turn to sigh as he faced the stove again. “I don’t get you at all, fucking nerd…” he muttered.

Before Izuku could open his mouth to ask what he meant, the other boys’ door opened and a disheveled, half-asleep Denki stumbled out. “Ugh… you guys are so loud…” He pressed his forehead to the nearest wall.

“And you drank too much, dumbass.” Katsuki opened a cupboard, grabbed a box of pills, then went to the fridge for a bottle of water and handed them both to the blond who looked half-dead against the wall. “Take that and go back to sleep for a bit. Give some to Soy Sauce Face too.”

Denki grumbled something that sounded like “thanks, dad” before shuffling back into the room and shutting the door, leaving Izuku and Katsuki alone again in awkward silence.

Izuku did have things to say, like apologizing for his weird behavior, for example… Yeah, that’d be a good start. He sat on the small couch, nervously playing with the bracelet on his wrist. “You know… about what happened the other day-”

A plate landed in front of him with a loud clack, piled high with gorgeous pancakes. Honestly, it looked like one of those Instagram food photos. The syrup was slowly dripping over the sides, they looked freshly made and smelled amazing. His mouth instantly filled with saliva. “Eat. We’ll talk later,” the blond growled, turning back to the sink.

“What-” Izuku looked from his friend/first true love/sexual nightmare’s perfectly sculpted back to the plate.

He realized two things.

First: Katsuki had made pancakes just for Izuku, there were no other plates or extra pancakes in the kitchen.

Second: Katsuki knew exactly how Izuku liked his pancakes. Looking closer, he saw little chunks of blueberries in the warm batter, and beside the plate, a small bowl of crushed peanuts he’d always loved sprinkling over syrup for as long as he could remember.

And okay, maybe he was overthinking it, maybe it was just a coincidence… But he was sure he’d never mentioned it. Whenever someone made pancakes for breakfast, he’d never said anything about his preferences and they always ended up plain, with just jam or chocolate spread on top, which was fine by him.

Well… Ochaco knew he liked them that way, maybe she’d told Katsuki without Izuku noticing… Even though he didn’t really understand when or why she’d bring that up…

Whatever, the blond knew how he liked his pancakes AND he’d made some for him. Why? To make up for something? It was weird enough that Izuku couldn’t stop wondering…

“What are you mumbling about now? Eat before they get cold.”

He quickly nodded and finally focused on his food, closing his eyes and letting out a little moan as he took the first bite. “Oh my god… Katsuki… these are so good…”

Something clattered to the floor and Izuku flinched, seeing that the blond had dropped a spatula, his shoulders looking more tense than a minute ago. “Uh… you okay?”

“Y-yeah…” he grunted through clenched teeth. He quickly picked up the spatula, rinsed it again and left it to dry. He wiped his hands on a dish towel and came to sit across from Izuku, who was happily chewing his divine food like all his problems had dissolved in the sweetness of these pancakes.

Izuku swallowed the bite in his mouth and met the red eyes staring at him silently, arms crossed over his boo- his chest. He took another bite, his green eyes never leaving the red ones that made him feel like he was burning from the inside.

He chewed in silence.

It went on like that until Izuku finished his plate. It was a really weird moment, but the food was good so whatever.

You know how they say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach? At that moment Izuku thought that must be true.

“So.” The blond finally began.

And it was like the bell tolling the hour of his death.

Because they were going to talk.Here and now.

Izuku set his cutlery down on the empty plate and placed his hands on his thighs under the table, clutching his shorts. He swallowed nervously. “So…”

Katsuki sighed, closing his eyes and relaxing his posture a bit. “Look… I’m sorry.”

He blinked, stunned. “You… what?”

“I shouldn’t have… messed with you with that stupid game, and with that asshole Touya, I crossed a line.”

Wait… Izuku was the idiot, the one who’d screwed everything up, so why was Katsuki the one apologizing?

He knew he must look completely dumbfounded but he was too shocked to fix his expression. “Wait, wait a second… you… you’re apologizing? You?”

“Yeah?” Katsuki raised an eyebrow at Izuku’s confusion. “I kept my distance so you wouldn’t feel uncomfortable, but I had nowhere to sleep last night so I came back, saw you in my bed, so I took Kiri’s instead and-”

Izuku cut him off, raising his hand. “Wait wait wait…” He stared at the blond. “You’re telling me… that for two days you’ve been avoiding me… because you think you did something wrong?”

Katsuki looked at him like he was the dumb one. “…Yeah?”

Izuku groaned and dropped his forehead on the table.

This guy was too cute. Too cute and too sexy, too… too much… Izuku was going to die of love before summer ended.

“What the hell, nerd?”

He lifted his head, resting his chin on the table as he looked up at Katsuki. “I thought you hated me…” he finally said softly, almost shyly.

Katsuki looked shocked, his red eyes suddenly huge. “What? Why?”

Izuku straightened up and sank back into his seat, looking away. “I’ve… been acting weird around you, so I thought you were sick of me or something… that I’d finally made you hate me, or annoyed you enough that you didn’t want to see me anymore. Since my birthday everything’s just… I don’t know… I’m always scared I’ll mess up, but every time I’m with you it feels like that’s all I do…”

“Deku…” The other boy’s voice was like caramel slowly pouring over Izuku’s heart. “I could never hate you. And yeah, you’re an idiot, but if you were pissing me off you’d be the first to know.”

He finally turned back to those red eyes filled with sincerity. All of this had just been a lack of communication on both sides. Those two days of anxiety could’ve been avoided if Izuku hadn’t been such a coward and had opened his mouth earlier… shit…

“Are… are you staying then?”

Katsuki gave him a smug smile and just like that, Izuku felt the weight lift from his chest. “Only if you give me my room back…”

Izuku blushed bright red. “That’s not- I didn’t mean to! I was drunk, and so were the guys! And I was tired! I just went through the wrong door!” His sudden outburst made him wince. Oh yeah, right, his stupidly loud heart had almost made him forget about his hangover.

An aspirin and a big glass of water appeared in front of him.

He looked up at the blond, who still had that smug smile. “What? Can’t handle two beers?”

Izuku took the pill and swallowed it with the water in one gulp. He set the glass down and frowned. “First of all, I’ll have you know it was way more than two beers! Sero opened a bottle of rum, RUM! I was already a bit drunk because of Denki, but after that I felt like a pirate!”

“A pirate who cuts his rum with pineapple juice.”

“Go fuck yourself.”

They both burst out laughing, then went quiet when someone groaned from the boys’ room.

Katsuki didn’t pay it much attention, just rolled his eyes. “Got any plans today?”

“Uh… not really.”

Katsuki smiled and got up from his chair. “Then get ready, we’re going for a walk.”

“A walk? Around the campsite?” Izuku slid off the couch.

“No, nerd, into town. I know you went there with the idiots yesterday, but there’s a place I want to show you.” He disappeared into his room, probably looking for a shirt. Farewell, muscles, it was nice while it lasted…

The blond came back out of his room.

And yeah.

Okay, not farewell to the muscles after all…

How could a tank top be just as sexy, if not more, than being shirtless? Izuku didn’t get it, but his mouth filled with saliva as he stared at those thick shoulders and arms spilling out of that tight red tank top stretched over a broad, probably incredibly comfortable chest…

God, alcohol really had a disastrous effect on him and his libido…

“You ready?”

Izuku looked down at his own outfit. An oversized light blue t-shirt with his old high school logo, a pair of red basketball shorts old enough that he’d sewn them back together five or six times, vintage All Might socks (okay, those were cool), and his old red sneakers.

Yeah. 

Ochaco liked to say that for a gay guy he really looked like a straight dude through and through, and he could see why now.

But you know what? He didn’t care. He knew Katsuki didn’t care either. The blond was never going to be interested in him anyway, so no matter what he wore, he’d still just be a green blob with freckles.

He sighed. “Let’s go…”

They took Katsuki’s car to leave the campsite. The music was on shuffle on a 2000s pop-rock playlist while Izuku watched the trees go by through the passenger-side window.

“You still haven’t told me where we’re going.”

“It’s a surprise.” Katsuki turned onto the same road Izuku had taken with the guys the day before.

Izuku sat up straighter to look at the blond’s profile. “It’s not really a surprise since I know we’re going into town.”

“Yeah, but you don’t know where. So it’s still a surprise.” He gave him a faint side-smile without looking fully at him.

Izuku sighed and leaned his elbow on the open window, resting his chin in his palm.

It was nice. The warm wind in his hair, the pine smell filling the car, the soft hum of the engine and… “Oh my god… is this MCR?”

“…”

“Katsuki, you have My Chemical Romance on your playlist?”

“…Maybe? Yeah… so what? I basically grew up surrounded by emo assholes, that dickhead Touya being one of them. Honestly I wouldn’t be surprised if he started the whole movement.”

Izuku snorted. “Okay… But it’s on your playlist.”

“Look, they’re good, okay? They do… things to me… I don’t know… Fuck, you’re annoying!”

Izuku spotted the faint flush on the tops of Katsuki’s ears as he tried to skip the song. “Wait!” Izuku grabbed his wrist just as he was about to change it. “I never said I didn’t like them!” He smiled when Katsuki glanced over at him with a raised eyebrow.

“…Okay.”

So he let the sweet sound of “I Don’t Love You” fill the car.

And maybe Izuku had a soft spot for a couple of their songs too, because he knew the lyrics by heart. So, back in his spot, elbow on the window, chin in his palm, eyes on the view, he started humming along to the chorus.

“When you go…and would you even turn to say…”

He didn’t see the look Katsuki gave him, hands gripping the steering wheel so hard his knuckles were white, his jaw tensing painfully.

“…I don’t love you…like I did…yesterday…”

They finally reached the same shopping center Izuku had gone to the day before. Katsuki parked in the big lot and got out, Izuku close behind. “Katsuki… I already came here yesterday.”

“I know. We’re not here to buy crap, nerd. And no, we’re not giving you a makeover either, even if you need one.” He flashed his usual cocky grin that almost didn’t affect Izuku anymore. Almost.

They walked through the mall, going further than Izuku had gone with Denki and Sero, until they reached several large glass doors framed by old pink neon strips and a big flickering sign overhead that read “One for All Arcade.”

“Noooo way…”

“Yeees.” Katsuki opened one of the big doors and jerked his head for Izuku to follow.

“Oh my god! It’s huge!”

“I know. To be honest, I haven’t been here since I was like eight. I wasn’t even sure it still existed.” He headed for the counter.

Everything had a retro vibe, the arcade machines were definitely original. There were some newer things, basketball hoops, air hockey, dance games, and even private karaoke rooms.

“This is awesome…” Izuku looked around in wonder; everything was so bright and colorful… even the carpet had wild shapes and colors. “We don’t have places like this where I’m from… It’s weird to find one here of all places…”

“It used to be pretty popular when I was a kid. It was always crowded. I don’t know if that’s changed, but I know that-”

“Hello, boys! Here to have some fun?” A loud, cheerful voice cut Katsuki off. Both boys turned to the counter, where an older man stood with his palms flat on the surface and a huge grin under his gray mustache. He was wearing a pink and blue neon shirt that must’ve been the staff uniform, and a badge that said “manager.”

“Yeah, my friend and I want-” Katsuki stopped, taking a closer look at the man and widening his eyes. “Holy shit, you’re not dead yet, old man?”

The man looked shocked at first, almost ready to fight the insolent youngster, then squinted at Katsuki and his smile somehow got ten times brighter than the one he’d used to greet them. “Well, if it isn’t the little firecracker!”

“I’m not little anymore!”

“No, but you still look just as feisty!” The man laughed. “It felt so weird not seeing my favorite customer anymore! What brings you here? School holidays? Here to have some fun before you start high school?”

“First of all, I was only your favorite customer because I spent all my pocket money in your shitty games! Second, I’m going to university, you senile old fossil!”

“Oh, right, right. I think you were the only one who spent that much on that superhero game, you and that other boy who…” The old man tilted his head slightly toward Izuku, his eyes widening. “…No… that wouldn’t be-”

Katsuki stepped between him and the man, blocking his view. Izuku blinked, totally confused by what had just happened. “We’ll take your biggest bucket of tokens.”

“Fine, fine… Let me treat you to a few games, boys, it’s good to see you again.” He filled a bucket with tokens for the machines. “This one’s on me! Have fun!”

Then the two boys wandered down the arcade aisles, looking for their first game.

“He was funny,” Izuku said, walking behind Katsuki.

“I know you’re into older guys, nerd, but he’s a married man, if I remember right. Sorry.” The blond smiled over his shoulder.

“I AM NOT INTO OLDER GUYS!!” Izuku went beet-red as he realized everyone around them was staring.

“Yeah, tell that to All Might.”

“Anyway!” He was not going down that road again. “I wanna try this!” He pointed at an old Street Fighter cabinet, probably one of the first. It looked like it had lived a long, rough life.

“Yeah, yeah. Get ready to get your ass kicked, you damn nerd.”

“Don’t be so sure of yourself!”

They played three rounds, taking turns winning until Katsuki took the last match by hip-checking Izuku away from the controls.

“Well, as expected, I’m the best.” The blond put his hands on his hips with a victorious grin.

“You cheated, that doesn’t count as being the best! I was about to beat you!”

“Not my fault you can’t stand on your noodle legs, Deku. Careful, at this rate you’ll need a walker soon. Maybe the old man can lend you one.”

Izuku laughed and smacked his shoulder. “You’re an asshole.” He spotted a flashy dance game not far away and had an idea. “I’ll show you who’s the old man!” He grabbed Katsuki’s hand and dragged him toward the machine.

“No way,” the blond said when they stopped in front of it.

“Oh? Is the great Katsuki Bakugou scared my noodle legs will wipe the floor with him?”

Bait: cast.

They stared at each other, and Izuku clearly saw the exact moment the other took it. “Fuck.”

Too easy.

They each stood in the center of their pad, side by side, and Izuku set the song to random. The first notes of “My Life Would Suck Without You” by Kelly Clarkson started playing and Izuku felt instantly hyped. He shot a cocky grin at Katsuki, who smirked back and refocused on the screen.

The arrows flew by at lightning speed and Izuku didn’t miss a single one. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Katsuki giving it his all, copying Izuku’s movements with less grace but just as much efficiency.

By the end, Izuku was sweating and panting. The lack of air conditioning really hit after so much effort. Who had thought putting it on hardcore mode was a good idea?

“Fuck…” Katsuki growled, staring at the score.

Izuku had beaten him.

“Well, that’s one win each.” Izuku grinned.

The blond rolled his eyes and used his tank top to wipe his sweaty face. Izuku did his best not to stare at the very visible v line on his hips. “I’m dying of heat. You want an ice cream?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah, ice cream sounds good…”

The arcade had its own stand with ice cream and all kinds of sweets.

Katsuki told Izuku to sit at a table while he ordered.

Izuku took the chance to check his phone and found several messages. Apparently Denki and Ochaco had created an emotional support group…

// Mochi🍡 added you to the group ✨The KatZuku Disaster✨ //

Mochi🍡: So.

Sparky⚡: HEY MIDOBRO!

Sparky⚡: I thought your bff needed to be updated

Sparky⚡: So I made a group for your little “problem”

Mochi🍡: omg don’t say it like that! It sounds dirty!

Sparky⚡: why?

Sparky⚡: oh yeah okay I get it now…

Mochi🍡: ANYWAY

Mochi🍡: Izu, babe, Kami told me you left with Bakugou? Are you okay? Did he kidnap you? Should I call the police? The army? I can hire assassins if I have to.

Sparky⚡: Isn’t that a bit extreme?

Sparky⚡: I mean… they’re both adults…

Sparky⚡: and if they’re both consenting then there’s no problem

Mochi🍡: oh my god don’t jinx it! I’m not letting that guy deflower our little Zuzu!!! 🤺🤺🤺

// Mochi🍡 changed the group name to Protecting the Purity of Our Fairy Queen //

Sparky⚡: Fairy queen?

Sparky⚡: Oooooh because he’s gay

Mochi🍡: Because he’s very gay

Sparky⚡: isn’t it homophobic to call him a “fairy”?

Mochi🍡: Are you trying to sound smart?

Mochi🍡: and no, it’s fine

Mochi🍡: Because he’s the queen 💅🏼

Sparky⚡: oooooooh

Sparky⚡: okay okay!!!

Sparky⚡: let’s protect our queen’s delicate flower 🤺

Mochi🍡: there you go!!! 🤺

Izuku : What the hell is this shit?!

Sparky⚡: MIDO!!!!

Mochi🍡: My love!

// Mochi🍡 renamed Izuku to Fairy Queen 👑 //

Fairy Queen 👑: Hey!!!

Mochi🍡: Your Majesty :bows:

Sparky⚡: :bows:

Fairy Queen 👑: Why all this?

Fairy Queen 👑: and yes I’m with Katsuki, and no he didn’t kidnap me, I’m fine. We’re at an arcade, we’re getting ice cream.

Sparky⚡: ICE CREAM?!

Mochi🍡: I hope it’s not in a cone

Sparky⚡: and I’m the pervert…

Mochi🍡: shut up!

Sparky⚡: yes ma’am.

Fairy Queen 👑: OCHACO!!!

Mochi🍡: that’s my name

Fairy Queen 👑: oh my god… you’re so embarrassing… and no, I think it’s ice cream in cups…

Fairy Queen 👑: I hope…

Fairy Queen 👑: and my sex life is none of your business!

Mochi🍡: your lack of a sex life*

Fairy Queen 👑: And I don’t want to sleep with Katsuki!!!

Mochi🍡: Sure. And Kaminari is the smartest man on earth

Sparky⚡: thanks!!!

Sparky⚡: wait…

Sparky⚡: Was that a joke?!

Fairy Queen 👑: Alriiiight!! I’m NOT going to sleep with him…

Mochi🍡: better. Even if it’s still possible

Fairy Queen 👑: Ocha, I’m not going to do anything. He’s a friend, I don’t need to complicate things.

Mochi🍡: Summer’s not over yet, I just want you to be careful.

Sparky⚡: Baku’s not a monster, you know?

Mochi🍡: I never said that. But I don’t want Izuku to just be another name on his list.

Sparky⚡: harsh… but I get it.

Sparky⚡: but, even if I love you a lot Mido, I’m gonna defend Baku because he’s like a brother to me.

Sparky⚡: And he’s not a heartbreaker. He doesn’t want long term relationships and all his hookups know that before anything happens.

Sparky⚡: He also doesn’t sleep with people he knows.

Sparky⚡: So I don’t think Mido’s at risk.

Mochi🍡: okay… But Izuku’s in love with him, and that’s the problem. Bc no matter what, he’s gonna end up with a broken heart.

Fairy Queen 👑: Just pretend I’m not here, huh…

Mochi🍡: babe… I’m just saying the more time you spend with him, the more attached you’ll get and the more it’ll hurt…

He lifted his head and saw Katsuki waiting in line for ice cream, staring at his own phone. There was a slight frown on his face and his left hand in his pocket, probably playing with his car keys. Izuku had seen him do that several times.

Izuku smiled.

Fairy Queen 👑: I’ll be fine.

He turned off his phone and put it back in his pocket before he could read their replies. He knew his friends were worried, but he also knew he was better off near Katsuki than far from him. Even if they never saw each other again after this summer, Izuku didn’t want to live with regrets.

He got up to join the blond.

“What are you doing?” Katsuki asked when Izuku appeared beside him.

Izuku’s eyes narrowed as he flashed him a wide smile. “I thought waiting in line together would be more fun.”

Katsuki clicked his tongue and shoved his phone in his pocket.

When it was their turn, Izuku peered through the glass at all the flavors. Katsuki ordered without looking, “Strawberry lemon, please.” And Izuku…

“Mm… mint chocolate, please!” he told the vendor.

He turned to the blond, who was looking at him like he’d committed a crime.

“What?”

“Mint chocolate? Seriously, nerd?”

“Well yeah, I love it!”

“Ugh… no wonder no one wants to kiss that mouth if you put that crap in it.”

Izuku blushed. “Hey!”

“Here you go, gentlemen, one strawberry lemon and one mint chocolate!” the ice cream vendor said, handing them their cones.

Cones…

Fuck…

Why did he have to start that damn conversation…

“But really, you should learn to have taste.” Katsuki snapped him out of his spiral, only to shove him right back into it when his pink tongue licked a long stripe down the lemon scoop.

Izuku swallowed hard.

He hated Denki and Ochaco.

“Have you even tried it before saying that?” Izuku defended himself as best he could.

“I don’t need to taste shit to know it tastes like shit.”

Okay, Izuku had no good comeback for that…

They sat at a table to eat their ice creams and chat about random things. Izuku told him about the last few days he’d spent with the others.

“And then Mina said something like ‘I wouldn’t mind if it was with a girl as pretty as Ochaco,’ and Kirishima just… I don’t know? Shut down? You could almost see his brain rebooting, it was so funny, Denki fell on the floor from laughing so hard.” Izuku laughed at the memory and the blond huffed a laugh as he bit into his cone.

“Idiots. Of course Hair-for-Brains would get hot over a threesome.”

“What, are you gonna tell me a threesome wouldn’t turn you on?” Izuku lowered his voice to keep anyone from overhearing.

“Honestly? No. Sex is just a way to blow off steam for me, I don’t need that kind of experience. I fuck, I come, end of story.” He licked his ice cream like it was nothing.

Izuku was getting used to his crude way of talking, but it didn’t stop his cheeks from heating up a little. “So sex means nothing to you?”

“Mmh.” He nodded. “Like I said, it’s just a way to let off steam… Some people meditate, others work out. I fuck.” He glanced up for a second, then added “or I play music.” He shrugged.

Izuku couldn’t really relate. First because, yeah, he was a virgin. But also because to him, sex should be intense, full of fire between two people (or more, but Izuku was way too possessive to even consider sharing someone he didn’t even…), not just something to pass the time or a way to relieve stress…

Then again, Izuku was inexperienced. Everything he knew about sex came from what his friends told him and what he saw online or in books. Maybe once he’d done it, he’d understand better. But never mind.

He watched Katsuki in silence as he licked his ice cream, the other boy too busy devouring the rest of his cone and scanning their surroundings like he was trying to figure out what they should do next.

And then, in all his glorious noodle brained stupidity, Izuku asked the one question he absolutely did not want the answer to.

“So what about you? What did you do these past two days?”

Red eyes immediately turned to him. “Why do you wanna know?”

He shrugged. “I’m just curious. And I told you what I did.”

“Nothing.”

“Huh?”

“I did nothing.”

Izuku raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. You don’t just disappear for two days, without a car, and do “nothing.” He had to have been somewhere, with someone…

A shiver ran down his spine as he remembered the Instagram comment…

Katsuki hadn’t mentioned it, so he probably hadn’t seen it; otherwise he’d definitely have made fun of him…

“What are you thinking about?”

“Mmh?”

“Your brows are furrowed and you’ve been staring at your cone cross eyed for two minutes. It’s dripping, by the way.” He pointed where the ice cream was running down Izuku’s fingers.

“Oh shit!” He switched hands and quickly ran his tongue along the cone where it was melting and licked his finger clean.

Katsuki watched him with a little smile and handed him a napkin. “Here, gross.”

“Thanks…”

The blond observed him for a moment, then changed the subject, like he was trying to avoid talking about those last two days. “So what do you wanna do after this?”

In the end, they decided to do everything. They played every game they could, even the ones meant for little kids. They had to crouch down for those, but it was hilarious seeing a tiny whack-a-mole hammer in Katsuki’s big hand.

They tried a claw machine and Katsuki won a reversible octopus plush, green and white, with a smiling face and a sad one. Izuku won an orange and black octopus with a happy side and an angry side. They’d both laughed about how much the plushies looked like them.

It was nice. Izuku hadn’t laughed that much in a long time. He completely forgot all his problems. Katsuki had a soothing effect on him, a bit like the bracelet on his wrist but multiplied by a hundred. Something like that.

When they finally came out of the mall, it was almost night. The town was nestled in the middle of the mountains, so even though the sun hadn’t fully set, it was already pretty dark and the streetlights were on.

They messed around in the parking lot, Katsuki throwing Skittles into Izuku’s hair to see if he could make a candy nest while Izuku tried to dodge them, pretending to be offended even though his laughter said otherwise.

Izuku didn’t want the day to end. Even though he loved the others, he just wanted more time with Katsuki. Just them…

He slipped into the passenger seat of the jeep while Katsuki got into the driver’s side.

But he didn’t turn the engine on.

“Um… thanks for today… it was… it was great, I haven’t had this much fun in a long time…”

Katsuki hummed in agreement.

Silence settled in the car, Katsuki staring at the steering wheel, brows furrowed like he was trying to think something through, and Izuku staring at him.

God, he was so beautiful, even under the unflattering shadows and harsh lamp light of the parking lot, this man just radiated beauty.

Katsuki turned his gaze to the green eyes that were already watching him.

Izuku could’ve been embarrassed about being caught staring, but for some reason, he wasn’t. So he kept looking.

There was something heavy in the air between them. It was hard to put a name to it, but the tension was palpable. Izuku rolled his tongue against his tongue piercing inside his mouth. Neither of them seemed willing to move. Their eyes were locked like an overloaded live wire.

And then, for a fraction of a second, the time it took to blink, Izuku’s gaze dropped to Katsuki’s lips.

And everything exploded.

He heard the blond mutter a rough “Shit…” before a warm hand slid to the back of his neck, pulling him forward, and soft lips crashed against his.

His world suddenly burst into a thousand colors. Izuku was in heaven, or hell, or maybe he was just asleep and all of this was a dream and when he woke up he’d be drooling on his pillow with a raging hard-on.

Except it felt too real. Fingers tangling in his curls at the nape of his neck, Katsuki’s cinnamon scent, his nose brushing Izuku’s cheek, his warm breath on Izuku’s skin, his perfect lips on his… everything felt too real…

Oh my god…

OH

MY

GOD

Katsuki was kissing him!! Wait… wait a minute… he should probably kiss back, right? Move his lips or do something, shouldn’t he? Shit shit shit-

As if he could sense Izuku’s internal meltdown, Katsuki pulled back a little, resting his forehead against Izuku’s. “Sorry…” He opened his eyes slowly to look at him. “If you don’t want this we can just forget-”

Oh, no way in hell.

Izuku growled, grabbed the front of Katsuki’s tank top and yanked him in for another kiss, more intense than the first.

He had absolutely no idea what he was doing. It was messy and clumsy but who cared. He felt Katsuki’s smile against his lips and that was all he needed to know this was good.

Katsuki cupped Izuku’s face in both hands and slid his tongue over Izuku’s lower lip, making the green haired boy shiver.

He parted his lips shyly, granting the blond full access. And his heart melted the moment their tongues met. It was hot, wet, and so, so good…

How had he gone nineteen years without ever kissing someone? No idea. But he never wanted to stop kissing Katsuki.

Still, he pulled away reluctantly when Katsuki broke the kiss, a thin string of spit connecting their lips.

“You gotta breathe, ’zuku…”

Oh… OH… That’s why his brain felt like cotton… the lack of oxygen…

“R-right… breathing…”

Katsuki huffed a little nose laugh.

Then they dove back in, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Izuku heard a low, rough moan from the blond when his tongue brushed Izuku’s piercing and fuck, that sound went straight to his dick. His stupid shorts felt way too tight.

Katsuki pulled back, out of breath. He looked at Izuku with so many different emotions it was impossible to tell what he was thinking.

“Damn…”

“Y-yeah…” Izuku panted.

Katsuki’s hands were still on his neck, his thumbs stroking his cheeks gently. “We should head back… before the others start to worry…”

Izuku came back to himself and nodded.

Katsuki finally let him go and settled back into his seat before fastening his seatbelt.

Izuku did the same.

And they drove off.

Back at the campsite, Katsuki acted completely normal. He treated Izuku the way he always did, grumbled at his friends, stayed his usual self, like he hadn’t just turned Izuku’s whole universe upside down.

They didn’t talk about the kiss.

That night Izuku went to bed alone in Kirishima’s bed with his head completely scrambled and more questions than answers.

He grabbed his phone and opened the group chat.

He hesitated a moment, then hit send.

Fairy Queen 👑: I have a problem…