Work Text:
Katsuki realizes he's in love with Deku two months after the idiot has left for America.
It’s almost four in the morning and he's still buzzing from work and the villain he and Todoroki took down (Deku had gone to America after graduation, but Shouto had cornered Katsuki and told him to come work at Endeavor's agency with him—"I won't do it unless you're with me. We might as well both take advantage").
He gives up on trying to sleep and fumbles for his phone. The brightness probably leaves permanent damage on his retinas, and he swears as he turns it down as low as possible
He checks his email, and then on the dumb self-care app he’d installed because he was too busy to remember shit like brushing his teeth or drinking water. He eventually admits defeat and opens his social media.
It's been ages since he last checked it. Even if he had the time, he didn't fucking care. But he has nothing else to do, and quite frankly, it'll probably help put him to sleep.
He scrolls idly through his feed. A good percentage of it is Mina, and he's unhappy to see how many times his own face pops up in the background. Hagakure has posted a "selfie" that's really just a floating phone that she's captioned "thirst trap,” a joke that is even less funny the 15th time he's seen it. lida has posted what appears to be screenshots of the laws surrounding quirk use in public, for reasons that are probably deeply dull. There's a bunch of pictures from when Kirishima had met up with Tetsutetsu last weekend, some clips from Yaoyorozu's last interview, engagement and baby announcements from extras he doesn't care about, and a weird chain post from his crazy old aunt. His eyes are getting heavy and he thinks he might get a few hours sleep when he sees a post from Deku.
Suddenly, he's even more awake.
He's talked to Deku a bit since he left, but time zones and both their crazy schedules mean their conversations pretty much consist of responding to each other anywhere from a day to a week later. Katsuki missed him in a way that he hadn't expected; it was proving to be a difficult transition, going almost fifteen years seeing the nerd basically every day to this. And Katsuki had been doing an excellent job of convincing himself that that was completely normal, and it would have been a difficult adjustment with anyone. It had nothing to do with the fact that it was Deku.
Anyway, Katsuki had spent the last two months trying valiantly to pretend that was true, and all of that goes out the window when he sees the picture of Deku standing with his arms around some woman.
He sits up and turns his brightness a little higher. The caption tells him nothing, just some typical Deku rambling bullshit, but it does tag the bitch. Melissa Shield. The name niggles at the back of his mind, and he clicks on her profile. His heart sinks.
There are so many pictures of Deku on her profile. He's only been there for two months and there's over a dozen pictures of him. Who has the time to post that much? Apparently Melissa fucking Shield.
He places her as he scrolls through her page; he sees a picture of her with her dad and All Might. Of course. Melissa Shield. Cute, smart, quirkless Melissa Shield.
When Katsuki finally looks up from his obsessive search, the sun is rising. He blinks and looks down at his phone. He isn't sure whose profile he's ended up on. He thinks it might be the cousin of one of Melissa Shield’s coworkers.
Katsuki turns his phone off and throws it across his room. Then he lies down and stares up at his ceiling in the light of the rising sun and he says, "what the fuck?"
Katsuki lasts three very tense days before he finally breaks. Mina's eyebrows raise when she opens her door and sees him standing there.
"Well isn't this special,” she says with a wide grin. "What do I owe the pleasure? Did you kill someone and you need me to melt the body?"
He shoves his way into her apartment. "No, but I'll keep that in mind."
"Please come in," Mina drawls. "I didn't even know you knew where I lived."
"I was at your dumb house warming party."
"Oh, the one where Kaminari spiked everything? Yeah, I don't remember a thing about that. Now tell me why you're here.”
Katsuki scowls and stomps into her living room, throwing himself down in one of her armchairs.
"I— I wanted to know—” he huffs. "I gotta ask you something but if you tell a fucking soul, o-or do anything, I swear to God—"
"Oh,” Mina says, sitting down on the couch across from him. "You need to Mina Safeword."
Katsuki gawks at her. "Fucking what? "
"It’s something Kirishima and I came up with in second year, and then Kaminari and Sero got into it, then a bunch of other people— you really don't pay attention to anyone except yourself, do you?"
"Fuck off," he says. "You still haven't explained."
"Mina Safeword means you need to talk about something that makes you feel all vulnerable and sensitive and you need to be handled with the utmost care. Like a fragile doll."
Katsuki objects to the phrasing, but he can't deny that if Mina laughed or joked about his question he might change his name and leave the country.
"What is the safeword?"
"Mina Safeword is the safeword."
Katsuki makes a face. "That’s fucking stupid."
"Okay well, this system has worked perfectly for two years before you came around to complain!"
"What was the embarrassing thing Kirishima wanted to talk about?" He asks.
Mina shakes her head. "Nope. First rule of Mina Safeword is that no one else ever finds out."
Katsuki sighs, begrudgingly impressed. "Fine. I'm fucking Mina Safeword-ing."
"Okay,” she says, completely seriously. "I'm listening."
He takes a deep breath and tips his head back against the chair. "Do you know if Deku is dating that Melissa Shield bitch?"
"Hmm," Mina says, and when he chances a look at her she looks contemplative and not at all like she is going to laugh. "Honestly, I'm not sure. I've been curious about it actually. I can find out for sure, if you want."
He pushes his tongue into his canines until he tastes blood. "Yes. Please."
"Sure,” she says easily. He can hear her nails tapping against her phone screen. After a few moments she says evenly, "Do you want to talk about it?"
Katsuki takes a deep breath. "Do you have any booze?"
"I've known you were into Midoriya since first year,” Mina says, handing him the bottle. He stares at her. She's a little blurry, but that might be because they're on their second bottle of wine.
"How? I only found out three days ago."
"I guess I'm more in touch with your feelings than you are," Mina says. "Colour me unsurprised."
"Fuck you," Katsuki shoots back automatically. "How did you know?"
"Babe," Mina says, a habit she's picked up at her new agency that Katsuki adamantly despises. "You got stabbed in the chest for him. Skewered you right through."
"That—”
"Oh, I am not finished. You gravitate around him like he's your personal sun. He can get away with doing shit to you that would get other people murdered. I saw him hug you at graduation, and do you know what you did? You hugged him back. Sero once fell asleep on your shoulder and you singed one of his eyebrows off." Katsuki thinks about this, and when Mina speaks again, her voice is kind. "You two have always sort of had your own thing, y'know? You always… pushed each other and made each other better. And the only times I've really seen you smile in a way that doesn't make babies cry have been with him."
Katsuki takes another drink. He has no argument against any of it.
"You must miss him," Mina says quietly. "You spent your whole lives next to each other. This must be the first time in over a decade you won't see him every day."
"Is this supposed to be making me feel better?"
"I'm sorry," Mina says genuinely. "I should have realized."
"S'not your responsibility," he mutters. Mina links their arms together and leans her head on his shoulder, and Katsuki is drunk enough that he lets her.
"I'm your friend, Katsuki,” she says. "Course it is.”
Mina:
very exciting news
Mina:
they're not dating
Mina:
I mean I figured bc tbh I'm pretty sure he's into you too
Bakugou:
back the fuck up what does that mean
Mina:
were you not listening last night
Mina:
it takes two to homoerotically tango
Bakugou:
are you sure. like sure sure
Mina:
wow you have it bad
Bakugou:
i’ll kill you
Mina:
I asked Uraraka. She asked him.
Mina:
it's not really all that hard to figure out if you haven't shut everyone out since hs.
Bakugou:
I deserve that
Mina:
yes you do
Mina:
you know you have a standing invitation whenever we get together
Bakugou:
yeah, I know.
Mina:
I'd love if you accepted it next time.
He does. A few weeks later Kirishima asks him if he has Thursday off, and instead of lying and saying no, he says yes.
That's how he ends up at karaoke. Katsuki very firmly and resolutely refuses to sing, and then a handful of shots later he is a little less resolute, and then a few rounds later he lets himself be dragged up to do a duet with Kirishima.
After he's finished he sits back down beside Mina and pulls out his phone. By chance Deku had posted barely a minute ago, and Katsuki is so drunk that he doesn't even wait to like it.
A text comes in at the top of his screen from Mina. He's not sure if it’s to keep the conversation private or because it's impossible to hear anyone over Sero warbling an out of tune rendition of some idol song.
Mina :
omg do you have notifs on for when he posts
Katsuki frowns at his phone.
Bakugou :
no
Bakugou :
how do you do that
Mina clicks her tongue and grabs his phone out of his hand. He watches her go to Deku's profile and press a button he’d never noticed before. Then she opens the camera app and puts it on selfie mode. Katsuki immediately leans out of frame. She pokes him in the side.
"Come on!” She shouts. "He's online! When was the last time you posted a picture of yourself? He's gonna forget what you look like!"
Katsuki wants to tell her that they've known each other for fifteen years and that it would take more than two months for Deku to forget what he looked like, but the really fucking drunk part of his brain thinks oh my god, what if Deku forgets how hot I am.
He rolls his eyes but sits up straight. Mina grins and flashes a peace sign. Katsuki tries to look unimpressed and handsome, but at that moment Sero's voice cracks on a very ambitious note, and he lets out a bark of laughter. That's when Mina takes the picture.
Before Katsuki can even formulate a coherent thought, her fingers are flying across his phone screen, and she thrusts it back at him when she's done.
It’s a good picture; Mina looks gorgeous, and Katsuki is caught mid-laugh, head tipped back a little, cheeks flushed from too much booze. The caption says "photo cred to the amazing, talented, beautiful @ashidopinky who definitely didn't write this caption."
Katsuki is beyond impressed. She'd taken a picture of him that looked great, posted it on his account, but made it clear she had been the one to post it to protect Katsuki's social media reputation. And she'd done it all drunk off her ass. What the fuck.
By the time he's finished reading what she wrote, Deku has already liked it. A few seconds later, a comment comes in.
@herodeku: omg that looks like so much fun I'm jealous 🥺😭😩
@herodeku: have fun Kacchan! be safe!!!
Katsuki looks up at Mina. "You're good at this," he says.
"Babe,” she says, "You have no idea.”
"The next thing we need to do,” Mina says, looking at him over her sunglasses, "is you need to start texting him again."
He immediately scowls. "Mind your own business."
"You made it my business. Besides, I get results! You said it yourself that I was good."
"Shit I say when I'm drunk doesn't count."
Mina rolls her eyes and takes a sip of her boba. "What's your plan, then? Keep stalking his social media for eight months until he comes back, and then continue to do nothing?"
That, more or less, was exactly Katsuki's plan. She huffs.
"Let me do one thing. I guarantee I can convince you to let me keep meddling."
He narrows his eyes. "Calling it meddling isn’t helping.”
"I’m not going to do anything you'll be upset about, I promise.”
Katsuki hands her his phone. “One chance. If you don't convince me then you drop it."
"Deal,” Mina says. She raises the phone as if she's going to take a picture, but then she kicks him in the shin. He yelps and glares at her, and she snaps a picture. Then her fingers go flying again as she posts it.
"What time is it in L.A.?"
"1am," he says immediately. Mina raises an eyebrow and he flushes.
"Shut the fuck up."
"So, if it's 1am on a Tuesday and he presumably has to work tomorrow, why is he liking your posts thirty seconds after you post them?" He looks at her. "I had my suspicions before, but now I'm almost certain he gets notified when you post." She looks back down at his phone and then slides it across the table. "Here. He's still going."
Katsuki takes his phone. The photo is of him glaring slightly above the camera, and the caption says "Bakugou when you tell him the alternate ending of the 2xxx All Might movie was better than the original." Below it, and still coming, are comments from Deku.
@herodeku: @ashidopinky ashido-san is this a joke
@herodeku: the alternate ending completely undermines the character development he goes through in the movie
@herodeku: the whole point of the movie is that he finds out he doesn’t need to try to be someone he isn’t and doesn’t need to rely on support items that have been dragging him down
@herodeku: the alternate ending completely undermines that by??? Magically giving him a support item that works for him with no real explanation???
@heroderu: @dynamight Kacchan back me up 🥺
@dynamight: the nerd is right
Deku likes his comment almost as soon as he posts it. He gives Mina a look.
"Fine," he says. The smug look on her face almost makes him regret it.
"Good. Now you need to start talking to him regularly. And you need to be the one to keep up with him. You need to prove to him that you're interested."
"What the fuck, why do I have to be the one?"
"Deku's never shied away from you, but you need to make it clear or he won't know you like him."
"Why does he need to know? "
"You're hopeless,” she says. "So you two can finally be together! Don't you want to date him?”
Katsuki wants to do a lot of things. He wants to run his fingers through his wild curls and press his lips to the freckles on his cheek. He wants to make him dinner and listen to him ramble on about his day and listen to his stupid muttering and rub his shitty arm when it hurts and—
"Yeah, I wanna fucking date him."
Mina sits back and crosses her arms. "You'd better do as I say, then."
It takes him three days to convince himself to do it. He gets off work around five; he changes into normal clothes and then types a message out quickly.
Bakugou:
hey nerd. I know its stupid late over there. hows america?
He shoves his phone in his pocket and tries not to think about it as he heads to the train. He manages to get a seat, slouching down and pulling his phone back out to change the song— and stops.
Deku has already responded.
Deku:
hi kacchan!!! how are you!!! America is good!! I'm finally starting to get a hang of the language, I went to mcdonalds all by myself yesterday!!
Katsuki clamps down on a smile. He can under no circumstances be caught smiling in public.
Bakugou:
Holy hell do you get paid per exclamation point
Bakugou:
why are you awake. it must be 3 or something
It’s almost exactly 3am there, actually, but Deku absolutely does not need to know he’s memorized the time difference between them.
Deku:
couldn't sleep 😢 we're in the middle of a heat wave and I couldn't afford an apartment with a/c.
Deku:
I'm literally dying Kacchan its so bad
Bakugou:
Wtf you dumbass buy one of those portable ones
Deku:
I can't afford it!! they're expensive!!
Bakugou:
they're paying you ain't they
Deku:
well yeah but
Deku:
I've been... stocking up an American hero merch
Bakugou:
oh my god Deku
Deku:
they have so much kacchan!!! They even have All Might stuff we don't have in Japan!!!
Deku:
I actually bought you something!! 🤗
Deku:
although you'll have to wait until i get home
Katsuki bites down on his lip.
Bakugou:
stop spending your money on dumb shit and buy an air conditioner! shitty nerd!
Deku:
ok Kacchan!!
Katsuki looks up to see where they are and swears when he realized they had passed his stop. He gets up and squeezes his way towards the door so he can get off at the next stop and turn around.
Bakugou:
deku I missed my fucking stop
Deku:
oh my goskjdhjdhsdnsaolcjs
Deku:
are you going home from work!! how is it going??
They talk until Katsuki gets home, and by that time the inside of his cheek is torn to shreds from how much he's been biting it. He closes his door behind him and throws his keys on the table, shoving off his shoes and heading into the kitchen.
Bakugou:
deku go to fucking bed
Deku:
but Kacchan it’s so HOT
Deku:
I have like seven cheap fans aimed at me its not enough
Deku:
im gonna shave my head
Bakugou:
don't. you'd look like shit bald
Bakugou:
remember when I burned off your eyebrows in second year?? you looked like a flasher in a park.
Deku:
I still think they grew back weird 😖
Bakugou:
learn to fucking block then.
Deku:
I did!!!
Deku:
ok I'm gonna try to go to sleep but if I can't I'm gonna bother you again
Bakugou:
put a cold washcloth on your forehead
Deku:
omg Kacchan so smart
He doesn't bother biting back his grin this time. There's no one around to see.
Bakugou:
night nerd
A few minutes later he gets another text; it’s a picture message this time, a selfie of Deku in the low light of a side lamp. He has a washcloth on his forehead and is flashing a peace sign and a grin. He also isn't wearing a shirt. Katsuki can just make out his collarbones before the picture cuts off, and he lets his eyes soak it in greedily.
Deku:
night Kacchan!! 🥰
Katsuki thunks his head down on his table and yells.
The next time Mina asks for his phone, he gives it to her.
It’s been about a week and a half since he and Deku had started keeping in touch again. A few days after that first conversation, Deku sends him a picture of a shabby window with blue curtains and a portable a/c still in the box.
Deku:
now I have to figure out how to set it up 💪
Katsuki had thought he'd missed Deku before, but talking to him now is making it somehow both better and worse. He feels closer than ever even though he's farther than he's ever been.
"Ei, pretend to arm wrestle Bakugou."
Kirishima looks up with furrowed eyebrows. "Huh?"
"Mina Safeword," she says. Kirishima shrugs and stops asking.
"Why do we have to pretend?" Katsuki asks.
"Because Ei would obviously win, he always wins arm wrestling." She handles Katsuki infuriatingly well.
"Fuck you," he says. "Let's go, Ei."
"Dude," Kirishima says, sitting down across from him. "You know she's baiting you, right?"
"Yes," Katsuki snarls. "Let's go."
Kirishima wins. Logically Katsuki knew he would, since his quirk basically nullifies Katsuki's. Mina at one point shoves his sleeve up to better show off his muscles, and he lets her because he has really nice arms.
When Kirishima inevitably beats him he looks between Katsuki and Mina with a betrayed sort of look on his face, until Katsuki rolls his eyes and relents.
"I'm revoking the fucking safeword, you can tell him."
"Oh good, I've been needing someone to bounce ideas off," Mina says. "I'm helping Bakugou seduce Deku."
"Oh, finally," Kirishima says.
"Fuck does that mean? You knew too?"
"Dude, you hugged him at graduation."
" Thank you ," Mina says.
"Oh, so this is why Mina has been posting for you. I figured she was blackmailing you or something."
"Fuck both of you," Katsuki says, taking his phone back and checking what she posted. His sleeve is bunched up and his muscles are looking great. He's got a fierce look on his face. He looks hot as hell. The caption says:
@ashidopinky: you can't beat a guy who can basically turn to rock at arm wrestling
@dynamight, a Moron: watch me.
Deku has already liked it, and as Katsuki is reading, a comment comes in.
@herodeku: I believe in Kacchan!!!
@ashidopinky: he lost
@herodeku: next time!!!
"Like his comments," Mina says.
"What?"
"Do as I say."
He scowls but listens; the red heart next to Deku's comments seems… aggressive.
"God, he definitely gets notified when you post," Mina says, tapping through her own phone. "That is so cute."
Something a little like hope blooms in his chest.
Bakugou:
happy birthday dweeb
Deku:
good morning Kacchan!!! but its not my birthday here yet!!
Bakugou:
Idfc its your birthday where it matters .
Bakugou:
i'll give you your gift when you get home
Deku:
thank you kacchan!!
Deku:
I can't wait!!!
It's August when his phone rings and wakes him up. His clock says 22:30. He looks at who's calling, ready to chew them out, but then he sees—
It's Deku.
"Hello?"
There's a pause, and then a sniffle. "Hi, Kacchan," he says, and wow, Katsuki was not prepared for the burst of emotion in his chest as he hears Deku's voice for the first time in five months. It's not right, though; it's weak and sad.
Katsuki sits up in bed. "What's wrong?"
"I-its nothing. I'm sorry I even called, I shouldn't have. I know it's past your bedtime." Which like, it is, but he doesn't need to make Katsuki sound like a toddler.
"Deku I swear to god if you don't tell me what's wrong I'm gonna fly across the Pacific and fucking make you. Are you okay?"
"I'm safe," Deku says.
"That's not what I asked. Deku."
Deku sighs, and his voice shakes when he speaks. "It's just... why am I here, Kacchan? Everyone I love is a world away and the language is so hard and I'm so lonely and what is the fucking point ," he's crying fully now, and Katsuki starts at the curse in his mouth. "What is the point if I can't even do what I came here to do?"
Ah. "You lost someone today."
"I lost them all ," Deku cries, grief and anger clear in his voice. "He killed them all, and I couldn't stop it. I couldn't save any of them. So what's the point of me?" He takes a few heaving breaths. Katsuki doesn't know what to say, so instead he just listens. "Save to win and win to save, right? What if I can't do either?"
Katsuki knows that the amount of people Deku has saved included— well, all of Japan and pretty much the entire world. He also knows being told that won't help.
"Why am I here, Kacchan?" His voice is filled with doubt in a way Katsuki hasn't heard since middle school. "Why the fuck am I here?"
Katsuki says, "because you're going to be the number one hero."
There's silence on the other end, and then Izuku lets out a watery laugh. "Yeah," he sniffles.
"And then I'm gonna steal that title right out from under your feet. Remember? That was the plan."
"That was your plan," Izuku says. "My plan was to steal it from you." He laughs again, and it makes Katsuki's stomach flip.
"There you fucking go," he says gruffly. "That's why you're there. You’re also there because you're a kickass hero and you're damn good at what you do."
This just makes Deku cry more, which is the opposite of what he wanted.
"I really miss you," Deku says. Katsuki closes his eyes and lets the words wash over him. "I miss everyone so much. Sometimes I don't think I can do this."
"Deku. You can do fucking anything ," he says, and he means it.
"Thank you, Kacchan. You can go back to bed now."
"You sure?"
"Yeah," he says, and he does sound better, his voice stronger. "I feel a lot better now. Thank you."
"Anytime, shitty nerd," he says, too harsh and too brusque, but Deku has always been able to see past all his defenses to what he's really trying to say.
"You too, Kacchan," he says quietly, but Katsuki can hear the smile in his voice. "Anything you need. Or, well, anything I can feasibly provide from the other side of the world."
"Damn, here I was gonna ask you to pick me up some groceries."
Deku laughs. "I'll meet you halfway across the Pacific."
Katsuki lays down; the smile is probably also evident in his voice, but he doesn't care.
"Deal, nerd."
Mina:
dkjnsfcslk bakugou
Bakugou:
Wtf
Mina:
he asked if we were dating
Bakugou:
what???
She sends him a screenshot from her own conversation with Deku.
Deku:
hi ashido-san!! I hope you've been good! I wanted to ask you a question and you don't have to answer if you don't want and I really don't mean to be invasive but I was wondering if you and Kacchan were dating?
Mina:
sfnsdjskdwkfs
Mina:
thats the most offensive thing anyone has ever said to me and I am routinely asked about the colour of my genitals
Mina:
nooooo we are not dating
Mina:
I'm just trying to make him marginally more social
Deku:
oh!! Okay!! I'm sorry to pry I just noticed you'd been posting for him!!
That's all that's included in the picture.
Bakugou:
you didn’t have to sound so fuckin offended
Bakugou:
what did you talk about after
Mina:
my job
Bakugou:
what does this mean
Mina:
use your head, babe
Despite everything, Katsuki doesn't let himself believe her until the beginning of September.
Deku:
kacchan do you get time off??
Bakugou:
why
Deku:
um!! because my agency puts on a really big holiday party each year and they asked if I wanted to invite anyone from home so!! I mean if you were interested, and you'd get a plus one so you could bring Kirishima! Or it doesn't have to be Kirishima, if you are, um, dating anybody or anything! you can bring who you want! Assuming you want to come!!
Deku texts like he talks, and it's so fucking cute. Katsuki looks at the words on the screen and feels his heart in his throat. Deku was inviting him to America. He was going to see Deku again.
He can't get too excited. He needs details.
Bakugou:
when
Deku:
December 10th is the party! My agency would pay to fly you out too 😋
Deku:
America does everything very extravagantly
Bakugou:
i'll see if I can get it off.
Bakugou:
i'll let you know
Bakugou:
also im not dating anyone. so.
Deku:
ok Kacchan!! it would be really nice to see you again! 🥰
Katsuki is already texting Todoroki.
Katsuki doesn’t like nepotism or anything like that, but he shamelessly milks his friendship with Shouto to score three days off over December 10. He tells Deku, who sends him back four lines of emoji’s.
After that he texts Mina.
Bakugou:
can you take the weekend of December 10 off
Mina:
*suspicious* why
Bakugou:
Don’t asterisk roleplay your fucking emotions
Bakugou:
Deku invited me to America for some big holiday party and I get a plus one
Mina:
wait are you asking me???
Mina:
you don't want to bring Kirishima??
Bakugou:
I definitely want to bring Kirishima
Bakugou:
but I want to bring you too, and you deserve to come
Bakugou:
if you want
Mina:
sldksjfcnskdsd I'm gonna cry
Mina:
yes i want to come!!
Mina:
i'll see if I can get it off!
Mina:
Katsuki 🥺🥺
Bakugou:
don't push it or I WILL bring Kirishima
Mina:
noted
Three months later, he and Mina are stepping off a plane in L.A. It’s hot and bright, and Katsuki stops at one of the shops in the airport to buy a pair of sunglasses and a baseball hat before they head down to baggage claim. As they're on the escalator he hears the name he'd taken for granted before he'd had to go so long not hearing it.
"Kacchan! Ashido-san!" He looks towards the voice—
Mina whistles. " Wow he got hot. Holy shit, his pictures don't do it justice. Look at that body. Are you gonna be okay?"
"Shut the fuck up," he says through gritted teeth, waving at Deku and trying not to openly drool. "If he's taller than me I'm gonna get arrested for public indecency."
Deku runs to meet them; Katsuki can see a few people look at him in recognition, but Deku doesn't look away from Katsuki as he runs at them. He grabs Katsuki in a bone-crushing hug; he is taller than Katsuki, something he finds out as he hooks his chin over Deku's shoulder. Mina moves behind him so she can waggle her eyebrows and make rude gestures with her hands.
"Hi," Deku says breathlessly, pulling back to grin at him, and it’s the brightest thing in this city made of sun. "Welcome to L.A."
Katsuki says, "I can't believe you're taller than me, you piece of shit."
Deku laughs, and then he turns to Mina. "It’s good to see you, Ashido-san! I'm glad you were able to come!"
Mina grins. "I'm ready to tear up this town! Where are we staying?"
"My agency booked you guys into a hotel room," Deku says, as they head over to wait for their baggage.
"Aw, really? I was hoping we'd get to stay with you, Midoriya.”
Katsuki shoots Mina a warning look. What the hell was she doing?
"Oh! I'd love that, actually, but I only have a one bedroom. Rent is really expensive here."
"Are you sure?” Oh, he doesn't trust Mina’s tone. "I could take the couch and you and Bakugou could share the bed."
"The hotel is fine,” Katsuki snaps, as Deku avoids his eye.
"Well, we can go check your place out at least, right? We can't check into the hotel until later, probably."
He's really gonna kill her.
"Yeah, definitely!" Deku says happily. The baggage claim starts moving, and he says, "I'll go grab us a cab while you guys get your luggage!"
When he's out of sight, Katsuki says viciously, "Don't make me regret bringing you."
"You're definitely going to regret bringing me," Mina says, grabbing her luggage as it passes. "But I'm here now and there's nothing you can do about it."
Katsuki grumbles under his breath as he grabs his own luggage. Deku is standing outside by a bright yellow cab, and he waves when he sees them. They put their luggage in the trunk and then pile into the cab. The cab driver speaks quickly, and Katsuki is too out of practice with English to keep up. Deku is pretty good with it, though, after all these months. Katsuki likes hearing it from him. It makes his voice sound different.
Deku had once described his apartment as a shithole, and he was maybe being generous. Katsuki immediately goes to rifle through his kitchen cupboards and starts to chew the nerd out over how empty they are.
"What the hell have you been eating, hah?"
"Um, I usually order food? I'm normally too tired to cook. Oh but Kacchan!” He grabs Katsuki's arm. "Will you make me Katsudon? None of the ones I've tried have been as good as yours!"
God, he can feel Mina's eyes on him. He firmly ignores her. "Yeah, whatever, nerd," as though his ears weren't burning with the praise. "Just bring me somewhere I can find ingredients. I'll make it tonight."
"Okay! There's an Asian grocery store I go to, we can go later. Are you guys tired? Hungry?"
"Actually, I'd love a nap," Mina says, punctuating this with a yawn. "Can I nap in your bed, Midoriya?"
Deku blinks, and Katsuki pinches his nose. "Oh, sure!” Deku rallies back. "You can have a shower if you want, too, I know airplanes can make some people feel gross."
"Thanks!" Mina says brightly. "Why don't you guys go grocery shopping? You can show Katsuki the city!"
Katsuki glares at her. She's being far too helpful.
"Sure!” Deku says, turning to grin at Katsuki again. He's gonna have to put his sunglasses back on. "Are you hungry, Kacchan? They have every kind of food you could want."
Katsuki can't help but smile back. "Yeah, let's go. You can show me the dumb city."
He can practically feel Mina's smugness. He gives her the finger.
They walk to the grocery store, and Deku rambles on about the neighborhood and all the cute old ladies who are in love with him and all the restaurants he goes to because he never fucking cooks. Katsuki listens to him talk and stuffs his hands in his pockets to stop himself from reaching out to grab Deku's.
People recognize him sometimes, stopping Deku and speaking in rapid English that Katsuki can't follow. Deku signs autographs and poses for pictures; people here are falling in love with him too.
They get something that Deku dubiously describes as simply ‘street meat’; their shoulders bump together as they walk. At the grocery store Deku happily picks out the ingredients they need; people seem to know him there, as a customer as opposed to as a hero, which gives Katsuki hope that he does cook for himself on occasion.
They get stopped on the way multiple times again, and Katsuki carries all the grocery bags as Deku is fawned over.
"Sorry," he says, as they detach themselves from another group of giggling fans.
"You're popular."
Deku rubs his neck sheepishly. "People seem to like me," he says with a self conscious laugh.
"Well, you're very likable." He doesn't realize what he's said until he sees Deku’s startled look. Katsuki blushes and stares at the sidewalk. "Shut up."
Deku giggles. "Thanks, Kacchan. I'd say the same about you, but I don't like to lie."
"Fuck you," Katsuki says with a surprised laugh. "I'm a goddamn delight."
When they get back to Deku’s apartment there's a note from Mina on the counter.
Going to tear up the town, don't wait up ;)
"God help this city," Katsuki says. Deku chews his lip.
"Do you think she'll be okay?"
"She'll be fine, nerd, she's a pro-hero."
"I know that! I meant because she's in a new city and I don't know how well she speaks English."
"Eh, I wouldn't worry," Katsuki says, unloading the groceries. "Mina can handle herself."
"You and Ashido-san have gotten really close, huh?" Deku says in a strange sort of voice. Katsuki hands him things for him to put away and raises an eyebrow.
"I needed her advice on something."
"On what?"
Katsuki hits him in the shoulder. "Mind your fucking business, Deku!"
Deku giggles again. "What do you want to do now, Kacchan? We can— oh!" His eyes go wide and he suddenly darts out of the room.
Katsuki furrows his eyebrows and follows Deku back into the living room. He comes barrelling back into the room with something behind his back.
"Okay, close your eyes and hold out your hands!"
"Deku—”
"Do it!”
"Fucking—" he huffs but does it anyway. Shut up.
Something soft lands in his palms, and when Deku tells him to open his eyes he finds himself face to face with what appears to be a handmade, crocheted bear wearing his hero uniform.
His mouth goes very dry.
"Do you like it!” Deku shouts out, oblivious to the fact that he's made Katsuki's brain flatline. "Isn't it cute! I found it at a flea market, it’s this woman who makes them all by hand and she has heroes from all over the world! She had a Shouto bear too but I got yours first because I could only afford one." Katsuki files that away to preen over at a later date. "So! Do you like it?"
Katsuki smiles, and if Mina were here she would have taken note that it was one of these rare ones that didn't make babies cry. "Yeah, nerd, I fucking love it," he says. He ruffles Deku's hair and then scowls. "God, can you fucken slouch or something?"
Deku laughs, and Katsuki very carefully packs his little Dynamight bear in a safe pocket of his bag.
"So," Deku says, "How fucked up is your jetlag right now?"
"Slept on the plane for the most part," he says. "Airline had a flight attendant that could knock you right out."
"Really? How did it work?”
"I didn't take notes, loser, I don't fuckin' know."
Deku laughs again. He's been smiling pretty much the whole time, too. He keeps catching Katsuki looking at him, but he usually just grins wider.
"So, I'm guessing since you have to go to a party tomorrow and be on your best behaviour that you'd rather stay in tonight?"
He knows Katsuki so well. "You never said shit about being on my best behaviour."
Deku gives him a playfully exasperated look. "We can check out the city if you want—”
"I didn't come here to see the fucking city, stupid, I came here to see you." It's another thing that spills out before he can think about it. Deku's eyes widen and his ears flush.
"O-okay! So what do you wanna do before dinner?"
They end up watching what Katsuki is pretty sure is the world's worst holiday movie. He and Deku sit on his couch under an All Might blanket, and Deku laughs as Katsuki rants at the television.
"What kind of useless shithead would feel threatened by their partner's quirk? Just because hers is stronger than his?"
"I think that's why they're breaking up, Kacchan," Deku says, humour laced in his voice. Katsuki clicks his tongue.
"Is this supposed to be her new love interest?” He complains later. "So what, she's gonna fall in love with this loser and move back to her shithole town and give up on her dreams? He's not even that hot."
Deku snorts. "If he was hotter would you approve?"
"Fuck no. Anyone worth their shit should be fucking supportive of whatever their partners dreams are." I didn't complain once when you said you were going to America , he thinks, even though they aren't partners, not really.
"Do you want me to put on another movie?” Deku asks. Katsuki scowls.
"No, I wanna know what this dumb bitch does."
Deku chuckles and then — rests his head on Katsuki's shoulder. He stays very fucking still and desperately hopes Deku can't hear his heartbeat going crazy.
"See?" He says, as they near the end of the movie. "She moved back to her shitty town and gave up on her dreams."
"I mean, she still became a pro-hero, she just moved back to be the hero of her town."
"If she'd wanted to become her hometown hero, she wouldn't have left to go to the city."
"She fell in love!"
Katsuki blows a raspberry with his mouth. "Please. If he really gave a shit he would have asked what she wanted instead of assuming she'd move back."
"Hmm," Deku says, hair tickling Katsuki's chin. "I mean, you're right, but that probably wouldn't have been as successful of a movie."
"Wouldn't have been as fucking stupid though," he says, as the credits start to roll. Deku laughs quietly; Katsuki turns his head and sees that his eyes are closed.
"Oi," he says, shaking his shoulder. "The hell are you falling asleep for? I'm the one whose body is working 16 hours ahead."
Deku lifts his head and yawns. "Sorry," he says. "Maybe you're just tiring, Kacchan.”
Katsuki snorts and pokes Deku in the side; he yelps and squirms away, and Katsuki grins, fingers digging into Deku's side as he laughs and jerks and squeals. He grabs Katsuki's arm and tries to get away, but Katsuki goes with him, laughing at Deku’s distressed giggles. Deku falls backwards and Katsuki follows, and then all of a sudden Katsuki is looking down at him and Deku's eyes are greener than ever and really close, and his lips are right there. Deku tilts his head more, and Katsuki leans in, and Katsuki's fucking phone rings.
He jerks away from Deku, who clambers up into a sitting position with a red face. Katsuki pulls his phone out and tries not to throw it against the wall when he sees it's Mina.
"What."
Deku mumbles something about the bathroom and basically runs out of the room.
"Just once I'd like it if you sounded happy when you talked to me."
"What," he says again.
"You can check into the hotel, now," Mina says. "I'm going to the pool."
"Great," Katsuki says. "Don't call me again unless it's an emergency."
"So grumpy," Mina says. "You'd better get some this trip so you'll be in a better mood."
Katsuki hangs up on her.
By the time Deku comes back out Katsuki has started to get acquainted with his kitchen, and any lingering awkwardness that might have sprung up after... whatever it was that happened is washed away in the face of Deku’s favourite meal.
"Can I help?"
"Yeah," Katsuki says. "Stay out of my fucking way. I've seen the way you chop vegetables." Deku elbows him but does as he says, directing Katsuki when he needs dishes or tools. Towards the end he wanders over and sticks his head over Katsuki's shoulder, inhaling deeply.
"Oh my god, Kacchan, that smells so good."
"Didn't I tell you to slouch?"
"Is it almost done?"
"It's done when it's done. Don't hover." Deku gives him space, going to sit at the kitchen table.
“I tried to make this once, you know. I was feeling really homesick and I tried to make this and I screwed up somewhere and it tasted awful, and I literally sat on the ground and cried for like, an hour.”
"Stupid. You should have called me."
"It was soon after I got here,” Deku says. "When we weren't… talking as much.”
Katsuki clears his throat. "Right.”
After a pause, Deku says, "I'm really glad we're talking again, Kacchan."
"Yeah,” Katsuki says, thunking a bowl down in front of Deku at the table. "Me too, nerd."
After dinner they migrate back into the living room, curling up under the All Might blanket, and Deku sits too close to him again. They watch dumb American game shows and Deku translates what he doesn't understand. At some point Deku's fingers start tracing along Katsuki’s wrist bone and fingers, and his head ends up on Katsuki's shoulder again. He doesn't even realize how late it is until Deku mutters sleepily, "You can stay here if you want, Kacchan." And Katsuki is too comfortable and warm to even think about moving.
They fall asleep like that.
Jetlag catches up to him, which is the only possible explanation for why he sleeps until 1:30pm. When he finally wakes up, eyes crusty and mouth dry, Deku is sitting beside him eating chips and watching TV. Katsuki grunts to get his attention.
"Kacchan!” He grins at him. "Hi!” He offers Katsuki a bottle of water, and he gratefully chugs half of it. "Is your back sore? I tried to get you to lie down and you told me to fuck off."
"Better than the airplane," Katsuki says, stretching and cracking his back. "What time does your stupid thing start?"
"Dinner is at six," Deku says. "And after there's dancing and like, giveaways. I should stay for a while, but you're free to go whenever your murderous impulses start getting out of control."
Katsuki snorts and kicks him. "I'll stay as long as I can," he says. "No promises."
Deku grins. "Thanks, Kacchan! Do you want to order something to eat?"
"Stop fucking spending your money on that shit. I'll cook."
"I just feel bad!” Deku whines. “I didn't mean to make you come across the world just to cook for me."
"Tch. I don't mind, idiot. I wouldn't do it if I didn't want to."
He checks his phone and realizes he hadn't charged it. He gets his phone charger out, and when it’s charged up a bit he turns it on to a bunch of texts.
Mina:
are you at the hotel
Mina:
or did you stay at Deku's.
Mina:
I'm going to assume you're doing something naughty
Bakugou:
fuck off we just watched TV and then I fell asleep
Bakugou:
did you terrorize the town last night
Mina:
no I pulled a Bakugou
Mina:
passed out by nine with a face mask on
Mina:
I'll drop by there later and we can go to the party together
Mina:
have fun xo
Bakugou:
fuck you
He also has texts from his mom and Kirishima; somehow Kirishima's is more maternal.
Hag:
I told you to fucking message me when you landed shithead. don't you care about my heart??
Kirishima :
hope you're okay, man! Mina told me you guys landed safe. have fun and stay safe!!
He makes Deku lunch and they sit at the table and talk. Deku drinks coffee with too much sugar and is wearing an old pair of All Might pyjamas that should have been thrown out after his last growth spurt. He sits with a foot pulled up on the chair, chin resting on his knee. His hair is messy and curls around his face, smile sleepy and bright, and Katsuki is so fucking in love with him.
After they eat they take turns showering in Deku’s shitty bathroom, and by the time he's finished and dressed Mina has arrived, sitting in Deku's living room and talking and laughing. Mina's dress is a beautiful deep purple, but Katsuki's eyes go right past her and land on Deku. He's styled his hair and is wearing a black suit with green accents. Katsuki is having very impure thoughts.
"You look so nice, Kacchan!" He says, grinning at him.
Mina gets up to pretend to straighten his tie and mutters, "Pick your jaw up off the floor."
They're about to head out when Katsuki fully takes in Deku’s outfit. "How have you still not learned how to tie a tie?" He says, moving in front of Deku, hands steady as he fixes Deku’s tie and straightens it. "Shitty nerd."
"Thank you, Kacchan," Deku says quietly. “I like your suit. I like that it has your logo on it." A piece of his hair falls into his face, and Katsuki reaches out to push it back.
Mina clears her throat. "The car’s here," she says. She raises an eyebrow at him, and he scowls at her.
The party is at a banquet hall that is much bigger than Katsuki had been expecting. "How many fucken people work at your agency?"
"Oh, not that many, really, they just invite a bunch of other agencies. I told you everything is very extravagant here."
They head to their table, and Katsuki's eyes flick around the room, but there are too many people and quirks and voices. He sticks close to Deku as they take their seats. "These are some of my co-workers," Deku says, pointing to each as he tells Katsuki and Mina their names. "This is Allison, Ben, and Clover. This is—"
"You're Kacchan!” Allison shouts. Katsuki winces at the way the name sounds in her accent.
"Bakugou," he says firmly.
"Izuku talks about you all the time," Clover says, speaking clearly and not too quickly so he can understand them better. "He needs to put a dollar in a jar every time he brings you up unprompted."
Katsuki raises an eyebrow at Deku, who is bright red. "Thank you, Clover,” he says with gritted teeth.
"Hi!” Mina says, sticking her hand out to shake everyone else's. "I'm Mina! Nice to meet everyone!"
Mina effortlessly takes over the conversation and brings everyone's attention away from Katsuki as she talks to everyone in surprisingly fluent English. Katsuki will have to find some way to thank her later for everything she's done, as Deku’s knee knocks against his. "You really don't have to stay long—"
"Deku. It’s fucking fine. Worry about whichever one of these poor saps Mina decides she wants to seduce."
Deku giggles. "I think she's already decided," he says, and Katsuki turns to see her putting all her attention on Clover, who doesn't seem to know what to do with it.
"She's definitely getting more out of this trip than Kirishima would have."
Deku doesn't get a chance to answer, because someone calls his name, and Katsuki's mood sours as he catches sight of Melissa fucking Shield. Deku immediately gets up and hugs her, which is annoying. Katsuki’s eyes zero in on the way her arms go around Deku's neck and his big hands rest on her waist. It can't have been that long since they'd seen each other. Why did they even need to hug?
"Stop glaring at her," Mina mutters in his ear. He hadn't even seen her detach herself from Clover. "They're not dating."
"Why does she have to hug him then?"
"You're so jealous," Mina says, resting her head on her hand. "Clover and I aren't like that."
Katsuki laughs, and so does she. "Fuck off," he says. Mina pinches him.
"He wanted you here," Mina reminds him, just as Deku turns around and beams at Katsuki.
"Kacchan! D'you remember Melissa Shield?"
Katsuki has far too much knowledge about this woman stored in his brain because of his pathetic night of stalking, so he just nods.
"Hi!" Melissa says with a smile. "Bakugou, right? I can't remember if we met that time, so much had been going on— but Deku talks about you so much, I'm excited to meet you again!”
Katsuki wants to say something extremely petty like, well Deku never mentions you at all , but making Deku mad isn't part of this weekend’s plan.
"You do any work here Deku, or do you just talk about me the whole time?"
Deku flushes red, and Katsuki grins sharply at him before Mina says, "Don't act like you don't bring him up all the time too, Blasty."
Katsuki glares at her, but Deku just laughs; when he sits down he knocks their knees together again, except this time he keeps his there. Mina flags down a waiter and grabs two glasses of wine, shoving one in Katsuki's hand.
"Drink up, babe. The night is young."
Everyone is really fucking touchy here. Hands in Deku's hair and on his arm and slung across his waist and shoulders. Katsuki is quite a few glasses of wine deep by now, and is glaring menacingly at whatever overly touchy douchebag was currently hanging off of Deku until Mina smacks him in the head.
"Stop giving people the stink eye,” she says, sitting beside him and leaning against his side. They've just finished up the giveaways (Katsuki wins a gift certificate to some local restaurant, all the fucking good that does him). They're starting to clear the dance floor, which sounds like Katsuki's worst nightmare. "Try to have a little fun, Katsuki," Mina says seriously. "I know this really isn't your scene, but you're in a new country on vacation! Try to enjoy it. Midoriya's been flirting with you all night. When have you ever let any extras beat you?"
Katsuki is drunk, which is why he says "You're a really good friend, Mina."
"I know, but thank you for telling me. Your man's coming back over."
Katsuki's drunken, hazy mind misses a few minutes, because the next thing he knows Mina is gone and Deku is sitting beside him.
"Deku!" He says happily. Deku smiles and leans in close so Katsuki can hear him over the music that’s now pumping through the room. His fingers curl around Katsuki's wrist.
"Gimme like, 45 minutes and then we can both leave," he says, and Katsuki shivers at the feeling of Deku's lips at his ear.
"Deal," Katsuki says. He can do 45 more minutes.
Nineteen minutes later, Katsuki doesn't think he can do forty five, and that's because—
People keep asking Deku to dance. And the stupidly nice jackass never says no.
Twenty four minutes in, Katsuki downs the rest of his wine and then staggers to his feet. He weaves his way onto the dance floor and latches onto Deku, interrupting his conversation with some perky woman with blue hair.
"Dance with me," he says. Deku doesn't spare another glance for the woman; he has eyes for Katsuki only as he takes his hand and lets Katsuki pull him away. He twines his arms around Deku's neck and feels satisfaction curl in his gut when Deku wraps both arms around his waist. Melissa Shield can eat her fucking heart out.
"Kacchan," Deku says, humour in his voice. "It isn't a slow song."
"Don't care," he mutters. He lets his head droop to Deku's shoulder. "This is the only way I know how to dance, and if I don't dance with you some other extra will."
One of Deku's hands smooths up Katsuki's back. "I'm sorry," he says. "I didn't expect so many people to want to dance with me." He noses at Katsuki's cheekbone up to his temple, lips moving against Katsuki’s ear.
"Tch. I'm sure everyone here is in love with you. You're obnoxiously likeable."
Deku chuckles. "Thanks, Kacchan."
"Shuddup," he says. "Wasn't a compliment."
"Sounded like a compliment," Deku says. Katsuki grunts and continues to sway; Deku is more or less holding him up by this point. "How drunk are you?"
"Very."
"Let's go home. I can use you as an excuse."
"Y'r welcome."
Katsuki's brain starts winking in and out of consciousness again, and the next thing he knows he's sitting in a chair and Deku is kneeling in front of him.
"I've said my goodbyes and I told Ashido," he says. "We're gonna walk home, let you get some air. Drink this on the way." He hands Katsuki a bottle of water and hauls him to his feet, and he keeps a strong arm snug around Katsuki as they leave the chaos of the banquet hall. There's a brisk breeze that immediately helps to cool him down. He takes some swigs of his water bottle and lets Deku lead him through unfamiliar streets, trusting him more than Katsuki has ever trusted anyone.
He couldn't tell you how long the walk takes. It could be twenty minutes or two hours. Either way, by the time they make it back to Deku's apartment the air and the water have helped clear his head. Deku opens the door and Katsuki immediately strips down to his undershirt and boxers and collapses onto Deku's couch.
"C'mere," he says.
"Let me just—"
"C'mere."
Deku huffs, stripping down to his own underthings before he lays down on the chaise beside Katsuki. He drags the blanket over them; they hadn't even turned on the lights when they got in.
"Kacchan,” Deku whispers, as they stretch out against each other. Katsuki ends up pillowed on his arm, Deku's fingers carding through his hair. "Are you still really drunk?"
"No," he says. He lifts his head to look Deku in the eye and says it again, making sure Deku believes him. "No, Deku, I'm not." Deku's lips are parted, and Katsuki can't stop looking at them. He lifts his hand and lets his knuckles trace over Deku's jaw, before he presses his thumb to the bundle of freckles under his eye.
"Kacchan," Deku says, when Katsuki moves ever closer. "Not yet." He doesn't get a chance to feel rejected, because Deku keeps talking, tipping his head forward so their foreheads are touching. "Not 'cause I don't want to— I want it too much. I still have four months left here, and if… if we do this now, if I k-kiss you—” Katsuki almost jerks at the word, at the clear way Deku says it, making sure they’re both on the same page, making it real. “I'm not gonna be able to think about anything else. It'll make these months so much harder."
And maybe he has a point, because if Katsuki finally kisses him here, he doesn't know if he'll be able to get back on the plane.
"Yeah," he breathes out. "Yeah, okay. You’re right."
"We can, um. Still do this though, right?" Deku asks nervously.
Katsuki snorts. "You asking me to cuddle, nerd?"
"Yeah, I am,” Deku says. Katsuki laughs and shoves his face in Deku's neck, wrapping his arm around Deku's back.
"Fine," he says, as if this is some great sacrifice. Deku's lips skim over his hairline, fingers tracing through his hair and over his neck, slipping beneath his undershirt and over his shoulders.
"Hey, Deku," he says after a few minutes. "Remember you asked what I had needed to talk to Mina about? Why we're so close now?” Deku hums. “I wanted to know if you were dating Melissa Shield."
Deku buries his face in Katsuki's collarbone and laughs and laughs.
They sleep on the couch again, tangled up together, and in the morning Katsuki makes Deku breakfast and ignores the lump in his throat and the everpresent countdown above their heads.
Mina:
the hotel is close to the airport so I'll just meet you there?
Bakugou:
ya fine
Mina:
you okay??
Bakugou:
fucking great
Mina :
that’s a no.
"Mina's just gonna meet me at the airport," he says. Deku nods, lip wobbling, and Katsuki reaches out to swipe away a few stray tears. "Seriously, nerd? Can't even wait until I leave?”
Deku sniffles. "Sorry, sorry," he says. "I just— it was really nice having you here. You're the first person I've seen from home and it's you and… I'm really gonna miss you again."
Katsuki huffs and pushes Deku's hair off his face. "After all the shit you've gone through," he says. "What’s four more months in America?"
Deku gives him a shaky smile. They're really close again; he can feel Deku's breath on his face. "You're really testing my willpower Kacchan," he whispers.
Katsuki lets his eyes drop to Deku's lips and then steps away with a frustrated groan. "You're gonna kill me," he says. "I need to get out of this fucking country."
Deku laughs and then surprises him by pulling Katsuki into a hug. "The first thing I do when my feet hit Japanese soil," he says, lips at his ear again. “I promise."
Katsuki grips him like a lifeline. "You fucking better."
Before he goes he gives Deku the two tickets he'd won last night— “Don't bring Melissa Shield."
Deku laughs before he leans in and drags his nose from Katsuki's cheekbone to ear again. He seems to like doing that; not that Katsuki is complaining, but every time he puts his lips that close Katsuki finds his resolve weakening.
"I promise,” Deku says, and Katsuki knows he's promising something so much more.
It's probably the slowest four months of Katsuki's fucking life.
Deku and him talk as much as they can, and Deku keeps sending him accidental thirst traps, which are actually just normal selfies except Katsuki is so fucking gone and desperate for the nerd that the smallest flash of stomach or collarbone or thigh is enough to get him drooling, eager to touch and taste. Missing Deku is worse now, especially since Katsuki knows what’s waiting for him at the end of the tunnel.
"So are you guys, like, dating?” Mina asks one day in January. He's at her apartment with Kirishima, and both of them had been coerced into face masks while they watched some dumb reality show she liked (Katsuki had been coerced because he owed Mina for the next five years at least for everything with Deku; Kirishima was just a good friend and liked making people happy).
“No,” he says.
“But you’re… going to be?”
“I guess.”
Mina huffs. “You’re the worst at this. I can’t wait until Midoriya gets back so I can talk to him about everything.”
“Hey, guys?” Kirishima asks nervously. “Is this supposed to be burning?”
Hour by hour, minute by minute, the days tick by. Katsuki is too embarrassed at himself to mark down on his calendar when Deku gets back (God forbid Mina ever saw it) but he keeps a mental countdown to the day. He keeps his Dynamight bear on his side table and he goes to work and he goes out with his friends and he saves people and he wins, and he does it all with the knowledge that Deku would be home in three months.
Two months.
One month.
Two weeks.
Two days.
Deku:
Okay don’t be mad but my plane gets in at 545 🙈
Deku:
Will you pls pick me up 🥰👉👈
Bakugou:
Obviously stupid
Bakugou:
idc what time your plane gets in
Deku:
Thank you Kacchan!!! I can’t wait!!!
Neither can Katsuki. The day before he’s uncharacteristically distracted and nervous, to the point even Shouto notices.
“Are you okay?”
“Fine,” he snaps. Shouto blinks at him.
“I don’t believe you,” he says.
“I don’t care.”
It’s been four months since he’s seen him, and sure they talked a lot, but Deku had been super busy lately getting ready to come home and tying up loose ends and Katsuki and Shouto were being given more and more responsibility and they’d been talking a lot less, lately. Katsuki is suddenly aware of just how much can change in four months. It was easy to believe him when he’d been in Deku’s arms, when he’d traced his lips over Katsuki’s ear in the only kiss allowed between them, when he woke up tangled with him. But what was three days in the face of time and distance?
Deku:
24 hours 🥰🥳
What if it was weird? What if whatever existed between them had only been there in the excitement of a new city and the freedom it granted? What if Deku gets back to Japan and realizes he doesn’t want this anymore? What if Katsuki is a shit kisser?
Bakugou:
im fucking spiralling
Mina:
Ya i figured tbh
Mina:
I’m at work but i’m sending kirishima over with wine
Bakugou:
I have to be at the airport at five am
Mina:
Don't drink too much then?? Are you gonna be less whiny when he gets back
Bakugou:
Fuck you straight to hell
Mina:
Katsuki. you’re overthinking shit. Your fifteen year old self would blow you up if he could see you rn
Bakugou:
Like i give a shit what he’d think of me
Mina:
Deku is into you and in less than a day he’s gonna be home and you’re gonna be so embarrassed that you talked to me about this
Mina:
I have to go but kiri will be there soon you gay disaster
Bakugou:
Fuck you
Bakugou:
Thank you
Kirishima arrives with wine and a sympathetic ear and a quirk that protects him when Katsuki drinks too much and starts popping off explosions in his anxiety.
“Why are you so scared, dude?” Kirishima asks. “Mina was telling me about your trip, she said you two were all over each other, and you text him all the time. What do you think is going to happen?”
Katsuki doesn’t fucking know, and that’s why he’s so fucking stressed. He only knows how to navigate doing this thing with Deku from halfway around the world. Katsuki only recently learned how to be a semi-decent friend. And now he’s supposed to be a boyfriend? He’s going to disappoint Deku and Deku is going to dump him before they even really start dating—
Katsuki pours another glass of wine.
He wakes up on Kirishima’s thigh at 5:44 in the morning. He swears, showers and dresses in record fucking time, and then shoves a half-asleep Kirishima off his couch and on his way home as he texts Deku on the way out the door.
Bakugou:
I slept thru my fucking alarm im gonna be late
Bakugou:
It’s kirishima’s fault
It’s well past 7:00 by the time Katsuki arrives at the airport. Deku had texted him back not to worry and then he’d texted him that he was in Parking Lot D, (“D for Deku,” were his exact fucking words, and Katsuki hated how cute he found it). When he finally pulls into the parking lot he’s so stressed out and annoyed about sleeping in and being late that any lingering concerns about what was going to happen when they were together again are pushed to the back of his brain.
Deku is sitting on a rock swinging his feet and staring at his phone when Katsuki pulls in; he has all his bags piled around him, and when he looks up and sees Katsuki’s car (his mother’s old car, actually; she still called it the Mitsuki Mobile), a grin spreads across his face and he hops off the rock. Katsuki parks as close as he can and then gets out, slamming his car door and scowling as he stomps towards Deku.
“Shitty Kirishima came over last night and —”
They meet in the middle; Deku reaches out and kisses him, swallowing the rest of Katsuki’s words. His hands are gentle on Katsuki’s face as their lips meet, and it isn’t weird or awkward, and it’s definitely not a shitty kiss. Katsuki admittedly doesn’t have a lot of experience with kissing, but what experience he did have had been nothing like this: like it made everything fall into place. Like the world started spinning again.
“I’m sorry,” Deku says, when they inevitably have to pull away for the more pressing matter of breathing. “I said that would be the first thing I did when I got back, but I forgot about, you know… customs, and shit.”
Katsuki laughs. “S’fine. I was late anyway.” He kisses Deku again, hands sliding into his hair as Deku pushes him back against a car that is very much not his. Deku’s hands slip up beneath Katsuki’s jacket and spread out over his ribs.
“God, it was the right choice waiting to do this,” Deku says, and if he wants to talk with his mouth then Katsuki is going to keep kissing down his neck. “I wouldn’t have been able to focus on anything else.” He drags Katsuki back to kiss him again, tongue licking across his teeth and deep inside Katsuki’s mouth. Katsuki groans against his lips, very acutely aware of every inch of Deku’s body where it’s pressing against his.
Deku eventually pulls away and holds Katsuki at arm’s length, breathing heavily as he looks at Katsuki with hooded eyes. “Holy shit, Kacchan,” he says. “We should, um. We should probably go back to the Mitsuki Mobile before whoever owns this car comes back.”
“Don’t fucking call it that,” he says, leaning in to kiss Deku again, not caring even a little bit if the owner of the car comes back to find them making out on it. Deku laughs and pulls Katsuki away, walking backward towards his luggage. Katsuki scowls but follows anyway.
“Probably gotta bring you to your mom’s or some shit, right?” He says, grabbing one of Deku’s bags and bringing it to his car, throwing it into the trunk. Deku waits until he’s closed it before he grabs Katsuki’s hand and draws him in close again, pressing a kiss to the side of his lips before he leans in to speak directly in Katsuki’s ear.
“Everyone else thinks I’m coming home tomorrow,” he says, smirk spreading across his face when Katsuki pulls back to look at him with wide eyes. “Better make the most of it, Kacchan,” he teases.
This time he’s the one shoving Deku up against the car, biting down on his lip as fire licks up his spine and makes him shove one of his thighs in between Deku’s thick ones. The sound Deku makes is delicious, and Katsuki is going to find out exactly how to make him do it so he can hear it again and again and again.
“Get in the fucking car,” he orders, and Deku kisses him again before he slides out from beneath Katsuki’s body and gets in the passenger side. Katsuki stops and takes a deep, steadying breath before he gets in the car, too.
They hold hands across the gearshift on the way home.