Thread by @queenswagzilla

cw: #bkdk #fluff college AU, soft bakugou, ROMAAAANCE
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Izuku and Katsuki have been together for two years. Now they're freshmen in college, and their schedules keep them apart, but they're as in love as ever. Watch as people find out that they're together!

For @bakujinchuriki

@bakujinchuriki "And you're sure you boys have everything you need?" Inko fretted, flitting about their tiny dorm room and checking all the nooks and crannies.

But it was *tiny.* There were like two nooks and maybe one cranny. Tops.

"We're sure, mom," Izuku replied, warm and affectionate.

He was really gonna miss her.

"You can always call us if you need anything," Mitsuki assured him. Then she turned to her son. "You too, brat."

"Don't need shit from you, hag!" Katsuki snapped. "Just get out of our hair already."

"Be nice, Kacchan," Izuku scolded.

"Fuck no!"

"We're not gonna see them for four whole months!" he cried. Then, to Katsuki's unfettered horror, he started tearing up. "I'm really gonna miss them!"

"Okay! Fine! Just stop crying!" Katsuki barked, throwing an arm over the smaller boy's shoulders. Izuku—

turned his face into Katsuki's chest and cried a little harder. Katsuki sighed, looking to the parents for help. They just grinned at him. "Stop crying, baby. Why don't we go to dinner with them before they head out?" he offered quietly, dropping a kiss to the top of his head.

Izuku stilled in Katsuki's arms, sniffling. Then he pulled back and looked up at his boyfriend with wide, pleading eyes. "Do you think we have time? It's getting kinda late."

Katsuki rolled his eyes. Izuku might be a sap, but he was also—

a master manipulator when it came to getting him to do what he wanted. And Katsuki was a complete fucking sucker for it every goddamn time.

Hie sighed again. "Yeah, nerd. We have time. Gotta change my shirt since you super-soaked it though."

"Ah! Sorry!" Izuku jumped back.

Katsuki missed his warmth as soon as it was gone. But he had to get changed if they wanted to get dinner *and* get to bed on time.

To be honest, he'd miss their parents too.

More Inko than his own parents. His mom was nuts.

But college was gonna be hard for both of them and—

honestly, he'd been hoping for some one-on-one time.

Their parents left the room while they got dressed. "You sure you wanna go to dinner, nerd?" Katsuki asked hesitantly. Izuku turned to look at him, eyebrow raised. "Nevermind," he huffed.

"Hey," Izuku protested, stepping back into his space. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Katsuki assured him. Izuku remained skeptical, so he leaned down to kiss the frown away. "I'm fine. Promise."

Izuku frowned, but it was glassier and more spacey. Katsuki was always proud—

to put that look on his face. "If you're sure," he finally replied through swollen lips.

They both flinch when someone pounded at the door. "STOP SUCKING FACE, BRATS! We gotta hit the road soon!" Mitsuki bellowed through the door.

"Honey, maybe you shouldn't embarrass them,"—

Masaru chuckled. "I'm pretty sure the whole floor can hear you."

"Fuck the floor! I'm hungry!" Mitsuki snapped. Izuku chuckled—closer to a giggle, really—and adjusted his shirt.

"We should get going," Izuku said. Katsuki rolled his eyes, but held his hand out for Izuku to take.

His nerves settled when their fingers slotted together. Being attached to Deku was the best choice he'd ever made and the more connected they were, the better he felt.

They made their way into the hall, Izuku in the lead. "You two are so cute," Inko cooed when they emerged.

"Yeah, they're fuckin' adorable. Can we eat now?" Mitsuki groused.

Izuku slapped a hand over Katsuki's mouth before he could retaliate. "Of course, Auntie!"

Inko giggled, hooking her arm through Mitsuki's and pulling her forward.

"Let them be," she chided fondly. "We won't have much time to make tease them for being cute for the next few years."

"Oh please, as if we're not going to harass them over the phone every chance we get," Mituski snickered.

"He's going to be—

studying chemical engineering, honey. Let's not inspire him to make explosives," Masaru laughed.

Aside from the light-hearted teasing, they made it to the car without incident, which was far too long for the Bakugous to go without an outburst.

So, with a sly grin, Mitsuki turned in her seat.

"So. You'll be living together. Let's talk about how to stay safe when you fuck each other."

"MA!"
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When they'd gotten back from dinner, they'd bid their parents goodbye. Inko and Izuku had been more teary than ever—

practically drowning each other.

"We're gonna see them in like a month for the long weekend, Deku," Katsuki groaned. It would have been a lot more effective if his own parents weren't suffocating him from either side.

"We'll see you soon, call us if you need anything,"—

Inko blubbered, patting her son's cheeks. She looked over at Katsuki, being hugged (read: strangled) by his father. "Take care of my baby, you know he's terrible at taking care of himself—"

"Mom!"

"I've got him, Auntie. Always," Katsuki promised.

"And he's got you too," Mitsuki sniffed, stepping away. Nobody commented on her watery eyes. "You're so good for him, Zuku. Make sure he doesn't work himself to death, okay?"

"Always," Izuku promised, breaking free of Inko to give Mitsuki a hug of her own.

Their parents left,—

and Izuku waved at the taillights of their car until they were completely out of sight, Katsuki standing stoically beside him.

Then, when they were officially gone, Katsuki dragged them upstairs as fast as he could, slamming the door behind him.

Izuku smiled,—

pressing a kiss to his cheek. As much as Katsuki loved their parents, social situations were hard on him. Always. "Thanks for giving me extra time with mom," he murmured.

"It was fun. Except for the goddamn sex talk," Katsuki grumbled, nosing at Izuku's curls and—

brushing his lips over his hairline.

Izuku giggled. "Yeah, that was a little much. Especially since they don't really...you know—"

"Fuck like gay dudes? Yeah," Katsuki grunted, a little grossed out. "I really don't want to think about it, thanks."

"Yeah, good point,"—

Izuku said, laughing harder. He pulled away, to Katsuki's chagrin. "Let's finish the room?"

The last step, and then they were officially moved in. Living together. Alone. Katsuki would *never* admit how excited he was.

They dragged Katsuki's bed from the far end of the room—

pushing and pulling both frames until they were sandwiched together.

They stuffed spare pillows in the space between the mattresses. They put on the king-sized sheets. They'd have to go shopping for king-sized bedding.

Then, they rearranged the night stands and yanked the—

battered-looking free-standing wardrobes into place.

And then their room was done—looking more like a studio apartment than a dorm.

Izuku flopped onto the bed as soon as they were done. It was approaching 10pm and they had an early morning. Orientation started tomorrow,—

and both of them were nervous.

Katsuki crawled in after him, manhandling Izuku into a clingy cuddle while he giggled. He didn't settle until Izuku's chin rested on top of his head and Katsuki's face was buried in his neck.

Then he fell silent. Izuku could tell he was anxious.

It was the way he'd periodically tense, then force himself to relax.

"What's wrong?" Izuku asked, carding his fingers through Katsuki's hair. Katsuki shook his head, so Izuku guided his head back to plant him with a long, soft kiss. "Talk to me," he whispered against his lips.

Katsuki hesitated, but eventually relented. "Our schedules have never been this different before," Katsuki muttered, hiding his face in Izuku's neck again. "Ever."

Oh. Yeah, Izuku understood that.

"We'll be fine," he assured him, running his hand down his back.

Katsuki melted as Izuku petted him like a cat. It made him smile.

"Most of your free time is during my scheduled lab time," Katsuki whined, hugging Izuku tighter. "We'll barely see each other."

"We *live* together, Kacchan," Izuku chuckled.

"Just promise me we'll make time," he pleaded, a little embarrassed but mostly just scared. They'd already fallen apart once—he didn't want it to happen again.

"We'll make time," he promised easily. For him, he'd do anything. Spending time with him was his favorite thing to do.

"Every week?"

"Every day, if you want. Who needs a social life if I have you?" Izuku joked, squirming until they were face-to-face. He relished the blush on his boyfriend's face—dusting across the bridge of his perfect nose and blooming across his cheeks.

"Every day might be a stretch. But every week. I wanna make sure we—"

"I know," Izuku assured him, pressing a kiss to his lips. Katsuki deepened it. "We will," he promised again when they pulled apart.

Katsuki still looked anxious, but he felt more relaxed in Izuku's arms.

He cuddled in closer, and Izuku felt himself *melt.* "Love you," he murmured.

It was hard to be scared with his heart so full. Izuku kissed him again. And again and again until his eyelids grew heavy.

"I love you too," he replied as Katsuki fell asleep in his grip.

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tbc! if you're as in love with them as they are with each other, consider buying me a kofi or subscribing to my tip jar <3

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part two
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Izuku slipped into their room, pleased to find Katsuki still awake. Aside from their weekly date nights, it was kinda difficult to find time to spend together—even just studying. Katsuki's schedule had him up early, and Izuku was practically nocturnal.

Katsuki looked up when the door clicked shut, and Izuku's heart fluttered.

He was so *beautiful.*

"Hi, Kacchan."

"Hey, nerd," Katuski smiled, a little tired but glad to see him. He was sitting in bed and reading—some gigantic textbook with shit-tons of equations. "You eat?"

"Yeah, I grabbed something before my shift," Izuku replied. Izuku had picked up a job at the library. He usually had his shifts before soccer practice or after practice until the library closed.

It kept him out of their room way more than he wanted, but—

it gave him money for date nights.

Besides, Katsuki had formed a band with a few members of his orientation group, so between practice and the ridiculous amount of time he spent studying, he was barely in the room either.

It made the time they *did* have together feel sacred.

Izuku kicked off his shoes and tossed his bag in a corner. Katsuki scowled at him, but Izuku just grinned. "Put your shit away, Deku."

"I'll do it later," Izuku replied, crawling into bed and between Katsuki's legs, worming his way under Katsuki's book—

to use his stomach as a pillow. "It's cuddle time."

"I'm reading," Katsuki protested, already putting his book down. "Fuckin' nuisance."

"Your nuisance," Izuku mumbled, nuzzling into Katsuki's abs. He had so many abs. "C'mon, cuddle me!"

Katsuki huffed.

"Then get off me so I can move, dork."

Izuku complied easily, rolling to the side so that Katsuki could shuffle down. As soon as Katsuki's head was on his pillow, Izuku's arms were wrapped back around him.

"How was your day?" Izuku asked, pressing a kiss to his shoulder.

"Fuckin' long," Katsuki grumbled. "Sparkplug can't get his part right for shit and band practice ran for-fucking-ever."

"Yeah?"

"Hnn." Katsuki's face was buried in Izuku's hair now, eyes drifting shut. "We have some shitty gig at the rec hall in a month. They're freaking out."

"Ooh, do I finally get to hear you guys?" Izuku asked excitedly, pulling back to dazzle Katsuki with sparkling eyes.

"You can hear us whenever you want," Katuski replied. "Your schedule is just totally fucked."

Izuku grimaced. He had a point. They'd been in school for—

three months now and they hadn't even met each others' friends. "I know. Maybe we can change that? I could ask Shinsou to cover me at the library. Come to one of your practices."

Katsuki had brought it up a few times, bu the timing hadn't worked out.

Katsuki was rubbing circles into his back. "You don't have to. You've got a lot on your plate."

"I want to," Izuku insisted. "It's important to you. You come to all my games, I could at least come to your practices. Besides," he grinned. "I wanna hear your emo wailing—ACK!"

Katsuki whacked him in the stomach. "Asshole."

"I never said your emo wailing wouldn't be good! You're the reason I like early-2000's Fall Out Boy, and there's not *way*—"

"Fuck you."

"If you want," Izuku agreed immediately, smile turning impish. "But really. I wanna hear it."

Katsuki kissed him softly, pulling him closer. Even though their schedules kept them apart, moments like these made the distance negligible.

Moments where he felt so *loved.*

"Can you get time off on Thursday?" he asked quietly, pressing more kisses to his face.

Izuku nodded without even thinking about it. "I'll make it happen," he promised.

"I think you'll like those losers," Katsuki grumbled. "They're the least annoying out of all the shitheads who bother me every day."

"...Your friends?" Izuku laughed.

"Fuck no."

"Kacchan. If you spend time with them because you like being around them, they're your friends."

"If you say that shit to them, I'm breaking up with you," Katsuki warned, pulling him closer.

Izuku grinned. "No, you won't."

Katsuki sighed. "No, I won't."

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Thursday morning came and Katsuki was up before sunrise. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, he had 8am classes, and he always worked out before class.

Always.

"Nerd," Katsuki grumbled, squirming in Izuku's arms. "I gotta get up."

"Nooooo," Izuku whined, burying his face in—

Katsuki's shoulder. "Stay."

"You'll like me a lot less if I start getting flabby—"

"I like you because of your personality, not your body," Izuku grumbled, holding him tighter.

Katsuki blushed. "Shut the fuck up. Lemme go."

"Five more minutes?" he pleaded.

Katsuki was *weak* for sleepy morning Izuku. He was weak for Izuku in all forms, to be honest, but this was his most powerful form.

If he gave Izuku the chance to release his puppy dog eyes, his morning would be shot. He'd spend the rest of the morning—

cuddling the adorable dork until it was time for class.

"You'll see me this afternoon," Katsuki protested, shifting and trying to break Izuku's iron grip. "You're still coming to practice, right?"

"Yeh, right after soccer," Izuku agreed, still holding Katsuki captive.

"God what the fuck is that coach doing to you, your fucking octopus grip didn't used to be this strong," Katsuki snapped. He felt Izuku grin into his shoulder. "If we make out for five minutes will you let me go?"

Izuku started nodding before he finished the sentence.

He tilted his face up, smile delighted but still sleepy and Katsuki's stomach swooped.

He was so fucking lucky to have Izuku. It was way more than he deserved, and he was never gonna let it go. "You're lucky you're pretty, dickhead."

"Kiss meeee," Izuku whined.

And because he was garbage at denying Izuku anything, he complied, brushing their lips together gently—once, twice, thrice—each time lingering a little longer.

Finally, Izuku trapped him in place, biting down on his bottom lip and running his tongue over it.

His kryptonite.

He moaned, low and quiet into Izuku's mouth, relishing the way his nerd melted into him.

He only realized that he'd forgotten to set a timer when his phone started ringing. He pulled away and ignored the way his heart clenched at Izuku's whine of abandonment.

"Gotta go," he grumbled. "Shitty Hair is calling. Probably already waiting at the gym."

Izuku pouted, but a promise was a promise. "Fine," he grumbled, releasing Katsuki's midsection. "I'll see you later."

"Wear an All Might tee," Katsuki instructed. Izuku raised an eyebrow.

"Why?"

Katsuki slipped out of bed before answering. "Because if they see what a dork you are, no one will try to steal you from me," Katsuki grinned.

"You like All Might too!" Izuku protested, sitting up to glower at his boyfriend.

"Yeah, but I don't show it," he chuckled, pulling on his tracks. "Wear the blue one. It's hot."

"I thought I was too dorky to be hot," Izuku pouted.

Katsuki pulled on his shoes before he leaned over the bed to plant another kiss on Izuku's downturned lips.

"Never too dorky for me, though."

Izuku blushed, remaining petulant despite the flattery. "Careful. With a challenge like that, I'll embarrass you."

Katsuki shrugged, picking up his gym bag and opening the door. "Maybe. But I'd love you anyway," he grinned. "Later nerd."

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Izuku was nervous.

He'd finished practice ten minutes ago. He'd taken a shower. He'd gone to Eijirou—the Sports Med student who was interning under the team's physical therapist—to get his ankle checked out where Todoroki had accidentally kicked him.

Now he was on his way to the old auditorium that housed the rentable practice rooms. Each step he took made his stomach twist.

He wasn't...good with people. They made him nervous. They usually ended up liking him, but only after getting over how weird he was.

No, that wasn't true.

He took a deep breath. When he and Katsuki had started to work out their issues, he'd started seeing their school counselor. He'd learned that his self perception was wildly inaccurate and very, *very* hard on himself.

Katsuki had been jealous of—

how easily he opened up to people, and how comfortable he made people feel. It had made him feel inadequate. They'd worked past that and supported each other now, and it was helpful.

But it didn't mitigate his undeniable social anxiety. Meeting new people made him want to puke.

But here he was, standing in front of the locked auditorium—wearing his nerdy blue All Might shirt like Katsuki had requested—waiting for Katsuki to let him in.

He felt better when he saw Katsuki's approach through the glass door. He looked excited—as excited as he'd ever—

allow himself to look in public.

"Hey," Katsuki greeted him as soon as the door was open, grabbing his hand. "You're late."

"Got kicked in the ankle," Izuku uttered. Katsuki frowned, looking down. The ice pack was still taped to his leg. He must look stupid as fuck.

"Who?"

"You can't beat up one of my teammates for tripping during practice," Izuku huffed. Katsuki scowled.

"Watch me," he grumbled, leaning over to drop a welcoming kiss on his lips. "You ready?"

Izuku's stomach twisted again. "Yeah," he replied. Katsuki raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, you sound ready."

"Shut up. I'm just nervous."

He didn't exactly have the best track record with Katsuki's friend groups. In fact, once they'd gotten together, Katsuki's 'friends' had practically disappeared.

"If they're assholes, I'll just quit," Katsuki assured him.

Izuku frowned.

"But you really like this," Izuku protested, letting Katsuki lead him forward.

"Yeah, I guess," Katsuki allowed. "But I love you. And if they're dicks to you, then they're not worth it. I can always start another band or whatever. There's only one you."

Izuku stopped in his tracks, tightening his hold on Katsuki's hand and yanking him back toward him. Katsuki stumbled back, landing firmly in Izuku's arms.

"That was super romantic. You can't say shit like that without kissing me," Izuku insisted.

Katsuki gave him a sharp grin before giving Izuku what he wanted, nipping at his lips and licking at his teeth—taking his breath away.

He laughed at Izuku's starry expression before stepping away and tugging him forward. "Now that you've extorted some tongue action, let's *go!*"

Izuku trailed after him happily, the feeling of Katsuki's mouth burning away his previous anxiety. The reminder that Katsuki loved him kept him grounded.

He must have been a saint in a past life to have Katsuki in this one.

"Hey fuckers," Katsuki yelled, kicking the door open.

"Where the hell did you go? You just ran off!" an irate feminine voice huffed.

"Shut up, Ears."

Izuku sighed. He even called his bandmates awful nicknames. Ears?

Did he even know their real names?

"We don't have the practice room forever, dude," another guy scolded.

Katsuki yanked Izuku around the corner. "Oh? Who's this?" A blonde guy with a funky lightning bolt dye job asked.

Izuku's eyes scanned the room, and he perked up when they landed on someone he recognized.

"This is my boyfriend,"—

Katsuki declared, dropping his arm around Izuku's shoulder. "Izuku Midoriya."

The purple-haired girl with super long earrings gaped. That must be 'Ears.' "You have a boyfriend? Someone signed up to tolerate you for more than an hour at a time?" Izuku fought the urge to scowl—

smile tightening around the edges.

"Your boyfriend is Midoriya?" the familiar girl asked.

"Hey Momo," Izuku greeted her warmly. Momo Yaoyorozu was Todoroki's ex-girlfriend turned best friend.

"You know each other? Why didn't you say so?" Katsuki demanded—

yanking Izuku's earlobe punitively. Izuku elbowed him.

"Because you call everyone by awful nicknames, so I don't actually know who you know," Izuku huffed. "Is she 'Princess Ponytail?'"

Katsuki scowled. "Yeah."

"How was I supposed to know that you were talking about Momo? Half the student population wears their hair in ponytails."

"Princess is the defining factor," Katsuki huffed.

Izuku frowned. "You used to call Himiko 'Princess Pitstain,'" Izuku protested. "Your nicknames are cute,—

but they're ridiculous."

"You're supposed to be meeting the extras and listening to me kick ass on drums, not giving me shit, nerd," Katsuki grumbled, hiding his burning face in Izuku's hair.

"Is Bakubro blushing?" the blonde guy whispered.

"What a mad banquet of darkness."

Izuku flinched, seeking out the fourth voice. In the very back, shrouded in shadow, was a guy he never would have seen if he hadn't spoken.

"I'll be honest, I'm surprised you two are together," Momo piped up. "I never would have expected it."

Izuku could understand that.

To the public, Katsuki was a foul-tempered spitfire, decked out in black and leather and metal. He was even considering getting snakebites.

On the other hand, Izuku looked like exactly what he was. A nervous nerd who dabbled in athletics.

Katsuki said he was a 'hot nerd,' and while he couldn't really speak to the 'hot' part, he could definitely confirm that he was a nerd.

"They're cute though," the purple girl piped up. "I'm Kyoka," she said. "I'm lead singer and guitarist."

"I'm on Keyboard," Momo said quickly.

"I'm Denki, I'm second guitar," the blonde added.

Then the guy in the back spoke up. "My name is Fumikage Tokoyami. I play the bass—the rhythm that sounds from the depths of darkness."

Izuku blinked at him, then smiled. "That's such a cool take on your instrument! I know—

Kacchan plays the drums because it helps him—mmph!"

Katsuki had slammed a hand over his mouth. "No. And don't you dare lick, or I'll lick back."

"Kinky," Denki grinned.

"He calls you Kacchan? That's adorable," Momo cooed.

Katsuki blushed again. "That's a Deku-only nickname, so don't get any ideas," he barked, hugging Izuku a little closer. His hand was still sealed over Izuku's mouth.

Izuku didn't mind. He just fixed the side of Katsuki's face with an adoring stare.

"How long have you been together?" Denki asked, looking absolutely delighted.

"Two years," Katsuki mumbled, reluctantly removing his hand so that Izuku could participate in the conversation.

"Two years? I thought you were gonna say a week or something!" Denki protested. "How—

have we not met him before?"

"Our schedules are complicated," Izuku replied, leaning into Katsuki's side. "This is actually the first time either of us have met each others' friends."

"Damn, that must suck," Kyoka said. "Do you get to see each other enough?"

"Well, we live together," Izuku shrugged. "So even though I can never spend enough time with him, we make it work."

"Well we're honored that we're the first ones who got to meet you," Kyoka said, Denki nodding vigorously beside her. "And hopefully Denki can—

stop sucking long enough to impress you with our sound."

"Hey!" Denki pouted.

"Sit wherever," Katsuki murmured to him while Kyoka and Denki bickered. "After this we should go get dinner from that Thai place."

"We should invite your friends so I can get to know them better,"—

Izuku said. Katsuki rolled his eyes, but kissed him—sweet and slow.

Izuku figured that was his way of agreeing.

They got a little lost in each other, and the band let them have their moment. It sounded like they didn't get as many as they wanted.

"He's being so *soft,*" Denki whispered. Kyoka nodded, watching them wide-eyed.

"I'm glad he felt comfortable enough to introduce us," Momo agreed. "And to be like this in front of us."

They couldn't tear their eyes away. Their PDA wasn't hurried or raunchy like—

other couples they'd see around campus. It was soft and affectionate, suggesting familiarity and comfort.

Despite how different they looked, they fit together. Loved and respected each other. It was kinda beautiful.

Eventually, Kyoka cleared her throat.

"Hate to break it up, but we gotta practice, Blasty."

Izuku snorted. "Blasty?"

"In orientation, he said he was a Chemical Engineering major because he wanted to learn how to blow shit up," Momo explained, hesitating on the curse words.

"That was a lie," Izuku assured them. "He said that because his dad made a joke about it. He wants to find new ways to save the world."

"Stop making them think I'm nice," Katsuki grumbled. Izuku kissed his cheek.

"But you *are* nice," Izuku teased.

"The nicest. Like a sour patch kid. Sour on the outside, sweet on the inside—"

"Shut. Up."

Izuku smirked, but mimed zipping his lips. Katsuki stomped over to his drum set. "Just fucking play, assholes."

It was the most impactful performace that Katsuki had ever given.

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tbc! if you're feeling the romance, consider helping out my friend Ath who is currently in a super tight spot. Any assistance helps 💕

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Any tips are super appreciated 💕
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part three
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"We still on to study tonight?" Izuku asked, pulling on his shirt. Iida and Todoroki were getting dressed too.

"I'm still up for it," Iida agreed. "You have your library shift, don't you? Is it still okay for us to work behind the desk?"

Izuku nodded.

"We should be fine. It's usually pretty quiet after the campus diner shuts down," he replied.

Iida and Todoroki were his teammates, and they'd started studying together pretty soon after the soccer season had started.

Their schedules were jammed, so cramming together—

kept them focused. It helped that they shared some of the same quantitative classes—all three of them were taking Stats, and Todoroki was in his Intro Journalism class.

One very frustrated evening, he'd spilled that he wanted to be the one to write an exposé on his father.

While Izuku didn't think it was healthy to base an entire career on spite, he respected Todoroki's drive.

They could keep each other on track, and Izuku definitely needed the push. Especially during boring library shifts where he could read comic forums for hours.

He had scholarships to maintain, after all.

They trekked to the library—Iida and Todoroki set up the table while Izuku logged into the computer and clocked in.

He had a cart of books to put away before he settled in, so he jumped to it—rushing through so he could get back to—

his schoolwork.

His study partners were already nose deep in their homework by the time he got back, gratefully noting that they hadn't started stats without him.

They studied in near silence—Izuku taking breaks when someone came to the service desk for help or returns.

All in all, it was one of their more productive days.

But then, Todoroki got a text. He glanced at his phone, and then his eyes widened. "That reminds me," he said in his usual monotone. "I didn't realize that you knew Bakugou."

"Kacchan? Yeah, I've known him since we were kids," Izuku replied, a soft smile painting his face. He was still glowing after hearing Katsuki perform last week—thrilled that he'd found something so special to him.

"Who?" Iida asked, glancing between them.

For someone so straight laced, he tended to have a nose for gossip.

"My boyfriend, Katsuki Bakugou? I think I've mentioned him," Izuku replied idly, glancing at his own phone to see if said boyfriend had texted.

"You have *not!*" Iida replied, volume climbing.

Izuku glanced at him startled, flapping his hands at him to get him to quiet down.

"Sorry," he uttered, glancing around to make sure none of the neurotic grad students had taken out concealed weapons. "Maybe it didn't come up."

"Clearly not," Iida huffed. He almost sounded offended, and Izuku felt bad. It's not like he'd left out that information on purpose. "We have to meet him!"

Izuku chuckled. "We're both so busy, we barely even get to see each other. And we *live* together. I just—

met his friends for the first time last week."

"Most couples are quite proud of their partners," Iida frowned. "I'm concerned that you don't seem to have that instinct."

Irritation flashed through him. "I'm capable of being in love without it being my defining characteristic,"—

he replied, colder than they'd ever heard him.

Iida's eyes widened. "I meant no offense—"

"I have to admit," Todoroki interrupted. "I'm surprised you're together. I thought Momo might have been mistaken. I really didn't think he was your type."

Izuku frowned, officially upset.

"Why not?" he demanded.

"He's volatile and loud," Todoroki shrugged. "And he's kind of a dick. You're none of those things."

"Fuck you too, Candy Cane," Katsuki barked. He flipped off the grad student who shushed him. "You forgot your dinner, nerd,"—

he said, dropping a paper bag on the desk before leaning down to peck him on the cheek.

"Thanks Kacchan," he murmured, still upset. Katsuki frowned tilting to look at Izuku's face.

"What's wrong with you," he huffed, prodding at his cheek. Izuku slapped his hand, scowling.

He shot Iida a quick look, but turned them back to Katsuki a split second later.

"Nothing," he replied. "Just frustrated."

"I told you not to take Stats at the same time as Intro to Programming," Katsuki scolded. "But no."

"I need them both for my major!"

"Whatever," Katsuki rolled his eyes. But then his eyes grew focused again, and he squatted next to Izuku's seat, taking his hand. "You sure you're okay, baby?" he asked quietly, rubbing circles into his palm.

It was hard to be upset with Katsuki next to him,—

looking up at him like he was the only thing that mattered. Izuku cracked a smile, and the tension left Katsuki's shoulders.

"I'm fine," he promised. "Really. Thanks for bringing my dinner. You wanna stay and study?" he asked. He hoped so.

He didn't want to hear Iida's opinions on his boyfriend, especially after his unsolicited opinion on his love life.

Iida's tastes ran straight-laced. He was dating his high school girlfriend who was definitely nice, but spoke to Iida's taste in people.

Namely, not Katsuki.

"Sorry, I have to run. Ears wanted to cram in some more practice. But I'll be back around when you come back," he promised, pressing a kiss to his hand. "We can fall asleep watching an episode of shitty sitcom."

"New Girl?" he asked hopefully. Katsuki grimaced.

"That song is gonna get stuck in my fucking head," he complained. But Izuku pouted, and Katsuki was weak. "Fine," he sighed.

Izuku beamed at him, and it was like he'd won a prize. "Now go before Kyoka blames me when you're late," he chuckled.

"Well, it is your fault,"—

Katsuki smirked, standing.

"Yeah, but she doesn't need to know that. I want your friends to like me," Izuku teased.

"Hell no," Katsuki scoffed. "Then you'll start hanging out of them and we'll have even *less* alone time."

Izuku grasped the front of his jacket—

(leather, studded, ripped) and pulled him down for a kiss. "Like I'd ever give up alone time with you," Izuku scolded him fondly.

Iida and Todoroki realized uncomfortably that they'd been completely forgotten in less than five minutes.

"Better not, nerd. Now let go and finish your homework. I don't date failures," he warned.

Izuku let go, but scoffed as he retreated. "Like you could quit me!"

"Try me nerd! See you in hell, Candy Cane!"

"SHHHH!" A grad student hissed like a vampire exposed to light.

"Sorry," Izuku whispered loudly. By the time he turned back around, Katsuki was already gone.

"Well, he seems uncouth, but—"

"I don't actually think I asked for your opinion," Izuku snapped, mood souring again.

Iida held up his hands.

"*But* he seems to care about you a great deal. And you, him."

"Why would I date him if he didn't?" Izuku demanded. "If *I* didn't? I've been with him for two years, I don't need your approval, and neither does he."

"Midoriya, relax," Todoroki said,—

tone unchanging. "He's trying to say that he's happy for you."

Iida nodded in agreement.

Izuku took a deep breath.

It was hard not to be defensive about their relationship. So many people had tried to tear it down when they'd first gotten together.

So many adults had tried to tell him that Katsuki was a bad seed. So many bullies had told Katsuki that Izuku was lowering his social standing.

But they'd worked so hard to get here. It was precious to him. If you weren't there to see it, it was almost impossible to understand.

Especially if you didn't look past the surface. Katsuki alone was a multi-layered maze. Their relationship was an unending labyrinth that even they struggled to navigate.

It was hard to see the prize if you weren't part of it.

"Let's just work," Izuku muttered,—

yanking his book toward him.

"I've never seen him like that before," Todoroki said thoughtfully, ignoring Izuku. "So gentle. It was sweet," he admitted.

"He can be," Izuku agreed, softening slightly. "When he trusts you."

"He must trust you a lot," Iida piped up.

"I must admit, seeing him with you was quite endearing."

"Yeah. Without you he needs a muzzle," Todoroki joked. Unfortunately, that was not a joke that Izuku appreciated, and he made it *very* clear with his glare.

"Maybe because people judge him before getting to know him.—

Because of how he looks or what he wants. How he chases his goals. It's easier to scare away judgmental people than to lose them when they decide you're not good enough," he scowled.

"I'm guessing you're one of the people he hasn't scared away,"—

Todoroki replied, still completely nonchalant in the face of Izuku's anger.

"Yeah, the *only* one. Until this year, at least. So keep your shit talk to yourself, or see yourself out," he snapped.

Iida and Todoroki shared a look.

They'd never seen Izuku like this, just like Todoroki had never seen Katsuki being gentle or sweet. It was a shock to the system.

Maybe they were more fit for each other than first glance suggested.

"Sorry, Midoriya," Iida uttered.

"It won't happen again." Todoroki agreed.

Izuku supposed it would have to do.
-
-
-
When Izuku finally made it home that night, he had a goal in mind. Katsuki was lounging on their bed, Netflix already open to New Girl and a cup of hot chocolate sitting on Izuku's bedside mug warmer.

Izuku had no idea what he'd done to deserve him.

"Hey," Katsuki greeted him, soft and warm. "I know you said you were fine, but you really looked off earlier. So there's hot chocolate and cookie dough ice cream in the fridge."

Izuku dropped his bag by the door (again),—

ignoring Katsuki's scowl, and dropped into Katsuki's lap, kissing him deeply. Kinda like he'd been gone for a year instead of a day.

"What was that for?" Katsuki asked when Izuku pulled away, quietly accepting the soft kisses his boyfriend pressed to the rest of his face.

"I just love you so much," Izuku replied, determined to cover Katsuki's face with as many kisses as possible before he was pushed off.

He didn't have to worry, because Katsuki simply basked in the affection, tilting his head to give Izuku easier access. "I love you too."

Izuku hummed, continuing to pursue his mission to kiss Katsuki wherever he could reach. "Did something happen?"

"Nothing important," Izuku mumbled, kissing his neck and relishing his shiver.

"That—ah," Katsuki gasped at the flash of teeth across his throat.

"That means something did happen," he insisted, not letting Izuku distract him. Everything stopped if he was upset.

"Just realized I don't appreciate you enough," Izuku replied. "Or at least I don't show it."

"You said 'I love you' twenty-one times today," Katsuki protested.

"Tomorrow I'll shoot for fifty," he promised before tugging at his ear.

"Excessive."

"If I could, I'd remind you every minute."

"Sappy."

"There isn't a good enough word to describe how I feel about you. I have to use a lot of subpar ones to make up for it," he replied.

"Stop," Katsuki huffed, blushing furiously.

"Never," Izuku swore. He kissed him on the lips again, a little deeper and more heated, pouring his adoration into it as much as he could.

He wished everyone could see how special Katsuki was. How caring and sweet he could be.

How much he did for the people he loved.

But he was also glad to have insider access to that well kept secret.

And if the world didn't love him the way he deserved, he'd happily make up for the deficit.

-
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---
part four
---
"I have an idea," Denki announced, sitting next to Katsuki. He was trying to sneak in a lunch before his three hour practical lab, but his meal kept getting interrupted.

Mina—another chemical engineering student had sought him out like a fucking bloodhound,—

her meathead boyfriend Eijirou in tow. Eijirou, who happened to be his gym partner. Hanta had found them by accident, and sat down without an invitation. Katsuki kinda liked him. He was a materials engineering student.

Now that Denki had found them, they'd never shut up.

He was the the life of the engineering departments' eternal party, and Katsuki was required to tolerate his fuckery because they were band mates.

That didn't mean he had to be nice about it.

"Keep it to yourself, I lose braincells when you speak," he grumbled into his sandwich.

"Hey! My ideas are good!"

Katsuki pinned him with an unimpressed glare. "You blacked out the earth sciences building two fucking weeks ago."

"Hey, the idea was good, it was the *execution* that was spotty."

"Keep your ideas to yourself until your execution doesn't suck, then."

"What's the idea, Denks?" Mina asked, overruling Katsuki. He glared at her and she shrugged. "If it sucks we won't do it."

He seemed to accept that, so Denki powered forward. "We should have a movie night. Ei and I can host."

"Oh! That actually is a good idea!" Eijirou smiled.

"Did everyone just think my idea was gonna suck?" Denki pouted. The look they gave him said it all. "Y'all are the worst," he grumbled.

"We could totally do a movie night though! It would be nice to just chill," Mina grinned excitedly. "How about Saturday?"

"I'm down," Hanta agreed easily, sliding his curly fries into the center of the table so they could share.

"Saturday works for me," Eijirou agreed.

All eyes turned to Katsuki. He rolled his eyes. "No."

"Aw, come on," Mina whined.

"You should come, Blasty!" Denki exclaimed, throwing an arm over Katsuki's shoulder. Katsuki immediately pushed him off. "It'll be fun! And you can bring your cute boyfriend!"

The following silence was so startling that Katsuki's focus lasered in on his lunch companions.

"Kats doesn't have a boyfriend, dude," Eijirou chuckled a moment later.

Katsuki frowned. "Yeah, I do."

Mina's eye-twitch was the only warning they had before she exploded. "You WHAT?" she shrieked.

"Shut the fuck up!" Katsuki snapped. "What's the big deal?"

"Uh, we've been friends for like three months and we had no idea you had a boyfriend!" Hanta griped. "That's super sketch! Why didn't you say anything?"

"It never came up, and you're not my fucking friends—you just constantly impose your presence on me," he drawled.

"Don't be a dick, dude! We gotta meet him!" Eijirou cried, looking genuinely wounded.

"At least tell me it's a new thing," Mina said, looking more frazzled than he'd ever seen her. He grimaced.

"Nope."

Her face fell. "How long?"

"Two years," he replied, unbothered.

"Two years," she repeated in a shellshocked whisper. "Two years?"

"That's what I fuckin' said," he sighed.

"They're super cute together," Denki said, grinning smugly. "Wait till you see it."

"How do *you* know about him, Denks?" Mina huffed, offended someone else had the tea—

before she did.

"He came to our band practice," he grinned. "Blasty wanted to show off for him."

"Shut. The fuck. Up," Katsuki warned. Denki did *not* look intimidated.

"Seriously, now you have to come to movie night. And you have to bring him with you," Mina demanded.

He rolled his eyes. "I'll ask if he can make it. If he can't go, I'm not going either."

Hanta rolled his eyes. "He can make it to one movie night—"

"Believe it or not, not everyone chooses day drinking as their extracurricular," Katsuki snapped. "He's fuckin' busy. I—

barely get to see him and I *live* with him. So if he doesn't want to go, we're not fucking going."

Hanta raised his hands in surrender. "Woah, dude. Chill."

He glowered. "It's bad enough that you fucks take up *my* time without asking, but Deku's got enough on his plate."

"Fine," Mina frowned. "Ask your apparently cute secret boyfriend if he'll come to movie night."

"Yeah, dude," Eijirou piped up, seemingly forgetting that he was upset. "We can't wait to meet him! If he's important to you, he must be awesome!"

Katsuki felt a reluctant surge of—

affection for his shitty-haired friend. Honestly, fuck him for being so supportive.

"I didn't keep him a secret on purpose," he mumbled. "It just didn't come up," he explained. "We have so much shit going on that we barely spend time together. I try not to think about it."

Mina cooed at him, skirting the table to wrap him in a hug that he *did not want.*

"That's so sad," she cried, ignoring the way he squirmed to break free of her (surprisingly strong) grip. "We promise we won't take up more time than we have to! We just wanna meet him."

He sighed. "Yeah, I get it. He probably wants to meet you, too."
-
-
-
Katsuki's workload was a little lighter than normal, so he'd taken it upon himself to try to spend a little extra time with Izuku.

Sure, date night was tomorrow and he'd see Deku that evening, but—

any time spent with Izuku was time well-spent.

"Kacchan!" Izuku greeted him, surprised and delighted. Katsuki felt *warm.* He couldn't believe he was lucky enough to have someone like Izuku this excited to see him. "What are you doing here?"

"Professor Metalhead took it easy on us today," he replied, nonchalantly walking behind the library counter to sit at the work table. "No homework except the lab writeup. So I thought we could have dinner," he said, holding up a takeout bag.

Izuku beamed at him, and he—

felt like he'd won a prize. "You're the best," he said, taking the food from Katsuki and placing it on the table. Then he sat in his lap, and Katsuki blushed, eyes darting to the students who were thankfully distracted by their own studies.

Izuku pulled his focus a moment later—

pulling him into a long, languid kiss—arm wrapping around his shoulders to steady himself as his tongue stroked his lazily.

He could spend his entire life kissing Izuku and never get bored. Never get tired. Never stop craving it.

He savored the way Izuku sank into him like—

he was the ultimate comfort. Like he was the only thing that mattered, and the only thing that could relax him.

He relished the trust and adoration and desire that was so evident by the way the kiss deepened and deepened.

He delighted in the way Izuku's body tensed and shifted under his hands—the little noises he made when he enjoyed something.

He did *not* appreciate the mousy girl who awkwardly cleared her throat to get Izuku's attention. "Sorry to interrupt," she blushed. "Can you help me?"

Izuku sighed and vacated Katsuki's lap. "Of course," he smiled, customer-servicing like a pro. "What do you need?"

"I'm looking for information on neoclassical econ theory," she replied. "But the catalog on the public computers is taking forever."

"Sure," he smiled.

He looked over his shoulder at Katsuki. "If you want you can start without me," he said. "This shouldn't take long."

"Nah, I'll wait. I'm here for some quality time," Katsuki smirked. Izuku blushed, starry freckles backlit by dusty pink.

"Gimme a minute then."

Katsuki nodded.

When Izuku turned his attention back to Katsuki, he'd pulled a chair as close to his as physically possible and served two plates. "I like it when you eat my face, but I think you need something more nutritious," Katsuki teased.

"I think you just called yourself junk food,"—

Izuku chuckled sitting down next to him. "How did you know I was craving Thai food?"

Katsuki snorted. "We share an Uber Eats account, dork. I can see your search history." Izuku blushed but pulled his plate closer.

"Shut up," he pouted as Katsuki laughed at him.

"Okay," Katsuki agreed, picking up his fork. "Then tell me about your day," he suggested. He was happy to just listen. And damn, his nerd could *talk.*

Izuku's eyes lit up, and Katsuki knew he was in for an epic tale that could be told in one paragraph but would be orated—

for nearly an hour.

Back when he'd been a fucking idiot—when he'd held Izuku at arm's length and torn him down like a fucking tool, it had been his least favorite quality.

It made Izuku impossible to ignore.

But now it just showed him how much Izuku wanted to share with him.

It showed him how many details he wanted to wrap Katsuki in—to make sure he wasn't left out of any facet of his life.

It was a gift. A loud, rambling, passionate gift. And Katsuki wasn't much of a talker, but he tried to match it. Just so that Izuku knew that—

he wanted to share his life too.

Which reminded him—

"Hey, Deku," he interrupted, and immediately Izuku's entire focus was on him. "Sorry, I just wanna ask before I forget. A few of the dorks in the engineering program are having a movie night on Saturday. You free?"

Izuku beamed at him. "You want to introduce me to more of your friends?"

"*Not* friends," Katsuki huffed.

"You didn't call them losers or extras," Izuku pointed out. "Definitely friends."

"Nevermind," Katsuki replied. "You don't get to meet them—"

"Noooooo," Izuku whined, pout turned up to 100. "I wanna! I'm wrong, they're probably...wait, lemme guess. Nosy cling-ons who bothered you until you gave up and ignored them."

Katsuki squinted at him, irritated by the accuracy of the assessment.

Izuku gave him a cheeky grin in response.

"Thin fuckin' ice."

"Oooh, what're you gonna do?" Izuku teased. "Kiss me harder?"

Katsuki smirked at him, letting his eyes trail down Izuku's body before flicking back up to meet his gaze—his intent clear. "Something like that."

Izuku blushed furiously.

"That's not a threat, that's a reward," Izuku replied primly. "And weren't you asking me something?"

Katsuki grinned sharply. "Yeah, but I think I like this better. Getting hot for me, nerd?"

He couldn't help but be amused by Izuku's dry stare.

It was so easy to rile him up. It was practically a hobby.

"I'm *always* hot for you, Kacchan. It's an ongoing thing. An era rather than an event." Then again, it was pretty easy for Izuku to rile him up, too. "Now finish inviting me to your friends' movie night."

Katsuki rolled his eyes, slumping back in his seat. "Fine. Saturday? You free?"

Izuku paused, actually considering it. "Hold on," he muttered, pulling his planner out of his bag. He flipped to the right page and perused the day in question. "What time?"

"Whenever you're free," he replied. "Evening. They didn't wanna start until you were available."

"Aw," Izuku smiled. "That's considerate of them."

"More considerate if they let me have you to myself," he grumbled. Izuku kicked his ankle. "What? Tell me more time alone doesn't—

sound fuckin' great."

"It does," Izuku agreed. Then he took his hand, playing with his fingers. "But friends are parts our our lives. Important parts. We should share them, right?"

"I could do without sharing Candy Cane," he retorted.

"Leave Todoroki alone," Izuku scolded.

Katsuki squinted at him. Izuku shifted under his gaze. "He's the one who kicked you in the ankle, isn't he?"

Izuku blanched. "Fuck."
-
-
-
Despite the fact that it was Denki and Eijirou's get-together, Mina was freaking the fuck out.

Denki had said that Katsuki's boyfriend—

Deku—was cute. But really, what kind of guy would Katsuki date?

She could only really imagine someone as salty and asocial as him. Someone who aired on the introverted side who would snap back at Katsuki when he was being a douche.

Because she loved Katsuki—really, she did—

but he could be abrasive. If she didn't have thick skin and a good sense of humor, she could see him corroding her.

So someone who loved him had to be equally corrosive, right?

Or maybe opposites attracted, and he was in love with some gentle twink who wore an excess of lace—

while singing softly to woodland creatures.

She had no frame of reference for Katuski's taste in people, because she had only recently confirmed that he actually liked *them*—his primary social circle aside from the band.

So yeah, she had no idea what to expect.

And not knowing what to expect meant that she had no idea how to direct the vibe.

And that was supposed to be her *superpower.*

She jumped when the doorbell rang, and Eijirou gave her an amused glance. "Chill," he chuckled, squeezing her hand while Denki went to get the door.

"Aw, dude where's the boyfriend?" he whined as Katsuki stepped inside.

"Had to finish something up, and we were coming from opposite directions," Katsuki groused. "He's just gonna meet me here. And while we wait, I'm gonna give you some fuckin' ground rules."

"Aw, are you worried your boyfriend won't like us?" Hanta teased. They didn't expect Katsuki's scoff.

"No, he's definitely gonna fuckin' like you. It's *me* you need to worry about," he warned. Mina swallowed and Eijirou shifted nervously, suddenly just as anxious as she was.

"What do you mean, dude?"

"I mean if you don't follow these rules, you can go to one of the TAs for your homework help. I bet Monoma would love to review your labs," he threatened. The other three engineering majors winced.

"And you," he said, turning to Eijirou. "You—

can get that purple headed freak to spot you instead."

"Aw, bro, not cool!" Eijirou whined.

"Then listen the fuck up," he barked. "Chill with the fucking interrogation. He's friendly to a fault and won't tell you when you're making him anxious."

They all melted a little at that. They'd never really pictured him as the protective type, but it was cute on him.

"Do *not* offer him ice cream of any sort. I refuse to deal with lactose farts all fucking night."

Denki snorted and Eijirou cackled. "Gross, dude,"—

Hanta snickered. Katsuki ignored him, powering forward.

"You can roast me, but don't insult me. He'll get pissed and it'll get ugly," he said. Denki opened his mouth to ask a question, but Katsuki interrupted. "If you have to ask if it's too far, then it's too far. Trust me."

Denki nodded.

"Do *not* ask about his scars. It's fucking rude," Katsuki snapped, glare turning fierce.

"Woah, yeah dude. We would never," Eijirou assured him. Appeased, Katsuki moved on.

"Finally, if any of you even *think* about putting on a horror movie, I'll kill you."

"Aw man," Hanta pouted, looking mournfully at Paranormal Activity. "Why not?"

"Because I refuse to install two extra deadbolts on our door and deal with him kicking me in the night because he's having nightmares. Fuck that, and fuck you."

They supposed that was valid.

"Disney night it is," Denki said cheerily. Katsuki blanched, running through all the possibilities.

"Marvel night," he suggested. "You'll get to know him better that way. He'll never shut up."

They all seemed to brighten at that.

"Awesome!" Denki cheered.

Satisfied that he'd done his due diligence, Katsuki shifted his focus. "Be right back. Gotta take a piss."

Mina wrinkled her nose. "Thanks for updating us."

"No problem, Pinky," he snickered, shedding his leather jacket and dropping it over the back of the couch.

She sighed as she watched him leave. Eijirou elbowed her. "What? He's eye candy. Bad boy eye candy."

"As long as you don't jump him," he chuckled, slinging an arm over her shoulder.

"Even if I did feel like turning into a cartoon villain by cheating on you—which, by the way—

is the equivalent of killing a puppy—he's *gay,* baby," she reminded him.

"Yeah, remind your eyeballs the next time you ogle his ass," he laughed, kissing her cheek.

Hanta's phone alarm went off, and he craned his neck to look at Denki. "Yo, the nachos are done," he said.

Denki jumped off the couch and wandered into the kitchen. Mina frowned. "Why didn't he use his alarm?"

"His phone is timing the jalepeno poppers," Hanta replied, lazily scrolling now that his phone was in his hand.

The next knock came faster than they anticipated, and Eijirou—

unwound himself from Mina to answer it.

Mina's gut churned in anticipation.

"Oh! Hey Mido!" Eijirou greeted him cheerily. "I didn't know Denks invited you, too!"

"Hey, Kirishima," he replied, sounding a little strained. Mina tried to get a look at the newcomer who was—

apparently an extra guest that Denki failed to warn them about, but Eijirou's hulking frame blocked her view.

"Actually, Kacchan invited me," he said timidly.

"Kacchan? Who—" Eijirou paused.

Mina did too.

She was pretty sure Hanta froze mid-scroll.

"Uh...can I come in?"

"Oh, yeah," Eijirou muttered, stepping aside. He was still percolating new information.

'Mido' was *hot.* Nerdy, adorable, and stacked but in like...a lithe, lean way. Like, *fuck* those legs could crush cinderblocks. Those biceps could jack a car in a single flex.

Despite that, he looked aerodynamic as heck. What the fuck.

But his face was soft and freckled, and his green hair looked fluffy. His eyes were wide and adorable. And he was wearing an All Might Varsity jacket. An adorable, sexy *dork.* If Mina weren't taken—

Well. Mina *was* taken. Very happily so.

But yeah. Mido was hot. Whoever the fuck Mido was.

"Wait, Kacchan?" Hanta interrupted, bringing her back to the mini-mystery. "Who..."

Then her brain caught up. "Do you mean Katsuki?" she breathed, eyes wide.

"Uh," he flushed, ducking his head. "Yeah. I'm his boyfriend. I'm Izuku Midoriya," he greeted them with a little wave.

"You're Katsuki's boyfriend?" Eijirou squeaked. "Dude! He hit the fucking jackpot, what the hell?"

Izuku laughed. "Uh, well I don't know about that,"—

he replied, rubbing his neck awkwardly. "Pretty sure I'm the lucky one. Uh...is he here yet?"

"Yeah, he jut went to the bathroom," Mina assured him faintly, still a little shellshocked.

"Come in, dude. Make yourself comfortable. Denki's getting snacks. This is Hanta and—

my girlfriend, Mina."

"Nice to meet you," he smiled at them. They fought the urge to squint as they stared into his sunny smile.

What the hell? This manifestation of sunshine was dating their anthropomorphized shrapnel bomb?

He sat on the couch—

a little rigid but clearly friendly. Mina could see why Katsuki warned them about his social anxiety. "So," she said, drawing his attention. "Kats proposed a Marvel night. Where do you think we should start?"

His eyes lit up, and she low-key fell in love with him.

"That depends on if you want to watch them chronologically or in release order," he replied enthusiastically. "If you've watched them all before, watching them chronologically is super cool!"

"I think we've all watched them," Eijirou said, following Mina's lead.

"Then we should definitely start from Captain America," he replied. "Then Captain Marvel. If we have time, we can do the two Iron Man movies after that."

"You wanna watch four movies in one night, nerd? We'll be here 'til morning," Katsuki groused as he exited the bathroom.

He vaulted over the back of the couch, landing as close to Izuku a he could. "Hey baby," he murmured. Izuku took the cue and leaned over to kiss him, smiling into it as he relaxed.

"Did he just call him baby?" Hanta whispered, awestruck.

"I'm still stuck on Kacchan,"—

Eijirou admitted.

The couple paid them no mind, still lazily greeting each other—Katsuki wrapping an arm around Izuku's shoulders as they settled back into the couch.

Mina noted the lazy circles Katsuki was drawing on Izuku's shoulder with his thumb—

a soothing motion that seemed to be lulling the anxious nerd into a sense of security.

Katsuki was so *attentive and sweet,* and she had no idea how to process that information.

Katsuki broke away. "You finish your project?" he asked softly, kissing the tip of his nose.

Izuku rolled his eyes. "Kinda. Partner's kind of a mooch. I'll finish tomorrow during my shift," he shrugged.

Katsuki kissed his forehead. "You should tell your professor."

"Nah," Izuku murmured. "It's almost over. Besides, he'll fail the practical," he grinned, mischievous.

The sweet nerd had a vicious streak, as secret as Katsuki's soft side. It suddenly made a little more sense.

Denki burst out of the kitchen, then—holding two trays aloft.

"Nachos!" Denki declared, setting one tray down on the coffee table. "And Jalepeno Poppers!" he said,—

setting down the other.

"Smells good," Izuku smiled up at him.

"Thanks, dude! Glad you could make it!" Denki grinned.

"If you fucks want to watch four movies in one night, you'd better start right fuckin' now," Katsuki barked.

Izuku lit up again, vibrating in his seat.

Watching movies with Izuku was an experience. He would burst out every now and then, explaining the difference between the comics and the movies in vivid detail before he'd clam up and scan the room for irritation.

Once he realized that they were enjoying his input though, he—

was off like a bullet—flying through theories and comic lore in detail.

Occasionally, when it looked like he'd fly out of his seat, Katsuki would coax him back and distract him with kisses. Only it didn't seem like a rebuke—but a mark of adoration.

Like Katsuki couldn't help—

but kiss him when he was this excited and passionate.

They made it through two and a half movies before Katsuki fell asleep, pillowed on Izuku's chest with his arms wrapped around his waist. Izuku himself was reclined back against the arm rest.

"We might have to finish this later," Izuku whispered. "He's probably exhausted."

"No sweat dude," Eijirou assured him. "Wanna call an Uber?"

As Izuku waited for their ride, Mina watched them carefully. Izuku stroked his hand through Katsuki's hair—

gentle and loving even as he let the movie distract him. It was so peaceful, and they looked so comfortable. So at home, just wrapped up together.

"He's so different with you," she observed. "It's really sweet to see."

"It took a long time to get here," he told her quietly.

"It was worth every minute, though," he said, smiling down at him and kissing the top of his head. Katsuki's grip tightened in his sleep.

Mina hoped he'd never let go.

Metaphorically, of course.

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---
part five
---
"So," Katsuki murmured, hugging Izuku from behind while he finished up his homework at his desk. "It's almost time for date night," he observed, kissing his shoulder and nuzzling into his neck.

"Mhm," Izuku agreed, tilting his head so Katsuki could roam free.

"Did you have a plan?" he asked, nipping his jaw.

"Not really, just dinner and a movie. Cuddling. Lots of cuddling."

"Mm, sounds nice," Katsuki agreed, breath washing over the shell of Izuku's ear.

"Well if you keep doing that, the plan will change drastically," Izuku warned.

"Oh no, sounds terrible," Katsuki laughed, yanking on his ear with his teeth. "You sure you don't wanna do something special?"

"No," Izuku allowed, turning to face him. "But just spending time with you is all I need."

Katsuki kissed him sweet and slow—

gently coaxing his lips apart so their tongues could tangle. "Alright then. I'll go grab dinner while you finish up," he offered.

Izuku frowned. "You sure?"

"Yeah," Katsuki replied, pressing a final kiss to his temple before separating. "Think you'll be done when I get back?"

Izuku nodded.

And he was. When Katsuki kicked the door open half an hour later, he'd picked out a movie and was lazily scrolling through Instagram while he waited.

"Hey," Katsuki said as he put their food down. "You're coming to my show, right?"

Izuku scoffed. "Obviously."

"We're having an after-party at Ponytail's place," he said. "I'm not going unless you are."

"Guess I'm going then," Izuku grinned. Katsuki pouted. "You just wanted to use me as an excuse to ditch."

"People suck. Drunk people suck even more," he grumbled. "But fine."

"Who's gonna be there?"

"Dunno," he replied as he handed Izuku his food. "I didn't ask. Didn't think I'd be going, but my boyfriend betrayed me."

"Dramatic," Izuku pointed out, taking the box from him. Katsuki flipped him off. "Not nice."

"I'm not nice."

"You're nice to me," Izuku disagreed as Katsuki settled in next to him. "So nice."

"No."

"Oh, come on, it'll be fun!" Izuku laughed, kissing his cheek. "Socializing is fun."

Katsuki insisted. "It's wasted time I could have spent making out with you."

"Very sweet. Nice try, but no dice." Izuku replied. "Can I bring friends?"

Katsuki huffed. "Dunno. I'll ask."

"Aw, don't be upset," Izuku cooed. "I wanna show you off!"

Katsuki blushed, aggressively sprinkling chili flakes into his pad thai.

"Damn right. I'm a fuckin' prize."

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On Monday evening, he was studying with Iida and Todoroki again. This time he was joined by Iida's girlfriend, Tsuyu.

The other library assistant, Ochako (who had also become a good friend) was flitting in and out of the session too, since she had three classes with Tsu.

Just as his head was about to split from trying to figure out what the fuck z-scores were and how to use them, his phone vibrated on the table.

>> kacchan 🧡💥
hey ponytail says u should bring friends
feel free to ignore her and just bring yourself
ur the important part

Izuku blushed.

<< kacchan 🧡💥
no u
tell momo thanks

>> kacchan 🧡💥
definitely not
did you already get dinner

<< kacchan 🧡💥
yea! got a sandwich from the cafe

>> kacchan 🧡💥
ok :( cu at home
love you

<< kacchan 🧡💥
love u more

>> kacchan 🧡💥
impossible

Izuku smiled as he put away his phone.

"Hey," he turned to Todoroki. "You're going to the show on Saturday, right?"

Todoroki nodded. "Yeah," he replied. "Not really my scene, but I promised Momo."

"What show?" Ochako asked, leaning over his shoulder. He smiled at—

the side of her face. He was more than used to her lack of personal space bubble.

"This weekend at the rec center? There's gonna be a concert and afterparty," he explained. "I know the band. Wanna come? You're all invited," he offered.

Ochako blinded him with her grin.

"That sounds like so much fun!"

"Well you said you were coming to our game, right?" He asked, looking from Ochako to Tsu who were both nodding. We can meet up after and head over to the rec center together, he offered.

Ochako squealed and threw her arms around his neck,—

clinging to him. "Oh, this is so exciting!"

Todoroki was giving him an odd look across the table, and Izuku tilted his head in confusion. A moment later, he shrugged and looked away.

Izuku felt concern prod at the back of his skull, but decided to ignore it. This would be fun!

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Izuku wasn't super into the concert scene, but this was amazing. The crowd was so *alive* and the music was dark and bewitching but so energetic.

He could feel Katsuki's drumming beating through his whole body.

At one point, he managed to make eye contact with—

Katsuki and the blonde had given him a wild grin, excited and proud and it had been exhilarating.

Carmine eyes had trailed across his body like physical touch and Izuku knew that he'd picked out the right outfit when the beat faltered for a split second.

He had chosen a nerdy black tee and thrown one of Katsuki's leather jackets over it, and then he'd gotten Todoroki's help putting on eyeliner in the locker room.

Ochako had gushed about how good he looked and he'd preened, hoping that Katsuki felt the same.

He obviously did.

He grinned at Katsuki for as long as he could before the crowd pushed him out of eye-contact range and even then he was having such an *amazing* time.

He and his friends let the music take them—dancing and jumping and grinding.

He barely noticed how Todoroki—

kept strategically placing themselves between him on Ochako when she would start dancing with him.

Of course, he *did* notice when Iida started doing the same thing, considering his girlfriend was *right there,* looking confused and a little hurt.

But they'd pre-gamed the show—

and he figured he could address it later. This night was about Katsuki and he wasn't willing to pay attention to anything else.

Not when his boyfriend looked so beautiful and energized—emotion in every movement he made.

He couldn't look away. How had he gotten so lucky?

"I'm surprised you like this music so much!" Ochako yelled over the wall of noise.

"They're great!" he called back enthusiastically, barely looking at her. Mid-concert wasn't a great time to have a conversation about music taste. "I'm gonna try to get close to the stage again!"

He fought his way closer—his friends in tow. He was tempted to climb onto the stage just to be closer to Katsuki's magnetic presence.

In Izuku's opinion he was always enchanting, but he was *glowing* now and Izuku wanted to bask in him.

Luckily, that was his privilege.

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Tsu trailed them as they left the rec center, eyes darting between her companions.

Izuku was practically vibrating. She'd never seen him so energized in the three months she'd known him.

"They were amazing!" he gushed as Todoroki fiddled with his phone to call an Uber.

"They were pretty cool," Ochako agreed, stuck to his side. "Not really my kinda sound, but it was fun!"

Tsu smiled at her friend, glad she was connecting with her crush. Then she frowned as Tenya draped an arm over Izuku's shoulder, squeezing between him and Ochako.

He'd been doing that all night.

It wasn't like him to interfere in other peoples' relationships. He barely interfered in his own—so prim and proper.

Ochako looked put out but fell back, content to listen to Izuku's excited rambling as he noted every part of the performance—

he'd liked.

As they waited for the Uber, it felt like Tenya and Todoroki were forming some kind of human wall. Tsu would feel neglected, but it felt like there was something else going on.

That feeling was confirmed when the Uber arrived and the boys surrounded Izuku like—

bodyguards in the back seat while she and Ochako took the two middle-row seats.

They were playing keep-away. She was a little offended on Ochako's behalf. Did they not approve of her? She and Izuku would make a really cute couple.

When they got to Yaomomo's house, the—

strange behavior continued. They got in the door, and Izuku started acting like a heat-seeking missile. Tenya and Todoroki followed closely—the former still playing bodyguard while the other looked for Yaomomo.

Finally, Tsu reached her limit.

She grabbed Tenya by the arm—

holding him back. "What's going on?"

Tenya frowned at her. "What do you mean?" he asked, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

"I mean you've barely talked to me all night and you're acting like a guard dog," she replied. "Why are you getting between Izuku and Ochako?"

"Ah," he uttered, shifting uncomfortably. "She likes him."

She rolled her eyes. "I know that. Is that a bad thing?"

"I mean, she likes him romantically," he clarified. She huffed.

"I know that! She's my friend, I'm aware of what she wants. Why is that a bad thing?"

"What do you mean? I told you about this two weeks ago," he asked, now confused himself.

"Told me about *what?*" she cried.

"KACCHAN!" Izuku's voice belted over the crowd. Tsu whipped around to watch as Izuku broke into a run and jumped into the drummer's arms—

kissing him like the world was ending.

"About that," Tenya replied. "Izuku is in a relationship. A long-term, committed relationship."

Tsu's jaw dropped. "Since when?" she demanded. "Why didn't you say anything?"

Tenya looked down at her, shocked. "I did! Two weeks ago!"

"You definitely didn't!" she cried. "I wouldn't have encouraged Ochako if you had!"

"I'm sure I told you as soon as I found out," Tenya insisted.

Tsu was ignoring him now, though—eyes searching for Ochako in the crowd. The girl in question looked shocked and crestfallen—

eyes wide and lips parted in shock.

Tsu's own eyes widened in alarm when her eyes hardened in determination and she started muscling her way toward the couple.

The couple who were still attached at the face—Izuku's legs wrapped around the drummer's waist as he was held up.

Tsu would be totally impressed that said drummer had managed to catch him from the running jump, but she was focused on the problem at hand.

She grabbed Tenya's hand to pull him forward, knowing it was too late to intercept her but hoping it wasn't too late to do damage control.

They made it to the epicenter of whatever the fuck was about to happen right as Ochako cleared her throat.

The couple didn't stop—clearly too distracted by the porno they were currently reenacting to notice anyone else. So, instead of leaving them alone...

Ochako did it again.

The couple parted...kind of. They pulled their faces away from each other to scope out the source of the interruption—lips swollen and eyes glazed. The drummer—Kacchan—didn't put Izuku down, and Tsu couldn't help but marvel at his upper body strength.

Like, damn.

"The fuck do you want," the drummer snapped. "Can't you see we're fuckin' busy?"

Ochako flinched back, affronted. Izuku's dazed confusion cleared. "Be nice, Kacchan," he scolded. He made to let himself down, but 'Kacchan' held him tighter. Izuku blushed and let it happen.

"Your tongue was in my fucking mouth and now it's not," the drummer barked. "I don't feel like being nice."

Izuku rolled his eyes but smiled, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "This is my friend Ochako. She works with me at the library. And this is Tsu, Iida's girlfriend. You—

remember Iida, right?"

'Kacchan' scowled, but gave a half nod of acknowledgment. "Sup, Glasses?"

"Bakugou," he smiled back. "Good show. It might not have been my music taste, but the actual mastery was spectacular. You're all excellent musicians."

Bakugou actually smiled a little at that. "Thanks, man. It was fun. Denki didn't even suck this time."

"HEY!" Someone's voice came from behind them. Bakugou held his middle finger aloft in their general direction.

"So who is this?" Ochako asked, recapturing their attention.

"I didn't realize you knew the drummer."

Tsu cringed at the false brightness in her voice. She could tell that Bakugou heard it too, judging by the way his eyes zeroed in on her.

"Oh! This is my boyfriend, Katsuki Bakugou," he grinned, turning to gaze into Bakugou's eyes.

"Boyfriend?" Ochako asked quietly. "I didn't realize you were seeing someone. How long have you two been together?"

"Two years, five months, and twelve days," Katsuki drawled, holding Izuku closer, pressing a kiss to Izuku's jaw. "Two an a half years of neurotic nerd—"

Izuku slapped his shoulder. "Mean," he pouted, finally unwinding his legs from around Bakugou's waist to slide down his body and land lightly on his feet—descent slowed by the drummer's careful grip. "Two and a half years of grumpy butthead," he retorted, sticking his tongue out.

"Fuck you, too," Katsuki huffed, smacking his ass. Tsu blushed at Izuku's embarrassed yelp.

So did Ochako.

"You know how long you've been together down to the day?" Ochako laughed. It sounded tight and fake. Tsu hoped nobody else noticed.

"We celebrate every half year we're together," Izuku explained. "The next six month milestone is soon. It's Kacchan's turn to plan it."

"That's very romantic," Tenya observed, sounding fond. Tsu's stomach sank. He clearly approved, and apparently he'd mentioned it.

Why hadn't she caught it?

This wasn't good.

"Kacchan's a romantic. An ass, but a romantic ass."

"Fuck you, Deku."

"Not now, we're at a party," Izuku joked.

"Behave yourself, you horny shit," Bakugou snapped. "Fuckin' embarrassing."

"You love me anyway," Izuku grinned.

"Two and a half years," Ochako said. All eyes were on her again. "Why didn't you ever tell us about him?" she asked, tone oddly saccharine. A light chill went down her spine. "You seem close, it's weird that you never mentioned him."

Izuku shrugged.

"I only really see you at work," he replied. "I don't really talk about my personal life at work."

"Unless your personal life walks in to bring you dinner," Tenya joked.

"Bring me dinner and insult Todoroki," Izuku corrected with a cheeky grin.

"Very fucking funny, nerd."

"I know I am," he chuckled, standing on tiptoe to peck him on the nose. "It's okay, you're funny too, Kacchan."

"Thin fuckin' ice. I'll lock you out of the room if you don't watch yourself."

"The room?" Ochako uttered, sounding faint.

Izuku didn't look away from—

Bakugou's blush when he answered. "Yeah, we live together," he smiled. "And you wouldn't lock me out. You can't sleep unless you're practically strangling m—mff!"

Bakugou had slapped a hand over Izuku's mouth, blushing violently as Izuku's shoulders shook with laughter.

"That's enough of that," he barked. "Nice to fuckin' meet you or whatever. Deku needs to say hi to the rest of the band," he barked, already hauling Izuku away.

When they were out of sight, Ochako turned to them very slowly. "Two years?"

"I'm sorry, Ochako," Tsu said,—

moving forward to wrap her arms around the brunette's shoulders.

"He calls him Deku," Ochako frowned. "Why would he call his boyfriend useless? Izuku isn't useless," she huffed.

"It's probably just some nickname," Tsu replied.

"They've known each other for a long time,"—

Tenya said. "They still use each others' childhood nicknames."

"You'd think he'd pick something nicer once they started dating," Ochako insisted. "And he's so rude!"

"He's a little uncouth, but he clearly cares about Midoriya," Tenya replied,—

clearly uncomfortable with weighing in but needing to say something.

Tsu agreed with him. "They're really into each other, and he makes Izuku happy. I'm really sorry, but I think you gotta let it go."

The look on Ochako's face suggested that she would be doing no such thing.

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